We left the next day, almost in the middle of the night. I had given Christine some sedatives so she would sleep through the night, carrying her in my arms. Madame Giry had packed all Christine's dresses and belongings, and insisted on walking with us, making sure we'd reach the apartment safely. It was a cold night. I had given Christine a warm scarf and my coat. Though she had one herself I was sure that it wasn't as warm as mine. I wore my cloak, and had tried to cover the right side of my face with an extra black scarf. We left two days before I actually wanted to, but I wanted to see the doctor as soon possible. I was worried about Christine's health. If the pain was only increasing…
The journey went off smoothly. There weren't many people on the streets. It took us 10 minutes to reach the front of the building. I had given Madame Giry the spare keys, so she or Meg could enter any time they wanted to. "Here we are. Could you open the door for us, please?"
Antoinette unlocked the door, and stepped inside. We had to go up two stairs before we finally found the door to myapartment. Once again Antoinette unlocked it, and I went in first, followed by her. We found ourselves staring into a hallway. It led to a small kitchen with a round dinner table with four chairs. I had never understood why there were four chairs, if the apartment was only big enough for two people at most. As I was staring into the kitchen this way, I saw the bathroom door on the left side, adjacent to the kitchen.
I walked to the bedroom door, which was opposite the hallway, and opened it with my foot, observing the room. It was a real mess.
There were a lot of paintings and music sheets scattered all over the floor. In the left corner there was a study table, on it lay a violin with no strings at all. I hadn't had the time to replace them with new ones. Next to the table, stood a bookcase. I had stored some of my books and 'creations' in there. At the right side of me, there stood a drawer to store clothes in. On the right side was also the bed, in the upper corner, and a window whose curtains were nearly draped.
I lay Christine carefully down on the bed, which was kind of made. I wrapped the scarf off her neck, and took off her shoe and my coat. I also took off my own scarf which was wrapped around my face. I tucked her in and noticed how cold it was in here… and dark too, except for the moon shining a little through the window. The light was floating over the floor and a little over Christine, making her even paler than she already was.
"Erik?" I heard Antoinette's voice calling from the threshold of the bedroom. I turned around and walked into her direction. "Erik, I'm leaving. Are you sure you don't need help with anything else? It's a real mess in her." Her voice was only a whisper.
She took a few steps back and let me close the bedroom door behind me. So we didn't have to whisper.
"No, Antoinette. You've already done more than enough for me. You should go back and have some rest." She nodded.
"I've left a bag in the kitchen with things you'll need. What time do you want me to be here tomorrow?"
She walked to the front door and I followed her.
"Around eleven?" she nodded again, and opened the door.
"Shall I walk back with you?"
"No, Erik. I'll be okay. Besides, you're the one who needs to get some rest. You look exhausted."
I nodded, I feltexhausted.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, goodnight Antoinette. And thanks again for your help."
"Goodnight, Erik. And you know you're always more than welcome."
I waited till she was downstairs and shut the door.
I walked back to the kitchen, and opened the bag Madame Giry had been talking about. I smiled when I saw she had it stuffed with apples, pears, tomatoes and other things edible. It was more than enough for three days. I lay the bag on one of the kitchen chairs, and suddenly, out of nowhere... I yawned. All the watching was taking its toll. I opened the bedroom door again, and walked to the bed. Taking the scarves and my coat, and hang them on a peg in the hallway. I took Christine's coat, which Madame Giry had laid on one of the chairs, and hang it on a peg too.
