Chapter Eleven
Aramis was stunned, d'Artagnan looked a little shocked himself. Athos had taken one look at the needle in Aramis' hand and slumped to the side. D'Artagnan had been quick to catch the injured man to prevent him falling to the floor.
'I wasn't expecting that…' said Aramis as he carefully laid the needle down and bent to help d'Artagnan with the limp man.
Aramis was used to Athos being very stubborn when he received stitches. The man was usually able to remain conscious and stoically pretending he was not in pain. But Athos now appeared to find the idea of stitches too much to bear.
They carried him to one of the beds and after settling him Aramis returned to the table and gathered what he would need.
'I really do have to keep reminding myself that he's not...him,' said Aramis unable to hide the melancholy from his voice.
D'Artagnan looked up at him, 'I know, but it's not him. You have to start accepting that.'
Aramis wanted to tell d'Artagnan that he was wrong, wanted to tell them all that they were wrong. Athos was still there somewhere.
Aramis chose not to respond, he settled himself to the task of stitching the wound. After cleaning it again he went to work. Now that Athos was unconscious it did not take him long to put the three stitches in.
After wrapping a bandage around his patient's arm Aramis sat back. He looked at Athos for a few seconds before rising and starting to tidy away the used cloths and water.
'Aramis,' said d'Artagnan, 'you're not helping him by not accepting that he may not recover his memory.'
Aramis had his back to d'Artagnan, he paused his work and sighed.
'I'm not ready to give up on him yet.'
'Neither are we, but we have to accept that we may have to get used to this man. We may have to accept that this is Athos now.'
The man in question moaned and moved his arm. D'Artagnan who had remained by Athos' side stopped him from moving too quickly. Aramis crossed back to them both.
'What happened?' asked Athos as he opened his eyes and focused on them both.
'You passed out,' said d'Artagnan.
'Passed out?' repeated Athos sounding a little surprised.
D'Artagnan looked at Aramis a hint of hope in his eyes. Aramis felt the same, had Athos come back to them? Had his brief spell of unconsciousness acted to reset his memories?
Athos was looking at them both, his surprised expression quickly changed.
'No, I've not remembered...sorry.'
Aramis had to stop himself from sighing. Athos was apologising for being unable to remember who he was. Aramis had been a little too hopeful he realised. He also realised d'Artagnan was watching him. Aramis nodded to him, their differing opinions should not cloud their continued efforts to help Athos.
Aramis wondered if he was being selfish in his wish to keep trying to help Athos.
MMMM
Porthos had listened to them explaining how Athos had passed out when he received his stitches. Before he had lost his memory the thought of Athos passing out would have made Porthos laugh. That was not the case now.
D'Artagnan and Aramis had emerged from the infirmary a few minutes before. Athos had remained where he was under orders from Aramis to rest for a few minutes until he felt recovered enough to join them.
Porthos could tell there had been a disagreement between his friends. Aramis looked a little annoyed with d'Artagnan. Porthos could guess what had caused the issue.
Athos.
'I think we have to accept…'
'Why are you both so keen to give up on him. It's not been that long. There are still things we can try…'
'What?' said Porthos. 'What can we try that we haven't already? The other things that have been suggested, you've dismissed yourself, Aramis.'
Aramis sighed, 'we should keep trying.'
D'Artagnan turned to Aramis, 'we're all suffering with his loss,' he said. 'But we have to face facts, he may be gone for good. He may be gone for months. I don't think it's fair on Athos.'
'Aramis,' said Treville quietly from behind him.
Porthos had not noticed their Captain approach. He laid a hand on Aramis' shoulder before gently pushing him over to the bench by the table and pushing him to sit.
'They're right, we're not giving up on him, but we have to be realistic. And I have a garrison to run. I want to help Athos as much as possible. I think we have to ask him what he wants to do. He may be at the point where he is himself ready to accept that he may not recover his memory. We cannot keep the man in limbo forever.'
Aramis was looking at the ground.
'It's not that we don't want him back, of course, we want him back,' said d'Artagnan taking a step towards Aramis who looked up at him.
Porthos said, 'we're just being practical.'
Aramis shook his head before rising from the bench, 'no, you're giving up on him. And I don't intend to do that.'
Porthos wanted to stop him but Treville shook his head. Aramis walked off, back to the armoury, away from them.
'He'll come around,' said Treville, 'he'll see sense soon enough.'
D'Artagnan looked towards the infirmary, 'it's a bit like he's died, the Athos that we knew is dead.'
'And that is why it's important to try to move on, if nothing else, for the man in there. The man Athos has become,' concluded Treville.
Porthos did not like the conflict that Aramis was causing within their little group, he meant well but his wish to keep trying to help Athos get his memory back was misguided. They had to accept that if his memory was going to come back it would not be because of anything they did. Whilst there was still hope, Porthos knew they had to refocus their efforts to help Athos to learn to be the man he had become, not continue to try to get him back to being the man he was.
