Nadir didn't like being awake this early. He really didn't. He'd earned the right to sleep in at this point. But Erik had called him and explained the situation.

When he tried to question him and figure out where he was, if not at his home with Christine, he'd deflected the question.

The only thing he could get out of him was a demand to check on the woman in question. Then the absolute asshole had gone and hung up on him.

Even so, it was his concern for Christine that made him comply. Not his friends demands and thinly veiled threats. It truly wasn't like her to just faint on someone.

When he finally reached the home, he cursed under his breath. Her car was still here, as was Erik's car. He shook his head and got out of his car.

He'd never understand how that man's mind worked. Frankly, he didn't wish to. He shut the door behind him and headed towards the front door, knocking on it when he reached it.

There was no answer so he tried twice more before sighing. Perhaps this was worse than he'd been lead to believe. He hated to use the spare key that had been given to him years ago, but he probably should.

Nadir pulled it out of his pocket after rummaging for it. He hesitated a few more moments just in case she had been busy before using it.

He pushed the door open and headed inside, looking everywhere for her. He didn't find her until he reached the third floor.

Nadir knelt down beside her and rested a hand on her forward. She was burning up and her skin felt clammy. Her cheeks seemed to be tear stained as well.

Something told him that Erik had grossly misunderstood this situation. It wouldn't surprise him. The dickhead had quite the habit of taking things the wrong way.

At least Christine was still breathing. That was always a good sign. He scooped her up as gently as he could, carrying her out to the curb, where his car sat.

Nadir laid her in the backseat and hurried to the front. He hopped in and sped off. The nearest hospital seemed like the best bet.

It was hard to say how long she'd been unconcious though. It was better safe than sorry. He didn't want to risk having her die on them just because he assumed she was sleeping or something.

When they arrived, Nadir carried her inside. Christine began to stir but she didn't wake fully. Though that was worrying, it was also a good sign. It was proof that this wasn't a coma of some sort.

He managed to give them enough information for them to at least take her back. They'd probably have her confirm some information once she came to fully.

It was the only way to ensure that they had the correct person, after all. It would also make sure that nothing had been effected too adversely.

Nadir tried to call Erik to inform him of the situation, but he couldn't get him to pick up. It was as aggravating as it was worrying.

Really, he was the one that had been making demands about her being checked on in the first place. So why wasn't he available for such an important update. He shook his head and gave up, leaving the hospital.

He was almost certain that Christine had Erik down as one of her emergency contacts. Surely he'd answer for the hospital when they called.

That was too important of a call to ignore, after all. Even if things were 'over' between them.

Whatever. It wasn't his problem anymore. His problem now was getting home before his woman became too impatient.

Meg would really give him an earful if he made them late for this event. He'd rather not have that.

As much as he loved her, she could really make situations tense and she wasn't prone to letting things go overly easy.


Erik had been irritated by the fact that Nadir had tried to call him back. His demand had been clear. Check on Christine. Clearly that meant worry about her, not him.

Besides, he needed the phone line free. He'd been calling around about plastic surgery. He wasn't sure how easy it would be to get someone to work on his mess of a face.

The main issue was how long it would take and how much it would cost. He was admittedly worried about them potentially making him uglier. But at the same time, he didn't see how that would even be possible.

Someone else called him and he groaned low in the back of his throat. He accepted it without looking before immediately hanging up. Why couldn't Nadir take the hint?

Sometimes he was convinced that the older man lived to make his life hell. He tossed the phone to the side and continued scrolling through websites.

He knew that there were some traits that would make him a bad candidate for plastic surgery, but he was determined to lie those away.

He needed this to work in his favor. He could never win Christine back when she was frightened of him. She would sooner run off to the comfort of anyone more appealing.

Once his face was fixed, the world would finally be his oyster.

He wouldn't have to worry about Christine being ran off by questioning looks and he definitely wouldn't have to wear the mask anymore.

Another plus was the fact that he wouldn't have to worry about water going directly into his nasal cavity anymore. He could finally take Christine on dates to a pool or the beach.

Truly, this was what he'd been looking for all these years. He'd just been an absolute fool he had let horror stories convince him it was a bad idea.

His phone wouldn't stop ringing so he simply turned it off for a little while. Just long enough for them to get the hint. He could always return the important calls later, presuming they got back to him so soon.