Well people, hope you like this, not too much longer than the first but Oh Well, I'm sooooooo busy you would not believe, I don't believe it, lol!
Happy Easter to all,
ChasteBlush
x x x
Help Me Monsieur MayorTwo Days Later
"Monsieur Mayor, we have started her on a course of medicine which should help, it's far fetched, we can only try to cure the symptoms really, there is no miracle cure, not yet anyway." Valjean nodded, there was now only one nurse with him to see to Fantine, they had done as much as possible at the beginning but one of them was surplus to requirements and needed back at the hospital.
"Thank you, what is the likelihood she will survive this?" he asked quietly, they were standing in the doorway of his bedroom where Fantine was sleeping peacefully in his bed.
"Well, it's difficult to say, the consumption is a tough disease to beat, it depends how far it has got, she may get worse before she gets better though, I have hope, she is a fighter." With that she turned and with her bowl of dirty water and various bottles of medicine clasped in her arms, made her way downstairs to sort things and make herself a well earned cup of tea. Valjean closed the door carefully behind her and returned to his seat beside the bed, automatically, as though Fantine felt his presence, she turned in her sleep to face him and hugged as close to his side of the bed as possible, despite its double size.
'She is beautiful, so pure, so innocent, she does not deserve this, I only pray to God she gets better,' Valjean thought as he stared at her face, for once so peaceful and free of the cares and woes which dogged her during the day.
"Cosette, you've played the day away," she muttered as she dreamed, a smile playing across her lips and laughter bubbling in her heart, Valjean was moved by these dreams she seemed to have. They were always about Cosette, her daughter, he had not probed her as to where she was yet, he didn't want to distress her with talk of the daughter she missed so much. He could see she was a woman full of love, her dreams displayed the strength of her resolve and her love for the future she and Cosette would have, her attainable dream.
"Sorry," she whispered, Valjean jumped, he was still looking at her face and she was not awake, was she dreaming aloud again,
"You know, if you stare at me for so long you'll go blind, or at least mad," she said now, Valjean was certain she was awake now and offered her a smile, still looking at her face.
"In my line of profession you learn to sleep with your eyes closed but seeing everything, men will screw you and steal all you've got if you drop of, this way I appear asleep and avoid having to talk to him but I can watch to make sure he isn't up to no good." Valjean chuckled,
"How long have you been watching me watch you?" he asked, she opened her eyes fully now and winked,
"Long enough, what is it you want to ask me?" she asked, Valjean was again surprised by this charmingly sweet young lady,
"What do you mean?" he asked,
"You have that look about you, like you are dying to ask me something but you're not sure how to broach the subject," Fantine pulled herself upright and leant back on her pillows. She smiled at him all the time and Valjean was given the distinct impression she was in some way tainted by her life and this was a way of expressing it, her study of faces, expressions and emotions was too in depth for any normal person.
"I … I was wondering where exactly Cosette was? You dream of her so much and yet she's not with you?" at once he wished he had come up with something else to ask her for she looked so dismayed and heartbroken at the mention of her little girl that he was struck by her pain.
"Cosette is with … I left her with a innkeeper and his wife," she said this slowly, almost painfully but then in defence of herself began to speak so fast it took some work to understand,
"But I didn't want to Madeleine, please believe me I never wanted to give up my daughter, I love her so much, so much and I was desperate, I had no money, nothing , I couldn't look after her, she would have died." By the end of her tirade she was growing hysterical, coughing again and crying, Valjean took her hand in his and pulled her to him.
"Hush now Fantine, I understand, you were saving her life, don't cry, I understand," he whispered soothingly as he held her against him. Fantines sobs and coughs slowed and became occasional sniffs until she was no longer crying but seemed to be resting on his chest in silence, her arms tucked into her whilst his encircled her.
"Fantine, where was this innkeeper living?" he asked finally, she didn't reply,
"Fantine?" he asked, she was fast asleep in the circle of his arms, a contented sigh escaping her as he shifted her into a position in which he could see her face. Valjean smiled, she was peaceful again, in the place were her child accompanied her, but he needed to go to the factory, he couldn't stay here holding her, as much as he may have wanted to. Carefully he manoeuvred her into bed again and lay her back as comfortably as possible without waking her up, a few moments after he had finished the door opened and the nurse walked in with a polite nod.
