Erik's POV
My foot was stuck, and there was no way of getting it loose. At one point, I even had to stop moving because of how deep the wire was digging into my ankle.
"It's no use, Nadir," I cringed. "I can't get it off of me."
Nadir darted back to his horse and pulled out a knife.
"I'll get you free, Erik."
Nadir approached me and sunk his arm down into the mud, feeling around for my leg.
"It's a snare of some sort," he explained, pressing the blade of the knife against the end of the snare. "Now stay still, Erik. I don't want to cut your leg."
I stayed as still as possible, holding in the searing pain of Nadir pulling on the wire to cut me loose. It took a long time, but at one point, I felt my leg pull loose from the snare.
"Dear god…" I cringed as I nearly fell into the mud. I couldn't stay standing, not anymore. Nadir quickly grabbed hold of my body and helped me to dry land, setting me down beneath a tree. My entire legs and waist were caked in mud, so much, that I couldn't even tell where I was injured.
"We can't stop here," Nadir replied. "We need to get to the nearest town before sundown."
"We can't go any further, Nadir!" Christine cried. "Erik needs to have his foot looked at."
"Perhaps we could find an inn…" he stated.
"Nadir, we are out in the middle of nowhere," Christine replied. "The nearest town could be miles and miles away. Erik is bleeding and in pain."
"Christine, we really need to carry on. Erik needs a doctor."
Without another word, Nadir helped me up onto my horse's back with Christine. Yes, my foot was throbbing, but I held it in, riding with Christine for a few more hours. It didn't bother me at first, but after three hours of riding, my body began to weaken.
"Nadir…" I weakly called out his name, begging the man to stop. "Nadir, it's getting dark…We need to stop."
Nadir must have known I was right, for he halted his horse by a nearby stream.
"We'll camp here for the night. Though, I don't think it's going to be the best decision. Go to the stream with Christine and wash up. I'll set up camp while you're doing that."
Nadir helped me down off my horse, but I couldn't bear to stand on my injured foot. Christine held onto me as we trekked to the edge of the stream. From there, I sat down and began to unbutton my trousers. My entire body was caked in mud, making my flesh nearly impossible to see. Like the angel Christine was, she untied my shoes and began taking them off, my leg throbbing the moment she touched my left shoe.
"Easy, Christine…easy…" I warned.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Christine pulled off my shoe and placed it aside. From there, she gently rolled off my sock.
"The wire…" she gasped, taking hold of the snare that was still wrapped around my ankle. "Oh, ange…"
"Oh, Christine," I grasped her hand to stop her from unraveling the piece of wire from around my ankle. Oh, the wire cut into my flesh so deep, that it was too painful to remove. I plopped back into the grass behind me, feeling utterly exhausted from all the pain I was in.
"Just relax, Erik," Christine told me. "I'll wash you up and then, we'll take care of the wire."
I did as I was told and relaxed, at least as much as I could. When I was clean, Christine fetched Nadir to help carry me back to camp and into the tent.
"Oh, this is exactly why I wanted to go find a town." Nadir replied. "His leg needs tending to."
"You fixed him before, Nadir," Christine said. "Just try to do it again until we find a town."
Sweat poured down my face as Nadir pulled the wire loose from my foot. Afterwards, my ankle took on a heartbeat of its own, sending waves of pain down my spine. If there was ever a time I wanted to pass out, it was now. The Persian poured brandy onto my bleeding ankle, the alcohol instantly burning my flesh. What made matters worse was the fact that we didn't have any pain medication packed with us. After Nadir wrapped up my ankle, Christine propped it up on some pillows, but that didn't pacify my aches. Oh, where was my morphine when I needed it? A shot of morphine would have taken away every ache and sent me into a comfortable sleep. But no, instead, I was stuck inside a tent during one of the hottest nights of the summer with a throbbing ankle.
"Christine," I murmured her name, as my angel rubbed my sore, bare foot. Even now, as she did so, it didn't pacify my pain. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and to make matters worse, the ringing in my ears was starting to occur again. I was a broken body, one with so many aches, that I felt as though I were sixty instead of forty.
"Erik, just rest."
I pressed my hand against my ear, attempting to drown out the painful ringing. Oh, I didn't need this now!
"Why did you go into that mud today, Erik?" Christine cried. "You always go against what I say… You put yourself in danger."
"I am danger, Christine. It calls to me…"
"But what about me? What about the baby? What will I do if you die? I'll be left to raise a child alone."
"Don't speak of such things, Christine. I'm not going anywhere…Your Erik is here to stay."
Christine laid down beside me and pressed a reassuring kiss to my twisted cheek.
"I love you, Erik. I just want what's best for you."
"And everything that I do, Christine, I do it for you and the child…"
Christine's POV
The following morning, when I woke, my Erik was still lying beside me. He looked ill, but I didn't dare move him.
"Are you ready to go, Christine?"
