Chapter 13

Despite the fact it was still dark, the night was almost over. Gaius was still sitting at his table working on his medicines by candlelight, but his thoughts were constantly filled with concern for Merlin and the mission he was on. He was just pounding some herbs using a pestle and mortar when he heard noise out on the steps, and Merlin burst in through the door.

"Merlin!", but the physician's attention immediately shifted to Percival who was just behind him, once again carrying the unconscious prince. Seeing Arthur and the state he was in, Gaius quickly rose to his feet and took control. "Quick – lay him on the bed here."

They gently lowered Arthur onto the bed normally occupied by Gaius, and the physician was immediately at his side, looking him over and beginning to examine him. Merlin stood by the bedside, looking down at them, nervously chewing on his thumb nail. But Gaius knew what to do, and immediately began to give his instructions. "Leon – you must fetch the king. Elyan – bring your sister, but wait until the king has seen Arthur." Both knights nodded and left quickly. "Merlin, help me with Arthur – I need to take a better look at him."

As Merlin helped him to remove Arthur's ragged and dirty shirt, they both looked grave when they saw the extent of his wounds, but with Gwaine there was raw anger. "When I find the people who did this to him…", but that was all he could say.

Gaius glanced up at Merlin. "We need to wash and dress these wounds. Get the clean bandages, some warm water and a towel."

It was some while later - by which time Gaius and Merlin had at least managed to clean Arthur up and dress most of his wounds – that Uther burst into the room and simply exclaimed "Arthur!" as he saw his son lying on the bed. The king ran over and knelt down beside the bed, looking intently at the prince, as if to check it was really him, and then looked up at the physician and said in a desperate tone, "Tell me he will live, Gaius!"

"His wounds are extensive, Sire, and some of them are deep, and I believe he may have three broken ribs. He is also in a state of exhaustion. But…." and as he paused he smiled and nodded at the king, "….yes, he will live."

The utter relief on the king's face was evident to every person in the room as Gaius continued, "But he badly needs rest, and I think it best that we do not move him yet and that I keep a watch on him for the moment. Go and rest, and I will let you know when Arthur wakes."

"Thank you Gaius." The king paused as he rose to his feet. "But Gaius, tell me how Arthur came to be found?"

Gaius, like Merlin, was quite an expert by now at deflecting unwanted questions: "That can wait, Sire. I must give Arthur my attention for now."

"Of course." The king added, mindful of what Leon had been able to tell him of what happened, "I will send a detachment of knights to where Arthur was found, but I expect that the perpetrators will be long gone by the time they arrive. Thank you again, Gaius." The king then looked at all the others standing in the room, "Thank you all of you", and with that he left.

Merlin and Gaius exchanged glances, both mindful of the need there still was for a suitable story. Percival and Gwaine were also staring, mystified, arms folded, at them both. Gaius decided that the best way to avoid any further difficult questions was by sending the others away. "Now, Arthur needs some peace and quiet and I don't think he's going to get that with four knights of Camelot standing in the room." And so Percival and Gwaine, Lancelot and Leon all went to leave, but as they did so Gaius smiled and said to them as they stood in the doorway, "You all did well. Arthur owes you his life." After the knights had closed the door, Gaius added, looking at Merlin "And that of course, goes for you too. I think you may have saved not just Arthur but Camelot as well this time".

Merlin just grinned: "I'll add it to the list!" He then looked quizzically at Gaius. "So what are we going to tell them?"

"Oh, something about a friendly traitor who sent a message about Arthur's whereabouts but whose identity needs to be kept secret for his own safety."

Merlin grinned again, as did Gaius, but they then both looked towards the door as it opened quietly and Gwen slipped into the room. They could see that she was fighting back the tears, which were due to a mixture of joy and disbelief that Arthur was alive, but also distress at seeing him in such a bad way. When she spoke, her feelings were so intense that she couldn't manage much more than a whisper. "I can't believe it….." and she put her hand to her mouth, trying to control her emotions. Gaius went over to her, and put his arm around her.

"He'll be alright. Merlin and I will stay with him whilst he sleeps."

"I'd like to stay with him…."

Gaius adopted a fatherly tone with her, "Arthur's not the only one to have been through a lot. You need to rest too. Go and sleep and come back in the morning."

Gwen went over to the bed, knelt down bedside it, and leant over and gently kissed Arthur's forehead, whispering "sleep well, my love". Merlin smiled with a profound sense of gratitude, remembering the last time he had seen Gwen do that, and this time Gwen was smiling and at peace when she left her prince.

After the door had closed again Gaius saw Merlin yawning, "You need some sleep too Merlin."

"So do you! You've been up just as long as I have. You take my bed. I'll take the floor tonight. I'll be here, if Arthur needs me."

They both took a final look at Arthur, and Merlin began to feel troubled again. "I can't begin to imagine what he's been through. And I can't help thinking that I could have saved him from it, if only I hadn't accepted the news of his death so easily."

"Merlin, none of us can change the past, but what matters is that you have again given Arthur a future, and whatever he went through is over now – thanks to you! I'm proud of you Merlin. Now get some rest."

As Gaius made his way to the other room, Merlin grabbed some blankets and a spare pillow, and lay down on the floor near Arthur's bed, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible. But he was about to find out that it was not all over.