Warning, this chapter includes: Blood, Panic attacks.
_The current setting is four weeks after Marie's birthday.
"My Bonnie lies over the ocean,"
"My Bonnie lies over the sea."
"My Bonnie lies over the ocean,"
"So bring back my Bonnie to me."
"Gavroche!"
"Huh?!"
"C'mon, were g'nna be too late!"
"Oh, comin'!"
Gavroche sat up quickly, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He hastily put on his jacket and bolted out of the statue. He was currently following Oliver, they were both going to the market corner. Every three weeks on a Tuesday, bright and early, one of the bakers would dump all of the bread or other baked goods that hadn't been bought. They always tried to get there before any beggars or street urchins would try and get it.
"There it is! 'e 'asn't dumped 'em yet!" Cried Oliver.
"Yes! 'urry up, I wanna get there fast!" Replied Gavroche, struggling to possibly make his legs go faster. They finally reached the corner, and waited outside of the back door. They heard the door creak, and the baker stepped out. He dumped a crate full of stale bread and pastries onto the street, where Gavroche and Oliver swarmed over them like rats.
"Dirty li'l street rats...Go fin' food somewhere else!" the baker scowled. Gavroche stuffed the last loaf into his jacket, thumbed his nose at the baker, and motioned for Oliver to follow him. Oliver crossed his fist over his elbow as they ran. The baker growled at the sign of disrespect, but walked back into the bakery.
"I've never 'eld so much food in my life!" exclaimed Oliver. It was true, they were never there early enough to get to the bread first.
"Don't slow down, keep on runnin'!" encouraged Gavroche. They finally reached the elephant, where the others were waiting.
"Did'ja get any?" Asked Garcaunt. The two boys proudly emptied their jackets, pockets, and hats.
"Whoa!" cried the others. They all sat in a circle, where they divided everything evenly.
"Wait a minute..." Said Gavroche, stopping to swallow, "where's Marie?" A girl named Lily pointed.
"She went out before you all did, sayin' she was meetin' someone." Lily answered.
"Did she say who?"
"An old boy she knew, apparently."
Gavroche narrowed his eyes. A boy? Who? He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps and scuffling. Marie popped her head through the door and greeted everyone.
"Mornin', everyone!" She happily said. Marie was defiantly different, more different than she had been two months before. She no longer spoke in her sophisticated accent, she spoke in the scruffy cockney accent that everyone else did. She was stronger, taller, and more confident than she was before. Her hands were now rough and cracked, same with her bare feet.
"Marie, where 'ave you been?" Asked Gavroche, his eyes following her as she walked and sat down beside Lily and Rachelle.
"I met an old frien', knew 'im since I was a wee child." she replied. She nodded in thanks to Rachelle, who handed her a fair sized bit of bread. She seemed happier than she did yesterday. Gavroche suspiciously eyed her.
" 'ow close are you two?" He asked, calmly.
"Best frien's, almost brother an' sis." She said.
"Ohh, I see what's 'appening 'ere. G'vroche is gettn' a bit jealous, ain't 'e?" Sneered Rachelle. Gavroche whipped his head towards her.
"That's not it! I'm jus' worried 'bout 'er meetin' new people," he protested, "I'm goin' to the cafe for a meetin'. Oliver, your in charge while I'm gone." Oliver nodded, and Gavroche made his way out. Taking a bite of his bread and putting the rest in his pocket for later, he began to run.
"There he is! Gavroche, come here, you've got snow all over your jacket." Courfeyrac said when the boy entered the cafe. Gavroche made his way towards his friend, who brushed all of the snow off his jacket.
"So...uh..." Grantaire leaned over to him, and grinned, "'ow's the girl?" he sniggered. Gavroche elbowed him away, not saying anything.
"Oh, something's up. Tell us, whats got you down?" Asked Joly. Gavroche shook his head, showing that he didn't want to talk right now.
"Guys, enough with the questions. He's got his own problems to deal with." Said Courfeyrac. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Enjolras rushed into the room. His eyes were wide with horror.
"What's wrong, are you late?" Asked Combeferre. Enjolras turned to Gavroche and motioned him over.
"Come with me." He said, grabbing the boy's hand and rushing out of the cafe. Gavroche struggled to keep up with the older man, and he was growing more worried by the second.
"What...what is it?!" He cried out, panting. He noticed that Enjolras was leading him to a crowd. Through the commotion, Gavroche heard bits and pieces of what was going on.
