A/N: Thanks for the reviews and support! This fic is getting intense.
Chapter 24: The Root of Courage
There are some problems that not even Marius' resourcefulness can solve, such as stretching the already exhausted pockets of some of his more hard-up patients. 'Time to see what else a clinical abstract can do,' he tells himself as he prints out that single page document detailing a particular gentleman's case history and current therapeutic regimen. He's lost count of how many of these papers he'd had to prepare over the years, all just to help cover the cost of a round of chemotherapy or an urgent surgical procedure. Sometimes he has to write several versions of these for one patient, despite knowing that there is always a shortage of willing benefactors for long term care. All the same he hurries down to the Office for Social Interventions, hoping that there will be some recourse there.
He knocks on the door and opens it a crack, just enough to catch sight of Eponine at her desk. "Eponine, do you have a moment to spare?" he asks by way of greeting.
"Sure. I'd like to have a look at that," Eponine replies, gesturing to the paper he has in hand. She sighs when she catches sight of the patient named on the abstract. "Another operation for Mr. Li?"
"A shunt insertion. The neurosurgeons are scrubbing in tonight since it's an emergency procedure," Marius explains as he takes a seat.
Eponine nods as she finishes reading the abstract. "I guess you'll need another benefactor, aside from the insurance paying for his medications and the grant that covered his first operation?"
"Can you find me one?"
"It's my work. Of course I will. Not by tomorrow morning, but soon."
"Thank you. You're a real pro, Eponine," Marius says, feeling more heartened at the confidence in her voice. He smiles on seeing the framed sonogram picture on her desk. "Does our hospital have a 4D ultrasound available?"
"No, but that sounds like an interesting idea." Eponine rubs her midsection as she sits up straight and then tugs down her scrub top. "Just so you know, I'm taking my maternity leave from Christmas onwards. I'll be asking Navet or another resident to fill in for me."
"How long will you be away?"
"Until March 1."
"That's long," Marius remarks. It will be the longest break Eponine will have in all her years of working at this hospital. It is then that he notices the jotter pad on his friend's desk, filled with names of some big companies as well as their respective sociocivic projects. "Why are you looking up corporate social responsibility?" he wonders aloud.
"There's one person who these companies work with," Eponine replies as she picks up the jotter. "I just thought that looking up their CSR work and statements would help bring up some red flags like union issues or complaints filed by communities." She bites her lip as she surveys the list. "A lot of this is whitewashing; it makes the companies look good and trendy, but it doesn't change the fact that they keep their employees on a contractual basis or on less than minimum wages, or even that they get a lot of flak from the unions and the Ministry of Labor."
"So you're looking for the person Magnussen likes?"
"I'm looking for Magnussen's biggest headache-the one he has to stay up late to provide cover for because of bad business. I can't imagine that man genuinely liking anyone."
'Just like my grandfather,' Marius catches himself thinking. "He does have friends."
"A circle." She points to some names on the list. "Bidault isn't even a close friend. We're talking about the businessmen Fouche, Monteil, Talbot, and Wray. Fouche is the nastiest of the crew."
"Enjolras is asking you to do this?" Marius enquires.
"He's letting me do this," Eponine corrects him. "It's just Auguste and Bossuet investigating Magnussen while Courf handles the case versus Bidault. Someone has to be a lawyer in the trial."
"Is Azelma fine with that?" he asks a little tentatively, remembering now the terse conversation during their recent ramen night.
"It was her idea." She pats her stomach once again, as if trying to coax her child to calm down a little. "It's the most that Courf can do, I guess, without bringing Zelma and Alex into trouble too."
Marius shakes his head in disbelief. "You and Azelma are very different."
"I shielded her and Gav, or at least I tried to." Eponine bites her lip. "She almost died twice last year-first when she got into that road accident during the uprising, and then that time when she and Courf had a loft cave in on them when Dupond ran on the roof. She didn't ask for any of that. On the other hand I know what I'm getting into."
