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Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables nor do I own the characters.

9

"–Wonder how she got that way..."

"Probably came from the barricades."

"She shouldn't have left the hospital."

"No, she shouldn't have."

"You think she left for him?"

"Probably. She kept telling us to 'save him first'"

"It's amazing that she made it all the way back here with him."

"I'm surprised she didn't die right after being shot so many times."

"And after losing so much blood."

"It's amazing."

"That it is."

This was the conversation that Marius heard when he awoke. He had been unconsious for 24 hours and it was night again. He wondered who they were talking about, but then it clicked in his head. They were talking about Eponine. He remembered the night before, when he had briefly regained consciousness. Eponine had been there at the barricade. Is she okay? Marius wondered. Marius cleared his throat. The two doctors that had been talking turned and looked at him. One of them, an older man with a kind face, smiled at him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked him.

"Fine," Marius replied. "How is Eponine? where is she? Is she okay? Is she alive?"

"I'm sorry, but she didn't make it." said a raspy voice that belonged to neither of the two doctors. The elderly doctor pulled back the curtain revealing Eponine in the bed next to his. Marius looked at her. She smiled weakly at him. "Hello Monsieur," she said. Her voice was cracked and it broke on both words. She did not look well. She was deathly pale and she had dark bags under her eyes. Her breaths were shallow and few.

"Eponine!" Marius exclaimed. He looked at the doctors. "Will she be okay?"

"She may not make it through the night." the other doctor, the younger one with bright green eyes and curly blonde hair, told him truthfully. Marius looked over at Eponine. She doesn't look like she'll even make through the next hour. he thought.

"Don't you dare leave me," Marius said to her. Eponine laughed, a short, weak laugh.

"Wouldn't dream of it." she replied, but as she said it her face contorted in pain. She gasped in pain. She tried to hide it, but Marius could see it clearly. He reached over to hold her hand, but the beds were too far apart. The elderly doctor and the young doctor pushed their beds together. Marius took Eponine in his arms. He tried not to brush against any of her wounds, but he didn't know where exactly they were so that made it difficult. Marius held her hand. She squeezed it tightly. Eponine gasped again. The pain was overwhelming, more than she could stand.

"You'll be okay, 'Ponine." he whispered.

"I really wish I could believe you," she replied through gritted teeth; she was trying to hold back cries of pain. At least the doctors stopped the flow of blood. She thought. She looked up and noticed that the doctors had left. One of them, the younger one, came running back. He handed her a pill and a glass of water. Eponine looked at the pill. She had never really trusted medicine.

"It'll dull the pain." he told her. That was all Eponine needed to hear. She popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed it down with water. "Try to rest." he told her. Eponine laughed slightly.

"As if that's gonna happen." she said as she winced again in pain.

"Well, try." the doctor said before he left. Eponine sighed. Marius kissed her forehead. Eponine managed a small smile. The pain lessened slightly, or maybe she just imagined that it did. She felt better in Marius' arms.

"Eponine?" Marius said.

"Mm?"

"Why did you save me?" he asked her. Eponine looked at him.

"What do you mean why did I save you? Isn't it obvious?"

"No."

"Marius, I've told you before. I love you."

"But you risked your life for me! Why would you do that?" Marius didn't understand why anyone would risk their life for him. He knew that Eponine loved him, but after he'd treated her he didn't see why she would risk her life for him.

"Because I love you. So much that I would die if anything bad happened to you and I didn't try to stop it. When I read your letter I knew right away that you would get yourself into trouble so I had to do something about it. It wasn't easy. No offence Monsieur, but you aren't exactly light. I was shot several times, some of which were from shielding your body with mine. I took you through the sewers and when we got out I collapsed. I didn't know if I would be able to keep going. But I needed only to look at you–" she didn't mention the fact that she'd kissed him "–and I was able to gather the strength to keep going. I brought you to the hospital, well the outside of it anyway, and then I collapsed again. I yelled for the doctors, they came. I told them to save you first."

"You could have died."

"Actually, I did."

"What!?"

"My heart stopped, but the doctors were able to get it started again."

"Eponine, you shouldn't have risked your life for me..."

"If I hadn't you'd be dead."

"And now you might die."

"It would be worth it."

"Why?"

"Because you're alive, Marius."

"You shouldn't have–"

"What? You'd do it for Cosette, wouldn't you?" she obviously hadn't wanted to say her name.

"Well yeah, but–"

"But what? I love you so I saved you. End of story. If I had a chance to do it all over I wouldn't change a thing. You are alive, Marius. That's all that matters to me now. Even if I die, you will still live. That's all that matters to me..." Eponine gasped, her body convulsed in pain. Oh God! Why does this have to hurt so freaking much!? She let out a cry of pain. The medicine clearly wasn't working.

"'Ponine!" Marius exclaimed. Eponine was about to tell him that she was fine, but her body convulsed again and she had to fight back a scream. Her face contorted in pure agony. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Make it stop!" she begged no one in particular. "Please no more!"

"Everything will be okay, 'Ponine. It'll pass." Marius whispered to her, hoping that it was true. He hated seeing her in so much pain. Marius kissed her temple lightly and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I really wish I could believe you." she rasped. She tried to hide her pain, but Marius was not fooled. Pain was etched into every part of her face. "Marius... I think I'm going to die soon..." she whispered. Marius shook his head.

"You will live 'Ponine. Dear God above! If I could close your wounds with words of love..."

"Even love can do nothing for me now." she told him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No, don't think like that. Be positive... please..." he begged her. Eponine smiled weakly at him. She wanted the worry in his face to go away. She knew it pained him to see her like this. For that she loathed herself. But it was also nice to know that Marius truly did care about her. She could tell by his tone of voice. He clearly didn't want her to die. But she was slipping. She didn't know if she could hold on for much longer.

"Marius..." she whispered. "I... I love you so much. Never forget that..."

"But you're going to live. You have to! Please Eponine, don't leave me! You're all I have left! I need you... please, please don't leave me!" Marius was sobbing. He didn't want Eponine to die, but he could tell that she was slipping.

"Marius please don't cry."

"'Ponine you mean so much to me, I can't lose you!" he told her. His voice broke. Eponine's eyes filled with tears. She had never realized that she meant so much to him, she thought that he only cared that much about Cosette. To both of their surprise, she kissed him. To their even greater surprise, he kissed her back. Their lips moved together in perfect synchronicity, their lips molded together perfectly; like they were meant for eachother. Eponine closed her eyes and allowed herself to live in the moment. Marius did the same. Eponine pulled back. She was smiling.

"I love you," she told him.

"I love you too." Marius replied. It was true. Marius did love her. I was a fool not to realize it sooner! he thought.

"Thats all... I've ever wanted... to hear..." she whispered. She fell back. She wasn't breathing; her heart had stopped. Marius shook her shoulders lightly. No response. Marius started to panic.

"Eponine!"

What will become of Eponine? Review if you want her to live.