Deafening Silence

Limpidity

"No, I'm telling you, that's gone too," Merlin started to answer. He ruffled his hair on the part of his head where they bruise once lay and showed his mentor that what he was saying was true. "See?" Merlin didn't even check in anything reflective to see if the bruise had actually gone, he could just sense that it was no longer there. His magic must've taken care of that too, he thought.

"I do hope Arthur doesn't become suspicious of that." Gaius stated, suddenly concerned about the matter.

"Trust me, he'll be too happy that I'm back to normal to question it." Merlin knew deep-down that he was right, but that didn't stop him from silently praying that the clotpole didn't ask. Even if he did, he'd just have to say that he got lucky, or it was a miracle.

"Fair enough then." replied the old physician to his ward.

Not much time had passed when their short silence was interrupted again, this time by Merlin. He'd been used to near silence for days and didn't like it. Now that he could hear again, he wasn't going to waste the air that was so desperate to be filled with sounds.

"Right, I'm off then." chirped Merlin as he stood to put his breakfast things away.

"You can't wake the King up yet, it's far too early," pointed out Gaius as he himself rose from his seat. "He'll be in a foul mood if you do."

"Believe me, I know that," responded Merlin truthfully. He'd been on the receiving end of Arthur's grumpy moods many times before and they weren't always amusing. Though sometimes, it was the prat's own fault why he was in such a mood in the first place. "And that's not where I'm going, not yet."

"Oh? Then where are you going, Merlin?" inquired the physician, almost in a judgemental tone. One of which Merlin could hear perfectly from where he'd gone. Gaius was confused as to where Merlin would go at this hour. After all, he never did what a servant in his position was supposed to do before awakening the King.

Merlin stumbled out of his own room for the second time that morning and opened his mouth to speak, eyes and ears fully synchronising with each other for the first time in days.

"I just have a few errands to run is all," he responded in honesty, Merlin would get to Arthur when he was ready. "Erm, have you seen my red necker?" Merlin asked, suddenly realising that he wasn't wearing it.

"It's probably in your room on the floor like it always is. One wouldn't believe that you have a cupboard in there." wittily responded Gaius, glad to be able to have a normal conversation with Merlin again. He'd missed it more than he thought he would.

Merlin ran back into his room once more and shouted "Ah, got it!" to his mentor once he'd found the necker in question. He came back out to find Gaius now stood at his workbench clutching the same potion from the last evening.

Gaius spoke without taking eyes off the potion, staring at it deeply to see how much more he needed to mix it. "And what errands are you in need of running today? Aside from your usual duties." asked Gaius, genuinely curious.

"I'm getting some flowers for Gwen, as a way to say thank you for mine." Merlin stated, unashamed.

"Ah, yes. I was here when she dropped them off. It was most kind of her."

Merlin nodded. "Exactly, that's why I'm getting some."

"Well, make sure you're not late for Arthur," Gaius called as Merlin headed for the door, now ready to leave. "And Merlin?"

The man in question turned around just before the door, unsure as to what his mentor wanted.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Gaius said, not alluding to anything in particular.