Christian woke up slowly. His mind was fogged and he had a hard time
remembering where he was. After several minutes, however, he remembered the
scene in the hotel. Immediately he tensed and tried unsuccessfully to sit
up. He lifted his head up and realized he was tied to a bed.
"What the.?" He asked, looking around. The room he was in had the same layout as his hotel room, but amazingly dull. The furnishings were gone, except for the bed, which was stripped bare except for a sheet. The fireplace had disappeared, and the windows were stripped of their curtains. The rugs had disappeared, leaving bare concrete floors. The expensive wall paint and paintings were gone, and the whole room was rather depressing. It reminded him somewhat of a.
"Christian?" Peter interrupted. He stood up and dragged a chair over to Christian's bedside. "How're you feeling?" He asked as he sat down again.
Christian blinked several times. "I. why am I tied up? What's going on? Why's everything changed? Is Satine okay? Maddy? Peter, what's going on?"
Peter sighed and looked around. "So you see all of this? You're not in the hotel?"
"Of course I see all this. I'm not blind. Now what's going on? Why am I tied up?"
"You're being restrained for your own safety." For the first time, Christian realized Peter was wearing a white doctor's coat. Was he at a hospital? The Duke hadn't shot him, had he? "There's a lot that needs explaining, so if you'll just listen to me for a few minutes I'll try to do the best I can, okay?" Peter said soothingly.
Christian nodded. "Before you start, is Satine okay? What about Maddy? I'll be quiet once you tell me where they are."
Peter ignored him. "Six years ago, after you left the Moulin Rouge, you went back to your parents house, right? Well, your dad brought you here several years ago because he was a bit. worried. You hadn't dealt with what happened at the Moulin Rouge in a. normal way. You were having delusions, and they were getting more and more frequent. Your parents were worried, and rightfully so."
Confused, Christian's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean, 'delusions'?"
"Your delusions were about Satine." Christian felt as if he'd been physically struck. "You would have these periods where you'd act as if Satine was there with you. Your parents say that after awhile you began believing that you and Satine had a child.
"When you became paranoid about the Duke coming after you, your parents became very concerned. It was then when your father brought you here." Peter paused, trying to gauge Christian's reaction. "This isn't a hotel, Christian. It's a mental hospital."
At first he didn't understand. It was too much. Why would he be in a mental hospital? There was nothing wrong with him. This had to be a dream. It couldn't be true. "No. you're lying. This is some trick the Duke is playing on me. This is how he's gotten rid of me, isn't it?"
Peter shook his head sadly, and somehow Christian knew. He sat in shock for a few seconds, then blinked and looked up at Peter. "W. what about Satine?" He asked shakily.
"You remember that dream you had last night?" Christian nodded slowly. "That wasn't a dream, Christian. It was one of your lucid moments. You were remembering what actually happened."
Christian's heart jumped into his throat and he felt physically sick. Tears sprang to his eyes and he felt his lower lip quivering. "And Maddy?"
"She never existed."
He wished he wasn't tied down. He wanted to curl up and shut the world out. It was too much. Satine couldn't be dead. He'd been there. She hadn't died on the stage, she'd just passed out. She couldn't have left him. It wasn't possible. The last six years couldn't have been a lie. he couldn't be delusional. Peter was lying. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block everything out.
"Christian? Christian, don't leave me," Peter said, alarm creeping into his voice. He was loosing Christian again. He was disappearing into one of his delusions again. "Christian, don't leave us. Stay with me, come on." He said urgently. He gently slapped Christian's cheeks, willing him to open his eyes.
After a moment, Christian's face relaxed and his pained expression disappeared. Peter sighed and sat back in his chair. He'd lost him again. He watched a smile appear on Christian's face and cursed softly.
*****
I felt someone sit on the bed and I opened my eyes slowly. Satine was sitting by my side, Maddy in her lap. Tears of relief suddenly filled my eyes, and I smiled. "Thank god," I said, sitting up. Satine and Maddy pulled me into a big hug and I'd never felt so relieved before. "I had the worst dream."
