Hello hope you like !

I do not own Merlin

(Set sometime after season four)

...

Chapter One: Wishes Do Come True

The air was cool and moist, clouds covered up what would have otherwise been a beautiful sunset. It had been raining on and off for several days and the rain brought with it a feeling of new growth to the citizens of Camelot. At an open window, on the second floor of the magnificent spectacle of power, which was the castle of Arthur, King of Camelot, a particular young warlock stood. Arms crossed across the window sill, his head leaning out the window at a peculiar angle as he let the cooling breeze play with his coal colored hair, his eyes were closed and a seemingly unreadable expression controlled his thin features, no one would have ever guessed this boy guarded one of the most powerful secrets in all the world.

Merlin was letting the moment roll over him the great waves of momentary silence. A second to remember and forget all that happened over the last five or six years; the brief joys and what seemed interminable times of grief and pain, or the other way around. Times like these are so few nowadays. I could live with this happening more often Merlin thought. I wonder if...

"Ouch!" Merlin's head was playfully banged into the turned, eyes wide open,fully aware, and very annoyed. He rubbed his bruised forehead his moment of peace completely shattered.

"Ay! mate, don't be looking so gloomy on this fabulous evening." Gwaine, laughed and gave a still frowning Merlin a good natured shake and pat on the shoulder. This was met by a hardy chuckle from Percivil, Elyan, and Leon, who were accompanying Gwaine.

"Well is giving me a headache the best way to improve my night." Merlin sighed but he couldn't stop his classic grin from splitting his face.

"That's more like it, now how about joining me and the lads and havin at a pint or two."

"No thanks Arthur headed down to the tavern bout 'an hour ago, and I would not hear the end of it if I joined him there, plus Gaius can never get enough help these days."

"You growin' soft then."

"Not yet Percivil." Merlin's smile had conquered his features and he was truly enjoying there companionship, but he picked up a pile of linens he'd put down and began to walk away still grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey! maybe if your lucky you'll mysteriously fall "ill" tomorrow, and won't have to deal with his royal painess." Elyan called after him gaining more laughs from the knights.

"Yay...if only wishes came true." Merlin returned and continued down the hallway smiling and laughing.

...

Ok maybe wishes do come true...even when your joking with a friend and didn't really wish for anything to come true in the first place? Merlin thought. It didn't matter what he thought though, did it. No, it doesn't because it seems that all the universe is content with having a good amount of control over me. He sighed. All he could do was sit in bed and feel miserable while Gaius tried to figure out what was wrong with him.

It had started that morning when Merlin had woken up two or so hours before he was supposed to for no explainable reason.

... Earlier that morning

Merlin's eyes popped wide open. He looked around suspiciously. The sun was just riding around the turrets barely illuminating the training ground, and hadn't even bothered shining into Merlin's room. So why had he woken up so early? Throughout his entire life he had never woken up before sunrise and as much as he hated to admit it he was late to work a little more often than even Arthur had energy to point out sometimes. Heck even the dragon was smart enough to his start his chant of "Merlin...Merlin...Merlin" after sunrise for the most part. So he really shouldn't be awake. Maybe I'm starting to have nightmares like Morgana and just not remembering them,but... no thats impossible. Well, whatever's wrong it's not an obvious or immediate danger so it can wait. Merlin happy with his decision made to roll over.

He tried at least to roll over, but found to his horror that he was completely frozen in place. Merlin panicked and with all his strength he did his best to writhe and squirm but couldn't even manage to twitch a finger. He attempted to cry out but found that his words were just as stiff as his limbs. His breathing was low and shallow and there wasn't even enough air in his lungs for a whisper. Contrary to popular belief , Merlin was no idiot. He calmed himself pushing his fear down and recycling the energy contained it and put all possible effort into a single word "Gaius!"

He relaxed feeling exhausted. His plea for help had been clear not as loud as he would have liked it, but loud enough... he hoped.Please may Gaius have heard me, he silently begged. Soon enough he heard footsteps hurrying stiffly across the room downstairs, the quiet bustle of Gaius putting on his robes and general grumbling that went something along the lines of "That boy...oh him and his problems ...his destiny...oh Gaius help me with this help me with that, Arthur is dying again save his life because I can't be bothered to really practice my healing spells, no...oh one of these days I.'ll..."