The suitcase with Christine's clothes I put down next to the drawer. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to unpack. I sought for a few blankets in the drawer. Christine would need them tonight. I scooped up the scattered papers and drawings from the floor, and lay them on the study table. I would sort those out another time. I took off my scarf and waistcoat, and lay them on the only stool in the bedroom. I unlaced my shoes, and put them next to the stool as well. I then walked to Christine's bed and kneeled down to grab two handles underneath the bed. I pulled, and another 'bed' rolled out underneath the other. It was creaking badly when I rolled it out and I cursed myself for the noise. Though I knew Christine wouldn't wake. I rolled the bed, until there was a large walking space between the beds. I had never thought I would need this one. I opened the drawer again to search for a pillow and threw it on my bed. There was a blanket left, which would keep me warm tonight. I would make my bed properly tomorrow. I sat down on my bed, which was almost on the ground, and took off my socks. Throwing them somewhere where I thought my shoes were standing. I took off my mask, and lay it beside me. I would sleep on my right side tonight. I lay down and pulled the blanket around me. I closed my eyes, and listened to the silence. It felt so peaceful.
I could feel myself slowly falling asleep...
…
I was awoken by warm sunrays shining on my face, and opened my eyes a little. I wasn't used to this kind of light at all. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes, looking around. The room was filled with sunlight. I wondered how the sun could shine like this. It was almost December. I looked at the clock; it was a quarter past eight. I put on my mask and got up. Christine would be sleeping for at least an hour, which gave me the opportunity to take a relaxing bath. I took some fresh clothes from out of the drawer and lay them ready in the bathroom. I filled the bath with hot water, and checked one more time on Christine to make sure she was still sleeping. I then locked the bathroom door, took off my mask and wig, took off my clothes, and carefully let myself sink into the warm water.
I moaned, how I had missed this. The warmth of the water embracing my body. The large amount of foam tickling my skin. Oh, I could be in bath for hours. Just thinking... thinking about everything I've ever thought of... It was as if my mind finally found peace.
But this time I couldn't be in bath for hours. Christine needed me...
I washed my hair, but decided to stay just a little longer in bath. The warmth made me feel drowsy. I looked at my pocket watch, which I had laid near the bathtub. It was 9 o'clock. I closed my eyes. And let my mind wander. But when I opened them again, it was almost quarter to 10. I gasped, had I really been in bath for that long? I quickly got out and dried myself with a towel. I put on the clothes I had laid ready and sought for my razor. I smeared the cream on my chin and cheeks. How I hate to shave. I always have to look at this disgusting face. I had once decided not to shave anymore. But after two weeks, it looked ridiculous.
I heard the razor scrape over my skin, that awful sound... that awful feeling.
It doesn't help to shave fast. The last time I tried I ended up cutting myself rather deeply. If you'd look close enough, you could still see the scar it left underneath my left cheek. Of course it had to be the left cheek. Like I wasn't deformed enough already.
I sighed, "You're almost done, Erik."
When I had finished, I put on something that would make my skin feel smooth. I checked if I hadn't forgotten any part and put my wig back on. I took my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. At last, I could finally look away from the mirror. I turned around, unlocking the door. I almost forgot to put on my mask. I put it on, opened the bathroom door, and immediately the cold air brushed against my face. I decided to first light a lot of candles, they would give some warmth.
I decided it would be a good time to wake up Christine. I sat on the edge of her bed.
She looks beautiful...
I stroke her cheek, softly whispering her name. "Christine?" She frowned at my voice, and stirred her head a little.
"Christine, wake up."
She moaned. Very slowly, she was waking up. I took her hand in mine, and squeezed it lightly. She blinked a few times and looked into my eyes. I smiled kindly,
"Good morning, darling. How are you feeling?" She moaned and looked up.
"As if someone has knocked me unconsciousness yesterday." I chuckled a bit.
"How's your foot feeling?" She sat up a little, looking around. "Erik, where are we?" she looked a bit confused.
"We're in my apartment, love. Madame Giry will come within an hour and then we'll see a more experienced doctor. I did not want to wait any longer."
She nodded.
"Shall we eat something? You haven't eaten very much these days."
She nodded again, and played a little with my hand, entwining her fingers with mine.
"What is it you want to have for breakfast?"
"What do you have?" she looked at me.
"I could make some soup. But for you, I would make a whole breakfast."
She smiled at me, "No thanks, Erik. Soup is fine."
"Alright then, dear. Is there anything else you need?"
"Do you mind if we'd eat at the kitchen table? I've been in bed for so long. I'd like to stretch my legs a little."
