For Love
Part 6
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(A/N: Letters, notes, and things written will be between these little thingies: {} didn't want to confuse you.)
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Satine sat glumly in a chair in the corner of her freezing room. She had stripped the bed of its blankets and draped them over her shoulders. The windows were kept open at all times, much to Satine's dismay. She spent half of the nights trying to get warm.
In just one week, Satine had been given enough medicines to make her sick (A/n: Yes, pun intended…sort of). The days were long and boring. Satine would sleep, wake up, eat, take medicines, sit out on the balcony, which was freezing, and write in her notepad, which she had been filling with her every thoughts.
Not to mention that everywhere and everything was freezing. Each room had large open windows, which were never shut. When Satine was out on the balcony, she was only permitted to wear a light coat.
{Are you trying to save me or make me freeze to death?} She would write to the doctors, who told her the mountain air was good for her. {You mean it's good to freeze?}
She had been in the sanitarium for a week and all she could think about was Christian. How was he? Was he getting better? Was he getting worse? Satine had no way of knowing, since the doctors wouldn't mail her letters.
{Dearest Christian,} She began her letter. "Why write to him if he won't get your letters?" She was asked this question a number of times, only to reply: 'The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.'
{As you might have expected, I am missing you terribly. It's horrible here. There's about a million windows, which the doctors never close. The mountain air is freezing cold. I guess the only reason I haven't caught a cold is because of all the medicines they're giving me. Life is terrible here. The doctors aren't allowing me to speak at all. Not even a whisper! I know what you would say: 'But it's helping you get better.' I'm not so sure about that. I still cough a lot. There is still blood, and the doctors always give me sad looks.
I don't mean to make you worry. I shouldn't have told you, no, it's best that you know. I swore to myself I would never keep anything from you as long as I live and I don't intend to break that promise. How are you feeling?} Satine frowned. It was horrible having to be away from Christian, but it was even worse when he was injured. {I hope Renee is treating you well. You can't imagine how much I miss you. You filled a part of me and now there's a large, empty space in my heart. But soon, hopefully, we'll be together again, never to be separated. I would write more but some doctor is making me go to bed. I will finish this letter tomorrow.}
Satine put down the pad and pen and got into her bed. The doctor came by and gave her a pill to swallow before going to sleep. How she hated all this medicine! The doctor was at the door when he turned around. "I hate to be the one to tell you this," He said quietly, "but one of our patients just died. She had consumption."
Satine felt her throat close as tears sprang to her eyes. I thought people came here to get better. But her thoughts were disrupted when a sleepy haze washed over her. 'They must have given me a sleeping pill…' she thought before falling asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast and a round of medicines, Satine went to finish her letter.
{The most horrible thing has happened. Another patient here has died. That patient died of consumption. Oh, Christian, I am so scared. I seem to be feeling worse by the day. What is happening to me? I need you here with me. I can't bear to be away from you any longer. I love you. If anything happens to me, I want you to go on. You have a talent. A gift. You must not let me stand in your way of becoming a famous writer. I know you can do it, Christian.
With all the love in my heart,
Satine}
Satine flipped to a clean sheet of paper. {Doctor Solomon? Can there be any visitors here?} She handed the pad to Dr. Solomon when he entered the room. "No, Satine. I'm sorry, but those are the rules. You're not well enough to see anyone." He said, taking a blood sample from Satine's forearm.
{Then can you at least mail a letter?} Dr. Solomon frowned, his chin wrinkling. "Normally I wouldn't allow it," He began, "but one letter won't kill. This will be the only one, though. I won't be sending out more." Smiling, Satine tore the letter out from the pad and handed it to Dr. Solomon. "Stay in bed. You look exhausted."
Satine pulled the covers up to her chin as images of Christian danced across her mind.
***
Days later, Christian was eating lunch when a letter arrived for him. Renee retrieved it and gave it to him.
"Who could it be from?" He asked aloud. "I never get letters." His parents didn't even write him. They didn't know his address.
