December Desolation Chapter 50

Tearing his eyes away from the corpse of their most recent foe and the villain who had once again put their brother at death's door, Athos followed the sound of Porthos' desperate cry to the seizing body of Aramis on the floor beside him.

Porthos' bandana was sodden with blood and D'artagnan's normally tan skin was drained of all colour and he looked about to pass out as he knelt in an ever growing pool of crimson and wrenched strips from his shirt to try and wrap the wound.

"D'art, Aramis has been teachin you medicine what's the prognosis?" Porthos asked with lips numb from terror, "I've seen many men with wounds like this but I aint got no experience treatin it."

"I, I don't… I'm not." D'artagnan stammered, hands hovering over the medicine bottles at his belt and his brother's wound.

"D'artagnan, peace." Athos intoned calmly, resting a comforting and steadying hand upon their youngest brother's shoulder. "No one expects you to be perfect, just do what you can to stabilise him until Lemay gets here, Treville sent for him just as a precaution before we set out. I imagine he is with the King and Queen currently, but surely he can be spared for the King's favourite men."

The younger man nodded decisively and turned back to packing the wound, wincing but carrying on determinedly through the pained moans he elicited, as much as it pained him it had to be done if the other man stood any chance of surviving. Porthos gently braced a hand on Aramis' neck, thumb resting just beneath his ear and with his other, fiercely squeezed his hand to ground him and provide some counterpoint to the sharp pain in his stomach. Leanin down he whispered thickly in his ear, "it's okay 'Mis, it's all going to be okay. I'm here, 'Thos is here, D'art too, we're all here for you so you have to pull through this okay. If you give up now, I will personally follow you to the afterlife and kick your ass."

He choked back a sob, "just don't you dare die on me."

The huge double doors to the room slammed open forcefully, swinging wide and hitting the wall with a resounding bang as Lemay and Treville came sprinting in, capes fluttering behind them.

No matter how much they protested, the Three Musketeers were pushed away from their brother as the doctor began his examination, and even Treville was denied access to the man he viewed as a son.

"I am sorry but if you wish your brother to survive then you must give me the space I need to work without you all breathing down my neck." Lemay stated gently but firmly, ushering them out of the room and then closing the door firmly in their faces.

"Captain please, we can't leave him here alone. What if… what if he… I want to be there with him, let me stay." Porthos begged desperately, fingers twitching to take hold of his superior's tunic and shake him to emphasise his plea, but he held himself back.

"Porthos, I don't want to leave any more than you do. Unfortunately, I am not a trained medic and therefore cannot say what is best for Aramis, but Lemay can. If he says the best thing we can do to help is by not being here, then I am inclined to obey."

Athos stepped forward and slung his arm around Porthos' shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze as he steered him down the hallway towards the stairs, waving his other at D'artagnan, beckoning him to follow. "Come Porthos, let us do as Lemay has said. Of the list of people on earth that I would entrust my life with, Aramis is currently in the hands of one of them. For now, let us go and collect some items that might be of some comfort to Mis and see if Lemay will permit us to visit later."

"Ever the voice of reason Athos." D'artgnan joked weakly, attempting to inject some levity into the situation and both his brothers gave him subdued smiles of gratitude.

"Aye he is." Porthos nodded "and as usual, as much as I hate to admit it, he is right. The quicker we return to the Garrison, the quicker we can return."

"Quite right you are my dear fellow."

All four men startled horribly and stopped in their tracks, turning in unison to take in the figure of the King who had appeared in all his finery from the grounds of the palace to their left. Simultaneously they all swept into deep bows of respect, as the Queen stepped up behind her husband.

"No need for that" Louis exclaimed, flapping a hand at his soldiers. "After all you have done for me and my family today, it is I who should prostrate myself before you. Now I have been informed of the great pains which your fellow man Aramis has gone through in order to protect the Crown, and therefore he shall henceforth be resident within the palace until he has recovered and shall want for nothing. So, by all means, go and collect his belongings and return here, for I shall allow you all to stay while he convalesces."

The relief from the four men was palpable, shoulders dropping and clenched fists relaxing as great grins overtook their faces. Even though they could not know for sure whether Aramis would survive this latest injury, at the very least they would be by his side whether he succumbed or pulled through.

"That is most generous of Your Majesty, we cannot express the depth of our gratitude." Athos bowed once more, "now if you would excuse us."