Evening My Lovelies!
You'll (hopefully) be happy to know that today's chapter is significantly longer than the last several chapters have been.
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - Not much else to say lol :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Yep lets have some medical moments. Enjoy the new chapter! x
pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Yeah he was slightly redeemed for doing that... slightly :) I was going to have Aramis cover but figured it'd mean more coming from D'Art. We'll be getting back to Antoine fairly soon. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Unfortunately Louis doesn't have much sense. It was going to be Aramis who covered but I have an idea for a moment between Remy and D'Art coming up in a later chapter. Our boys are definitely grateful for Anne. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Katie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you liked the chapter. Our boys wouldn't turn Remy in once D'Art protected him. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the reviews - (chapter62) It would indeed have been Alain's death and I love him too much to kill him off. It was tempting to have Aramis shoot him but I liked the idea of Blaise's protectiveness coming into play. (chapter63) I was originally going to have Louis be angry with them but I couldn't do that to them after all I've put the poor men through. Glad you liked D'Art saving Remy, the two will be having a moment in a later chapter I'm looking forward to writing. Aramis definitely wont be much help and poor Pascal's quite exhausted. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yeah but spoiled Louis is fun to write :) Glad you liked that D'Art saved Remy, they're gonna have a moment in a later chapter which I'm looking forward to writing. Glad you're looking forward to what's coming next :D Enjoy the new chapter! x
f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Yeah Louis's not really thought things through. Anne was definitely watching Aramis :) though she is looking after all of them today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Helensg: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked it and that you enjoyed D'Art saving Remy. Queens Anne having another nice moments today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
WelshEssex (Guest): Thanks for the review - Yeah Louis reasons were selfish (as if we expected anything different) though I did enjoy having him have a moment of seriousness when he addressed D'Artagnan. Anne's having another kind moment today. Enjoy the new chapter! x
MicheeO: Thanks for the review - Glad you liked it :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I wasn't sure if to have Louis help Lupiac or not but I wanted to redeem him slightly given how he hurt the men by summoning them while preventing them getting medical aid. Remy might be growing on D'Art a bit and I'm looking forward to writing the moment I'm planning for the two of them in a later chapter. Remy is definitely trying to be good, which we'll see more of in a later chapter. Anne's having another kind moment today :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always much love and many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading
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xxx
Chapter Sixty-Four: Medical Aid I
"Treville!" called a voice, startling the musketeer Captain from where he was giving his men several orders for what needed bringing to the infirmary.
Turning to face the source of the voice Treville couldn't help but slightly sag in relief. "Doctor Reynard," he nodded, a grateful smile appearing on his face. "It is good to see you, thank you for coming on such short notice.
Reynard nodded, walking quickly to stand in front of the Captain, the two men immediately heading to the infirmary. "The summons sounded urgent, what's going on?"
During the walk to the infirmary Treville filled him in on the situation his men were facing as quickly as possible. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched the doctor tense in anger at what he was describing and felt himself relax in the knowledge his men were in good hands.
In his youth Reynard had been part of the musketeer regiment himself and often took on the role Aramis had now claimed as a medic. Unfortunately for the man he had been injured during a mission near ten years into his services, which left him unable to continue. Motivated to still be of help to his brothers in the regiment Reynard quickly devoted himself to studying medicine and immediately offered his services to the Captain as soon as he was qualified to do so.
Reynard's history with the regiment meant he still treasured and upheld the beliefs and codes its members lived by and so to see so many of the men injured only made him more motivated to help in whatever way he could.
"Doctor Pascal," greeted Reynard as he smiled softly to his old friend despite the grim situation. "Where do you need me?"
Pascal practically sagged with relief at seeing another set of trained hands. Straightening from where he had been examining Aramis he returned his friend's smile.
"I've just finished doing a cursory examination of the men, I'll give you a quick run down of their injury then I want to start moving them to appropriate rooms, those that are significantly or seriously injured are going to find no rest in the main room."
Reynard nodded, understanding and agreeing completely with his friend's analysis. "Walk me through what we're dealing with and lets get started."
