Trigger warning: attempted suicide

Nothing stirs except the echo of his own voice. The curtains are drawn and the air is stale. As his eyes adjust Gwaine can make out a figure curled among the haphazard sheets on the bed. It seems that Arthur has neglected to get a new servant.

"Arthur!" he yells again.

Still nothing. The king doesn't stir. Not a flinch nor sound. Something isn't right.

Gwaines anger quickly turns to confusion, and then panic. He approaches the bed slowly. The kings blond hair sticks out from under a mound of blankets.

At first Gwaine thinks he's dead. There's no movement. None. But as he watches for a moment longer, the most shallow of breaths escapes Arthur's lips. Gwaine breathes a sigh of relief and shakes his shoulder. No response. He slaps Arthur's face lightly. Still nothing.

At this point Gwaine realizes that something is terribly wrong. Arthur can't wake up. He pulls back the covers to reveal Arthur's bare chest. There are mysterious bruises all over him. But Gwaine ignores them for now. He presses his ear to Arthur's chest. Very faintly he can hear an irregular heartbeat. Something is very, very wrong.

He immediately picks up the king and lugs him over his shoulder. He needs to get Arthur to Gaius As soon as possible. He runs out of the room as fast as he can with a limp man slung over his shoulder. Weak protests from the guards follow him down the hall.

He passes many confused servants and nearly bowls a few over. The crowds part for him once they catch sight of the dead-looking man over his shoulder, and gasps follow him as the bystanders recognize the limp figure. Gwaine ignores all of them.

Merlin's life was dedicated to protecting and serving the king. He'd be damned if he was going to allow Marlins death to have been in vain.

Gwaine kicks in the door to Gaius' chambers, feeling quite bad about the rude intrusion, but not bad enough to waste time apologizing when the old physician hobbles toward him with a look of confusion and exasperation. Gaius has been out of sorts for days, but the moment his gaze falls on Arthur, he snaps into his professional mode, emotionless and analysing.

Arthur has become more pale and begun to have a slight blue tinge in his lips and around his eyes. He looks more like a corpse than a man.

"Put him on the cot there." Gaius instructs, pointing a shaking finger at the stained linen cot by the fireplace.

Gwaine lays him down swiftly, but gently. He may be pissed at Arthur, but he has to keep him alive, if not for Camelot, then for Merlin.

Gaius gathers his medicine bag and a few cushions and rushes to Arthur's side. Gwaine hesitantly takes a few steps back. The physician tucks the cushions under Arthur's head to open up his airways and sets to work on examining him. He starts at the head and moves down, poking and prodding in the most efficient way he can manage. A splash of color by Arthur's lips catches the old man's attention. A mulberry-colored stain dots the corner of the kings mouth. Gaius immediately recognises it as the rather strong sleeping draught that he had believed to have misplaced a day prior. It seems he finally found it.

Luckily, Gaius keeps the antidote on hand, seeing as overdoses are common and result in difficulty breathing and complete stimulus shutdown. Meaning everything would slow down until it stopped, including his heart. Gaius dishes the Amber bottle out of his bag and pours a generous dose down Arthur's throat.

Only time will tell whether or not he had gotten it to him quickly enough.

"He overdosed on a strong sleeping draught. Could he have been poisoned?" Gaius asks Gwaine.

"I think we both know that happened here." Gwaine responds solemnly, eyes glued to the king.

Gaius nods sadly, he had wanted to believe that the king had not stooped so low in his greif, but no other explaination made itself available.

"Do you think he'll pull through Gaius?" Gwaine questions, finally turning his gaze to the old man.

"Only time will tell." he responds wearily.