Evening My Lovelies

A thousand apologies for not updating the other day... I've been in a right weird funk when it comes to this chapter. I was initially so looking forward to writing it and had tonnes of ideas of what I wanted to include but when it came to actually writing it... It wasn't even properly writer's block I just couldn't get it done :(

Notes On Reviews:

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Ahh that makes a bit more sense :D Don't worry I'll be having D'Art return to our other guys :) The king's kinda growing on me at the moment as I feel he's actually learning what emotions are lol Hehe yeah you're right about the blindness issue :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysAramisRios: Thanks for the review - Yeah the king's learning big boy emotions right now lol :D We'll be seeing D'Art and the others tonight. Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex: Thanks for the review - The king's info about the pup's injuries will definitely help Aramis when he's treating him. Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Together Again

As much as Athos and Porthos longed to just bundle their youngest up in their arms and race him back to Aramis where he could receive the medical care he so clearly needed they quickly realized that clearer heads and logic would need to take precedence over their own protective instincts.

So, instead of running through the woods with their injured brother the two men took the time to quickly assess the unconscious man, trying to figure out the extent of his injuries and what they needed to do to make it safe, or at least safer, to transport their youngest.

It took longer than either man was realistically comfortable with but eventually they had done all they could for the Gascon and had eased the boy up onto Athos's horse, the swordsman gracefully mounting up behind him and wrapping his arm protectively around his charge as they turned back to head to the clearing, too focused on the rasping breaths of their youngest to notice the eyes watching them from the trees.

"Musketeer… Aramis," called the king as he drew the marksman's attention away from his preparations. "I think he's waking up…"

That was all Aramis needed to hear to have him moving swiftly to Blaise's side, his keen eyes immediately spotting the signs the king had noted and he let out a small sigh of relief before speaking.

"Blaise…" he called quietly as he placed a hand, gently, onto the man's shoulder before offering it a light squeeze, quickly removing it when the action caused the slowly waking musketeer to groan in pain. Thankfully though it also worked to push the last dregs of unconsciousness from the injured man as his eye slowly fluttered open.

"Take it slow Blaise," instructed Aramis softly when he saw the man attempt to move, "I've done what I can here but you're going to be feeling the effects for a while."

Blaise, even barely conscious did not look pleased with that notion but also seemed to know better than to argue with his friend so merely nodded in assent before confusion filled his eyes. "D… D'Artagnan?"

This caused a mixture of emotions to flash across Aramis's face and stir in his gut but he was excused from addressing both them and his injured friend when the sound of rapidly approaching hoofbeats caught their ears.

The king watched in awe as the two able-bodied musketeers reacted instantly to the sound, Aramis picking up his rifle as he shifted positions so he was between the possible enemy and them whilst Favier did the same but with Issac, the two men standing ready as they listened to the hoof-beats become louder with every second.

Aramis had just been about to fire off a warning shot when the sound of his name being called by an all too familiar voice caused him to pause just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Unwilling to relinquish his weapon until he saw his brothers in front of him, unharmed, in case this was some kind of trap Aramis remained ready, standing protectively in front of his charges until both Athos and Porthos broke through the tree line, though it was the slumped form nestled in Athos's arms that quickly gained Aramis's complete attention.

"D'ARTAGNAN!" screamed Aramis in alarm as he raced to meet his brother's halfway across the clearing, the medic moving quickly to take the blood-soaked Gascon from his brother's arms before bringing him over to where he already had his supplies ready.

Athos and Porthos were equally as quick to dismount, all the while explaining to their brother what injuries they had found and what they had done to stabilize their youngest before bringing him to them.

"I see my attempts to teach you both weren't in vain," offered Aramis with forced enthusiasm as he looked over what his brothers had already done in an effort to stabilize their fourth.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked the king tentatively from his spot by Blaise, both men watching the inseparables with worry and concern in their eyes.

Unwilling to offer false hope or promises he wasn't sure he could keep Aramis decided against answering, choosing instead to address the growing list of injuries on his brother's body that he was mentally cataloguing, effortlessly slipping into what his brother's affectionately called his 'medic-mode' as he began to instruct his companions to pass him specific supplies.

An affronted look quickly passed across the king's face at being ignored and he was about to snap at the musketeer when a hand lightly grabbed his wrist, catching his attention and pulling it to the injured musketeer laying before him, who simply shook his head, the look in his eyes reminding the young monarch that this wasn't the best time or place to be calling out people for lack of respect or manners.

Ignorant of the silent conversation going off to the side of them the inseparables worked flawlessly as a unit as they tended to their fourth, Athos and Porthos seamlessly working around Aramis, handing and preparing supplies for him before he even needed to ask for them whilst somehow managing to never get in the medic's way as he focused entirely on the unconscious Gascon in front of them.

"Was this still bleeding when you found him?" asked Aramis after some time, his voice being the first words actually spoken by any of them in, what felt like, a very long time. The marksman was examining a bleeding gash on the young Gascon's torso which had been the source of the blood they had found coating his shirt when they located him.

"Yeah," grunted Porthos as he thought back to the alarm both he and Athos had felt when they noticed the large piece of wood sticking out of their baby brother's skin. It confirmed just how close their brother had been to the explosion given the wood was likely a piece of accidentally created shrapnel. Porthos had been ready to pull the oversized splinter out but Athos had cautioned against it so they had tried to apply what pressure they could around it to slow the bleeding whilst they got the boy to safety.

Grumbling under his breath in Spanish Aramis continued to work on cleaning the wound now he had removed the wood, the sound of his unconscious baby brother's screams of pain as he had done so still echoing in his head as he worked.

"I'm loathed to cauterize the wound when we're still out in the open and it could get infected," spoke the medic, almost as if he was thinking aloud as he worked. "But we may be forced to do that if these stitches don't hold, the placement of the wound means most movements our boy might make will pull on the stitches."

Seeing the worry on his brother's face Athos placed a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder, "Do what you can Aramis… I doubt we'll be travelling fast anyway. I'll keep him as still as possible when he's with me and we'll find a wagon as soon as possible for him and the others."

Reassured by his brother's words Aramis nodded once before returning to work.

"...'Mis," spoke Porthos several long minutes later, continuing only when he heard a grunt from his brother, taking that as permission to continue with the question he was dreading the answer to. "The skin around the pup's eyes is pretty badly blistered…" he started looking at the damp cloth now covering the eyes of their youngest.

Aramis paused briefly in his stitching, taking a deep breath before continuing with his work, "It's too soon to say for sure," he started after enough time had passed that Porthos was debating asking again as the need for answers was becoming too demanding to ignore. "But I'd wager if our boy was awake right now he wouldn't be able to see anything."

Silence followed the medic's declaration as every occupant of their small clearing looked at him with varying levels of shock, despair and guilt, though before anyone else could speak Aramis continued as he finished tying off the last stitch. "The damage might be permanent but we won't know for sure until they've had a chance to heal at least a bit. By keeping his eyes covered it'll protect them from further harm and help prevent our boy some pain from light as I'll bet they'll be more than a little sensitive for a while, meaning they'll hopefully heal faster and we'll be able to know if the blindness is permanent sooner."