Evening My Lovelies
Another slightly shorter one today, sorry!
I have a feeling you may all hate me again for this one and is it bad that I'm looking forward to reading the reviews :D
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
FierGascon: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Tidia: Thanks for the review - Yay glad to have you back :) I'm really glad you seem to be liking the story so far :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - It was tempting for it to be Remy but I couldn't resist more D'Art whump. Favier's pushing himself a bit too much but so is Aramis... both are going to regret it later on. Enjoy the new chapter! x
KarenF (Guest): Thanks for the review - Hmm well we are seeing Porthos and Athos today so maybe that'll complete everything for you. You're far from evil don't worry :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - You're welcome :) I couldn't resist a good old bit of D'Art whump :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Haha I had a feeling you would like it :) Marshall wont be disappearing just yet, got a bit more planned for him first :) I have a plan for our lovely Remy now so don't worry about. I'm excited to write Athos's reaction to D'Art's shooting. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - If D'Art was being smart he wouldn't have done but he's our reckless fool so he had to do it :) Favier's guilt wont go away for a while. Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Hmm your panic might need to switch to someone else today :) Remy's getting some courage thats for sure. We definitely haven't seen the last of Marshall I can promise you that :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Yeah he is but I couldn't resist. I have a plan for Marshall don't worry :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - Don't worry about Marshall I have a plan for him :D Help will come for our boys soon I promise but they're doing okay... well okayish at the moment. Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the review - I couldn't resist! Enjoy the new chapter! x
WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Don't worry I have a plan for Marshall, he wont get away for long. Couldn't have Remy confront his brother and not admit that Aramis is his friend. I was going to wait longer but I couldn't resist... i love me some D'Art whump XD Favier's guilt wont go away for a little while but helping Aramis and D'Art is helping. I like your idea for Remy, it is something I considered though you'll have to wait to see what happens there. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I thought you might like it :) Saving Aramis will definitely help D'Art get over the guilt he's feeling over shooting our medic. I've a plan for Marshall, he wont be getting away easily :D You're right to be scared for Remy, things aren't going well for him today. Glad you like guilty Favier as we'll be seeing him for a while yet. Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
Love you all!
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Fifty-Five: Worry and Wounds
"How's he looking?" asked Treville tiredly as he moved from a now resting Henri to Porthos and Athos's side, his eyes watching the injured swordsman with no small amount of worry.
"He's fine," hissed Athos sharply, his eyes screwing shut in pain as Porthos worked to reset his broken fingers. Normally this would be Aramis's job but as they were currently still down one medic Porthos had been forced to step up, not that he particularly minded, he'd rather help like he was then risk his brother's bones healing wrong and the man never being able to hold a sword again… They already had that horrible possibility looming over their heads with D'Artagnan; he wasn't going to be responsible for it happening to Athos as well.
Porthos snorted, "What's with you and 'Mis… Swear the whelp's beginning to rub off on ya."
Athos glared, the pain making his already short temper infinitely shorter, though it was clear it didn't bother Porthos in the slightest as the larger musketeer turned his head to face his Captain.
"He's beat to hell Captain," admitted the musketeer honestly, ignoring the intense glare being sent his way for speaking up. When Treville nodded Porthos continued.
"We've got two, possibly three broken ribs. The fingers on his sword hand are a bust, dislocated shoulder that I still need to reset, it'd swollen too much, but seems to be going down," he explained, nodding to the cold compress pressed against Athos's shoulder, the man himself grumbling under his breath about being talked about as if he wasn't there.
Chuckling Porthos finished what he was doing and placed a hand on Athos's good shoulder. "Moan all you want brother but we both know its only going to get worse when 'Mis gets here."
"He should already be here," growled Athos as he glared at the house he and his brothers had been captured in. "What's taking them?"
Treville sighed, "I'm concerned. I can assume one of them is injured and Aramis is tending to them for now. If we've seen no sign of them in the next fifteen minutes I'm going to head in, Porthos you can stay here, neither Henri or Athos can even stand at the moment, they'll need protection."
Hating the idea despite knowing it made sense Porthos nodded, his attention drifting to the swordsman's dislocated shoulder.
"I'm going to do a perimeter check," announced Treville absently, a few minutes later before he got up and left without another word, leaving both musketeers to watch him go with mirrored expressions of concern on their faces
As he walked the perimeter Treville had trouble keeping his attention on the task at hand. He had a bad feeling and he knew his missing men were the cause.
After finding Issac so bloodied and beaten, barely clinging to life, he had feared the worst for the inseparables. The group was a source of great morale for the regiment – they were the men recruits dreamed of being and the proven warriors the experienced men needed when out on missions. To lose one or more of them, especially if they suffered like Issac had, would have been a huge hit for the regiment and a monumental loss for the rest of his men.
That fear had begun to dissipate when he had found Porthos with only mild, mostly self inflicted, injuries. Porthos was a master of hand-to-hand combat so the fact he was largely uninjured had his worry easing.
Only for it to come rushing back when Porthos told him how Aramis had seemed when he last saw him. The blood on the medic's bandage had all of them worried and Treville knew that Aramis would ignore his own pain if someone else he cared about was in pain, and that scared him.