"What the.?" He asked, looking around. The room he was in had the same layout as his hotel room, but amazingly dull. The furnishings were gone, except for the bed, which was stripped bare except for a sheet. The fireplace had disappeared, and the windows were stripped of their curtains. The rugs had disappeared, leaving bare concrete floors. The expensive wall paint and paintings were gone, and the whole room was rather depressing. It reminded him somewhat of a.
"Christian?" Peter interrupted. He stood up and dragged a chair over to Christian's bedside. "How're you feeling?" He asked as he sat down again.
Christian blinked several times. "I. why am I tied up? What's going on? Why's everything changed? Is Satine okay? Maddy? Peter, what's going on?"
Peter sighed and looked around. "So you see all of this? You're not in the hotel?"
"Of course I see all this. I'm not blind. Now what's going on? Why am I tied up?"
"You're being restrained for your own safety." For the first time, Christian realized Peter was wearing a white doctor's coat. Was he at a hospital? The Duke hadn't shot him, had he? "There's a lot that needs explaining, so if you'll just listen to me for a few minutes I'll try to do the best I can, okay?" Peter said soothingly.
Christian nodded. "Before you start, is Satine okay? What about Maddy? I'll be quiet once you tell me where they are."
Peter ignored him. "Six years ago, after you left the Moulin Rouge, you went back to your parents house, right? Well, your dad brought you here several years ago because he was a bit. worried. You hadn't dealt with what happened at the Moulin Rouge in a. normal way. You were having delusions, and they were getting more and more frequent. Your parents were worried, and rightfully so."
Confused, Christian's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean, 'delusions'?"
"Your delusions were about Satine." Christian felt as if he'd been physically struck. "You would have these periods where you'd act as if Satine was there with you. Your parents say that after awhile you began believing that you and Satine had a child.
"When you became paranoid about the Duke coming after you, your parents became very concerned. It was then when your father brought you here." Peter paused, trying to gauge Christian's reaction. "This isn't a hotel, Christian. It's a mental hospital."
At first he didn't understand. It was too much. Why would he be in a mental hospital? There was nothing wrong with him. This had to be a dream. It couldn't be true. "No. you're lying. This is some trick the Duke is playing on me. This is how he's gotten rid of me, isn't it?"
Peter shook his head sadly, and somehow Christian knew. He sat in shock for a few seconds, then blinked and looked up at Peter. "W. what about Satine?" He asked shakily.
"You remember that dream you had last night?" Christian nodded slowly. "That wasn't a dream, Christian. It was one of your lucid moments. You were remembering what actually happened."
Christian's heart jumped into his throat and he felt physically sick. Tears sprang to his eyes and he felt his lower lip quivering. "And Maddy?"
"She never existed."
He wished he wasn't tied down. He wanted to curl up and shut the world out. It was too much. Satine couldn't be dead. He'd been there. She hadn't died on the stage, she'd just passed out. She couldn't have left him. It wasn't possible. The last six years couldn't have been a lie. he couldn't be delusional. Peter was lying. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block everything out.
"Christian? Christian, don't leave me," Peter said, alarm creeping into his voice. He was loosing Christian again. He was disappearing into one of his delusions again. "Christian, don't leave us. Stay with me, come on." He said urgently. He gently slapped Christian's cheeks, willing him to open his eyes.
After a moment, Christian's face relaxed and his pained expression disappeared. Peter sighed and sat back in his chair. He'd lost him again. He watched a smile appear on Christian's face and cursed softly.
*****
I felt someone sit on the bed and I opened my eyes slowly. Satine was sitting by my side, Maddy in her lap. Tears of relief suddenly filled my eyes, and I smiled. "Thank god," I said, sitting up. Satine and Maddy pulled me into a big hug and I'd never felt so relieved before. "I had the worst dream."