Notes: Welcome to everyone! Excuse me in advance for the mistakes you will find in my stories, I am French, English is just a second language.
This story is not really complete so there may be many holes in the plots. This is more a fantasy, a kind of "excutoire", I had to write. Javert is a character I love and I want to respect Victor Hugo's characterization, yet, I do ship Fantine and Javert and I want to give to this poor inspector, a little bit of tenderness. So here we go….
Chapter 1 The infirmary, Rue Pitois.
Dawn had scarcely risen when Javert arrived at the infirmary in Rue Pitois. The morning dew still covered the pavements of the street, the air was chilly and the wind was already blowing, causing the trees to dance and the leaves to whistle like chimes. The sky was grey and was already spewing out some large grains of rain brought by the wind. It was cold, but Javert was warmly wrapped in his thick black coat and his hat was screwed on his forehead.
The place was almost deserted at that hour of the day, not a sister was there, yet one could smell the pleasant and sweet smell of the milk being heated in a pot. He waited a moment for them to come, he took off his hat and slipped it under his arm. He pulled out of his pocket a grey pocket watch, it was seven o'clock. Javert had an appointment with the chief of the police station of Montreuil-Sur-Mer at ten o'clock. He had three hours in front of him to do all he had to do, this included: to see the prostitute. He sighed and tried as hard as he could to relax.
It had been a week since he had came to see the prostitute, a week since he had gone to Montfermeil to search for the child and return her to her mother. Mr. Mayor, or rather Jean Valjean had disappeared, Javert had his house and the factory he ran watched for several days in the hope that the convict would come back for something or that he would come back to hide there. Even if the latter hypothesis seemed unlikely to Javert, he knew the ex convict well, he was a man far too clever to go back to hiding where his jailer was waiting for him. But now, for a week the inspector had been waiting, prisoner 24601 had never returned. Javert was facing a riddle, where was this man? He did not know. Javert looked at his watch again, only two minutes had passed.
A woman came in, Sister Simplice, she greeted him with a nod and went directly behind a small counter.
"Good morning, Inspector Javert. Are you here to see Fantine? She's still asleep, and so is the girl, but…"
"I can come back later, I was just checking in."
She looked at him with an astonished look.
"Sir, there are things I must tell you," murmured Sister Simplice with embarrassment. "We can't keep Fantine forever, we're an infirmary, not a hotel. Monsieur Madeleine had paid to keep her for another week, unfortunately he is no longer there... Fantine is not our only patient, plus, she's not really sick anymore, you'll see, Cosette is her medicine. Thank God. Nevertheless, we now have two healthy mouths to feed."
"I see," cut the inspector. "Then put them out," he said coldly, looking at Sister Simplice.
"No, no! We can't do that, come on!"
"Well, then keep them"
Sister Simplice remained speechless, she stared at him with an indignant look before resigning herself. Within seconds, she had regained her calm and her face had softened and lightened.
"Sir, you should still go and see her. She must be awake now."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Javert nodded and climbed the stairs to the first floor. The infirmary was not big. It was an old building that used to be the town hall. On the first floor there were three large rooms containing several beds separated by curtains. On the ground floor there was a small hall that served as a waiting room, and on each side there were two rooms: the kitchen, a small living room, a small study and a room for the sisters. The infirmary was old, the floor creaked and the walls were depraved. The building was far from falling into ruin, however, the lack of light in this small hallway on the first floor made the atmosphere gloomy and morbid. Javert moved slowly, trying not to make the floor creak under his weight. He had the impression that the hallway was getting longer and closing on him with every step he took. Suddenly, the inspector stopped, what was he doing here already? He passed his hands over her face and took a deep breath. He was exhausted from the lack of sleep. He finally realized that he had arrived at Fantine's room. He took a deep breath, inflated his lungs and walked in.
The room was bathed in the creamy light of the morning, a sweet smell of wood and clean linen filled his nostrils. The thin curtain surrounding the bed was drawn but the pale shapes of the two sleeping bodies could be distinguished. He approached gently and pulled the curtain a little, slipped in and closed it carefully. At the edge of the bed was an old chair, and he sat quietly and put his hat on his laps. He stood still for a moment.
In the silence, he could hear the steady sound of their breath. Cosette was asleep against Fantine, her face buried in her mother's warm bosom. A mass of auburn hair covered her face. Fantine, as for the little girl, had her head delicately placed on the pillow, her face was serene. In a few days she had changed and abandoned the hollow features of fatigue and disease. She no longer looked as thin as before, her forehead was white, smooth and peaceful. A thin smile curved her pink lips. Even her hair seemed to have grown suddenly and thick blond curls fell back on her forehead and cheeks.
She looked like an angel holding a little cherub against her bosom. Suddenly she opened her eyes and surprised those of Javert who were watching her.
"Don't be afraid," whispered Javert. "It's just me, inspector Javert."
