Chapter Ten
It had been weeks since Eponine had walked away from Enjolras, and he still hadn't seen her. Winter had set in, and it was already very harsh. It snowed almost every night and the wind whipped fiercely. Enjolras sat alone in his apartment, trying to study one of his school books. He had lost nearly all of his friends. It was just him and Courfeyrac. He still attended classes at the university, but without all the familiar faces, even school was lonely. He barely slept at night because his mind was plagued with nightmares of the barricade. He could never forget the images that were seared into his mind on that day.
Enjolras closed his textbook and rubbed his neck. He couldn't focus. He had searched everywhere for Eponine, yet she was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, he thought of one place he hadn't checked. He bundled himself in a coat and ducked into the frosty air, making his way to the Thenardiers' inn.
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Enjolras stepped into the rundown inn to find Monsieur Thenardier standing at the bar with a mug of ale in his hand.
"What can I do for you, Monsieur?" Thenardier asked while moving towards Enjolras, obviously eager to rip off another customer.
Enjolras took a step back and held up his hand, gesturing for the man to stop. He knew what the Thenardiers' were like. If he let the man come any closer, he'd leave this place with his pockets completely empty.
"We have a customer?" Madame Thenardier emerged from another room.
"I came to inquire about Eponine. Is she here?" Enjolras asked coldly.
Madame Thenardier cackled, "We haven't seen that brat in months!"
"Why do you care?" Monsieur Thenardier spat.
Enjolras stared sharply at the man, "I'm a friend, and I've been looking for her."
"Good luck. I'd forget about her. She's probably got herself into some trouble," the woman snickered.
Enjolras was repulsed by the lack of concern for their own daughter.
"You should know that she was injured in the fight, and your son, Gavroche, died during the fight," Enjolras said through his teeth.
"Shouldn't have gotten themselves in the line of fire. They were always so stupid," Monsieur Thenardier smirked.
Enjolras bit his tongue to keep from saying something he shouldn't and turned to leave.
"If you find her, you tell that girl that she has work to do here!" the man yelled.
Enjolras just kept walking.
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On his way home, he tried to calm down. How could parents not care about their children like that? He just couldn't comprehend it. As he walked around a corner, and his apartment came into view, he was shocked to see Courfeyrac frantically knocking on his door and calling his name. In Courfeyrac's arms was a limp Eponine. He broke into a run to reach them faster.
"Courfeyrac, what's happened?"
"Enjolras, she's ill. She needs help," Courfeyrac panted.
Enjolras quickly unlocked his apartment and let them in.
"Take her to my room. I'll find a doctor," he said before sprinting off into the snowy darkness.
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It took Enjolras a while to find a doctor and get back to his apartment. He paced his living room while Courfeyrac sat nervously on the couch.
"I've been searching for her for weeks. How did you find her?" Enjolras asked quietly.
"I was on the way home from an errand, and I happened to see her slumped against a tree covered in snow. When I got to her, I realized how ill she was and knew she needed help. I didn't know what else to do other than to bring her here."
Enjolras shut his eyes and stopped pacing. She had been living on the streets. He wished he'd known. He thought that maybe he could have prevented all this if he only knew she had taken to sleeping in the snow. Suddenly, the doctor emerged from Enjolras's bedroom.
"Monsieurs," the doctor said, getting the men's attention.
"How is she?" Enjolras asked.
"She's extremely ill, and she has a very high fever. It doesn't look good. There's nothing I can do. We just have to wait and see."
Enjolras ran a hand through his hair.
"OK. Thank you, doctor," Courfeyrac said.
"Her clothes are rather wet. Do you have any dry clothes she can wear?" the doctor asked.
Enjolras nodded and went to his room to fetch some clothes. He didn't look at Eponine, afraid he might break down if he saw her so helpless. He was afraid memories of the barricade would flood to his mind. He had to keep his composure. He got what he needed and returned to the living room, handing the doctor one of his shirts and a pair of trousers. The doctor changed Eponine's clothes and left them. Enjolras rubbed his neck and looked at Courfeyrac with weary eyes.
"Can you stay?" he asked.
"Sure."
Enjolras shed his coat and loosened his cravat. Courfeyrac watched curiously as Enjolras picked up a chair and moved it into the bedroom. He came back out of the bedroom only to toss Courfeyrac a blanket, then he disappeared again. He sat down in the chair he'd moved to Eponine's bedside and watched her sleep. Her cheeks were flushed and sweat beaded on her forehead. She took shallow breaths, and Enjolras worried that her breathing would stop all together. He silently let tears fall from his eyes. He felt Courfeyrac's presence behind him and he tried to wipe the tears away.
"You need to rest, Enjolras," he said.
"No. I can't sleep. I don't want to leave her alone."
Courfeyrac sighed, "We need to try to get her fever down."