I chuckled, "of course you can. Can you get to the table by yourself? "
"I'll try."
I helped her to stand up, and let go of her, moving to the kitchen. She hopped on one foot. But when she was almost on the threshold from the bedroom, she lost her balance, and stumbled backwards. I was just in time to notice and stepped forward and caught her around her waist, her hands grabbing at my waistcoat. I groaned as her body almost pulled me down with her.
"I've got you, dear."
I pulled her back up. Her face was mere inches away from mine, or... reverse.
She placed her hand on my left cheek and the other I felt on my chest. She noticed how smooth my skin felt, and started to giggle.
I frowned a little. "What's so funny, darling?"
"Erik, have you shaven yourself today?"
I raised an eyebrow, "yes, I have. Why are you asking?"
"Because your skin feels so smooth." She kissed my cheek, and lay her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes. I instinctively pulled her closer. My hands around her thin frame. I lay my chin softly on her head. Maybe shaving wasn't that bad after all.
We stood there for a few moments, when I pulled away. "I'm sorry, love. But I really should get started on making breakfast. We're running late already."
I helped her onto one of the kitchen chairs, and started making soup.
"Erik?" I heard her thin voice call from behind me.
"Mmhmmh?"
"Would you mind if I... brushed my hair?"
I turned around, looking very serious and stern. "Yes Christine, it would kill me. It would kill me if you brushed your hair." I took two steps into her direction,
bending over, so my face came very close to hers. "Don't ever ask these kind of questions again."
She looked confused at me, and scared, until I started to grin, confusing her even more. "I'm joking Christine." I kissed her forehead. "I'll get the brush for you."
"Thanks Erik." She smiled awkwardly at me.
I continued with the soup making. After about fifteen minutes, the soup was ready. I poured it into two bowls and put them on the table. One in front of Christine and one in front of an empty chair. I took two spoons and handed one to Christine, I sat next to her on the chair.
"Well, enjoy your meal."
After she had let it cool down a bit, she started to eat. A smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, Erik. This tastes so good. How did you learn to make this?"
I chuckled, "Well, darling. Believe it or not but even I have to eat sometimes. Be careful not to eat too fast, love. It's still hot."
I played a little with my spoon before I decided to take a sip. I felt the warmth sliding down my throat. But when I was about to take a second sip... I heard knocking on the door.
I lay my spoon down and shove my stool backwards to stand up.
"That'll be Antoinette. Excuse me, Christine. I have to open the door."
I approached the door, and opened it just a little. To make sure it was her.
"Erik, don't act like a fool. You know it's me."
I opened the door, "Antoinette, come in. You are early. We were just eating having breakfast. Do you want to join?"
She put of her coat, and hung it on one of the pegs; I closed the door behind me.
"If you don't mind, Erik. Yes, please. I haven't eaten anything today."
I nodded, and walked back to the kitchen. I poured more soup into a new bowl, took a spoon, and put it on the place opposite Christine. I sat down again, and started sipping. Antoinette joined us. We ate quietly, but I saw there was a question Christine wanted to ask, but probably did not dare to ask. And suddenly, there popped up a question in my own head.
"Antoinette, isn't there a carriage waiting outside for us?"
"Yes, but you don't have to worry about anything. Because earlier this morning, I accidentally bumped into Raoul. He asked about Christine, and when I told him about the plan you had on seeing the doctor, he insisted I'd took his carriage and driver with me. So we wouldn't have to pay for anything." I nodded, and was about to say something when Christine could no longer bear to keep the question to herself. "Madame, how do you and Erik know each other?"
I chuckled at the question, "that's quite a long story, love. I'm sure Madame Giry will tell you another time."
Christine pouted, but Antoinette looked serious at me. I made an, for Christine unnoticed, begging plea with my eyes, and Antoinette nodded a little.
I did not want to hear the story... to relive the story. The laughter and the smell... The gasps and screams of horror...
I shook my head, and looked at Christine. Madame Giry finally answered the question.
