Evening My Lovelies :)
I'm afraid today's chapter is a bit on the short side. It was giving me SOOOOOO much trouble that by the point I got to where I figured I could possibly end it I was so frustrated with it that I had to end it there. Hopefully despite my momentary writers block this is still an enjoyable read for you all! x
Notes On Reviews:
Deana: Thanks for the review - :D I'm glad you liked it, I really liked the idea of Aramis being the one to threaten him so I'm happy it seems to have gone over well. Enjoy the new chapter! x
Guest: Thanks for the review - Don't worry D'Art's on the mend now, though he's still in a lot of pain. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so far :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Tidia: Thanks for the review - Our Aramis needed to let his devious side out for a bit so I'm glad you liked it :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
pain in the mikta: Thanks for the review - Haha it'll be "How to get your suspect to piss his pants - By Aramis of the Musketeers" XD Oh I think 'da man' was VERY tempted to smack the Cardinal's head but took pity on the fact that the man was already in pain. I've decided that seeing as my computer didnt underline the word suspenseful that it's a proper word (if not it is now :) ) I think we'll be needing the angst-o-meter for today :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Haha I think thats the general consensus lol Gotta love a slightly dark Aramis :) He can be proper evil when he needs to be. and Yay D'Arts awake... though considering what happens today he may wish he was still asleep. Enjoy the new chapter! x
ploiuiu: Thanks for the review - Welcome back :) Glad you're enjoying the story so far :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Issai: Thanks for the review - Isn't dark Aramis just lovely :) (though that might be just my evil minds opinion lol) The more I write Richelieu the more I'm tempted to kill him off... could very well happen, especially with how my mind's planing at the moment. D'Art's ... well I dont have any more plans to physically whump him... I figure almost dying is enough for one story, but aside from that we'll have to wait and see :) Enjoy the new chapter! x
Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Hope you're feeling better today :) Yep, if there's one thing you can count on it's for the Cardinal to use any opportunity to badmouth our boys, though at least he had enough sense to back down :) D'Art's awake *cheers and throws confetti* ... though he may not wish to be given what happens today... Dark Aramis was sooo much fun to write XD I'm really glad you enjoyed reading it. Enjoy the new chapter! x
As always many thanks and much love to everyone who follows/favourites/reviews/reads
Enjoy!
xxx
Chapter Forty-Six: The Burden Of Guilt
The excitement of D'Artagnan being awake quickly calmed down after Aramis's attempt to hug the boy ended with both of them in pain as he caught his broken leg on the edge of the bed, causing him to fall forward, knocking into the boy ever so slightly.
"Hijo de..." (Son of a…) cursed Aramis as he, with the help of Porthos, moved to sit down in the chair by D'Artagnan's bedside
"Sorry D'Art," grunted the medic as he tried to breathe through the pain in his leg.
Athos looked ready to berate the Spaniard for his careless actions but D'Artagnan's words stopped him.
"…s'alright" mumbled the boy as he tried not to move and aggravate his wound further.
"How are you feeling?" Athos asked softly as he grabbed one of D'Artagnan's hands in his own, nodding to the boy that it was okay to handle the pain that way.
"…Been … better," hissed the Gascon as he tightly squeezed his mentor's hand when another wave of pain shot through his body.
"Aramis?" Athos asked and the medic knew from the helpless look in his eyes that the swordsman was asking two questions.
Aramis nodded that he was fine, the pain in his leg now down to an annoying ache. In regards to the second question he pondered it for several moments before nodding and pointing to the small vials set up on the table.
"Just one," he instructed, "It's not overly strong but should help take some of the edge off."
Athos smiled in thanks before getting up to get the vial, D'Artagnan whimpered slightly as his hand was taken away but the three senior members knew better then to comment on it.
"Drink D'Artagnan," Athos instructed as he held the vial to the boy's lips, "It'll help with the pain."
It was a testament to the enormous amount of pain that he was in that D'Artagnan didn't protest about the taste of the draught like he usually did whenever they were forced on him.
"What do you remember about how you got injured D'Art?" Aramis asked softly, watching with fondness in his eyes as Porthos gently placed a cold cloth on the boy's forehead to help combat the young man's fever. Aramis had reassured them that it was only his body's reaction to the heavy trauma it had endured and not, as they all feared, a sign of his wound being infected.
D'Artagnan's face scrunched up as he tried to remember the events that led to his injury.
"There… there was an attack," he said weakly, clearly the effort of keeping his eyes open was proving too much let alone talking, though the way he phrased his statement as more of a question worried the medic.
"Indeed," nodded Athos, waiting for the boy to continue.
"I … went aft'r… Ortiz,"
"Not your smartest move after what happened," teased Porthos as he ruffled the boy's hair softly, laughing at the Gascon's attempt at a pout as he did so.
"You… followed… me?" D'Artagnan asked, looking worriedly at Athos who felt the need to reassure the boy that he was fine despite clearly having been beaten up quite recently.
"I did," nodded the swordsman, "You saved my life," he added with a look that looked like a cross between gratefulness for saving his life and anger for getting injured in the process.
"And earned yourself quite the impressive wound doing so," remarked Aramis dryly, nodding to the many bandages that covered the young man's chest.
