Thank you all for your support in every way. Here is the last chapter. Let me know if you think this should have a sequel or if I should just continue it or whatever. Well, enjoy!

Chapter Five

When Merlin woke up he was glad to see he was back in his room. He was more comfortable than he had been in some time and was comfortably warm. He noticed his leg was now wrapped professionally with clean bandages and he noticed some crutches nearby. He knew those weren't going to be fun, but he could deal. He noticed his wrist was also bandaged, but he could hardly feel any pain coming from it. He slowly sat up, his muscles protesting from being unused for so long. He struggled with the crutches to the door careful to not let his broken leg touch anything. He opened the door and stumbled out to find Gaius Arthur and Gwen talking quietly at one of the tables. They all looked at Merlin as he clumsily made his way down his small staircase.

"You shouldn't be moving about," Gaius said standing up.

"I'm fine," Merlin said nearly tripping and falling on his face. "Just need to get used to these," he reassured with a smile, indicating the crutches.

He sat on a nearby bed. His arms already hurt from using the stupid crutches.

"How are you feeling?" Gwen asked.

"Great," Merlin said carefully placing his leg on the bed. "A lot better since I was found."

Arthur had a strange look come over his face for just a second, but returned to an unreadable one before Merlin could tell what it was.

"It will take three to six months to heal Merlin," Gaius said walking over to him.

"That long?" Merlin and Arthur exclaimed at the same time.

Gaius looked at both of them with a raised eyebrow. "Yes that long. Three months is the minimum but since it went untreated for so long I wouldn't be surprised if it took the full six months," Gaius explained.

Merlin looked rather crestfallen. "What am I going to do for six months?"

"And whose going to be my servant?" Arthur jumped in.

"You can do little things, polish armor, mend clothes, things like that. With the rest of your time you can study medicine with me," Gaius said looking a little too happy about that.

"Now I'm going to have some boot licker to do most of the work," Arthur complained.

Merlin still didn't look happy with what he would have to do for six months. "Look at it this way Merlin, You won't have to muck out the stables or wake early to take Arthur his breakfast," Gaius pointed out.

Merlin smiled a little at that, but still grimaced. Gaius knew he was worried he wouldn't be able to follow and protect Arthur. Gaius thought for a moment before standing up.

"I'll be back in a bit," he said walking towards the door. "I have a few errands to do."

All eyes watched him leave before turning back to one another. Gwen stood up and walked over to Merlin.

"I'm glad you are feeling better. I'm glad you're safe," she said hugging him. She stood up and made her way to the door as well. "I'm going to tell the knights you are awake," she explained before disappearing through the door.

Merlin looked at Arthur and smiled.

"What are you staring at?" Arthur asked suspicious.

Merlin's smile faltered. "I'm just glad you came for me," he said quietly.

Arthur was more confused. "What do you mean? Of course I came for you."

Merlin paused wondering if he should tell Arthur. "It's just that for a moment, when I was in the cave, I thought maybe you wouldn't even notice I was gone. That I would be left to die out there and no one would care."

Arthur frowned. "While I do admit you tend to disappear randomly and usually come back just fine, I always notice. I always send someone to look for you. I come myself if I can. Course now that I'm king I can do whatever I want."

Merlin smiled. "You sure took your time though," Merlin said, knowingly goading him.

Arthur was about to yell at Merlin when the door burst open with five knights tumbling in. "Merlin!" they all exclaimed pushing shoving their way in. they surrounded Merlin and Arthur glared at them all, accusing them in his mind for planning the time for bursting in.

"How you feeling mate?" Gwaine said placing his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Fine," Merlin answered smiling at all his guests.

They all seemed to start talking at once, Merlin had trouble concentrating on anything anyone was saying. Arthur just rolled his eyes.

"Oi!" Came a voice from the door. It was Gaius. Everyone went silent immediately. "This isn't the tavern," Gaius said annoyed. "Merlin needs to get some rest," Gaius said hoping they would get the hint.

Apart from looking sheepish, the knights didn't move. Gaius sighed. "That means you lot need to get out," Gaius said bluntly.

"But we just got here," Elyan said.

"You'll just have to come back later. Merlin won't be going anywhere for some time."

The knights slumped their shoulders and slowly left, shuffling their feet.

Arthur stayed where he stood.

"You too sire," Gaius said.

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Gaius simply raised his eyebrows. Arthur stood and started walking towards the door. He noticed Gaius was holding a couple of books. He wanted to question Gaius as to what chores required him getting books. He thought he had plenty, but left under the old mans stare. With a final glance in Merlin's direction walked out glumly.

It was Merlin's turn to raise his eyebrow. "I don't need sleep. It's a broken leg," Merlin pointed out.

"Yes, but they don't know that," Gaius said taking his seat next to Merlin.

Merlin turned his head questioningly.

"I had to get them out of here so I could give these to you," Gaius said handing Merlin the books in his hands.

Merlin looked down at them and started flipping through them thinking Gaius wanted him to start learning everything about medicine immediately.

"You won't just be studying medicine while your leg heals. You will study magic," Gaius said just as Merlin recognized the writings in the books as being written in the old language.

Merlin smiled a wide smile. "Where did you get these?" Merlin asked.

"I know a few people," was all Gaius would say.

Merlin beamed. "This will make it slightly better I suppose, but," Merlin said thinking of his need to protect Arthur.

"But you're still worried about Arthur," Gaius guessed.

Merlin nodded.

"Maybe there's something in one of these books that can help," Gaius suggested. "At least you can do something useful with the new time you have."

"I still wish there was a way I could watch over Arthur..."merlin trailed off as an idea suddenly came to him.

"Oh dear, I know that look," Gaius commented.

Merlin immediately started flipping through one of the new books.

"What is it this time Merlin?" Gaius asked.

"First I need to make a scrying glass, so I can watch Arthur from afar. Then if I can heal my leg, I can still go off and save him. I'll just have to hide a little better. Maybe I could also learn some more disguising spells instead of just being eighty years old. A transportation spell would be good too," Merlin rambled off.

Gaius just smiled at Merlin's genius. "So you're going to fake your broken leg and use it to get out of chores and learn magic. You are devious aren't you," Gaius said laughing.

Merlin smiled. "I'll become even better at protecting Arthur!" Merlin defended.

"That you will," Gaius laughed. "It still won't get you out of studying medicine."

Merlin frowned. "Why? Now that I can study magic I don't need to study medicine."

"What if Arthur becomes suspicious you're lazing about. He'll expect you to learn something. He might even test you," Gaius pointed out.

Merlin frowned. "Fine. I will study magic and medicine."

"It's a useful skill to have you know," Gaius said.

"I know, it just doesn't come to me as easily as magic does," Merlin complained.

Gaius rolled his eyes, but was glad Merlin would finally take some studying pointers from him. He had always wanted an apprentice to study medicine under him. Now he finally would.

"I wonder if there's a spell to change Arthur into a toad," Gaius heard Merlin mutter.

Gaius rolled his eyes. Things were certainly back to normal.

The End

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