"Your kid though..."
"That's why Auguste and I are trying to finish this case before Ian decides he wants to see daylight. I know that's going to change everything."
Marius whistles, knowing that there is no way he can change her opinion. "I'm glad you understand why Cosette and I can't get too involved in this case."
"Elodie should be your first priority. That girl has been through more than all of us," Eponine says. "How is she doing?"
"She's back in school. I think she'll cope up better with her math classes this year," Marius reports more happily. "She's more gifted with words and drawing though."
"You might have a comic artist on your hands one day. Grantaire can teach her," Eponine remarks.
"When she's older," Marius says adamantly. He's pretty sure that Cosette would object to Elodie's picking up on the more problematic parts of Grantaire's sense of humor. He smiles sympathetically when Eponine shifts in her seat again. "How do you keep up?"
"Oh please. Go ask your mother-in-law how she held up when she was pregnant with Cosette. She told me that story," Eponine quips.
"Speaking of mothers-in-law..." Marius trails off.
"Mine is fine. Still working on the divorce. Auguste and I aren't telling her about this case for a few more days." Eponine snatches up her phone as it begins beeping. "ER call. I'm the consultant on deck."
Marius has just enough time to move his chair out of the way in order to allow Eponine to make a swift exit. 'How does she do it?' he wonders as he hurries after her into the busy emergency room. He steels himself at the sight of a bed at the end of the hall, screened off by yellow curtains. The story of the patient lying there is certainly direr than most people are ready to see.
Eponine on the other hand quickly tracks down the resident manning the emergency room, and in a few moments she has the patient's chart in hand as she marches to the screened area. She shakes her head on seeing the unconscious half-dressed crone lying on the bed. "Where was she found?"
"Two blocks away. She was brought in by some passersby," a nurse drawls from where she's dumping some soiled linen into a hamper. She gestures to a group of youngsters sitting nearby, obviously at a loss as to how to help. "They say she has no papers."
"Are you sure?" Eponine asks them.
"Yes Doc. We asked and checked. Actually we've seen her about; her name is Miss Nellie and she used to run a bakery," one of the youths reports. "Things have gone bad, her barber lover left her-"
"Long story short the guy next door was beating on her," another young person chimes in. "We brought her to the clinic but since she's not holding a card or a pension they wouldn't see her there."
Eponine swears under her breath before sitting by this woman's bedside and helping her sit up, taking care not to jostle her bleeding limbs. "Miss Nellie, do you know where you are?" she asks.
The woman fights for enough air to fill her lungs. "The hospital," she gasps. "I can't stay, I don't have any money."
'She'll die if she doesn't at least get first aid,' Marius realizes as he gets a quick look at this woman's chart. "Why haven't any of the orders been carried out yet?"
The nurse raises an eyebrow. "She doesn't even have cash, Doctor Pontmercy."
Marius' jaw drops. "Cash or not, we have to at least give first aid. We're a healthcare facility," he argues. "She's a woman in need-"
"With no payment!" the nurse sputters. "No cash, no services."
"This isn't even service, this is dignity. You'll be sure that Doctor Lamarque will hear of this," Eponine chimes in even as she is already opening the valves on a nearby oxygen tank and affixing an oxygen mask in place. "At least this, you could have done!" she scolds as she helps her patient pull the mask's strap over her dishevelled hair.
The nurse blanches while the interns standing nearby exchange looks. "Doc we were waiting to be told to carry them out," one of them pipes up.
"Your patient is having difficulty breathing. You do not have to wait to save a person's life. If she was brought here unconscious, were you going to wait for permission to check on her, or to do CPR?" Eponine asks, indignation clear in each word. She looks to the resident in charge, who is desperately trying to make himself small. "Doctor Lille, you must make it clear to the interns and nurses that lifesaving measures always come first. The billing office can wait."
The resident nods quickly. "Sorry Doc E."
