Still no ownership
Cosette squeezed Marius's hand tightly. His nerves seemed to be radiating off him and bouncing off the walls. Combeferre had been whisked off by the doctors and now they were following Courfeyrac to a small room. He paused with his hand on the door.
"I should warn you, things have changed." Courfeyrac said, not looking at either of them. Marius didn't know how to respond. Luckily for him he didn't have to as Courfeyrac simply pushed open the door and beckoned them in. To begin with it looked as if they were all there playing cards. It took a moment for the differences to appear. Feuilly, Joly and Bahorel were in fact the only ones playing and there obvious changes to them. Feuilly's was the least obvious but he had aged drastically because of the shock of what had happened. There were lines covering his face and streaks of grey in his hair. Joly had lost his leg and was resting back under the sheets to hide the numb. Bahorel had a bandage over one ear but judging by the shape he had lost an ear. Enjolras was sleeping in the next bed and on the end was Jean Prouvaire who looked as if he was sleeping.
"Marius?" Joly half whispered, being the first to see the small group enter. Feuilly and Bahorel turned and stared in shock.
"You're alive?" Bahorel eventually asked.
"It would seem so." Courfeyrac replied.
"I'm sorry." Marius said softly.
"For what?" Joly asked.
"Everything."
"It wasn't your fault; we all assumed we would die." Feuilly said emotionlessly. Cosette shivered slightly at his words. That couldn't be true, could it? The three on the bed all looked at the floor.
"On a happier note it seems our young friend here has a wedding coming up." Courfeyrac said to end the uncomfortable silence.
"You are?" Bahorel asked in surprise. He hadn't seen that coming, in fact he hadn't even noticed the young girl standing there.
"Congratulations. I would get up but alas my legs won't allow it." Joly said with a grin, his black humour sent another shiver through Cosette.
"Life really does move on after a barricade." Feuilly said to himself.
"You were that certain of death Monsieur?" Cosette asked, her throat felt dry.
"I was counting on it."
"You must excuse him. When he awoke here a part of him was lost." Courfeyrac whispered before he walked over to Jean's bed. "Jean, can you hear me? Marius and his fianc e are here." Silence followed. Enjolras was still sleeping and the others knew that Jean would not respond. Courfeyrac silently shook his head and moved away from the bed.
"Excuse me..." a quiet voice came from the door. The group turned to face the speaker. It was a girl in rags with reddish brown hair. Nether Marius or Cosette could shake off the feeling that they knew her.
"Can we help you?" Bahorel eventually asked.
"I'm looking for him." The girl said, pointing at Marius who now looked bewildered. "My sister Monsieur, you know her."
"I do?" Marius asked.
"Yes please I need help." The girl practically begged. It was at that point that Enjolras woke up. Instinctively he sat up and faced the door but his eyes seemed to look anywhere but who was standing. The girl paled at the sight of him and ran out of the room. Marius ran after her.
"What happened?" Enjolras asked, slightly dazed and confused.
"We found Marius." Courfeyrac explained.
"He's alive?"
"Indeed."
"So the dead do come back." Enjolras mused to himself.
"Monsieur I ask you not to speak badly of him." Cosette said in a rare flash of anger.
"Oh I forgot, this is Marius's fianc e Cosette." Courfeyrac said with a smile.
"Forgive me Citizen, I did not know you were there." Enjolras said politely. Cosette curtsied whilst wondering how he hadn't noticed her, it wasn't exactly a big room.
"Let go." The mysterious girl said as Marius returned holding onto her arm.
"Not until you tell us who you are." Marius said, a little irritated by the whole fiasco. The girl stopped fidgeting and looked generally scared at the amount of people in the room. Actually it was only one of them she seemed scared of.
"Ok let s try something easier, what's your name?" Bahorel asked.
"Azelma..."
"Th nardier?" Marius questioned.
"Mmm. You know my sister well." She said with a sinister looking smile.
"No... but she helped me find Cosette." Marius replied. Azelma looked over at the girl in question. Anger filled her eyes.
"Ok now we're getting somewhere. Why were you looking for Marius?" Joly asked.
"My sister... she's in trouble." Azelma said, lowering her eyes.
"No offense to her but I highly doubt that Eponine would be in trouble." Enjolras said.
"Maybe but she's been taken... by Patron Minette. Please Monsieur s you have to help me." She begged.
"Who is Patron Minette?" Bahorel asked.
"Not nice people." Feuilly said, something sparked in his eyes.
"We aren't exactly the most helpful of people." Joly said gesturing to his own missing leg.
"But you're the only people I can turn to. Please." She begged.
"Azelma..." Marius started.
"Please, before they kill her." Azelma begged, tears rolling down her face.
"Do you know where they took her?" Enjolras asked.
"Enjolras, what could you do?" Feuilly asked.
"I'm alive, aren't I?"
"I don't know the address but I could show you their hideout."
"If you know this, why do you need us?" Joly asked.
"I am a girl, how would I get past them?"
"If we come with you, you should notice the fact that we are all injured." Courfeyrac said.
"Those two look alright to me." She said, pointing at Marius and Enjolras.
"Looks can be deceiving." Enjolras said bitterly.
"Do you want us to go now?" Marius asked, putting a hand on Cosette's arm.
"We are. You need to take her home." Bahorel said standing up.
"I'll stay here. In case Jean wakes up." Joly said, though they all knew the truth.
"Enjolras you should stay too." Feuilly said.
"No, I must go. Life has to go on." Enjolras said as he pulled himself off the bed.
"Enjolras this is a bad idea." Courfeyrac tried.
"Then what am I meant to do, live my life doing nothing?" Enjolras asked, rubbing his temples. His eyes were still darting around the room.
"No but... ok fine, why is this so important to you?" Joly asked.
"I can't stand to see injustice." Enjolras replied dully.
"That's the point. You can't see."