The door to Merlin's chambers flew upon at the hand of Gaius as he barged into the room bearing a worried expression. This frightened Merlin, who had no auditory warning of his doors usual creaking or Gaius' prominent footsteps from behind it.

"What on earth was that?" The old physician asked his ward rather loudly, the same ward who was still sat upright in bed looking startled. Merlin's distressed look made Gaius mellow a bit. Then, he noticed the book on the floor and put two and two together.

Before Gaius could say anything, Merlin had turned his gaze from him to look at the book, not saying a word. He was just...staring at it.

"Merlin...can you hear me at all?"

Truth be told, Merlin could hear Gaius, but his voice sounded like harsh buzzing to his ears, completely unintelligible. Merlin almost wished that he had the ringing back, at least then he could hear something. Something would have been better than nothing but buzzing when Gaius spoke to him.

"The ringing's gone, but now I just...I can't hear anything." Since Merlin couldn't hear himself, he spoke slower than usual and hesitated more. He hadn't even been awake long but knew his condition. Merlin could always hear birds outside his and Gaius' chambers in the morning, or the sound of people in the citadel, or even the sounds of Gaius working outside his door, which usually woke him up better than anything.

Gaius had treated deaf people before but had never had to live with one. He knew he would need to adapt their usual routine until Merlin regained his hearing but first figured that the boy needed something normal to start his day. That something was breakfast.

The older man approached Merlin and shook him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his fixation. "You need breakfast. Breakfast." He uttered slowly, placing emphasis on the last word hoping Merlin would lip-read it.

Luckily for both of them, Merlin understood and rose to follow him to the table, wiping away a secret tear along with it. As the pair sat and ate what Gaius had prepared for them, Merlin reflected on the evening events of the day before. A day he wouldn't forget.

Gaius had diagnosed him with a serious head injury after he got back from the hunting trip with the knights and Arthur, which was obvious to anyone with a brain. Because his head was still ringing by the time Arthur was expecting Merlin in his chambers, Gaius had forbidden him to attend to his duties, citing he was in absolutely no condition to do so. Merlin obeyed, albeit reluctantly.

George was sent by Gaius in Merlin's place to see to the King last night.

*The night before*

Arthur was disappointed but not surprised when George appeared from behind his chamber door. He knew immediately that it couldn't be Merlin, as this person knocked before entering. Merlin would never do that; it just wasn't in his nature.

"My sincerest apologies, your majesty." George had started once he'd closed the door. "I've been sent by Gaius in the place of your usual manservant, Merlin. He told me to inform you that he has a head injury, but should be able to resume his normal duties in the morning." The much more proper servant told his King.

Hearing that Merlin may be back by the morning, Arthur felt a sense of relief. That must have meant he was okay, even if the idiot wasn't here right now to attend his duties. Arthur tried to mask his obvious relief at George's words, simply replying "That's good, George. Would you get me some dinner?"

"Of course, Sire." George had said with a bow, turning on his heels to the door to fetch the King's dinner.

Arthur walked aimlessly around his chambers, deep in thought. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't stop thinking about Merlin. He tried to hide the image of his best friend laying on the ground with the filthy bandit towering over him, ready to take his life. He tried to unsee Merlin laying there, head in his hands and in pain. He didn't deserve to be in pain, Arthur thought, but he'd never admit it out loud. Arthur should have been there to protect him, but he'd failed.

George returned ten minutes later with his food, the same time that Arthur had made a decision.

"Start a fire while I'm gone. I'm going to visit Gaius." What Arthur wanted to say was "I'm going to see Merlin; I'm worried about him." But Arthur knew that George and Merlin spoke...occasionally. George could have easily told Merlin what he'd said, filling the idiots head with even more nonsense. No, he couldn't have that.

"I'm sorry, Sire. But if you're going down there to see Merlin, I'm afraid Gaius has asked for no visitors."
"What? How did you..." Arthur stopped himself before he said anymore.
"I'm simply guessing, Sire. Gaius told me that his ward needs rest and should not be disturbed if you want him to resume his normal duties tomorrow."

Arthur ignored the fact that he'd basically just been told he couldn't do something by a servant that wasn't Merlin. What he was focusing on was that all Merlin apparently needed to get better was rest, which he knew the idiot was well capable of doing. One of Merlin's many talents was sitting down on the job.

"Very well then, you are dismissed for tonight."
"Would you like me to still light the fire, your majesty?"
"No, no it's fine. You are dismissed."

George silently bowed and left the room, leaving Arthur alone. Guinevere was busy helping around the castle, something she did out of free will despite not needing to. He expected she would join him later.

However, before she joined Arthur, Gwen intended to visit Merlin. She made up an excuse in her head that she might have forgotten some garments from Gaius as a reason to go back to his chambers. Knocking quietly, Gaius opened the door but didn't let her in. Instead, the pair had a conversation outside.

"How's Merlin?" She asked almost instantly, forgetting her excuse. "I thought he was a bit off earlier."
"Not to worry my Lady, he's in bed at the moment."
"In bed? I thought he was supposed to be with Arthur at this hour?"
"Not this time. He took a serious blow to the head on his and the knights' hunting trip."
Gwen was horrified at the news. "Oh, my...will he be alright?"
"Yes, he'll be perfectly fine. All he needs is bed-rest, which I'm forcing him to have."
Gwen couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at that, she knew how Merlin was so protective of his duties, hardly letting anyone else do them. It couldn't have been easy to keep him from doing them.
"Well, you keep him resting until he's better, Gaius. I assume Arthur knows?"
"I've sent George in his place."I'm sure he'll thank you for that."

The pair exchanged smiles and Gwen went on her way, satisfied with Gaius' answers.

The only thing Gaius didn't tell her was about Merlin's newfound deafness, which he was sure would clear up in the morning. Merlin had requested Gaius not to tell anything unless he said he could, hoping it would pass over quickly and no one would have to know.

*The next morning*

Merlin and Gaius ate breakfast not saying a word. Although, it wouldn't have made a difference if they had.

He was poked in the arm by Gaius to get his attention. "You can't tend to the King today, not in your state."
Merlin managed to read 'can't" and 'King' from Gaius' lips and shook his head.
"I need to, I didn't last night. Do you know how mad he'll be if I don't show up today as well?"
"You're in absolutely no state to do so." Gaius told him loudly, hoping to get through to his ward.
Merlin didn't pick up any of that, it was merely a buzzing to him. "I'll be alright. He won't even notice. Plus, if I don't go today, Arthur will keep coming down and nagging you." Merlin replied, hoping that it suited whatever the hell Gaius said.

Gaius rubbed his hands over his eyes, knowing that he wouldn't be able to convince Merlin a second time not to go to Arthur.

"Fine, perhaps it'll do you good, getting back into some routine." Which was exactly what Merlin wanted, knowing that it would make him feel better, or less useless.

"It should clear up by tonight, 3 days at most." Gaius informed Merlin, who only picked up 'clear up' and '3 days' which sent him into a small panic.

"3 days?! I'm going to be like this for 3 days?!" The young man practically shouted as he stood from his seat.

"Merlin, calm down!" Gaius stood as well and rested his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I said 3 days at most. It might be tonight."

Merlin saw the words 'at most' and relaxed a little, hoping to God that it would be gone before then.

In spite of what he had proclaimed to Gaius earlier, Arthur would likely notice his problem, Merlin knew that. He was a clotpole but he was a damn observant one. Well, except when it came to his magic. Which even to his surprise, the King remained oblivious. He then figured that if he could hide that from Arthur, he could hide this too.

After all, if there was one thing that Merlin was good at, it was keeping secrets.