Chapter 15 [Physicians' Chambers]
Gaius shuffled into his chamber. Concern hung over him like a heavy fog. His feelings remained mixed. He slowly eased the heavy oak door closed. His gait slowed; Exhaustion weighed on his steps. He managed to coax himself onto the bench by his work table. His breathing eased. Still his mind spun over recent events.
On the one hand, several things troubled him. Meleagant had not lost any of his edge. Self-Entitlement and Anger drove the Cawdorian ruler to pick fights and stir the pot. Queens Elena, Morgana and Merlin were drawn into such matters over little things. Gawain's abrupt departure, while justified, had ruffled feathers. Arthur's lack of active engagement in the matter disturbed him. While he understood the need to not spoil Samhain or the celebration, he also didn't understand why Arthur didn't let the knights deal with Meleagant. Merlin's injury was no accident. Neither was the claim on Mithian or the implied threats toward Mercia, Nemeth and the Amazons for that matter.
No, something was amiss where Arthur was concerned…..
On the other hand, however, there'd been plenty of positives as well. Even if Arthur didn't act, Morgana's, Percival's, Elena's, Rodor's and even Gawain's responses rebuffed Meleagant's aggression. Restraint had kept Merlin from an ill-advised spell or worse. Peter's poem underscored Unity's sentiment throughout the chamber. Even with the trouble, the seeds for Albion itself had been sown…perhaps the prophecy itself might come true.
He filled his wooden cup with water. A troubled sip crossed his lips. He'd hoped that Merlin would've been back there. He wondered where Gawain had wandered off to. He observed Blancheflor looking toward the town square through the window. He sensed Trouble's brew heating up and frothing on its edges. The potential boiling over scared him to say the least.
A pounding on his door jarred him from his reverie.
"Gaius! Gaius, open up!" Percival called through the door.
Merlin? Could this be about him? He ambled over as quickly as he could manage. He pulled the door open to find Ywain, Percival and Britomart standing next to an unconscious Gawain. The latter twitched and spasmed jerking about on the granite much as a fish would on dry land. He remembered to bow to the Mercian King. "King Percival, what's going on?"
"We found Meleagant's knights about to ambush Gawain. We dealt with them," Percival explained. "Is there some place we can put him?"
"Yes! Yes! Put him on the cot. You know where it is," Gaius indicated. He observed Gawain's suffering. He could clearly see Britomart's bruises and her intense watch over the prone knight. "Was this from the fight then?"
"They never laid a hand on him, Master Gaius," she insisted. "We three along with Malodius saw to that."
"There were six of them. Pity them," Ywain clarified. "We discouraged them from making trouble in the Rising Sun."
"Did you now?" That notion raised the Eyebrow. The elderly physician could well imagine the full out brawl that took place. "And where are the Cawdorians now?"
"Leon and the knights have them in custody. The lion's with them as well," Percival reported. He inspected Gawain. "Gaius, Gawain collapsed on his own. He started yelling like he did at the feast. Then he collapsed."
"He's traumatized. Meleagant's insults brought it to the surface," she assessed. "This has been coming on since Ealdor, Master Gaius." She shook her head. "I saw him earlier. He would barely look at anyone as our procession came in. He wasn't his usual abrupt and uncouth self.' She shook her head. "He seemed almost distant."
"I noticed it too. The sight of Meleagant and the Cawdorians brought what happened with his parents to the surface, I imagine." Gaius poured some water into a small container. Then he set it on a harness over a small flame. "A tea made with Valerian root should calm his anxiety." He sighed. "Meleagant knew exactly what he was doing. He deliberately provoked Gawain in front of everyone." He sighed. "I am glad you went after him although if something had happened to you, Your Highness, there would've been more trouble."
"Crown or not, Gawain is our friend, Gaius. Arthur taught me that much. We are still a bigger community. Meleagant may be a threat on Mercia's western border. Queen Elena will speak with Blancheflor and me in the morning. With luck, we'll have a treaty to take back to our kingdoms. Still, Mercia and the Amazons will stand together against Cawdor. As much as I do not wish it, we will need to speak with Morgana as well," Percival explained. He looked at Gawain once again. "I need to return to my chamber. Blancheflor will want word of this. Do let me know if there's anything we can do."
"I shall. Thank you." Gaius bowed to Percival. "You didn't see where Merlin was taken to, did you?"
"If he's not here, I imagine he's with King Rodor and Princess Mithian," Ywain guessed. "Merlin did hit that wall hard. I don't know how he kept his duties up after that."
"I do. He's too stubborn for his own good," Percival declared. "If you need help tracking Merlin down, let us know. Good night." With that, he left the chamber.
Gaius set his jaw. He could well imagine Merlin casting some sort of pain-numbing spell. Duty would demand the Warlock would carry on to please Arthur, Rodor and Mithian. He wouldn't back down to Meleagant. In those regards, Merlin would never change. "I'll need to go up there and see to him as well." He set a small pinch of ground Valerian root into the cup. Then he filled the cup with steaming water. "This should do it." He brought the cup over to Gawain's side.
"Can that calm him?" Ywain asked.
She nodded. "Valerian is best for something like this. That way Sir Gawain can sleep. Still we need to help him deal with his pain. He has to be so stubborn!" She frowned. Her eyes narrowed. Then she gently raised the unconscious man's head. "Ready?"
Gaius put the teacup to Gawain's lips. He eased the liquid down the other's mouth and throat. "That should do it. Ease him back onto the pillow. He should sleep now." He put the cup down on the work bench. Then he extinguished the flame. "If you can watch over him, I'll see to Merlin."
She nodded. "I'm sure Sir Ywain and I can do just that. If something comes up, I'll be ready. Granted I'm not Master Wyngate or you but…."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine, Britomart. Thank you." Gaius smiled at her to reassure her. "Sir Ywain, if anything happens, I'll be upstairs. Then I'll return right away." With that, he made his way out of the chamber and toward the passage.
"Let's hope King Rodor and Princess Mithian could get Merlin stabilized. We've had enough madness for one evening," Ywain insisted.
She nodded numbly. Her hand straightened Gawain's hair. She coughed. "You can never keep yourself neat or tidy. Can you?" She shook her head. "Well you'll sleep soundly now. It'll be all right." She patted his shoulder and then took her seat at his side. "Perhaps you might want to check on Malodius? Then you can come right back?"
Ywain wanted to argue. Then he conceded to himself that the lion could use a friend as well especially under the circumstances. "I'll do just that. It'll be all right, Britomart. Have faith." With that, he rushed out of the chamber shutting the door behind himself.
She coughed again. "I hope so. Sometimes I wonder if we'll be all right ever again." She sipped from a cup of water at her side. Then she resumed the vigil at hand….