This story is a rewrite and was actually my first ever multi-chapter story I have ever written and posted. Just take that in consideration :)

I hope to update it on quite a regular base (my aim is about every 2-3 days)

GP = General Practitioner

It was around eleven o'clock on a typical Monday morning. Merlin's white All Star trainers were squeaking on the white linoleum floor. He chose the All Stars, since he hated those white boring tennis shoes that every doctor was supposed to wear, with a passion.

He walked towards the front desk, where his colleague with her beautiful dark curls wrapped up in a ponytail, was sitting. She had just started about four months ago, but she and Merlin had started off good from the start. She could still be a little shy at times, but she could also give out orders, or put people in their place when they were needed too.

When she saw him coming towards her, she gave him a smile that could possibly be brighter than the sun. Merlin leaned halfway over the desk and almost knocked over a huge pile of charts in the process.

"Good morning nurse Thomas, how was your weekend?" He asked, while returning a just as beaming smile.

"Oh doctor Emrys, I told you that you can just call me Gwen. And my weekend was pretty good if I may say, I met this guy called Lance and he's the most amazing person I've ever met!" Merlin noticed that her eyes started to get this little twinkle in it.

He sniffled softly first. "Alright, okay, I won't call you nurse Thomas then, but only if you stop calling me doctor in return. I know I am, but it's so weird to hear it from the people I work with. And besides, I'm doing my last year's residency now. If I'm finished that you can have the full right to call me that." He gave her a little wink.

"Well, you are the son of the owner of this hospital. Needless to say that he's the head surgeon, I just think it's weird not to call you it. But alright, I'll try… Merlin."

Merlin narrowed his brows just a tiny bit. He didn't liked to be referred as, the son of….He'd rather have to earn the respect because of the work he did, and not wanting special treatment just because he was the son of the owner.

He decided to not comment on it, and looked faux hurt instead as he said, "Hold up, what do you mean with 'the most amazing person you've ever met', I thought I was that?" His left eyebrow raised a little.

Gwen started to blush at her cheekbones, "Oh no. No, no, I didn't mean it like that Merlin, I just have to say that…" She sighed. "I just mean out of all the guys I met while I was out… ahh just forget it" She let the last bit out with even more sighing.

Merlin chuckled. "Gwen relax, I'm just teasing you. I'm happy for you! So when can I expect a wedding invitation?" His mocking wasn't falling right with Gwen, because her eyes became huge and her head got even redder. Merlin didn't think that was even possible.

Gwen started to stammer. "Err… uhm. Well I don't know! Gee, Merlin stop asking these kind of stuff, I just met the guy!"

Merlin couldn't help to let out a full blown laugh for a moment, before turning as serious as he could possibly be at that moment. "Alright, being serious now. You really like him don't you?" Gwen nodded in agreement.

"I will meet him for a coffee in the Rising Sun tonight" Gwen said all shyly, while arranging some papers on her desk.

"Aww, is Gwennie Pennie going on a date tonight?" He said all teasingly. Even though Merlin and Gwen were about the same age, he couldn't help to keep teasing her. Usually Gwen would just laugh at his teasing, after all, she has an older brother and knew perfectly well how to defend herself to these pesterings.

"Yes!" She says with full determination and seriousness, although the smallest of smiles started to form at the corner of her lips.

She looked him dead in the eye before she continued. "At least I have a date with a guy…" She stuck her tongue out a bit. Gwen was well aware of Merlin's sexuality and accepted and supported him for hundred per cent. He'd been out and about for about fifteen years now and isn't ashamed in being gay at all. He not yet parades with a rainbow coloured flag everywhere he goes, but almost everyone around him know he's gay.

Merlin lowered his eyes to the ground and starts to shuffle with his foot. Gwen was right, it had been a long time since he was in a relationship, no, lets scratch that, since he had a date or even a hook up. He looked back up to her again and sighed. "It's about time I get a date again. But seriously, when do I have the time to meet cute guys when I spent all my time around here?" He raised his arms to emphasize his point, and looked towards the waiting room. The only men that were there were either older men or guys that were married… or worst, straight.

He sighed deeply for quite long. "Can you just give me the chart of my first patient for the day?"

