Magic, the source of all evil
It was the dead of the night when Morgana barged through the door of Gaius' chambers. The old physician was nowhere to be found, only Merlin wandered around the room, smothering one candle after the other. He whipped his head around at the noise.
The ward was covered in sweat, breathing heavily. The candles' light flickered in her watery eyes and she stumbled up to Merlin, grabbing him by his sleeve.
"I-is Gaius here?"
Merlin dropped the candle holder and held her by her elbows. He swallowed and looked out the window, at the full moon waiting outside.
"No... he's not... he's with the king at the moment... he should come back soon though. What's wrong?"
Morgana heaved a jagged breath and dragged her palm across her eyes.
"I... I don't understand... anything anymore. Things- things are happening around me that I can't control and it's getting worse and worse and..."
A sob escaped her lips as she gazed up at Merlin with wide open eyes. The fabric of his sleeve tightened in her grip.
"Merlin, I'm scared. I'm so, so scared..."
Merlin bit his tongue. His entire body was shaking, most of all his fist, which was beginning to numb. He blinked rapidly and looked away, at the remaining few candlelights. When his voice stammered a response, it broke.
"Gaius... he'll be back soon... he'll make you a potion and help-"
"He won't!"
He flinched at the words Morgana yelled out as she grabbed her chest, pressing her face into Merlin's shoulder. He placed his hand on her back and could feel her swallow, her rapid breath, the faint beating of her racing heart.
"He won't. He won't be able to help me, no potion, no remedy can cure this. And you know that. You... you know that."
Merlin clawed his fingers into her shoulder and pressed his head against hers. Every word he forced out his throat burnt like molten metal on his tongue.
"I do know. Better than anyone else."
He felt Morgana's body relax slightly beneath his touch and breathed in slowly, just as the ward grabbed his collar and yanked him down to face her. He tumbled to the floor as he pulled at her hands but stopped when he heard her sobs. She was shaking, harder than ever before. Her eyes were puffy and red as a tear emerged from them, dropping onto Merlin's cheek to run down the side of it.
"You-you do, don't you? Tell me. Please. That's all I ask. That any of this is real. That... that you know just as well as me that this isn't my imagination. Please. Nothing more than this. I beg of you."
Merlin's vision blurred. He tried to pry her fingers away but only fumbled to scratch at a grip that wouldn't falter. All he could make out was Morgana's crying face, illuminated by the candle light, her stream of tears joining his own pouring to the ground.
"I... I wish I could say... anything.... anything at all... I really do..."
With a thud Merlin dropped to his knees as Morgana let go of his collar. His feet refused to move and so he watched, how the king's ward bit her lip, so hard it bled, before gritting her teeth and fleeing towards the exit.
"Morgana, wait!"
He stretched out his hand to a door that slammed shut on him, leaving him alone in Gaius' chamber, illuminated by nothing but fading candle light.
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Fan rewrite of scene 9 from 02x03 of BBC Merlin
