Erik's POV
I spent four more days in that hospital. What was even more scarier than not knowing what had happened for the past three years, was being introduced to the world I had unknowingly created. Oh, it was a beautiful, wonderful place, one that I simply couldn't get over. I had built a world to house the freaks of this strange place called Coney Island and I was well known for it! Never had I ever thought that I was going to make a name for myself, but I had, and it was wonderful. I wanted to go into my park and explore, but I was still on strict bed rest. The house I was brought into was of my own… I owned a house! It wasn't just any house either, it was a beautiful fortress. It felt as though I had been asleep for three whole years and woke to find my entire world turned upside down. I went to sleep as a poor peasant, only to wake and find out that I was a king. What I simply couldn't get used to was the brace that was latched around my left leg. Nadir had yet to explain it to me, and I couldn't have been happier when it was removed from my leg upon arriving at my new home. It had only been a few hours since Christine had put me in my bed, but I couldn't help but feel the urge to use the bathroom. Knowing that I could do it on my own, I swung my legs over the side of my bed and pushed myself up on my feet. Though, the moment I took my first step, I felt my leg give way and I found myself on the floor.
It only took a few moments for footsteps to be heard rushing up the stairs, and for Christine to come hurrying in.
"Erik, are you all right?" she gasped, leaning down to help me off the floor. I was not only feeling terrible from the pain I had just caused myself, but I hated when she tried to take pity on me. When she tried to place her arm beneath my own, I flinched and let my temper get the best of me.
"Confounded, woman!" I growled. "Get up! I don't need you leaning over me as if I am nothing more than a hurt animal! I can take care of myself."
Every few seconds, I would see Christine leaning in as if she were ready to catch me should I have fallen again. I struggled to get back to the bed, and once I was there, I couldn't help but take notice to the excruciating agony I was feeling in my left leg. I had yet to ever take notice to it, but when I lifted up the pant leg of my sleep trousers, I found that it was indeed twisted and malformed! It shocked me, for it hadn't been like this before… Oh, what had I done?!
"Erik, you need to make sure that your brace is locked around your leg before you get up again. You can't walk without it."
I pushed my pant leg down over my hideous leg and even pushed the brace away from me when Christine tried to help me with it.
"Erik, why are you acting like this? I'm only trying to help you…"
"And I'll say it again, I don't need your help, Christine! I can do it on my own! You don't have to act as though you're my wet nurse!"
I knew this had hurt her feelings, for it always happened like this. I would let my anger get the best of me, and soon, I was spitting out things I didn't really mean. Oh, how had she ever loved me? Christine was not speaking to me… No, she was on the other side of the room gathering up my brace that I had tossed aside.
"Christine," I said after taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me. You know how terrible my temper can be at times. It's a wonder why you even love me…"
"It's all right," she said with a fake smile, making it obvious that I had indeed hurt her feelings. "I'll go start dinner. If you need me, I'll be down in the kitchen."
"Christine, wait…"
But the woman didn't stop… No, she continued heading out the door and towards the stairs. Knowing that I would have to start controlling my temper, I reached out for my leg brace and hooked the uncomfortable contraption around my left leg. When everything was in place, I stood and began making my way towards the bathroom with the assistance of my staff that was leaning against the door. I walked all the way across the hall to get to the bathroom, only to find the door closed and locked. Oh, this wasn't working out for me, and I could feel my anger building up once again. I was just about to scream out to whoever was inside, when the door opened and my son came walking out. He immediately stopped the moment he spotted me standing there and smiled. I had only known him a week, but still to this day, his existence is a miracle.
"Gustave," I mewed.
"Papa…" he smiled and walked past me. I would have continued to watch him head towards the stairs, but my bladder was forcing me to do otherwise. Waking up from a three year nap wasn't the easiest thing in the world, for not only did I have to get used to this new body, but I had to get used to doing certain tasks as well. Three years ago I didn't have a brace around my leg, nor did I have problems standing on my own. Going to the bathroom, however was a tiring task all its own. With no walls to lean against, standing up against the toilet was nearly impossible.
"Oh, forget it!" I growled, stumbling backwards and hitting the wall that was behind me.
"Papa?"
