A/N: Wow people! Thank you so much for the lovely lovely reviews. Only a few more chapters of this story to go now. Thank you so much for all the support im getting. Lots of lovely bromance/hurt/comfort here. Enjoy. R&R as always.
Chapter 15
Arthur cracked his eyes open slowly, letting a deep sigh emit his lips involuntarily. A pair of dark brown pupils met his and a familiar smile.
"Gwen" He attempted to pull himself up but grimaced at the movement and his wife gently placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. A dull ache radiated from his stomach.
"Don't move" she whispered, "Your still healing, you need to stay rested"
The King frowned and looked to the stark ceiling. "What happened?" Gwen didn't answer for a moment and he looked to her.
"Do you not remember?" the Queen looked worried then and Arthur pulled a face trying to recall what was going on.
"Morgana" Was all he said then, an anger flaring up inside of him for his sister. "Merlin" he then tried again to sit up, finding himself swaying as he sat almost bolt upright, "Where's Merlin?"
"He's resting" Gwen gestured to door across the room and it was than that Arthur realized he was in Gaius's chambers. He was set in a large bed that clearly didn't belong in the physician's quarters, but rather in his own. They must have brought him a bed in.
"Where's Morgana?"
"Gone" Gwen paused, "dead i assume, but Merlin doesn't make a huge amount of sense about it" She bit her lip, wishing her honesty didn't give so much away.
"Is he ok?" Arthur stared at the closed door to the servant's own room.
"He's..." she tried to think of the right word, only to find them come tumbling out in her worry "He's not quite come round from it all, he's exhausted Arthur, and he just keeps asking after you in his disconcerting babble. Its been over two days while you've been unconscious and he wont accept any food or drink. Even when we've shown him your sleeping form he wont accept your ok. He's been suffering from a terrible fever from his shoulder wound. Gaius is still worried for the affected limb, Morgana did a lot of damage."
Arthur paled considerably and Gwen immediately regretted her statement. "Can i see him?" the King finally said.
"You'll have to ask Gaius" she replied, "he's just dressing Merlin's shoulder now, he shouldn't be long, but it may be an hour or two before Merlin wakes up again"
Arthur shot a questioning look and Gwen looked sheepish again.
"Gaius has been having to knock him out for the cleaning and dressing changes, it seems its far too painful that Gaius can't stand putting his poor ward through it every day" Gwen could feel her voice breaking in emotion as then the man in question appeared through the small wooden door.
"Sire" he cried hurrying down the steps to the King's side "your awake" The physician picked up Arthur's wrist, checking his pulse and feeling his forehead and other vital signs. "how are you feeling?"
"Like i could sleep for weeks" Arthur half heartedly smiled.
"Your very lucky you haven't been bed bound for weeks Sire, if Merlin hadn't healed the wound, I'm not even sure you'd be here at all"
"Can i see him" Arthur shot before Gaius had even finished his physical exam. "I know he's been asking for me"
Gaius threw an annoyed glare Gwen's way, clearly she was not supposed to divulge so much information to the King on Merlin's condition but he nodded in the Kings direction none the less.
"He may well not wake for sometime" Gaius sighed, "although i tried to use much less of the anesthetic this time, it usually takes around an hour to wear off. I wouldn't expect much sense out of him I'm afraid, the tinctures i have him on are quite strong my lord."
"I don't care" was all Arthur had to say back as he gently swung his feet over the side of the bed feeling far better than he imagined he would he placed his bare feet on the flagstone flooring feeling the coolness in them. Gwen and Gaius flanked him then, helping him onto his feet. His legs felt wobbly and tired, but very much usable and it wasn't long before he had managed the small journey from bed to the small wooden door. He paused for a moment, wondering if he could actually do this at all. Last he saw of Merlin he was fighting with Morgana, with magic of all things.
"I'll be fine from here thank you" he said defiantly. Gwen and Gaius shared a look but both decided not to argue, he was the King after all.
Arthur stepped shakily through the door alone. Only a few candles lit the dim room and he took in how bare and small Merlin's quarters were for once. He looked over to his friend, even on the small bed the warlock looked so small and frail, his gaunt features stood out against the candle light, cheek bones more prominent than ever. He really hadn't been eating had he? Arthur took the few steps needed into the room and sank into the chair beside the bed, it was covered in cushions and thick blankets, no doubt Gaius had been sleeping in there the past few days. He took a moment then to look over Merlin's features. Many of his original wounds and cuts on his face and forehead had all but healed over, some colour seemed to have returned to his skin, but he was still far too pale for the Kings likings. His arm was tightly bound from wrist to shoulder and bound to his torso in an attempt to give the limb as much chance to heal. Arthur couldn't remember clearly enough what had happened with Morgana, but what he had remembered was Merlin's dangerous words to his sister, something he had never seen in his friend. he wasn't sure he liked it or not. He remembered several vague bolts of energy, magic he assumed, and on the edge of consciousness he thought he remembered his friend screaming. The King tried his best not to let the saltwater spill from his eyes but he seemed to be failing.
