"So let me get this straight. You want me to let you know if Merlin's awake, as long as he's not going to fall asleep?" Arthur asked with his arms crossed over him chest, standing infront of the door to Merlin's room.
"Yes. No, well, sort of- No, forget that-"
"Gaius! Yes or no?"
"Yes. But if he's not showing any signs of being tired?"
"I... call you?"
"Yes. And what do you say to Merlin if he's too tired to talk to me?"
"I ask him first what he remembers... then if he's not going to sleep, I give him this," Arthur held up a small bottle, "and then I can talk to him about whatever I please for a short amount of time before he falls asleep."
"Excatly. Well done, Arthur. It took a while, but you finally know what to do." Arthur didn't really understand that comment, so he just nodded. "Are you ready? Oh, no wait, I forgot something."
"What?" Gaius reached behind him and took a bundle of herbs from his bench. He handed them to Arthur.
"Put these on his pillow. You'll have a few hours until the smell wakes him up."
"Alright."
Arthur dissapeared behind the old wooden door and Gaius returned to his work, begging the Gods that this ordeal would be over soon.
"Um... Merlin. I... er... I need to put these on your pillow. They aren't flowers, if that's what you're thinking. They have a wierd effect on people in a state like you are now, apparently they're one of the only things that can wake you up. Look at me, rambling infront of you. It's not like I'm nevous or worried or anything, just so you know that." Arthur sighed and sat down on a chair next to Merlin, being careful to place the herbs on Merlin's pillow. He felt really tired, so he made a plan. He wrote a note and put it on Merlin's forehead (he was sure to notice it there). It said:
Merlin,
Wake me up when you wake up.
Arthur.
It was short but got the point he wanted to make across. Arthur then relaxed into the chair and swiftly fell asleep.
Merlin woke up very slowly. He opened his eyes and suddenly panicked. He'd gone blind! He sat up quickly, and then realised hecould see again. A piece of paper fell onto the ground. The ill servant ignored the pain and fatigue and tried to reach for it, but gave up in the end and collapsed into his bed. It was then that he noticed his master, asleep in the chair nextto his bed. Merlin saw an opening and decided to take it. "Arthur." Merlin felt utterly shattered and just wanted to read the note and go back to sleep.
No response from Arthur.
"Arthur!" Merlin whispered
Still no response.
"Wake up!" Merlin hissed as loudly as he could.
Still no response.
"Rise and shine."
Arthur grunted and cracked open his eyes."Shut up, Merlin."
"Arthur, I need you to get something for me." Merlin said, tiredly and quietly. Arthur seamed to remember the situation and he sat up.
"What? What d'you want me to do?"
"Could you get a piece of paper for me?" Arthur smiled. "Wha'?"
"Don't worry about that, Merlin. It was a note from me. Now, are you tired?"
"Yes." Merlin snuggled into his blanket and his pillow, thwaking the herbs which he had only just noticed off of his pillow and onto the floor. Arthur sighed. He shook Merlin lightly and Merlin groaned and turned over.
"How much do you remember?"
"Wha...?" Merlin asked, his speech slurred.
"What do you remember, I mean, how far back do you remember?"
"I...'member ev'yfing..."
"Do you remember the morning when you first started feeling unwell?"
"Yes... go 'way."
"I can't until you tell me how you felt."
"Awful."
"Headache?"
"Yes."
"Anything else?"
"... No."
"Are you sure? Just a headache?"
"Well... there... was..." Merlin's eyelids began to droop.
"There was what, Merlin? What else was there?" The eyelids closed. "Great." Arthur strode out of the room to report his findings to Gaius, angry that he didn't get all the information out of Merlin, but also relieved that it was now obvious to him that Merlin still had a chance of survival, he'd just had a conversation with him.