"Someone try and help! She's so young!"
"Try again!"
"She's only a little girl!"
Gavroche's heart raced. He broke from Enjolras's grasp and made his way through the crowd. Surely they weren't talking about...
"Marie!" he screamed, realizing that the girl was trapped under rubble. It was obviously the remains of a runaway carriage. Cart accidents were very common here, but Mayor Madeline was no longer here to help them. A group of aducts grabbed at him, screaming that he would hurt himself. Gavroche pulled away and ran to his wounded friend.
"Gavroche...?" She whispered. Her face was pale, her lips were blue from the cold, and her voice cracked. Blood had splattered all over her chest and clothing. Her breathing was growing shakier. Gavroche edged his hand underneath her head, and with his other hand, held hers.
"It's alright...shh...they'll get it off of you!" He cried. He was trying not to panic, but in this situation, how could he not? A number of civilians pitched in to lift the cart, and when it finally came up, Gavroche tugged Marie with all of his might, and slid her out from under the wheel that hit her.
"Watch out!" yelled a voice in the crowd, and Gavrochre had no time to react as the pane of glass from the window of the carriage toppled, and smashed into pieces over his head. The terrified screams of women rang out as the child fell limp to the ground.
"Gavroche? Can you hear me?"
A voice was ringing in Gavroche's ears, though he couldn't decipher the owner. He felt a hand softly tap his face. He wanted to sit up and talk to these people, but he didn't have the strength. He tried to remember what had happened a few hours ago.
Accident...Glass...Blood...wait a minute-
He was jerked out of thought when the feeling of ice cold water washed over him. That certainly woke him up. The boy woke up, startled. He was in Joly's house. He looked around, became aware of his surroundings, and laid back down with a huff.
"Sorry there, chap..." Said Joly, dunking a cloth into water. As he wrung it out, he looked at his other patient with concern. He began to place the clothe on Gavroche's forehead, but the child stopped him.
"I've had enough water for today." He grumbled. Joly shrugged, and place the cloth back into the water. He jumped as the boy suddenly spasmed in his spot.
"Where's Marie?"
"Gavroche, I..."
"Where is she?"
Joly sighed and gestured to the other bed. Gavroche gasped, and began to struggle out of bed. He ignored the stinging pain in his head. He was too weak, and fell to the floor pathetically. His last resort was to crawl. He grabbed ahold of the bed frame to straighten himself up. He sighed in relief, Marie was breathing. She was sleeping.
"I know this seems impossible, but she somehow will survive. The wheel that trapped her was damaged, and the dent in it made it so that a few layers of skin were sliced. It cut into her dermis, but only slightly. This is possibly the luckiest coincidence you or I will ever see." explained Joly.
"But...but if only that was cut, where did all the blood come from?" Asked Gavroche. Joly's eyes darkened. He walked to the bed, and pulled back the sheet. What he saw made him gasp in fright.
"Due to another bit of rubble that hit her, Marie has lost everything from the knee down on her left leg." Said Joly. Gavroche put a hand over his mouth, and buried his face into Marie's chest. He stayed there for a while, and didn't come up until Joly walked away. He wiped his tear stained fair, and sniffled.
"Marie, I promise you," he whispered, "missing a leg makes you no different. God above, please grant that others will accept her for her disability. Please, left her survive, and I will not leave her side until she wakes. Take my arm, take my life, if you must. Allow her to live..." He paused, "she's the only love I have. There's no one like her. If she dies...then..." He trailed off. Marie shifted in her spot. Gavroche clutched her hand.
"My Bonnie...lies over the ocean..." He began to sing quietly.
"My Bonnie lies over the sea..."
"My Bonnie lies over the ocean..."
He paused for a few seconds, as more tears spilled out. He leaned over, and pressed his lips to Marie's, softly and gently. He closed his eyes and sat down on the floor, until he heard a voice finish the song.
"So bring back my Bonnie to me. I heard every word, Gavroche."
And Marie squeezed his hand back.
Yee! Marie's gonna be alright, but how will she live with her disability?
By the way, the song in this story is called "My Bonnie." It's an old Scottish folk song that originated somewhere in the 1760s.
And for any of you who have been pronouncing Marie's name wrong...
It is not pronounced as "Mary." It is pronounced "Mah-ree." Put more emphasis on the "Ma" part.