A Delicate Inquiry

[wings_of_a_swan]

Combeferre feels very awkward as he makes his way to Valjean's room with a tray.

He didn't know what Valjean likes to eat, so he he'd settled for the simplest: bread, eggs, milk, coffee, some fruit. Combeferre had considered first asking Valjean whether he had eaten or not, and then asking him what he liked to eat.

But, on reflection, Combeferre had decided that the answer to the first question was very likely to be "no," if Hugo's account and the evidence of Combeferre's own diagnostic eye had any weight at all. And Combeferre knew Valjean wasn't going to give him a forthright answer to the second question.

Very likely the unfortunate old man would simply respond to such a query by speaking more about his daughter.

If confronted with an actual tray, however, Valjean might eat out of sheer politeness. Combeferre would take that. He could not heal Valjean's soul; he could only, at most, prevent Valjean from accidentally harming Enjolras's body via starvation or other neglect, while absorbed in grief.

Combeferre reaches the room door, takes a deep breath, and raps sharply. "M. Valjean? It's Combeferre."

Comments

[road_to_calvary]

Valjean has not left his room since this thing started. He has no wish to confront the world in Enjolras's body, and all these hotel rooms have water on tap. He did once consider leaving to get some food as well, but as he reached the door he thought of questions, and noise, and other people - and what if Cosette was in the bar, and he had to explain? No, it made far more sense to stay inside. He has a chair, he has a copy of Victor Hugo's book - not that he can bring himself to read further than his own first appearance; the memory of the wretch he was is too much to face at present - and he has the patience to wait until his body returns, and he can go back to where Cosette is.

The knock, therefore, comes as a surprise. He contemplates the door for a while - maybe Enjolras has returned, and there is damage to his body - and eventually gets up to answer it.

'Combeferre. Good day.'