Merlin's bracelet // IC Contact (Old)

[dragonspeak]

Arthur, you can't be serious. Oh, come on--ow!

[Merlin's voice, slightly muffled because of the distance at first, is much clearer when he speaks again
after a few seconds, though he sounds anything but cheerful. If anything, he sounds sullen.]

It's Merlin. Sorry I missed you. I'm probably at the hospital or... [here, he pauses,
then continues like the words are being dragged out of him in the most painful manner possible.] Or being useful for my amazingly skilled, patient, and forgiving master instead of
dallying about and picking flowers like the girl's petticoat I usually am.

[A pained moment of silence.]

Leave a message for me here and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

[Click]

Comments

[ofthursday]

[He nods just slightly in greeting.]

Hello, Merlin.

[A pause, as he hates asking for help, but...]

Have you recovered enough strength to heal?

[dragonspeak]

[All of a sudden, Merlin's standing up straighter.]

Did you need something looked at?

[He avoids answering the actual question.]

[ofthursday]

[Castiel notices.]

Answer my question first.

[It isn't snappish or short, but firm.]

[dragonspeak]

[Merlin doesn't manage to hide his grimace.]

I haven't used my power at all today yet--I have enough.

[ofthursday]

[Castiel frowns, thinking he should have waited another day before asking, but finally he sighs quietly.]

My ribs are broken.

[Four of them, along his left side. It isn't his injury but rather one that he drained during the night of 131, and though Daphne's taped them correctly she isn't strong enough to heal broken bones.]

[dragonspeak]

Your ribs are broken?!

[That emerges as a horrified squawk. In a flash, Merlin's walking over, already intent on healing him (with an air of disapproval).]

How long have you been like this?

[ofthursday]

[Castiel expected fussing, though not so much surprise.]

A few days. It's fine, just... Inconvenient.

[He's had worse injuries and he can walk, so he can more or less ignore the damage if he doesn't do anything strenuous. But that itself is even more inconvenient.]

[dragonspeak]

You mean painful, not inconvenient.

[Healing first, fussing later. Merlin leads Castiel to the sofa and presses him down into it, taking care not to aggravate the ribs.]

You should've come to me right after.

[ofthursday]

It is essentially the same thing.

[Since the pain is what makes him hesitate to do normal things, which is inconvenient. It's all the same thing as far as he's concerned, as he lets himself be sat down on the couch.]

It was the last day of the attack. Everyone was still recovering.

[He wasn't going to waste anyone's strength, and he also hadn't wanted to leave his home for a little while.]