Winter Concerto in F-Minor

Prologue:
They couldn't stop the bleeding. Raoul knew it even before the doctor had opened his mouth; the grey eyebrows were drawn together, the lips set in a tight grim line, the eyes downcast and resigned all signs of what had turned inevitable had the realization sliced into him with such as sudden force that he staggered backwards with a sharp cry. The doctor reached out to steady him, but Raoul jerked quickly away. He felt like all the heat had rushed out of his body in those few seconds, and he was left shaking in a world devoid of light and warmth. The doctor sighed and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry..."

"No." Raoul pushed him aside and ran into the bedroom, before stopping to a halt at the foot of the bed. The nurses had moved aside respectfully, departing from the room to allow the husband a moment of private intimacy with his dying wife. Raoul felt his bones freeze up, felt himself breaking apart at the sight of Christine lying there so weak and yet deceivingly as alive as she ever was. He quickly suppressed the lump moving dangerously up his throat and walked gently to his wife's side. "Christine," he whispered, grasping her small hand between his, bending down to kiss it perhaps one last time.

She turned her head towards him. Her face was drenched with sweat, her complexion a bloodless white, but she still smiled exactly the same way she had when Raoul first fell in love with her. "My love," she said breathlessly and tried to reach out with her other hand, but was too weak to lift it, and she collapsed back with a sigh. "My love, how is my little Jacques?"

Raoul bit back tears. Not one minute after he had been born had little Jacques stopped breathing entirely. The midwife had taken his lifeless body from the room before Christine had a chance to realize anything was wrong with her baby, something Raoul was eternally grateful for. Even as his chest clenched painfully, he still managed to smile back. "Asleep, my darling," forever in the dark. "Madame is watching over him; lay your worries to rest."

"Oh, how I long to hold him in my arms."

Raoul stroked her hair softly. "You shall, love. When you are stronger. Just take care to get your rest now so that you may heal more quickly."

Closing her eyes, Christine sighed and shook her head. She looked into the man she had grown to love, remembering the blissful months they had spent together. They flew by so fast, and now there was hardly any time left. She desperately wanted to ease his suffering somehow, but all she could find to say was, "Don't be sad, my darling Raoul. Please don't be sad."

Raoul had buried his face in her hand as soon as he felt hot, stinging tears start to spill over his eyes and down his cheeks. Pain swelled into Christine's heart. "Don't cry, my brave soldier. You are so strong, don't shed your tears for me."

Raoul pressed his face deeper into her palm, a choked sob escaping his lips. "What are you saying, Christine? You will get better. You will." Please don't leave me. You are all I have. All that's worth living for.

"Raoul, please." She paused, taking a shaking breath. "Please take care of Jacques. Make sure he grows up to be a strong boy, just like his father. Love him in my place."

"Christine..."

"I'm so proud of you, Raoul. Do you remember when you came to rescue me? My hero. You were so brave then. You must continue being brave for both of us. For Jacques."

She nudged Raoul's cheek with her fingers so that he would look at her once more, even if it did break her heart to see him so broken. But she needed to make sure he was listening. "Promise me, Raoul. Promise me you will go on living once I'm gone. Promise me you will love again one day, and that you will love this person as you did me. Promise me you will be happy once more."

There was nothing Raoul did not want to do more, but he nodded, unable to deny his wife this last request. "I-I promise."

Christine smiled and relaxed, seemingly at peace, and closed her eyes.

But a moment later, she stiffened up like a wooden board. She squeezed Raoul's hands in a vice grip, her breath coming in short gasps. "Oh, Raoul, why is it so dark? Is it nighttime already? Did you forget to light the candles again, dear?"

Raoul broke into a cold sweat and turned to call out desperately, "Hello there! I need the doctor! Quickly!" He jerked back to see in horror that Christine had now stretched out her other arm was clawing at something indiscernible in front of her. Her face was frozen in a wide smile. Raoul had never been more afraid in his life.

"You have come for me at last, my Angel of Music! To take me away from this place! Can you you hear that? How beautiful he sings to me!" She suddenly turned to the man by her side who had been panicked into speechlessness and cried out, "Who are you? Let me go, you brute! I want to go with my Angel of Music!"

If the words 'total devastation' could be captured in a picture, Raoul's face at that moment would have shown it perfectly. He visibly recoiled at the look of repulsion on Christine's face, at the viciousness of her tone, and dropped her hand in haste. Christine stared back at him for a whole five seconds, blinking in confusion, before lucidity took over again. Her face melted from one of disgust into one of shame; she had tears in her eyes. "Raoul," she sobbed. "Forgive me..."

She had spoken with last of her strength, as the final struggle of breath left her body. A moment later, her head hang lifelessly to the side of her pillow.

Raoul could not remember if he had screamed before the darkness took mercy on him as well.

tbc-

a/n: Too much angst? Sap? OOCness? Spelling/Grammatical mistakes? Your feedback is very much appreciated.