"I'm sorry Merlin" he bit back his tears, "I'm sorry what I've put you through" He sniffed loudly then and placed a gentle hand over the boney fingers of his friend.
Merlin twitched and groaned at the contact, his eyes rolled around under his lids and he opened his mouth to speak but no sound was created.
"Merlin?" the knight bent over his face and looked closer for signs of waking.
"A...Arthur" The servant breathed out and slowly tried to crack his lazy eyes open to see his master.
"I'm here" was all Arthur could return.
"Are you ok?" Merlin pulled his eyes almost fully open and the King could see what Gaius meant. He was clearly drugged up, his eyes glassy and in a daze, far from the usual bright blue Arthur was used to seeing on a daily bases.
"I could ask the same about you" Arthur smiled, not sure if the warlock would even register it. "I'm ok, healing. No thanks to you apparently"
Merlin smiled crookedly and sighed as if in relief. "I just did what i needed to do, it's my destiny to protect you Arthur" His voice croaked and broke considerably.
"I wish you would stop with this destiny rubbish" Arthur pulled a small vessel from the side which was filled with water. Placing a hand under his servants back he held the cup to his Merlin's lips and the warlock drank greedily. "And you can stop with this refusing to eat nonsense too"
"Needed to make sure you ok" he answered groggily.
"Well I'm here now you prat, will you start eating?"
The servant gently nodded his head in agreement. "Wouldn't want you wasting away now would we, you'll never be able to do my laundry" Arthur retrieved a small slice of fresh bread from the bedside, clearly Gaius had been trying to get food down the boy with no luck. He placed it into Merlin's only remaining hand and the boy looked at it, unsure what to do.
"Come on now" Arthur guided his friends hand to his mouth and he hesitated again.
"Feel a bit sick" Merlin cracked.
"Probably all those drugs Gaius has given you" The king joked.
"Is that why my arm is so numb?" Merlin slurred a little, inspecting his bound appendage.
Arthur bit his lip in worry. "Yes" he lied through his teeth, "now come on, you need to eat" he reminded, trying not to force but guiding the bread towards his friends mouth.
Merlin took a tiny bite and chewed laboriously finally swallowing an age later. He took a little more and managed to flash a tiny drunken smile back at the king. "I feel much better thank you"
"Hmm" Arthur sat back and eyed him critically. "not until you've eaten all that you don't" he pointed to the rest of the food in the warlocks hand. Merlin sighed in defeat and continued on eating at such a slow rate Arthur wondered if he really was eating at all or just stalling.
As the servant finished his last miniscuel bite there was a short knock at the door followed by Gaius entering. "Merlin, your awake" he smiled in affection.
"Yep" Arthur turned to him, "and we've eaten and drank haven't we?"
"Umm" Merlin closed his eyes and started to drift off.
Gaius tottered over to the bed and lifted the warlock's lid up to look him in the eye shaking his head. "The poppy paste seems to be doing its job I see."
"Why so drugged Gaius?" Arthur questioned.
Gaius leant heavily on the wall then and exhaled. "I'm afraid the damage Morgana did to his shoulder is quite severe. Not just broken bones but damaged the joint, tendons and nerves and all the muscles surrounding it. Its highly painful, and until you woke he seemed inconsolable about the situation, adamant that you were going to die and that he had failed his destiny. Let alone the delirious fevers he has had, i just can't risk him injuring his already mutilated arm."
Arthur fought the bile trying to rise in his throat. He would say Morgana would pay for this, but it seemed she already had.
"Which reminds me Sire" Gaius added, "You still need to rest, you may be partially healed but thats still no excuse to be out of bed"
The King shot a mocking glare but smiled briefly, "I'll go back soon, I might just sit with him for a little longer if thats ok?"
Gaius nodded in acceptance and shuffled back to the door. "I'll be back soon" he pulled the door open and disappeared out the room.
"You'll be back and mucking the horses out in no time" Arthur patted Merlin's hand, but only got a mumbled groan as an answer. The King sat for several minutes until he felt his own eyes beginning to droop once again. It was only when Gaius returned nearly an hour later he found Arthur slumped in the chair in deep sleep, mirroring Merlin's deep and finally undisturbed sleep. Placing a light blanket around the King, he left them in peace.