Thank you so much to my betas 3

Here is Part 3 of the Tréville story arch.

Enjoy!

xx Kira

Tréville – Part 3

When they finally arrived the new palace doctor was already waiting for them near the bench which the four Inséperables had chosen as their favourite place in the courtyard. The doctor was in his late thirties had short brown hair and a warm smile on his face. All Tréville knew about him was that he had studied for several years in Italy. Aramis had never seen him before, but right now he was too busy giving orders to Pierre and Hugo to help him to carry his still unconscious brother on a stretcher to their infirmary.

"How is the patient?" Lemay stepped next to the unconscious form of the young Musketeer, who was now lying on a wooden bench in the infirmary, still covered in the blankets they had him roped into earlier.

"Not good, doctor." Aramis reported. "He was hit by an arrow in his thigh. I could close the wound, but he has developed a high temperature. I fear that the wound is infected."

"Such a wound in the thigh can be very dangerous." Lemay spoke quietly, while he unwrapped the blankets and put his palm on Athos' chest to check his heartbeat. "Hmm … it's beating much too fast. Has he lost a lot of blood?"

"I can't say for certain, but the wound was bleeding even as the arrow was still in his leg. I think it was moved while he was riding to safety."

Lemay removed the rest of the blankets to have a closer look at Athos' thigh after he had first lifted both eyelids of his still unresponsive patient and had checked his pupils and his temperature, while putting his hand on his forehead.

"I don't like that."

He mumbled more to himself than to Aramis or Captain Tréville, who was waiting in the distance. The Captain's face was pale, his hands sweating and he was praying that the doctor could save his Lieutenant's life.

"Has he been conscious since you found him?" Lemay asked.

"Yes, several times." Aramis answered, surveying the new doctor inquiringly.

"And did he know what had happened? I mean was he coherent enough to know what was going on around him?" Lemay turned his head to Aramis and looked into the dark eyes of the medic.

Aramis nodded, still not sure what he should think about the missing letter, maybe Athos' mind had mixed something up there.

"He could tell us what had happened and he knew who we are." Aramis added quietly.

"At least that's a good sign. Let's check the wound on his thigh. I will need cold and hot water, my instruments and towels. Then we need new clothes for him and if your cook could prepare some chicken broth that would be really helpful."

The doctor had turned his head to the Captain, who nodded.

"I will go myself and arrange everything." Tréville hurried away and left the infirmary.

Outside Tréville paused for a short moment. He felt dizzy, the smell of blood hung in his nose and he hadn't missed the worried glance on the doctor's face.

I hope we are not too late.

He sighed then he straightened his back and hurried into the kitchen to give Serge some orders of what the doctor would need.

In the meantime Doctor Lemay removed Aramis' blue sash from Athos' leg and looked at the stitches the medic had made only an hour ago.

"Who has done these?" He pointed at them with his fingers, stroking softly over the fine needle work.

"That was me, doctor."

"You are very skilled. I am not sure if his wound is infected but with your sewing the wound and bandaging him you have probably saved his life so far." Lemay said with an appreciative tone in his voice.

Aramis didn't answer this compliment. He knew that he was good at stitching, as a trained medic he had had to do it much too often for his liking.

"For now, but is the wound infected?" Aramis asked with a husky voice.

"I am not sure, but the high fever and the fact that he is still in a deep sleep could be a sign of infection. Best thing to find out, is to reopen your fine needle work, to look at the wound, clean it, stitch it again and put on a salve, perhaps honey. What do you think?" Lemay was trying to show Aramis that he valued his medical knowledge.

Aramis nodded again.

"He won't like it."

Aramis mumbled more to himself, while moving nearer to Athos' head, observing the still closed eyes of his friend, his mouth was half open and he could hear his soft breathing.

"I know that it will hurt him. If he wakes up we can give him laudanum, but I would prefer another pain potion, too much laudanum can be dangerous for him. Would you assist me?"

