Christine's POV
Monsieur LePerriert came to the house a few hours after Nadir left. I wasn't sure Nadir was ever going to come back, but he got what he deserved for wanting to send Erik to such a despicable place. Like promised, monsieur LePerriert brought twenty more doses of morphine with him. I wasn't sure how he had obtained so much, but didn't question him as I let him inside. Along with the morphine, he had also brought along a black walking stick.
"Monsieur will be requiring this when ever he is ready to take his first steps again." he said, leaning the item against the staircase. "How is he doing?"
"Better," I said. "Much better thanks to you. Although, he's still not eating like he should be, and he's still exhausted."
"Well, Christine, Rome was not built in a day."
Monsieur LePerriert was standing there at the edge of the staircase, not quite sure on whether to go upstairs or not. I knew he feared Erik, and what he would do when he realized just who he was.
"Well, here goes nothing." he murmured, taking a hesitant step onto the first stair.
"Let me go ahead of you." I said. "Incase he's still asleep."
Monsieur LePerriert did not argue, letting me pass him by and up towards Erik's room.
Erik's POV
Erik wasn't sleepy anymore, for he had slept a good amount of time during the night. Though, when he woke in the morning, he heard shouting coming from down stairs. The voices were too far away to take notice to who they belonged to, but Erik would question Christine about it later. Currently, he was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to overtake him once more. Suddenly, the door opened, and Christine came walking in with a reassuring smile plastered across her face.
"Erik, you're up."
Erik nodded, as Christine came to stand at the end of his bed.
"The doctor is back to see you." she said. "Remember? The man who fixed your leg?"
Once more, Erik nodded. He didn't care for doctors, for he never had. Man was cruel to Erik, and therefore, he was cruel right back to him.
"He's very kind, Erik." she said. "He's brought more morphine for you."
At last! Oh, Erik was running out of the sweet drug that numbed his pain! How comfortable he felt knowing that he would not run out within a few days. Erik turned his head to the side, watching the door open once more, only to have the air knocked straight out of his chest. That bastard! That horrible, despicable man! He might have aged, but Erik never forgets a face, especially one that had brought harm upon Erik! And yet, the bastard walked into his room, pretending that he did not know Erik.
"Get out!" Erik growled.
The man took a step back, frightened over Erik's voice.
"Erik, it's all right." Christine tried to take Erik's hand in her own, but he snatched it away. He would kill him! Erik would kill him!
"Erik, monsieur LePerriert saved your life the other night."
"Erik does not care what he did! Monsieur should also know what Erik will do to him if he does not leave this instant!"
"I'm going to go-"
"No!" Christine left Erik's side to grasp hold of monsieur LePerriert's arm. Why, Christine? Why! Of all people to bring to Erik's side, and this is who she brings!
"Christine, he is right." he said. "I should go."
Faster than lightning, Christine marched strait to Erik's bedside and slapped him across the face. How painful! How agonizing it was for Christine to slap Erik's bruised face… The gesture actually hurt Erik's feelings.
"You're acting like an animal, Erik!" she growled. "Now enough of this."
Erik's heart hurt worse than before. But Erik had a right to be angry, did he not? This despicable man wanted to put Erik in an institution, all so that he would be out of his poor mother's life, all so that this man could be alone with her and marry. For Christine, Erik would be tame, but never, would Erik ever forgive this man for what he has done, for what pain he had caused.
"Go ahead, monsieur." Christine said, pointing to Erik's body. "Examine him."
And monsieur LePerriert did just that, examining Erik's leg like a vet examining a lion, always alert and always watching. It was as if one wrong move would be the end of his life.
"His leg needs to be looked after for a while longer." he said after examining Erik. "I'll be back in a day or two, if that's all right?"
Monsieur LePerriert tucked Erik's sore leg back beneath the blankets, staring him right in the eyes. This man held a great fear for Erik, and for what he did, he deserved to feel frightened.
"That will be fine," Christine said. "Thank you."
But Erik did not agree or disagree, for he was helpless against Christine's wishes.
"You know, she loved you, Erik."
How dare he! How dare this man speak about Erik's mother like that. She did not love her bastard child! She loathed him! It was bad enough this man wanted to take her away from Erik, but now, to come to him thirty-five years later and lie!
"Get out!" Erik screamed. "Get out!"
"She refused to marry me…"
"Get out!"
"Because she loved you…you ran away!"
"Now!"
