Aramis and Porthos sit by Luke's bed the whole night. Even when the doctors have told them that his condition is stable. Even when Flea appears- in her scrubs, she just happens to be on duty that night- and tells them to go home because she's switched with one of the other nurses so she's on this ward all night anyway and they need to sleep. Aramis doesn't say a word, he just shakes his head. He will stay by Luke until he is home and safe. Porthos sits by him, holding his hand and running his thumb over Aramis' knuckles.
Sometime around seven in the morning, Celeste texts them both to tell them that she's called Athos to come and babysit, so the neighbours can go back to their place. D'Artagnan and Constance are closing up the shop for the day so they can help in any way they can. They are the only ones who have a car. They're bringing Celeste and Leon to the hospital, Leon was very adamant about coming, so that the two of them can see Luke. Constance can sit with Luke so Porthos and Aramis can go home, help Athos with the other children, shower and possibly take a nap. D'Artagnan will be chauffeur. Porthos looks at Aramis, and he doesn't think he's ever seen him so broken. He squeezes Aramis' hand and asks if he wants to go home. Aramis shakes his head- he won't leave Luke until he is home and safe- but Porthos should go back, Athos will need the help.
When D'Artagnan and Constance arrive with Celeste and Leon, Porthos gets up, kisses Aramis' temple, and tells him he'll get him a coffee and then go home. He'll be back as soon as possible. As he walks out the door and Celeste walks in, he whispers to her to text him immediately if anything happens. She promises that she will, and takes Leon's hand, and the two of them disappear into the room. D'Artagnan and Constance make themselves comfortable in the visitors chairs outside the floor reception.
"What happened?" Constance asks, grabbing his wrist to stop him walking straight past them. He wasn't thinking- he didn't even stop to say hello or thank you. He knew the two of them wouldn't hold it against him.
"Luke took Leon to the park after school- Leon was feeling anxious yesterday, even when he got home, so Luke said he'd take him out. It's the kind of thing he'd do- try and go ice skating for Leon's entertainment even when he knows the ice is thin." He shakes his head and frowns. That's what they had told the doctors when they asked what happened, but something wasn't sitting right with Porthos. Luke did stupid things, yes, all the time- but he was always so careful around Leon. Always. "The doctors say he's in a stable condition, and he's not hypothermic anymore which is good. But Aramis is still freaking out because he hasn't woken up yet." He runs his hand over his face and scratches his beard. They both hug him, telling him Luke will be okay if the doctors said so.
D'Artagnan offers to go and get the coffee for Aramis, because he looks like he's about to drop. Porthos smiles at him gratefully, D'Artagnan says he'll let him take it in to Aramis. He returns five minutes later and Constance is rubbing Porthos' back in the same way you'd soothe a child.
Celeste is sitting opposite Aramis, holding Luke's other hand. At least he's not cold any more. Leon insists on staying at the end of the bed.
"Stupid boy," she mutters, having only heard Aramis' assumptions on what happened. "Stupid, stupid boy."
"He's not stupid," Leon mutters back, and Aramis looks at him tiredly.
"No Leon, he's not stupid. But running onto the ice was a stupid thing to do."
"But it's not his fault! Bad things happen on Friday 13th!"
"Leon-"
"It's not his fault!" Leon says, a little too loudly, and his hands start to shake. Porthos is in the room in an instant. He hands Aramis the coffee cup and kneels in front of Leon, placing his large hands on the boy's tiny shoulders.
"Leon, do you want to go outside?" he asks quietly, but Leon pushes him away.
"It's not his fault! It's my fault! Bad things happen on Friday 13th!"
Porthos lets his hands drop to his sides. "Okay, so why is it your fault?" Leon seems a little shocked to be asked such a question.
"I ran onto the lake first. Luke ran after me and carried me back- but then the ice cracked and he threw me so I wouldn't go under, only him."
Aramis inhales sharply, and Celeste is focused on Leon and Porthos- Porthos who nods again and keeps eye contact with Luke the whole time.
"Leon, did you bolt? Is that why you ran onto the lake?"
Leon shakes his head, and fat tears start rolling down his cheeks.
"He threw my notebook."
"He what?"
"Not Luke! The boy another boy a different boy bigger than me but smaller than Luke Luke had gone to walk to the tree and back after he said that Aramis loves Porthos and and the boy came and he took my book and he called it a piece of-" he hiccups, "a piece of shit and he threw it he threw it onto the late and I ran after it and Luke ran after me and the boys ran away and I panicked and Luke carried me and then he threw me and then he told me to run and then he was gone under the ice-" he stops talking, his chest heaving from not breathing properly, and he collapses into Porthos' waiting arms. Porthos holds him close, rocking him back and forth, telling him it's not his fault.
Leon turns to look at Aramis, his head still resting on Porthos' shoulder. "I'm sorry Papa," he says, not bothering to wipe away the tear tracks.
Aramis looks a little shell shocked by all the information, and everyone is startled by the fact that Leon just called Aramis "papa". Aramis leaves Luke's side for the first time to take Leon into his arms. "It's okay, mon amour, it's okay."
Celeste is the only one that has noticed that Luke has woken up. He squeezes her hand and she helps props him up, and then he smiles.
"Yeah little man, I'm all good, see?" he says to Leon, his voice hoarse. Everyone turns to him, and Leon sniffles, wiping his nose with his hand.
"I'm sorry I made you go to hospital," he says, climbing onto the bed and resting his head on Luke's chest. Luke cuddles him close.
"Not your fault little man. Not even on Friday 13th."
A doctor walks in then and does all the routine checks on Luke, who still has Leon in his lap. She's glad to see he's awake. She tells Aramis and Porthos, who remember to get off the floor only when she gives them weird looks, that he's going to be fine, but they'll keep him in the hospital for another night just to make sure. Aramis breathes a sigh of relief, as does Porthos, and they thank her before she leaves. She tells them both to go home and get some rest- the lady outside (the pregnant one? Yes.) has told the doctor that she's happy to stay with Luke until the two of them come back.
Aramis begrudgingly accepts that he'll go home, and Celeste says that she'll come too. Leon wants to stay with Luke. When Aramis and Porthos have left the room to go and update Constance and D'Artagnan and properly thank them for all their help, Celeste hands Luke his phone.
"I'll keep you updated," she tells him after she kisses his cheek and he smiles wickedly at her.
"I would say film it if or when it happens, but that seems a bit much."
She agrees, and heads out to find Aramis and Porthos as Constance walks in.