"I think I'll tell you another time, Christine. And I think it's time for us to leave, Erik."
I nodded. "Christine, are you finished?" She looked at me, and nodded. I took the spoons and bowls and put them in the sink. Madame Giry had already taken Christine's scarf and coat from the peg, and helped her putting them on. I took Christine's shoe, "Christine, give me your foot... No, the other one." I put on her shoe, and she giggled a little. I laced her shoe, "Is it not too tight?" She shook her head. I put on my shoes, and laced them too. After that, I put on my coat. I took my shoulder bag with me, just in case of.
"Are we ready to leave, Erik?"
"Yes, we are."
I picked Christine up from the stool, and Antoinette opened the front door for me.
When we finally arrived at the doctor, I helped Christine out of the carriage. There was a lady behind a desk who told us we had to wait for some time and that we should take a seat.
I could see Christine felt nervous and I squeezed her hand softly, trying to make her relax a little. She smiled kindly at me. When the doctor came he first shook our hands, and asked if we'd follow him. When he noticed Christine couldn't walk, he said we had to wait and disappeared.
When he came back he was rolling a wheelchair with him. He placed it in front of Christine and she changed seats. He asked again if we'd followed him, and I pushed the wheelchair with Christine in it.
The doctor didn't seem old, perhaps a few years older than me and he had a friendly face.
He entered his room, and we followed. It was a rather big room, with a huge desk in the middle.
There were some plants and painting decorating the walls. But mostly there were bookcases.
There were also large windows opposite the door we entered, and on the right side there were two doors.
He sat down on the large chair behind the desk, and we sat on the stools which were standing on the other side of the desk. Christine in the wheelchair in the middle.
"So, what's the problem, dear?" he looked at Christine, smiling friendly at her.
"Well, my foot hurts."
The doctor chuckled.
"Then I'll take a look at it."
He came up to her, and kneeled next to her, taking her foot in his hands. She tensed.
"Nervous are you?"
She nodded.
"Can you tell me what has happened?"
He was about to wrap off the bandage around her ankle. But because of the pain she flinched and quickly pulled her foot away.
"I know that this may hurt, sweetheart. But I'll have to take a look at it. Now tell me what has happened."
"I-I-I fell from the stairs."
He carefully took off the bandage and looked at her foot.
"Then you fell really badly."
I gasped; her whole ankle had swollen up, having a weird blue/purple color.
You could see stitches on either side of her foot, where the trap had caught her ankle, and had ripped the flesh.
"It's funny," the doctor started, "you said you fell down the stairs. Yet these cuts are exactly opposite from one another. Like you have been trapped between something." He was silent for a little while, looking at the foot. "Anyway, those stitches must be removed, I'll take you to the other room, and there we'll see it's done."
He had put her down on some sort of special table in one of the rooms, me and Madame Giry waiting in the doctor's office. But before ten minutes had passed, he came back.
"Would you mind if I gave her some morphine? I can't work properly if she keeps acting like this."
We both nodded.
"Oh, and could one of you please go in and comfort her? I'm sure she'll need it. "
He walked into the other door in his 'office', grabbing some things he needed.
I looked at Madame Giry, but she only nodded. She knew what I wanted to ask.
I entered the room. There wasn't much interesting. Just some tools and stuff lying around. I walked up to Christine, who was still sitting on that special table.
"How are you doing, Christine?"I whispered, and sat down beside her.
I wrapped my hands around her waist. I could feel she was frightened, tensing over her whole body.
"Erik?" she sought for my hand, and grabbed it tightly. "Erik, he's hurting me." I chuckled a little, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Of course he's not, Christine. He's trying to help you."
"But it hurts!"
"I know, darling. That's why he's going to give you something against it. "
When the doctor came back, he gave Christine the morphine. We had to wait a few minutes before it would work. But I could feel she was getting more relaxed. He continued with removing the stitches. Christine didn't move, but she was squeezing my hand instead. I held her close, whispering sweet little words in her ear.
"We're almost done." The doctor assured Christine.
