Chapter Seven

A day passed, and then another. From what Merlin could get from Gaius, Arthur was quickly getting worse, and the first few people who had come down with the horrible sickness had just died. Merlin spent the best part of the two days holed up in his room, distraught. He didn't want to think about the fact that if Arthur should perish, he wouldn't have had a chance to see him one last time. Nor did he want to think that if Arthur should recover, he would still not be allowed to see him anymore. Regardless of how much he didn't want to think about them apart it seemed to be all he could focus on.

Gaius opened the door and called, "Merlin! I need you to go and fetch some mushrooms for dinner."

"But Gaius -" Merlin whined.

"Save it, Merlin. Go and get the mushrooms."

Quietly, but not without a huff, Merlin grabbed his coat and made his way to the fields outside of the castle. Slowly, he wound around the field picking the mushrooms absentmindedly. Merlin first noticed it on a particularly large mushroom; underneath the cap of the mushroom there was a thick white crumbly growth. Forgetting everything else, Merlin ran back to Gaius with the mushroom in hand.

"Well, this certainly is strange." Gaius said while examining the mushroom.

"What if," Merlin said excitedly, "What if this is what's causing the sickness? This time of year loads of people are eating mushrooms."

"That could be, Merlin. Let me just run a few more tests..." His voice dragged off as his mind turned to the work at hand.

"Gaius!"

"What is it now, Merlin?" Gaius didn't look up from his work.

"Arthur had mushrooms in his dinner the night before he got sick!"

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, Gaius, he..." Merlin paused awkwardly. "I remember because he complained about having to eat vegetables and I told him they were a fungus." And then he said if he had to eat a fungus he'd rather eat me instead, Merlin added to himself.

"Right," Gaius replied simply. "Well it shouldn't be too hard for me to make some sort of antidote to this, whatever it is."

"You're the best, Gaius!" Merlin said joyfully, a smile spread wide on his face.

"This should do the trick. Merlin, I'm sorry, but you can't come with me. I promise as soon as I have any update on the prince's condition I'll return."

"R-right." Merlin stuttered, reality crashing back down on him. He wasn't supposed to see Arthur anymore. Their romance had been sweet, but so, so short. He could hardly believe that it had to be over already.

Gaius smiled sadly as he left.

Coat in hand, Merlin left shortly after him, but left in the opposite direction.

It was late when Merlin returned to find Gaius sitting down to dinner alone. "Merlin!" He exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"I was working." Merlin poured himself a bowl of water to wash with. He stank of sweat, and the odor of horse manure followed him.

"Working?" Gaius looked worried. "But Merlin, Uther has forbid you to - "

"I'm not working for Arthur, Gaius. I have a new job, as a stable-boy at the Inn."

"Merlin - "

"Don't look for me in the morning, Gaius. I have to be up early." Clean enough to sleep, Merlin climbed the few steps to his room and threw himself onto his bed.