Alright people! Sorry it took so long (I wasn't home all weekend) but here is the next chapter! To make up for the delay, this one is kinda long. So enjoy! And thanks for all the great reviews!
Satine made her way back to the hospital the very next afternoon. She didn't talk to anyone, but just rushed towards Christian's room. Ryan, reluctantly, had stayed at the flat with Marie. Satine didn't want to risk what could happen to him if they found Christian dead. They had both stayed with Christian late into the night, leaving only when Satine had to carry Ryan home, which he was getting a little big to do.
But even at home, Ryan's sleep was no peaceful. He had tossed and turned from nightmares all the night long. Satine had tried her best to calm him, but he had only cried when he was awake, claiming it was all his fault.
Satine sighed and opened the door to Christian's room. She stepped inside quickly, then shut the door behind her, as if to prevent bad spirits from entering. She turned to face Christian's bed, but somebody was already standing by it.
The young man looked up at her and smiled. "Is he yours, Madamoiselle?" Satine nodded. "He was very lucky," he said in a very French accent. "The bullet didn't hit any organs, only a rib, which stopped it."
"He'll be fine then?"
He nodded. "We still have to worry about infection, however. But from what we can tell, he'll be just fine." The doctor stood up and walked over to a small table. He picked up a small object and brought it to her. It was a small glass container and inside, though smushed and disfigured, was the bullet.
Satine stared at it for a moment before handing it back. "Take it and throw it away. I don't want it and I don't think he would want it either."
The doctor nodded and tossed the container into a small trash barrel in a corner. "He will be fine, but he will have to stay here for a while. But you'll have him back in no time." The doctor walked past her, and patting her shoulder as he went by, exited the room.
Satine smiled and walked slowly up to Christian's bed. She sat in the chair by the bed and grasped his hand, still smiling. "Told you you would be alright."
At her words, he stirred and Satine suddenly found herself staring into his blue eyes.
"Satine?" he asked groggily.
She tightened her grip on his hand. "Yes, Christian. I'm here."
He smiled. "Good. What did the doctor say? He was just here."
"You're going to be fine."
Christian smiled again, then sighed. "Have you seen the Duke?" Satine shook her head. "I have," he continued. "He was in here this morning. Standing over me, just staring. It was really creepy."
Satine's eyes widened. "He was here...in this room?"
"Yes. He rushed out when the doctor came back in."
Satine turned to a wall for a moment. "We should try to get you to a more secure room."
"The doctor's are already working on it." Hw smiled. "Unlike most, they won't be bribed. And I also think one is a fan of my work." He coughed once, the closed his eyes. "Still so tired..." he muttered.
Satine held both of his hands in hers and kissed his cheek. "Rest, Christian. Rest so you can come home."
*Home?* thought Christian as he began to drop off. *I've never had a real home before...*
Satine smiled as Christian fell asleep. She pulled her hand away and rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of each breath.
"Thank you." she whispered softly.
Almost two weeks later, Christian was still in the hospital due to a complication with infection. He was told that he would be able to leave in a few days, but he felt that he could have left a few days *ago*.
Fow now, he was taking his daily walk around the large hospital, marveling at many of its new, sophisticated equipment. He had done this everyday for the past week, so none of the personell bothered him. He was walking past one of the examining rooms when he heard a patient argueing with his doctor.
"You have to let me go! I'm not sick and I can't pay for all of this!" said the patient, who had a familiar lisp.
Christian stuck his head around the door. "Toulouse?" he asked, increduous.
The dwarf looked up in surprise before breaking out into a large grin. "Christian!" He hobbled over to Christian and hugged him as best he could.
Christian stood awkwardly and slightly embarassed for a moment. "Good to see you too, Toulouse."
Toulouse pulled away, though the smile still remained on his face. "I thought you had gone to England! Are you a doctor now?"
"No. Still a writer."
Toulouse frowned. "Then why are you here? What happened to you?"
Christian scratched the back of his neck. "That's a long story." Seeing that it didn't satisfy Toulouse at all, he sighed. "I was shot."
Toulouse's jaw dropped. "Shot! By who? Where? Are you alright?"
Christian smiled at Toulouse's concern. "I'm fine now."
