**EPISODE 6 – THE LONGEST NIGHT**

GAIUS'S CHAMBERS

"I will need water and bandages!" Gaius shouted as they stormed into his chambers.

Tanya rushed past him towards the table adorned with medical supplies, "I will do that!"

"And Yarrow we need to stop the bleeding!" Gaius continued.

Arthur followed them in, cradling his wife against his chest.

Her head was against his shoulder and her burning forehead was against his neck.

Her hands were folded over her swollen belly, and her side was covered in blood from the wound along her rib.

Merlin closed the door behind them, his face pale with worry.

The door clicked shut on the face of the guards who were stood there.

The king carried his wife over to the long physicians bunk and shifted his grip on her.

Gaius was stood at his side and gently lifted his hand to cradle the back of Gwen's head.

The queen was gasping in rasping breaths, which shook and rattled in her chest and sounded as though she was choking on icy air.

"She is having trouble breathing." Gaius stated gravely, cradling the back of her head and supporting it as Arthur lowered her gently to lie down.

"Dianthus?" Merlin demanded.

"Yes and a poultice of palminaria…" Gaius told the young warlock as he leant over Gwen and peeled some of the dress away from her pulsing wound.

The material was thick, sodden and sticky with blood.

Merlin stared at him for a moment in confusion, his eyes and mouth wide open.

"Lung worm Merlin." Gaius corrected.

The young warlock rushed to the shelves, grabbing what he need before turning and sprinting back to Gaius's side.

As he handed the requested bottle to the physician he leant around him to hiss quietly.

"The necklace I gave her should have protected her…"

"I don't doubt it would have done had Morgana used magic," Gaius whispered back as gently as he could, "Perhaps the spell you used only protects her and the baby from magical attacks, not from human ones, like swords…"

Merlin cursed himself and Gaius stepped away from him to lean over Gwen.

The old man continued to give Merlin instruction.

"A quarter of an ounce ground fine and mixed with viola…"

"Will she be alright?" Arthur demanded, tight at Gaius's side, leaning over his wife.

"I cannot say until I have looked." Gaius stated firmly, "Arthur I need room here."

It was difficult for Arthur, but he stepped back and allowed Gaius to peel away the torn and bloodied bodice of his wife's dress to look at her wound.

Arthur wrapped his arms around himself as Tanya rushed over with bandages and water.

"Fetch the midwife." Gaius ordered her.

"Of course." Tanya gasped slightly and glanced at Merlin before racing to the door.

She was long gone by the time it closed behind her.

"She is burning up… Arthur put this on her forehead." Gaius continued to instruct.

Arthur swallowed and rushed around the bunk to be at his wife's other side; he lifted the cloth from the bowl of water and dabbed gently at her forehead, smoothing her hair away from her eyes.

Hours ticked by.

And while Arthur felt everything changing, the tears in his eyes and his entire world falling apart…

His wife did not change.

She was still so beautiful…

Yet she was the shell of his Guinevere.

She was cold and pale.

She was fading.

Arthur stood on the other side wife, who was laid out and pale, to Gaius.

He held her hand in his, but it felt limp and cold within his palm.

Still he held it tight; for fear that she would slip through his fingers.

Gaius had cut away most of her bodice and bandaged the wound tightly, having sewn it closed as best he could.

The amount of blood had been horrific, and it showed on her skin that was grey in the candle light.

Arthur lifted his hollow eyes to stare at the physician as the old man straightened and sighed sadly.

"There is nothing more I can do Arthur." He said gravely, "I have done the best I can… but the wound is deep and I fear that she is bleeding inside…"

His words trailed away as Arthur swallowed and shifted, as though blown in the gut by some large invisible force.

He held her hand tighter and looked down at her face.

"Will she be alright?"

The figure behind Gaius stepped forwards.

The midwife looked to the king sadly.

"The child still lives and it's heart beats strongly within her…"

"Yet it will not if she fades." Arthur's voice was low, rough and heartbroken, his eyes full of tears.

He lifted them to stare at the old physician, "Tell me Gaius."

There was silence for a moment.

Merlin stood in the shadows, watching with a crushed expression, pale with worry, and his arms wrapped around himself.

Tanya stood at his side, her hands folded and tears on her lashes.

Gaius sighed gravely.

"If her body starts to fail there will be nothing I can do to stop it…" He murmured, "And if it does slowly shut down, it will likely forsake the child, in an attempt to keep some the energy in her organs for herself."

Arthur locked his jaw and closed his eyes, gripping his wife's still hand tighter and resting his other hand on the edge of the mattress, gripping it and bracing himself as though he feared he would fall over.

"Can she be moved?" His voice was low and hollow.

Gaius watched the king carefully, "Yes… but be gentle with her… and she should be changed into something more comfortable... something clean…"

Arthur drew in a stuttering breath and before Gaius, the midwife, Merlin or Tanya could move, the king had bent his knees and gently lifted his wife into his arms.

He cradled her against his heart, her pale and limp body against his firm and pained one.

"Prepare the Royal chamber… build a fire… she must be kept warm." Gaius told Merlin and Tanya in a firm yet gentle voice.

The serving girl wiped at her eyes and nodded, allowing the king to pass her as Merlin strode to the door and opened it.

Arthur carried her out and Tanya followed, before the midwife did.

Gaius turned to face Merlin gravely as the door closed and the young warlock slumped against it.

He put his head in his hands gravely.

"There is no goodness left in Morgana… I can see that now…" Merlin murmured, "I blame myself for what she has become… I should have helped her…"

"No one can help her Merlin." Gaius said gravely.

The young warlock lifted his eyes to stare at the old physician.

"But we need to help Gwen."