Merthur - The King and His Guardian Angel

Chapter 29 - The End of Destiny

Gaius emerges from the physician's chambers a while later and Arthur immediately gives the old man his full attention. The others do the same, all crowding around the physician as he shuts the door behind him with a blank expression as though he's done this a hundred times before, which the king supposes he has. "I have done all that I can for him," Gaius says, his voice level and Arthur can feel his hopes start to deflate. This is it. It's over. Done. Merlin's gone.

The others seem to think the same thing. Their shoulders drop and their expressions turn grim, but Gaius only raises his eyebrow at them as though they were all insane. It takes a moment for the old physician to realize what they're all dreading and when he finally does he just shakes his head in exasperation. "I didn't finish," he says, sending a glance towards them all before continuing, "I was about to say that I have done all that I can for him, but he still needs a lot of rest."

Hope returns almost instantly. The atmosphere in the hall changes at the addition of those few words and everyone's eyes light up once again. "He's going to live?" Arthur asks with a wide smile already tugging on his lips.

Gaius looks to Arthur then shifts his gaze to the others around him who all have the same glint of hope in their eyes. "Nothing's ever certain, but I can say his chances are much greater than before," he says and finally he smiles.

Arthur lets out a relieved sigh, the words not being enough to dampen his spirits. A chance is better than none at all. "Thank you, Gaius," he says, then glances towards the door a little hesitantly. "May we?" He gestures towards the room and the others behind him seem just as eager to see their friend.

Gaius looks between them all, "As long as you're not all going in at once. He's awake, but too many people may overwhelm him."

Arthur glances to the others behind him, knowing that everyone wants to see him, but if anyone deserved to see him first, it was Hunith. He gestures towards the door as he turns to the mother. "Go on. We can visit him later," he says with a smile, hoping he's able to hide the slight disappointment he feels. But, he knows this is for the best. Merlin would want to see his mother first and perhaps Will after.

Hunith shakes her head, placing a hand on his arm and urging him towards the door, "You're the one he's going to want to see," she says with a small smile.

"But-"

"Go see him, Arthur. I'll visit him later."

Arthur looks to the door, then back to Hunith. He would love to. He would want nothing more than to see him smile with that dopey grin, but shouldn't his mother be the first to see him? She must be even more worried than he is. "No, I insist. I have some duties to attend to first. I'm still the king after all. Let him know I'll visit him later."

"Ar-"

Before she's even able to begin her sentence he's already started down the hall. He catches her frown at him from the corner of his eye, but no one does anything to stop him. Not her and not his knights. So, he continues walking.

----

He signs the last of the documents and pushes it aside for Leon to collect tomorrow, more than happy to finally be done with the pile of work the knight had brought in earlier in the day. He stretches his arms in the air, working out the ache in his back from being hunched over a desk for so long. The sun has already set, the city now quiet as the townspeople turn in for the night after a long days work. The king is about to head to bed himself when he catches sight of the small window of the physician's chambers. Light shines from the room, a golden glow that reminds him of Merlin's eyes.