"Who did it to you?"
Christian sighed. "Who do you think would do this to me." He ran a hand through his hair. "The Duke did it."
"Oh! But why, Christian? Why would he still be after you." Toulouse stopped and lowered his voice. "Unless...you...found her..."
Christian grinned. "If you're talking about Satine, I did find her." He looked at the floor. "I found her and Ryan both."
Toulouse smiled. "Oh this is so wonderful! Not the Duke, of course, but you and Satine have found each other again!"
Christian smiled. "And why are you here, Toulouse?"
The doctor walked up behind Toulouse and frowned. "He was found passed out in an alley. I'm trying to check him for pnuemonia, but he won't let me."
Christian frowned. "Passed out in an alley. Were you drinking again?"
Toulouse looked at the floor. "Well, of course. But not that much!"
"Drinking absinthe can kill you, Toulouse," he said, shaking his head. "I suggest you let the doctor take care of you. You don't want to get sick, do you?"
Toulouse sighed. "Of course not." He poked a finger into Christian's chest. "But we will have to meet up again sometime and catch up!"
"Right."
Two hours later found them both sitting at a table in Christian's new, larger and more secure room. They had spent the past hour catching up on the past nine years. Right now, Toulouse was telling Christian about how the Argentinian had married Nini, one of the Moulin Rouge cancan dancers.
Christian laughed. "And he told me that falling for a Moulin Rouge woman would always end bad!"
"Well, he find out for himself, won't he?"
They were both still laughing when they heard the door open. They turned to see Satine, staring at them. Christian's face lit up at seeing her, and Toulouse couldn't help but smile. Christian stood up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her. She, in return, draped her arms around his neck.
"What took you so long?" he asked her, from barely an inch away. She hadn't been to see him in four days, and he had begun to worry.
"I got a job, Christian." She smiled, then kissed him.
He pulled back slightly. "A job? Where?"
"A factory. I sew shirts." She rolled her eyes, and they both laughed. She then turned to Toulouse. "Toulouse! I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?"
"Perfect! And how are you and Ryan doing?"
"Never better." she said, looking into Christian's eyes. She pulled him close, knowing that he would be with her all the time in a few days. "Never better," she whispered.
Satine made her way back to the hospital the very next afternoon. She didn't talk to anyone, but just rushed towards Christian's room. Ryan, reluctantly, had stayed at the flat with Marie. Satine didn't want to risk what could happen to him if they found Christian dead. They had both stayed with Christian late into the night, leaving only when Satine had to carry Ryan home, which he was getting a little big to do.
But even at home, Ryan's sleep was no peaceful. He had tossed and turned from nightmares all the night long. Satine had tried her best to calm him, but he had only cried when he was awake, claiming it was all his fault.
Satine sighed and opened the door to Christian's room. She stepped inside quickly, then shut the door behind her, as if to prevent bad spirits from entering. She turned to face Christian's bed, but somebody was already standing by it.
The young man looked up at her and smiled. "Is he yours, Madamoiselle?" Satine nodded. "He was very lucky," he said in a very French accent. "The bullet didn't hit any organs, only a rib, which stopped it."
"He'll be fine then?"
He nodded. "We still have to worry about infection, however. But from what we can tell, he'll be just fine." The doctor stood up and walked over to a small table. He picked up a small object and brought it to her. It was a small glass container and inside, though smushed and disfigured, was the bullet.
Satine stared at it for a moment before handing it back. "Take it and throw it away. I don't want it and I don't think he would want it either."
The doctor nodded and tossed the container into a small trash barrel in a corner. "He will be fine, but he will have to stay here for a while. But you'll have him back in no time." The doctor walked past her, and patting her shoulder as he went by, exited the room.
Satine smiled and walked slowly up to Christian's bed. She sat in the chair by the bed and grasped his hand, still smiling. "Told you you would be alright."
At her words, he stirred and Satine suddenly found herself staring into his blue eyes.
"Satine?" he asked groggily.
She tightened her grip on his hand. "Yes, Christian. I'm here."
He smiled. "Good. What did the doctor say? He was just here."
"You're going to be fine."
Christian smiled again, then sighed. "Have you seen the Duke?" Satine shook her head. "I have," he continued. "He was in here this morning. Standing over me, just staring. It was really creepy."
