Chapter 36 (Apology)
For the next few days, Lavender got worse and worse. She had grown so weak and skinny that her skins were stretched over her bones. She could hardly move at all, and the fever was not at all abating. Erik was panicking, he had tried to look for Madam Giry but she could not be found.
That day, Erik was still sat by Lavender's bedside when a gentle knocking on the gate drew his attention.
On exiting the room, he saw Meg standing there, holding a small bag. She looked thinner still.
Erik glared at her.
"What bravery, to stand in the doorstep of an enemy," Erik snarled. Meg blushed, but kept her head down.
"Please, Erik, I do not regard you are my enemy," Meg spoke up suddenly.
"But I do to you!" Erik yelled. Meg did not redraw, instead, she approached the gate timidly.
"Please, open up, I need to give Lavender this. This is the cure for the powder. Mother did not know about this, I'm sorry," Meg bowed her head lower still, not daring to meet Erik's eyes. She suddenly felt fading footsteps. Great! He's ignoring me! She thought desperately.
However, she soon heard the creak of the gate as it was opened.
"Come in," Erik said curtly. He led Meg to Lavender's room. Meg looked a bit shocked by the skinny and quiet girl lying beneath the blanket. Lavender looked different from the girl whom Meg remembered, hopping around and playing tricks on them.
Meg poured a light green powder into a cup, mixed it with water, and pushed it into Lavender's hand.
"Here, drink this." She whispered. Lavender shook her head, "How could I even trust that you are not trying to poison me further?" she asked angrily, but very weakly.
"I swear, I really do," Meg said, tears falling slowly. Lavender drank it slowly. With a sigh of relief, Meg stood up, and handed Erik a bag with the same powder form which she had given Lavender.
"Make sure that she drinks this three times a day, I am sorry for the trouble brought to you. I had being to give you this for ages, but could not dare to do so," Meg whispered, still not meeting Erik's eyes. She swept past Erik and into the main chamber. Erik heard her wadding through the water to her home.
Erik looked at the bag of medicine. His inner organs seemed to be frozen up, Meg had tried to help. He felt a sense of gratitude towards the ballerina, but could not bring himself to like her again. She had tried to kill my sister! He thought angrily. Placing the medicine on the table, he turned his attention to Lavender, who was partially unconscious.
Lavender…Lavender, please forgive me, he thought sadly.
While Lavender was almost asleep now, she did not see the trickles of tears that found their way out of Erik's eyes.