'The training office will hear about this,' Marius notes, not even wanting to think of what sanction Eponine will suggest in light of this incident. He carefully checks Nellie over and to his relief her breathing is easier and some color is returning to her face. "At least a chest x-ray for her," he says as he gets a form that a more conscientious intern hands to him.
"I want to do basic blood work, at least a CBC. I'll mark it down for financial aid," Eponine adds as she writes on a prescription pad. Instead of handing the prescription to one of the interns or the resident, she goes to the nurse's station herself. Although she doesn't raise her voice, it's clear from her agitated gestures and the way she leans on the counter that she is not about to take 'no' for an answer.
One of the interns glances from Eponine to Marius. "Can we really do that?"
"Do what?" Marius asks confusedly.
"Go get the meds ourselves? Most consultants don't," the intern says more boldly.
"It's not a habit," Marius says in an undertone even as it dawns on him what Eponine has just done. 'She needs the money as much as we do,' he almost protests but he knows he has to let the example stand, just for today.
The curious intern steps aside when Eponine returns with a tray of bandages and medication. "What are we going to do?"
"Basic first aid," Eponine replies. She puts the tray at the foot of the bed and looks at her patient. "Miss Nellie we'll clean those wounds a bit first and get you checked up a bit so we can know why you're having a hard time breathing," she explains.
Nellie nods resignedly. "Am I going to be admitted?"
"You need it," Eponine says honestly. "If not here, we can transfer you. Is there anyone we can call?"
"Her neighbours. Maybe they can find her family," the most outspoken of Nellie's companions says.
In the meantime Marius rolls up his sleeves, ready to help even as Eponine begins to show the interns how to tend to Nellie's injuries. Her injuries include one particularly large, festering gash on the big toe of her right foot. He frowns when one of the trainees gags all too evidently in disgust. "Please don't do that," he warns.
"But Doc-"
"Just don't." He feels a gnarled hand tug on his sleeve and he turns to meet Nellie's much calmer gaze. "Do you need anything?" he asks her concernedly.
The woman's smile is tired but there is something beatific about it. "Thank you, to you and her. You're such a kind, nice boy."
Marius manages to nod and stammer out a 'you're welcome' even though these words are already picking at his mind. These are not new to him, but there is something about hearing them spoken by Nellie that makes his blood run cold with memory. Suddenly he sees shadows before him again, and he's no longer standing in the emergency room but at a darker, dingier bedside. The word 'Mama' rises to his lips, but no, Miss Nellie is a far cry from the pallid auburn-haired lady who still haunts Marius' deepest memories.
He knows that he could not have been more than five years old then, when something had gotten into the water in the river that flowed by the town where he was born. There had been a reason that his father had paid dearly for their family to drink only bottled water, but it had been too late for his mother. 'Papa did not want the money, but he wanted a way to bring Mama to the hospital,' Marius recalls now. He can still hear the outcry in that hamlet, of the wails of mourners mingling with the shouts of protestors. He can still see the arrogant manager who'd stepped out to give 'compensation' to the families who hadn't been able to flee the poisoned land.
He can never forget the only occasion he ever saw his father kneel to beg for a car to bring his mother into town, and how he had received nothing but a beating for it. 'It only made his own end quicker,' he thinks even as he feels something clammy stealing up between his ribs.
"Marius!" The light comes back into focus, allowing him to meet Eponine's wide, dark eyes. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to pitch over."
"I'm fine," Marius manages to say. He takes a deep breath but does not dare to meet the worried looks that the interns and Miss Nellie are giving him. "It's been a long day."
"Do you need anything? A drink, maybe I should call Cosette-"Eponine offers.
Marius shakes his head. "It's good. I'll go home straight now. Thanks for the help." He hurries up to his office to grab his things and lock it up for the night, all the while taking care not to look at any newspapers or even the news feeds in the hallways and the hospital lobby. 'He was in that town, and now he's here in the city hounding my friends,' he realizes bleakly as he hurries to his car. Even though he turns up the music and the air conditioner, nothing can banish that sense of feeling small and trammelled in the gloom that has enveloped these recent days.
