A/N Umm... I don't really know what will come out of this chapter or how
far I will write...I think you guys might hurt me though cringes Nah,
you'll kill me. I feel so bad doing this but, ah it happened so oh well.
Lol. hides before angry mob kills her
HEARING IS BELIEVING
Sing for me, my angel of music!
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera!
Think of me, think of me fondly...
In sleep he sang to me-
Softly, the voices sang the haunting lullabies. Suddenly they became faster, and louder, until they pounded in the young girl's ears. They mixed and entwined, became almost unbearable to listen to, until Kat could endure it no longer.
Just as her head was about to break into a million pieces, they stopped. A bright light was above, beckoning to her as she opened her eyes. Below, a tunnel of darkness. Kat turned away from the light. She didn't want it, didn't need it. The dark was her friend. Light hurt her eyes, as it hurt Erik-
But she had no choice. It was drawing into her, sucking the life from her as she lay in the empty void, helpless.
Kat's eyes flew open.
She'd had the strangest dream; Erik singing to her, the light chasing her until it killed her...
But she was not in a lair, or a barren tunnel. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the light as she surveyed her surroundings.
A hospital, she realized. I've been taken to a hospital. As she attempted to sit up, all the uncomfort came rushing back to her. Wincing, she laid down again, trying to steady her spinning head.
The past few hours came back to her as she waited for someone to come. Her father, strangling her stepmother. Her stepmother, who had tried to protect her. Turning on Kat, when she tried to stop him. She remembered the vicious look he gave her, the searing pain as her vocal cords ripped, as though her throat were on fire.
Just then a nurse came in to check on her. "Oh, you're finally awake!" Quickly she paged the doctors.
'Finally?' Kat wondered to herself.
The nurse quickly applied a shot, then smiled. "I assume you're a bit dizzy still, this should help. Try sitting up in a few moments." She added, "My name is Jill. I'll be around; if you need anything, just press this button." She pointed to a red button on the side of the hospital bed. "Now just relax," She assured Kat. "I will be back in a few minutes."
Kat sighed, then nodded. She didn't feel like talking, and her throat hurt her enough to keep her silent.
Turning her head, she looked out her window. Outside the sun was high in the sky. 'I've been here almost a day,' Kat realized. It had been afternoon when her father had-
"So you finally decided to join the world of the living." Dr. Shepford broke into her thoughts. His plump, cheery face beamed at her as Kat forced a weak smile. "You have been in a coma for almost 2 weeks, young lady. You had some of us quite worried."
The shock in the young girl's face was apparent. Chuckling, the doctor continued, "But as you can see, none the worse, although a few bruises here and there. There was some serious damage to your vocal cords, but the surgery fixed that. That is why your throat is so sore." He paused. "Do you remember what happened?"
Kat blushed. She couldn't tell them about her abusive father. Opening her mouth, her mind raced for an excuse. But what she was ready to say, and what escaped her lips, were two completely different things.
A horrible, strangled sound emerged, and both Kat's and Dr. Shepford's faces paled. Careful not to disturb her I.V., Kat sat up painfully. Swallowing, she tried to speak again. For the second time the tortured noise replaced her words. Tears filled her eyes as pain came crashing down upon her like a great tidal wave.
The stout doctor finally came to his senses and snapped, "Don't do that again! Wait here." He rushed from the room.
'Fixed?' Kat sobbed in her mind. 'They call this fixed?! What is wrong with me?'
Three tests and two operations later, nothing had changed. Besides hot and cold flashes in her throat and chest, Kat still had not regained the power of speech. But she was still hopeful, as were the doctors around her. Little did she know what they spoke in her absence.
Finally Dr. Shepford came into her room, looking serious. Sighing, he pulled a chair next to Kat's bed. Nervously playing with his round hands, he tried to speak and failed. Awkward silence fell over the room. Kat was dying to beg him to tell her, but she could not.
Looking into her eyes, the man saw the torture Kat was going through in not knowing. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
"Your vocal cords were strained in a very unusual way. At your age, Kat, vocal cords are all cartilage. Only when you are in your forties do they begin turning to bone. So yours were still very, very tender. Such a rip was difficult to fix."
'You had said you fixed it!' Kat's mind screamed as her face held its blank look. 'You told me I was fixed!'
The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Ordinarily, even in such a case as yours, the cords could have been preserved, and put together, or replaced. But only under trial do we find the correct position. After two weeks, your cords strained themselves further. It's impossible for them to be fixed."
Kat's eyes widened in disbelief. Was she mute? Done with speaking? Singing?
Dr. Shepford looked down, then met Kat's eyes. "I am truly sorry," he told her. Standing, he strode to the door, pain grieving his heart, even though he could not show it. Over his shoulder, he added, "You will be staying in the hospital longer, for exercises so your neck doesn't stiffen, and for sign language lessons. Your family will be informed."
Kat sat in distress as his words sank in. Putting a hand on her swollen throat, Kat looked in the mirror and burst into tears. How could this have happened? It was all her damn father's fault! He had ruined her dream!
Not only was her future in singing ruined, but her future in general. Who hired someone who couldn't speak?
Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched the blanket. Her voice was gone. The sweet, clear voice that her mother had loved, her only form of comfort. The only thing she had to tempt her angel. Gone.
HEARING IS BELIEVING
Sing for me, my angel of music!
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera!
Think of me, think of me fondly...
In sleep he sang to me-
Softly, the voices sang the haunting lullabies. Suddenly they became faster, and louder, until they pounded in the young girl's ears. They mixed and entwined, became almost unbearable to listen to, until Kat could endure it no longer.
Just as her head was about to break into a million pieces, they stopped. A bright light was above, beckoning to her as she opened her eyes. Below, a tunnel of darkness. Kat turned away from the light. She didn't want it, didn't need it. The dark was her friend. Light hurt her eyes, as it hurt Erik-
But she had no choice. It was drawing into her, sucking the life from her as she lay in the empty void, helpless.
Kat's eyes flew open.
She'd had the strangest dream; Erik singing to her, the light chasing her until it killed her...
But she was not in a lair, or a barren tunnel. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the light as she surveyed her surroundings.
A hospital, she realized. I've been taken to a hospital. As she attempted to sit up, all the uncomfort came rushing back to her. Wincing, she laid down again, trying to steady her spinning head.
The past few hours came back to her as she waited for someone to come. Her father, strangling her stepmother. Her stepmother, who had tried to protect her. Turning on Kat, when she tried to stop him. She remembered the vicious look he gave her, the searing pain as her vocal cords ripped, as though her throat were on fire.
Just then a nurse came in to check on her. "Oh, you're finally awake!" Quickly she paged the doctors.
'Finally?' Kat wondered to herself.
The nurse quickly applied a shot, then smiled. "I assume you're a bit dizzy still, this should help. Try sitting up in a few moments." She added, "My name is Jill. I'll be around; if you need anything, just press this button." She pointed to a red button on the side of the hospital bed. "Now just relax," She assured Kat. "I will be back in a few minutes."
Kat sighed, then nodded. She didn't feel like talking, and her throat hurt her enough to keep her silent.
Turning her head, she looked out her window. Outside the sun was high in the sky. 'I've been here almost a day,' Kat realized. It had been afternoon when her father had-
"So you finally decided to join the world of the living." Dr. Shepford broke into her thoughts. His plump, cheery face beamed at her as Kat forced a weak smile. "You have been in a coma for almost 2 weeks, young lady. You had some of us quite worried."
The shock in the young girl's face was apparent. Chuckling, the doctor continued, "But as you can see, none the worse, although a few bruises here and there. There was some serious damage to your vocal cords, but the surgery fixed that. That is why your throat is so sore." He paused. "Do you remember what happened?"
Kat blushed. She couldn't tell them about her abusive father. Opening her mouth, her mind raced for an excuse. But what she was ready to say, and what escaped her lips, were two completely different things.
A horrible, strangled sound emerged, and both Kat's and Dr. Shepford's faces paled. Careful not to disturb her I.V., Kat sat up painfully. Swallowing, she tried to speak again. For the second time the tortured noise replaced her words. Tears filled her eyes as pain came crashing down upon her like a great tidal wave.
The stout doctor finally came to his senses and snapped, "Don't do that again! Wait here." He rushed from the room.
'Fixed?' Kat sobbed in her mind. 'They call this fixed?! What is wrong with me?'
Three tests and two operations later, nothing had changed. Besides hot and cold flashes in her throat and chest, Kat still had not regained the power of speech. But she was still hopeful, as were the doctors around her. Little did she know what they spoke in her absence.
Finally Dr. Shepford came into her room, looking serious. Sighing, he pulled a chair next to Kat's bed. Nervously playing with his round hands, he tried to speak and failed. Awkward silence fell over the room. Kat was dying to beg him to tell her, but she could not.
Looking into her eyes, the man saw the torture Kat was going through in not knowing. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
"Your vocal cords were strained in a very unusual way. At your age, Kat, vocal cords are all cartilage. Only when you are in your forties do they begin turning to bone. So yours were still very, very tender. Such a rip was difficult to fix."
'You had said you fixed it!' Kat's mind screamed as her face held its blank look. 'You told me I was fixed!'
The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Ordinarily, even in such a case as yours, the cords could have been preserved, and put together, or replaced. But only under trial do we find the correct position. After two weeks, your cords strained themselves further. It's impossible for them to be fixed."
Kat's eyes widened in disbelief. Was she mute? Done with speaking? Singing?
Dr. Shepford looked down, then met Kat's eyes. "I am truly sorry," he told her. Standing, he strode to the door, pain grieving his heart, even though he could not show it. Over his shoulder, he added, "You will be staying in the hospital longer, for exercises so your neck doesn't stiffen, and for sign language lessons. Your family will be informed."
Kat sat in distress as his words sank in. Putting a hand on her swollen throat, Kat looked in the mirror and burst into tears. How could this have happened? It was all her damn father's fault! He had ruined her dream!
Not only was her future in singing ruined, but her future in general. Who hired someone who couldn't speak?
Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched the blanket. Her voice was gone. The sweet, clear voice that her mother had loved, her only form of comfort. The only thing she had to tempt her angel. Gone.