He was going to be killed. There was no doubt in his mind that in a short time, those damnable revolutionaries would soon come and shoot him through the heart. Of course, he was not afraid to die, but the idea of never having captured the man. That phantom fugitive Jean-Valjean. He hated that he never would put him in shackles and watch him suffer for the crime that he committed. No, he could not die. Not until Valjean had been captured. It was his duty and he never abandoned his duty.

"There's a boy climbing the barricade!" Someone shouted.

Despite being tied to a pole in the tavern, the door was left ajar slightly and he could just barely see the revolutionaries crowding around something. Or someone.

"Oh God, it's everywhere." Another voice said.

Javert cared nothing about the revolutionaries, they were a group of schoolboys who only wanted to cause trouble. Still, perhaps if he could help one of their allies, than he would earn their trust. He had seen a bullet be removed before after an escaping convict was shot and he was chosen to watch on to make sure the convict would not harm the physician. As morbid as it would seem to some, Javert had studied the procedure carefully and to be sure that one of the revolutionaries had some medical knowledge and be willing to assist an ally.

"Untie me!" Javert shouted.

"Quit your bellowing, someone has been wounded!" A student shouted.

"That's why I must be untied. I can help your friend and remove the bullet."

"She was wounded by a musket!" Another student shouted, his voice breaking.

Javert winced. If the ally had been wounded by a musket, than it was a ball and not a bullet. Still, if it meant his freedom and the chance of finding Valjean, than he had to try. Besides, while he thought nothing of the revolutionaries, it was perhaps an innocent person, a woman no less, that had been wounded.

"I can remove the ball. Untie me and bring the girl here."

There was a moment of silence, and Javert wondered what was happening. Pretty soon the students entered the tavern, one of them was carrying a young woman in his arms. Her blood was pouring out and onto the floor.

"Can you really save her?" The student who was carrying the girl asked.

"If you untie me." Javert said.

"I don't trust him. Leave him here to die." Another student said.

"Grantaire, let him try."

The students and Javert looked at the small boy who had spoken. He was no more than ten, and his face was red from tears.

"Gavroche-"

"Eponine has done no wrong, Grantaire. She deserves to live."

Before Grantaire could respond, one of the students moved forward and untied Javert. He acted quickly and cleared off a nearby table.

"Put her here." Javert ordered, rolling up his sleeves.

The student laid Eponine down on the table. Javert studied her for a moment, and soon remembered having seen her before. This was Eponine Thenardier, the daughter of two thieves that Javert had released when they'd given him information. Her black hair was moistened with blood and her skin was pale, and her eyes soon met his. They were filled with pain and fear, and Javert pitied her. A common thief and he pitied her.

"Do not let me die, monsieur." Eponine pleaded, her voice just above a whisper.

"I won't." Javert said, not knowing whether or not it was true.

Javert looked up. "Someone bring me a knife. Does anyone here have any knowledge of medicine?"

"I do. I am studying it." A blonde student said.

"Then you will assist me, Monsieur..."

"Joly." The student introduced himself.

"Find me the knife."

Joly nodded and begun rummaging around and soon found a knife. He washed it thoroughly and then quickly returned to Javert and handed the knife to him.

"She's conscious. The pain will be too much." The student said, tears welling in his eyes.

Another student reached out and touched the shoulder of his tearing friend. "Marius, it's for the sake of her life."

"Courfeyac, she..."

"She'll be fine, if we allow the Inspector and Joly to help her." Courfeyac assured, but his expression was one of doubt.

Marius nodded and soon he and the other students left the tavern. After they had gone, Javert took one last look at Eponine's pale face, and soon dug the knife deep into her flesh to dig out the musket ball. Eponine was screaming in agony, her feet bucking and her fists clenching. Joly's skin was going white and Javert began to wonder if he had yet to witness an operation.

The procedure took thirty minutes, and Eponine had lost quite a bit of blood, most of which was on her clothes, the floor, and Javert and Joly's arms. Still, the musket ball had been removed and Joly stitched the wound close and bandaged it.

"Well, she's alive. Let us pray that she has the strength to survive her blood loss." Joly said.

Javert nodded and Joly left to tell the students of Eponine's survival. Meanwhile, Javert cleaned the blood off his hands and returned to Eponine. Her skin was still pale, but her color did seem to be returning a little bit. Her eyes were no longer holding fear, but exhaustion.

"You saved my life, Monsieur." Eponine said.

"Yes, Madame, I have."

Javert was surprised when Eponine took his hand and kissed it. She then closed her eyes and fell asleep, leaving Javert in a state of shock.

"She was weak, delirious from exhaustion and pain. That is all." Javert thought.