The Test of Friendship
Summary: Merlin and Arthur have known each other their whole lives – they've literally been best friends since birth and are inseparable. What will happen when unexpected events occur that threaten their friendship? Will they get through it? AU taking place in modern times.
Author's Note: Reposting this - I took down all my stories in a fit of depression, so I'm reposting it.
~ Chapter 1: Babies ~
Hunith and Igraine never expected to find a real friendship. When they'd first met at the same lamaze class, they'd gotten paired up because they were both alone. They figured they'd become acquaintances and that they'd have someone to complain to about the pains of pregnancy – stretch marks and random food intolerances were only the beginning. Once their respective babies came, they knew they would be too busy to give a second thought to the person they'd spent weeks with. It was an inevitability they'd accepted.
Fate had other plans for them. It happened somewhere in the pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream that they would eat at 3:00 in the morning because it was the only food their babies wouldn't make them throw up, in their half–hearted attempts at prenatal yoga that usually left them sitting side by side and trying to breath, harmless arguments about finding out the baby's gender (Hunith had elected to find out she was having a boy; Igraine wanted to be surprised), and in their midnight phone calls because that's when their babies were most active and they couldn't sleep. Their relationship evolved from acquaintances to something purer and stronger.
Igraine had become Hunith's confidante. Hunith could talk about her baby's father, the circumstances that led to her beginning life as a single mother, and her fears that she wouldn't be enough for her baby.
In turn, Hunith became someone that Igraine could talk to as well. She confided her fears about her crumbling marriage, how difficult it was to be in a marriage with someone who was away more than he was with her, and her terror at welcoming a new life to this world when she knew she'd likely be on her own with the baby more than she had a partner.
They found comfort, solace, and validation in one another. While they still doubted their friendship would last past having their children, they hoped they were wrong.
Hunith got the call in the middle of the night that Igraine, with over four weeks left in her pregnancy, was going into labor. Uther was off God knows where on one of his business trips, so Igraine was all alone. Hunith forced her own discomfort aside and shook off the frustration that this had been one of the first nights her baby didn't feel like he was doing somersaults in her womb.
She took a bus to the stop closest to Igraine's house and waddled there, so she could drive Igraine to the hospital.
Hunith didn't try to tell Igraine it would be okay; she just assured her that they were going to be at the hospital soon. No words would mute the fear and pain Igraine was feeling. When they'd talked about having their babies, they'd had a plan for what Hunith would do with her son if Uther wasn't home when it happened for Igraine.
Hunith was due three days before Igraine and both of them had assumed that Hunith would be the first to go into labor. Igraine had once joked that Hunith needed to lie to her about how painful it was. While Hunith drove, Igraine tried to convince herself that five weeks wasn't that early. She had to believe that her baby would be fine. For months, she'd been picturing herself with a little girl. She'd pictured this whole future for her daughter. A future where she'd grow up and go to college and fall in love and start a family. A future where they would laugh and cry together. A future where they would fight over the silliest things and then make up because that was life. Igraine didn't even know if she was having a girl; she just felt like she maybe was. She'd be thrilled with a boy too. She wished she wasn't about to find out and that she'd have to continue working on her patience for several more weeks.
Unknown to Igraine, Hunith was praying to a God she wasn't sure she believed in. She was praying for Igraine's strength and for her child. She prayed that her son would have the chance to grow up with Igraine's child. She prayed that Igraine would never know the loss of a child.
There was no question that Hunith would be in the delivery room with Igraine. They'd talked about it a long time ago and had both agreed that they would take on that role for each other if need be.
Hunith was silently cursing Uther. That man always cared more about his business than his family. Even before Igraine had opened up about Uther's anger and how he could wield words that were as gentle as a budding flower or as sharp as a blade in the same breath, Hunith had disliked Uther. The moment Hunith found out she was pregnant, she'd known she would be on her own with this. She resented that Uther claimed to love Igraine but left her as alone as Hunith was.
There was a complication during the delivery and about five minutes after Igraine was instructed to push, a machine started to beep and there was a drastic change to the atmosphere in the delivery room. Every medical professional room was a flurry of movement. It happened so fast, Hunith could hardly process everything. It was like one moment, everything was normal and then Igraine was being given something so they could literally cut open her womb and pull out what looked like half of her organs. Hunith had to look away.
She knew the moment the baby was out because of the frantic calls of the nurses. The baby was silent, and Hunith felt her heart drop. She held her breath and clutched Igraine's hand even though Igraine could not squeeze her back. She had no concept of how much time passed before the baby's hiccupy cries reached her ears. She couldn't hold back her tears. "Is… is…" She couldn't get her question out.
