Gaius rose from his nap at around half past eleven. Merlin woke up some twenty minutes later. Gaius knew this because at about seven minutes after that, a crash and a sound like a dying animal echoed from the warlock's bedroom. A large thing flew through out of Merlin's door, crashed into the wall above the door, and shattered, each little piece turning into flowers as they fell. The physician blinked, looked at the pile of flowers on the floor, then looked at the doorway into Merlin's room, where the warlock was leaning with one hand outstretched, a panicked look on his face. Gaius sighed, stood, and began slowly walking toward Merlin.

"Uh, Gaius, I can explain…" Merlin said, sickly face turning white as he backed away. "Really, it was an accident…Don't look at me like that…I didn't mean—Wait, let me just—"

Gaius was within arm's reach now. Merlin jumped back, but with reflexes well-honed from treating small, spoiled children, Gaius' arm darted out faster than Merlin could flee. He snared Merlin by the ear and dragged him, whimpering and protesting, back to his room. He tossed the warlock inside, shut the door, and leaned his back against it. When he turned around he saw he had a visitor who had, judging by the amused and shocked expression on his face, seen the chase.

"Um…what was that about?" Elyan asked, raising his voice against the sound of Merlin beating on his bedroom door—that nap had done a lot for him, and Gaius hoped the "accident" hadn't undone it all.

"Merlin's sick," Gaius said, kicking his foot backwards against the door.

The dark skinned knight nodded slowly, though he looked as if he didn't understand a thing. "…That explains why he hasn't been around, I guess, but…do you treat all your sick patients like that?"

"Only the ones who insist on making it worse," the physician said.

"ELYAN?" came Merlin's muffled shout through the door. "I'M BEING HELD AGAINST MY WILL! DO ME A FAVOR AND SAVE ME LIKE A GOOD KNIGHT."

Elyan chuckled as if he didn't believe the picture in front of him. "Sorry, Merlin," he yelled back. "I think I'd rather take on another immortal army."

"Indeed," Gaius said, raising an eyebrow, this one exuding an uncomfortable level of satisfaction with the amount of fear he could induce in others. "What exactly is your problem, Sir Elyan?"

Elyan blinked. "Oh…right. I don't really have one. I mean, I did. Somebody hit me on the back of the head. It doesn't hurt, but Arthur made me come see you."

"Oh Arthur was there, was he?" Gaius kicked backward again. "Merlin, give us thirty seconds of peace and I'll look at Elyan in your room." The beating immediately ceased. "He's bored," the physician explained, opening the door and ushering Elyan inside.

Elyan frowned. "He's not contagious?"

"No, just bored." He ducked into Merlin's room. The warlock was seated on his bed, panting as if he'd just run a mile, face shining with sweat. There was a rasp in his breathing Gaius still didn't like and he was wincing like his stomach still hurt, but his eyes were clearer and there a little color in his cheeks again. Except he was pouting, and it made everything look worse.

The knight walked into the room after that and blinked. "Wow, Merlin, you look awful."

"Gee, thanks," Merlin said, face blank. "You really know how to brighten someone's day. What's the matter with you?"

"Got sapped." He sat down in the chair across from Gaius, closest to Merlin's bed. "I'm telling you, I feel fine. It quit hurting on the way over."

"What happened?" Gaius asked. "Turn around so I can see."

Elyan turned obligingly. "I don't know. I was turning a corner and somebody hit me on the back of the head. Apparently Arthur was coming toward me or something. He said he saw me fall, but couldn't catch whoever it was that hit me and see if I was all right at the same time. He said I was only out for a few seconds, but he insisted I get my head checked out."

The yes-and-that's-a-likely-story eyebrow went up—one Merlin would have recognized instantly, had he been looking at his guardian at the time. "Are we to assume some villain is loose in the castle, then?" he asked, the one eyebrow coming down and the sarcastic eyebrow going up.

"I guess, though I doubt they will be much longer. Arthur's on a roll this morning." While Gaius poked at the nonexistent lump on the back of Elyan's head, the knight told them about Arthur's actions for the day, most of which involved rushing around at top speed. He'd passed a new law, bullied the council into lowering taxes for the working class, knighted a man, and begun plans for a state banquet for the next month. People were saying it was more productivity than they'd seen since Uther's death.

"Well, if you want something done right, get a busy man to do it," Gaius muttered, thinking about convenient visitors and the calculating look on Arthur's face the day before.

"What was that?" Elyan asked.

"Oh, nothing."

Merlin grinned. "He's getting along without me, then?" he asked.

"Well…" Elyan started, and the warlock's smile dropped. "You could say that. Except he's been very…frazzled."

"Frazzled?"

"Tense? On edge? Jumpy? I don't know. Just sort of…not himself. We're all looking forward to you getting back to work, Merlin. It's not the same without you, and Arthur's not the only one feeling it. Tristan and Gwaine usually get along, but they've been at each other's throats today. And Percival is even quieter than usual…"

They chatted until Gaius couldn't stall any longer and reluctantly sent the knight on his way.

"…I'm bored again. And hungry," Merlin said as he left and Gaius resisted the urge to slap him on the back of his head. Thank goodness lunch would be in soon.