Evening My Lovelies

So So Sorry for no update yesterday, I hit a MAJOR bout of writers block and ended up staring at a blank screen for like 2 hours while mentally yelling at myself to come up with something... Unfortunately after 2-3hrs I had to concede defeat. Though part of me is happy it happened as I'm quite proud of today's chapter and I don't know if it would have happened without the writers block :)

Hopefully you all like it too and it'll make up for the wait! x

Notes On Reviews:

Deana: Thanks for the review - I'm glad you liked the chapter, we'll be seeing a bit more of Aramis's reaction post-nightmare today, should be interesting :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

pallysdeeks: Thanks for the review - Our boys will be having to knock some sense into Aramis I think to stop him agreeing with the nightmares but they'll probably wait until he's a little better first. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - Durand's appearing again today but he's actual decision wont come until later... but something will happen that might influence his decision. Yeah poor Aramis is going be having some tortured dreams for some time, Athos and the other will help him through the worst of them but it's going to take a long time before they go away for good. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Maryg (Guest): Thanks for the review - Haha good to know :D Glad to know you loved it :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

f1gymnast: Thanks for the review - Durand hasn't completely made his decision yet, he's still desperately clinging to his "it's not my fault" idea but something will be happening today that'll help influence his decision. Oh worry not our lovely medic is in for some brotherly love :D our boys wont let him suffer if they can help it :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - Ah it's alright :) I forgot about him until another reviewer brought him up and I created him lol :D I really love Moreau's rant in this so I'm hoping you do too and don't worry our boys will handle Aramis :D Oh and I don't know if you remember but you suggested a line to me in a review a few chapters ago for once Aramis woke up from his collapse? Well it's appearing today and I quite like how it works so thanks :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

criminally charmed: Thanks for the review - Unfortunately stubbornness seems to be a common musketeer trait and Durand is clinging stubbornly to the "it's not my fault" idea. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - Yay I'm glad you enjoyed the nightmare, hopefully as much as my evil mind enjoyed writing it :D We'll be seeing the after effects of Aramis's nightmare today which should be interesting :) D'Art will have a part to play in the after effects too, only a small one though as his energy's draining quite rapidly and he's in dire need of more sleep. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - I know go me! :D I still can't get over how successful this story is being... though it does raise the bar significantly for the next one :S Oh yeah you are soo right, my devious little mind had a ball writing that nightmare for Aramis :D I kinda wanted to how his subconscious reacting to his belief of their deaths being his fault... but being the evil sod I am I decided to heighten it a bit :) Don't worry bout Durand, I forgot him and I created him lol :D We've got a mix of angst, comfort and rants today so should be an enjoyable read :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Sorry again for the delay!

Many thanks and much love for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Love you all!

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Ninety-Three: Post Nightmare

"Aramis!" cried both Porthos and Athos as the pair desperately tried to still and to calm their rambling, near insensible brother.

"I killed them," whispered Aramis, his voice so broken it actually hurt to listen to. "I killed them."

"Who Aramis?" asked Athos gently as he gripped the medic's face gently in his hands, his eyes begging his friend to let him in.

Unfortunately it didn't seem to even register with the hysterical medic who continued his broken rambling.

"'Mis come on," pleaded Porthos, genuinely fearing for the man now tightly embraced in his arms. "Talk to us 'Mis, who did you kill?"

"It's all my fault," whispered the marksman, fresh tears now streaming down his face, though Athos was quick to wipe them away.

"It is not your fault Aramis," stated Athos with enough conviction to pause the medic's ramblings.

Porthos, not one to miss a golden opportunity, tightened his hold on the trembling marksman and bent his head low, ignoring the painful tug of his injuries, to whisper in his brother's ear. "Whatever you think you did, I can promise you it wasn't your fault. You are not to blame so talk to us 'Mis, let us in so we can help you."

Aramis shook his head violently, though to his brothers it was a sign they were getting through to him, at least enough to get him to actually listen to them. "…You should stay away," hiccupped Aramis as his body shook with sobs.

