Old and New Memories
"Gaston are you sure you're alright?"
"Y-yes, just f-fine..."
He had awoken in the middle of the night, after muttering in his sleep, startling Belle awake.
She cupped his face in her hands. "Please tell me."
"The, the war... It sometimes comes back to me... I see it all again, feel it, clearly..." He rubbed a hand over his tired face.
"Oh Gaston..."
"I'm sorry I woke you."
"Don't be sorry."
The next night, it happened again, only worse. Belle was startled awake by him calling out. "Gaston!"
"My father-"
"He's gone," she tried to assure him.
"Belle, Belle, I'm afraid. Please, please don't leave me." He looked so small, so afraid, so vulnerable. He was shaking all over. She had never seen him like this. This must be what Madame LeBlanc had been speaking about.
She managed to get him settled and back to sleep. But, some time later, Belle was torn from sleep yet again, this time by a bloodcurdling scream. She shot up into a seated position, only to find Gaston writhing on the bed.
"Gaston! Gaston, please, wake up!" She jumped at a sudden knocking at the door. She dashed to answer it.
"Madame," said the hotel attendant. "We heard a scream."
"My husband, he's having terrible nightmares from his time as a soldier," she explained.
"Shall I send for a doctor, Madame?"
"BELLE!"
"I think that might be best." The attendant gave a quick nod and rushed off to call upon the doctor while Belle returned to Gaston.
The doctor came quickly. Belle did her best to sooth Gaston the best she could until he arrived. He gave Gaston some tea with sleeping medicine, and soon, he dozed off.
"Your husband has been through a great deal, Madame," the doctor said once Gaston was asleep. "I worked on the front lines for a time treating battle wounds - awful, just awful the things I saw. And he was surrounded by that every day for years."
Belle nodded, unable to imagine such a life. And she realized Gaston had probably bottled it up for so long, suppressing his emotions, which hadn't helped. "But he's going to be all right?"
"Oh yes, Madame, just fine. The dreams should eventually pass, maybe not fully, but they should get better. Time will heal. That is all behind him now, but a part of it has remained with him. He suffered great trauma, and that sort takes a long time to heal. It may never fully heal." Belle's heart swelled. "I would recommend perhaps returning home as soon as possible. Familiar surroundings should help."
"Yes, yes of course. We'll leave in the morning."
"No, no we can't leave!" Gaston countered the next morning after awakening from a deep and restful sleep. "We can't!"
"Gaston, the doctor thought it was best. I've never seen you in such a severe state before."
"B-but, our honeymoon."
Belle smiled and squeezed his arm. "It's been wonderful. There are already so many new memories we've made here, just in the short while we've been here. But your health and wellbeing are very important and I think it's best if we go home. I'm so sorry you have those old memories to haunt you."
"They seem to get better with time, but then there are times like last night and I begin to wonder if time really is healing them." He sighed. "I feel awful."
"No, please don't," she assured him. "This is not your fault in any way. Like I said, it's been wonderful, so wonderful. But I want my husband feeling his best and I don't think you'll enjoy yourself as much if you're not feeling well."
He nodded, understanding and seeing her point. "Very well. We'll return home to Villeneuve."
"Besides, anywhere we are will be special as long as we're together, right?"
This made him smile. "Right."
"Good." She kissed the top of his head. "I'll start packing, you rest."
"No, no, I'll help." He stood and walked slowly over to their trunks. "Belle?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For understanding."
"Oh Gaston, of course."
Hello and welcome back! I know it's been forever and I'm very sorry, but I'm trying to use this time to really focus on my writing and update and finish up some of my stories, as there are lots that are almost finished! I know that this chapter isn't very long, but hopefully it was worth the wait and since we are so close to the end of this story the chapters probably won't be very long! Plus I wanted to divide them up in a certain way!
Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this (long) journey and I hope you enjoyed this little update! :)