Erik was an inch away from falling out of bed! That's how angry he was over this man's lie!
"She was heartbroken!"
"Out!"
Finally, Erik reached over for the candelabra that was placed on the night table and threw it at the doctor, barely missing him. When he ran out the door, Erik was left gasping for breath and hurting from every inch of his body. Agony! Pure agony!
"Erik-" Christine tried to come to Erik's aid, tried telling him how much of a monster he was, but Erik would not have it. He grabbed hold of Christine's wrist with his good hand and squeezed it tight causing her to yelp.
"Christine does not know what that man did to poor Erik when he was a boy!" he let Christine go, causing her to stumble backwards. "So, do not tell Erik that he is acting like an animal. Monsieur LePerriert is the animal, Christine."
"He is kind, Erik."
"You don't know him!"
"What did he do to you, Erik?"
"Go away, Christine!" Erik demanded. "Just go away! You are nothing but a predator, feeding off the helpless!"
"Erik-"
"Christine struck Erik in the face-in his most sensitive spot…For that, he deserves to be angry with you."
"But-"
"Go! Leave Erik before he hurts you too."
And before Erik had the chance to look at the door, Christine was gone.
Christine's POV
How foolish of me it was to hit Erik in the face. Not only had I hurt his feelings, but I could have caused him more damage to his flesh. I guess I was still angry over Nadir, angry over everything. But at the same time, I couldn't let my question about monsieur LePerriert slip on by. What had that man done to Erik? What could be so bad in this world to hate a man after so many years? If there was one place I knew I could find an answer, it was in Madeleine's diary. I slipped back into my new room, and took a seat at the vanity, searching inside the drawer for the small book I had tossed there a few days back. Yes, the book was despicable, but it would give me the answers Erik refused to give. I flipped through every page, until I reached the last entry…It was from 1838, the year Erik ran away from home.
"October 5th 1838
Today was the both the best and worst day of my life. How could one day be filled with both joy and sorrow? But it's true…Albert LePerriert has asked for my hand in marriage! Think of that…I never thought I would marry again, not after Charles. But Albert has filled the hole in my heart with pure joy. He had asked me to marry him, but as I was about to answer him, he told me about his other plan, that plan being the one to put Erik away in an institution. How could I? Yes, he and I had not seen eye to eye over the past seven years, but I had still come to know him as my son…demon or not. But, before we could speak about such a plan, the worst had happened. The town's people had found their way to my home, killed Erik's little dog, and then stabbed him. I could not care for his wounds, for I was in shock. But, Albert being the great doctor that he was stitched Erik up and laid him across the couch. He lay there dying, my son, the child Charles and I had created out of love was laying there across my couch dying. And with his slow death, Albert was begging for my hand in marriage.
"We would be alone all the time." he assured me. "And we could have a child together, one that is perfect in everyway."
Perfect, oh, the thought of bearing a perfect child made me smile. But what of Charles? Was I just supposed to forget about the one he and I had made together? Throw the last part of him that I had away in an institution? No, I could not, and therefore, I chose love, love that I wanted to finally express upon Erik. I loved Charles, and therefore, after seven years, I would confess my love for Erik. I rejected Albert's proposal and went into the family room to find Erik, to finally tell him everything, to finally give him those kisses he has begged for all his life, but alas, he was gone! The only thing that was left of him, was a note…
"Forgive me, forget me…"
He was gone and he would never be back. He must have heard Albert talking, heard him say those horrible things, and now, my punishment would be to sit here alone, and wait…Wait for the death that would reunite me with my Charles again. Would God be forgiving? Forgiving enough to forgive me for treating one of his creatures so poorly? It was too late for me now, for his creature had run off in hopes of finding a new life and love within the world, but the truth of it all was that he would find none. For if his own mother couldn't love him, who would? Who could?"
Tears were streaming down my cheek as I finished the entry. How could monsieur LePerriert have been so horrible? Then again, Erik had a right to be angry…That man had treated Erik poorly, attempted to part him from his mother for good, only to obtain her as his prize. Even so, his cruelness had not taken away the fact that he was still a great doctor. I closed the book and walked back across the hall to apologize to Erik.
Erik's POV
Erik was stewing…Sitting there in bed angry and stewing over Christine. In one hand, he wanted to love her, and in the other, he wanted to hate her for not understanding Erik!
"Erik?"
