Dr. Lemay arrived in good time, his forehead furrowed as he said, "He had no infection when I left. What happened?"

"Dr. Lemay," Athos said, "More symptoms have now appeared since we sent for you. I now do not believe it to be an infection." Lemay could see the stricken expression on Athos' face,and knew he wasn't going to like what he would tell him next.

"I am very much afraid he has been poisoned, but I am not an expert in the matter. I am hoping you can tell me I am wrong, but I do not believe that I am," he said, moving out of the way to allow the doctor to replace him at Aramis' bedside.

All three of Aramis' brothers, in addition to Treville, who had quietly arrived when he had seen the doctor heading for the infirmary again, stood waiting while Lemay did a thorough examination of Aramis. Porthos and Athos moved back closer to the bed a few moments into the exam, though, as Aramis' restless movements in obvious distress was causing Lemay too much trouble to be able to check him out fully.

They grabbed his legs and arms as gently but firmly as possible to keep him still. They could feel the tremors running through his body, as well as the heat radiating off of him, and their worry increased. Porthos got behind him, and lifted his upper body into his arms, holding him close.

Lemay was mostly silent as he worked. It took him some time, but finally he was finished. Turning to address them, he said, "Unfortunately, it does appear as though Aramis has been poisoned," getting no further as all four men, shock evident on their faces as they had evidently hoped to be proven wrong in the suspicion Athos had voiced earlier, said, "Poison?! But how?"

Lemay continued. "The easiest way to poison someone is through their food. It can be mixed into the dish, and not be as evident to the eye. I am a little familiar with the routine dishes you are served, and in my mind, the easiest one to employ would be the porridge. You need to talk to everyone who has been in the kitchen while food preparation was conducted this morning."

Porthos spoke up,saying, "That would explain why none of the food affected me. I fed all of the porridge to Aramis, so there was none left to finish off. He also had a little bread. I ate the egg and a slice of ham, and they would have been the hardest to keep disguised."

D'Artagnan interjected, "Almost all of the men would have been in there, like every morning. It's a serve yourself kind of meal. It's always crazy, lots of moving around, with all of us filling our own bowls and plates."

"The hired men also would have been in the kitchen, as they come for their meal at the same time," Treville added. "It drives Serge crazy some mornings, because he can't begin his preparation for the noonday meal until the place clears out."

"I wish I had looked more closely at the dishes as I brought them here," d'Artagnan said quietly, feeling guilty at not noticing anything.

"How could you have suspected something like this would happen in the garrison, d'Artagnan," Athos said to him, not wanting him to feel guilty.

"He already has most of the symptoms," Lemay said. "He may get chills, and probably delusions and nightmares," seeing the Musketeers glance even more worriedly at each other, and knowing why.

He knew about Aramis' nightmares that came after Savoy, as well as his more recent ones, which had begun after the incident with the wolves. He was concerned, as they all were, as none of them wanted the terror of his dreams to come back. They already had once, after the dog attack.

How much more could their brother's mind and body take, they all thought sadly.

Lemay left with some instructions. he said they should try to get as many fluids into him as possible, as they could help wash the poison out of his system faster. But he told them not to give him any solid food for the moment, as he wouldn't be able to keep even a couple of bites down, that is, if they could even get him to take them in the first place. They were to give him only clear broths, if possible. He told them to try colling his fever down with cold cloths, and not to leave him alone at any time, something he knew they wouldn't do anyway.

After he left, Treville, shaking his head sadly, said, "Needless to say, your sole mission right now is to do everything you can to pull him through. Whatever you need, just let me know," laying his hand on his marksman's before turning and leaving the room. He wanted to see if the men he had investigating the matter might have come up with something at last. They needed a break, and he wanted this unknown maniac in chains in the Chatelet as soon as possible.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Musketeers divided up their time at Aramis' bedside once more, having so recently hoped they had come to the end of doing so. Athos took first watch as he always did, while Porthos and d'Artagnan tried to get a little sleep. Athos wondered how much sleep any of them could get, as worried as they all were.

Why, Athos asked himself for the hundredth time. Why was someone doing this? And who, he continued, had the obvious access to the garrison to try the hay incident, and this latest one with Aramis' food, done right in the midst of all the Musketeers?

It had to be either one of the other Musketeers, a cadet, or someone who took care of the various jobs around the garrison which freed the regiment members to perform palace duties or to go on various missions for the king. He found it very hard to impossible to believe any of the men who he lived and worked with to be the evil mind behind these attacks. He knew all of these men, and Treville, Porthos and d'Artagnan did as well. But the evidence was too obvious to doubt it any more.

But which man was it? he continued, as he gently threaded his fingers through his brother's sweat-drenched curls, hoping it would calm his restlessness.

He could feel the heat radiating off of Aramis' body as the fever continued unabated. When he laid his other hand on his brother's breast, he could feel how fast his heartbeat still was, and his breathing continued to be much too fast.

Lemay's warning about nightmares had given him a jolt, but he really shouldn't have been surprised at the information, as Aramis had been through some pretty traumatic episodes in his life, and sometimes, they forced their way back into his mind. He just hoped that maybe this time, his brother could be spared any more of them.

Athos silently asked Aramis' God to heal his beloved brother. Although Athos sometimes grew frustrated with Aramis' actions, he loved him, as well as Porthos and d'Artagnan with a tenderness and fierceness rarely seen elsewhere. They were his family, and he would and did protect and care for him with every ounce of his being from being hurt or killed. This unknown assassin would pay dearly for what he had done.

But first, they would pull Aramis through this agony he was suffering. He didn't even want to contemplate his world without the presence of this brother he cherished.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Treville looked at his two investigators intently, finding it hard to believe what they had just told him. But it fit, the pieces they had brought him fit to a tee. Language was going through his head now that would be highly inappropriate to use around any of his men.

A witness had come forward today, describing a man well-known in the garrison. Two Red Guards had also come forward to say that someone had seen a man hanging around not far away from their weapons room, and the description of him matched the one the witness had given. How dare this miserable excuse for a man work in the garrison and plot the death of one of his Musketeers?

He had seen him early this morning, too, getting his porridge and a heel of bread in the kitchen! That had to have been when the poison was put into Aramis' food.

He sent one of the men to tell Athos and the others the revelation, calling several of the other men to his side, and arming himself as he did so. He wanted to do take this ... this...he didn't even know what to call the man.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Treville headed for the stable, his hand on the handle of his pistol, and his men following right behind him.

Reaching the stable doors, instead of just opening the door, Treville took the flat of his hands and slammed it open. Stalking in, his eyes swept the stable area, the stalls, the supplies, the loft. Then, he swore aloud, something he never did around his men.

The stable was empty-neat at a pin, but empty.

Where had he gone, and had he somehow found out they were coming for him, or was it a coincidence that he was gone at this moment? He had no idea, but turning to his men, he gave rapid, succinct orders.

"I want the garrison spread out in every direction from the garrison gates. Find him! I want him in shackles in my office tonight. Dismissed!"

He was fuming. They had been so close. Somehow the man had eluded them, but he vowed it wouldn't be for very long.

Turning, he left the stables and headed for the infirmary. His Inseparables needed to know just how close this loathsome,evil man had been all this time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Treville walked into the infirmary just as Aramis bolted from the bed, scrambling into the corner behind it, frantically pushing himself as hard against the wall as he could, his hands out in front of him trying to ward off something. His breathing was harsh and erratic, coming in gasps, his eyes wide and darting everywhere. Then, his voice, "No! Wolves! Have to...get...a...way. And a scream of terror tore out of his throat.