Merlin you've got poo on your face
Chapter 9
There was quietness finally in the court physician's chambers. When Gaius got to merlin he was barely conscious but that soon changed when he began to moan and groan and that developed in to whimpers which grew into cries of pain.
When he was in the physician's chambers on the sick cot he was sedated with a sleeping draught, but it only kept the pain at bay for a little while. Sweat was pouring off of him and he tossed and turned, clearly still in a large amount of pain.
"Do you have any idea what's happened to him?" came Gwen's voice from the stool that sat next to the sick cot. She couldn't remember seeing him in this bad of shape since the time he drank poison for Arthur; at that time he was dying.
"It's as if his bodies fighting off an infection! His fever won't stay down and I, I don't know-"
The man seemed lost for words. He stared at Merlin, and seemed drained, he was worried, and if he was worried and at a loss for words then Merlin…
"I'll get more cool water." She said standing and leaving in a hurry determined to keep her head. All she could do was try and keep his fever at bay until Gaius could treat him.
Arthur had also been there the entire time and had been silent for that time, just looking on grabbing what was needed; his brow furled and concerned.
"Could it- no. The antidote, could that have done this." He asked gesturing to Merlin.
"You said that it would cure him or do nothing!" He shouted, he didn't mean too.
"I think you may be on to something. I don't know if it is that but really that would be my first guess, it's just that those would be the only two out comes to the antidote. Perhaps his body is rejecting it violently like an illness"
"Then what do we do now?"
Arthur was biting his lower lip speaking more to himself than to Gaius. After all he had told Merlin, "There you have it Merlin see don't cry. All you have to do is take it and either way you'll be fine."
And he had meant that, had trusted Gaius' knowledge, and just this once Gaius might have been wrong.
"Keep him cool, perhaps he can sweat it out, there is nothing I can think to give him except a sleeping draught and something the dull the pain. I'll have to keep him hydrated as well, all that sweating could-"Came Gaius' reply.
A short while after this in came Gwen a serving girl and two buckets of water with Gawain close behind.
"Have you figured it out yet?" The first words out of his mouth, his feet instinctually taking him to Merlin to sit next to him.
"No, not quite." And that was true. He had looked the young man over and asked questions of his behavior, if anyone had seen him cough, thought he looked ill that morning, the day before. There were no marks, rashes, his throat was not inflamed, he wasn't congested, his lungs sounded clear of fluid…There was nothing except the antidote and a love spell.
Gawain took Merlin's hand and lightly squeezed it.
Merlin groaned and then his eyes shot open.
"Gawain?" He whispered, and then took in everyone else in the room.
"I tried to stop but I couldn't I didn't mean to be like that! I, sorry I just- Gaius please help I can't stop! I, I, I_" He then fell back into a fitful sleep.
Merlin tried as me might to stay awake, tried to figure out what was happening, tried to fight, but it was as if a large object was over him, a heavy force encompassing him, like he was deep under water.