When I heard that familiar soft voice, I turned to find the boy standing in the doorway. I must have forgotten to lock the door, for he was standing here now. Yes, I could have yelled at him like I had yelled at Christine, but if I did so, I knew I would never gain his trust.
"A little privacy would be sufficient," I snapped. "It's rude to watch someone going to the bathroom, boy…Where are your manners?"
"I am using my manners, papa… Mama always said that you should help others in need and you look like you need help."
"I do not need help."
"Denial will get you nowhere, papa… but I know how to fix your problem.
Without asking, the child came into the bathroom and helped me stand on my feet. My anger was growing by the minute, especially when he helped me get back over to the toilet. What did he think I was? An elderly cripple?
"Gustave," I snapped his name out with all the anger I could muster, but he didn't seem frightened. No, he took my staff and hung it up on a small hook that was hanging up over the sink.
"Mister Mulheim made that hook so that he could hang his staff up here when he needed to use the bathroom."
Suddenly, my anger began to slowly slip away.
"How did you know that was there?"
"Once in a while I would see Mister Mulheim taking a shower. He would always hang his staff up on the hook when he entered the bathroom. Sometimes, I saw him standing in front of the toilet."
From there, Gustave took my free hand and placed it on the sink's surface. Once I was leaning against the sink, I was able to use the bathroom without any more problems. When I was finished, I reached for my staff and followed the boy out of the bathroom.
"Thank You, Gustave."
"You're welcome… I…I know you're on strict bed rest, but would it be all right if you came downstairs? I…I want to show you my room."
Knowing that this would be the perfect opportunity to get to know my own flesh and blood, I agreed. Getting down the stairs took some effort, but once I was on the first floor of my home, I took a deep breath and continued to follow Gustave down the hall. I was just passing the kitchen, when I saw Christine standing by the sink. I stopped and watched how she gracefully moved from the sink to the stove and then back to the sink again. Seeing her in the kitchen now reminded me of when she used to cook for me back in my lair. Just the thought of it warmed my heart. I could have stood there all night and watched her cook, but my son tugged on my shirt.
"Come on, papa…"
And just like that, our journey to his room continued. I felt like a complete stranger as I stood in the doorway to his bedroom. The room was painted blue and had pirate ships painted all over the walls. I didn't know much about him, but I was already certain that he had inherited the same adventurous attitude that I had once possessed as a child. Though, my childhood was anything but wonderful. Gustave went over to his bed and turned to face me.
"Are you going to come in or not?"
"You want me to come in?"
He nodded. "Yes, I want to show you something."
I stood there in the center of his room and watched as he dug beneath his bed for a small violin case and opened it to reveal just that.
"My mama gave Mister Mulheim this violin a few weeks ago to help him steady his nerves. I heard him playing it one night and I wanted to try it out for myself. I'm not very good at it though… Maybe that's why she gave it to him and not me."
I had seen this instrument before… This was Christine's father's violin. She had let me play it in the past for her. Oh, there were plenty of nights when Christine would beg me to play her papa's violin because she couldn't. I would agree and play tune after tune for her while she sat on my couch and smiled lovingly at me. It was this very violin that I had to thank for Christine's company. Without it, I wasn't sure that she would have spent as much time as she had with me. The small boy lifted the violin that was way too big for him up to his chin and began to play, though, he couldn't play very well due to the way he was holding it.
"Here," I said, taking the violin from his hands and placing it in the right position beneath his chin. "You hold it like this."
I took his hand and placed it over the top of the violin and handed him the bow. Never would I have ever thought that I would one day have a child, nor did I ever think that I would be here tutoring him on how to play the violin. The moment he began to play, the sound coming from the violin was much better and yes, it would take some time and practice, but I knew that he had his grandfather's genes in him. I knew that one day he would play for all the world to see and make Gustave Daae very proud.
"You're doing great," I told him as I watched him play a few scales. "Just keep your chin up."
We were cut short when Christine came walking into the room to let us know that it was dinner time. The boy placed the violin back into the case and went running out of the room, leaving just her and me alone. She smiled, her cheeks turning red.
"It's dinner time, Erik…"
And when she walked out, all I could think about was how much I wanted her…
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