Concerning Compassion
Yvette, the sister

The door to Erik's humble abode was large, thick, and dark. I imagine such a door one would find upon a Medieval castle: Its metal hinges, rusting but still manageable, its wood somewhat splintering from decades of toil, and its brass handle wearing from the daily use of my lonely brother. Perhaps it is fair then, to say that Erik's subterranean home was his castle: where he was the king…ruthless and brooding…where his subjects were the rats and the spiders…where the blowing of the horns was his own fault…where he once held his princess from true love…where a curse ate away at his soul…Yes, Erik was the king of underground obscurity.

I had been watching the door for many seconds after first perceiving the hurried shuffling of footsteps on the corridor stones. My heart sank in my breast as I looked at the mantle clock; it was 11:30 and Erik had not yet returned from the roof. I had not bothered going along with him, for I felt it was my duty to remain home and let my poor brother alone to his solitude. Maybe the king was returning home after all, however…from his long journey to the tower…where the miserable birds slept the night away, where the bats hid in shadow during the day, where Erik forever tortured himself through thoughts and fallen hopes.

The door...that damned creepy entrance-door creaked on its hinges and I twisted my eyes towards it with a quickness that I'd seldom used before. I was unusually jumpy, yes indeed, anxious for my brother's return, but also for the New Year to wash away old sins and dreams that I never fulfilled, things that wine could not dissolve. Sadly, Erik did not enter. Damn him! He would get no greeting from me! I crossed my arms and pursed my lips together as the cat scurried into the house, scampered over to her chair near the hearth, and began cleaning herself as if without a care or qualm. I wished I could be calm like Ayesha; she did not know my worry…she did not know Erik's temper as I did, for he never went uneasy with his precious cat nearby. Ayesha did not understand the way in which my brother could react upon his sorrow on a night that most likely caused him much pain and reflection to days gone by…

"Stupid Christine" I often said to myself, mostly after seeing all the anguish in Erik's dark eyes and tortured movements whenever her name dared escape from one's clumsy lips.

"Such a horrid accusation!" He would wail in return and go of to his room to pine for hours in deep obscurity. Thus was his way. Not even I dared to speak the name of his beloved without caution…sometimes it was just not worth it, facing his foul mood.

"Erik.... Erik, are you here?" A familiar voice echoed from the doorway. Nadir stepped into the room, a bundle of dirty rags in his arms. Beads of cold sweat perspired from a concerned brow and his eyes glanced from corner to corner of the chamber. He looked frantic, sickly even, half-whining Erik's name until I rose from the sofa to make my presence known. His mouth seemed to drop open upon seeing me, either from surprise or pure relief I could not tell, for he advanced into the light in a swift manner that could have easily denoted either.

"He's upstairs." I informed the Persian, but frowned as I pointed to his load. "What's that?"

He frowned as well, his face growing weary with concern, his tan skin going green, and his eyes tearing. "It's a woman..." He explained, practically out of breath. "I found her in the boat...She's dreadfully frozen. I dare say, she's barely alive for that matter."

I put a hand on Nadir's shoulder, hoping it would calm his trembling, but alas it only made him worse.

"We must get Erik down here, Yvette. He'll know what more to do with the destitute creature, will he not?"

"Yes, he will." I replied. "Indeed he will know what to do. Lay her down on the couch and I'll go and fetch him."

I watched Nadir for a moment; I watched him rest the petite woman onto the cushions of the sofa, oh so gently, softly, intently. I stepped forward for a closer view of the stranger; how horrible…the appearance of her. Auburn hair, caked with mud, beads of water frozen strand upon strand, her left hand and its fingers tangled in the mess. Bluish skin, not scrubbed, dried blood around a partially opened mouth. A flimsy, ragged shawl of deep gray, around the woman's shoulders. A soiled dress and petticoats, dark green, ripped at the hem. Bloomers and stockings, once crème-colored, now brown with water-spots and mud-stains, her leather heeled boots, black and muddy, the material cracking: hardly a decent pair of shoes to say the least. Her right hand resting upon a bulge of stomach. Poor Nadir, he seemed so worried, so fatherly to the frozen body that he had found.

Without a mere word from my lips, I turned on my heel with an aching in my heart, went out through the door, and took the shortcut to the roof.