Christian read the letter to himself, Renee cleaning the dishes. She had been so kind and helpful while Christian was recovering. "Who's it from?" She called across the room. "It's from Satine." Christian said. The letter held the scent of medicine. "Renee. I know you know where Satine is." Renee nodded slowly. "You just can't tell me. But please, please, I have to go see Satine. She could be dead right now for all I know. I just have to see her again."
Renee put the dishes on the counter and walked over to the bed. "It's against the rules to have visitors, although I will try my best." Christian grinned. "But," Renee added, shaking a finger at him, "You need to do your part as well. You've been cooped up in this bed for far too long. You need to get back on your feet."
So for the rest of the day Christian tried to stand. But his weak muscles, refusing to do their part after having been unused for quite a while, caused him to fall back onto the bed a number of times before he called it quits for the day. His chest was screaming with pain and protest by the time he was back under the blankets. "This isn't going to be easy." He said, breathing hard.
"Whoever said it was?" Renee said all too cheerfully as she went to prepare their dinner.
***
Two nights later, Satine lay in her bed, gasping, trying to catch her breath. She looked around frantically, hoping someone would come. She got up from her bed and went to open the door, but it was locked. A tear slipped down her cheek as she beat her fists against the door, coughing violently.
Her head was spinning and it was harder to stand. But she had to stay. For Christian. Finally, Dr. Solomon burst through the door, knocking Satine to the ground. She lay, eyes wide, mouth open, on the cold floor, frantically trying to breathe. Dr. Solomon picked Satine up and placed her on the bed. He pulled a needle out from a drawer, held Satine's left arm and injected medicine into her bloodstream.
Satine grasped Dr. Solomon's arm so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The pain in her chest slowly subsided and allowed her to breathe again. She gasped, her frail body trembling. "Get some rest." Dr. Solomon said, pulling the chair over to the bed and sitting down. "I'll be right here."
'She knows she doesn't have long to live.' He thought to himself. 'That man she wrote to, Christian. She can't live without him. So that's why her health is declining. I can't let her die like this.' He knew there was only one solution; get Christian. But he didn't even know who Christian was, let alone where he was.
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"That was alright." Renee admitted slyly as Christian fell onto his bed ungracefully after walking across the room. "You try getting shot." Christian muttered. "See how much you like it."
"There, there, now," Renee came and sat on the bed next to Christian. "Don't worry. I'll take you to Satine once you're able to. I promise."
Christian looked down at the floor. "We'll leave tomorrow." He said quietly. "I-I'll be able to do it, really, I know I will." Renee's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? Do you even know how much blood you lost? You're in no condition to be going anywhere soon. You might hurt yourself again."
"I don't care, Renee. I just have to see Satine." His eyes met hers. "We're going tomorrow." Without another word, Christian stood up slowly and walked to the end of the room. He stumbled a few times, but he didn't fall.
"Christian, I'm sorry. I just don't want anything to-" Renee was cut off when Christian fell. He bit his lip, clutching his chest. Renee ran over to him, putting a hand on his back. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice filled with concern. Christian merely nodded as he slowly rose to his feet.
"This is what I mean." Renee said as she helped Christian back to his bed. "I don't want this to happen at all, let alone somewhere else. I'm sorry, Christian. But I'm sure you'll understand." Christian was silent for the rest of the night.
***
Satine was resting in a large, fluffy chair out on the balcony. As usual, she was freezing. The large, full moon hung above her, seeming close enough to touch. As she looked up at the moon, she missed Christian. He was her love. She missed him with all she had. Was she missing her?
Then, she felt a song in her mind. She pulled out her notepad and quickly wrote it down.
{Late at night when all the world is sleeping
I stay up and think of you.
And I wish on a star
that somewhere you are thinking of me too
'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight
'Till tomorrow I'll be holding you tight
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be
Than here in my room dreaming about you and me}
Satine's eyes slid closed and her head rolled to one side as she fell asleep. The notepad fell to the ground, the page of her song facing upwards.
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(A/N: Sorry this chapter took longer than the others (accept chapter 5 maybe). I just can't think straight without my muse. But oh well…Chapter 7 will be up sometime this week.)
Song I used: 'Dreaming of You' By Selena