Nadir came walking into the tent, taking notice to Erik.
"Nadir, I really do think we should stay here for the day."
"Nonsense," Nadir chuckled. "Erik will be all right. We need to move, otherwise, Raoul will catch up. We're nearly off the beaten trail, Christine."
I was about to argue, when I felt Erik's hand interlace with my own. When I turned to face him, I noticed that he was looking at me, and half-smiling.
"How do you feel?" my voice was filled with worriment, and I knew Erik could sense it.
"Your Erik shall be all right, Christine. Yes, his foot is still hurting him, but he will be all right. Nadir is right. We need to move, otherwise, Raoul will indeed catch up."
"How much longer, Erik?" I groaned. "How much longer are we going to have to move? I want to wake each morning in a bed, I want to wake in your embrace, in a house that we will spend the rest of our days in. Oh, Erik, please say that day is coming…"
Erik pressed a kiss to my cheek and rose, using his staff for support. My angel hobbled out of our tent with his hand in my own, his face turning to look at me once more.
"Christine, I promise you that everything is going to stop soon. As soon as I find the right spot, you and I will build our home."
"Promise?"
Erik nodded and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Your Erik promises…Now, let us be off."
Like Erik promised, we rode for nearly two weeks, camping in the woods and staying out of sight. I wasn't sure where we were, but one morning after our long travels, we ended up on the outskirts of some little town, a town where mountains could be seen in the background, and the railroad running through those same mountains. We didn't stay in town, but as we rode twenty minutes away, Erik pointed towards an opening in the woods.
"Right there, Christine." He assured. "That is where Erik will build his wife a home."
My Erik always had big dreams, but this dream soon became a reality. For weeks, my angel woke each morning and worked on building our home. We camped on the exact same spot of land that Erik was building our home on, sleeping in a tent during the harsh summer months, with Erik waking each morning to continue building. Like the dotting wife that I was, I brought him water and food to ease his exhaustion, my angel always working until the sun went down. Erik told me time and time again that he was a master mason, but I never believed it up until now. Every day, he laid bricks and mortar, promising me that we would soon be living in a beautiful home, and what a home it turned out to be!
As the fall air began to blow in, Erik finished our home. It was beautiful and ours…He had made everything from hand, including the porch that was attached to the front door. I was so excited with our little home, that all I wanted to do was sit upon the porch swing and gaze out at the night sky.
"Christine, wouldn't you like to come inside?" he questioned, pulling me along.
Like the excited wife that I was, I followed Erik inside and let him show me the remainder of our home. There was a living room with furniture all built from my husband's hands, a kitchen, a washroom, even a master bedroom that was on the other side of the hall.
"Do you like it, Christine?" Erik asked, turning to face me.
I nodded and through my arms around his neck. "More than anything in the world, Erik!"
"Your Erik is glad."
"What's upstairs?" I questioned, gazing towards wooden staircase.
"My music room." He replied. "I'm going to purchase a piano as soon as we are settled."
"That's wonderful."
"Yes, Christine, it certainly is…"
Erik's POV
Living in our new home made me the happiest man alive. This was our home…our home. No more running, no more tents, no more wilderness! We had everything we ever needed, a town, stores, running water in the stream behind us. It was everything…The day after I moved Christine into our new home, Nadir left. Of course the man wasn't going far, he moved himself into town…which was a relief. Yes, Nadir was my friend, but I didn't want him living with us. No, this home was for my wife and I.
"Erik, Erik,…"
I had been asleep, but woke, when I felt my angel lightly shaking my shoulder. I was laying in my marital bed beside her, my arms and legs wrapped around her own. It was a wonderful feeling, one that I would never tire of.
"Erik, please…"
I opened my eyes, taking notice that it was still dark outside. Oh, what could be wrong with my angel? Why did she want me up at this time?
"Christine?" I rolled over to face her, finding that she was smiling. "Christine, it's…" I reached over on my night table for my watch, finding that it three in the morning. "It's late, angel…"
"Erik," she grabbed hold of my hand and placed it against her pregnant stomach.
"Christine, what's wrong?" I gasped.
"It kicked…" she exclaimed. "It kicked."
"What kicked?"
Before my angel could answer, I felt a small vibration from my angel's stomach. It frightened me, for I never felt this before.
"Christine, you're hurt…"
"No…" she gasped. "The baby kicked, Erik…This is supposed to happen."
Her smile grew even wider as each second passed.
"Our baby kicked, Erik…it kicked."
I pressed my lips against her own, and smiled.
"Oh, I was so worried…"
"No need to be worried, angel."
"But I am worried, Christine, more than you know."
"Erik," Christine caressed my cheek within the darkness and pressed her lips against my own. Oh, I loved it when she and I were like this. Nothing was better than having her here beside me.
"I wrote to Lana today," I replied, changing the subject.
"That's wonderful, Erik. Perhaps she could come in for a visit sometime…I do like her."
