Chapter 9

She couldn't take it anymore, the heat was just too much; in all her life Eponine had never experience heat like this. As much as she tried she couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned in the new sheets Megan and Bella had brought up for her. Even though she had just met the two girls Eponine liked them a lot as they were clever, witty and had a spark about them. She could feel the sweat rolling from her forehead, drenching her hair, the window was wide open but that didn't made the slightest difference. She wanted to call out for Enjolras, where had he gone?

"Eponine"

Her eyes burst open at the sound of the familiar voice, she turned her head to the direction of the window, only to see the figure of a young boy standing at her bed side smiling down at her. She could have mistaken the young boy for Gavroche if I hadn't been for smart bourgeois clothing and his golden hair combed back to be neat and soft. No it wasn't Gav, but she knew who it was. She reached out her hand towards him

"Enjolras." Her voice was so quite it was a whisper, her hand was inches from the young boys face when the boy walked backwards towards the window a cheeky smile forming on his lips. She would have returned the lip if she hadn't of been so tired, but she was determined not to beat the young boy in his games. With all her strength she forced herself to sit up, filching as she felt pain in her chest from her wound, and forced her feet out from under the covers. With one final push using the cabinet as support rose to her feet. She stood there for a moment trying to steady herself but her legs were weak and not use to holding up her small fragile body.

"Eponine come on!"

The young youth spoke again holding out his hand, Eponine gave a small smirk matching the boys and took a deep. She had managed to walk two small steps before her legs gave in, she tumbled to the floor.

"EPONINE!" her eyes didn't tear away from the boy at the window who was staring to fade away, she reached out her hand towards the window but was then he was gone. All she could see now was the blurred visions of Gavroche and Enjolras kneeling beside her with the look of worry and panic in their eyes.

"Ep…" Gavroche chocked "Ponine what's wrong?" tears started to form in his eyes, Combeferre, Grantaire and Courfeyrac had now ran into the room to lay eyes on the chaotic scene and immediately Courfeyrac's instincts kicked in. taking two big strides he took Gavroche in his arms.

"Come on Gav."

"No! Let me go!" the boy exclaimed trying to wriggle out of his guardians grasp. Courfeyrac put the boy back down and held onto his shoulders as he turned Gavroche to face him.

"Gav listen to me!" He regrettably shouted. "We will help your sister but you have to trust us. And let us do what we have to do, and we can only do that if you are not in our way. Do you understand?" Gavroche who now had tears streaming from his eyes nodded

"Okay." And in seconds fell into Courfeyrac's arms, Courfeyrac wrapped his arms around the scared boy and took him in the other room, where Megan and Bella were waiting in anxiety.

Grantaire looked down at Enjolras who was now trying to keep Eponine's eyes open, and couldn't take it anymore.

"Enjolras. Enjolras, go with Gav make sure he's calm." Enjolras looked up to his friend his mouth open to argue.

"No. Listen right now Combeferre needs steady hands to get Ep back into bed, and at the moment you're shaking. Go with Gavroche and make sure he doesn't try and run back in." Normally Enjolras would argue straight back and wouldn't give in especially to Grantaire but he was tired, he took one last look at Eponine and swiftly left the room. After Ferre, Courf and Taire managed to get Eponine back in bed, Combeferre checked her temperature and let out a heavy sigh.

"This isn't good, I thought she was on the mend but-"

"Ferre what does that mean?" Courfeyrac interrupted noting his friend's sudden worry.

"It means that the only way I'm going to know get her temperature down is to attempt to blood let."

Grantaire's head snapped up in shock to Combeferre.

"You have done this before?" Combeferre's only reply was a look of panic stricken way. "God help us."

"Right Courf I need you to hold her down, make sure that she doesn't move at all. Taire hold her arm and make sure she's calm try and talk to her." Both men took to their places whilst Combeferre revealed his bag of medical supplies from under the bed. All three men soon heard from Eponine was small weak pleas for them to leave her be.

"Ep, it's okay were all here we won't hurt you." Grantaire said in a hushed tone. He looked over to Combeferre who now held a small sharp looking knife in his shaking hands. He took a small breath and looked over to his two friends.