***

Erik stood there filling his lungs with cold wintry air as I halted at the last step leading to the rooftop. I remained at the door for a moment, trying to see if he could perceive me without introduction, but due to his heaving sighs and the wind billowing at his cape, causing a swishing sound to swell in our ears, he had not the faintest idea of my presence. I knew quite well he was lost in contemplation again…thinking of Mother, thinking of Persia, thinking of Christine Daaé, considering falling to his death. He often went to the roof to imagine such things, I knew it was so, even if he had for many time and again responded "for the love of the Parisian streets/for the adoration of the twinkling stars/for the refreshing outdoor air/for the enjoyment of solitude/to get away from you".

"Erik." I called out over the breeze, flakes of snow entering my mouth and pelting upon my now shivering body. He turned abruptly at the sound of my voice, but with glazed eyes and an uninviting formation of his deformed lips.

"Yvette? What are you doing up here child?" He finally asked me, taking my hand in his. I spit a strand of hair from my mouth and quickly pulled away from his freezing touch with stubbornness.

"Don't call me child." I said automatically, causing him to nod in apology as he moved closer to read my face.

"You seem troubled..." He looked upon me as if waiting for answers then, as to why I even dared break him from his suicidal thoughts, no doubt.

"Nadir's here. He found a girl near the lake. She's barely alive. I think you should take a look at her." I announced all at once, obviously catching my older brother by surprise.

"What?" He blinked his eyes with confusion. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Nadir found a girl sleeping in the boat."

"The boat on the lake? My lake?"

"Yes, well no…the Opéra's lake." I rolled my eyes at Erik's use of possessive language, but forgave him his fault, snubbing it away with little importance. "And," I continued, "he's downstairs awaiting your arrival."

"A girl?"

"Yes. Very good. A girl. A woman. A female. Entity. Boat. Water. Lake."

He gave me a stern look and I smiled somewhat. "Enough." He responded. "Come along then." And he took a few steps into the interior of the Opéra. After a brief silence, he rotated again, somewhat concerned that I had not answered him with more sarcasm, and somewhat in order to make sure I was following his lead. Indeed I was, and I flashed him a smile as he looked back.

But…Something churned in my stomach and made me question if the year would honestly be better. Erik's depression, the new foundling, the Opéra's new production of "Faust". Were the demons of old returning to take away my only living relative to the fire's below? Were the angels of the new year arriving to hearken a new beginning? Something inside me told me that everything was going to be wonderful, but even then I did not trust myself: for I only hoped that it was the truth, and NOT Erik's dinner feast ready to purge from my throat for a little haunt.

***

After sneaking through trap-door and secret passageway, Erik and I finally entered his underground dwellings. The chill of the outside world and the trek back home had flushed our cheeks, and for me, labored breathing, but my brother seemed not at all phased. He did not heave sighs of relief once we enclosed ourselves in the main room, nor did he wipe perspiration from his forehead (underneath the mask) as I had. Instead, he gracefully advanced closer to the sofa before the hearth, seemingly ready to get down to work. Nadir now knelt beside the young woman, holding one of her ashen hands sandwiched between his tan palms. I circled like a vulture, standing at the end of the couch, and peering down again at the girl's grimy face. Nothing had changed. There was no other hue to signify heat. Everything once more seemed miserable. Nadir looked pitiful, the girl looked dead, and Erik… I watched him wrap his cloak around the back of a chair and carelessly throw his fedora onto his escritoire.

There was a sort of dull silence; the only sounds were those caused by all of our hearts pounding and the crackling of the orange fire. The fire danced like a gypsy's skirts over the hot charring logs and briefly, I found myself wondering if Erik had seen a similar apparition while he traveled with Javert and the gypsies (he seldom spoke of such things). Nadir remained kneeling at the stray's side, as would a faithful hound to his sick and dying master. I felt tears coming to my eyes once he finally glanced up at us and rose to his feet, letting the girl's hand fall gently against the cushions.

"This woman here...I found her sleeping in your boat, Erik. I do believe that she is unwell." Confessed the Persian with sorrow contouring his kind face. "I've checked her pulse and she is alive, but I fear she may very well be in greener pastures rather soon."

