One Prison is much like another - Part 6
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: One Prison is much like another - part 6
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s:
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Gwen
Summary: He doesn’t remember much. Well, really nothing at all.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1037
Camelot Drabble Prompt #580: Spirit
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
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His dreams were full of terror and jumbled. There were pale wraiths, cold as death, which seemed to swarm around him, screeching out their pain as they flew over and through him. As he tried to run away, hoping to evade them, suddenly, he was in the courtyard where sword-wielding skeletons stomped across the stone, the sound of rattling bones echoing, echoing. As he looked up, high above him, something huge flew. A dragon called to him, demanding that he remember, an angry sound of frustration and fear.
And as he stood there, wildly looking around for a place to hide, there was a mob of bodies walking past him, one by one, pointing fingers at him. People half-burnt, guts spilling, some limbless, some cut to pieces, all crying out that it had been his fault that they died.
What was worse is that he recognised some of them. Friends, enemies, those who had got in his way, those who had tried to kill him and those he had tried to save. Somewhere inside him, there was an ocean of guilt, a never-ending loss that remained.
But in the next breath, jolting up, howling out his horror, he woke to find that Gaius person staring at him and a pretty brown-eyed, brown-skinned woman holding her hand to her mouth.
But no skeletons, no cold wraiths, no dragon burning the castle down, just two people looking worried.
Even as the dreams faded, the names of those he’d killed faded, too, until there was nothing left but the guilt.
The woman hurried over, soothing him, and urging him to lie back down. “Oh, Merlin, it’s all right. We’re here. See, I brought you flowers,” she said, pointing to wildflowers, all jumbled up in a vase on the little table. And if that were not enough, she handed him one small purple blossom. Taking it, he suddenly remembered that it was good for headaches and anxiety, that people used lavender to scent their clothes, too.
Although why he remembered something so trivial and not his name just frustrated him. But with the woman watching him so carefully, he tucked it into his shirt. “Thanks.”
“How are you feeling? I hope Arthur hasn’t been bothering you too much. I mean, not that he’d bother you, not bother bother, but he’s… umm, worried?” she stumbled to a stop. In another lifetime, it might have been endearing but Merlin was surrounded by strangers and he couldn’t let his guard down.
Biting at her lip, she glanced over at Gaius.
Gaius just shook his head, and said, “Rose here will be looking after you while I’m taking care of other patients. Will you be alright?”
Thinking to reassure them both, maybe later trick her into giving him enough information to figure out how to leave without them going after him and dragging him back, he smiled. “I’m sure Rose and I will get along just fine.”
With that, Rose’s face fell and she looked ready to cry. Turning to Gaius, she said, “You were right. He doesn’t remember.”
Merlin frowned at that. Could they have figured it out that quickly? He thought he’d been careful. “Of course, I do,” he protested, trying to sound sure of himself.
Blinking back tears, she shook her head, then patted his arm as if to reassure him. “Oh, Merlin, I’m so sorry but we had to know. I’m not Rose, I’m Gwen. We’ve been friends for years. Is it… is it bad? How much do you remember? Oh, I hope you remember. I’d be so upset if I couldn’t remember my name or my friends or… well anything.”
“So you tricked me. Is my name even Merlin or is this some kind of sick joke to you?” He scowled at them both, surprisingly hurt by it. It wasn’t as if they were really his friends but with everything so up in the air, he needed something solid.
“Oh, no, we wouldn’t do that. We just… had to know and you weren’t telling us anything and Gaius can’t help you if he doesn’t know anything’s wrong, you know?” Gwen sounded genuinely upset.
Gaius stepped closer, gave his hand a pat as if to reassure him. “I’ve already looked into some herbal remedies. Hopefully, it’s just the shock of hitting your head but for now, I’d suggest keeping your… infirmity a secret. Others might not understand.”
“You mean Arthur?” Merlin said. He figured if anyone might not understand, it would be Blondie. “The man has a stick so far up his arse, I’m surprised he can move at all.”
Gaius gave a little cough, then turned to Gwen. “I will need some fresh water from the well to make a potion for our confused friend here. If you could?”
Smiling, giving Merlin another soft pat, she said, “Of course. I will be right back.”
As soon as she closed the door, Gaius said, his voice as stern and unyielding as a mountain, “I know you have magic and you are usually an idiot about it but don’t use it here. Arthur won’t understand and it could get you killed or banished.”
“I don’t… have,” Merlin muttered but Gaius just gave him one raised eyebrow as if challenging him to tell the truth. “Fine. No magic. For now.”
“Until you regain your memories.” Gaius’s eyes narrowed even further, as if he expected Merlin to say one thing and do another. “I’m serious, Merlin, no magic.”
“Fine,” Merlin repeated. It wasn’t as if he remembered any spells anyway. Everyone knows that you need them to make magic work. At least he thought so although his magic was working pretty well without words.
“You’re going to be difficult, I can tell,” Gaius growled, but he gave Merlin a little half-smile. “But you wouldn’t be Merlin if you weren’t.”
Merlin didn’t know what to say but at that moment, his stomach grumbled. Gaius rolled his eyes. “I’ll make your favourite and fill that bottomless stomach of yours. We can talk while you eat.”
What could Merlin say? He was hungry and as a physician, Gaius should know how to cook. It should be fine.
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It was not fine. Gaius was a terrible cook.
