Evening My Lovelies

So, I've been quite slack with my whole "I'm going to write for an hour every day" thing but I am determined to get back into it! Fingers crossed I can stick to it this time :D

Also, I've just pretty much made up something for Corneau to have given D'Artagnan as I had an outcome in mind for it and was too lazy to research into whether there was something he could have used to actually cause it so just go with me on this, it'll lead to some good whump and angst, promise!

Notes On Reviews:

pallysAramisRios: Thanks for the review - Treville knew Athos would hold himself back enough to get the answers they need, plus he's the one (out of the pair of them at least) who suffered more in Corneau's schemes so it's only right he gets the chance for revenge. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - That he does :D and Treville and Athos had no qualms with exploiting it :D I've kinda skipped passed the whole actual getting answers out of him bit as I wanted to return to D'Art BUT I am planning to revisit it in a flashback fairly soon so we will see it :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

beeblegirl: Thanks for the review - Oh it's definitely not a secret that Athos enjoyed getting a bit of revenge on the traitor :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

WelshEssex: Thanks for the review - That he is and yes! We NEED the D'Art whump... or well I do (I do love it so :D) Enjoy the new chapter! x

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

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Seventy-One: Answers

Aramis hardly ever felt helpless but sitting by his youngest brother's side as the boy's condition continued to slowly get worse he couldn't think of a better word to describe his feelings. All of his medical training was screaming at him to ignore the large part of him that simply wanted to throw caution to the wind and to give the unconscious Gascon things he knew would help with his immediate symptoms. That part of him was becoming increasingly hard to ignore as he listened to his baby brother struggle for every breath.

Several of their brothers-in-arms had approached to see if they could help and whilst he understood and appreciated their concern the already stressed medic found himself wishing they would leave them alone with their brother.

Gaspard had been forced to return to Etienne's side shortly after Porthos had left to take the notebook he had found in Corneau's things to the Captain and Athos so Aramis currently found himself alone with the Gascon, his eyes fixed on the younger man's body as though to immediately notice if/when another symptom reared its head, though he had spent a great deal of time praying that nothing else would as he didn't know if the young man's already weakened body had the strength to battle through anything else.

He was more than a little relieved when Porthos returned almost as quickly as he left, quietly letting him know that Athos was okay and hadn't gone too far with his interrogation. They had both seen glimmers of Athos's darkness over their years together and they both knew how much it, usually unnecessarily, shamed their beloved brother whenever he gave into that side of himself.

Porthos was quick to take up vigil on D'Artagnan's other side, the larger man didn't bother to ask how the boy was doing as he could hear the struggle he went through to get a single breath of air into his lungs and he had no desire to have his brother's grim condition audibly explained to him once more.

It was not too long after the larger musketeer's return that the musketeer camp saw the return of Treville, Athos and Corneau, the latter being dragged away by the Captain while Athos stormed through the camp towards his protege, followed not long after by Gaspard, who had noticed his return and knew he wouldn't have returned without the answers they needed.

"Athos!" exclaimed Porthos in surprise, he hadn't expected Corneau to give in so quickly, even after what he had learned, and shared, about the man but he definitely wasn't complaining.

"Do you know what he used?" demanded Gaspard as he strode up next to the swordsman, refusing to sit down in case he needed to get other supplies to treat the unconscious Gascon.

To the gathered group's great relief Athos nodded, his emotionless mask still in place as he stiffly handed over a slightly crumpled piece of paper to the physician who, after taking a look at it, let out a quiet but still audible curse before passing over the document to Aramis, who mimicked his reaction, before walking off to the supply wagon.

"What is it?" Porthos asked when it became clear Aramis wasn't going to supply that information without a push. He would had tried taking the paper from him but he largely tuned his brother out whenever he started talking about herbs or the like so he knew whatever was written there wouldn't give him the answers he needed.

Apparently Aramis didn't consider this in his still cursing state, the marksman now having switched to cursing Corneau out in Spanish, the vitriol he felt for the traitor practically dripping from his voice, as he passed the paper over to his brother without thinking.

"I think he was asking what it does," stated Athos with a tinge of light teasing to his voice as he watched his brother pause mid curse before sending the pair a sheepish look and an apology.

"Most of the symptoms it causes we are already seeing," explained Aramis as he nodded towards their youngest, "High fever, shortness of breath…"

Athos narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "And the ones that have yet to appear?"

Aramis flinched, glancing to his baby brother with a look of pure sympathy before hardening his expression as he looked back to his brothers. "It raises skin sensitivity," he stated, inwardly grimacing when he saw that neither of his brothers understood quite what he was trying to say. "It means that eventually even the lightest touch can cause a great deal of pain."

Both of the other inseparables practically growled at that, their expressions quickly morphing into rage as they both internally fought the urge to storm over and kill Corneau for the torture he had basically condemned their already seriously ill baby brother to.

"Can you stop it before it gets to that point?" asked Porthos hopefully as he instinctively moved his hand away from where it had been drawing circles on the Gascon's palm, unwilling to risk causing the boy additional pain even if the symptom had yet to appear.

"We're certainly going to try," stated Gaspard firmly as he appeared with an armful of supplies, dropping them by the Gascon's side before looking to the two inseparables, "We could do with some more water to help keep him cool… If his fever continues to rise he could have a seizure and if he has one when the sensitivity kicks in then…" He didn't need to finish that sentence, both men understood perfectly the pure agony it would cause their brother and so quickly set off to gather water.

With both men gone Aramis turned to Gaspard who was making quick work of sorting through their supplies, "Do you truly think we can stop this before it develops further?" he asked quietly, not wanting to give into the hope those words had stirred up within him as he knew D'Artagnan's already weakened condition was going to work against them.

Gaspard paused in his work and let out a soft sigh, knowing he couldn't lie to all of them, "I hope so."