Seeing things were well in hand in the infirmary Treville left to attend to the rest of his men, not wanting get in the doctors way and end up delaying help to his men even more than it already had been.
"We'll update you with news as soon as we have some to give Treville," called Pascal just as Treville was leaving the room and his words caused a grateful smile to light up the tired Captain's face as he nodded once before continuing to leave.
"Sir!" called a voice, pulling Treville's attention from his almost obsessive watching of the infirmary door. It had been just over an hour since he left the doctors to work in peace and since then, aside from ordering his men to keep out unless absolutely necessary, he had found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the door, desperately wanting news on his men.
Turning to the source Treville felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the sight that greeted him.
Standing before him was one of the palace messengers and right behind him was a cart full of what appeared to be supplies.
"What… What is all this?"
The messenger stood forward, a genuine smile gracing his face. "My Lady, Queen Anne, wished to know that your injured men would receive the best care possible to ensure a speedy recovery. She sends these supplies with her wishes for their health and states that should you require anything more, you only need ask."
Treville blinked at the cart before another grateful smile appeared on his face. "Please pass my deepest thanks to Her Majesty, I will ensure these are put to good use and I will inform my men, when they wake, of their Queen's wishes for their quick recovery."
The messenger smiled and nodded, bowing slightly before turning to exit the garrison, leaving a still surprised Treville in his wake.
"…Captain?" said Blaise hesitantly, the sound of his voice pulling Treville from his stupor.
"Get this to the infirmary now!"
"Please," begged Favier, tears building in his eyes as he stared imploringly at Doctor Pascal who was checking he was okay to be moved.
"He's resting, he's suffered a lot and the infection's taking a lot out of him. He wont even be awake if I let you in there," explained the doctor, his heart clenching in sympathy for the musketeer before him.
"I don't care," replied Favier stubbornly. "I need to see him, please!"
Hearing this Reynard looked up from where he had been quietly conversing with D'Artagnan.
"It's not a terrible idea," he stated, rising from his chair to move to Favier's bed, doing his best to ignore the hopeful expression on the man's face. When Pascal looked to him in confusion he continued his explanation.
"Their bond is clearly a strong one and I have no doubt Favier here would recover a lot quicker if he wasn't stressing over his worry for his friend and it might even do Issac some good to have him there as well. There's room in there to fit another bed, they can watch over each others recovery and it'd save us from having this discussion every time we see one of them."
By this point Favier was nodding frantically, hope filling his chest as he listened to the doctor's words. He had been hoping just to simply see Issac at least once before Pascal moved him to whatever room he was to spend his recovery in but if there was a chance to stay in the same room as Issac… well that was something he desperately wanted and he couldn't help but stare at Doctor Pascal as he anxiously awaited his decision.
Sighing Pascal nodded, cursing his soft heart but understanding the logic behind the decision. "Very well you can stay in his room, but if I find the arrangement is becoming detrimental to either of you I will have you moved is that understood?"
"Absolutely, thank you!"
"Favier!" exclaimed a clearly exhausted Corbett as he stumbled out of his seat, started at both the arrival and condition of his friend. He quickly moved to help the men move the additional bed into the room before tentatively trying to help settle Favier into it, all without looking the man in the eye.
"How are you doing Corbett?" asked Favier tiredly, the move having sapped him of some of his strength. Initially he had thought his focus would be on Issac alone but that was before he saw Corbett and Alain's words of the man blaming himself rushed to the forefront of his mind.
Corbett looked exhausted and the deep, dark circles around his eyes corroborated that fact, as did the man's disheveled hair and clothes. What was even more alarming to the musketeer however, was the paleness of the man's skin.
Corbett blinked, clearly surprised to have even been given any thought. "I…I'm fine."
Snorting Favier barely contained his grimace as he tried to find a comfortable position to rest in that didn't aggravate his many wounds. "Corbett," he said softly, his voice pulling the man's guilt-filled gaze from the unconscious Issac. "You're making yourself sick. What happened to Issac… to the others and me… None of that is your fault, you know that right?"
Corbett's head twisted to the side, his eyes screwing shut as his hands tightened into fists as he tried to contain his brewing outburst.
