His brothers had gone to the palace for guard duty. Aramis spent most of the morning inspecting and cleaning the guns in the weapons room.
Heading out and making his way towards the refectory for the midday meal, he saw a bedraggled, dirt-covered woman in a heated discussion with a cadet who was assigned as guard at the gate that day. Curious, he headed that way.
When he came near enough, he realized the woman wasn't dirty. She was covered with soot, like from a fire. She appeared barely able to keep on her feet. Her clothes were torn, where the fabric wasn't Aramis reached her, what little reserves of strength she possessed suddenly deserted her, and she collapsed at his feet.
Kneeling down beside her, he lifted her head. Recognition startled him, as he softly said, "Flea."
Knowing he wasn't yet strong enough to lift her, he beckoned sharply to a cadet headed for his own midday meal, telling him to bring her to the infirmary. He went on ahead to prepare for his patient.
The cadet carried her in, laying her down where Aramis indicated. The medic dismissed him, already inspecting her for had obviously been at the scene of a fire. She was covered in soot. It clung to her hair, her skin, her clothes. Pieces of her outer clothing were charred. She had obviously escaped a blaze by the skin of her teeth.
"Flea?" he tried saying her name softly. But he received no reply. Locking the infirmary door in case any of the men in the garrison might come in, he went on with his examination.
He carefully began checking her body for burns or injuries, all the while thinking, Porthos is going to be worried sick when he sees her like this. They might not still be lovers, but Flea was still a very special friend to his brother.
He found several burns on her legs, a couple badly. These are not new, he realized to his horrified surprise. Examining them more closely, he came to the conclusion that they were more than likely as much as two to three days old.
Why were they left to possibly fester, he continued, already seeing signs around the burns that indicated a possible infection setting in. Where had she been when it happened, and where has she been since that she has received no help for her injuries?
Close upon that thought came the next one. Porthos is going to be devastated if she doesn't survive.
He, as gently as possible, applied a salve he had mixed together for burns, hoping they would not become infected.
He tried again, "Flea?" but she remained unconscious.
He made her as comfortable as possible, and then sat down at her side, waiting both for her to awaken and for his brothers to return from the palace.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was late when Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan returned. Louis had decided, quite unexpectedly, to hold a banquet for some German visitors to the palace, and requested that 'his Musketeers' stay on guard for it. It turned out to be a very long day for all of them, and they were bone-tired from being on their feet for hours. But their comfort was the last thing on their sovereign's mind, of course.
Riding into the quiet garrison late in the evening, their minds were fixed on at last getting some rest. But as they were dismounting and handing their horses' reins over to the stableboy who was assigned night duty to unsaddle, rub down and feed, one of the cadets came up, saying, "Your friend is in the infirmary with a woman."
Porthos demanded, "What are you talking about, Marc?"
"Aramis," Marc responded with a slight smirk. "I was on gate duty earlier today. Some woman came. Her clothes and hair were all dirty and torn. He came over, and right away got another cadet to carry her to the infirmary. He was not recovered enough to do it."
This cadet had been jealous of Aramis' ability to attract women seemingly without even trying, so they immediately suspected what he was implying about Aramis and the woman.
Brushing by him, they headed for the infirmary, only to find the door locked from the inside. Puzzled, they still knew their brother, and he would never bring a woman he was involved with into the garrison. The description of the woman alone gave a very different picture to them than the cadet was trying to give.
Knocking softly on the door, Athos called, "Aramis, are you in there?"
There was no reply, so he tried a second time and they waited.
After a few moments, the door opened, a tousle-haired Aramis looking out at them and then swinging the door quietly open wide.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to call asleep," he said by way of explanation. "She needs me," indicating a bed in the far corner of the infirmary.
They started to walk that way, only for Aramis to lay his hand gently but firmly on Porthos' shoulder to stop him. They all halted then, wondering what was wrong.
"Porthos, I have to tell you first. I didn't want you to just see her without warning you," drawing puzzled looks not only from the big man, but from his other brothers, as well.
Aramis, seeing this, continued. "Porthos, it's Flea. She's….." getting no further before Porthos walked swiftly around him to the bed.
Seeing her clothes and skin, Aramis not having been able to maneuver her well enough yet to wash her, Porthos turned questioning and now worried eyes to Aramis.
Aramis' eyes were sad as he told him, "I don't know what happened to her, Porthos. I think she was barely able to get here in her condition. She has obviously been the victim of a fire. I saw her at the gates as I was heading for the midday meal. She collapsed as soon as I reached her."
"Did she say anything?" Athos asked him.
"Nothing," Aramis responded. "She has several serious burns on her torso. I did the best I could, but I'm not able to lift yet, so I got one of the cadets to carry her here," his eyes never leaving Porthos' face as he spoke.
"She has not awakened at all?"
"No," Aramis said, shaking his head, "not yet."
"Why was the door locked?" Athos continued his questions.
"I didn't want her exposed to any of the men in the garrison, especially when she is so vulnerable," Aramis replied. "I am sorry I fell asleep for a few moments," looking over at Porthos again, who eyes had not left Flea's face since he had seen her.
"Aramis, you need to get some rest yourself. It has not been that long since you were in a bed in this same room, brother," Athos told him.
Aramis shook his head, saying, "I need to be here for her when she wakes up. I…" Athos interrupting with a hand laid on his brother's shoulder.
"We will keep watch, mon ami," he told Aramis. "If your skills are needed, we will awaken you, I promise you."
Porthos finally spoke up. "Thank you for taking care of her," he said softly, looking up at Aramis. "I will stay by her side while you get some rest."
Finally giving in to their pleas and to his exhaustion, Aramis said, "Very well. But I will rest in a bed in this room, so that I am not that far if I am needed."
His weary feet took him to a bed on the opposite side of the room. Within moments of laying his head on the pillow, he was sound asleep.
Porthos sat down at Flea's side and took her hand, where he remained, waiting for her to wake up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Somewhere deep within the Court of Miracles that night, a woman again met with her hired men.
"Where did she go?"she stormed at them. "You told me you took care of her! I have now been told the house was empty when it was searched."
"We thought she was in there," one of the men cautiously answered. "We don't know how she could have escaped. But we will find her, and finish our work."
"Have you, by chance, forgotten that she is only half of the job I hired you for?" her rage further incensed by the man's words,
."You have had two assignments, and so far, you have badly bungled both of them," arms gesticulating wildly as she worked herself up. "I do not want, or expect, bungling from those to whom I pay good coin to do the work I hire them for.
Do. Not. Fail. Me. Again. Do you hear me?"
