The girl is weak in my arms. I am desperate, praying, begging for her to live... But I know that all my prayers are in vain. I cannot save Eponine. And the realization kills me. I pull Eponine closer, resting cheek on her head. Her hair is soaked, and I can feel her shivering. Whether that be from her wound or the cold, or perhaps both. I just pull her closer, trying my best to protect her from the cold. Eponine clings to me, like a child to a mother's skirt.
"You're going to live, 'Ponine. Please... Please live..." I trail off, desperate to hear her voice. But when I do hear it, it is weak and raspy.
"It's ok, Marius. You're here. You're all I need." she whispers.
Eponine has always reminded me of a bird. She was always flying through the streets of Paris, and sometimes I wouldn't be able to catch her. She would sometimes be chipper and happy... But far too often she was not. Her bastard father broke her. She would always have some new injury when I would see her. That's when she reminded me of a bird with a broken wing, panicking at any movement and trying to fly away... Only to fall on the ground again. But I would always try to pick her back up. Sometimes she would not let me, I do not know why. I can only guess that she was scared I would somehow hurt her again. I could never do that to her. I cared far too much about her to ever do anything that might cause her even the tiniest about of pain. I could only show her kindness,
But kindness was foreign to her.
Eponine makes a choking noise and grips my arm tighter. She's so weak... She's never been weak.
"I'm scared." she whispers.
"Don't be. You'll be safe now... Nothing will hurt you, ever again." I choke out. She won't last long. I'm trying to keep her with me, trying to keep her from slipping into a place where I cannot follow. But then I feel her hand slip from my arm. My heart stops. I press my lips to her forehead, tears in my eyes. She's gone now... She'll be in a better place. No one can hurt her again.
Enjolras is standing beside us. He is staring at Eponine, a sadness clouding his eyes that I've never seen.
"At some point every rose must die." he says. I don't think he's talking to me. I've seen the way Enjolras would watch Eponine, prehaps she meant more to him then I thought.
They take her away, but I can't move. I will fight for her, always for her. I will fight for my little bird. The broken bird, who always managed to find her way back to me. And I'll find my way back to her.