Previously: Gaius furrowed his brow. "Even though their symptoms may not exactly match up, it's too close to really be coincidence. You said that they were fighting together earlier?"

Merlin replied, "Yes, earlier today, and earlier this week." He cocked his head. "What are you thinking?"

Gaius turned around and picked up a book with no title, just a single rune on the spine. "I don't know yet".

Merlin and Gaius read medical journals and foreign tomes throughout the night, until their candles were stubs. Merlin was especially frustrated – these were his friends, and while his magic could find and draw out the pain, it wasn't really the type to start talking to him. He missed the wisdom of Kilgharrah – wait! Kilgharrah had been around for years and years; surely, he could bring some knowledge into dark mists and pain in the Knights.

Before Merlin had a chance to tell Gaius his plan or ready his things, a guard burst in the door. "Gaius! Please help!" Another guard was just behind him, with a pale, sweaty, muttering Gwaine in his arms. Gaius and Merlin reacted at once, showing the guard where the spare cot was, and demanding to know more details.

"I just heard a thump in his room, and when I went to check it out, he had fallen on the ground." That explained the bruising around his right eye. The rough stone floor in the knights' rooms was no match for even a mighty warrior like Gwaine.

Gaius thanked and ushered the guards out, and gave Merlin a look: "This is getting more serious than what we thought. His brow is absolutely on fire, get me a clean cloth and fresh water now". Merlin didn't hesitate, and hurried along getting things needed for Gwaine. "Not Gwaine too, please not Gwaine," he thought. "We're out of fresh water! I'll go get some" – and with that, Merlin was gone, running down the hallway to try to save his friends.

As he was running, he thought long and hard. Mercia. The western borders. The attack had not been preempted with anything, and they only knew about it in Camelot when a villager had run pell-mell into the city. Mercia was thought to be an ally, at least ever since the Mercian Peace Accords – put in place long after Nimueh had tried to poison his goblet the first time Lord Bayard was in Camelot. It was so strange that they chose to attack just last week, and now Percival and Gwaine were sick…

At this point, Merlin had reached the well in the castle courtyard. He attached his pail to the hook, and started cranking as fast as he could, his shoulder burning with the effort. When he was sure he had enough water, he repeated the process, cranking his pail back up. Thirty seconds later, and he had already disconnected his pail, run across the courtyard, and entered the doors.

Merlin could tell Gaius was worried as he ran into the chamber where Gwaine was now keeping Percival company. He breathlessly set the pail of water down by Gaius, and took a close look at his friend. His chest was heaving, trying to breathe; his eyes were closed, lips were pale, and his whole body was sweating and shaking.

"What is it, Gaius? Do you know yet?" Gaius simply shook his head while he pressed the cool cloth to Gwaine's forehead, adding "honestly, he looks a lot like you when you were poisoned by Nimueh, but why had the symptoms not shown themselves earlier? And why are the rest of the knights not sick, if it is poison?"

Merlin took in these words with a somber expression. "What if they were poisoned? What if I got Percival's poison out earlier, and Gwaine had some poison left in them?" Gaius countered, "Well, Merlin, that would explain their two different states, but how can you be sure?"

To Merlin, there was just one solution. Taking a deep breath, he put his hands on Gwaine, for the second time that night. He let his mind focus on Gwaine's feeble breaths, in and out, in and out, and his magic scoured Gwaine's body, looking for pain.

Merlin's eyes roved around the chambers as his hands moved independently. Finally, with a great deep breath, he snatched his hands away, a light gray mist following out of Gwaine's right ear.

Out of relief and exhaustion, Merlin almost toppled from his chair as Gaius said, "Well done, Merlin!" and Gwaine started lightly coughing. Both Merlin and Gaius reached for a small cup for Gwaine to drink from, Gaius winning.

"Wha' happen'd? Did I pass out again?" Gwaine whispered.

Gaius answered, "Yes, but we think we found the answer. Drink this water, and rest easy now".

A/N: Thank you SO MUCH for your patience! Life has really been a hindrance in finishing this story as much as what I'd like, but I'm hoping to get back into some writing this week. Thanks for the reads and reviews - since this is my first story, all feedback is good feedback!