"Sure." Gwen ruffled through the same stack of charts that Merlin almost pushed over just moments before, and pulled one out. Only now, she was the cause of the pile tipping over and almost tumbling down on her if it wasn't for he brother Elyan who pushed the stack back on its place.

"Easy there. Can't have you get injured while I'm around, now can I?"

Merlin watched them with amusement and couldn't help to chuckle.

"Well, I need to be going. Elyan, do I see you later for that evaluation report?" Once he got the confirm, he left to go to the waiting room. As he walked he quickly flitted through the chart in his hands and read the name on the first page. It was slightly familiar to him, but he wasn't really sure where he knew the name from. Mentally shrugging at his thoughts, he opened the door and called his first patients name. "Uther Pendragon."

He waited a moment until a man in a crisp black suit rose from his chair and walked towards him. Merlin thought he might be of the same age as his dad as he firmly shook hands with the man and introduced himself as, "Doctor Emrys Jr., please follow me this way."

Merlin had found out that when he introduced himself as 'doctor' people were more willing to listen to him, than when he would just introduce himself as 'Merlin Emrys', so he just stuck with it. And, after all, he was officially a doctor already. Just not a specialist, yet. He was in the last year of finishing his residency and then he would finally be able to perform his specialism without someone checking every itty bitty thing he does.

Merlin held the door open with a beaming smile, but the man who passed him didn't look all too happy, but then again almost none of the people visiting a hospital do.

He gestured to the hallway they should take and started walking. But they didn't need to walk for long, since Merlin's office was conveniently just around the corner, next to the coffee machine.

~oOoOo~

Merlin pushed the slate of the sign on his door from vacant to occupied as Uther entered. When Merlin closed the door behind him, he saw Uther already sitting in a chair at one side of the desk. Merlin walked towards his desk and sat down on the chair behind the computer.

He softly cleared his throat. "Mister Pendragon, how can I help you?"

Uther looked Merlin up and down and noticed the white All Stars. He let out a mocking snort. "Boy, do you even know anything about the human body?" Uther cocked his head, looking annoyed and unimpressed.

Merlin was quite shocked by such a bold statement, no one had ever said something like that to him. "With all respect, sir, but I've already completed my medical school. I'm now a last year resident and completed several work placements with high recommendations of my superiors. I also take my job very serious, but if you don't want me to examine you, than I could ask another colleague to take this appointment and he will examine you if that makes you more comfortable." Merlin deliberately left the bit out that his father was the owner and head surgeon of this hospital, afraid that Uther would also think him as the son of.

Uther was surprised at the man's retort. It was something he did not received on a daily base. With a wave of his hand, Uther said, "Very well then, no need for another doctor." He still didn't smile at Merlin, his mouth remained a tight line.

He started to explain what his troubles were. "It's my right shoulder, it's been hurting for a while now, but I managed for some time. But since about three days the pain is almost excruciating." He gently grabbed his right shoulder with his left hand. "My son was worried about me the other day, when he saw me not yet crying when I went to pick up something simple as a t-shirt. Only then I agreed I would go and see a doctor, so here I am."

Merlin let the story sink in for a minute, then nodded his head. Merlin stood up from his chair and held out his arm to the direction to the examination area. "If you could please take of your jacket and shirt and take a seat on the examining table, than I can take a better look at the shoulder."

With care, Uther removed the clothes and although Merlin was extremely careful and gentle while examining the man's shoulder, Uther still winced every time Merlin touched the shoulder. After some examinations Merlin hummed and let the arm gently down. "You can put on your shirt again and take a seat."

They sat down and Merlin leaned forward with his hands folded on top of the desk. "I don't think it's broken, at least it doesn't feel like it's broken, but since it is so painful I suggest to make an X-ray, to know for sure. I would also like to make a MRI-scan to have a complete overview." The man opposite of Merlin gently nodded his head.

"I will make a call to see if there's an X-ray room available now, one moment please." He picked up the phone and dialled the front desk. A familiar voice appeared on the other side. "Gwen, Merlin speaking. Could you please check if there's an X-ray room available at the moment?"

"Sure thing Merlin"

Merlin heard the rattling of her keyboard, and a few seconds later she picked up the phone again and told him that there was a room available.