At this fresh breakdown Porthos released his friend gently so he could be pulled flush against Athos's chest, the larger musketeer then moved his hands so both were resting on his brother's bare skin, allowing the man to feel the warmth from his contact.

The three of them sat there for a while, both musketeers whispering assurances and words of comfort to their brother while Aramis alternated between crying and resuming his earlier ramblings, though they became weaker with every resurgence.

After a few minutes a soft sound reached the musketeers ears and it had Aramis freezing, becoming stiff as a board, in Athos's arms.

As the group turned to face the source of the noise they were surprised to see it was coming from D'Artagnan, the exhausted boy using some of his quickly fading energy to hum a quiet tune that the group quickly recognized as being the song Aramis had sung only hours earlier to calm the Gascon down when he had woken from a nightmare in a similar state.

Both Athos and Porthos couldn't keep the soft, yet incredibly fond smiles from growing on their faces while Aramis closed his eyes, letting the familiar tune that had always calmed him as a child resonate within him.

After a few moments he felt a soft pressure on the hand that had fallen back onto the bed once Athos had released him moments earlier. As he opened his eyes Aramis couldn't stop the watery smile that teased at his lips at the heavily bandaged hand now resting on his own. A quick glance up to the Gascon face spoke to how much pain the boy was in, any sort of movement pull a number of the wounds the young man had and given his current state and the amount of blood he had lost Aramis was honestly surprised he had enough will power and energy to move, let alone a desire to.

Unfortunately for the Gascon it seemed like that movement was his undoing as seconds later he was once again unconscious.

"Whelp?" called Porthos hesitantly, concern thick in his voice.

"…Just resting," explained Aramis quietly, his eyes closing as he tried to pull himself back together. His brothers words and contact had done wonders at pulling him out of the nightmare and D'Artagnan's attempts had allowed him to calm enough to finish coming back to himself but he was still heavily shaken… and in a lot of pain. "He lost a lot of blood, that coupled with his wounds… It's a wonder he was awake as long as he was."

Athos nodded in understanding, having expected as much, however his eyes did frequently search his young protégé's face for any signs of pain or nightmares.

Porthos on the other hand narrowed his eyes at the medic, scrutinizing him heavily. "You back with us then?" When Aramis nodded shakily it looked like the larger musketeer was about to smile in relief when he forced it down, staring at his friend and brother with full seriousness. "Good," he nodded, "Then you mind telling us why we should stay away? All for one 'Mis, that's the oath we took, you're not getting rid of us that easily, especially not because of a few nightmares."

Alarm flashed across Aramis's face, despite his words he truly didn't want them to leave, but he knew they needed to know. He also knew they would dismiss it and try to convince him to do the same. At the moment he wasn't sure if they could convince him, the memory of his nightmare too fresh but he dearly… desperately wanted them to try.

"I…I" stammered Aramis, though he was saved from explaining further when the door to Athos's rooms opened and Doctor Moreau entered, his eyes filling with concern as he took in the fact that his patient was awake.

As Moreau moved to examine the marksman Athos shifted slightly so he was closer to Porthos, subtly placing his hand on the man's arm to get him to relax, having expected and being the only one to notice the man tensing as soon as the door opened. After a moment he felt the larger musketeer relax in his hold, the man sending him a grateful smile that quickly turned amused when he realized that, in their moment of distraction, Moreau had entered into a full on rant, aimed directly at their now increasingly sheepish looking friend.

"Of all the! You're a medic for Christ sake!" exclaimed the doctor as he glared at the musketeer in front of him. "You of all people would have recognized the signs of an infection, how could you be so stupid as to ignore it for so long?!"

"I had to take care of D'Artagnan!" defended Aramis, though as soon as the words left his mouth he instantly regretted them, as it only seemed to add fuel to the ranting fire that was Doctor Moreau.

