Disclaimer: I do not own Les Misérables and it's characters, as much as I want to.
A/N: This chapter is going to get a little deeper into the relationship between Joly and Grantaire. Also prepare for loads of text because hell baby, I have some gooooood inspiration.
'Joly, is he going to survive the night? Because of all the injuries and so.' Marius asked while drinking a bit of wine. 'I honestly don't know. It's up to him. If he can fight off the pain, and if he has the strength to fight for his recovery, yes he'll survive.' Joly sighed.
'JOLY! JOLY COME UP HERE!' Combeferre yelled. 'JOLY PLEASE!' Joly and Marius got up and ran up the stairs. The door was already open en Combeferre was sitting next to a really sweaty boy. 'Mon Dieu… he's got a fever.' Joly said en he pushed Combeferre away from Gavroche. 'Marius, go downstairs and bring me as many cold towels you can get. Combeferre, I need a large bucket of ice. Whole lot of snow out there, so use it.' Joly bossed the two around. They didn't care being called around by their friend, because he was their only hope Gavroche could survive. Courfeyrac headed upstairs as well when he heard all the screaming and Joly bossing everybody around. 'What happened?' Courfeyrac asked. 'He's got a fever..' Marius said and he went to get the wet towels. 'But, Joly. He was so cold two hours ago. How is this possible?' Courfeyrac was really confused. 'Courf, please. Get out and do something useful.' Joly yelled. He was taking away the covers that Gavroche was under and tried to bring down his temperature by taking off the little boy's shirt. It caused Gavroche you scream in pain. 'I'm so sorry, Gavroche. But you're running a fever and I need to get your temperature down.' Joly apologized. Gavroche nodded as a sign that he understood what Joly was saying, but it didn't prevent him from crying, caused by the pain in his whole body. Marius came back with the cold towels, as well as Courfeyrac and Combeferre with two large buckets of snow. 'Here, Joly. Is this enough?' Joly looked at it and then turned back to Gavroche. 'For now, yes. Wake Grantaire up for me and send him up, I need him.' And with that the students left the guestroom to find and wake Grantaire.
Joly started to wipe away the sweat with a cold towel. He put snow in some other towels and placed in on his chest and forehead. Gavroche shivered at the cold on his body, but he liked it. It was a nice feeling on his warm chest and head. 'Joly, what is happening to me?' Gavroche managed to whisper. 'I don't know yet, kid, but I'll figure it out.' Joly said in attempt to comfort Gavroche.
'Where do you need me for, Joly?' Grantaire stood near the open door. 'Grantaire, you are the only one I trust with Gavroche right now, you know why.' Joly looked at Grantaire, who understood what his best friend was talking about. Grantaire took the empty seat next to the bed and opposite of Joly. Grantaire took the towel of Gavroche's chest, dabbed the boy dry and refilled the towel with snow. He placed it back on Gavroche's chest and did the same routine with the towel on the boy's forehead. When Grantaire took away the towel, he saw that the wound had started bleeding again.
'Joly, look.' Joly, who was busy to prepare to set Gavroche's arm, looked up at Grantaire and then down at Gavroche. 'My Lord, this probably explains it all.' Joly removed the bandage from the kid's head. The wound was pretty dirty and Joly didn't hesitate to clean it and wrap it up again. 'I think it has got infected, that's why the fever came up so fast. I'll stop by the University Hospital later to get medicine.' Joly told Grantaire.
'How do you feel, Gavroche?' Grantaire asked. Gavroche didn't really respond. 'Hey, Gavroche, I'm going to set your broken arm.' Joly said with a polite voice. 'Is it going to hurt?' Gavroche whispered anxious. Grantaire looked at Joly for a moment, they exchanged looks that could write a book full of expressions.
'Wait a moment, I'll be right back.' Grantaire said and in less than a second he had left the room and went downstairs. He came back less than a minute later with a large bottle of very strong liquor.'Grantaire, this is not the time to get yourself drunk.' Joly said, a little pissed off. 'It's not for me, it's for Gavroche. You're going to set his arm, right? He'll die from the pain. I remember that pain like it happened yesterday.' Grantaire said a little bit quieter. He didn't want to scare Gavroche, but that was too late already. 'So you want to get him drunk?' Joly asked, Grantaire shook his head. 'He'll only need a few drops from this stuff to get him to sleep. I know why you asked me to be here, for once listen to me.' Grantaire held the bottle out to Joly, who thought about it for a moment, but then took it. Grantaire was right about this one, Gavroche would die from the pain otherwise.
