Chapter 6
Eponine awoke the following morning to Enjolras sitting on the sofa next to her, flipping through a book the pages making as much noise as possible.
"Really? You had to make that much noise?" She snapped
"Morning Sunshine." He gave her a wink.
"Oh shut up." She gave him a grumpy look and turned away from him.
"How's your ankle? Are you able to walk? Or do I have to throw you over my shoulder again?"
"I think I can walk. Maybe. Just come help me up. Please?" She started to get up by herself but didn't succeed.
He rushed over to her and caught her by the arm right before she crumbled to the ground. "Looks like the shoulder it is!"
"I can do it!" She managed to take a few steps then winced from the pain. She took a few more and managed to fake a smile. "See!"
"So I do." He hesitates. "If I see you fall once today you're going back to the shoulder."
She sticks her tongue out at him. "Yes Mother."
She managed to get to the door and opens it. "Excuse me? Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to go deliver this letter to Cosette. Marius needed it to be done." She holds up the letter.
"Why doesn't he go do it?"
"I don't know. But he wants me to do it. I'm going to do it."
"But why?"
"Why what?" She turned towards the door.
"You know. Why do you do this to yourself?"
Don't let him in. Put the mask back on. "I want him to be happy end of story. Thank you for letting me stay with you last night. I greatly appreciate it. Good bye. See you at the café." She turned and left. She took three more steps and stood at the top of the stairs. Here I go.
One stair was all it took to make her tumble down the stairs.
Enjolras heard a crash so he walked outside only to see a bloody Eponine lying on the ground. I told her not to do it. He managed to get down the steps and look to see where the bleeding was coming from. Her head was the part that was bleeding.
He took her inside his flat and placed her on the sofa. He put a pillow beneath her head and thought about what he should do. He knew that he shouldn't leave her alone so he couldn't go anywhere...
She laid on his couch for about an hour before she even made the slightest movement. She opened her eyes only to see the world completely spinning above her. Nothing would stand still. She could only manage to see little clips of the room clearly then decided to close her eyes again. She moved her hand up to her head and right at the crown of her head felt blood. "Whhhaanttt happeneddd?" Her words were slurred.
"You fell down the stairs after I told you not to go by yourself."
She could tell he had a voice that said he was proud for being right. "Grrrreaatt."
"Do you think you'll be fine while I run to get Joly?"
"I guesssss. Hurry backk." Her words were still slurred so much he could barely understand her.
"I will be right back." He took off in a sprint. He got to the main road then he hesitated as he remembered which way to go. He came at a fork but remembered to go right. On the path farther down sat Joly, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac's flat. He immediately sprinted towards spathe doer and placed three knocks rapidly.
"How may I help. Monsieur?" He shouted through the door then opened it to see a stressed out Enjolras in a hurry. "What's wrong,"
"Eponine fell down the stairs and now she is injured. Help."
"Okay. Okay. I am coming." Joly grabbed his medical bag and then started to leave when Combeferre and Courfeyrac decided to tag along.
"You guys don't have to go..."
"We want to go." He said with a small smile.
"Fine." Enjolras lead them back to his flat as fast as he could. He opens the door to find Eponine in the same spot he had left her in. Joly noticed the blood on her clothes.
"It must have been a really nasty fall." Combeferre added.
"Be still my heart. Enjolras has a girl in his flat!" Courfeyrac chuckled.
Joly tiptoed to Eponine trying to see the damage without waking her. "Enjolras? Why did you leave her alone with an injury like this?" Joly questioned.
"I didn't know what to do. I waited until she opened her eyes and spoke. It happened about an hour and a half ago." He gestured towards her.
Joly poked her softly to see if she would wake. She wouldn't. So he decided to inspect her head while she was sleeping. It would be easier anyways. He moved her hair around he head discovering that the blood was coming from her crown and a little bit below. "Well... She has lost a lot of blood. I am assuming she has a concussion from the fall as well." He stood up. "Man. She just is injury prone isn't she."
She tried to open her eyes but the room was still spinning. She closed them immediately again but before she did the four men in the room caught her eye. "So... What is the damage?"
Joly and Enjolras noticed that her words were slurred. "You have a massive loss of blood and a concussion. Nothing a few days of rest can't fix." He looked over at Enjolras.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" He winked at him. "She's going to have to stay with you for the next day or two. Just until her head feels better."
Enjolras sighed. I just want my damn couch back. "Fine. Whatever I guess."
"I won't be a problem Monsieur." Her words were still slurred. She managed a small smile.
Joly moved his head to gesture to the bedroom when he noticed that Enjolras was looking at him. They walked to the bedroom together then stopped in the doorway. "Just let her sleep on your couch. Please? It'll be to hard to move her without hurting her."
"I said fine. I don't like people except for me in my flat for long periods of time though. Remember? That is why we are always in the café." He rolled his eyes at Joly who was making a puppy dog face.
"I know you don't Enjolras. But this needs to happen. You are the one who brought her here in the first place."
He growled a little. "Whatever. Fine." He repeated himself.
"Good. Now make sure every hour and a half you place a cold rag on the back of her head. Make sure she eats well."
"You aren't going to be here?" He questioned.
"No Enjolras. This is your flat. I have my own. But I will be back to check on her this evening with food that will be good for her to eat with a head injury." He hesitated before stating, "She greatly appreciates this you know. Even if she cannot admit it to you right now."
