As Merlin gradually started to come to he felt disoriented and knew he had had a fit. It didn't feel like his bed as he opened his eyes his eyes he saw that the walls and ceiling were a pale colour not like the exposed stonework he was used to. He tried to calm himself and work out what had happened. As usual after a fit is brain felt fuzzy, he was going to close his eyes again when a man about the same age as his father came into his vision, he smiled at Merlin and Merlin wondered where Dr Muirden was. Merlin's throat was dry bit he spoke anyway "Dr Muirden?"

The other man spoke gently "I'm Dr Nemeth I am your doctor now, is Dr Muirden the doctor who normally cares for you?"

Merlin gave a small nod of the head. Dr Nemeth smiled again "I will be looking after you from now. How do you feel Sir?"

"kay" Merlin was almost whispering. The doctor gave Merlin a glass of water and Merlin took it and after smelling it took a sip then another.

"Can you speak better now?" Merlin just looked at him. "Merlin you have be brought to hospital so I can make sure you are alright, can I listen to your chest?" he showed Merlin his stethoscope.

Which made Merlin frown. The Doctor put the end against his own chest to demonstrate what he wanted to do. Then getting no response he put his hand out towards Merlin who immediately moved as far away in the bed as he could. Then Dr Nemeth gently took hold of Merlin's hand to try to feel a pulse. Merlin didn't move away but his heart was pounding so the doctor stopped.

"Merlin we need to check you, to make sure you haven't hurt yourself" the doctor was trying to work out how they were going to take blood and x rays without upsetting the young man. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

"no" came to whispered reply.

Smiling Dr Nemeth asked "That's good, Merlin can you speak louder please it's difficult to hear you"

That sent Merlin into a panic still whispering but clearly very distressed he curled into himself "no…quiet, must be quiet"

Merlin kept shaking his head and got more and more distressed before going into a seizure once more. The nurse came forward, who had until now kept still and not seen by Merlin. Between them they kept Merlin safe until the fit stopped then Merlin was given a sedative so that the team could safely check him and do the tests needed it was clear there was no way they could be done without such measures. Not without causing too much distress. Merlin was prescribed a low dose of diazepam for the time being for when he woke, the doctor felt it would be sometime before the Prince would cope without.

The next time Merlin woke it was in the early hours of the morning, there was a small light that was just enough for him to look around the room he was in. He then realised he had a tube going to his arm. As he moved his head he saw someone sitting in a chair near the bed. It gave him a start that made the nurse realise he was awake. She carefully stood up making sure not to make any sudden moves.

"Hello your majesty. Do you need anything Sir?" she noticed he was looking at his intravenous drip "That's just to make sure you have enough fluids while you were asleep" she explained. "Would you like a drink?"

Merlin nodded and the nurse came forward with a drink "I will just sit you up, the bed will move please don't worry." She pressed the control and Merlin felt the bed move and he was soon sat up. The nurse gave him the glass and watched to make sure he managed alright. Then she pressed the call button.

"I have just let the doctors know you're awake, someone will come in shortly"

As she spoke the door opened and a different doctor walked in he stood at the end of the bed and bowed "Your Majesty, it's good to see you awake. My name is Dr Morgan, it's still very early and I hope you can get some more sleep, but first you will feel a bit more sleepy than usual as we have given you something to help keep you calm, but how do you feel otherwise?"

Merlin looked from the nurse to the doctor and shrugged his shoulders and then closed his eyes. He just didn't want to face anyone, he had clearly had another fit, two in a short time, he felt ashamed and knew he had let people down, he hadn't had two 'episodes,' as the King had called them, in the same day for as long as he could remember. He felt a tear run down his face and that made him feel even worse, after all he was a Pendragon and they didn't cry, ever.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and tensed up completely, the hand was removed "Sorry Sir I didn't mean to startle you, please don't get upset" the voice was soft and kind and that made Merlin feel even worse. He started to curl up into himself. As he did he felt the thing in his arm pull and as he looked down he could see blood. At the same time the nurse also saw it and quickly put some gauze on his hand and held it. Not knowing what she was doing he went to pull away

"Please be calm Sir, just stopping the bleeding" the kind man told him. Merlin started to panic once more and then knew nothing. He was having a third fit. Once he was asleep the doctor arranged for him to have an increased level of diazepam on a regular basis.

