1 Out of the Darkness...Soon the Night Wings Take Flight
The morning rays came to chase Christian from the land of dreams. He blinked several times before becoming accustomed to the morning's brightness. Satine still hadn't moved from his lap. At first, he thought she was still asleep, but later noticed that her eyes were wide open and staring straight in front of her.
He followed her gaze, but she was simply staring at the wall. Puzzled, he voiced her name questioningly several times. Her only response was her hand moving up to cling his shirt. He pulled her closer and she settled in his embrace.
"At least she's not running from me anymore..." he thought. Christian was still confused about her sudden change of behavior. First she won't let him touch her, then she won't let go of him. Not that he minded; he didn't want to let go of her either.
But there was still something wrong. Satine didn't quite seem aware of what was going on around her. All she appeared to know was Christian's presence and how much she felt safe there. Her eyes still had no sparkle, staring, hardly blinking, at a plain wall in front of her.
The moment was broken by the doctor opening the door slowly. He didn't wish to frighten Satine; she was terrorized enough. However, when his eyes met Christian's, he received the shock of his life.
There she was, sitting on the poet's lap, clutching his shirt and cuddled onto him. What a remarkable change from yesterday!
"How is she?" the doctor asked Christian softly.
"I... I honestly don't know. She holding on to me like I'm her lifeline!"
"Yes..." the doctor responded pensively. He observed Satine for a moment more, and nodded in satisfaction. Christian's puzzled expression urged the doctor to explain.
"There are instances when a victim has been traumatized that he or she clings to one person they truly trust. I believe this is what happened now." The doctor paused and remembered something Zidler told him about Christian and Satine. "Harold told me you too were very close. Am I correct?"
Christian nodded.
"She may remember what you had, and now she wants you to help her."
"And... What should I do?" Christian asked. He wanted to be prepared to help Satine to the best of his ability.
"Don't rush her, but try to get her to talk to you. I'll need your help to get her well again."
Christian nodded once again and looked down on Satine. Her eyes hadn't shifted view.
"I think it's time to examine her now," the doctor resolved.
Christian gently placed her on the ground. Before he had the chance to move, she quickly grabbed his hand tightly, her eyes still staring at the wall. He shot a surprised look at the doctor but said nothing. He picked her up as gently as he put her down and carried her to the bed. She still didn't let go of his hand.
"Let's see what we have here..." The doctor reached out and Satine flinched away and cowered onto Christian. She tried to make herself as small as possible, and get as far away from the doctor as she could. When he tried again, Satine began whimpering and shaking her head wildly against Christian's shirt. In return, he wrapped his arms around her and hushed her gently. She quieted immediately.
"Maybe you shouldn't..."
"I agree it's a little soon, but if you could get the chance to examine her, I'd like to know what you've found. Is that alright?" Christian agreed. Before the doctor left, he reminded the poet to get Satine to eat something if he could. The door shut quietly and the lovers were left alone.
"So...Did you want to do anything in particular today?" Christian tried to get a response from her. Nothing.
Discourage, he opted to rock her silently. "At least she's getting better. It's not as I'd hoped, but it's an improvement," he thought.
"Are you hungry?" he tried again. It might have been his imagination, but her hand seemed to squeeze his hand tighter.
"Satine, please. I need you to help me. I hate seeing you like this... I'm so scared that I've lost you forever... Please Satine, if you can just give me a sigh..." His tears fell on her pearly face. "I don't know what to do," he sobbed. His reserve of strength left him then and there, and all there was left was a vulnerable poet crying for his lover.
One tear hit her in the eye. She blinked it away, and with that, almost seemed to recognize her surroundings. Satine freed herself from his grasp and studied his face. Their eyes met; the clouds had cleared. His hand reached out to touch her face.
"Hey..." Christian spoke softly. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Are you hungry?" he tried once more. She nodded reluctantly. She nodded! He's somehow managed to get a response! The joy he felt couldn't possibly be contained, and he rushed to Satine and held her again.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he repeated zealously in her hair. The wings of the night took flight that morning, and Satine was free to feel the dawn. But it wasn't day just quite yet, and Christian had a feeling that the sun was still out of reach.