"And your brother's don't know how to stitch?" snapped Moreau, "I know from looking at you own wound that at least Athos has skills enough to have handled the boy, no matter his numerous wounds, for at least the few minutes it would have taken you to check over your own damn wound!"

Aramis opened his mouth to try to retort and defend himself but Moreau clearly wasn't done just yet.

"After all it is because of that man's careful tending of your own wound that you have a good chance of not losing that leg of yours." At this he noticed Aramis stiffen, paling slightly as the implication hit him. "Yes musketeer," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your infection was that bad. Now you got lucky with that but even you and your friends, as seemingly blessed with good luck as you seem to be, can survive anything if you ignore wounds." At this he sent a glare to the other men in the room, smirking inwardly as he saw their amused smiles quickly fading into sheepish looks.

"And that's not even counting the risks you took with the boy!" ranted Moreau, uncrossing his arms briefly so he could wave one in the sleeping Gascon's direction, his eyes briefly filling with sympathy and pity at D'Artagnan's condition before returning back to his harsh glare.

"I SAVED HIM!" snapped Aramis, barely biting back a wince as his outburst aggravated his cracked ribs.

"While being so exhausted you passed out the second he was out of the woods," spat Moreau, instantly silencing the musketeer. "Who knows what kind of mistakes you could have made in such a state. You are not the only one around with medical training and nor am I the only doctor Treville has access to. Had you thought rationally about the situation and asked for help the Captain could have brought any number of qualified doctors to you and the boy's aid within the hour."

"He might not have had an hour!" snapped Aramis, though the retort felt weak to his own ears as the logic of Moreau's words, as well as the implications of what could have happened hit him.

"Then you could have worked on him until help arrived," glared Moreau. "Then maybe you would've had time to check over your own wound, doing something about the infection before it got as bad as it did. You could have even have gotten some rest so you wouldn't have fallen down a flight of steps, dislocating the same knee you dislocated when you almost drowned!"

At the mention of the almost drowning incident Moreau noticed the musketeer visibly flinch and a moment of pity had him taking a deep breath, forcing his mind and body to calm down enough that his next words had some of the usual kindness they held when he dealt with patients, even if there was a slight threatening tone behind them.

"Now, you're going to let me finish the treatment I started earlier. Then I am going to check your boy and make sure you didn't miss anything in your exhausted state." Aramis looked ready to protest at this but wisely decided against it at the last minute. "Then you are going to get lots of rest and prepare yourself for being a damn good and obedient patient during your recovery am I clear."

Feeling awfully like a scolded child Aramis nodded, his eyes downcast as he refused to look at either his brothers or the doctor.

Once Treville had finished getting his report from Doctor Moreau he decided to return to Durand's cell. The Captain's main focus right now, aside from ensure that all his men survived their ordeals, was to get his garrison back up and running smoothly as soon as possible and he knew that to do that he would need to remove any possible threats to that plan.

Durand had been his first thought, the mere presence of the man in the garrison was irritating a lot of his men who were, rightly, angry at him. Despite his constant refusal to own up to his actions the man had caused a lot of pain by deserting his post and had, willingly and unthinkingly, endangered the lives of every musketeer who had been in the camp.

Those same men had retold the story to many of those who hadn't been present and now, as Treville had stated to the man, many were outright refusing to work with him.

Treville knew he couldn't allow such animosity to remain in his garrison, especially not with tensions as high as they currently were given the serious conditions of several of the regiment's best men.

Part of Treville wished he could just fire Durand and be done with it but, like he had told him, the laws of his regiment didn't allow for that, so the most he could do right now was to suspend the man and heavily imply that he should resign.

"Captain?" Durand said hesitantly, slightly unnerved to see the Captain twice in as many hours.

"You can go Durand," stated Treville coldly. "Your suspension starts now and I hope it goes without saying that I do not wish to see you back here until the end of it, is that clear?"

Durand gulped at the harsh tone of his Captain's voice, "Crystal sir."