Satine's eyes widened. "He was here...in this room?"
"Yes. He rushed out when the doctor came back in."
Satine turned to a wall for a moment. "We should try to get you to a more secure room."
"The doctor's are already working on it." Hw smiled. "Unlike most, they won't be bribed. And I also think one is a fan of my work." He coughed once, the closed his eyes. "Still so tired..." he muttered.
Satine held both of his hands in hers and kissed his cheek. "Rest, Christian. Rest so you can come home."
*Home?* thought Christian as he began to drop off. *I've never had a real home before...*
Satine smiled as Christian fell asleep. She pulled her hand away and rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of each breath.
"Thank you." she whispered softly.
Almost two weeks later, Christian was still in the hospital due to a complication with infection. He was told that he would be able to leave in a few days, but he felt that he could have left a few days *ago*.
Fow now, he was taking his daily walk around the large hospital, marveling at many of its new, sophisticated equipment. He had done this everyday for the past week, so none of the personell bothered him. He was walking past one of the examining rooms when he heard a patient argueing with his doctor.
"You have to let me go! I'm not sick and I can't pay for all of this!" said the patient, who had a familiar lisp.
Christian stuck his head around the door. "Toulouse?" he asked, increduous.
The dwarf looked up in surprise before breaking out into a large grin. "Christian!" He hobbled over to Christian and hugged him as best he could.
Christian stood awkwardly and slightly embarassed for a moment. "Good to see you too, Toulouse."
Toulouse pulled away, though the smile still remained on his face. "I thought you had gone to England! Are you a doctor now?"
"No. Still a writer."
Toulouse frowned. "Then why are you here? What happened to you?"
Christian scratched the back of his neck. "That's a long story." Seeing that it didn't satisfy Toulouse at all, he sighed. "I was shot."
Toulouse's jaw dropped. "Shot! By who? Where? Are you alright?"
Christian smiled at Toulouse's concern. "I'm fine now."
"Who did it to you?"
Christian sighed. "Who do you think would do this to me." He ran a hand through his hair. "The Duke did it."
"Oh! But why, Christian? Why would he still be after you." Toulouse stopped and lowered his voice. "Unless...you...found her..."
Christian grinned. "If you're talking about Satine, I did find her." He looked at the floor. "I found her and Ryan both."
Toulouse smiled. "Oh this is so wonderful! Not the Duke, of course, but you and Satine have found each other again!"
Christian smiled. "And why are you here, Toulouse?"
The doctor walked up behind Toulouse and frowned. "He was found passed out in an alley. I'm trying to check him for pnuemonia, but he won't let me."
Christian frowned. "Passed out in an alley. Were you drinking again?"
Toulouse looked at the floor. "Well, of course. But not that much!"
"Drinking absinthe can kill you, Toulouse," he said, shaking his head. "I suggest you let the doctor take care of you. You don't want to get sick, do you?"
Toulouse sighed. "Of course not." He poked a finger into Christian's chest. "But we will have to meet up again sometime and catch up!"
"Right."
Two hours later found them both sitting at a table in Christian's new, larger and more secure room. They had spent the past hour catching up on the past nine years. Right now, Toulouse was telling Christian about how the Argentinian had married Nini, one of the Moulin Rouge cancan dancers.
Christian laughed. "And he told me that falling for a Moulin Rouge woman would always end bad!"
"Well, he find out for himself, won't he?"
They were both still laughing when they heard the door open. They turned to see Satine, staring at them. Christian's face lit up at seeing her, and Toulouse couldn't help but smile. Christian stood up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her. She, in return, draped her arms around his neck.
"What took you so long?" he asked her, from barely an inch away. She hadn't been to see him in four days, and he had begun to worry.
"I got a job, Christian." She smiled, then kissed him.
He pulled back slightly. "A job? Where?"
"A factory. I sew shirts." She rolled her eyes, and they both laughed. She then turned to Toulouse. "Toulouse! I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?"
"Perfect! And how are you and Ryan doing?"
"Never better." she said, looking into Christian's eyes. She pulled him close, knowing that he would be with her all the time in a few days. "Never better," she whispered.