Chapter Sixteen


A/N: Just a warning to my lovely readers: I will be out of town until Friday afternoon and will have no access to a computer. Sorry! I'll try to write the next chapter Friday afternoon when I get back :)


Thebit of timewas a blur. Madame Giry met them as they were loading Erik into a buggy to take him to Raoul's summerhouse. Nadir pulled her aside to fill her in on the details.

Christine was in a daze. She did not notice that Raoul and Meg were at her side the entire time, nor that Madeleine was finally acting the part of a mother to her injured son, instead of leaving the role to Marie, or leaving entirely. All Christine noticed was Erik. He had not given her any sign of life as the lifted his wiry body into the carriage or when she had climbed in behind him, resting his head on her lap. She stroked his hair absently during the bumpy ride, holding him as best a she could to keep him from jolting around.

She barely noticed their arrival at the house until Meg laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's time to bring him inside, Christine."

The diva nodded without a word and let herself be led after his still form. She sat down in the chair next to his bed and did not move until the doctor came. Even then Raoul had to pull her from the room. She looked at him frantically, eyes begging him to give her some hope. "It's all right, Christine," he assured her quietly. "The doctor needs to look at him. He can help him. He's the best here."

"Erik will be quite upset if they take his mask off…" she babbled. "You will tell him not to, won't you? Erik would be so unhappy… You know how he gets…"

"Of course."

"Christine, perhaps you should get some rest," Meg offered.

"No!" the wide-eyed girl screamed suddenly. "No please! I have to go to his side! He can't die now…"

"He won't die, Christine," Raoul promised, turning worried eyes to Meg.

Meg turned, seeing the doctor's young helper coming down the hall. "Sir! Might you be able to give my friend something to calm her nerves? She's had quite a shock this last bit."

"Of course, mademoiselle."


Raoul let out a strained sigh as he leaned against Christine's closed door. "I never thought she'd go to sleep…"

"She was in hysterics," Meg murmured. "I'm worried about her. What if he does die?"

The young aristocrat clenched his fist together and let them loose again. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. One bridge at a time."

"Yes…" She turned her eyes up to the tired man. "How are you holding?"

"Oh I'm fine."

"You've been through a lot too, Raoul... If you need anything, just let me know."

Raoul looked at her and noticed the light tent of pink on her pale cheeks. He gave her a smile that made it deepen to red. "Thank you very much, Meg."


"Drink this."

Madeleine looked up to see Nadir. He held a teacup with saucer under it. She took it gratefully and sipped. Her face contorted for a moment and she looked up once more.

"Russian tea," Nadir explained. "Erik makes it. Tastes horrible, but works wonders. I added a couple of drops of brandy as well."

The aging woman nodded and sipped at it again. "Has the doctor come out yet?"

"No."

"Then we know nothing."

Nadir sighed, glancing back to the hall that led to Erik's room. "Your son, Madame, is a very strong willed person," he said slowly.

"You believe he'll live?"

"I do."

Madeleine nodded. "Then there's hope."


It was two agonizing hours before the doctor emerged from Erik's room. He looked exhausted and almost irritated as a small group gathered around him. "It's not good," he said at last, moving to take a seat that was meant as a decoration in the hallway. "There's a half healed bullet wound in his left side, though you already knew of it?" He dirrected hisquestion at Raoul, who nodded in return. "He's been beaten, leaving gashes and welts over his back, shoulders, chest… Whoever did this…" He faded off for a moment, shaking his head in disgust and forcing himself to get back to his diagnosis. "Broken ribs, seemingly from the same beating as some of the other wounds. His left wrist is fractured and he appeared to have a slight concussion."

"Will he be alright?" Madeleine asked quietly.

The doctor looked up, meeting her questioning eyes and then looking back down at his bloodstained hands. "There's also internal bleeding, but I'm not entirely sure from what. It's causing quite a bit of a problem…"

"The bullet," Nadir piped up, "was dipped in poison. He's been fighting its affects for the last several days."

"Poison?" Raoul echoed. "When did you discover that?"

"It began taking affect right after the performance. Erik thought it best if we kept it quiet."

"A lot of good it did!" Raoul growled. "Keeping something like that-"

"Forgive him for not trusting you entirely," Nadir retorted, his jade eyes turning dark with anger. "He kept it from Christine as well… Heaven knows why, I told him it was foolish! She found out and we were dealing with it."

"They poisoned him to begin with?" Marie gasped.

"The shah was frightened of him," Nadir said. "With good reason, I assure you."

"I'll go rouse Christine," Meg offered softly. "She'll want to see him."

"He's still sleeping," the doctor muttered tiredly. "I gave him quite a bit of laudanum to keep him still. I don't know what that poor man's been through, but it gives him hellish nightmares. It took me half an hour to get him to settle down."

"But she may see him?"

"Yes… if she needs to."


Christine was not sleeping, as she was supposed to be. Meg's gentle knock was answered with a muffled response from inside and when the ballerina entered she found her dearest friend tying a black ribbon into her hair. "Did the doctor come out?"

"Yes. You may go in."