Enjolras got up and left the room, returning minutes later with some cool water and rags. He reached over and gently brushed a strand of her dark hair away from her face. Her head felt like it was on fire. He quickly wet one of the rags and placed it on her forehead, hoping it would do some good.
"Is there anything I can do?" his friend asked.
Enjolras shook his head. He was fighting back tears.
"I'm here if you need me," Courfeyrac said before going to settle in on the couch.
Enjolras stared at Eponine, not daring to leave her side.
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Eponine awakened in the middle of the night. She felt half dead. There was a small candle lit in the room, but she wasn't sure where she was until she saw Enjolras slumped over asleep in a chair by her bed. She studied his face. That was the most peaceful she'd ever seen him. She began thinking about him, and she realized how stupid she was. Enjolras had always been there for her. From the day they met, he had been nothing but kind. He was her dearest friend. Enjolras was the only person she felt she could confide in, especially about Marius. He helped her and taught her. He encouraged her to stand up for her beliefs. He was the one who had always been there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Eponine realized that she did love Enjolras. No one had ever cared for her before as much as he did. She couldn't deny it any longer. She was in love with Enjolras.
"Enjolras," she tried to say, but it came out quieter than a whisper.
She mustered up all the strength she could and tried again.
"Enjolras."
Enjolras was jarred awake at the sound of his name. He sat forward, and his blue eyes filled with concern.
"Eponine? Are you OK?"
Tears welled in her eyes, and she grabbed his hand.
"Enjolras, I'm not ready to die. I've been thinking, and I realized I was very stupid. I do love you, Enjolras. I'm not ready to leave you," she professed weakly.
"Oh, Eponine." He felt his lip quivering, and he hung his head in an attempt to keep Eponine from seeing his tears. He was full of mixed emotions. He shed tears of sorrow because his love lay there pitifully, and he cried tears of joy because she finally accepted his love. He took a deep breath, squeezed her hand reassuringly, and looked back up to meet her eyes.
"I love you too, Eponine. Everything will be fine. You will live. I won't let you leave me."
He removed the almost dry rag and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. Her skin was blistering hot to his lips, so he moistened the rag again, and placed it back on her head. He stroked her hair and tried to calm her.
After she had calmed, she found she couldn't sleep, so they just sat there while Enjolras held and rubbed her hand. Enjolras wouldn't take his eyes off of her, afraid something would happen. A faint smile crossed Eponine's lips.
"What?" Enjolras asked.
"I just thought about something. Is Enjolras your first or last name?"
Enjolras chuckled, "It is my first name. When my parents disowned me because of the rebellion, I started to go only by my first name. I legally changed my last name to Rousseau so I wouldn't have to speak my father's name again. Most of the time, I just don't give my last name to anyone unless I have to."
"Enjolras Rousseau," Eponine whispered.
Enjolras chuckled again. Eponine adjusted the covers and noticed that she was no longer wearing her dress.
"Am I wearing your clothes?" she inquired.
"Um, yes. Your dress was quite wet and the doctor wanted to put you in something dry."
"Oh."
"Try to get some rest, 'Ponine. It's the only way the fever will break," he said.
"OK. Promise you'll stay with me."
"I promise," he smiled.
She got very still, never letting go of his hand and within minutes, she was fast asleep.
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The next morning, Enjolras awoke still grasping Eponine's hand. He watched her nervously to make sure she was still breathing. Her cheeks looked like their normal color, and hope sprung into Enjolras's heart. He placed a hand to her cheek and smiled when it no longer felt hot. He got up and bolted from the bedroom.
"Courfeyrac, wake up!" he said.
Courfeyrac groaned, "What is it?"
"I need you to get the doctor. I think her fever is gone."
He quickly got up off the sofa and left the apartment. Only a short time later, Courfeyrac returned with the doctor. They left him alone with Eponine while they waited rather impatiently for the verdict. While they waited, Enjolras thought he should probably tell Courfeyrac about him and Eponine.
"Courfeyrac, Eponine told me she loved me," he said.
"Do you love her?"
"Yes, I do, very much so," Enjolras replied.
Courfeyrac smiled, "I'm happy for you."
About that time, the doctor came out of the room.
"Her fever is gone. Just keep her in bed for a while so she can fully recuperate."
Both men breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you very much," Enjolras said.
After the doctor left, Enjolras went to sit with Eponine again, both incredibly happy that she was getting better.
Author's Note: First of all, I was reading back over the chapters I've already uploaded, and I'd like to apologize for all the grammar mistakes that weren't caught. I'll try to do better! Anyway, thank you everyone for all the kind reviews! I hope you are enjoying the story! Message me or comment if you have ideas. I would greatly appreciate them. Thanks for reading and please review! I like to hear from my readers.
~loislane16