He removed the last stitches, and disinfected the wounds again.
He then told us he had to find where it was broken, and could find it only by feeling softly at her ankle. Christine moaned when he started, biting on her lip until it was almost bleeding.
"Ssh, Christine. Try to relax; it will help against the pain." I whispered.
She had started to squeeze so hard in my hand, it almost hurt.
The doctor kept on feeling, until he stopped on one certain point. It was the most sensitive point, so I guessed this was the place it was broken.
"I've found it. Shall I replace it right now, or do you want a few minutes to compose yourself a bit?" he looked at Christine.
"Please, do it now." She brought out slowly.
He nodded, "Alright then. Here we go."
I pulled her a bit closer. She had already started to squeeze my hand, though the doctor hadn't even touched her yet. "It's alright, Christine," I whispered, "just try to relax a little, dear. It will help."
The doctor had started to move her foot a little, and she closed her eyes in pain. Inhaling deeply.
But suddenly she dug her nails into the flesh of my hand and we heard a sort of crack. He carefully let go of her foot. "That's it." The doctor looked at Christine. "Are you alright, dear?"
A tear rolled down her cheek, and her whole upper body was shaking.
"I'll be right back. I need to get some things. Let your foot stay in this position." And he walked away, leaving me and Christine alone.
There were more tears falling down her cheek. I sighed, and kissed Christine's cheek again, taking her hands in mine.
Starting to rock slowly from the left to the right I hummed a song I'd once heard. She laid her head on my shoulder, and closed her eyes.
It worked. She was slowly falling into a slumber.
The pain had drained almost all the blood from her face. Leaving her sickly pale. I stroke her cheek with one of my hands.
After a few minutes... the doctor came back with a small rolling table full of things I'd never seen before.
"We're almost done. Now comes the fun part. This won't hurt very much. Excuse me."
He pulled Christine's dress up 'till her knees, and placed a pillow underneath her upper leg. I watched in fascination as he was aiding her ankle, using a lot of different layers of plaster.
After he was done the table looked like a complete mess. He looked at Christine, and gave her a smile, "We're done."
She sighed in relief, but was still too much under influence of morphine to give a proper thank you.
The doctor washed his hands.
"It will take 7 to 8 weeks before it has properly healed. Make sure the plaster doesn't get wet. So be careful with washing and bathing. It's best to keep your leg up, and to lay a pillow underneath your leg when sleeping. Furthermore it's important not to walk on it for at least three weeks, after that you can try walking with crutches. The pain should be gone after 3 weeks too."
Christine nodded, and I helped her into the wheelchair again. We followed the doctor to his office again. Madame Giry was still in the same chair. She gave a worried glance at Christine.
He sat down in the large chair again, and looked at Madame Giry and me.
"After I have removed the plaster, it will take 3 to 6 months before she's able to walk completely again.
And if there's anything wrong… if the pain doesn't go away. You can always come back here. "
We both nodded and thanked him. He shook our hands, and walked up to Christine.
"So, I'll see you again after 7 weeks?"
She nodded, and gave him a faint smile.
He assured us that it was no problem to borrow the wheelchair, and that we could ask the lady that we had seen earlier for some crutches.
We nodded again, and then we left.
…
Christine had fallen asleep on our way home, her head resting against my shoulder again. I could hear she was mumbling in her sleep, but couldn't make out what exactly. I looked at Madame Giry, who was looking out of the window. She hadn't spoken a word, and I didn't know what to say either. I just hoped she wasn't too angry with me.
When we were standing in front of the apartment again, I thanked the driver gratefully, and went inside with Christine and Madame Giry. Madame Giry once again opened the door to the apartment, and we went in. I had carried Christine up the two stairs, and now lay her gently on her bed. As Antoinette was getting off her coat and shoe, I went downstairs again to fetch the wheelchair and the crutches. They were heavier than I thought. When I came back, Antoinette was just closing the bedroom door behind her. I smiled kindly at her.
"Do you want anything to drink, Antoinette?"