"We're going to do everything we can," someone assured her. "We have to get him to the NICU to make sure he's getting the care he needs. She'll be taken to recovery. You're free to stay with her."
Him. Igraine had a son.
Igraine woke up soon after she moved to recovery, but she was groggy and out of it for hours. She didn't even seem to be aware when they moved her to her hospital room. Hunith was hunched over in a chair and had been slipping in and out of a fitful sleep. She'd left Uther a furious voicemail when Igraine had been moved, but other than that, she had not left Igraine's side.
When Igraine was finally alert, her hands instantly went to her stomach. "Where is she?"
"He," Hunith corrected gently. "He's in the NICU."
"He. I have a son."
"You do," Hunith agreed.
"Can I see him?"
"I'll go get a nurse. Let them know you're awake." Hunith squeezed Igraine's hand. "He'll be okay."
– The Next Morning –
When Igraine was brought to the NICU, Hunith was not allowed to go with her. Mothers and fathers only until visiting hours. The nurse who had told her had a gentle look on his face, and Hunith couldn't bring herself to get mad at him. He returned with a cot, blanket, and pillow for her. "I thought you'd be more comfortable."
She was far more comfortable, and it seemed like the moment she lay down, she fell asleep.
She was awoken by a hand on her shoulder. She felt tired and groggy and had no idea how much time had passed. The sun had just started to rise when Igraine was taken to see her son, and Hunith could now clearly see it through the window. The same nurse from before was back. He held out a cup of water to her; behind him was a tray of food. "Got to keep your young one strong," he said with a small smile. "There's a prenatal there too, but you don't have to take it if you're not comfortable."
"Thank you." Hunith sat up and stretched. She was stiff all over. Her son kicked out his foot as if he was displeased that she'd interrupted his slumber. Her hand went to her stomach and massaged his tiny foot.
"Can I get you anything else?"
"Uh, no. Thank you. How much do I owe you for this?"
"Between me and you," he said in a whisper. "I coded it as a parent meal. No charge." He started to leave. "I think it's really great. That you're here for your friend, I mean. When my baby sister had her kid, she had no one." He nodded. "No one should be alone with this."
"How's Igraine's little one?"
The nurse bit his lip. "I'm not supposed to tell you anything… since you're not related and all."
"That's odd. A little bird told me that I'm a parent." Hunith couldn't quite keep the smile off her face.
"Fair enough. He's doing much better. His heart rate was too high, and they were worried about circulation. That's why they did the c–section. But he's a fighter. He'll be okay." He glanced at his watch. "Visiting hours start in forty minutes if you want to go see her. Cody's on, and if you're nice, he'll probably sneak you in. Tell him Billy sent you."
Billy gave her directions to the NICU, and once she finished her breakfast, Hunith started to make her way there. She'd gotten used to being uncomfortable with her pregnancy, but there was a new level to it now. She felt emotionally exhausted.
Before she got to the NICU, a frantic Uther came running down the hall. "Where is she? Where's my wife?" he demanded when he spotted Hunith. There were unmistakable bags under his eyes and they had the faintest red rim as if he'd been crying. He hadn't answered when she called, but he'd clearly gotten a message. How had he gotten here so quickly? She managed to point down the hall despite her shock. She felt the wind of Uther's departure more than she saw it.
Hunith decided to go back to Igraine's room. Part of her was so, so happy for Igraine. It seemed like Uther was stepping up. If he'd regretted missing the birth, maybe he'd be there for the baby. It also made her sad because she knew this was the end of something that she had cherished.
Hunith grabbed her bag and with one lingering look at the empty hospital room, she nodded her head and left.
– Two Weeks Later –
"I can't believe he's coming home." Igraine looked down at her precious son. Long before the birth, they'd agreed on names. Reginald if it was a boy, Delilah if it was a girl. The moment Igraine met him, she knew her son was not a Reginald. She'd picked the fight with Uther, and they'd agreed on a different name. Igraine couldn't put her finger on why, but she just knew her son was an Arthur.
It was so hard for her to believe that she had created something so precious. This was the child she had so lovingly cared for in her womb. The child she'd endured morning sickness for (what a bad name for something that does not only come in the morning), intense discomfort, and overwhelming exhaustion for him. He was worth all of that and more.
Igraine had officially been discharged two days after she gave birth, but she'd been allowed to stay by Arthur's side. A whole team of nurses made sure Igraine took care of her needs as well, but they seemed to understand that she needed to be by Arthur. She'd formed a community with the other parents who spent similar days and nights sleeping fitfully only to awake terrified that the worst had happened. It's a community she never wanted to be a part of.
For over a week, she'd had to love Arthur from afar. He had been impossibly small and had tubes in his little nose, another tube in his mouth, a needle that looked far too big for him, socks that nearly went up to his knee that were supposed to help with his circulation, and two pads on his tiny chest. She could hold his hand but nothing else. Then the tubes came out, and he was able to breathe on his own. She was finally able to hold him in her arms. It felt like being reunited with part of her soul.
Igraine had barely put him down once she was able to hold him. She reluctantly parted with him every four hours so they could check him out, but she was allowed to feed him and hold him herself. She had openly weeped when she'd been told that he'd gained enough weight to go home. His piercing blue eyes, which he kept closed far too much for her comfort (though, she'd been assured that was perfectly normal), and his fine brush of golden hair that was only visible in the right lighting were perfect. He was perfect.
Igraine had listened to every teeny, tiny tidbit she was told about caring for Arthur. They'd expected him to be in the NICU longer – most were there until their due date at least, but he'd passed all of his tests for more than one day, so they felt comfortable sending him home. That didn't mean that she didn't need to monitor. He'd have frequent doctor's appointments the first month of his life.
Igraine was waiting for Uther to return with the car seat, so they could take their precious bundle home. Uther had thought that Igraine would be able to carry Arthur out and had been disgruntled when he'd been told otherwise.
Cody, AKA Igraine's favorite nurse of all time, was one of the NICU nurses assigned to Arthur. He had a particular soft spot for Arthur and Igraine. "I hear we're getting sprung. Just wanted to say goodbye to my favorite patient." He frowned when he saw Arthur. Igraine's mind immediately jumped to what could be wrong with her child. She looked down, but he looked the same as he had a few minutes earlier. He was sleeping soundly and was in the too–big onesie they'd picked out for his coming home outfit ages ago. "You know he needs –"
"My husband's getting it," Igraine assured him before he finished. She was so relieved that nothing was wrong with Arthur.
Another man appeared next to Cody. Igraine blinked, uncertain if something had happened to her vision because she suddenly saw two Cody's. "Congrats," the new man said. "I told your friend he was a fighter."
Igraine felt guilt saturate her. She'd barely talked to Hunith the past two weeks; she hadn't been able to tear herself away from Arthur for more than a few minutes. Hunith swore she understood, but Igraine still felt like she abandoned her.
Uther returned with the car seat for Arthur. Igraine gently placed Arthur inside. He looked too small for the seat, and Cody helped her adjust the straps. "Are you sure it's not too tight? I don't want it to suffocate him."
"I promise. He'll be fine." Cody stroked Arthur's cheek. "Keep growing, little man. So proud of you."
Igraine couldn't help her smile. "Are we ready?" Uther asked impatiently. Igraine glared at him. This was their son's life. How could he want to rush it?
Igraine was allowed to carry Arthur, but couldn't pick up the weight of the car seat which left Uther to hold it. She cursed her c–section in that moment because she longed for nothing more than to be able to keep Arthur as close to her as possible.
When they got out to their car, Igraine watched with cautious eyes as Uther clicked the seat into place. She got into the seat next to it, leaving Uther alone in the front.
While he drove, Igraine let Arthur wrap his impossibly small hand around her pinky finger. She knew it was technically just a reflex, but it felt like so much more than that. Like maybe, even though he'd spent his first couple weeks of life in a warming bed in the NICU, he still knew she was his mommy.
It took exactly one week running on almost no sleep and working around the schedule of a screaming newborn before Uther took off on a business trip. Igraine wasn't sure if he actually had a business trip or if he was already exhausted with fatherhood.
She managed for a day on her own, but it was so hard. Now, she had to wake up every time Arthur needed to eat or be changed, had to try to stay on top of laundry – no amount of warning had prepared her for how many outfits Arthur would go through a day; something was always coming out of one end of him, and had to try to get food for herself – she'd managed some frozen vegetables and one chicken nugget for "breakfast". She was exhausted. She didn't know how single mothers managed but had the utmost respect for them. They must be evolved super–humans who learned to survive without sleep. Igraine quickly realized she was not a super–human.
It was when she was dozing off with Arthur in her arms while she fed him a bottle that she realized that she didn't have to do this alone. If she wasn't desperate, she wouldn't call Hunith. She'd had little to no contact with her since Arthur was born, but she couldn't do this on her own.
She didn't realize what time it was until she heard Hunith's sleepy, "hello?" Then her eyes fixed on the 1:47 flashing at her.
"Sorry, I didn't realize the time."
"Igraine?"
"Y–yes." She tried to fend off her tears. She wasn't entirely sure where they were coming from – her exhaustion, her general feeling of being a failure of a mother, how hungry she was.
"Are you alright?"
"Y…" Her voice died in her throat as if her body resisted the lie.
"I'm coming over." She heard the line go dead.
Hunith was there ten minutes later, and by then, the tears Igraine had been trying to fend off had evolved into full–blown sobs. Arthur was hysterical as well, and nothing Igraine did calmed him.
Hunith gently took Arthur from her arms. "Take a shower and go get some sleep."
"But –"
"When does he need to eat?"
"I just fed him."
"Okay. So three hours?" Hunith confirmed. Igraine nodded. "I got this. Don't take this the wrong way, but I can smell you from here. You can't take care of Arthur if you don't take care of yourself. Go!"
Igraine wanted to put up more of a fight, but she knew Hunith was right. She hated that Hunith was right.
When Igraine woke up, she felt like a new person. At some point, while she'd been sleeping, Hunith had folded all the load of laundry that Igraine had done but had left lying on couches, she'd done the dishes that had been piling up in the sink and surrounding counters, and had prepared food that smelled so good, Igraine's mouth started to water,
"How did you do this?" she asked, amazed.
"Simple, really. You woke me up from a nap I went down for at noon, so I came here ready to work. You'd be able to do this too if you slept."
"How long was I out?"
"A little over six hours. I just fed Arthur. He's out."
"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry that I haven't kept in better touch."
"Hey, it's okay. You have a little one to take care of. He has to come first."
– Three and a Half Weeks Later –
"Why won't he come out?" Hunith demanded. She and Igraine were sitting in her doctor's appointment; Arthur was softly snoring next to Igraine. Hunith's t–shirt was pulled up over her swollen stomach. "He was supposed to be here a week ago. A week!"
Igraine bit back her smile. Hunith fell further down a frustrated spiral with every day that passed without her baby being born.
"I know it's frustrating. Have you tried everything on the list?"
"Just about, but nothing's worked. He's so stubborn."
"Like his mother," Igraine muttered. Hunith glared at her, which made Igraine chuckle.
"You still want to push off your induction?"
"I don't want to force him out if he's not in danger yet. I just want him to want to come out. Where is he?"
Hunith's doctor looked at the wall to control her expression. "He looks good. It should be soon now. Just be patient. I know you're uncomfortable –" Hunith snorted sarcastically. "But he'll be here before you know it. Just try to take it easy, and pay attention to your body." She looked back at the monitor. "I'm gonna tentatively schedule your induction for Friday. I know it's earlier than the two weeks, but I don't want to take any chances. He's big enough."
Hunith didn't look happy, but Igraine was relieved that there was an end in sight. This past week with Hunith had been rough. Igraine didn't blame her; Hunith had tried to explain her discomfort, but it was difficult for her to describe.
As evening fell, Hunith and Igraine were in a familiar position. Hunith sat with her back pressed into a bunch of pillows she'd propped up against the sofa. She was still uncomfortable, but it was the least discomfort she could feel.
Igranie was folding laundry. She was still amazed at how many clothes Arthur managed to go through in a single day. Not to mention towels, burp clothes, blankets.
Arthur was sleeping soundly in a bassinet that Igraine could reach in record time if he woke up. Things were still hard with Arthur, but they were so much more manageable when she didn't have to do it all on her own.
Hunith suddenly paled, mid–sentence. Her eyes went a little glazed and her hands flew to her stomach. She instinctively seemed to retract into herself.
"Are you alright?" Igraine had assumed this was the moment that Hunith was finally going into labor. When the low moan escaped Hunith, Igraine was prepared to play the same role with Hunith that Hunith had played with her. Except, when she stood, she saw the blood staining Hunith's pants.
Igraine called 911 and her neighbor so they could come over and watch Arhtur before she went back to Hunith. She wasn't sure how much Hunith was aware of but that didn't stop her from whispering that she was there over and over and over again.
The ambulance seemed to take forever but that may be because of how terrified Igraine was. They'd expected a normal delivery from Hunith when she got close to her due date. Igraine was faintly aware of her neighbor taking Arthur away from the flashing lights and thanked her lucky stars that her neighbor had agreed to watch Arthur. She followed Hunith into the ambulance.
The EMTs threw around words, and as the world raced past them, Igraine's terror grew. She'd never been in an ambulance that was going this fast before. Her own labor, while premature, hadn't needed emergency care right away.
They bypassed the labor and delivery rooms and went right to an emergency surgical team. Hunith's doctor wasn't here; there hadn't been time to call her, but the same doctor that had performed Igraine's c–section was there.
Igraine had little memory of her c–section, and as she watched what they did to Hunith, she hoped Hunith would remember little of the experience as well. They pulled out a crying baby, put him in a bassinet, and he was wheeled to the back of the room to make sure he was healthy. Igraine quickly realized that the use of the surgical room hadn't just been for the baby. She was told she needed to leave, and the baby was wheeled out shortly after. His head was already covered in a thick mop of black hair, and his ears were just a little too big for his head.
No one told Igraine she couldn't stay with the child, so she did. Her Arthur had been so tiny when he was born that the baby in front of her looked huge. He was definitely bigger than Arthur… right? Her baby couldn't be that big yet.
The most dramatically different thing between Arthur and Hunith's baby was that this baby was healthy. He was placed in the nursery and would be moved to Hunith's room after she was out of surgery. Despite the unusual circumstances behind his birth, the baby looked every bit as healthy as the other babies in the nursery.
It was a long, long time before a familiar nurse found her. "Igraine?"
She blinked several times at him. "Cody?"
"Billy, actually. I'm surprised you can't tell. I'm definitely the better looking one." He grinned at her. "This little guy's momma is awake and desperate to see him."
"She's okay?"
Billy looked up and down the hallway. "She had to have a hysterectomy because her uterus ruptured. It's pretty rare for it to be as bad as what they saw; she's lucky she got here when she did or they might not have made it. She's asking to see you too. Technically, it's not visiting hours, but… I think I can get you in."
Igraine didn't question it. She followed Billy and the bassinet to Hunith's room. They delivered at the same hospital, so Igraine hadn't expected Hunith's room to be drastically different from the one she'd stayed in, but Hunith was sharing her room with another mother – only a curtain separated them.
Hunith didn't notice Igraine at first. She only had room for the neatly wrapped bundle in the bassinet. When her baby was passed to her, she openly wept. "Merlin," she whispered and kissed his forehead. "My baby."
Igraine couldn't help her laugh. "Merlin? Seriously?"
"It's a family name," Hunith snapped.
"No, I like it. It's just… Arthur and Merlin. How appropriate."
Hunith's eyes widened as if she hadn't considered that and then, suddenly, she was laughing too. "I can't wait for them to meet. Arthur and Merlin. I'm so mad you noticed that before me."
"Me neither. Hopefully tomorrow."
Igraine stayed with Hunith until Billy came back to let Igraine know that visiting hours were over. He winked at Hunith and said, "if you missed me, you could've just stopped by. You didn't need to go through this whole hysterectomy business."
A giggle spilled out of Hunith. When Igraine was at the door, she pointed at Billy, raised her eyebrows, and nodded rapidly.
Hunith rolled her eyes and rapidly shook her head. "Go home to Arthur. I'll see you in the morning."
Igraine reluctantly left, but was back as early as she could be the next morning. She realized visiting hours were not strictly enforced, and with a baby, you pretty much could get anywhere in the maternity wing without being questioned.
Hunith had a blanket covering her as she fed Merlin. It was another thing that Igraine found herself surprisingly envious of. Igraine had tried and tried, but Arthur wouldn't take anything but the bottle. It took a team of other new moms to tell her that the only thing that mattered was that Arthur was being fed. Not how he was being fed. Watching Hunith though, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on a bonding experience with Arthur.
Igraine took Arthur out of his car seat; he fit so perfectly in her arms. She sat in a chair while she waited for Hunith to finish.
When Hunith finished, she kissed both of Merlin's ears. "Don't worry. You'll grow into them." She burped Merlin then looked toward Igraine. "Do you want to hold him?"
"Yes!" She looked down at Arthur, then at the empty bassinet. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
Igraine gently laid Arthur in the bassinet and turned her attention to Merlin. She'd been convinced that Merlin had to be bigger than Arthur, but he wasn't. She couldn't believe that Arthur had gotten so big in such a short amount of time. How was that possible?
When Merlin started to doze off, Igraine placed him in the bassinet. He and Arthur only just fit in there together, but they'd be comfortable enough. Merlin's hand immediately rested on Arthur's arm, and Igraine practically melted.
"Best friends already, huh?" Hunith said.
"Looks like it," Igraine agreed.
Hunith yawned loudly. "I don't think they're the only ones who need sleep. Rest up. I'm here for you."
Hunith nodded feebly and was asleep almost instantly.
Igraine sat in a chair and watched their sleeping babies. She had no idea what life would throw at them in the upcoming years, but she knew one thing for certain. She would never be alone; she would always have her best friend. She couldn't wait for them to go through life together with their boys.