"Christine, you know that wouldn't be such a great idea. We're safe here, and I want things to stay that way. You know that Raoul is after us, and the last thing we need is to bring unwanted attention to our home. I only go into town in order to send away my music, and that's the way it needs to stay."
Christine's smile slowly faded away, leaving her with a content expression. I knew my wife wanted a life filled with friends and loved ones, but for the time being, it needed to stay the way it was.
"Lana is our friend, Erik."
"And she must stay as our pen-pal for now, love." I pressed a kiss to her hand. "I promise, Christine, that once everything passes, I will personally send for Lana to come stay with us for a week or so. I miss her as well…"
"I want her to meet our baby…"
I smiled and pressed another kiss to her hand. "Christine, she will. Besides, there is plenty of time left before you are to give birth. It's only October, love…You're not due until the end of February…That's what the doctor said, anyway."
"I feel so fat…"
This made me chuckle. Fat…Oh, there wasn't such a word. Christine looked exquisite no matter how large she became.
"You look wonderful, Christine. You are the meaning of beauty."
"I don't want to imagine how much larger I will become, Erik. My ankles and back are already killing me."
"Which is why you should stay off of your feet during the day, instead of cleaning our already clean home."
"It's not just cleaning, Erik." Christine argued. "It's washing clothes. I can't expect you to wear the same pair of clothes twice. You sweat when you work, you know that…"
"And just how do you know that I sweat, Christine?"
"Because the pits of your shirts are always covered in sweat after you finish playing the piano."
"It's mostly because of my ears, Christine. They are still bothering me…"
Christine rubbed my earlobe lovingly and sighed. "I'm just thankful that you haven't lost your hearing, Erik. I don't know what I would have done in that case."
"Sometimes, I believe it would be better if I had lost my hearing. The agony I feel from the constant ringing pains me beyond words."
"Don't say that, Erik. You know you would hate yourself if you could no longer hear. You are music, and without it, you would be beyond miserable."
"You know I can't bear to play most days because of the ringing. You know that some days I wake and every sound irritates my ears…"
"You should thank God that it's just some days and not every day."
"I know, Christine…"
Yes, I could have closed my eyes and went back to sleep, but usually, when I'm up, I'm up. I knew there wasn't any way I was falling back asleep now.
"Erik, where are you going?"
I placed on my robe and turned to tie the center sash. Most nights, it was my Christine who wore this robe, usually, after long hours of making love. I loved it when I would wake to find her wrapped in the garment. Nothing sent shivers down my spine like seeing Christine wearing my clothes.
"To get something to drink," I said. "Then, perhaps work."
"Work?" Christine sat up and reached over for my pocket watch. "Oh, love, it's only three thirty in the morning. You should be sleeping…"
I chuckled. "You should be the one sleeping, Christine. You're carrying a life."
"I know that, Erik. I just worry about you sometimes."
"Christine, dear, I've always worked this early in the morning. But first, a cup of tea, and then, upstairs to my piano. I do promise to keep the noise level down for you, love. I promise not to play a single note until you wake in the morning."
"You know, Erik, I just got a craving for tea…"
My Christine was about to budge off the bed, when I stopped her.
"No you don't, love…Stay here. I'll go make us some tea and take it in bed with you."
"I'd like that, but I don't want my normal tea…"
"What do you mean?" I questioned. "You've always taken your tea with cream and two lumps of sugar…"
"I know, but for some odd reason, I'm craving it with honey instead of sugar."
"My dear wife, that's the way I take my tea…"
She nodded. "I know."
"As you wish, Christine."
"You know, Erik, perhaps this child is already like you…"
"How so?" I questioned.
"Well, since when do I crave tea with honey? I believe your son is already like you, monsieur Phantom…"
"Son?" I gasped. "And just how do you know?"
"I don't…Why? Do you believe me to be carrying a girl?"
"I don't know for sure, Christine. I certainly don't care what this child will be, as long as it comes out healthy."
"Don't worry yourself, Erik. I know that everything will be all right."
Before leaving the room, I bent down and pressed my lips against Christine's.
"I shall be right back with your tea, Christine. Extra honey instead of sugar."
Before I could move, Christine had her hands grasping the sash of my robe.
"Don't be gone for too long, Erik. You know how I enjoy our late-night tea times in bed. Remember the last time we had tea in bed?"
I devilishly smiled and headed towards the door. "How could I forget, Christine? You ravished me until the wee hours of the morning. I don't believe we got to drink our tea that night…"
Christine smiled back. "Only because I was too busy drinking up your body, my love…"
And with that, I hurried to the kitchen, making haste at making our tea so that I could return to my wife…Oh how she made my blood boil! No one has ever given me that feeling before, no woman nor creature…Surely, I must be in heaven, for there was no other explanation…And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Please review...Still a few more chapters left of the story... I believe the next chapter should be exciting.