Title: One Prison is much like another - part 6
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s:
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Gwen
Summary: He doesn’t remember much. Well, really nothing at all.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1037
Camelot Drabble Prompt #580: Spirit
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
-------------
His dreams were full of terror and jumbled. There were pale wraiths, cold as death, which seemed to swarm around him, screeching out their pain as they flew over and through him. As he tried to run away, hoping to evade them, suddenly, he was in the courtyard where sword-wielding skeletons stomped across the stone, the sound of rattling bones echoing, echoing. As he looked up, high above him, something huge flew. A dragon called to him, demanding that he remember, an angry sound of frustration and fear.
And as he stood there, wildly looking around for a place to hide, there was a mob of bodies walking past him, one by one, pointing fingers at him. People half-burnt, guts spilling, some limbless, some cut to pieces, all crying out that it had been his fault that they died.
What was worse is that he recognised some of them. Friends, enemies, those who had got in his way, those who had tried to kill him and those he had tried to save. Somewhere inside him, there was an ocean of guilt, a never-ending loss that remained.
But in the next breath, jolting up, howling out his horror, he woke to find that Gaius person staring at him and a pretty brown-eyed, brown-skinned woman holding her hand to her mouth.
But no skeletons, no cold wraiths, no dragon burning the castle down, just two people looking worried.
Even as the dreams faded, the names of those he’d killed faded, too, until there was nothing left but the guilt.
The woman hurried over, soothing him, and urging him to lie back down. “Oh, Merlin, it’s all right. We’re here. See, I brought you flowers,” she said, pointing to wildflowers, all jumbled up in a vase on the little table. And if that were not enough, she handed him one small purple blossom. Taking it, he suddenly remembered that it was good for headaches and anxiety, that people used lavender to scent their clothes, too.
Although why he remembered something so trivial and not his name just frustrated him. But with the woman watching him so carefully, he tucked it into his shirt. “Thanks.”
“How are you feeling? I hope Arthur hasn’t been bothering you too much. I mean, not that he’d bother you, not bother bother, but he’s… umm, worried?” she stumbled to a stop. In another lifetime, it might have been endearing but Merlin was surrounded by strangers and he couldn’t let his guard down.
Biting at her lip, she glanced over at Gaius.
Gaius just shook his head, and said, “Rose here will be looking after you while I’m taking care of other patients. Will you be alright?”
Thinking to reassure them both, maybe later trick her into giving him enough information to figure out how to leave without them going after him and dragging him back, he smiled. “I’m sure Rose and I will get along just fine.”
With that, Rose’s face fell and she looked ready to cry. Turning to Gaius, she said, “You were right. He doesn’t remember.”
Merlin frowned at that. Could they have figured it out that quickly? He thought he’d been careful. “Of course, I do,” he protested, trying to sound sure of himself.
Blinking back tears, she shook her head, then patted his arm as if to reassure him. “Oh, Merlin, I’m so sorry but we had to know. I’m not Rose, I’m Gwen. We’ve been friends for years. Is it… is it bad? How much do you remember? Oh, I hope you remember. I’d be so upset if I couldn’t remember my name or my friends or… well anything.”
“So you tricked me. Is my name even Merlin or is this some kind of sick joke to you?” He scowled at them both, surprisingly hurt by it. It wasn’t as if they were really his friends but with everything so up in the air, he needed something solid.
“Oh, no, we wouldn’t do that. We just… had to know and you weren’t telling us anything and Gaius can’t help you if he doesn’t know anything’s wrong, you know?” Gwen sounded genuinely upset.
Gaius stepped closer, gave his hand a pat as if to reassure him. “I’ve already looked into some herbal remedies. Hopefully, it’s just the shock of hitting your head but for now, I’d suggest keeping your… infirmity a secret. Others might not understand.”
“You mean Arthur?” Merlin said. He figured if anyone might not understand, it would be Blondie. “The man has a stick so far up his arse, I’m surprised he can move at all.”
Gaius gave a little cough, then turned to Gwen. “I will need some fresh water from the well to make a potion for our confused friend here. If you could?”
Smiling, giving Merlin another soft pat, she said, “Of course. I will be right back.”
As soon as she closed the door, Gaius said, his voice as stern and unyielding as a mountain, “I know you have magic and you are usually an idiot about it but don’t use it here. Arthur won’t understand and it could get you killed or banished.”
“I don’t… have,” Merlin muttered but Gaius just gave him one raised eyebrow as if challenging him to tell the truth. “Fine. No magic. For now.”
“Until you regain your memories.” Gaius’s eyes narrowed even further, as if he expected Merlin to say one thing and do another. “I’m serious, Merlin, no magic.”
“Fine,” Merlin repeated. It wasn’t as if he remembered any spells anyway. Everyone knows that you need them to make magic work. At least he thought so although his magic was working pretty well without words.
“You’re going to be difficult, I can tell,” Gaius growled, but he gave Merlin a little half-smile. “But you wouldn’t be Merlin if you weren’t.”
Merlin didn’t know what to say but at that moment, his stomach grumbled. Gaius rolled his eyes. “I’ll make your favourite and fill that bottomless stomach of yours. We can talk while you eat.”
What could Merlin say? He was hungry and as a physician, Gaius should know how to cook. It should be fine.
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It was not fine. Gaius was a terrible cook.