Christine nodded and was out the door without a word. She glanced at the small crowd mingling around the doctor and the door. She didn't want to know what the doctor had to say about his condition. He would live. He had promised he wouldn't leave her.

The room was only lit by the setting sun that washed in through half open windows. Erik lay on the white sheets, looking pale and ill. He didn't move as she entered and she assured herself the doctor would have drugged him, whether he liked it or not. "Erik?" she whispered, inching closer and finally coming to sit next to his bed. Sweat glistened off his half-masked face and lines of pain were etched deeply. He let out a half groan when her cool fingers touched his fever-burnt skin.

"Please…" his mumbled, trying to move from her touch. "Please… I'll go away. If you let me… go I won't come back…"

Christine forced back a sob as she realized what horrible dreams he was suffering through. "Shh, Erik. It's okay."

"Christine…?"

"Yes, I'm here. Right here, Erik. I'm with you."

He shuddered in his sleep. "Why? Why did you do it? Why… Christine?" he begged desperately, clutching the covers around him. "I love… you."

"I love you to!" Christine whispered urgently, running her fingers along his face. "Please, Erik, come back to me. My angel…"

Another groan escaped his lips and his eyes fluttered open. They took a minute to focus, but finally came to rest on the woman leaning over him. "Christine?"

"Yes, I'm here," she assured him, reaching her hand to take his.

He pulled back suddenly, his eyes flashing wildly. "No!" he gasped. "No no! Don't…" His shoulders heaved up and down as he struggled to catch his breath. He only succeeded in bringing about a coughing fit that doubled him over in bed. He felt her cool hands placed gently on him. One lay on his tattered back, careful of his many wounds and the other against his shoulder. "Get… out!"

"What?" she managed, hurt clear in her voice. "Erik… Shh. You need to rest. To sleep…"

"Go away!" he roared suddenly, still shaking with weakness and he tasted blood rising from his throat. He coughed violently for a moment before wiping it from his lips.

"But my love…" she begged, tears streaming down her face. "Please…"

"I saw you both. Just… just get out!"

She stumbled to her feet, eyes glassy with unshed tears. She flew from the room and strait into Nadir.

"What on earth happened?" he demanded.

"Erik… I don't know! He said he saw us. What does he mean? Nadir, what on earth is he talking about?"

"I don't know. Go take a seat for a minute, Mademoiselle. I'll speak with him." He watched her nod and turned to the door, flinging it open. The sight of Erik leaned over the side of the bed, shivering in pain and exhaustion made his anger cool only slightly. "You fool," he growled, only exasperation left in his voice. "What have you gone and done now?"

"What have I… She…"

"Loves you more than you will ever know!" Nadir hissed. "What did you say to her?"

"I saw her… and her vicomte…" Erik growled, still gasping. "I saw them… He held her. He was holding my Christine!" Tears were streaming down his face. He turned away from his friend, pulling his mask of to wipe them away angrily.

"She thought you were dead!" the Persian nearly screamed. "She was grieving and he was holding her back from running into the smoldering building after your sorry corpse!"

Erik stared at him a moment, dumbfounded. "She… Oh what have I done?" he cried.

"Shall I send her back in here?"

The Phantom looked horrified. "What could I say…?"

Nadir allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "I don't think you'll need to." With that, he left.

A small knock on the door came two moments later and Christine stuck her head in. She saw Erik laying against the pillows, exhausted. He held one shaky hand out to her. "My dear… I'm so sorry…"

She choked back a sob before running to him, burring her face into the crook of his shoulder. He wrapped his good arm around her and they held each other like that until they fell asleep.


A/N: It's not finished. I think all that's left is the epilogue, but I'll have several days to run it over in my head. Who knows what horrors I might come up with!

LostSchizophrenic:Yes yes… many a question for poor, unfortunate Erik… But somehow I think Christine has grown up enough at this point to be able to hear it all. Glad your sister enjoys the book! Gives you an excuse to reread it, ne?

Golden Lyre:I think a lot of people end up ordering it offline. It seems the cheapest rout and the easiest. Kay's novel goes deep into Erik's past, starting at his birth, scooting upward through his time with the Gypsies, his years with Giovanni the architect, then to Russia and Persia, then going through Europe and onward to helping to build the opera house and into the whole Christine ordeal. The ending is marvelous, albeit a bit sad. I truly hope you get a chance to read it. It's a must for any obsessee, I think.

Lynx Ryder:Haha… I suppose I'm a decent patient, as long as everyone's away from me. I don't like being touched anyway, but if you touch me when I'm sick… I am not responsible for my actions. Lol! You said "confound it"! Yay! I'm not the only person in the world that says it! No, I didn't kill Erik, but I sent him through hell on earth. I do that quite well.

Pemberlee:Haha! There's just a dash of angst? I'd hate to see what you'd consider a lot of angst. :grins: Glad you like my phic! Oh do read it! Please! If you can get a copy I'd highly advise you to. I really had no use for Nadir before reading it. I mean, c'mon, he betrayed his so called "friend" in the original… Never had any use until Kay's novel. He's such a deep character. :huggles Nadir until he glares: