Chapter 2

The sun went down, and Courfeyrac just sat. And sat. And sat. There were noises around them, unfamiliar for one who had lived at sea. He was used to the cracking ropes, the sound of the water hitting the wood. But the wind through the trees? The sounds of animals on their nightly hunt? They were unfamiliar. Unfamiliar felt unsafe.
Eventually he got up and walked to the river. There he knelt down, splashing some water in his face. He wasn’t sure what he was trying to wash away, but it definitely didn’t work.
“It feels surreal, huh?” Jehan’s voice startled him. It shouldn’t have. If his friend could sneak up to him, what would those soldiers be able to do?
Courfeyrac sighed. “Honestly, I still expect them to come busting through the trees talking about some ship we really need to hijack.”
Jehan nodded slowly and sat down next to Courfeyrac. They were both silent for a while.
“Do you think there is a chance they….” Do you think there is a chance they survived? But even Jehan didn’t dare to speak those words.
Courfeyrac shook his head. “For what means? Javert wants order. He cannot risk them turning into a martyr by giving them a public execution. He just needs to get rid of them.” Was there a chance Combeferre would still be alive? A chance to get saved? Was Courfeyrac the one killing them, by leading everyone away from Nassau? He could not think like that, or he would lose his mind. Javert would not want to take prisoners, he just needed to get the rioters out of the way. The easiest way was a headshot right there in that alley.
Jehan took Courfeyrac’s hand. “I’m sorry,” they mumbled.
Once again Courfeyrac shook his head. “Don’t be. He knew the risks. He- he chose to follow Enjolras.” He blinked a few times. He couldn’t blame Combeferre, even when he wanted to. Combeferre had chosen to follow his friend and captain for a cause he believed in. They both had. And if the odds had been different, it would have been Combeferre here and Courfeyrac bleeding out in the mud.
And he wasn’t the only one who had lost people. He had lost a husband, but so had Musichetta lost two partners. So had Jehan lost a lover, as recent as their relationship had been. So had they all lost a captain. Had they all lost a friend, after barely being reconciled with Grantaire after their fallout. They had all lost friends, Courfeyrac wasn’t special in that. He had no more right to fall apart than any other.
Jehan stayed silent and so did Courfeyrac. There were no words to ease any of this.

When the sun rose, Courfeyrac woke everyone up. He should have given the watch to Bahorel, but when it had been time to switch, Bahorel had actually been asleep. Courfeyrac didn’t have the heart to wake him, knowing he would be awake anyway. So he had been the one to switch Feuilly’s bandages and had stayed awake until the night changed into day.
“How are you feeling?” he softly asked Feuilly. He didn’t need him to answer.
“I’m-” Cough. “Fine.” But he wasn’t. He was far from fine. He was even paler than the day before. He was sweating and shivering and Courfeyrac was sure at least one bulletwound was getting infected.
“He needs a doctor,” Bahorel said, anxiously hovering over his friend.
“And tell him what? Javert has his spies anywhere. Anyone with a bulletwound shall be reported and arrested.” They couldn’t get help, but they couldn’t let their friend suffer too. If only Combeferre had been here. He would have known how to ease the infection.
Now all they could do was clean the wound and tell Feuilly to hold on. That they were trying to find a solution. It made Courfeyrac feel anxious, seeing how his friend smiled weakly to assure them everything was fine, while he was anything but. Feuilly shouldn’t have to be the strong one.
“Maybe Cosette can help?” Marius softly suggested. But before he could finish his sentence, Courfeyrac was already shaking his head.
"It's what will be expected. I'm pretty sure Javert will be on high alert around the mayor and his daughter. We would be walking right into a trap."
And yet, one look at Feuilly told him they had no choice but to risk it.