Reuniting with both Henri and Athos had been like a stab to his heart. He knew that the chances of all of them getting out unscathed were ridiculously small but he had fooled himself into thinking they wouldn't be that hurt.
Getting the pair of them out had drained all of Henri's energy and the man had passed out as soon as the Captain had begun working on him and Athos was clinging on to his consciousness with all of his remaining stubbornness.
With a sigh Treville turned his gaze back to the house, the bad feeling only growing the longer he stared at it.
"I think we can try this arm now if you're ready," said Porthos with sympathy in his voice, knowing just how much this was going to hurt his brother.
Over the years all of them had earned and suffered more than their fair share of injuries, dislocated joints among them, so he wasn't unaware of what he needed to do, but it was just another reminder of their missing brothers.
"… Do it," grunted Athos after a moment's hesitation. He knew it needed doing but the mere thought of more pain had him feeling like throwing up.
"On three," nodded Porthos, waiting for Athos to return the nod before starting his countdown.
"One…"
Athos screwed his eyes shut, mentally preparing himself for the pain he was about to be in.
"Two –"
"ARGH!" screamed Athos as Porthos popped the joint back into its proper place in one firm movement.
"What the fuck happened to three?" hissed Athos as his good arm clutched his recently reset one to his chest.
He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't stop the smirk at his brother's bad language. Shrugging he swatted Athos's hand away so he could check out his work. "You know it hurts less if you're not expecting it… least that's what 'Mis always says."
"Aramis is an idiot," grumbled the swordsman, his hand moving back to clutch his arm, glaring at the larger musketeer when he burst out laughing at his words.
Porthos grinned brightly, "Maybe, but he's our idiot."
"Well, what do we have here?"
"You're pathetic, you know that?" snarled Quentin as he backhanded Remy hard enough to send him tumbling to the ground, following it up quickly with a sharp kick to the stomach, knocking all the air out of the younger bandit's lungs.
Favier glanced up from his work helping Aramis worry building in his eyes. Remy was the only reason they had this time to tend to D'Artagnan but it really didn't sit right with the man to do nothing while the boy was used as a human punching bag.
He was about to do or say something when a blood stained hand gripped his. Eyebrows raising the musketeer turned his questioning look to Aramis's face, the medic merely shaking his head.
"Not our place," he whispered, his focus on D'Artagnan's wound. "He needs this."
Not entirely convinced but knowing there was little he could actually do about it Favier nodded and returned his focus to D'Artagnan.
"What do we do with him?"
Aramis sighed, his face full of worry as he looked at the unconscious form of his brother.
"We need to get him out of here… get all of us out of here…"
Favier nodded, though he sensed there was more the medic was thinking about. "…But?"
Sighing again Aramis explained. "We've just got the bleeding to stop. Moving him now could start it up again and I don't know how much more his body can take."
"Then we bind it really tight… limit the blood flow as much as we can until we get somewhere you can actually treat him.
Aramis let out a bitter laugh, "Don't know if you've noticed Favier but none of us really have the strength to do that."
"Then use his," he offered, his shaking hand unbuckling the belt around his waist before he handed it over to the medic who grinned brightly despite his obvious exhaustion and worry.
"Brilliant Favier!" exclaimed the medic as he worked to tighten the belt around the wound, hoping it would be enough to last until they could get somewhere he could actually treat the boy.
Remy could do nothing as Quentin relentlessly beat him, his only comfort coming from the fact that he was doing something good for once, he was helping not hurting.
However after a particularly bad hit that made his head explode with pain the younger bandit knew he had to do something otherwise his brother really would kill him.
A plan slowly formed in his dazed mind that he knew would either save or doom them all. Preparing himself for what was to come Remy bided his time until the opportunity came to tackle his brother, his hands immediately searching out the numerous daggers he knew the man kept of his person at all times.
Only even with his healing wound Quentin was older and stronger than his brother and the plan quickly deteriorated as the senior musketeer joined his brother in a fight for the dagger as soon as he spotted it in his hand.
"REMY!" screamed Aramis in panic, having taken a moment to look up from his injured brother only to find his bruised friend on his back, his brother leaning over him as Remy tried valiantly to push away the dagger Quentin was desperately trying to force into his chest.
Deciding he'd have to fight dirty if he had any hope of getting out of this alive forced his knee up into his brother's stomach, using the man's momentarily distracted state to roll them over and get control of the dagger.
This continued for several minutes, both Favier and Aramis watching on with horrified expressions and worry clear in their eyes until an agonizing scream of pain filled the air.
Tensing at the sound of a new voice Porthos wasted no time in assuming a protective stance in front of Athos, his eyes flickering between the approaching stranger and Henri, cursing the Captain for setting the man up away from where he could protect him.
"Show yourself!" ordered Athos and Porthos almost wanted to hit him for potentially antagonizing a guy when he was barely conscious.
"Been a while musketeers," spat the voice as its source limped into the clearing, blood streaming down his leg and a pistol held tightly in his grasp.
"Marshall."