The morning rays came to chase Christian from the land of dreams. He blinked several times before becoming accustomed to the morning's brightness. Satine still hadn't moved from his lap. At first, he thought she was still asleep, but later noticed that her eyes were wide open and staring straight in front of her.
He followed her gaze, but she was simply staring at the wall. Puzzled, he voiced her name questioningly several times. Her only response was her hand moving up to cling his shirt. He pulled her closer and she settled in his embrace.
"At least she's not running from me anymore..." he thought. Christian was still confused about her sudden change of behavior. First she won't let him touch her, then she won't let go of him. Not that he minded; he didn't want to let go of her either.
But there was still something wrong. Satine didn't quite seem aware of what was going on around her. All she appeared to know was Christian's presence and how much she felt safe there. Her eyes still had no sparkle, staring, hardly blinking, at a plain wall in front of her.
The moment was broken by the doctor opening the door slowly. He didn't wish to frighten Satine; she was terrorized enough. However, when his eyes met Christian's, he received the shock of his life.
There she was, sitting on the poet's lap, clutching his shirt and cuddled onto him. What a remarkable change from yesterday!
"How is she?" the doctor asked Christian softly.
"I... I honestly don't know. She holding on to me like I'm her lifeline!"
"Yes..." the doctor responded pensively. He observed Satine for a moment more, and nodded in satisfaction. Christian's puzzled expression urged the doctor to explain.
"There are instances when a victim has been traumatized that he or she clings to one person they truly trust. I believe this is what happened now." The doctor paused and remembered something Zidler told him about Christian and Satine. "Harold told me you too were very close. Am I correct?"
Christian nodded.
"She may remember what you had, and now she wants you to help her."
"And... What should I do?" Christian asked. He wanted to be prepared to help Satine to the best of his ability.
"Don't rush her, but try to get her to talk to you. I'll need your help to get her well again."
Christian nodded once again and looked down on Satine. Her eyes hadn't shifted view.
"I think it's time to examine her now," the doctor resolved.
Christian gently placed her on the ground. Before he had the chance to move, she quickly grabbed his hand tightly, her eyes still staring at the wall. He shot a surprised look at the doctor but said nothing. He picked her up as gently as he put her down and carried her to the bed. She still didn't let go of his hand.
"Let's see what we have here..." The doctor reached out and Satine flinched away and cowered onto Christian. She tried to make herself as small as possible, and get as far away from the doctor as she could. When he tried again, Satine began whimpering and shaking her head wildly against Christian's shirt. In return, he wrapped his arms around her and hushed her gently. She quieted immediately.
"Maybe you shouldn't..."
"I agree it's a little soon, but if you could get the chance to examine her, I'd like to know what you've found. Is that alright?" Christian agreed. Before the doctor left, he reminded the poet to get Satine to eat something if he could. The door shut quietly and the lovers were left alone.
"So...Did you want to do anything in particular today?" Christian tried to get a response from her. Nothing.
Discourage, he opted to rock her silently. "At least she's getting better. It's not as I'd hoped, but it's an improvement," he thought.
"Are you hungry?" he tried again. It might have been his imagination, but her hand seemed to squeeze his hand tighter.
"Satine, please. I need you to help me. I hate seeing you like this... I'm so scared that I've lost you forever... Please Satine, if you can just give me a sigh..." His tears fell on her pearly face. "I don't know what to do," he sobbed. His reserve of strength left him then and there, and all there was left was a vulnerable poet crying for his lover.
One tear hit her in the eye. She blinked it away, and with that, almost seemed to recognize her surroundings. Satine freed herself from his grasp and studied his face. Their eyes met; the clouds had cleared. His hand reached out to touch her face.
"Hey..." Christian spoke softly. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Are you hungry?" he tried once more. She nodded reluctantly. She nodded! He's somehow managed to get a response! The joy he felt couldn't possibly be contained, and he rushed to Satine and held her again.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he repeated zealously in her hair. The wings of the night took flight that morning, and Satine was free to feel the dawn. But it wasn't day just quite yet, and Christian had a feeling that the sun was still out of reach.