"I'm going to the factory for a while, please send a message if anything changes immediately it happens," he instructed, the nurse bobbed her head and went about attending to Fantine, checking her temperature whilst she dozed on oblivious.
Valjean arrived at his factory ten minutes after setting out from home, he found the foreman and forewoman discussing one of the female workers as he arrived and enquired what the problem was.
"One of the workers, her names Isabella, she has a son out of wedlock, I've just dismissed her," Valjean could barely contain his anger,
"How dare you, send her to me at once," he ordered through barely concealed rage, the forewoman was so shocked and terrified that she scuttled away instantly and the foreman followed soon after. When the woman left his office half an hour later she was ecstatically happy in the knowledge that now not only did she still have her job but she would also be receiving a special fund for her son which would from that moment on be applied to all single mothers. The news spread through the factory within the hour from the female section to the male section and soon the entire town would be abuzz with the news of Monsieur la Mayors most recent shocking proposal.
"Monsieur Madeleine, Police Prefect Javert is here to see you," Valjeans secretary stood in the doorway awaiting his reply and Valjean, shaking, gave it,
"Send him in," as the door closed again he drew in a deep steadying breath,
"Ah, Javert, what can I do for you this fine morning?" he enquired, Javert stood in the doorway, proud and erect watching his every movement with an eye trained to spot anything out of the ordinary.
"I came to discuss a problem with you Monsieur la Mayor," Valjean smiled confidently although inside he had the familiar wobbly feeling he always felt when Javert was anywhere near by,
"Then by all means come in and discuss away," he replied quite smoothly,
"It's the whores Monsieur la Mayor, they are beginning to become unruly, yesterday I arrested another one who physically assaulted a gentleman on the street."
Valjean blinked at Javert, he could think of nothing to say in reply to that, especially after what had happened the previous night when Captain Beauvais had informed him of exactly what had happened at Fantines arrest and the causes of it,
"Javert, is it entirely necessary that you consider my opinion on this matter, I am sure Captain Beauvais could sort this out for you, he needs only to have some fliers stuck up around town commenting that physical assault will not be tolerated, I would not call this an urgent matter." Javert looked slightly taken aback at Valjeans obvious disregard for the importance of this subject,
"Monsieur la Mayor, it is vital that I do this, it is an extremely important development, they can not be allowed to think they have the right to physically assault a gentleman." Valjean sighed,
"Then why do you not lock them all up," he offered jokingly, at this Javert looked troubled,
"I have considered this but unfortunately I recognise that although prostitution and the use of prostitutes is most disagreeable, it is nether the less a most vital part of any culture. The town would erupt in riots if I were to take every prostitute off the street, as long as I monitor them, as I have been doing, they must remain in order to keep the peace." Valjean shook his head in disbelief,
"Javert, I suggest you take my advice, post some leaflets around town, the ladies will take note and I am sure the situation will resolve itself, until that time you can not arrest all of them and you can take no other definite action against them."
With that Valjean rose from his seat and offered Javert his hand,
"Good day Sir," Javert said finally, he couldn't quite believe how unconcerned the mayor was at such a despicable situation,
"Monsieur la Mayor, I was wondering when I might re-arrest the prostitute?" he asked, Valjean offered him a single 'how dare you' glare and replied,
"She will not be rearrested Javert, she is as of now under no charge, I shall be caring for her until she is completely better and then from there she will begin a new life afresh without anything hanging over her."
"But she is a prostitute,"
"I do not care, she is also a lady, a human being and a woman wronged, she deserves your mercy and compassion not your anger and scorn." Valjean was positively seething,
"But Monsieur Mayor,"
"Good day Javert," Valjean held the door open for him to leave and waited.
