Out of the Darkness... Drowning With Fear
The day was spent doing mostly nothing. Doing nothing more than enjoying each other's company, that is. Breakfast was finished promptly after being started, and Christian had no idea what to do next. How do you talk to someone who won't say a word?
He simply decided to consider it for a moment, waiting for an idea to come. He observed her tenderly as her eyes grew wide at everything she saw; Satine was constantly being amazed about anything and everything.
Her current interest, however, was playing peek-a-boo with a mirror. Knowing this wasn't normal behavior for any adult, Christian's eyebrows creased together, as she continued to giggle at her own reflection. She was acting like a child! And it was definitely scaring him. "Has she gone mad?" he thought fearfully. What would he do without her, the real Satine?
"Satine," he interrupted her game. "Why don't you come here with me?" he suggested once she turned to look at him.
She attempted to skip across the room, but her swollen ankle prevented her from doing much. What should have been a painful experience got nothing more than an annoyed glance from the Sparkling Diamond. Her limp hair bounced on her shoulder, and her smile illuminated her face. She was happy.
She sat beside Christian and looked at him expectantly. He had no idea what now. All he'd wanted was for her to stop playing the game with that mirror. With a stroke of genius (or perhaps just luck) he remembered a conversation they had before Satine was taken. She had a stuffed bear, the only thing she had to remember her father by, hidden in a truck somewhere in this room. Hidden only to spare herself humiliation of being caught with that thing at the Moulin Rouge; it would have made her seem soft, something dangerous in these parts.
"I have a surprise for you," Christian finally said. She smiled in delight and let him disappear into the back of the room. He made sure to be in plain sight, in case she feared being alone, even for a little while. That's where she kept her trunk with her memoirs, she'd told him. But they were hidden somewhere inside, and she hadn't told him how to find them.
Christian opened the trunk and found only dresses. He took them all out and was left in an empty trunk. She did say hidden, didn't she? He scrutinized it while casting a quick glance in Satine's direction; she was staring at him with innocent curiosity. He had to find that toy for her, he said he promised her a surprise. He soon found that the bottom of the trunk lifted off easily, and underneath it was the hidden treasures Satine had told him about, along with the stuffed bear.
He smiled as he picked it up. Maybe something like this would spark another response from her. She squealed happily upon receiving the toy, but did not seem to recognize it. Discouraged and resources spent, he gathered her in his arms and she cuddled onto him willingly. He had this much. "Be thankful for what you have, Christian," he told himself.
Much to his dread, Satine brought her thumb to her mouth and began sucking on it, a habit only toddlers were permitted to have. With the free hand, she held to bear tightly. Christian was on the verge of tears. "Why can't she be well? I don't know what to do anymore..."
Soon enough, Satine was asleep once more in his arms. Christian was left alone with his worry.
***
During the course of the day, both Mary and Harold came to check on them. Satine was asleep for the rest of the day, and Christian refused to eat unless Satine did.
The sun was slowly setting, Montmarte gradually getting darker. The peacefulness of it all managed to appease most of Christian's worries. He was getting drowsy.
He had just nodded off to light sleep when he felt Satine stiffen in his arms and begin to shake violently. She screamed and recoiled halfway across the room. Her frightened whimpers echoed around him.
He went to her, but she cowered further away. Christian knew what to do, although it hurt him to leave her like that: afraid and confused. he nonetheless withdrew back to the bed and heartbreakingly watched her shake madly and cry in a dark corner, alone. She hiccoughing loudly for she had trouble breathing. She was drowning in fear.
To his surprise, Satine suddenly lifted her head, as if waking up. She looked at him and slowly stood. She was still crying and shaking, but she wasn't afraid of him anymore, it seemed. She found solace in his arms, and he rocked her while she cried herself to sleep.
"I can't stand to watch you like this... Please get better for me..."
The day was spent doing mostly nothing. Doing nothing more than enjoying each other's company, that is. Breakfast was finished promptly after being started, and Christian had no idea what to do next. How do you talk to someone who won't say a word?
He simply decided to consider it for a moment, waiting for an idea to come. He observed her tenderly as her eyes grew wide at everything she saw; Satine was constantly being amazed about anything and everything.
Her current interest, however, was playing peek-a-boo with a mirror. Knowing this wasn't normal behavior for any adult, Christian's eyebrows creased together, as she continued to giggle at her own reflection. She was acting like a child! And it was definitely scaring him. "Has she gone mad?" he thought fearfully. What would he do without her, the real Satine?
"Satine," he interrupted her game. "Why don't you come here with me?" he suggested once she turned to look at him.
She attempted to skip across the room, but her swollen ankle prevented her from doing much. What should have been a painful experience got nothing more than an annoyed glance from the Sparkling Diamond. Her limp hair bounced on her shoulder, and her smile illuminated her face. She was happy.
She sat beside Christian and looked at him expectantly. He had no idea what now. All he'd wanted was for her to stop playing the game with that mirror. With a stroke of genius (or perhaps just luck) he remembered a conversation they had before Satine was taken. She had a stuffed bear, the only thing she had to remember her father by, hidden in a truck somewhere in this room. Hidden only to spare herself humiliation of being caught with that thing at the Moulin Rouge; it would have made her seem soft, something dangerous in these parts.
"I have a surprise for you," Christian finally said. She smiled in delight and let him disappear into the back of the room. He made sure to be in plain sight, in case she feared being alone, even for a little while. That's where she kept her trunk with her memoirs, she'd told him. But they were hidden somewhere inside, and she hadn't told him how to find them.
Christian opened the trunk and found only dresses. He took them all out and was left in an empty trunk. She did say hidden, didn't she? He scrutinized it while casting a quick glance in Satine's direction; she was staring at him with innocent curiosity. He had to find that toy for her, he said he promised her a surprise. He soon found that the bottom of the trunk lifted off easily, and underneath it was the hidden treasures Satine had told him about, along with the stuffed bear.
He smiled as he picked it up. Maybe something like this would spark another response from her. She squealed happily upon receiving the toy, but did not seem to recognize it. Discouraged and resources spent, he gathered her in his arms and she cuddled onto him willingly. He had this much. "Be thankful for what you have, Christian," he told himself.
Much to his dread, Satine brought her thumb to her mouth and began sucking on it, a habit only toddlers were permitted to have. With the free hand, she held to bear tightly. Christian was on the verge of tears. "Why can't she be well? I don't know what to do anymore..."
Soon enough, Satine was asleep once more in his arms. Christian was left alone with his worry.
***
During the course of the day, both Mary and Harold came to check on them. Satine was asleep for the rest of the day, and Christian refused to eat unless Satine did.
The sun was slowly setting, Montmarte gradually getting darker. The peacefulness of it all managed to appease most of Christian's worries. He was getting drowsy.
He had just nodded off to light sleep when he felt Satine stiffen in his arms and begin to shake violently. She screamed and recoiled halfway across the room. Her frightened whimpers echoed around him.
He went to her, but she cowered further away. Christian knew what to do, although it hurt him to leave her like that: afraid and confused. he nonetheless withdrew back to the bed and heartbreakingly watched her shake madly and cry in a dark corner, alone. She hiccoughing loudly for she had trouble breathing. She was drowning in fear.
To his surprise, Satine suddenly lifted her head, as if waking up. She looked at him and slowly stood. She was still crying and shaking, but she wasn't afraid of him anymore, it seemed. She found solace in his arms, and he rocked her while she cried herself to sleep.
"I can't stand to watch you like this... Please get better for me..."