Thank you so much for reading and all those lovely reviews I want to thank on guest for the review (ch 4): I am glad that you like the horses in the story, I tried to put them in this story, especially Roger.

Here come part 4 of the Tréville story arch … still not finished but I hope you will enjoy. If you like leave me a review I am looking forward to read what you think about it.

I will try to update the other chapter tomorrow.

My special thanks go out to Beth and Helen for proofing and finding my mistakes!

xx Kira

Tréville – Part 4

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

"Don't be." Tréville softly answered. "You will be better very soon, you simply scared me that's all." His whole face smiled into Athos' half open eyes.

The latter felt secure and he was obviously fighting with his own emotions: full of exhaustion, shame and a little anxiety as well.

Tréville washed the newest layer of sweat from Athos' face then he stood up, fetched a cup and poured some hot broth into it.

"The doctor says you need to drink as much broth as possible. Come, I'll help you."

Before Athos could protest he felt Tréville's left hand softly lifting his head, pulling some pillows behind his back and then he pressed the warm cup to his lips.

"Easy …" He coached him and Athos followed Tréville's instructions.

His feverish eyes met Tréville's and all he recognized was the care and trust this man had given to him in all the past years. From the first day they met until this very moment.

"I'll … be … forever in … your debt." He mumbled after he had drunk some sips and turned his head away.

"Stop talking nonsense and drink more." Tréville smiled at him.

I will never forgive myself if I lose you today. So fight … I know you are one of my soldiers … and I know that I can lose you on every single mission or on the battlefield. That's the risk we all have to take when we serve the King. But survive … because it would be such a senseless death … and I would miss you dearly ... Tréville shook his head and tried to get rid of his sad thoughts.

"Too … hot …" Athos mumbled, observing his commanding officer critically.

Stop worrying about me. I am not sure if my body will be strong enough to survive, but you saved my life all those years back. I was happy and grateful to serve under you Captain. You changed everything and gave me a new purpose after I thought I had lost everything … my whole family … you gave me a new one and much more … I never told you that, but you gave me more love than my own father could ever give me …

You became my new father and I will always be in your debt … Athos sighed, turned his head away and tried to hide his tears which were welling up in his eyes.

"Then water." Tréville didn't let go and fetched a glass with water. Athos drank greedily. It helped to settle his nerves.

The broth has obviously been to hot.

Tréville thought, wiping some tears away from Athos' face which were running down his cheeks. The latter nodded gratefully but didn't comment on the tender gesture of his Captain. He was somewhere else with his thoughts and Tréville found out soon enough where he was, as he had predicted earlier ...

"Aramis?" Athos asked with his weak and sore voice accompanied by a questioning look. Turning his head and searching with his eyes the semi dark infirmary.

"I sent him to eat, drink and rest. We both know that he will be awake the whole night at your side, so he will need his strength."

Athos nodded groggily.

"I feel so hot." He suddenly said and his scared eyes searched Tréville's.

"You have a pretty high fever, but you will be better tomorrow, promise."

Tréville put all his strength together to give his officer hope and support, hiding his face behind a mask he had trained all those years in front of King Louis, when his Majesty had another crazy idea or his mood turned into a four-year-old boy … - but he couldn't cover his face in front of his Lieutenant.

"You are a ... bad ... liar …" Athos mumbled.

"The doctor told me that you need to drink plenty, shall we try the broth again, it's cooler now."

Athos managed some more sips and then he let his head exhaustedly drop back onto the pillow.

"Thank you … for …" He didn't finish the sentence because the sleep pulled him over and had him again in a firm grip.

You don't need to thank me Athos … I have to thank you … all those years back you saved my life and you saved mine and that of your brothers many times more. Get better. Sleep. Rest. I will try to help you to fight this as best as I can and then I will go and find out who has done this to you … Tréville thought grimly.

He heard Athos' soft breathing. His officer had fallen asleep again and he hoped that the sleep would help him, while waiting for Aramis and the others to return and to wake at their brother's side as they always did, he watched the rise and fall of Athos' chest which was so reassuring.

