Title: Appearance Is Everything
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Merlin, Uther, Morgana
Summary: Arthur comes to Morgana’s side.
Warnings: Near death
Word Count: 820
Prompt: 179. New Beginnings
Author's Notes: Where The Heart Wanders #10
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Appearance Is Everything
Arthur rushed into the A&E. “Where is she? Where is my sister?”
Gwen came out of the trauma room. “Arthur! Calm down. We have her stabilized but she was badly beaten.”
“Who brought her in?” Arthur looked around. “Are they still here?”
“No.” Gwen put her hands on his chest. “Arthur, she has multiple broken ribs and internal bleeding. She hasn't regained consciousness since she arrived.”
“Who brought her here? Did they give you a name?” Arthur asked. “Why didn't they stay to talk to her family?”
Merlin stuck his head out of the trauma room. “Arthur, she is awake and she wants to talk to you.”
“Morgana!” Arthur rushed into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Merlin, is she going to recover?”
“Yes. She can’t get too excited. We are waiting for them to prepare surgery.” Merlin warned him.
Arthur went over to her bedside. “Morgana, it’s Arthur. Where have you been?”
“I … I was with my cousin. … Morgause. She is a madam. I was cleaning for her but she … made me….” Morgana sobbed. “I just wanted a new beginning. I wanted … to be …someone … other than the daughter … of the Duke.”
“Morgana, you are who you are. You can’t change who you are just because you want to.” Arthur took her hand. “Rest and let them get you fixed up.”
“Arthur, I’m sorry.” Morgana took a shuddering breath.
Arthur kissed her on the temple. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get out of surgery.” He looked at Merlin and grabbed him by the arm as pulled him along as he left the room.
“Arthur, I should stay with her.” Merlin pulled away as soon as they were outside.
“I’ll let you get back as soon as I get some answers.” Arthur looked at Gwen as she walked up. “Somebody better tell me what is going on.”
Gwen took Arthur by the hand and looked at Merlin. “I’ll tell him. Go back to Morgana. Keep her stable.”
Merlin nodded and went back into the room.
“Arthur, we don’t know who brought her. They drove up in a hurry and just pushed her out of the car. We can have security check the recordings in the morning.” Gwen pulled him over to the chairs in the waiting area and pushed him down into a chair. “You need to call your father.”
“He won’t come. I already called him. He says that she is not his problem.” Arthur leaned forward and put his face in his hands. “What the bloody hell was she thinking?”
“Did she tell you where she was?” Gwen rubbed his back.
Arthur dropped his hands and sat up. “She was with a cousin. She is a distant relative of my father’s first wife. Her name is Morgause and she is nothing but trouble. So she was in Cornwall the whole time.”
“Merlin thought that she might be there but he said he couldn’t find her.” Gwen nodded.
“The bitch probably picked her up at the station and took her to her whorehouse the day she got there.” Arthur dragged his hand through his hair.
“Whorehouse?” Gwen blinked in shock. “Her cousin runs a whorehouse. Morgana was staying at a whorehouse. That explains why they left her the way they did.”
“Some bastard did this to her and I am going to find out who.” Arthur stood up.
Merlin stuck his head out of the door to the trauma room. “Gwen, I need help in here.”
Gwen rushed back into the trauma room. “Stay here and stay out of the way.”
Arthur put his hand on his mouth. He closed his eyes and exhaled. He sat back down in one of the chairs. He sat there to wait.
A half an hour later, Uther walked into the A&E. he saw Arthur sitting there. “Arthur, where is she?”
Arthur looked up at his father. “They took her to surgery. Her heart stopped before they took her up. What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I wasn’t.” Uther sat down. “I got a phone call from the press. They wanted a statement.”
“So you are only here to make things look good.” Arthur rolled eyes. She’s your daughter. “You could at least feign some concern.”
“She should have known better than to go to that whore for shelter.” Uther rubbed his knee.
“What choice did she have? You threw her out on the street.” Arthur threw back at him. “She thought she was going to have a new beginning in Cornwall. She wanted to be someone else, anyone else, as long as she was not your daughter.”
“I had no choice. She refused to give up that commoner and make a proper marriage.” Uther glared at his son.
“That commoner was the one that saved her when her heart stopped.” Arthur got up and walked away from him.