~oOoOo~

"Please stand with your back against this plate, sir. It can feel a bit cold against your skin." Merlin positioned the man in front of the metal plate and adjusted the height and width of the lighting on the X-ray machine. "When I take the X-ray it's important that you won't move." Uther acknowledged the instruction and Merlin walked towards the little room of glass just five steps away.

"I'm going to take the X-ray now, please stand still." Merlin pushed the little white button. After five seconds he heard the familiar beep that suggested that the picture was indeed taken. "You can move again." Merlin said while he walked towards the still not smiling man.

"The X-ray will be ready in about ten minutes. In the meantime can I offer you something to drink? Coffee, tea, water?"

"Some coffee would be nice. Black please." The man finally gave Merlin a tiny smile and got dressed again.

"Coffee it is then." Merlin grinned. He started walking Uther back to his office.

"Back in a second sir" Merlin said, disappearing from the room.

Having nothing better to do than to wait, Uther looked around the room and saw that there were some medical posters about quit smoking and exercise frequently on the wall. Unimpressed with them, he turned his interest to the human torso doll standing in the corner of doctor Emrys' desk.

He touched the plastic heart and when he pulled his hand away, all the plastic organs came tumbling out and down on the desk and the floor with small thuds. Uther's eyes widened and he could actually feel himself starting to blush. Not wanting to be caught in this position, he quickly bent down to pick up the plastic pieces with his left arm, while leaving his right arm in an angle of ninety degrees, that way his shoulder didn't hurt that much.

While he was squatting on the ground, Merlin entered the room again. Uther turned around and looked at Merlin with big puppy eyes. Merlin had trouble to not laugh out loud at the sight of the great reserved man he's been seeing for the past forty-five minutes and who was now looking at him with great innocence. But Merlin managed to keep his professional face on.

"Shall I help you with that sir?" Merlin put the two mugs of coffee on the desk and bent down to pick up the remaining parts. He put them on his desk and pushed the lot to the side, just as Uther shamefully took his own seat once more.

"I'll put them back later" Merlin added while putting the mug of coffee in front of Uther. He saw Uther fidgeting with his hands and was staring at them with his head bent down. Uther lifted his head and asked something, which Merlin thought he had misunderstood.

"Excuse me?

Uther coughed awkwardly and asked again, "Can I do that?" His mouth twitched a little and Merlin looked at him with a questionable expression when he, in fact, understood what Uther meant the first time round.

Uther continued with a quick swallow into his throat. "It's just that… I've always wanted to put it together, but I never had the opportunity."

Merlin eyed the plastic organs and then looked back at Uther. He just couldn't help himself when he barked out a laugh. Who would've guessed that the man sitting opposite of him wanted to put plastic organs into a plastic doll.

"I have nothing against it." Merlin answered with a slight squeak in his voice as he was trying to keep his laughter down and pushed the plastic pieces towards the man.

Uther didn't even noticed that Merlin laughed at him, he was too focused on the plastic organs that were spread out in front of him.

"Just a little tip," Merlin pointed to the plastic pieces. "I would start with the bowels and work your way up." Merlin saw how the grumpy old man from forty-five minutes ago, turned within seconds into a four year old child; arranging all the pieces in one neat line and smiling widely. He picked the pieces up with his left hand and placed them in the doll. He continued to take a piece and placed it in the doll and after every placement his eyes glanced up towards Merlin to see if he has done it right. Merlin nodded after every piece.

Uther happily continued until he ran out of body parts and looked up at the doll to see his masterpiece. His grin slowly died down and turned into that familiar tight line again after realizing that Merlin was smirking.

Merlin was quick to school his features and pretended to look at the file in front of him. Simultaneously sipping his coffee.

There is a knock on the door seconds later

"Enter" Merlin called out.

The door opened and Gwen entered. "Here is the X-ray from mister Pendragon." She handed the file over and glanced over to the man in question.

"Ah, excellent. Thank you nurse Thomas." Merlin saw Gwen staring at Uther. "Thanks Gwen, that'll be all." Merlin said with a sharper tone and Gwen quickly nodded before turning on her heels and walking out the door.

Merlin stood up from his chair and turned on the machine that hung on the wall next to the door. A bright blue light appeared and Merlin placed the X-ray on the machine. He looked intently at the image in front of him, while resting his chin in his right thumb and index finger.

