Forever and Always

Chapter 38: A Light to the People

        Marius cursed in frustration. Thanks to Gavroche and Eponine, Les Amis finally had enough ammuntion, but now the National Guard had brought in canons. How would they stand a chance against such advanced weaponry?

        "Marius!" a voice called out. Marius turned to see Joly rushing towards him, a gun in his hand. Joly's shirt was torn and his hands were stained with Eponine's blood. "Are those canons?"

        "Unfortunately, yes," Marius replied. "How is Eponine?"

        Joly bit his lip. "Not good, Marius. The bullet thankfully did not penetrate any vital organs, but she's lost too much blood, her hand is badly infected, and her fever is very high. She's getting worse by the minute. Quite frankly, she may not make it."

        Marius felt a shiver run through his spine. "No," he said firmly. "You don't know Eponine the way I do. She's tough. She'll be able to recover."

        "For her sake, I hope you are right," Joly replied in a sepruchral voice. "We must pray that--" Suddenly, Joly broke off mid-sentence. His eyes widened, a look of shock and pain etched across his face. He stood staring at Marius for a fraction of a second, a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth. Then, he swayed and fell forward into Marius' arms. Marius felt Joly's body tremble and convulse. Then, he grew still. On the center of his back, directly  on his spine, was a hole the size of a bullet.

        Marius felt grief wash over him like a tidal wave. Joly, his close friend, the smartest student he'd ever met, the one who had once so avidly dreamed of becoming a doctor, was gone just like that. He had been given no warning, no time to prepare. Gently, Marius lowered his body to the ground. "Good-bye, my friend," he whispered.

        Marius closed his eyes, his grief bubbling inside his heart until it melted away into fierce anger. Both Joly and Enjolras were dead, their lives sacrificed for a hopeless cause. Marius was sure Les Amis had little chance of success, but he also knew that their sacrifice could show the rest of France that they need not be slaves to the government, but rather, they could stand up for themselves. Les Amis could be a light to the people of France, an example of the fact that simple people could still fight for their freedom. "I will avenge you," Marius promised Joly. He raised his gun above his head. "Let others rise to take our place, until the earth is FREE!" he cried out. Les Amis, although exhausted and despondant, cheered in reply. They loaded their guns with Gavroche's stolen ammunition and continued to fight with newfound vigor. No group of young men had ever put up a more valiant fight. With courage, they stared the face of danger straight in the eye, yelling and shooting at the National Guard with all their might. Bullets and canons exploded, filling the air with smoke and debris. Marius fought with pride, happy to be among his comrades. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends fall to the ground, one by one, as the National Guard closed in. Each death was a dagger in his heart. Angrily, he shot at the National Guard. Part of him hoped he would be the next to fall, just so he could escape this endless whirlwind of death and destruction.

        Suddenly, Marius heard a voice scream out above the sounds of explosions. "Marius! Look!"

        Marius turned towards the source of the voice. He saw Gavroche, drenched in sweat and worried-looking, pointing at the building that served as the hospital. Marius turned to face the hospital, and his heart seemed to stop. Two soldiers of the National Guard had infiltrated past the barricade and were running straight into the building, shooting at revolutionaries as they went.

        "Eponine's in there!" Gavroche yelled!

        Marius did not stop to think. He rushed into the hospital, Gavroche trailing close behind him.