Merlin looked like death itself. No emotion crossed his face at any point in the long journey back to Camelot. No playful banter was exchanged at any point either, and it was getting to Arthur, it wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Merlin shouldn't be lying stabbed in his saddle.

"Come on, girl." He said quietly to Kaina as he gently tugged on her reins. She whinnied and followed him obediently, wondering why her master was not riding her and why it was this man who always rode next to the horse and her rider on quests and hunts. Arthur made a clicking noise with his tongue when Kaina went in the wrong direction. Arthur looked back at Kaina's passenger for the millionth time, and for the millionth time, his face paled.

Blood was still seeping out of the nasty gash and turning Merlin's blue shirt a sickening purple colour. Merlin's face looked white as a sheet and a shean of sweat shone all across it. Merlin's eyelids remained closed but Arthur could see his friends eyes flitting aroun fitfully underneath them. Arthur placed his hand of Merlin's brow and sighed when he noticed that his fever was getting worse. Arthur stopped Kaina and walke over so he was next to Merlin. He clapped an affectionate hand on Merlin's back and rubbed in circles, knowing how much a stab wound could hurt even though your unconcious. Ne felt nothing but sympathy for the poor man in the saddle.

So the three walked slowly back to Camelot. Arthur was very careful when taking Merlin down from the saddle and gently he trudged up to the castle with him in his arms. He hesitated when outside Gaius' chambers, Merlin would be more comfortable in Arthur's own bed, wouldn't he? But didn't he need to be with Gaius so that he was closer to the old man so he could recieve proper medical attention? He decided to hand Merlin over to the elderly physician and stay with him.

The door flung open as Arthur slammed his shoulder against it. Gaius looked up from a book he was reading and rushed over to the two boys.

"Lay him on the bed quickly! What happened?" Arthur immediatley did as he was told and layed Merlin on the bed in his own room. Gaius started to examine Merlin. Arthur stood opposite Gaius, but right next to Merlin. He stood over his friend and watched as he lay still on the bed.

"Arthur? What happened?" Gaius stood back from the patient and pulled up a chair to sit on as Arthur did the same. Arthur explained everything, the voice in his head calling to him encluded.

"I can't make sense of that voice. How did it get into my head? How did it know about Merlin?" Just saying Merlin's name made Arthur feel slightly ill.

"Nore can I, sire." Obviously Gaius knew it was Kilgarrah. Everything added up. Merlin and Kilgarrah had gone out to solve the problem of Merlin's voices, Merlin had got himself stabbed (possibly by Morgana) and KIlgarrah had told Arthur via telepathy to come and take Merlin back to Camelot. Poor Merlin. Gaius just prayed that it wasn't all in vain and that Merlin and Kilgarrah had sorted out the problem.

Arthur dared hiself to look at his manservant. And when he did, he wished he hadn't. He looked feverish and sickly, nothing like the bubbly, annoying manservant he usually is. Arthur looked back over the past few days and shuddered, then he moved his chair as close as he could to Merlin's bed so his knees were touching the wooden frame. He wanted to get closer, he wanted to hold Merlin tight until he woke up, but he knew it wouldn't be right and that it would hurt him, so he put up with sitting in the old wooden chair.

"Gaius, whats wrong with him?" Arthur finally asked, very quietly.

"The wound's infected and he seams to have developped a fever. It's strange though..."

"What? What's strange?"

"When my other patients have had fevers, they toss fitfully. Merlin must be an exception... but it's just... strange."

"I agree. But this is Merlin we're talking about, Gaius. He probably defies every law and rule there is." Gaius smiled and nodded. He stood up and started to xit, when he reached the door he looked back to the royal, a look of confusion displayed clearly on his face.

"Sire you have duties, you cannot stay here."

"My first duty is to Merlin, Gaius. I'm not leaving him for one second.

Can I just remind you that this is meant to be bromance NOT romance. x x x Enjoy the next chapter when I finally post it x x x

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