Tréville didn't stop cooling Athos' face, wrists and ankles for over an hour. When he heard the neighing of horses and shouts outside the courtyard he knew that Porthos and d'Artagnan had returned.

Soon very soon all your brothers will be here and then it'll be time for me to start to investigate. You should have brought a letter back to the palace, but now the letter is missing.

Have you lost it, after you were wounded? Is the letter the real reason why you were attacked? I should have asked you if you knew the content of the letter, but I wanted to let you rest and not upset you by the fact that the message for the palace is missing. I hope Porthos and d'Artagnan could find the letter. I have to be patient. Several minutes more. They will come … I can wait … I can wait at your side … they will report to me soon enough … being by your side has more priority for me right now than a simple sheet of paper.

Tréville heard Athos whimpering in his sleep and he knew that nightmares were haunting him. He heard him mumbling the name Anne and he wished that Aramis would hurry back to ease his brother's pain.

XXXXX

"How is Athos?"

Porthos looked confused at Aramis who was sitting outside at their favourite bench at the courtyard. He had a cup with wine in front of him and a plate with cheese and bread, but Aramis had left them untouched. He stared with his dark eyes at the stable directly in front of him.

Anxiously d'Artagnan searched Porthos' eyes worriedly asking if their brother hadn't made it.

Porthos shrugged, jumped down from his black stallion and approached Aramis. D'Artagnan didn't dare to move and stayed where he was - still on Zad's back.

"Aramis?" Porthos reached his brother and laid his right palm on his friend's shoulder. "What's wrong. Is Athos … has he …?" Porthos heard his own voice hushed and now broken as he didn't dare to ask the question, which answer he dreaded.

Aramis, who felt Porthos and d'Artgnan's anxiety turned his head around.

"No. I am sorry I …"

"What is it?" D'Artagnan now asked in a hushed voice from the distance. He had decided to stay on his horse, this way he could escape to a lonely place if he needed time to sort out his own grief. Zad who felt his tension nodded several times nervously with his head.

"I … Tréville sent me away: to rest, to eat …"

"How is he?"

Porthos now sat next to his brother on the bench and laid his arm around Aramis shoulder. The marksman leaned into his gentle grip.

"The wound was infected … the doctor cleaned it … I had to restitch it … and now all we can do is pray … that his high fever will decrease over night." Aramis spoke in a low voice, taking deep breaths between his explanation and suppressing his need to sob.

"You should go back to him … he needs you."

"He's asleep, Porthos."

"Even if he sleeps, he can feel your presence."

"Why have you really left? I know you. Normally you'd stay with us, if we are not well, even if the Captain orders us to rest." Porthos insisted. "So, what's wrong?"

"He … he asked me to leave him alone."

"What … why … when …?"

D'Artagnan asked confused. He had finally dismounted from his horse to sit now opposite to Aramis on the bench.

The marksman didn't look up, but mumbled:

"When I drove with him on the wagon. He asked me to leave, to take the letter to the palace. He thought this damn letter would be much more important than his life."

"You know how he is, duty comes always first." D'Artagnan now softly began to speak. "I am sure he didn't mean that you should leave him alone, but serve our King." He added.

"Our young lad is damn right." Porthos slapped Aramis on his back. "See, now eat and drink and then get yourself back into the infirmary. We'll come with you and we will wait and wake together at his bedside." Porthos encouraged his brother.

Aramis nodded with sad brown eyes.

"I think you are wrong … I think he wanted me to leave him, but he can be stubborn and sometimes I need to ignore his stubbornness to help him. Thank you my brothers for seeing things more clearly." Aramis spoke up.

He took a large gulp from the wine and regretted it instantly.

I should have eaten something first.

An idea crossed his foggy mind and he looked at his friends, first at Porthos, who was stealing a piece of bread, then to d'Artagnan.

"Have you found the letter?"

"Well, that's …" D'Artagnan wanted to answer, but at that moment the door to the infirmary opened and Tréville looked over to them.

"Aramis, I think he needs you." Tréville shouted over to them.

Without any hesitation Aramis jumped up and ran over to Tréville followed by Porthos and d'Artagnan who rushed behind him.

To be continued ...