Gaius opened the door. "Merlin, what on earth is the matter!" he paused "Merlin..." he hobbled to his ward's side. Merlin wasn't moving at all. He stared at his warlock charge, Merlin's eyes were moving and he could blink but other than that he was completely immobilized. His eyes however were looking at him in such a way that he communicated quite well his displeasure of the situation, his fear that Gaius couldn't do anything, and a hint of exhaustion.

"All right calm down, now usually I wouldn't condone this but try a few spells see if you fix this." Merlin's eyes flashed gold a few times but nothing happened. Gaius didn't say anything he went back down stairs and to began to rummage through his ever increasing collection of books. Soon enough he found what he was looking for he returned to Merlin's warlock's eyes were now saying what his usually chatty mouth couldn't. Gaius sat down and began reading from A Collection of Texts and Documents from Prominent Healers on the Matter of Obscure Ailments and Afflictions. He hadn't been there flipping through the pages and reading selected paragraphs for ten minutes when Merlin's face out of blue unfroze he grimaced and wretched over the side of the bed.

...

So since then he'd seemed to be switching illnesses or at least symptoms he'd had a bad fever for about ten minutes, smallpox for thirty, cold fits now and then, migraines, and had started to loose his hair for maybe twenty minutes. No one ailment lasted for longer than about fifty minutes usually less he had been covered with small red dots and painful bruises for almost an hour at one point but other than that his fits were relatively short and one right after the other. Sometimes he would be in so much pain he'd pass out, others he'd find himself only ill with a mild headache and would be able to walk and run a little while before once again taking on some more serious sickness and being confined to a bed.

Gaius had moved Merlin downstairs to his bed so he could keep an eye on the sorcerer and make sure he wasn't taking a turn for the worst (although if he did take a turn for the worst Gaius wasn't entirely sure he would be able to tell). The affects of Merlin's sickness was nothing Gaius had ever been trained for no remedies Gaius had given the warlock yet seemed to have worked and any spells either of them had tried had drained them considerably but had taken no effect. Now Gaius was flipping through multiple books searching for something helpful.

Merlin despite himself was grinning. No matter how bad his current predicament he found his state very amusing. His already pale skin was whiter than any sheet or cloud he was chalky all around even his hair had begun to turn white. He began to laugh but drew in a sharp breathe, curled up, and began to shiver. Gaius brought over an extra blanket to his ward (who was once again cream skinned and raven haired).

Not again Merlin thought as he pulled his blankets tighter. How am I supposed to do anything in this state? I can barely walk ten feet without collapsing let alone cast a complicated spell or do something for King Prat. Although now that Gwen was Arthur's wife things were easier, she took care of their chambers and did the little tedious jobs, but Arthur was careful to leave plenty of work for Merlin. Oh and I know exactly what's going to happen any minute now Arthur is going to come charging through that door and say 'Merlin you idiot where have you been'. Well Arthur looks like your going to have to look after yourself for a change.

As if on cue loud footsteps rang through the hall as somebody very angrily approached. Arthur threw open the door "Merlin" he bellowed "Today I am hunting with the Lord of Daehiem and will not be Sloan down by a late servant." Arthur was a bit surprised to find Merlin sitting in Gaius's bed with a pained expression on his face but continued. "Merlin do us all a favor and stop looking so glum... and for goodness sake get out of bed, you can't be..." Merlin grabbed a bucket by the side of the bed and wretched into it violently before passing out.

After a minute Arthur wiped the stunned expression of his face and said "Uhh ...Gaius maybe um... maybe I should or uh..."

"Oh no you don't." Gaius smiled on the inside, he knew Merlin would thank him for this later "Your going to help me look through these books so we can find a way to get Merlin back on his feet" he sat Arthur down at a table in front of a stack of dusty old documents.

Arthur thought about arguing but looked over at the hunched figure of Merlin who was breathing heavily and sweating and began scanning the documents without complaint. "What am I looking for Gaius?"

"A disease that... well never stays the same."

"Excuse me?"

"Merlin has been changing symptoms and has been feeling differently all morning, he'll probably wake up soon and you'll see."

...