When he arrives home he finds Elodie perched on the fence, looking up at a tree through a pair of binoculars. She waves to him as he enters the gate. "Papa! There are fireflies out tonight!"
Marius stops in his tracks and looks to the old fig tree in their yard. Sue enough the tall branches are aglow with greenish-yellow as well as bluish lights. "There's more than one group of them, Elodie. Look to the left," he advises.
Elodie's jaw drops as she trains the binoculars in the direction he has pointed out. "I knew you have super eyes, Papa!" She scrambles off the fence and springs into his arms. "You're a superhero!"
"Elodie, I'm not that," Marius protests as he adjusts his hold on the little girl who is clinging tightly to his neck. He looks at her perplexedly when she shakes her head. "Why do you think that?"
"Because you, Maman, and your friends do things that the parents of my friends can't," Elodie replies. "You're a brain doctor and you fix people. Maman helps old people move. Grandfather knows everything, and Grandmother too, and that's not everyone we know yet."
'I wish I could never disappoint her,' Marius thinks as he hugs her close before setting her back on her feet so they can walk into the house hand in hand. He sees her steady steps, so different from her limping a year ago, and he marvels anew how his life has come to this. 'I left the hamlet with nothing and came to my grandfather practically a beggar. I never could have imagined this.'
In the meantime Elodie carefully puts the binoculars down on the coffee table and clambers onto the sofa. "Grandfather is watching the news on his computer but not on TV. I think he's worried that Grandmother or Maman might see something terrible."
He smiles ruefully, marvelling once again at how perceptive his daughter is. "He just doesn't want them to worry."
"About what?" Elodie asks. "Are you all trying to stop another bad person again?"
Marius takes a deep breath, wishing for a moment that he could lie to her. Yet he knows that to do so would be recapitulating his own childhood, and of course Elodie deserves far better than that. 'I won't let Magnussen take you too,' he vows silently as he sits beside Elodie and hugs her close. "It's mostly your uncles Enjolras and Bossuet, but we're all helping a little bit. No one is going to hurt you."
Elodie nods trustingly. "What about Cousin Darren, Cousin Alex, and Doc Eponine's baby? Will they be safe also?"
"They will." Marius smoothes back Elodie's hair, which has gotten out of her braids. "Where did you hear about that?"
"I just do. Grandfather is looking at videos again, Maman is always worried when she talks to Doc Eponine or the others, and you're worried too," Elodie explains. "It's about this bad guy named Magnus, or something."
"Magnussen," Marius shakes his head sadly. "He's not going near you, ever."
"I know." Elodie grins up at him. "You're a brain doctor and you got my legs to listen to my brain again. Could you teach his brain to do something else?"
"Now that would solve a lot of our problems," Marius laughs.
Elodie giggles before waving to Cosette, who is just emerging from the kitchen. "Maman, Papa is home!"
Cosette's smile of greeting quickly turns into a concerned look. "Did you have a rough day at work, Marius?" she asks as she sits next to him.
Marius nods before tilting up Cosette's chin to kiss her lips gently. Even at this hour she smells of roses and rainwater, and there is something always comforting about that scent. "I'm glad to be home."
"I'm glad you're here," Cosette replies. "Come on, change out of your work clothes. I'll get dinner ready in a few minutes."
Marius slips his hand around hers by way of reply and she nods to him almost imperceptibly. He heads upstairs to their room, but before he can shut the door he already hears her footsteps in the hall. "What did you tell Elodie?" he asks curiously when he feels Cosette's hands on his shoulders.
"Just to call Maman in the lanai," Cosette replies before kissing him. "So how was your day?"
"Bad." He draws her to sit next to him on the bed and places both his hands in hers. "Cosette, there's something I really need to talk to you about."
She nods understandingly. "Go on."
Marius takes a deep breath and looks into her eyes, just to find the courage as well as the words.