Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Musketeers or BBC at all. I'm just playing around with them!

Author's note: Hi all! I am so sorry for the long wait! RL and the holidays hit me hard with work & personal stuff, so the urge to write was minimal for a while. Then my computer decided to have problems, so I'm borrowing my Dad's old one for now. So here's another chapter to hopefully make up for it and I've made it a very long one for the same reason! Read and Review please, it's my chocolate!

D'artagnan was very disorientated after his fever broke but he clearly remembered how mad Athos had been. So the sick young man was understandably tense and couldn't relax completely, no matter how tired he felt. He tried to because getting clean via sponge bath felt good after who-knew-how-long. But that it was the Captain doing it, well that made him additionally tense and embarrassed, though the man was nothing but gentle about it. Still, D'Artagnan couldn't know the changes his sickness had caused or what his former team had coming to them, so he was left to wonder and worry at the moment of Athos barging in and berating him for some such thing or other.

After Treville seemed done and helped him dress in clean clothes while one of the musketeers put clean sheets on the bed, D'Artagnan struggled to find words to the questions already plaguing his muddled mind. After a moment and a drink of water at Treville's insistence, the younger man thought he had a good question to start with. "Captain, are the others upset with me? Is that why they're not here?"

Treville did his best to withhold a wince. What a question for the boy to start with! After a moment, he answered, "They have been given extra chores as we are currently short-handed and Serge hauled them into the kitchen this afternoon to assist him."

This earned him a chuckle from the sick young man, who whispered, "Good luck with that. Poor Serge, none of them can cook save Aramis and that's only because of his lady friends. Even then his attempts aren't the best."

Glad as he was to hear his boy laughing, Treville released the next bit of information carefully. "Yes. I'm afraid that the current rotation will keep them busy for too long to be taking many missions. They will only be sent out at the greatest of need." Treville was being very careful to make this seem very natural and not because of D'Artagnan at all. For the moment, he didn't want more stress on the boy though there was no telling what would happen should he run into the Inseparables once he was well enough to work. He wanted the boy to have some peace for the moment.

"So, am I to join that rotation once Lemay deems me well enough, Captain?" D'Artagnan asked, though he didn't seem eager. Treville smiled a true smile this time and said, "Actually, my boy, when the new rotations were made, I realized something. We don't have enough medics in the garrison to make me comfortable. I know that you have steady hands and a firm stomach, would you be willing to learn under Lemay for a time? You're already a crack shot and a fine swordsman, why not add healing to your repertoire?"

D'Artagnan flushed slightly. He'd always been in awe of Aramis, though he was no doctor himself. Seeing Lemay work on the worst patients at times and pull near miracles out of his hat had been doubly awe-inspiring. Him, a doctor? But Treville was right, he had good hands and wasn't afraid of gore; he'd seen enough already to be somewhat immune. "I-If you think it would help the garrison, I would be willing, Captain." Treville smiled warmly again and clapped his shoulder gently. "Good lad, Lemay will no doubt be pleased to hear that. It'll be less work for him and we won't have to hear him complaining as much." The two men shared a laugh; Lemay was always complaining of all the training accidents and duels with the Red Guard that had him almost constantly on call to the garrison.

There was a knock at the door and Bastien entered, looking like a thundercloud. "Excuse me, Captain but-" He didn't have to say anything else, Treville immediately realized that the Inseparables were in the garrison, nothing else seemed to get his men in a bad mood as fast nowadays. "I'll be right there." He turned back to D'Artagnan and said, "I'll have Lemay discuss things further with you. Something just came up that I need to tend to, obviously. But I'll be back soon."

He stroked D'Artagnan's head for a moment. "You be good and rest until Lemay comes. That's an order from your captain." With a slight smile of amusement, the younger man nodded, thinking that the mysterious issue had to be something with the King for Treville to instantly change from warm to irritated so fast. If only he knew... he would've been way more tense than he currently was.

- Five minutes later -

Treville's annoyance at leaving D'Artagnan was multiplied when he laid eyes on the Inseparables standing at attention. They were trying to hide their apprehension, Athos doing better than the other two out of practice. He couldn't help but frown deeply; just because D'Artagnan was clearly recovering now didn't mean that he would go easy on them suddenly, no matter what they might be thinking.

"Captain?" Aramis was the one brave enough, or stupid enough, to speak first. Treville shot him a venomous glare that made him pale slightly. "I should just let you wonder and fret after what you've done..." All three shifted in some way, obviously uncomfortable. "But the boy is awake for the moment and talking." Aramis's face lit up and he started to smile before Treville shut him right down.