Joly filled a quarter of a mug with the liquor, then filled it up with water and put in on the bedside table. Gavroche, who was still running quite a fever, hadn't followed much of their conversation. Joly helped him sit up a little. 'Okay Gavroche, this will put you to sleep, so you won't feel so much pain when I set your arm.' Joly held out the mug and let Gavroche take a sip. 'It's gross!' Gavroche made a disgusting face. 'I know, but you have to drink all of it, buddy.' Grantaire said. Gavroche looked at the mug again, but after a little hesitation he drank the liquid.
'Well done!' Grantaire encouraged him. 'How long will it take, you think?' Joly asked Grantaire. 'Not so long, couple of minutes maybe. It it strong stuff you know, and he's just a little boy.' He responded.
Grantaire was right. About five minutes later, Gavroche was fast asleep. Grantaire looked at Joly with a I-told-you-so-look and really enjoyed this moment, where he was right and the medical student not.
'Oh shut you you bastard.' Joly said, but smiled widely. 'I want to wait just five more minutes, to be sure you know.' Joly said. 'He'll feel something, though. It'll feel like a nightmare.' Grantaire said while looking down at Gavroche. He reminded him so much of himself when he was Gavroche's age. Joly saw the look in Grantaire's eyes, but decided that the history talk could wait until after he'd set Gavroche's arm.
'Can you help me with this?' Joly asked, Grantaire nodded. Joly took the kid's right arm out of the sling it was in. Grantaire was right again, you could see some Gavroche make some painful faces, like he had a nightmare. 'Okay, here we go.' Joly said when he had found the break in the bones. Grantaire sat on the bed, one hand placed on Gavroche's left shoulder and his knees against the little boys hip to keep him still. You could see that it hurt Gavroche whenever Joly bent his arm. A final crack and the bone was set right again, although it was paired with a scream from Gavroche.
Joly waited a moment to see if the little boy would wake up, but he slept through. Joly placed Gavroche's arm back in the sling very carefully. 'We'll get someone else to watch him for the next two hours.' Joly told Grantaire, who was refilling the towels with snow. The nodded and left with Joly.
The two students came downstairs and were welcomed by loads of questions, but one really jumped out: 'Why did you need Grantaire?' It was Courfeyrac who'd asked. 'That's really none of your business, guys.' Joly said to safe Grantaire from telling the whole story. 'No, they can know.' Grantaire said. 'First I need a mug of wine and somebody who stays with Gavroche.' he added. Feuilly stood up. 'I'll go.' And he left with that.
Enjolras gave Grantaire a large mug filled with nice wine, and sat down on a chair to listen to the story. 'Well, the reason Joly needed me was because of my past. I've been in the same condition as Gavroche is now, beaten and thrown out by my father. He abused me whenever he found a reason, and he would lock me up in the doghouse after he was done. I was sixteen when I got thrown out in the snow like Gavroche. Joly found me and brought me to his father. Thanks to them, I can still tell this story.' Grantaire swallowed away the tears. 'I started drinking so I could forget about all the pain my old man did to me.' All the other students, except for Joly, looked at Grantaire with sorry. 'B-but.. why didn't you ever tell?' Courfeyrac asked. 'Because I didn't want you guys to know.' Grantaire stood up and walked to the guestroom.
'Feuilly, I'll stay with him.' Grantaire whispered. Feuilly nodded and left the room. Grantaire took a seat next to Gavroche's bed and started to do something he hadn't done in quite a long time; sing. He sang very quietly, but still.
'Little people know, when little people fight. We may look easy pickings, but we've got some bite. So never kick a dog, because it's just a pup. We'll fight like twenty armies and we won't give up. So you'd better run for cover when the pup grows up.'
It was the first time since he got thrown out that Grantaire cried.