The doctor asked and Aramis nodded, while stroking with his left hand some sweaty strands out of Athos' forehead.

At that moment the door opened again and other Musketeers helped Captain Tréville to bring in the needed material.

"Here is the water, you have requested, the towels, some alcohol and your medical bag."

"Good, thank you, Captain. I will have to open the stitched wound on his thigh to check if his wound is infected. Afterwards we have to clean it, close it again and then we can only hope and pray." He informed the Captain.

After the doctor had put the small knife and a scalpel in hot water he asked Tréville and Aramis to wash their hands and he did the same. Then he asked Tréville to go behind Athos and instructed him to sponge his forehead in order to reduce his fever, while Aramis helped him with opening the stitched wound.

"Captain, if he shows any signs of waking, make sure that he doesn't move." Lemay ordered and then they started the small procedure.

Aramis watched how the doctor opened the wound again in some swift moves with small scissors and a pincette. After he had removed all thread he looked critically at the now open wound.

"Here I can see some pus." He mumbled, then he started to clean the wound.

With a small scalpel he removed the outer skin at the edges of the wound where he had noticed the white-yellowish pus. As he started with his surgery Athos moaned out loud and showed first signs of waking.

Tréville now put the wet cloth away and pulled both of Athos' shoulders down as his Lieutenant started to move restlessly around.

"Stop that Athos. Easy." He ordered in a strict commanding tone and Athos paused. "You are in good hands, so don't fight us." He added apologetically.

Tréville observed the sweaty face of his officer and recognised that Athos was fighting with himself to open his eyes. Slowly, very slowly he half opened them. With a blurred vision he noticed his commanding officer's face over his. Confused he blinked several times with his eyes.

"Wh …"

"Shh … we've brought you back. You are in the infirmary. The doctor is here and he is checking and cleaning your wounded leg.

Athos tried to lift his head to have a better view but he felt too dizzy and too tired. Lemay paused with his work and stepped next to his suffering patient.

"I am glad that you are awake. My name is Doctor Lemay and I will take care of the wound on your leg."

"Will I lose my leg?" Athos' scared eyes searched for Aramis' who had stayed silent until now and was standing at the opposite of Tréville. His head was spinning.

A doctor … when they have called for a doctor … it's really worse. Maybe … In front of his inner eye Athos saw a medic tent, a battle field and doctors amputating limbs accompanied by loud screams of fallen comrades. He felt dizzy. Aramis … he'll tell me, he won't lie to me. Suddenly he felt his friend's presence next to him.

"Your wound is infected, but the doctor is just cleaning it. That's why it hurts so much right now. We need to stitch it again." Aramis softly explained. "No one is talking about that you will lose your leg." He smiled and Athos relaxed a little more.

Aramis grabbed a cup of water, which was mixed with a pain potion and went next to Athos' head, helping him to drink by gently lifting his friend's head.

"Drink." He softly smiled, patting Athos' arm.

Athos managed several sips.

"Can you … can you stitch it again …" He pleaded his friend.

"I am sure he can." Lemay smiled at his patient. "I will have to clean another spot and then he can stitch it, but you will need this." Lemay showed him a small round wooden stick."

"What's that …?" Athos mumbled, his mind was still too confused due to the immense pain in his leg.

"The cleaning of the wound will hurt you, the pain will keep you awake. Put it in your mouth and bite on it, it will help you." He instructed his patient.

Lemay gave the piece of wood to Tréville and told him how to use it. Then he squeezed his patient's shoulder.

"Hang in there." The doctor told him, then he returned to his scalpel and cleaned the rest of the wound.

Athos felt the unbearable pain anxiously he searched with his right hand for Aramis' and as the latter recognized Athos' soft touch on his arm, he put his hand in his and allowed his friend to squeeze it as hard as he wished. Athos opened his mouth not able to suppress another loud scream which was now echoing in Tréville's and Aramis' ears and with his other hand the latter softly stroked over Athos' hair trying to calm him.