MMMM
Aramis knew several routes in and out of the Palace that were not watched by the Red Guard. He could move around relatively easily. He knew it was not unusual for the King's Musketeers to be at the Palace, but he was not on guard duty, he was not scheduled to be there, so he could find himself being questioned if he was found.
Louis had been sleeping soundly throughout his visit with Marguerite. The woman had spent most of her time trying to keep him away from his son. Aramis sometimes wished he could just tell her to leave them alone. Leave him with his son, just for a few minutes. But he knew that would be foolhardy. No one could know what had happened between himself and the Queen.
But even though trying to see the baby was, perhaps, just as stupid, Aramis found that he had to check on the baby as often as he could. The downside was that he had to pay attention to Marguerite to do so. The woman was attractive, and he did, to a certain extent enjoy his time with her, but she was really just a means to an end.
He had left her looking after the still sleeping baby after kissing her with passion and telling her he would see her again soon. She had said she looked forward to it as she brushed hair from his face.
Now he was slipping along a back corridor towards the servant's stairs so that he could slip out and back to the garrison before he was missed. He had kept away from the others for a while. He did not want to say anything he would later regret, he did not want Athos' situation to come between them all. He just wished there was something else he could try.
As he turned the corner onto the stairs he stopped, staring at Milady who was walking up the stairs. A slight look of guilt crossed her face, it was only for a second, but Aramis saw it. He wondered what scheme the woman was planning.
'Well, Aramis,' she said with her usual precise measured tone. 'Another of your liaisons?'
Aramis did not respond, he went to step around her, he did not want to engage in a conversation with her.
'Is Athos well?'
He stopped and stared at her for a second. Did she know? He hoped not. She was just the sort of enemy they did not want to know about Athos' current affliction.
'I've not seen him for a few weeks, you were all away on that long mission and other than that morning when you were sneaking around trying not to be seen he has not been here.'
She either had spies amongst the staff and Red Guard or somehow, she had seen them on their failed visit a few days earlier. Aramis cursed himself for his stupidity in suggesting they bring Athos to the Palace.
'He looked odd,' she said, 'I know something is wrong.'
'Nothing is wrong,' Aramis finally said.
He stepped around her and began to walk down the stairs. He heard her turn and start to follow him, her black dress brushing each step as she did so.
'I could ruin her,' she said. 'She has a good position at the moment, governess to the future King…'
Aramis stopped. Was there anything the woman did not know?
'I don't know what you mean,' he said glancing back at her.
She smiled, 'come now, Aramis, we could play games all day. I know something is wrong with my husband and I think I should be told what it is.'
Aramis turned to go again. He felt her hand on his shoulder, he stopped again and sighed. He knew it was not worth the risk. If something happened to Marguerite he would feel guilty, he was playing with fire as it was with the affair he was having with her.
'He was injured,' Aramis said, 'we were in a skirmish, he was kicked to the head...he's lost all of his memories.'
Milady looked at him, stunned, 'he knows nothing?'
'He doesn't know any of us, he doesn't know himself. And he does not remember you.'
Milady shuffled back slightly, she lay a hand on the railing and steadied herself. Aramis had not seen her looking shocked before. He wondered if, despite the open animosity between her and Athos, if there was still some feeling there. She had loved Athos once and probably still did.
Aramis took a step towards her, worried she may become faint. She looked up at him, the shock in her eyes turning to anger in a heartbeat.
With no warning and totally taking him by surprise, she slapped him hard across the face. His cheek stung where she had hit him. He blinked a few times staring back at her. He did not understand the reaction.
'I should have been told,' she said through clenched teeth. 'I deserved to be told.'
'No, you don't,' replied Aramis as he turned to go, leaving the woman on the stairs.
But she was not finished, she followed him down the stairs her heels loud on the stone.
'I want to help,' she said as she caught him up, 'let me see him, he may recognise me.'
Aramis was a little taken aback by the change in her attitude, she seemed genuinely concerned. She does still love him, Aramis realised.
'We've tried that, we've taken him to all his usual haunts, we've taken him to see all his acquaintances and there is nothing...we are close to accepting that we may not get him back.'
Aramis realised that was the first time he had said that out loud. He wished it had not come to that, but he could not think of anything else to try.
Milady reached up and put two fingers under his chin, lifting his face up to look her in the eyes.
'I may be the shock he needs,' she said.
Aramis could see the concern, the need to help, in her face. He gently took her hand in his.
'We think he is closest in temperament to a time before you. His actions seem to be from a younger man.'
'All the more reason why I might be the catalyst that pulls him back,' she said. 'It's obvious you do not want to give up on him yet. Let me try. I am the villain of the piece am I not? Let me fulfil my part.'
Aramis looked at her for a few seconds before deciding that he was prepared to suffer the wrath of his friends for one last attempt to get their Athos back.
He nodded before turning and continuing down the stairs, this time with Athos' wife at his side.
MMMM
Authors note: I've not written anything with Milady in before, (she is my least favourite character from the series - sorry), I hope I have captured her sufficiently for her little cameo appearance here.