Merlin groaned he felt like throwing up again but pushed the feeling down he allowed his eyes to flutter open and look about. His trademark grin spread across his face and he let a laugh escape his looked over at him in concern "Merlin are you alright...?"

"I've been better, but why are you here I thought you were on your all important hunting trip with Lord whats his name." Merlin closed his eyes for a second and fought another wave of nausea before continuing "...don't tell me your looking for a cure to help your lowly servant." His words were horse and he sounded like a dying frog but he grinned all the wider.

"I wouldn't be so smart, I'm here because... because... Gaius made me." (He mumbled the last bit.)

Merlin started laughing at this but he stopped in mid chuckle closed his eyes and braced himself. The nausea was leaving him and any moment now a new wave of pain would hit him or he would be surprised with the rare minor injury. But it was not to be, his ears began to ring and he clenched his teeth as a serious migraine set in and allowed himself to be lost in the numbness to his surroundings only pain brought.

Arthur looked up from the book he was reading and toward the lump under the increasing pile of blankets which was Merlin. He flinched as Merlin sucked in air though his teeth and let out through his nose. It was a horrible sound. He was genuinely worried about Merlin, he would never admit it but everybody knew he was Merlin's friend the only person he could trust with everything and anything was Merlin. Now his friend was in more pain than he had ever seen him. What am I doing I'm Arthur Pendragon best knight in the five kingdoms,ruler of Camelot, commander of the best army anywhere, and when my best friend is sick all I can do is watch and flip through books. But what else could he do this wasn't like the poison incident Gaius didn't know what was wrong with Merlin so Arthur couldn't rush out to find the cure. Arthur suddenly smiled he had an idea. Alright idiot I can't get you cure but I know a faster way to find it.

...

Gwen strode down the halls along a way she knew so well. Arthur had been missing all morning last time he was seen he'd been charging off toward Gaius's chambers to find Merlin maybe Gaius would know where her husband got off too. Husband she liked calling him that it felt so right and reminded her that all the chaos that had happened since they had fallen in love was worth it. She smiled husband.

Then there he was. Arthur dashed around a corner nearly running Gwen over. "Arthur what...where have you been ...where's Merlin what are you doing, how..."

"Gwen where are the knights!"

"They're in the armory, but Arthur why what's wrong."

"Merlin well...um Merlin he's really sick and...well he needs help." he managed

Gwen had a look of determination and concern that would frighten even the most hardened knight. "I'll go to Gaius's you get the knights and Tristan will want to help too." She picked up her skirts and walked briskly toward Gaius's chambers.

Arthur continued to the armory and opened the door he quickly scanned the sea of chain mail picking out the knights who were closest to Merlin. Tristan was there too talking to some knights. Tristan wasn't a full knight yet he said that he still needed time to recover from Isolde's death and Arthur respected that, but he fully intended to make him a knight later. "Tristan, Leon, Gwaine, Percivil, and Elyan come here."

"Coming princess" Gwaine called back. A minute later the men were before him in the hall, Arthur shut the door.

"Right if your willing Merlin is dangerously ill and Gaius needs people to..." Gwaine was already running toward Gaius's chambers followed closely by the other knights and Tristan.

That was easier than I thought, Arthur turned and followed them.

...

Gwaine threw open the door and saw Gwen reaching towards Merlin with a wet rag and Gaius was peering through his spectacles at the six men who had just tumbled into his chambers. "Really Merlin you need to stop resisting."

" It's not that bad just a little burn, it should be gone any minute now."

"A little burn, Merlin your entire arms the color of your hair, and don't pretend that's the only thing wrong your not letting anything touch your back or your side either. It's obviously spread ."

The knights all rushed over to Merlin there was much yelling, concerned looks, and people asking how they could help. Merlin was yelling a saying he was fine and everybody should mind their own business and not worry about him. "Quiet everyone!" Gaius shouted over the hubbub. Everybody calmed down.

Gwaine then spoke up "Gaius what's wrong with him, how can we help?"

Gaius looked down and whispered "I have no idea."

"No, no not again." everybody looked in Merlin's direction he was staring at his arm, the burn was receding. Merlin sighed and closed his eyes preparing for whatever was to come.

Hideously long I know sorry for any mistakes in it. Hope to update soon. : )