I crossed my arms and watched my brother in a close and thoughtful air. He stopped in front of the couch, knelt down, and put one of his hands to the maiden's forehead. Giving Nadir and I a fleeting look, worry suddenly etched in Erik's shadowy orbs. Something had to have been seriously wrong.

"Please, could one of you go and get blankets from my room and a warm cloth for her head?" He inquired, looking specifically at me. "We must give her warmth. I believe she's cold outside but burning within. Perhaps a fever...no, no, get a cold cloth."

"I've got it." I answered hurrying into Erik's room, wondering why I was helping. Moments later though, I emerged with a blanket and the cold washcloth. I handed my brother these things and he thanked me with a great but pensive smile.

Erik gently placed the cloth on the girl's forehead before putting the blankets over her legs. Unfortunately, his face remained grave and he looked up once more with a slight frown.

"She's soaked to the bone...Yvette, could you help me with this damn contraption?" He cried most immediately while adding, "She must breathe."

"What?" I asked with confusion.

"The corset. Could you somehow loosen it?"

I smiled a bit as his left cheek glowed a bit scarlet in the light. "I can, Erik." I answered and moved over to the girl, pushing the two men out of my way. Kneeling down I could not help but demand some help. "Turn her on her side."

Erik looked on with hesitation but obeyed my request without a word. Nadir backed away towards a chair beside the fireplace. I rolled my eyes at their actions, but alas felt somewhat dominant by causing them such embarrassment. I just did not understand it. Nothing should have made them uneasy in my mind, but then again, I knew they would react like children. I loved surprising men; it was a merry little game of mine…especially when concerning Erik and Nadir.

Unbuttoning the back of her dress, I skillfully loosened the corset enough so that she could breathe easy. "I've always hated those things." I said as I stood up with a grin on my lips.

Erik again looked down at the bundle of rags and dirty red hair upon his sofa. Nothing had happened. I noticed him shudder, most likely thinking "What is this, this hideous thing, with blue-tinted skin, dirt, and blood? What is this thing which Nadir has so foolishly brought to my home with his impulsive gentle nature?" I could see that my brother could not decipher what he felt for this predicament. He soon just stood there, arms at his sides, mouth closed, and eyes twinkling with questioning.

"Are you sure she is alive?" I peered curiously at the bundle once more, not sure what to make of it.

Nadir gulped down a lump in his throat. "I felt a small pulse before I brought her inside....I don't know how she goes now...but…" He shrugged his shoulders and looked away sadly, for his reply did not seem to have much worth to the master of the house.

"I'd like to know how she got down here. It's damn near impossible to stumble upon this place by accident." I said dryly, changing the subject. "I would barely be able to find it with a guide."

I caught a glimpse of Erik beaming almost proudly at my remark, but then another eye-full of Nadir scowling at my brother's smugness. Erik merely growled in return.

"Boys…"

"Well there are many ways in which one may come across my lake in their travels through the cellars…" Erik snarled, directing his anger toward Nadir. "Just look at Daroga, for example. The damned man found his way down here years ago: many times -- not invited. And, the cur still finds his way all on his own -- when he's not invited…" he paused, grimacing. "…yet when he is invited, he seems to get lost, for then only is he tardy."

I rolled my eyes. I could be only certain that the bickering would soon begin, thus I cleared my throat and uttered, Erik, and immediately got a hold on my brother's attention.

Erik glanced at me and gestured smartly, "Yes, my dear?"

"Why don't we put this poor creature in the Louis Philippe room by another warm fire while we discuss what to do." I answered wryly. "After she is settled, you can be as sarcastic as your little black heart desires."

I had won…or had I?

"Oh, of course…" He replied, sarcastically ebullient, but in his lethal, hypnotizing voice. "Follow me…dear…old…fat…Daroga…asinine Daroga…come along…" The insults seemed to roll off of Erik's tongue like silk. He twisted those words so playfully on his lips as Nadir lifted the girl in his arms, that I noticed the Persian himself, visibly trembling, somewhat in fear, like one whom crosses a poisonous snake and can find no escape from its gleaming, hungry, eyes.

