BOOK III
Part I
"Marius, Eponine." Cosette said, motioning to each of them in turn. "You came here to patch things up between Marius and myself, correct?" Both of them nodded. "Enjolras, you came here in search of fixing things between me and Marius, and regaining your friendship with him, correct?" Enjolras gave a barely audible whisper of yes, but Cosette heard him anyway and nodded. Marius grumbled to himself in a low voice.
"First of all, Marius. When I wrote that letter this morning, I had every intention of marrying you someday in out future. Just not yet. You've known me for only a few days, and I don't think we're ready. I am sorry if it sounded misleading, but I meant you no harm by it." She nodded once in his direction and stood up. "I'll go and make some tea. Eponine, I'll get you some medicine for your leg." Eponine nodded gratefully and winced. The walk had caused her leg a great deal of pain. When Cosette was safely out of sight, Marius pulled out the ring he had given her earlier and examined it.
Enjolras looked at him with disgust. Before he had come here with Eponine, Enjolras was sorry for everything he said, but this was too much. He heard Eponine's breathing grow heavy, and saw Marius staring attentively at his ring. This got him annoyed for some reason. The whole world must be against him. He got up out of his chair and walked towards the front door.
"Adieu, Eponine, and please give my regards to Cosette." Eponine nodded sadly.
A split second later, Cosette walked in with a tray full of items, and Marius pocketed the ring.
"Where on earth is Enjolras?" She asked anyone who would answer.
"Left." Eponine said through clenched teeth. Her leg felt as if someone had stuck knives through it, and she was doing all she could to stay conscious. The days walking lessons had probably caught up to her. After all, it had only been only 2 days since she was shot.
"Oh." Cosette said bluntly. She put down the tray and forgot about it. She sat down next to Marius and put her arm on his. He pushed her away and got up.
"That letter hurt whether you wanted it to or not, Cosette. I already know we're not ready to wed, please don't make this worse for me." Next he turned to Eponine and said,
"Eponine. Tell that scum bag Enjolras that I never want o see him again." He was about to leave when Eponine stood up and confronted him, despite her leg.
"Take that back Marius, he apologized to you already!"
"Yes," Marius shot back. "But he didn't mean it. Both of us know that." Eponine was stunned. Didn't Marius see that Enjolras was a wreck without him? Eponine started up again.
"I don't see why you-" She stopped suddenly and clutched her head. She staggered backwards a few steps. Cosette jumped up in surprise. Eponine fell with a thud onto the rug, and lay there unconscious. Marius stared at them both.
"I can't take any more of this, I have to go, Adieu." He closed the door behind him. Cosette stood there, not knowing what to do.
She couldn't lift Eponine by herself, and she had no one to help her. Quickly, she ran around the house gathering blankets, pillows, and clean bandages. She re-wrapped Eponine's wound easily, and propped her up on pillows, pulling the blankets up to her neck. Cosette herself sat down at the dining room table and rested her head in her arms. The only thing she had left to do was wait until her father got home.
He would help her.