After looking at the X-ray for about a minute, and humming a couple of times, he turned the machine off and walked back to his chair. Uther looked a bit startled, he didn't know if those hummings were a good or a bad thing.

Merlin had seated himself again and folded his hands in front of him, letting them rest once more on top of the desk. "Mister Pendragon, I have some good and bad news. The good news is that the shoulder or any other bones around the shoulder don't appear to be broken."

Uther let out a sigh, but got tense again when Merlin continued. "But, when I see in how much pain you are, there must be something else, so I would still like to do that MRI scan. Just to be sure." Merlin watched the man with his bright blue eyes and waited for Uther to confirm.

After biting his bottom lip from left to right, Uther agreed.

"Excellent, I will make an appointment. Unfortunally, this hospital is only equipped with two MRI-scanners and are always fully booked, so I'm afraid the first possible moment is next week, or even the week after that." Merlin almost looked guilty saying it.

"That's alright." Uther replied softly.

Merlin continued. "In the meantime I will give you some pain killers. These are pretty powerful ones and can cause you to feel drowsy. If you take these pills you are not allowed to drive a car, is there someone you can call, who can pick you up?" Merlin had a serious look on his face as looked at the man opposite of him.

"My son brought me here, he dropped me off at the entrance and then went to look for a parking spot in the overcrowded parking lot. I'm fairly sure he's waiting in the waiting room now."

Merlin nodded approvingly, stood up from his chair and opened the large medicine cabinet behind him. He pulled out a square box that read; TRAMADOL HCl RETARD.

Before he walked back to the desk, he first filled a glass with water and kept the box of pills in his free hand. When he sat down again, he put the glass of water in front of Uther and opened the box to pop out two tablets from the plastic strip. He gently placed them next to the glass of water.

Uther looks at the box and up to Merlin, "I'm not a ree-tard!"

Merlin was trying to look all serious, but inwardly he was snorting like crazy. This man sure did test his professionalism.

"I'm sorry sir, but that's not exactly how it's pronounced. It's more like Ri-tard. It means that the medicine will dissolve slower in your body than an average pill, that way you don't have to take a lot of pills in one day."

A slight flush appeared on Uther's cheek while he nodded his head. He almost felt a little like a retard at that moment for not understanding that it wouldn't mean that.

Merlin continued like nothing happened and thoroughly explained the instructions of the pills and the warnings to it. "It is important to know, that you can only take two pills every twelve hours."

Uther said he understood.

"If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the hospital or your GP."

Uther nodded heavily and reached his left hand out to pick up the two pills. He opened his mouth and chucked the pills in, washing them away with three large gulps of water.

~oOoOo~

"Gwen, I'd like to make an appointment for a MRI-scan for mister Pendragon." Gwen immediately turned her chair toward the computer screen. "A date that is as soon as possible, please." Merlin added. Gwen nodding her head while she typed with a pen in her mouth, which is bobbed up and down with the nodding.

While Merlin and Uther watched Gwen scrolling through the calendar to find the first possible date, a guy approached the pair at the reception.

"Father, are you ready to go-o?" He asked impatiently and clearly sounded annoyed. Merlin turned around and his heart might as well stopped for a second.

In front of him stood what must've been the most handsome guy he ever saw. His hair looked like it was made of gold, his eyes a watery blue and he concluded that his jawline could do some serious damage. Before he could control himself, Merlin extended his arm for the guy to shake.

"Doctor Emrys" Merlin said.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Looking unimpressed to the hand thrust out towards him. "Doctor, really? Are you serious? You're as old as me!" Arthur said wryly.

"Arthur!" Uther hissed.

"Fine. Alright. Well yeah, Arthur, that's me. Arthur Pendragon." He quickly shook Merlin's hand before putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans and shrugged.

Merlin looked at Arthur with a cocked head. I know that name, but where from? Merlin thought to himself. Then he realised who Arthur was. His eyes widened. "Wait. Arthur 'The King' Pendragon? You're the reigning motorcycle champion aren't you!"

"Err.. Guilty."

Merlin furrowed his brows as in deep thought and turned to Uther. "But does that mean that you're the owner of Pendragon Racing Circuit?" See, he knew that he heard the name before.