"Wipe that smile off of your face, Aramis. You have no right to feel happy or relieved. The three of you made this happen, don't forget. Just because the boy is awake and slightly better now doesn't mean that you are off your punishment. I meant what I said, you will not see him until he wants to see you and not out of guilt. Now, I thought you had a mountain of chores to do and Serge looks right upset with you." He pointed toward the kitchens and the trio saw Serge standing with his fists propped on his hips, looking mad indeed. The older man pointed at them and then at the door behind him. "March before I take this spoon to your backsides. NOW! You have dishes to wash and tables to clean. And that's before you clean the tack and muck the stables!" The trio 'marched', more like ran and Treville shook his head. Yes, this lesson in humility would take a while indeed.

- Later that afternoon -

Queen Anne was with the King when Treville paid a visit to their chambers. Louis's cheerful greeting fell short when he saw the frown on his Captain's face. "What has happened, Treville? More plots and such?"

"I find myself wishing it were just that, Majesties." Treville came to stand before them and took a deep breath, knowing that the reaction to his next words would create havoc. "I am sorry to report that D'Artagnan has taken ill and will be unable to attend your Majesty in the near future."

Louis's jaw dropped at the mention of his personal Champion being ill and Anne was also visibly concerned. "What the deuce happened, Treville?! Was he wounded?" Louis stood up so hard and fast that his chair crashed to the floor but he obviously didn't care.

"No but he has exhausted himself with missions back-to-back and little food or rest in-between. We are still working on finding out why he pushed himself to that extent." That was a half-truth for the moment, Treville was trying to ease into the subject.

"But he will recover, yes?" Louis almost shouted in his distress. Treville nodded and said, "Lemay thinks so but it will be a slow recovery. D'Artagnan has neglected his health to the point where he is underweight and his muscles very weak. He will need bedrest for a while and then quiet activities for the next part. But he shall recover."

"Then he shall recover here, in the palace." Louis said firmly. For the first time, Treville smiled and interjected, "I anticipated Your Majesty's wish and offered him a job with Lemay learning healing. My garrison can never have too many healers after all. With your permission, he will recover here, away from the commotion of the garrison for the next month and be Lemay's apprentice for a time after that."

"Yes, yes, see to it that he is brought here as soon as he can be moved!" Louis turned to Anne. "My dear, please see to it that a room is prepared for him in the family wing. I want him close by." Anne understood and nodded, "I will get take care of it right away, Louis. I will also make sure that our physician is on hand when D'Artagnan is brought here." The Queen hurried away, calling for a page as she left the room.

"Now, Treville." Louis fixed a stern look on his Captain. "Tell me the truth. Has our D'Artagnan's neglect truly been of his own doing? I may be a fool at times but in this I sense that there is more to the story than you are telling me."

Treville mentally cursed. Of all the times for Louis to be discerning! But the older man couldn't blame him, D'Artagnan was the King's Champion and saved his life from slavers once. The King was always asking after him, possibly because they were close in age as well. Treville took a deep breath and without naming anyone, he revealed how D'Artagnan had become so ill.

Of course, once he knew all, the King was enraged. He turned and swept everything off of a nearby table, smashing several glass cups and a decanter full of expensive wine to the floor. "How could this happen?! I thought your exalted code of brotherhood was 'All for one, one for all'?! And yet my Champion... is treated thus?!"

Treville winced openly, he couldn't help it, the King's words scored his already wounded heart like salt water over an open wound. He had been thinking similar things ever since learning of D'Artagnan's sickness. "I failed in my duty as Captain, Sire. But please be assured, those responsible have been taken to task and their punishment shall be long, filthy and hard. My other Musketeers are determined to make up for this in any way they can as D'Artagnan is highly respected. Everyone just assumed that he would looked after by those who openly called him their brother almost from the moment they met."

In his own frustration, Treville failed to notice the calculating glint in Louis's eye and the King's next words made his heart sink. "There are only three Musketeers who have done so in my hearing and they are the Inseparables. Have they truly become so jaded, Treville?"

Luckily, Louis's anger seemed spent for the moment and he just looked lost and sad. "I have seen the bond between them, they love him. Treville, what happened?" Treville had no real answer to give. "I cannot begin to understand what was going through their minds...but I am hoping that what has happened and their coming punishments will show them that they were wrong and that they have a lot to make up for."

"We'll do better than that." Louis said with a deep frown. "You will bring them to me and I shall talk to them. In private as I know the Cardinal would rub this in your face if he knew." Treville was grateful for that small grace and nodded. His men had brought this on themselves after all. "When should I bring them, Majesty?" Louis spent a moment in thought. "I don't want them around here when D'Artagnan is brought in. Make it tomorrow morning. Now go and take care of him, I want my Champion here within the week if not sooner." Treville bowed and left the room. Despite the gravity of the situation, he felt his lips twitching as he thought about D'Artagnan's reaction to Louis's order that he be brought to the palace to recuperate. The lad would be so embarrassed, it would be a delight to witness him try and have the King not fuss over him!