Nadir followed Erik to the Louis Philippe room, as if he had himself turned into the snake and Erik its charmer. Damn Erik…he always found some way to appear more animalistic…cat, monkey, dog, snake…I sighed and shook my head, curling into a ball on the couch while the men carried the girl away.

After laying the poor soul upon the bed and covering her, both Nadir and Erik returned once more to the main room. They did not look at each other, nor at me. Erik merely closed the door behind himself, whilst Nadir sat down next to me, retrieving a newspaper from the coffee table in order to hide his face.

"Erik, my love, what ever is the matter?" I asked in a mocking tone, smirking at my brother.

Erik pointed a finger at Nadir, before yanking the paper from his hands, crumpling it, and throwing it into the fireplace. "He was late! Late for our party."

"And what a party it has been…"

"Now the food is cold…I said to be here on time…"

"Well so is that poor young woman we've hid away in the Louis Philippe room, Erik…cold, that is." Nadir replied gently, frowning and sitting up, clasping his hands together and resting them on his belly.

I picked up a book from the armchair to my left and flipped through it, somewhat bored, which only caused my brother to rolls his eyes and plop down in his own armchair nearest Nadir, his long legs out, knees nearly touching the table.

"Well…" Erik twiddled his thumbs and mumbled "You started it with your tardiness…" beginning to look around the room.

"Erik, you are like a child." I announced. "Stop acting so foolish. Let us NOT forget the girl in the other room, mind you. What do we do when, or if, she wakes up?"

"Finally…someone with some sense…" Nadir said, glaring at Erik, but then smiling at me. "Yes…I brought her here because I felt one of you would have a solution…for I have none. It was enough carrying her whilst trying to balance upon that narrow corridor."

"Wish you had fallen in the lake…" my brother muttered, only loud enough for my perked ears to hear.

"Oh, Erik...please remove the rabid badger from your arse and try to use your infamous intelligence to figure out what on earth we can possibly do!" I saucily remarked, catching him off-guard. He growled somewhat, but relaxed after awhile, giving in to the matter at hand with a smirk and a gleam of his eyes toward the 'compliment' aspect of my words. Only Erik, I swear it, could ever find something appealing in a rabid arse badger and infamous intelligence…

"Well, my intelligence does not matter this time, for there is no murder or mayhem involved -- none that we yet know of, that is."

"Thus, my dear brother, you are useless when it comes to matters of humanitarianism?"

"I was never taught compassion...surely you two may come up with a solution then." He answered me, sitting back and grinning to himself, taking nothing seriously for it did not yet affect him.

Nadir grimaced at Erik, standing up and walking over to the mantle, beginning to trace some sort of design in its dusty surface. "Erik, this is no time for fun and games. A woman's life may be at stake here. Please refrain from sarcasm and try to help the cause, not hinder it." He looked to me to encourage aid.

"I'm with him." I said, pointing at Nadir. That was all the help he was going to get…after all, Erik was angry with him, not me.

The Persian rolled his eyes at my sorry excuse for support.

The Phantom glanced at both of us, as if in pity for our lack of spirit to get him moving. "Well then, if it must be...what do either of you suggest we do? We can't just keep her locked in their forever. Someone must try and speak to her once she wakes…" Erik was becoming serious now, crossing his arms. "No doubt she will...NO doubt...the poor wretch will live forever if there's help from the upper-class involved."

"I suppose it is I who should speak to her. And do not judge her Erik...you do not know who she is." I announced finally, glad to see my brother coming to terms with his adult-hood--whether he liked to, or not, but a little annoyed at his cruel remark.

"Do not speak to me of judging the unknown…"He mumbled moodily, crossing his arms again and reclining deeper into his chair.

"Touchy…" I murmured, crossing my arms as well, looking into the fire.

Nadir cleared his throat. Before anything more could be uttered from either our lips, our Persian friend spoke up. "Well, it's settled then. Yvette will be the one to speak to the girl first! Very good…" But he fingered the mantle again. "Although it would not hurt if you examined the poor creature first, Erik…"

" I can see it now. The girl wakes up and finds some masked man prodding her exposed body." I then mocked in my usual nature. "What scandal!"

Nadir chuckled and blushed. Erik rolled his eyes and groaned. I simply shrugged and smiled.