"I am." Uther said curtly, but the smile that Merlin saw earlier started to reappear on Uther's face again.

While Merlin was talking to his father, Arthur took the opportunity to take a good look at the guy in front of him. He was actually pretty cute. His eyes were one of the brightest he had come across so far, and was it him or were those very same eyes trying to seduce him? He let his eyes glide up and down the doctor's body real quick but then shook his head. Even if the guy was gay, he already blew his chance by being rude to him within the first five seconds. And with his father standing next to him, made his changes even more slim. They were lucky that they were in a hospital, because his father would seriously get a heart attack if he learnt about him being gay.

Letting that thought linger in the back of his mind, Arthur licked his lips. He might not be able to say it out loud, but he might could drop a few hints. "I'm sorry for my rudeness before." Arthur also felt the sudden need to apologize. "It's just that I've been sitting between people that were complaining about seriously everything for the last hour. I'm just eager to get out of here." Arthur let out a deep sigh with his head bowed down.

Merlin let out a snort. "Aw, you poor thing." He put his hand on Arthur's bicep and as he did, Arthur felt a tingle going through his whole body, he had never felt something like that before. He glanced back up to Merlin who was looking at him with a slightly open mouth.

Their moment was interrupted by a voice saying, "Next Monday at 11:15 am, is that possible for you mister Pendragon?" Uther typed something on his iPhone and then replied, "Yes, that's fine, I'll be here."

"Perfect" Gwen said and wrote the date and time down on the appointment card before handing it over to Uther.

Merlin made eye contact with Arthur again and cleared his throat. "Er, Arthur. I gave your father two pills for the pain. It's possible that your father will be feeling drowsy the next few hours, but that's perfectly normal with this type of pills."

"Here are the rest of the pills, it should be enough until next Monday." He handed Arthur the box with pills.

Arthur had more eye for the doctor, than for the pills.

Trying to not let the blonde guy distract him (too much) from his job, he started to give some instructions. "If your father isn't feeling well and you don't know what to do, then you can call me on this number." Merlin handed Arthur his business card over. "You can call me anytime. Really, it doesn't matter what time it is"

Arthur accepted the card and grinned at Merlin. "Thanks, I appreciate that"

Merlin thought his knees would give out underneath him. He was just thankful that he was leaning against the reception desk.

Arthur then started to read the card and his eyes almost popped out of his socket.
Ealdor Hospital
Merlin Emrys M.D.
098 - 765 432 10

Merlin. Arthur snorted inwardly, out of all the people in the world, he fancies a guy called Merlin. All he needs now was a sword for himself, and a pointy hat for his trusted advisor.

Not knowing about Arthur's inner snicker, Merlin turned towards Uther. "Mister Pendragon, I hope your shoulder will get less painful in the next few hours, and I will see you next week " Merlin smiled and shook Uther's hand.

After releasing Merlin's hand, Uther nudged Arthur who was still not quite done thinking about a certain doctor. Arthur came to it and frowned at his father. "What?"

Uther just shook his head. "I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible?"

"Oh yes, right. Let's go then."

As he and his father turned and walked towards the exit, he couldn't help himself to quickly glance back over his shoulder to look one final time at the doctor with the beautiful blue eyes and dorky ears.

Merlin couldn't quite believe it, when he saw Arthur looking over his shoulder to his direction. Merlin quickly grabbed a chart of the desk and pretended to read it, while his mind continued to think about the guy that just walked away and stared back to him. Merlin didn't know if it was reality or just his imagination. He slowly looked back up, and confirmed it was all reality. The blonde god was really looking at him until he and his father disappeared through the double sliding doors.

Merlin inhaled deeply through his nose and turned towards Gwen. "Next patient's chart, please."

When I wrote this story, my dad had the exact same injury as Uther, so he was a bit my inspiration haha. He was getting operated a few weeks after I initially posted the first chapter of this story and since I didn't know what painkillers he would get I just looked up some morphine like painkillers in my medical books and picked one of those. Weeks later my dad got his meds and when I saw that he had gotten Tramadol, I almost cried laughing. I'm such a predictor! :p

Okay, that was some random information, that was useless to either one of you. Oh well…