"Good," nodded Treville as he stood to the side, "Then get going I have injured men who need my attention a lot more than you do."

Not willing to risk the Captain's ire further Durand nodded before rushing out of the door.

"Can't believe they let you keep your pauldron," scoffed a voice, causing Durand to freeze just before the garrison gates. He had been hoping to get out unnoticed, most of the regiment too focused on their injured brothers to pay him any attention.

"I'm leaving okay," said Durand, a slight wariness to his voice, as he looked at the clearly angry musketeer staring him down. "I'm suspended for a month starting now –"

"A month?" scoffed the musketeer as he took a few steps to stand face to face with Durand, who was looking increasingly wary and uncomfortable with the entire situation. "Way too lenient if you ask me, Treville should have take your commission for what you did."

"I –"

Unwilling to hear the man make excuses or continue to deny the true results of his actions the musketeer settled for letting his anger win out and punched the disgraced musketeer straight in the jaw, sending him careering to the ground.

"Listen well Durand," spat the man as he knelt down beside the now injured musketeer. "You might as well do yourself and us a favour and resign your commission yourself as none of us want to work with someone who could so easily endanger us at the promise of some wine."

Durand was tempted to respond but the dark fury radiating off of the man had him quickly rethinking his stance and instead his scrambled to his feet and exited the garrison with as much of his dignity he still had.

"I stand by my earlier statement of you and your friends being blessed with good luck," remarked Moreau as he stepped away from the bed having just finished checking D'Artagnan over for anything Aramis might have missed given his exhaustion. Like the medic, Moreau was concerned over the infected wounds, especially given how weak the boy currently was, but overall he was relieved that more of the numerous wounds weren't infected.

"So he'll be okay?" Athos asked, his face expressionless despite the sliver of concern that trickled into his voice.

Moreau nodded slowly, looking at the sleeping Gascon with sympathy and pity, during the examination they had turned him onto his back, ensuring that the worst of his wounds were significantly padded before doing so. "The infection and blood loss are cause for concern and need to be watched carefully but baring any further complications, either from them or unforeseen circumstances, he should make a full recovery… It'll be long and painful but given the luck that seems to follow you lot around I'd say you have reason to be hopeful."

All three inseparables sighed in relief and nodded to Moreau's last instructions to rest and that he'd be back to check on them later on before they watched the doctor leave.

"So 'Mis…" said Porthos, a slight teasing tone to his voice once the doctor had left them alone.

Aramis turned to face his brother, an eyebrow raised in question.

"You really fall down the stairs?"

"No they all said that for dramatic effect," deadpanned the medic, his answer making the larger musketeer chuckle.

"What were you thinking working yourself to the point of collapse…Again?" growled Athos, the anger he felt for his friend's reckless actions returning now he was with the only people he could show it in front of.

Aramis flinched at the tone of Athos's voice. "I had to help him Athos," stressed the medic, his eyes pleading his brother to understand. "He, Porthos, Corbett… All three of them were taken and hurt because of their connections to the Captain and myself. That makes the pain they suffered our fault! I couldn't just let someone else take over his care, it had to be me who did it, and I had to do something to make amends. Did I know something was wrong with my leg? Yes, but I swear it didn't register that it was as bad as it apparently is. Was I tired? Yes, but again it didn't register until D'Artagnan's wounds had all been treated and he was awake."

As the medic continued to ramble Athos's angry expression softened, seeing genuine guilt in his brother's eyes for worrying them like he had but also the promise that he would, willingly and without hesitation, do it all again if it saved one of them.

"So when the tiredness and pain kicked in you thought it was smart to try and go downstairs?" enquired Athos, his voice and expression now considerably softer and a fond smile was tugging at his lips.

"I…" Aramis stammered, cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment at not having a defense for that while his face took on a sheepish expression.

Athos let out a breathy chuckle as he shook his head at his brother, all his anger now gone. "Aramis," he smiled, "You are an idiot. You know that?"