Erik looked up to find Christine entering his room again. Her eyes were stained with tears, making Erik wonder what she was doing. But, his angel did not say a word, only approached his bedside and embraced him lovingly. How Erik's soul soared above him as this embrace continued. Just having this was enough to forgive Christine…For no one ever hugged Erik.
"I'm so sorry, Erik. I didn't know…" she cooed. "I didn't know."
"Erik forgives Christine."
When Christine broke away, Erik asked the question that was on his mind.
"Christine, who were you speaking to this morning?"
She raised her brow.
"What are you talking about?"
"Christine, don't make Erik angry again. Please, just tell him the truth."
"Erik-"
"Please."
Christine sighed, and had a seat at Erik's bedside, her fingers lightly brushing over Erik's…Oh, how wonderful this felt.
"Nadir was here."
"Nadir?"
Why hadn't she told Erik about this? Nadir came all this way? But where was he now?
"Where is he?"
"I'm not sure that he'll be coming back…Ever…"
"And why not?"
"Because we had an argument."
Erik raised his brow. Argument?
"What could Christine and Nadir possibly argue about? They hardly know one another."
"Because he came with a plan, Erik, a horrible plan."
"Plan?"
"He wanted us to go to America, a despicable place called Coney Island."
"Coney Island?"
Christine nodded.
"When do we leave?"
"Never…We're not going."
"What?"
Erik tore his hand away from Christine's. How dare she make a decision without consulting with Erik first! How dare she!
"How dare Christine make a decision without consulting Erik first! How dare you!"
"Erik, it was a despicable place! It's where the freaks live, Erik! Do you understand me? It's where freaks go to display their afflictions and get paid to do it! I didn't want that for you…"
Erik violently grabbed Christine's hand, pulling her closer to him.
"If Nadir believed it to be safe, then Erik trusts him! Christine is a child! A child who gets herself wrapped up in adult situations!"
"Is that what this is, Erik? I wasn't looking out for your wellbeing? You are a foolish and stubborn bastard! You're better than that, Erik! You're better than showing your face to paying costumers!"
"It is a job! A job and opportunity that Christine has given up for Erik! It is not her say! Nothing in this is her say! The only one who has the right to say yes or no is Erik!"
"But that's not true."
Christine pulled away from Erik's grasp.
"I chose to be by your side, Erik. I have a say in everything! Everything, Erik! You are better than that, and you know it. This is why I didn't want to come to you about Nadir's plan. You would have agreed to go to Coney Island. But work isn't about life, Erik, life is about happiness, and I know you would have been miserable over there…You would have hated yourself everyday."
"Erik has no happiness." he cried. "He has no happiness because there is nothing to be happy about."
"Erik, you can't work anyway. What were we to do over there?"
"Erik can work!" he cried. "Erik is not an invalid!"
"Stop this!" Christine cried. "You're worthless right now. You can't work, and therefore there was no sense in even attempting the trip!"
"Christine needs to eat! Christine needs to cloth herself! What is she to do now? How can Erik possibly help Christine when she won't let him!"
Erik was in tears now, his heart hurting worse than before. Christine had left her life, living a new one as an outlaw. And yet, Erik was useless, living life in a bed instead of making money to help out. And yet, Christine was not helping the situation by agreeing to stay here instead of going to Coney Island. I would hate her for this, be angry with the way she had handled things.
"Christine, Erik is displeased with you."
"And you can feel that way, Erik, but you'll thank me later. You're better than Coney Island, and I will bring you the happiness to prove it."
"Christine does not mean that." I growled. "She never means anything that she says. All those years with Erik beneath the opera house, and still she does not feel what Erik feels for her."
"Erik-"
"Please, just leave Erik be. He is angry, angry at the girl who has ruined him."
"I am not a girl, Erik. I'm a woman, and you know this."
"A woman does not make stupid decisions."
"You don't mean that, Erik."
But Erik did. He meant every word of it… And as the silence grew longer, tears began to stream down Christine's cheeks.
"This is why no one wants to be with you, Erik." she cried. "Yes, that's right, I can be a monster too, but at least I'll never be as hideous."
How Erik's heart broke in two as she stormed out of his room. Those words, those horrible, hurtful words…Erik wouldn't forgive Christine for them. As true as they were, they hurt Erik deep within his soul. Erik was never loved and never would he be loved… What was the sense of living? Christine made life worth living, and without her, Erik would rather die. And as of now, he wanted to do just that…
Poor, Poor Erik. Anyway, please review!