There was madness in the woman's eyes as she focused on Aramis, the pistol she held never wavering from its aim at his head.
Aramis' brothers knew they needed to keep themselves as still as possible to avoid her pulling the trigger, despite wanting desperately to take him away from the danger.
She was speaking again. "I guess if I want something done right, I need to do it myself." Forcing Flea's head further back by pulling her arm around her throat tighter, she said in a menacing voice, "First the Musketeer, then you, Flea!"
Athos was desperately trying to think of any form of diversion that might have a chance of working, but they all would endanger Aramis' life even further.
"You would think at least one of the men I have paid a good amount of gold to could have had the wits and determination to get the job done. All failures. Well, this ends here!" lifting the pistol to her eye level while still keeping it trained on her target.
But then, a pistol came down against her skull, causing her to wilt to the ground, the pistol clattering down beside her.
Treville stepped around her, motioning over his shoulder to two of his men to take her body away.
He had followed them when they had headed for the scaffold, and had seen the wild-eyed woman dragging Flea in the same direction. Not knowing what she was up to yet, he trailed her, watching to see what she was up to. He also didn't want to risk Flea's life.
But when he heard her words, and saw the pistol threatening his already vulnerable and injured Musketeer, he went into action.
The woman had no idea he was coming up behind her, so it wasn't too difficult to end the threat.
He saw the looks of profound relief on Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan's faces, as they shakily smiled at him.
Porthos said, "Two nearly fatal threats to him are too many. Let's get him back to the garrison, so we can finally take care of him," suiting his action to his words, reaching under Aramis' shoulder and legs, lifted him effortlessly in his arms, heading out of the Court of Miracles, which had been nothing but a place of pain and near-death for his brother, d'Artagnan at his side.
Athos started to follow, but Treville said, "A moment of your time?"
Athos turned back, a question in his eyes.
Treville asked, Did they actually hang Aramis?"
Nodding, Athos told him, "As we got here, we saw him already bound on the scaffold, a noose around his neck. I barely had time to react to the man pulling the lever to the trapdoor. Aramis was already being hung when I managed to shoot and sever the rope. We are just incredibly lucky that the noose didn't break his neck when he dropped. He awoke for a moment after we reached him, but became panicked when he couldn't speak. I am concerned both with the damage that might have been done to his throat and lungs from the hanging, and the injuries to his body in the fall. With your permission, I would like to go back to the garrison to take care of him."
Treville's face had been one of horror at what Aramis had experienced. Hearing the note of worry in his usually stoic Musketeer, he now nodded, saying, Whatever you need is at your disposal, Athos. You need only ask. If Lemay is back yet at the palace from his visit to his family, I will have him sent to you, as well."
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Striding through the streets back to the garrison, Porthos kept glancing worriedly down at his brother. He could see his brother's face keep scrunching up. Aramis was in a lot of pain.
He hadn't deserved a moment of the world of torment he had been put through, not once but twice. He had no sooner recovered from the first ordeal, than he had been taken again. How the hanging had not killed him, before the rope was severed, he didn't know. But he was incredibly thankful that his brother had survived, and intended to make sure he pulled through this time, as well.
Increasing his pace, they finally reached the garrison. Striding across the compound while startled fellow Musketeers looked on, d'Artagnan opened wide the infirmary doors for Porthos and his precious burden.
Laying him down on a bed, they stripped him of his dirty bloodstained clothes, and were just beginning to do a thorough examination to see the extent of his injuries, when Athos strode in.
"How is he?" he asked, coming over to the bed.
"We don't know yet. He didn't wake up on the way back, but from the reactions on his face, he is experiencing a lot of pain."
Rather than continue to discuss matters, Aramis just began to examine his brother.
The skin around the red welt around his neck had swollen, which would be even more painful for Aramis. Athos hoped his brother would regain his voice, and that it would not cause any other problems.
Examining the rest of his body, he at last discovered both broken ribs and a broken foot, the results of his helpless fall, when he had hit one of the wooden supports and landed hard on the ground.
They bound his ribs and made a wooden splint for his foot, after carefully bathing his body.
It was as they were laying a blanket over him that he began to awaken.
His face revealed his confusion, not understanding what was going on.
Athos softly told him, "You are at the garrison, Aramis. Lie still. Your throat is …" going no further when Aramis' face twisted into an expression of horror, and his breathing began to rapidly increase.
The words must have triggered memories of the hanging, and Athos could have kicked himself for being the cause. Aramis' eyes looked haunted by the terror he had gone through, and he no longer heard Athos' voice.
They continued to try to soothe him, calm him down, but exhaustion did it for them as he wore himself out with the force of his emotions.
They knew the hanging was going to bring nightmares in the days ahead.
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There is at least one more chapter coming up. Thanks for reading!