The Captain put the wooden stick in Athos's mouth.

"Bite on it, it will help you." He soothed softly.

While Athos followed Tréville's orders and new sweat was dripping from his forehead, the Captain continued to stroke his face softly with the wet cloth.

"You will pull through this, Athos!" Aramis told him over and over again, while his sick brother tried to catch enough oxygen through his nose and breathing in heavily.

When Lemay had finished his last cut on the skin, they heard a small sob, then Athos' eyes rolled back in his head and his whole body went limp.

Frantically Aramis searched for a pulse feeling with his palm for Athos' heartbeat and not letting his hand leave Athos' chest until he could feel his beating heart.

"Thank God!" He mumbled.

Lemay looked at the pale face of the medic.

"Shall I stitch the wound?" He asked softly, but Aramis only shook his head. Then with trembling fingers and a much too dry mouth he started to reach for needle and thread and sewed the skin of his friend for the second time that day. As he finished he stumbled some steps backwards. He felt his legs now shaking uncontrollably and he needed to sit down on a free bed next to the table, where they had laid Athos' earlier for the examination. He felt the soft mattress filled with hay sinking under his own weight. Exhausted he sighed out loud, while driving his trembling right hand through his thick brown hair.

Tréville observed him critically but understood very well why Aramis felt and reacted like this. Even if his medic and Athos could be stubborn from time to time if they had different opinions about a subject, they valued each other a lot. It wasn't easy for Aramis to stitch up his brother twice that day, knowing that he must hurt him to make him better and not knowing if he would survive.

In the meantime Lemay cleaned the inflamed skin with some alcohol mixed with water and then put a thick layer of honey on it. Exhaustedly Aramis looked over to his sick friend, while Lemay put a white bandage on the wound.

"You did well, Aramis." Lemay tried to calm the now obviously shaken Musketeer.

"I hope he will survive. I don't want to lose my friend." Aramis whispered, fighting against the tears which were welling up in his eyes.

"Your friend is young, well trained and he was lucky that you helped him at first. Now only time will tell. Every time he wakes up feed him with hot broth and give him water to drink and tea with lime blossom, thyme and camomile to lower his fever. He has lost quite a large amount of blood and he will need the fluids to fight the high fever." Lemay told the two Musketeers.

"Is it because of the pain he passed out again?" Tréville wanted to know.

"Yes, and also the blood loss and the high fever made him sleepy as well. Bath his face, wrists and ankles with cool but not too cold water. The fever should break during the night. Just make sure that all of the time someone is with him and if he gets worse call me." Lemay explained.

"We will, doctor. Thank you for your help." Tréville told him. His face still worried.

"Alas, I have to leave now, but I will check again on him tomorrow morning. We can still try with leeches, but for now I hope that broth, tea and water will work." Lemay slightly bowed his head then he hurried away.

After the doctor had left, Tréville looked from his sleeping Lieutenant over to his exhausted and much too pale medic. He could see the treacherous glistening in his soldier's eyes.

"Aramis, go, eat and rest a little. I will take the first watch. As far as I know Athos, he will ask for you as soon as he wakes and he should see you in better spirits. If you lose hope, he will lose it too."

"I …" Aramis wanted to protest, but one look from his Captain told him that he wouldn't be able to talk against it.

He stood up and moved nearer to Athos' sleeping form.

"I will help you to change his clothes and then lay him in one of the more comfortable beds, the wooden table is too hard for our Comte's sensitive skin." He tried to joke.

After Aramis had reassured himself that Athos' was tucked secure in some fresh and warm blankets and after he pressed his cold friend's right hand for a last time, he left the infirmary.

Tréville sighed out loud, then he collapsed on a small chair, which was positioned next to Athos's head and talked aloud to himself.

"It never gets any easier …"

"I'm … sor …" He heard the barely audible, slurred voice of his Lieutenant which alarmed him.

To be continued …