When Merlin opened his eyes, he took in his body. He felt his eyes, they were dried and almost flakey, though that all was a bother, it wasn't what the Raven noticed first. He quickly noticed the heat that surrounded him. He tried to squirm away, only to notice that he was trapped in a few ways, a pair of arms wrapped tightly and protectively around him. He quickly realized the situation, he turned and looked up to the sleeping Lancelot, who had his arms wrapped around Merlin in an incredibly protective, as well as loving, manner. Merlin smiled weakly, before he turned his head and attention to the lower room of the physicians chambers, where he saw Gwaine and Arthur leaning in their seats near where Merlin and Lancelot lay in the cot, Percival and Leon were lying at the medium sized table across the room while Elyan, as well as Gaius and Gwen were nowhere to be seen.

Merlin suddenly felt the urge to leave, certain that attention, too much attention would be turned to  him when the others woke up. Merlin carefully pried himself away from Lancelot's arms, the Knights arms tightened around the empty space where Merlin once lay. Merlin carefully moved, his body aching and hurting, tinged with pain in his bones and muscles, his body aching and hurting. He moaned and groaned with every step as he made his way to the chambers door when someone cleared their throat behind him. Merlin tensed, frozen with his feet stuck to the floor.
He turned slightly, eyes falling on the tired looking Lancelot, the irritated but tired, as well as worried Gwaine and Arthur, who were both looking at the moving and obviously bruised Merlin, a look that purely said "are you seriously trying this right now" as well as a severally worried look in their eyes, in the set of their jaws. Merlin sighed and failed to suppress a winced, as the movement put a slight bit of pressure on the warlocks bruised ribs. Gwaine and Lancelot were up in a flash, each at Merlins sides, reaching for him just in case.
Merlin sighed weakly before he allowed himself to be lead back to the cot where Arthur was now standing, a goblet and fresh bandaging in his hand. Merlin sat, fidgeting slightly with the occasional tightening of the bandages and prodding from Arthur, who was eerily silent, only talking when to ask if Merlin was in pain or if the bandaging was too tight. Merlin could see, Arthur had a silent battle happening in his mind, though he wasn't entirely certain, he had a fairly good idea what the blond was thinking about, what was drawing his attention away.
With a heavy sigh from Merlin, Arthur seemed to snap back to reality, hands quickly snapping away from the bandaging and the servant.
"Merlin?"
"Hm?" A low sound in the back of Merlin's throat, passing for an answer to the voice that spoke.
"Merlin, how much have you lost in your life? How many times have you sat alone and looked out a window, tankard of ale in your hand and the thoughts in your mind brewing and spitting at you, fueling angry thoughts and self-hatred, how many times?" Merlin hadn't met Arthur's eyes for some time, but in that moment, he did.
"Arthur.? Why are you asking that?" Arthur looked at Merlin, a look of sadness and understanding, love and admiration prominent in the eyes of the blond.
"Merlin. Please." That was certainly a shock, Arthur asking with a pleading like tone edging his words.
"Arthur, now is not the time. I will tell you eventually, answer all of your questions and answer even more but for now, let me sleep. Please." Arthur sighed heavily, hair shifting and chest rising heavily as he nodded, promising to hold Merlin to this statement.
"Alright Merlin, alright. But I wish you'd just trust me."
"I do Arthur, I really do. But I can't say, not now. I'm so tired of everything, please let me rest."
Please.

Hello humans! Please forgive me for not updating, I'm trying to update more often but between chaos of school and other issues, I've been feeling heavy writers block. Thank you all for your patience, more to come!