Therapy
Chapter Five: A Nice StoryÉ Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin RougeA.N. Thanks for the good reviews! This chapter is very very important!
Over the next three weeks, Satine continued her sessions with Dr. Landon. Of course, Christian was always with her. As much as it hurt him to see Satine in such a fragile emotional state, part of him really was interested in learning about Satine's past. She had been so secretive about it for so long (although, could she really be blamed for that?) and knowing about her past helped Christian to understand his diamond much better.
Dr. Landon's major concern seemed to be finding out why Satine had let the event traumatize her for thirteen years. They spent the next few sessions discussing her life after the attack; more importantly, her time at the Moulin Rouge. Dr. Landon had been a bit shocked to learn that Satine was a courtesan. Somehow, the fragile woman who broke down in tears every week didn't seem to fit the profile of the "sparkling diamond". For one particular session, her time at the Moulin, more specifically her last month or so, took the spotlight.
"So Satine, you really worked at the Moulin Rouge?" Dr. Landon asked again. He didn't know why he had such a hard time believing it.
Satine nodded. "From when I was twelve until about six and a half months ago. About ten and a half years." Satine looked at Dr. Landon. This was probably the fifth time she had answered that question.
Dr. Landon looked at his notes from the previous session. "And you left six and a half months ago. What convinced you to leave?" In Dr. Landon's mind, it was possible that Satine had been forced to leave due to her nightmares. After all, a man looking for a "one-night stand" wouldn't have been very compassionate towards Satine's nightmares. Instead, she simply answered "I was sick. I had consumption. If I stayed in Paris I would have died.
Dr. Landon wrote this down and continued. "And what about Christian? Where does he come into the picture? Did you meet after you left the Moulin?" Dr. Landon, at this point, assumed that Christian and Satine had met under slightly more normal circumstances than ending up inside an elephant together.
Once again Satine surprised him with her answer. "No, we met at the Moulin. Actually, it's a nice story. You see, we were in the process of turning the Moulin Rouge into a real theater. We had everything we needed except for one thing-funding. So Harold, the owner, had found a richÉ" Satine had a hard time finishing the sentence. She hadn't even thought about the Duke until then. She wanted him as far from her mind as possible.
Dr. Landon looked anxious to hear the rest of the story, so Christian continued it for Satine. "He knew of a rich duke who might have held interest in investing in the show. As it turns out, we both attended the Moulin Rouge for the first time that evening. I was there trying to get the job of writer for the first show the theater would put on. Well, Satine mistook me for the Duke, and the two of us ended up inside the elephant
Now Dr. Landon was completely confused. "An elephant?" he asked. Satine continued the story. "Yes, at the Moulin Rouge my, um, living quarters were in a building shaped like an elephant. Anyway, one thing led to another that night, and Christian and I fell in love. But the Duke thought I was in love with him, and wanted to keep me all to himself."
Dr. Landon suddenly picked up his notepad. Maybe there was something in this story that was causing Satine to hold on to her fear. He urged them to continue, and Christian took the next leg of the story.
"For awhile, it was easy for Satine and I to sneak around the Duke. She being the lead actress and I the head writer, we always had the convenient excuse of rehearsing. However, the Duke eventually found out about our relationship. Satine tried to convince him that it was nothing by spending a night with him, but he saw through her act. That night, the DukeÉ" Christian's voice trailed off. He looked at Satine. One of them had to say it, and Christian didn't want to put Satine through any more pain. He took a deep breath and finished. "tried to rape Satine.
Dr. Landon paid extra close attention to the last part of the story. "So that was the second time you were attacked like that?" he asked Satine. She simply nodded. "Is that when you left?" he asked. Satine shook her head no. "We stayed until the opening night of the show. That night I collapsed backstage and was told I had to leave Paris or I would die." Satine was crying from memories of her multiple attacks.
Dr. Landon looked at his watch. "Well, you were right. That was a very interesting story. Although, I never did picture you two meeting inside an elephantÉ" Satine couldn't help but giggle at this. Dr. Landon stood up and put his notepad back in his bag. He showed himself out, leaving Satine and Christian alone in the living room.
That night, Satine's nightmare came to plague her yet again. There he was, coming closer and closer. But this time, something was different. Suddenly, Satine realized what it was. The attacker was no longer a shadow. After thirteen years, he finally had a face.
Her attacker was the Duke. .