When Fantine finally recognized him, she relaxed again, held her child in her arms again, and smiled. It was a smile full of gratitude and tenderness. "Mr. Javert, you have finally come back to see us, I thought you too had left us. If Cosette wasn't here, I would have died of sadness. I'm glad to see you here. So early in the morning, what time is it anyway? She sleeps like a marmot and she hugs me, hugs me so hard if you knew, I didn't know you could hug someone so hard." Fantine's laughter filled the room; she was almost caressing him with her gaze. "Oh sir, I owe you so much, I don't know how to thank you. I should have done it sooner but you had disappeared for so long! Oh, how much did the trip cost? The coach? Tell me how much I owe you and I'll pay you back. Monsieur Madeleine is already paying the hospital for me, but I will pay you back first, oh my good inspector, I have judged you so badly, forgive me!"
Javert was uncomfortable, but he did his best to hide it. She was thanking him, it was a good thing but he had done only his duty, and she wanted to pay him back? Javert knew that was impossible. Sister Simplice's words still echoed in him. When she would get out of here, Fantine would be far too busy feeding and housing her daughter to pay the debts she owed him or anyone else. Fantine was still in a dream and the awakening would bring her back to a tragic reality. He had, to his own surprise, a pinch in his heart.
"For now, you must rest and recover your strength," he said.
"I'm much better, we get out of bed to play, we stay in the room, but I'm able to get up and walk."
"That's very good I guess".
"Here, here she is," whispered Fantine.
Cosette had just moved, she turned her head and opened her eyes, looked at the ceiling for a moment, and then swept the surroundings with her gaze. "She does this all the time, I think she has a hard time realizing that she's with me," Fantine explained, putting a kiss on the girl's head. "It's all right baby, I'm here, look who's back... Do you recognize him? It was the good man who came to get you and brought you back to me."
Good man? Javert grinned at these words. Goodness was not a virtue or a quality, no, it was a weakness that disturbed the balance of justice and law. It was not out of kindness that Javert went to fetch Cosette, it was out of duty, it was the promise he had made to Fantine not to let a convict near Cosette.
The child sat down, she was rubbing her little eyes and stretching like a cat. Fantine sat on the edge of the bed, her back turned to Javert, to fill the two glasses of water. "Drink Cosette," she said. The child complied silently. Javert was the spectator of this sad and tender painting. Fantine had just swallowed her glass of water and took this opportunity to pinch her cheeks and lips. She ran her fingers through her hair to style them. Her curls had grown and gently caressed her shoulders. She was wearing a white hospital gown, that was all she had except the old rag in which Javert had found her a few weeks ago. When Fantine thought she was pretty enough to be looked at, she turned again and smiled at the police inspector who had not moved or said a word since.
"So how much do I owe you?"
"That won't be necessary," replied Javert. "A lawman's service to a civilian is free of charge. I was just doing my job. I see you're feeling better."
"Yes, sir, I am better, as you can see."
"Indeed", he whispered. "Do you know where you'll go when you get out?"
Fantine's smile faded, she looked at Cosette, who had taken an old rag in her hand and was playing with it.
"I'll work"
"Where? I don't think the docks are an option..." Javert did not finish his sentence, Fantine was glaring at him.
"I'll handle it. I appreciate your concern, but Cosette and I will be fine."
"I'm not worried."
"Are you not ?"
Javert remained silent. What could he say or do for that woman and child? All of this was beyond his jurisdiction. There was nothing he could do and he did not have to be here anymore. Their fate did not belong to justice anymore. No, he was not worried, just curious. He got up.
"Where are you going?" Asked Fantine earnestly.
"I hope for both of you that you will find work. I have to go. You won't see me again, I came to say farewell."
"Goodbye?"
"Farewell," said Javert firmly, and he closed the curtain.
Fantine remained speechless before realizing that the inspector had just left the room. She chased him down the hall.
"Javert!"
The inspector turned, looking both outraged and surprised. Did he hear that correctly? She was standing at the end of the hallway, panting from that little run she had just made. There was no sound except the whistling of her breath for a few seconds, then she collapsed to the ground. In one step, Javert had rushed to support her.
"What are you doing?"
"You were leaving, I had to catch you."
"Fantine!" Sister Simplice, who had heard everything, had just arrived. "What's going on here?" Her question was directed more to Javert than to Fantine.
"It's me," said Fantine, with a smile on her face. "I ran because inspector Javert was leaving."
"I am expected elsewhere," replied Javert.
Sister Simplice sighed and gently shook her head.
"She must be careful, Inspector. Oh no, now she's trying to get up! Don't move, leave it to us. Inspector, take her, we have to get her back to bed."
Sister Simplice's tone did not allow any resistance. Javert put one arm under Fantine's lap, the other under her armpits, and lifted her up effortlessly. Sister Simplice led them into the room and drew the curtain. Cosette stood in one corner of the room and watched silently.
"I am well," said Fantine.
"I see that," replied Sister Simplice ironically. "I'll make you some tea, stay in bed."
"Inspector, will you come back?" Fantine grabbed the inspector's sleeve and held him back.
"I said I came to say farewell."
"I was not ready. You came unannounced. Please come back another time."
Javert sighed, he knew he should never have come and he regretted it. Fantine held him firmly and would not let him go unless he agreed to come back one more time. "Well, I'll come back and say goodbye to both of you and make sure you're all better. »
"Promise?"
"I do."