Favier however had seen this happen before and knew it was only a matter of time until his friend could no longer contain himself and so he was prepared to wait the man out.
"OF COURSE ITS MY FAULT!" exclaimed Corbett some ten minutes later. "I'm the one who suggested we split up! Both of you were against it, I convinced you, that automatically makes anything that happened as a result of that MY fault!"
"Your reasoning for splitting up was sound and we had very little time to evaluate other options. The only thing that would have come from us not splitting up would be all three of us kidnapped… Trust me Marshall was stubborn and patient enough to bide his time if something didn't happen totally according to plan."
"You don't know that!" cried Corbett, guilt-filled tears streaming down his cheeks. "With the three of us together the whole kidnapping might not have even happened. You wouldn't be in so much pain and Issac… I-Issac might not be about to lose his leg…"
"He's not losing the leg!" snarled Favier, determination and assuredness mixed with anger in his voice. His tone making Corbett stop mid rant and stare wide eyed at him.
"Issac held strong not matter what that bastard and his men did to him," explained Favier, his anger cooling as rapidly as it appeared. "If he can remain strong after all that, there's no way he's going to let an infection get the better of him and cost his the career and brotherhood he loves."
It was several hours later that saw a nervous looking D'Artagnan watching anxiously as Doctor Reynard worked his way through treating him and his two bothers, the three of the having been given one of the large rooms to recover in as the Doctor knew the 'inseparable's' reputation all too well.
Reynard had already finished with Aramis, having deemed the medic to be in surprisingly good condition considering what had happened to him. The gunshot wound in his chest caused the doctor a bit of concern for the pain it must be causing the man, despite Aramis's attempts to hide it.
The doctor was now finishing up with Athos, having praised Porthos for the care he had taken off his friend as much of what he had done had held up during the traveling and so did not need redoing, saving Reynard a lot of time and Athos a lot of pain.
Much to Aramis and D'Artagnan's delight the larger man had blushed furiously at the praise before cursing both his brothers out and storming out of the room declaring he was going to see about getting them all some food.
"You should not have left," said Reynard quietly, startling D'Artagnan from his thoughts, he had been so wrapped up in them he hadn't noticed the doctor finish with Athos and move over to him, though he did not miss the way Porthos, the only one of his brothers still currently awake, was clearly trying to eavesdrop on the conversation whilst also giving them the illusion of a private talk.
"They needed me," explained D'Artagnan quietly, all the love he felt for his brothers seeping out of those words as he fought the urge to look over at them, knowing full well that Porthos would see that as an invitation and he wasn't sure yet if he was comfortable with the idea of any of his brothers seeing the mess he was.
"You needed you," sighed Reynard as he catalogued the list of injuries the boy had and their condition.
"How did your arm handle your adventure?" asked Reynard, his voice quietly and betraying the man's curiosity about the musketeer's condition. He had not yet actually seen the burn but from what had been described to him it was extensive, slow to heal and was causing the Gascon no small amount of pain, something that appeared to be true when he noticed the boy tense at his enquiry.
Noticing the uncomfortable looks he was discreetly sending Porthos's way Reynard was quick to order the man come to his office so he could check the arm out and give the boy privacy should the results not be what they were hoping.
Porthos had not been happy with the arrangement but he did not fail to notice the relief that flooded D'Artagnan's eyes at the doctor's compromise and after that, the larger musketeer didn't have the heart to protest further.
A scream shattered the relative calm of the infirmary as Reynard examined D'Artagnan's burned arm, the boy barely remaining conscious for the length of the examination.
"Despite its appearance the burn is actually healing quite nicely," explained Reynard softly as he tried to apply the burn salve as gently as possible, though he could not help but wince whenever his young patient cried out in pain.
"…But?" breathed D'Artagnan, his heart sinking as he had a feeling what was about to come out of the doctor's mouth would break the ever dwindling, fragile hope he had been clinging to for the last several weeks.
Reynard sighed, hating himself for what he was about to say. "But there hasn't been as much improvement to its capability as I had hoped and expected to see at this stage."
Fighting back tears D'Artagnan nodded, "So, what does that mean?"