Chapter 2

Pain. That was all he could feel. Searing pain, like someone punched him in the gut with an spiked iron fist. His shoulders drooped as he grimiced. Gentle hands caught him, steadying him. After a few heavy breaths, he lifted his head to look at the one holding him.

Satine stood with a horrified, concerned look on her face. Suddenly confused, he looked down to find the cause of his pain. A bloody hand clutched his stomach, and it took him a minute to realize it was his own hand covered in his own blood. Lifting it away, he saw a small hole just below the middle of his ribs. A bullet. That explained things. He looked back up at Satine, pain and denial still knitting his brow. Weakness shuddered through his body as his legs gave out. Christian fell to his knees, still clutching his wound with one arm. With a dismayed shout, Satine dropped down beside him.

"Close the curtain! Close it, now!" Zidler hissed to one of the stagehands. The man nodded, and the thick velvet curtains fell, shielding the scene from the audience. Confused whispers broke out amoung them. What was happening?

Breathing was becoming a difficult task, and Christian closed his eyes briefly to slow the nauseating waves sweeping over him. A gentle hand was on his cheek, comforting him, and he leaned into the soothing carress. Another covered the hand in his lap. His sapphire eyes fluttered open a slit, enough to see Satine kneeling in front of him. Tears clouded her eyes. Christian tried to speak, to tell her it would be alright,

"I- I-"

"Shhh, shhh." Satine soothed. "Everything's going to be fine. You'll be alright." He tried to nod, but it made his head spin to the point it became unbearable and another wave of blinding pain washed over him. His eyes clenched shut again, a small moan escaping his lips as he fell foreward. Satine was there again, steadying him.

"Christian Don't leave me, please. Stay with me. You'll be alright" She pleaded, pushing his sweat-dampened hair from his face.

"I- I can't It hurts breathing sleepy" His mind wouldn't even let him form a proper sentence.

"I know, I know. Try and stay awake." Christian wanted to do what Satine told him to, but it was so tempting to fall asleep and escape the pain. He wearily looked up into Satine's deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I I love you." Satine leaned foreward and placed a kiss on his lips, her tears starting to fall. When she slowly pulled back, she saw Christian smiling weakly at her. He reached a hand up to her face, She caught it in her own and kissed it. His breathing was next to nothing, and the bleeding hadn't slowed or stopped. It was too late to do anything now.

Christian's last words were only loud enough for his love to hear, right before his eyes fluttered shut forever.

"Come what may."