I am so sorry to leave all of you hanging for so long. The typing was not going well, as my eyes were just a wee bit blurry. But all is very well now. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
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As Treville turned back to Aramis, Porthos told him, "You need to send some men to Athos and d'Artagnan, Captain. They stayed behind to hold the Courtains off til I could get Aramis to safety. They're outnumbered because Albert has hired men riding with them."
Treville listened in silence until Porthos finished, then went to the door, shouting, "Jean-Pierre, Tristan, take some men to assist Athos and d'Artagan in capturing a group of villains who have tried twice now to kill a King's Musketeer. Porthos will instruct you on how to find them. Quickly!"
Returning to Aramis' bedside, Treville laid his hand softly on Aramis' head, saying, "They have nearly killed him twice now. There will not be a third time on my watch," he vowed. Pausing, he said, "We can at least clean this wound and rebandage it until Lemay arrives. If it's infected, as you believe, the cleaner we keep it, the better chance he has."
Aramis shifted in pain and moaned as soon as they touched the blood-soaked strips wound around his torso. Exposed, the wound obviously looked infected. Treville and Porthos' eyes met, each thinking it looked really bad, but not wanting to say it aloud. Porthos silently reached for a clean cloth, soaked it in water and began cleaning it as gently as possible. But it was too inflamed to touch without causing agony to Aramis. Treville held him in place, wishing he didn't have to, but knowing it was absolutely necessary. After several moments, Aramis went still. Treville and Porthos froze, and the Captain checked his pulse. "He is just out again, Porthos." Porthos worked faster, hoping to have the wound rebandaged before Aramis woke up again.
His hopes were not to be realized, as Aramis came to again, just as Porthos finished the bandaging. His eyes started fluttering, and a moment later, they slowly opened, drowsy and pain-filled, looking into the worried eyes of Porthos.
Porthos broke out in a wide grin, saying, "It is so good to see those brown eyes of yours open, my friend."
Aramis looked confused at Porthos' words. Porthos just said, "Don't listen to me ramble, mon ami. We just need to get you better now."
Aramis looked hazily around, eventually seeing Treville on his other side. Still confused, he whispered, "C..Captain?"
"Yes, Aramis, it's me. You have given us a terrible scare. Dr. Lemay is on his way.
Just lay as still as possible."
They could tell the instant Aramis' mind began filling in the blanks. He slowly whispered, "They s..sealed m..me in l..l..like a t..tomb." His breathing was becoming erratic as his mind remembered the horror of being sealed alive in what his captors had hoped would be his tomb. His body had begun to shake, the living nightmare too much for his pain-drugged mind to comprehend. They tried to hold him still as gently as they could, but the tremors were still shaking him. Then, his body went still.
Porthos hurriedly put his fingers to Aramis' neck to check his pulse, then let out a deep breath. "He just passed out." He couldn't even put his fear of what he thought might have happened into words.
"We need to get these men, Captain. They have put Aramis through more than any man ought to have endured."
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Athos and d'Artagnan led their pursuers a merry chase in the opposite direction as Porthos and Aramis had gone, then after a few miles, turned their horses in the general direction of Paris, having only an old dirt road available to reach it, as this was off the beaten track, and not used much. They planned on entering the city walls on the opposite side of Paris as their comrades when they got there, as per the instructions Athos had given Porthos. They just hoped Treville sent reinforcements before their pursuers caught up with them.
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When Dr. Lemay arrived, Treville filled him in on what had happened. He asked Treville, "This is twice now. Why is he being attacked so viciously like this, Captain?" To which, Treville answered, "These men think he caused the death of one of his brothers. I know Aramis, and if he did indeed kill the man, there was a very good reason. Please help him, Doctor."
Lemay asked Porthos and Treville to leave, and when Porthos balked at being separated from his friend, insisted. Treville told Porthos he couldn't stay, maneuvered him out the door, which was not an easy thing to do when it was Porthos, then closed the door behind them. Porthos was fretting, not wanting to leave his friend for a moment, but Treville told him, "Porthos, you know how good a doctor Lemay is. But he needs peace and quiet to do his work. Let him help Aramis. If anyone can, it's going to be him."
Porthos nodded, but continued to stare at the closed door, as if he could make him come out sooner. After a few minutes, he began pacing up and down like a caged lion, impatient to find out how his beloved brother was faring.
An hour later, Lemay came out and closed the door. He said, " Aramis is in very bad shape, I am afraid. But I have used some poultices on the wound that is causing his infection, and if it clears up, he may come through this. You did right to clean the wound again, and rebandage it. The cleaner it stays, the better. I have once more rebandaged it, but you will need to change the poultices and bandages every few hours. His wrists are badly torn from friction from trying to free himself from them. I have put some salve on them, and bandaged them. The broken shoulder is traumatized from being hung up for so long, and the other shoulder had dislocated. I reset it, and since he was not conscious, he didn't suffer that pain. The broken ribs are tightly wrapped again.
He will need to be given pain draughts whenever he awakens. He also badly needs liquids, as he is severely dehydrated."
Porthos said, "I will not be leaving his side, Doctor, and I'll do everything you told us. Thanks for coming so fast. I'm sorry to give you such trouble."
Lemay replied, "I wish I could have a loyal friend like you if something ever happened to me, Porthos. It is a very admirable trait."
He then left, and Porthos and Treville stepped back inside the quiet room. Aramis was so pale and still, and their hearts ached to see him like this yet again.