"Ready?" Both men nodded and Combeferre leaned forward ready to make the first cut. Eponine must have sensed the forthcoming cut as the second the cold metal touched her skin she flinched with strength she or the three boys didn't know she had.

The next few seconds soon turned to chaos, Combeferre had now cut deeper than he wanted and Eponine was now bleeding at an alarming rate. Too tired to scream Eponine started to now try and leave the bed whilst the other three were trying to keep Eponine down whilst trying to stop her bleeding.

"We need more towels, a major vein has cut meaning if we don't act soon she'll bleed to death." And with that Courfeyrac acted quickly and ran out of the door only to face Enjolras, Gavroche and both Megan and Bella. He ran towards the two girls

"We need more towels quickly please anything!" Megan who had noticed the blood on his sleeves nodded and ran to the door with Courf to their apartment. Within seconds they reappeared, Courfeyrac carrying under his arm three or four towels, Enjolras now noticed the blood and without hesitation ran towards Courfeyrac. Gavroche tried to follow Enjolras but both Megan and Bella stopped him trying to guide him to the door.

"Courf what's going on? Why is there blood on your sleeves?" before Courf could respond a terrifying scream echoed the rooms, a scream that would haunt Enjolras's dreams forever.

"ENJOLRAS!" Everyone stood frozen on the spot, Courfeyrac looked at Enjolras and gave him the towels

"Go, she needs you GO!" He didn't need to be told twice, he ran into the room and laid eyes on the most horrific sight. Eponine was frantically trying to leave the bed whilst Grantaire was attempting to calm her. But the sight Enjolras couldn't take his eyes off was the amount of blood coming from her arm, he threw the towels in the direction of Grantaire and Combeferre and leapt to Eponine's side.

"Ep, Ep I'm here, it's okay." She said taking her face into his hands, he then turned to the other two men "What's happening!?" Combeferre who was now using the new towels to stop the bleeding tried to speak but stuttered

"I-I.. the…she- I didn't mean to."

"What he's trying to say is he attempted to get her temperature down by bloodletting but she flinched once she felt the knife. Now a major vein has been cut." Grantaire snapped, staring Enjolras right in the eye. Enjolras nodded in understanding and looked back at Eponine who was crying out in pain. He didn't know what to do, he was panicking.

"Enjolras talk to her, calm her maybe your voice will make a difference." Combeferre finally spoke without stuttering. Enjolras looked both men in the eye before looking back at Eponine who seemed to be growing whiter by the second, suddenly the words just came blurting out.

"Eponine, remember when we first met? When we were eight? I had fallen out of that tree and broke my arm, because I was trying to get that acorn down for you? We were alone so you looked after me until my mother found us." With every word Eponine seemed to calm down her eyes focused on Enjolras's form. "And remember, you came and visited me every day until I could leave the house. Ironic now that I'm the one now looking after you."

It took another hour but soon Grantaire and Combeferre managed to stop the bleeding, but Eponine was too worse for wear to be happy about it. She was whiter than a ghost due to the loss of so much blood, she had barely enough strength to keep her eyes open, never mind thank the four boys. Whilst Combeferre and Grantaire went to tell the others the good news, Enjolras stayed with Eponine, he had taken his place once again lying next to her on the bed, holding her close; threading his fingers through her hair that was drenched in sweat.

"You've been so brave Ep, and I promise you that I will not leave your side until you are your old self again." Enjolras whispered kissing her forehead. He knew that she needed to rest, Combeferre had told her to sleep as much as she could; he looked down and saw that she was showing no signs of going to sleep. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer and thought of the only way to sooth her to sleep - the lullaby they made up when they were young.

"There's a world, there's a world I know. A place we can go where the pain will go away." He began to sing quietly. "There's a world where the sun shines each day. There's a world, there's a world out there, I'll show you just where and in time I know you'll see. There's a world where we can be free. Come with me, come with me. There's a world where we can be free. Come with me." He finished the lullaby with a tear rolling down his cheek and he opened his eyes to see a sleeping Eponine, her arms wrapped around his waist holding him close. He held her tighter, he was so scared, now in her now weakened state the probability losing her was higher. But he now made a promise to himself, he was never going to let her down, he had let down so many others at the barricade. But Eponine he couldn't. he would rather die than let her down, and making sure that she now survived the next few hours was even more vital.