Enjolras crossed his arms and frowned. "Whatever. I guess I'll just sit at the table for the next two days."
"That's the spirt!" He said sarcastically before walking into the living room. "Eponine, I am leaving you in Enjolras' care for the next 48 hours. But I will be back tonight."
"We'll that's swell." She tried to be sarcastic through her slurred words.
"Au revoir." Joly called out before the three men exited the flat.
"Now I guess it is just you and I Ep."
"Guess so." She opened her eyes for a split moment to look at his face. He had a blank expression. "You look bored. Read to me."
He paused and looked at her with a curious look. "Uhm... I don't know if..."
"I'm bored and so are you. Now read." She demanded.
"Calm down. Calm down. I'm getting a book." He went to the table and grabbed 'the Republic' by Plato. One of his favorite books. He flipped to the bookmarked page and began reading. "Then now let us consider what will be their way of life, if they are to realize our idea of them. In the first place, none of them should have any property of his own beyond what is absolutely necessary; neither should they have a private house or store closed against any one who has a mind to enter; their provisions should be only such as are required by trained warriors, who are men of temperance and courage; they should agree to receive from the citizens a fixed rate of pay, enough to meet the expenses of the year and no more; and they will go to mess and live together like soldiers in a camp. Gold and silver we will tell them that they have from God; the diviner metal is within them, and they have therefore no need of the dross which is current among men, and ought not to pollute the divine by any such earthly admixture; for that commoner metal has been the source of many unholy deeds, but their own is undefiled. And they alone of all the citizens may not touch or handle silver or gold, or be under the same roof with"with them, or wear them, or drink from them. And this will be their salvation, and they will be the saviours of the State. But should they ever acquire homes or lands or moneys of their own, they will become housekeepers and husbandmen instead of guardians, enemies and tyrants instead of allies of the other citizens; hating and being hated, plotting and being plotted against, they will pass their whole life in much greater terror of internal than of external enemies, and the hour of ruin, both to themselves and to the rest of the State, will be at hand. For all which reasons may we not say that thus shall our State be ordered, and that these shall be the regulations appointed by us for guardians concerning their houses and all other matters?"
He looked over at Eponine who seemed to be asleep on the couch. He got up from the chair and walked over to the table. He shuffled through his papers and found the one he began with notes of the Republic he had mad to talk about at the next meeting.
Eponine's words from the day before echoed in his head. "Have you ever considered what might happen if this rebellion doesn't succeed?" He shook his head. He couldn't think like that. He felt the need to though. What if I am leading my friends to their death beds? It won't be totally my fault. I mean they are volunteering right?
Just then he heard a knock on the door. On his way over he took a quick glance towards Eponine on the sofa. He continued walking over to the door and opened it. "Hey Enjolras! Nice to see you again!" Joly had some how managed to carry three bags full of food by himself all the way up the stairs. For some reason he seemed chipper.
"Why are you so happy?" Enjolras let Joly through the door. He immediately placed the food onto the ground and checked on Eponine.
"Oh. Nothing other than the fact that for the first time in forever you have a female body in your flat." He gave the biggest grin he could possibly manage.
"Yes. But you have to remember that it wasn't my idea in the first place."
"The first time it was. But that was only supposed to be until I found somewhere else to put her." He rolled his eyes.
"Regardless, you still have a female in your house. Only for another 24 hours then your should be fine. Okay?" Joly shook his head at Enjolras.
"it's just an uncomfortable feeling having more than me in my apartment for a long period at a time. I don't like it." He shuddered.
"Oh Come on Enjolras. You have to sometime. It's not unusual."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. IT IS MY PERSONAL HEADQUARTERS. and I can't have meetings at the Musain if I am cooped up here for another 24 hours. I am getting antsy. I need to leave."
"Well the. Go for a walk while I tend to Eponine. I will get her something to eat, put a new bandage on her ankle and take care of her head." He gestured to the door. "You know you want to."
Enjolras immediately jumped for the door. He didn't need any convincing. He needed fresh air. He was tired of having his apartment filled with people and he needed to get away. He walked to the Musain and saw Marius and the rest of the students. "Enjolras! It's been a while!"
"It has been less than twenty-four hours. That is silly." He rolled his eyes and sat down next to Combeferre.
"How's the lady."
"Other than preferring she not be there? She is recovering slowly but surely." He ran his hands through his hair.
"Oh it can't possibly be that bad." Courfeyrac added.
Enjolras gave him the death glare and stated. "I don't like people in my apartment. You know that. That is my domain. Not public domain."
"You'll survive. I promise."
"Hardly." Enjolras muttered.
"Enjolras! How is it having a girl in your home?!" Marius slapped him in the back.
"It's just 'Ponine. It's not a big deal."
"You've never let us in for a long period of time. Eponine has to be there for two whole days that must be terrible."
"Pure torture my friend." He stared at Marius waiting for him to leave him alone.
"It has to happen sometime."
"No it doesn't. Patria is my one and only mistress."
"Patria?" Marius looked at Enjolras like he was crazy. "You have issues my friend."
"Patria is the only one for me." He smirked as he said it. It was nice to be happily single and not looking. Not while he already has something better waiting for him on the other side.
"Patria it is." Marius turned on his heels and returned to the previous conversation with the other side of the room.
Enjolras stood up and decided to leave. It was getting dark and he needed to be getting back. Too bad he didn't have an empty flat to go back to.