Chapter Fifteen

"What 'ave you got there?" Porthos asked, as he met Aramis in the Saint Louis hospital car park the following evening.

Aramis was pulling out some files from the boot of his dark blue BMW.

"Couple of cases for Athos to look at," he said, winking at Porthos.

Athos had been like a bear with a sore head lately and they had both agreed he needed something to occupy him. Aramis had spent the last hour in their office building's basement with his head in a couple of filing cabinets, pulling out the cases that he thought would keep Athos's attention.

"Good idea," Porthos laughed, taking half the files from him. He had spent the afternoon following up a few leads, which had led to nothing.

Aramis was about to elbow the boot lid shut, his arms full, when his phone jumped into life. Sighing, he put the files back into his car, while he rummaged in his jacket. After reading the message, he dropped the phone back in his pocket.

"Athos's assistance will have to wait. The Captain wants to see us back in the office," he said.

"Both of us? At this time?" Porthos grumbled.

"Apparently, yes. The Captain has no home to go to," Aramis laughed. "He did say he'd contact us if he wanted us. To be fair, he's been pretty lenient."

"True. But we're stoppin' for food on the way. Came straight here without dinner," Porthos growled. "Might as well take your car," he added, dropping the files he had taken from Aramis back into the boot and walking around to the passenger side.

"It's been a good day, though," he grinned, dropping into the seat as Aramis started the engine.

"The best," Aramis smiled;

That morning:

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"It's just for a few minutes."

"I know."

Kate fastened the straps on the white, surgical boot. It looked cumbersome but she had let him run his fingers over it to reassure himself. Fibreglass. Sturdy but light. If he was to stand, he would need it. The bottom third of the bed had been raised so she didn't have to bend too far. Once strapped on, she gave Porthos a nod and he lowered the bed.

Next, she held up the back brace for Athos's inspection.

"There is nothing wrong with my back," he said, icily, not for the first time.

"We agreed," she said, firmly, locking eyes with him.

Porthos and Aramis wisely held their tongues. This was a battle of wills between two very strong willed people. One, obviously, had the advantage, though at least she didn't gloat.

Athos sighed, breaking eye contact with her and Porthos grinned at Kate over Athos's head and pressed the remote once more, bring the top half of the bed up until Athos was in a full sitting position.

"Alright?" Aramis asked, tentatively, as Athos looked a little dazed. It was the highest his head had been in quite a while and it was an odd sensation.

"Fine," he said.

He did feel ridiculously excited, though, once the odd feeling of light-headedness passed. He was going to stand. This was his turning point and although he detested the circus it involved – if he had wanted to look like Robocop he would have hired the costume – today was a good day amongst so many bad ones.

An earlier highlight of this week had been when Aramis brought him some of his own workout clothes; t shirts and sweatpants and he at last felt half human again.

Lately, his days had been full of frustration and anger followed by lethargy and a feeling of withdrawal that had begun to disturb him. He had exchanged one white walled room for another, it seemed. Albeit this one had a window, but he could only see sky through it, being three floors up.

When Kate had walked in yesterday with the surgical boot, he had felt such a rush of elation and had actually felt tears in his eyes. He had managed to hide it well, of course. He would have been very disconcerted to see her relating his reaction to his delighted friends when they came to visit; that was a light at the end of their tunnel too.

"Lean forward," Kate was saying and his eyes flicked up to her.

She smiled, encouragingly.

"Just a little," she added, as she slipped the brace around his back and fastened it over his shoulders and chest.

"Not too tight," she murmured, aware that a lot of the damage done to him was here.

Then, it was a matter of getting his legs over the side of the bed and being aware of the cast on his arm.

An extra pair of hands suddenly appeared to help.

Athos looked up to see Julia beaming at him

"You're off duty," he whispered, as she took his hand.

"I couldn't miss this, could I?" she laughed.

He looked at the four of them surrounding him. Kate and Julia, Porthos and Aramis. All had been by his side since this nightmare had begun.

It nearly undid him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his head dropping, now-shaggy hair in his eyes.

Above him they all looked at each other.

"For what?" Aramis asked, gently.

"For bein' a grumpy bastard," Porthos cut in, before Athos could answer.

Athos looked up and huffed out a laugh.

"That too," he said.

With that, his feet touched the floor and the two nurses quietly stood back, as if they had pre-rehearsed it, which of course they had, allowing Aramis and Porthos to each take a hand.

And with that, Athos stood.

A moment of quiet ensued, while he collected himself.

Suddenly, in the doorway, a round of applause began.

"I may have brought a few friends," Julia laughed as a group of staff crowded in the doorway.

"Good days are few and far between sometimes in the ICU," Kate explained. "Today is a good day for us all."

"Alright?" Aramis asked again, as the staff disappeared.

Athos raised his head and nodded, not trusting his voice right now.

Then, they felt his fingers tighten in theirs and he took a step toward them.

"Athos ..." Porthos growled, tightening his grip, careful of the cast over the fingers he was holding.

Athos gave him a look that stopped any further chastisement. He actually grinned.

Porthos looked over his shoulder at Kate, but she just gave him a careful nod, which brought a huge smile to Porthos's face. He looked at Aramis and Athos and the three of them ended up grinning like fools.

"The window," Athos said then, which made his friend's grins fade a little. But Athos now gave them such a look of determination they both ended up nodding and bracing themselves as he began to turn.

The back brace gave him a centre of gravity and he looked over at Kate and smiled. She shrugged and tilted her head in an "I told you so" gesture and he turned back.

The window was his goal. He reckoned ten steps. It took fifteen and he could feel sweat running down his back as the buildings of Paris appeared beneath him through the window. He couldn't remember being so elated in a long time. He felt as if someone had not only handed him the keys to a prison cell, but had thrown the cell door wide open. And the view was amazing.

He could feel the steady presence of his friends at his back. Although he knew he would pay for this exertion, every moment had been worth it. He was sweating and shaking and felt not a little drunk but his blood was singing in his veins.

Today was indeed, a good day.

oOo

He had slept for six hours after that exertion, helped by the pain relief Kate had give him. He was still asleep when Aramis and Porthos had finally left to each get a shower and pick up their lives for a short while, while planning to return later to spend the night with him.

That would have to wait a little while though, now that Treville had summoned them.

"I'm starvin," Porthos sighed, as they drove out of the car park.

"Chinese or Italian?" Aramis asked, shooting him an amused glance.

"I want the biggest pizza we can find," Porthos growled, as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Treville won't like it," Aramis smirked.

"I don't mind sharin'" Porthos replied. "As long as it's big enough."

"I was referring to his "No Food in the Office on Pain of Death" rule," Aramis said. "Though, I concede, it is a brave man who tries to part you from your food."

"'Specially since I haven't eaten since lunch time," Porthos grunted, as his stomach rumbled once more.

"Italian it is then, my friend," Aramis laughed, accelerating down a side street. "I know the very place."

To be continued ...