D'Artagnan stared at them wide-eyed before turning his gaze back to Aramis, who could see the boy's energy was failing. "How bad?"
Aramis opened his mouth to answer when an irate Athos cut him off.
"Bad enough that you felt the need to give me a goodbye speech," growled the swordsman. His words shocking the two other musketeers who hadn't heard of that part before.
D'Artagnan blinked owlishly, "Really?" he asked, yawning loudly as soon as he finished speaking.
Athos, whose anger at the boy's actions was now taking precedence given that the boy seemed to be out of the woods, was too busy trying not to glare at the young man to verbally respond so merely grunted the affirmative instead.
The Gascon was silent for a few moments as he absorbed that information before nodding weakly, "Good."
That single word was the straw that broke the camels back for Athos and within seconds he had leapt to his feet and was now openly glaring at the startled young man.
"GOOD?!" snarled the swordsman, "You take a blade meant for me that almost kills you and as you lay bleeding out in my arms you give me a goodbye message about how much you love us and all you can say to that is GOOD!? How in heaven's name is that good!?"
"Athos maybe you should calm down a bit," Aramis said softly, the anger he saw in his brother's eyes worrying him. He knew it was down to the guilt the man felt for putting D'Artagnan in the position to get so grievously injured to begin with but if he had learnt anything from watching mentor and protégé argue in the past he knew that it was only a matter of time before D'Artagnan snapped and that was the last thing the boy needed to be doing right now.
"'Mis's right 'Thos," said Porthos quietly, having watched the swordsman go off on the injured young man with sad eyes.
"…Bett'r than… havin' nothin'" growled D'Artagnan as he tried to sit himself up so he could glare at his stubborn mentor.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" chided Aramis as he turned away from Athos to force the now wincing boy to lie back down.
"It would have been better not to do something so foolish in the first place," snapped Athos, not even registering that his anger was only making matters worse.
"So I'm supposed to just let you die!?" yelled D'Artagnan weakly, anger at Athos seemingly giving him energy as he looked slightly more awake then he did a minute ago.
While the pair were arguing Porthos and Aramis were trying to calm them down all whilst keeping an eye that D'Artagnan didn't injure himself further.
"The blow was meant for me!" yelled Athos, the pain in his voice only apparent to the two people he wasn't in the middle of arguing with.
"So you're saying… that if… the situation was reversed… you wouldn't have done what I did… for me?" D'Artagnan asked angrily, though there was a touch of hurt behind the anger that saddened the two non-pissed off musketeers to hear
"That's not the point!"
"That's exactly the poin-AHH" cried D'Artagnan, his eyes instantly scrunching in pain as his subconscious attempt to move had sent an inferno of pain through his body.
At D'Artagnan's cry of pain Aramis was right there, dabbing a cool cloth over the boy's skin an whispering soothing words in an attempt to comfort him.
"Get him out of here," whispered the medic to Porthos as he nodded over his shoulder to a stunned looking Athos.
Porthos was about to protest when he heard a whine of pain from his little brother and so instead, nodded tersely.
"Step out and get some air 'Thos," Porthos said, trying his best not to glare at the man for his words and what they caused.
"But – " protested the swordsman.
"Out," grunted Porthos as he physically pushed the man out of the room.
"What the hell was that in there?" growled the larger man, having to in front of the door to prevent Athos from going back inside.
"Move Porthos," ordered Athos sternly though he did seem to be slightly surprised by both his actions and Porthos's reaction.
"Not until 'Mis says you're welcome back," declined Porthos, "Now what the hell was that?"
"He should not have done what he did," shrugged Athos and although Porthos could tell it was spoken out of guilt he couldn't help but feel hurt and anger for the words.
"So he was just supposed to stand there and do nothing whilst you died?" snarled Porthos, surprising the swordsman with the anger lacing his words. "Just supposed to stand there until we came looking and then be all 'he wouldn't have wanted me to interfere'? Snap out of it Athos! None of us would have done that, least of all you!"
Athos stood silently staring at his brother, the larger man's chest heaving as the man took large breaths in an effort to calm down.
"What the hell is going on down there?" demanded Treville as he leaned over the side of the railing outside his office to glare daggers at the two men who interrupted his work.
"Just Athos being a stupid idiot sir," growled Porthos through gritted teeth as he glared at the swordsman.
Treville sighed, ran a hand through his hair before mumbling something that sounded like 'I'm gonna regret this' before asking why. To which Porthos then went into a highly detailed explanation as to why the pair of them were arguing outside anyway.
At the end of the rather emotionally charged explanation Treville could only blink and ask, "D'Artagnan's awake?"
The relieved look on Treville's face was enough to calm Porthos's anger to the point where he could face Athos without glaring at him.
"Yeah and this idiot keeps riling him up so 'Mis is tending to him now."
"Tell him I'll be in to check on things in a few hours, I have some men out chasing down a lead about Ortiz –" raising his hand to stop the barrage of questions he knew would inevitably come his way, "they've only just left so it'll be a little while before they're back and you weren't informed because," he said staring hard at Athos, "you're supposed to be looking after that boy of yours." He said with a growl before storming back into his office, slamming the door and leaving the two musketeers standing there in stunned silence.