Chapter 14: The Tent

Visions of the burning incident played through Frollo's head while his consciousness failed. He was under the torch once again, disfigured over his first and only love. But this time, it continued. The fire was gone and he lay in pain. A pair of rough hands inspected the damage to his body. Those had to be his father's hands. A smaller, feminine hand touched his face. His mother, he assumed. Claude thought of how much he'd disappointed them. He'd done a horribly stupid thing and learned a horribly painful lesson.

"I'm sorry..." He apologized, hoping it would mean something to them.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"

"For what happened with her. I shouldn't have..."

He opened his eyes and realized he was not the young Claude Frollo who had just been punished. He was the judge Claude Frollo who had just encountered the thieves.

Frollo became aware of several things. He was inside a tent, naked from the waist up, having his injuries treated. The man on his right side was a doctor. The woman on his left was Esmeralda.

Esmeralda's eyes were red. She'd clearly been crying, but a weak smile crossed her face.

"You're back." She said with relief. "I was starting to think I wouldn't hear you speak again."

"What happened- UGH!"

Frollo felt a needle pierce his skin.

"Apologies, your honor." The doctor said. "I'm just putting in the last of these stitches."

Frollo looked over himself. He was surrounded by bloody pieces of cloth, likely used to patch his wounds before the stitches were put in. He saw a bandage around the hand which the arrow had struck, and realized there was also one around his forehead. His head had likely cracked open upon hitting the ground. But most notable were the burns. The fire had scorched both his hands and his entire right arm. And all of it joined the huge scar that covered the front of his torso.

The pain was still strong. Frollo groaned.

"Use the water." The doctor instructed Esmeralda.

She took several pieces of cloth and dipped them in a bucket of water, then applied them to Frollo's burned skin. The cold water dulled the pain. For extra care, Esmeralda laid a blanket over Frollo's unwounded lower half. He was surely getting cold, half naked in a tent so late at night.

"Finished." The doctor said, putting the needle down. "Drink this."

He held a phial to the judge's face. Frollo drank the contents, though they tasted awful.

"Wait while I get more bandages." The doctor instructed.

He left the tent.

Frollo fixated on his exposed scar. He vaguely remembered the Captain gasping at the sight of it when trying to get to his wounds.

"How many people saw me like this?" He asked.

"Just the doctor." Esmeralda lied.

"There were more..." Frollo said coldly.

Esmeralda hesitated.

"The Captain..." She admitted.

Frollo looked at her skeptically.

"And the rest of the men you brought..." Esmeralda continued. "And maybe some of the people in the crowd..."

Frollo looked horrified.

"No..." He said in disbelief.

"The soldiers blocked off the crowd as well as they could." Esmeralda assured.

"It's not enough!" Frollo snapped. "This CAN'T happen!"

Esmeralda was about to say something to calm him, but she was suddenly distracted by the sound of a struggle outside. Someone had forced their way through the soldiers' blockade, and that person rushed into the tent.

It was Quasimodo, out of breath and in tears.

"MASTER!" He shouted. "I came as soon as I heard! Are you- oh my..."

The bell ringer saw that the judge, though alive, was covered in injuries as well as a sizeable scar that he must have had for ages.

Frollo was livid. He frantically pulled the blanket over his chest.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked furiously.

Quasimodo struggled.

"I... I heard something happened to you. They said you were dying!"

"I'm not dying, you idiot!" Frollo yelled. "But you will if you don't get out of here this instant!"

Quasimodo left the tent as suddenly as he'd arrived. Esmeralda bolted after him and caught up with him outside.

"Quasimodo!" She said while taking him in a hug.

She saw utter heartbreak in her friend's eyes after letting go of him.

"I'm so sorry." Esmeralda said. "It's the scar. He's embarrassed about it."

"I had no idea..." Quasimodo said sadly.

"I've known for a while." Esmeralda explained. "It's the only reason he doesn't kick me out too."

"I see..." The bell ringer acknowledged.

"I'll talk to him." Esmeralda promised. "I'll make him regret this!"

"I shouldn't care so much." Quasimodo said with shame. "I know he's a terrible person but... He's the only family I have."

Esmeralda hugged him again.

"Everything will be okay." She assured.

"Thank you..." The bell ringer said weakly.

He started on his way back to the church.

"Quasi," Esmeralda called. "You can include me in your family too."

Quasimodo barely smiled before he went on his way.

Esmeralda went back into the tent, where Frollo was visibly in pain. She eyed him aggressively.

"Shame on you, Frollo." She accused.

She went to kneel beside him again.

"That boy still considers you family." She went on. "Even though you've done little to deserve it. He broke your rules, which he's pretty afraid to do, and came out here just to see you!"

Frollo was now fully aware of all the trauma to his flesh. He was too pained to speak, so he only looked at Esmeralda weakly.

"I shouldn't be here." She continued. "You should suffer alone. But... I just couldn't let you."

Frollo was equally overwhelmed by his injuries and by Esmeralda's words. This was more than he could respond to at once.

The doctor returned.

"I could use some help." He said to Esmeralda.

Esmeralda helped the doctor bandage the rest of Frollo's wounds. The judge suffered through each painful touch.

"That will be everything." The doctor said when he finished with the bandages. "He will be fine."

The relief of the doctor's words allowed Esmeralda to remember something.

"You said you were sorry for something." She mentioned to her husband. "What was that about?"

"I thought..." The judge struggled.

His eyes closed.

"I thought you were someone else..."

Esmeralda was confused. Who else would Frollo have assumed her to be?

"What do you mean?" She asked.

She received no response.

"I gave him a sleeping solution." The doctor explained. "It will make the rest of his night easier."

Esmeralda would have to wait for the answers she wanted.