Turning to the doctor the nurse said "Poor man, makes you wonder what he went through. I hope his family had a lot of patience and are understanding, although what has happened so far doesn't give much hope"

The doctor looked up sharply "Go careful, none of us know what happened, but I suspect it's not the new King or the Princess that was to blame here. But I agree he will need a lot of love to get him back from this"

The nurse blushed "Sorry I meant nothing and I wouldn't have said it anywhere else"

"I know Sophia but this is a very sensitive situation and needs great tact and discretion"

Arthur was up early he hadn't slept at all well, all he had been able to think of was Merlin led in the bed, and how he must have felt when at five years old he had been taken away from everything he had known and loved. Also being told his brother had been made to only whisper made his blood boil and he wondered what the punishment had been. Before they had retired the night before Morgana had mentioned that Merlin was lucky Uther had died as he could have been in that room a lot longer, and that had really got his brain going. Arthur knew the next year or more was going to be hard.

Not only with Merlin but taking over the duties of the King. Arthur knew would be expected to travel the Commonwealth, normally he would have been happy to, but how could be leave Merlin, and he was sure his brother wouldn't be able to cope. Arthur had a shower and put on the clean clothes that had been brought over from Clarence House. That was something else he had to do, move to Windsor Castle. George his valet came with Arthur's breakfast. Arthur had already made arrangements for his sister to join him.

It was clear that Morgana hadn't slept any better, but unlike her brother she could cover up some of the damage with carefully applied make up. Once they had finished their breakfast they waited for the doctor to send for them as arranged. The first thing they were told was that the DNA from Morgana had confirmed that Merlin was their brother without a shadow of doubt.

When Merlin had woken up he felt a lot calmer although he was still very tense. He looked round the room and realised it was the one form the previous night, it was smaller than he was used to and much lighter and brighter. Then he a spotted a different woman sat next to him.

She smiled at him and spoke quietly "Good morning Sir, please try to keep calm, my name is Mithian I am one of your new doctors. As my father told you yesterday you have been rescued and are now in hospital. Your brother and sister are waiting to visit you." She paused to let her words sink in before continuing "The King is dead, you are free"

Merlin didn't speak he was still frightened, even though the doctor seemed kind. He just stared at her, it was all too much to take in and he couldn't really believe what was happening to him. His brain was all fuzzy and he couldn't seem to conHe wanted to see a familiar face of one of the people he was used to.

Meanwhile the older Doctor Nemeth had decided that Arthur and Morgana should visit Merlin so as they walked into Merlin's room they both smiled and didn't get to close as advised. Arthur and Morgana sat down to get on the same level as their brother. When what they really wanted to do was hug him. "Hello Merlin, I am your brother Arthur and this is Morgana do you remember us?"

Merlin looked at the couple in front of him and frowned. Morgana carefully put a photo on the bed in front of Merlin, it was the last one she could find of them all together. Merlin picked it up and looked at it, his eyes going wider as he continued to stare at it.

"That's us Merlin" Morgana told him softly "Do you remember? We didn't know what had happened to you" it had been decided not to tell Merlin that he had had a funeral and they thought he was dead.

Very slowly Merlin's face changed and he gave them the smallest grin then spoke to them whispering as he had since his rescue "Arthur, Gana?"

"Yes Merlin it's us" Morgana smiled as tears fell onto her checks

Merlin leant forward and very slowly lifted his hand and touched his sisters face where the tears had fallen "Made you sad"

"No Merlin very happy not sad" Morgana explained

Merlin then looked at his elder brother and Arthur slowly put his hand out and said "hello shrimp" just as he had called him all those years ago. As the older brother he had always teased Merlin who had always been small for his age.

Merlin took his hand away from Morganas face and touched Arthur, before swallowing several times then his face fell "I'm disgrace to Pendragon's"

That cut both the older siblings to the core, it was said in the same tone they had heard from their father so many times. Arthur's hand shook as he very carefully took his brothers hand in his "No Merlin you are not a disgrace and you never have been, not to us. We love you very much and want you back home with us"

"Back to old room?" came the same flat voice

"Never again Merlin, you will be with us, you will never go back to that room again. I promise you" Arthur was having difficulty speaking and stopping the tears falling from his eyes. "Merlin can I hug you please?"

"Hug?" Merlin sounded puzzled

Morgana broke down at that and turned to Arthur and hugged him "Like that Merlin a hug because we love you"

Merlin seemed to think for a moment, he looked unsure "You don't have to if you don't want to" he was told by his brother.

Merlin didn't say anything but held out his arms and Arthur and Morgana got either side of the bed and hugged Merlin between them. Making sure not to overwhelm him at the same time. They both felt him start to shake as the man that had been in isolation from family so long started to cry.

Arthur whispered to his brother "We love you so much Merlin it's so good to have you back"

The doctor and nurse had quietly left the room to allow the family their first moments together for so long. It had gone better than they had hoped. Arthur and Morgana pulled away as they felt Merlin relax his hold. They instinctively knew they would need to take baby steps and not push Merlin faster than he could cope with.