Pain. That's all he felt, no peace, no bright light or a sense of calm. It was all he felt and it was the only thing that existed to him right now. This was hell, it had to be. The amount of pain he was in meant it couldn't be heaven, there was no pain in heaven.
White hot burning. It surrounded him, consumed everything he was and caused him to forget everything except it.
"D'artagnan," a voice echoed from a distance away, floating in the dark and drawing him in. "D'artagnan," the voice called again, fading into the blackness once more and causing him to feel trapped. His heart rate increased and his breathing became laboured. He couldn't focus, couldn't do anything but cry out in pain.
Suddenly laughter surrounded him, the same laughter that had plagued his nightmares over the last couple of days. It rang loud in his ears, so deafening he begged for it to stop. His skin went cold once he saw the man stood in front of him, the Spanish Captain yet again stood with the smile on his face.
Philippes was lying by his feet, blood splattered across his face and eyes open staring blankly back at him.
He couldn't breathe, the laughter in his ears and the sight of his dead brother bringing up memories too raw for him to handle.
"D'artagnan, stop struggling," the voice then broke through, arms gripping him and pinning him down.
"No!" He shouted and thrashed against Porthos' strong hold. "D-Don't... Don't kill him," he begged, his face pinched in pain as his head tossed from side to side. "Kill me instead," he sobbed.
He was laying in the bed in Athos' tent, a long day and nights ride back to the French camp having taken its toll on D'artagnan.
They had wanted to stop, D'artagnan struggling with the ride even when he had been unconscious through it all. However, there was a great risk at being out in the open with the main Spanish camp so close to them and the fact that they had taken the Spanish Captain prisoner put a big target on their backs.
The only way the musketeers could keep safe and help D'artagnan was back at camp, needing the camps medical supplies and its security from the Spanish. So, with sadden hearts they stole some horses from the Spanish and had rode long and hard through the day and the night, not stopping until they finally made it back to the camp.
Antonio had been gagged and bounded before being put with the other prisoners the Musketeers had taken in.
Aramis was now leant over D'artagnan, a cold wet cloth in his hand as he wiped D'artagnan's forehead, trying to lower his rising temperature.
Porthos was holding D'artagnan down to the bed as the young musketeer thrashed, trying to get rid of the nightmare that plagued his sleep. Athos sat at the edge of the bed, trying his best to wipe down D'artagnan's bruises while dodging the punches being swung by his lost brother.
"D'artagnan!" Athos shouted having finally lost his calm, so forceful it snapped the younger musketeer awake.
His eyes shot open and he breathed heavily, hot sweat covering his body as he stared blankly up at a face he couldn't quite put the name to yet.
He blinked again, his vision going in and out of focus. The pain hit again and he squeezed his eyes shut, taking slow breaths through gritted teeth to calm himself.
"Take it easy," Aramis said. "You have a high fever and two broken ribs. Thrashing against Porthos isn't doing you, us or your injuries any good," Aramis said calmly as D'artagnan simply groaned in response before slipping back into the darkness of sleep.
Once D'artagnan had settled down Porthos leant away, removing his hold on him and pushing back to sit in the chair next to the bed. He watched D'artagnan carefully, the younger musketeer's face scrunched up in pain and beads of sweat running down his forehead.
Porthos knew he shouldn't take anything D'artagnan says in this state seriously but he couldn't get D'artagnan begging for it to end out of his head. He had wanted to die, begged for it.
Aramis let out a sigh as he placed the cloth in the bucket of cold water before replacing it on D'artagnan's forehead once again, wiping away the sweat.
"He's not going to be the same after this," Porthos mumbled out and Athos glanced up at him, his actions pausing as his eyes flickered down to study D'artagnan's bruised face.
"He will," Athos said, watching as the pain slowly eased from D'artagnan's face. "He'll just need time," he added before continuing to wipe the cool cloth along D'artagnan's bare skin, cleaning him of the dirt and dried blood. Porthos rubbed a hand over his face roughly, letting out a low groan before dropping it to look across at Aramis.
"What do we need to do?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair. Aramis glanced up at Porthos, seeing the concern in his eyes and how his hands twitched to be useful.
"We wait," Aramis simply said. "There's not much more we can do but try and keep his temperature down and stop him from causing any more damage to his ribs," Aramis said and Porthos looked down at D'artagnan, feeling useless and wanting to stop his brother from hurting.
The tent flap suddenly opened and Duval stepped inside, followed closing by Beaumont. Both musketeers held two plates of food, Beaumont also carrying a water skin under both arms.
"How is he?" Duval asked, limping slightly from the healing leg wound.
"Not good," Aramis honestly replied and the two musketeers glanced down at D'artagnan who laid breathing heavily as he slept. "But he'll make it, we just have to keep the fever down," Aramis informed them both, seeing the concern on their faces.
"Good," Beaumont said before gesturing to the plates in their hands. "We brought you some food," he said before moving forward and placing the plates onto Athos' bed next to D'artagnan's one.
"Thank you," Athos began as the two stepped back. "For everything," he said before standing up.
Porthos took Athos' place by the bed, taking the cloth and wetting it to cool D'artagnan down. Athos moved around the bed to stand in front of Duval and Beaumont, both looking at him with surprise and curious expressions.
"I can't begin to image how hard it was for you both, if it weren't for you I fear D'artagnan may not have made it," Athos said and Duval let a small smile appear on his lips.
"I doubt it," Beaumont spoke up. "D'artagnan's too stubborn to die in the hands of the Spanish," he said and Aramis and Porthos glanced up at the musketeer, both allowing a soft smile to form.
"I guess you're right," Athos said with a small smile of his own on his lips as he recalled how stubborn D'artagnan could be. "But again, thank you very much for your bravery and loyalty," Athos said, bring the conversation back around. "It will not go unnoticed," he said and Duval couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you Captain," they both said before being dismissed.
"Very formal, as always," Aramis teased and Athos didn't even have the energy to glare at him. He sat down in Porthos' vacated chair, tensing and relaxing his still aching and cut hand from punching the hell out of Antonio.
"Let me look at that," Aramis said, standing from kneeling next to D'artagnan before moving around the bed to crouch down in front of Athos.
He didn't argue with the medic, he would have normally insisted he was fine but right now, none of them needed or had the energy for the argument.
Aramis took Athos' hand in his own before deciding it needed cleaning and bandaging up.
"You're next," Athos said as Aramis finished tucking the extra bandaged in and leant back slightly to survey his work.
"I'm fine," Aramis said and this time Athos did have the energy to glare at him.
"Don't try to hide the fact that you winced when you stood up from the bed or how you're trying not to move your shoulder as much," Athos said, giving Aramis a knowing look.
"Just let him look at your injury Aramis, we know you're hurting still," Porthos said as he re-wet the cloth. He had seen how Aramis was moving a little slowly as if to not aggravate his injury even more.
Aramis sighed before nodding and Athos got to work as Porthos tried to keep D'artagnan's temperature down.
They were all going to be alright, Porthos thought to himself, they had to be.
Here's another chapter, hope you guys liked it. Thank you all for the reviews, favourites and follows. I love reading your thoughts on this story :) Next chapter up later next week hopefully