When Javert had finally left the room and Valjean had closed the door tightly behind him he collapsed against the wall and breathed out all his stress and tension. He hated seeing Javert just in case he got that little bit closer to discovering who he really was, just in case he ruined everything that Valjean had set up for himself here. He had a life now, a reason to live and a reason to be, he had an entire factory of men and women who relied upon him to look after them, to care for them and pay them a good wage so they could go on living. In one moment of memory and realisation Javert had the power to bring his entire world crashing down around his ears, what would he do then, how could he help Fantine if he was a fugitive on the run. Poor Fantine, he had bought this upon her and now, now he had to watch as she battled with a killing disease and struggled with the demons of her daughter chasing her.
That evening
"Check," Fantine told him, Valjean sighed,
"I really am no good at this game," he told her as she watched with smug satisfaction as he tried to move away from her chess pieces,
"I didn't used to be, but practice makes perfect, I used to play against myself a lot, then I played against the girls from work in our breaks, now I'm quite good, don't worry, you and I will practice." Fantine spoke with such earnest self assurance that Valjean was quite inclined to believe her, the nurse couldn't yet say whether she was dieing or whether she would pull through so Valjean was left wondering and hopeing she would.
"Thank you, but I fear you will still beat me hands down everytime, this is our fifth game since you arrived here and I haven't improved one iota," Fantine chuckled,
"Look at it this way, at least now you know what each of the pieces is called, before you didn't, so you have improved," Valjean raised a sarcastic eyebrow,
"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better," Fantine only smiled in reply.
They sat enjoying two more games before they decided to put the chess board away, they seemed to have grown quite fond of each others company and enjoyed each others tales, Fantine told of her time in Paris. Valjean was a little more careful with what he told, nothing he said revealed anything about the man who was condemned to the chain gang, only what the man innocent was like. At some point in the evening, just after the two had enjoyed a nice meal together, the nurse appeared in the doorway looking decidedly harried and informed them that she would have to be leaving. The hospital was groaning under an overload of cholera patients, she was needed to help there, she would return as soon as she was not needed but she could not stay. Valjean was understanding, he enquired as to her diagnosis of Fantines condition before she left but all she could reply was that it was too early to tell, she would know better in a couple of days when she returned. So Valjean knew what medicines to give Fantine and when and how to care for her properly and the nurse left to attend to the towns many diseased.
It was late evening when Fantine had opened up about her daughter again, she missed her terribly and thinking there was a strong chance she would die, she wanted to see her again.
"Help me Monsieur Mayor," she begged, Valjean offered her a sad smile,
"Anything I can do I will to help you my dear Fantine," Fantines face crumbled and she looked about to cry again but held it back with an effort,
"Fetch my daughter to me, write to the Thenadiers and have them bring her here, please Monsieur I will do anything, I will give you everything," Valjean, seeing she was about to offer herself to him again, stopped her there,
"I will do it and you need not give me anything, as soon as I can possibly lave I will fetch her to you myself, she will be with you again and as soon as you are better I shall set you up with a comfortable house and you will be a little family, you and your daughter." Fantine looked so overcome he thought she might cry again but instead she lay back on her pillows and closed her eyes in a moment of pure happiness, soon she would have her daughter and he was going to make it all alright.
When she opened her eyes again Valjean was still watching her face, she offered him a smile and blew him a kiss which he laughed at before sighing.
"Dearest Fantine, I swear to you, I will make your life everything it aught to be, I will give you the world," Fantine looked slightly embarrassed but covered it with a smile,
"Thank you Monsieur, you are too kind to me, I don't suppose I could ask one more favour?" she asked looking slightly guilty, Valjean shook his head as though to wave her comment away,
"Of course, ask away,"
"Would you … could you read to me?" she asked with some embarrassment, startled by this unexpected question Valjean didn't reply for a moment in which Fantine thought she may have been out of line asking him to read to her like some sort of servant but he quickly reassured her.
"Of course I will read to you," she held out the book she had been reading for him and he set to it, reading with all the voices and if not making her laugh, making her sigh at the emotional parts. Valjean found she had fallen asleep on him as he himself yawned, closing the book he settled back to rest his eyes for a moment, a moment which found him there still sleeping the next morning.