A few days later Merlin woke up and felt strange, as soon as he sat up in bed he was sick. Arthur jumped up and comforted Merlin, then phoned through for someone to bring a bowl, and something to clear up the mess. Merlin tried to stand, he wanted to go to the toilet, but was very dizzy and couldn't seem to get his balance. Arthur made him sit in his wheelchair and wheeled him into the bathroom, but even that movement made him feel worse. Once he had been to the toilet Arthur helped him back into bed. Any movement of Merlin's head caused his head to swim and the sickness got worse.

Arthur called the GP and asked for him to visit, there was no way Merlin could go down to the surgery. In the mean time Mithian came to see him, she thought it might be an inner ear infection. Arthur also noticed that Merlin seemed to have trouble hearing. As it was he only had his right ear, but even that didn't seem to be working properly. Arthur sat with his husband until the doctor arrived.

After giving Merlin an examination, and asking the poor man to move his head quickly several times, he confirmed that it was indeed a right inner ear infection. The Doctor advised bed rest, lying on his side and plenty of fluids, also prescribing some anti sickness tablets to dissolve under the tongue and said the symptoms should resolve in a few days and to phone if they didn't.

The whole thing made Merlin feel very miserable and Arthur relented and allowed Finna and Gi to get on the bed with Merlin. Arthur tried to read to Merlin to help pass the time, but Merlin man couldn't hear him, and became even more annoyed. Every time Merlin wanted to use the toilet he had to have help getting to and from the on suite, and felt really fed up. He hated having someone watching him all the time, so Arthur left him with a bell and one of the men sat outside the door. After a day of this Merlin decided he was alright to make his own way to the toilet. So instead of ringing the bell, he got up slowly and made his own way across the room. He was nearly back in bed when his bad leg gave way, he started to fall and put his arms out to catch himself. His left hand hit the bedside table as he went forward. Outside the room Percy heard a noise and went into the bedroom as Merlin was trying to get himself on the bed.

"You ok Merlin?" he asked moving forward.

"Bloody leg gave way, I'm ok now." His hand hurt but he wasn't going to admit it.

Percy went to Merlin and helped him get back in bed, as he did so he spotted Merlin's hand. "What have you done? Your hand is red did you hit it?" Percy touched Merlin's hand and the other man hissed and pulled it away.

"I'm ok, I just hit it, it will settle in a bit."

"Sorry I don't think so. I'll ask Mithian to look at it, she's in the kitchen." Percy left and went to find Gwaine's wife.

Mithian came and looked at Merlin's hand. "I think you might have broken a couple of fingers Merlin. Do you still have your old brace anywhere?"

Merlin pointed to the chest of draws. Mithian found the brace and carefully put in on Merlin's hand. Then put the hand up on some pillows.

"I'll give the GP a call, I don't expect he will want you to have it x rayed until you're better." She turned and left the room saying as she went "If he says it's ok I'll bring you some painkillers back.

Mithian went to the office and found Arthur, she explained what Merlin had done and that she was going to phone the GP. She phoned from the office. The doctor said he would call in later, but what Mithian had done was alright for now and to give Merlin the painkillers.

Two hours later the GP arrived and he thought that Merlin had indeed broken two fingers, he was to keep his hand in the splint and once his nausea settled Arthur was asked to take him to the orthopaedic clinic. With the long term damage to the hand, the GP wanted the hospital to see the new injury. Arthur was livid that Merlin had been so silly and said he wasn't to be left alone again.

It was another two days before he was able to get up without feeling dizzy and sick. Even after that he had to move his head slowly. Due to the nausea Merlin had once more lost weight, he could ill afford to. This resulted in Gwen and Mithian cooking him lots of treats. Arthur complained because he was gaining weight instead of Merlin. Gradually Merlin felt better and his hearing improved once more. But the whole episode had made him depressed. Not being able to move or hear much he had had too much time to think.

Arthur arranged to take Merlin to the hospital to get his hand looked at. After an x ray it was found Merlin had broken two fingers. They were strapped to his middle finger for support and he was told to keep the splint on for six weeks. He was to go back in two weeks for a check up. The Consultant thought that the injury was probably due to Merlin's low bone density, and would arrange a scan to see if his osteoporosis had got worse.

It was an uphill battle to get him back to normal once more. Arthur then had to battle with the dogs to get them to say off the bed once more. At least spring was on its way and the garden burst into flower once more. This made everyone feel better.

Then Arthur and Merlin heard that the retrial had started. The case took three weeks, and Agravaine was cleared of some of the charges but found guilty of others. The sentence he had already served was taken into account, and he was to be released from prison. Leon wasn't happy, he told Arthur it was only due to technicalities that some of the charges couldn't be upheld.

A few days later Merlin, Percy and Gwaine were going up the pavement taking the dogs towards the woods, when a car pulled up just in front of them and Agravaine got out. He walked back towards the group.