Hi, all! Thanks for all the reviews! This chapter is dedicated to TheIbis2010, for being a faithful reader of my stories so far, especially this story! AND you, Ibis, write amazing stories yourself! I recommend your story "No God Above" to any Les Mis fan!

This is a sad chapter, which I loved writing! It might be my favorite chapter so far! (I know, I haven't written very many, but still.) I'm sorry if I got some medical stuff wrong. (I'm sure I did. My dad being a vet has not helped me knowledge of human medical problems.) I was just guessing at most of it. But guess what? There's a song in this chapter! Yay! I don't own Les Mis.

Eponine winced as Joly touched her arm. He was a nice, gentle boy. His looks were anything compared to Marius, but he was shy and professional, and Eponine liked him.

"I think we have a problem," he said, his voice grim.

"What?" Marius asked nervously. He was peering over his friend's shoulder - like a baby bird peeking out of it's nest, Eponine mused.

"The wound is infected."

"What?" Marius and Eponine exclaimed in unison.

"I said-"

"We know what you said," Marius snapped. The other two stared at him. Marius rarely spoke in such a sharp voice.

"Can it be treated?" Eponine asked.

The medical student shook his head, his dark hair falling before his eyes.

"It-it can't?" Marius demanded.

"Well, it can, but it will be difficult."

"How?"

"Well, I have some medicines. And some herbs. But I'm not sure they'll do any good."

"We'll try them," Marius said firmly. "I will pay."

"There is no need for pay."

Eponine managed a smile. "I will be fine. I've-I've dealt with worse problems."

"I don't think you have," said Joly.

Eponine smiled at the boy's naivety. You don't know the half of it, she thought bitterly.

"Well, I have some herbs with me, but I will have to figure out how to get a hold of the drugs," said Joly. "I'm only a medical student, not a doctor."

"How will you get a hold of them?" asked Eponine.

Joly laughed uncomfortably. "The school has them. I-"

"You're going to steal."

"Y-yes."

There was silence in the room. Finally, Eponine managed to speak: "Monsieur, I am eternally grateful to you, and I admire you bravery, but there really is no need-"

"Oh, but there is," Joly said quickly. "Eponine, you have touched me in a way none of my patients have before. I don't know if it's seeing your courage and beauty, or seeing how Marius cares for you, or what, but I am touched by your situation and am determined to help you."

Eponine blushed - something she thought she had forgotten how to do.

Marius coughed. "Joly, how will I ever repay-"

"You don't have to," he said. "I'll be back tomorrow. Right now, the best you can do is prevent the infection from spreading, or becoming worse. Here-" He took a jar from his bag. "Marius, or whoever can do this - maybe 'Ponine's sister: I want you or them to spread this liquid on the wound every hour. Change the bandage every time you do so. Keep Eponine cool-we don't want her developing a worse fever. Put a wet cloth on her head. Eponine, take care of yourself. Do not exert yourself. Please. Keep yourself cool, and don't panic. It will all be fine, I promise."

Eponine smiled. "I know, Monsieur. You are a fine student, if I do say so myself."

Joly looked like he was having an internal debate. Finally, his feelings won, and the shy boy bent down and kissed Eponine's forehead. "Take care, Eponine," he said. "You too, Marius. I'll be back with the medicine tomorrow. Alert me right away of any change."

Marius shook his friend's hand. "Thank you, Joly."

Joly smiled. "My pleasure."

He gathered his supplies and left.

"Well, what do you think?" Azelma asked.

She stood before Eponine, modeling a lovely pink dress which she had found in the trash. It was a bit torn here and there, and the rich girl that had bore it's splendor before had probably gotten tired of it, and decided it was not worth keeping once so worn. Azelma had gotten it for herself - - as a birthday present, she explained.

"I should say I deserve the treat. Wouldn't you, 'Ponine?" She twirled as she said this.

Eponine smiled. "You deserve it more than any girl in the world."

"Except for you."

"I wouldn't say-"

"Eponine, you deserve the most beautiful things in the world," Marius said.

Eponine glared. "Who asked you, Monsieur? Can't my sister and I have one private conversation?"

" 'Ponine, these are his chambers," Azelma began.

"I don't care whose chambers they are! If he has the gall to-"

"I will be leaving," said Marius. "I think 'Zelma can handle you. The doctor said not to exert yourself; I wouldn't want to cause you ill temper. Of course it makes sense that you should be angry, considering we're all taking such bad care of you." And with that bite of sarcasm, he threw on his overcoat and slammed the door.

Azelma and Eponine sat in awkward silence for a moment. "Perhaps you shouldn't have been so hard on him, 'Ponine."

Eponine looked up at her sister, brown eyes boring into equally brown eyes. "Perhaps you're right."

"Eponine, I should get back to our parents. They're expecting me. I've-I've told them you've been with Montparanesse. I'll come back in an hour."

She left, fingering her pretty pink dress.

Eponine began to cry. Everyone left her. Why did the world hate her so much? She had tried everything-but the world hated her so much, she had soon begun to hate it. And when she took her anger out on other people, they became angry at her. Her self-proclaimed "wit" would be the death of her. Well, actually, this infection would probably be the death of her.

Never before had she felt so alone.

Through her tears, she began to sing an old tune she made up when she was very, very small. She had then pretended she was a princess whose one true love did not love her back. Only this time, that story was a reality, but she was not a princess.

"On my own, Pretending he's beside me.

All alone, I walk with him 'till morning.

Without him, I feel his arms around me-"

She pulled her non-wounded arm around her skinny body.

"And when I lose my way I close my eyes and he has found me."

A few droplets of rain fell on the windowsill. As they fell on the pavement, it began to shine.

"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver.

All the lights are misty in the river."

The rain fell harder, the sky darkening.

"In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight,

And all I see is him and me forever and forever.

And I know, it's only in my mind

That I'm talking to myself and not to him."

Eponine shut her eyes. Pain was starting to engulf her arm. "And although, I know that he is blind,

Still I say there's a way for us.

I love him,

But every day I'm learning

All my life,

I've only been pretending!

Without me,

His world will go on turning.

A world that's full of happiness

That I have never known!"

Her voice was becoming weaker, her eyesight narrower. She felt as though she were dying, and the fact that she was completely and utterly alone began to sink in all the more powerfully as she weakly sang: "I love him,

I love him...

I love him...

But only on my own!"

She finished the song, and sank back into the bed, feeling defeated. The words she had sung began to sink in. She realized she had just said she loved Marius Pontmercy, the man who she hated, the man who-who she might die because of. If she had not run away from him in that park, none of this would have happened.

She had no time to contemplate this thought more. The pain in her arm was becoming unbearable. Her body felt unnaturally warm, like it was on fire. Her vision was failing. No one was there to help. A feeble "Azelma-" was all she could say before her eyes shut and she passed into oblivious sleep.

So, in other words, she fainted. What did you guys think? Do review!

-AzureOtter