Hello! Sorry for the evil cliffy. I'll try to avoid too many, but some are just necessary. This story may get a lot longer than I thought, but I guess if you get tired of it, you can stop reading. Lol...
I've gotten many requests for the services of Nurse Erik. At least if he ever gets tired of being the Opera Ghost, he has a job lined up for him. The Phantom of the Hospital...hmmmm...
Enjoy this chapter!
Standing motionless in the doorway, Doctor Murrell squinted, trying to discern exactly what he was looking at without waking the other patients. He raised the gas lamp he held in his hand and let the shafts of light fall upon the bed in yellow streaks. Christine, he could see, was sitting up with a look of shock upon her face, her wide brown eyes blinking at the sudden brightness. Slowly, the doctor elevated the lamp more so as to make out the figure that hovered over her, but the person took a step into the shadows, out of the light's reach.
The doctor cautiously stepped forward into the room, determined to get a look at the owner of the yellow eyes that continued to glare at him. Closer now, he held up the light again, and this time the figure did not move but rather turned to the side slightly. Doctor Murrell could finally see the left profile of an extremely tall, thin man, suited in formal black attire. The strange golden eye shown from a relatively normal face, hampered only by its pallor and the expression of fury set upon it. "Excuse me, Monsieur," Doctor Murrell finally choked out, still trying to see the man in his totality. "I do not believe you are supposed to be in here."
Raising himself to an intimidating full height, the man said nothing, continuing to keep his right side bathed in the shadows of the room. The doctor glanced back down at Christine, hoping to see in her expression whether this visitor was welcome or not. "Doctor Murrell," she finally began in a shaky voice as she glanced nervously from man to man. "Please permit him to stay. Everything is fine. I...I simply need to talk to him for a moment."
The doctor stayed where he was, sensing something very odd about the situation. "Mademoiselle, this is not appropriate. Your visitor may come back tomorrow when it is daytime."
There was a short silence before the strange man finally spoke. "I prefer to visit tonight, Monsieur. I suggest that you leave immediately and speak not a word of this to anyone." The doctor was shocked at how much hostility could seep from such a magnificently toned voice.
Shaking slightly, though, he continued to hold his ground. "Monsieur, you may come back tomorrow when visitors are allowed. If you do not leave now, I will summon the police." At this, the man gave a soft, eerie laugh and took a step toward him, though the girl continued to clutch his hand.
Christine cried out again, looking back and forth between the two men frantically. "Please doctor!" she exclaimed. "Do not get the police. He has come to visit only for tonight." She turned toward her visitor now and spoke with more caution. "Erik, do not do anything. I beg you to leave him alone." Christine prayed that her pleas would not fall upon deaf ears, for she knew easily who would win any confrontation.
The doctor was in a difficult spot. He was not a strong man himself, and a danger radiated off of this guest. Was this...Erik terrorizing the girl, or had he walked in on some kind of secret love affair? Raising the lantern once again, he looked down at the girl's expression. Though Christine looked exhausted, she did not seem to be horrified. In fact, she was clinging to the man's hand very tightly. "Doctor Murrell," he heard her plea again. "Please forget this. Everything is fine."
As Erik continued to glare at him from the shadows, Doctor Murrell suddenly got the feeling that he had no choice but to comply…or at least pretend to comply. There was a hostility in the room that made him shiver, and visions of his own family were currently flashing through his mind.
"Very well," he said softly, backing away. "I shall give you a moment." Quickly Doctor Murrell walked into the hallway and closed the door tightly behind him, taking in a deep breath. He debated going to the police but chose to stay put in his office for his own safety and because of the fact that Christine did not seem scared. By the way she gripped that man's hand...well...perhaps this was a matter better left between her and her fiancé...
Erik stood there glowering angrily. "He will go for the police. He will tell your precious lover exactly what has occurred. I should not have let him leave."
"Erik, please. Do not hurt him. I do not think he will tell anyone. He has been nothing but kind to me." Her voice shook slightly with the plea, and she awaited his response, realizing that she was still gripping his hand. Erik was silent for a moment but then suddenly looked down at her, an eerie glint within his eye.
"I shall not hurt him, my dear. If you are with me, then he poses no threat now, does he?" The words were spoken calmly, but they sent a shiver throughout her.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes widening.
"I shall take you with me tonight, before anyone arrives and destroys everything that I have worked for. And I suggest strongly that you do not scream, for the next person who runs in here will meet an unhappy ending." In one swift move, he scooped her up from the bed and into his arms, her legs dangling loosely. "Come Christine. It is time to go." He had a slightly wild look on his face as he stared down at her in the darkness, holding her closely against him.
"Erik, please," she begged in shock, pushing against him furiously with her hands as he began to carry her away. "I cannot do this, Erik. Stop it! I cannot go with you tonight. Let go of me!" She protested quietly, not wishing anyone to be hurt on her account. Tears formed in her eyes as confusion overtook her. No matter what she had been feeling moments before, she could not feel love toward someone taking her against her will. She would not allow herself to feel anything but anger toward her captor.
"You are mine, Christine. You can only be mine," he said furiously, gripping onto her small body tightly as she fought futilely against him. Seeing the terror in her eyes, though, he softened his voice slightly and stopped walking, trying to calm her down, hating himself all the more. "Sh," he whispered softly as she continued to sob and protest. "It will be fine soon. You will learn to love me in time and be happy with my company. I shall give you whatever you desire once you are with me."
"No, Erik," she retorted angrily. "It cannot be like this. I am not yours, and I cannot go with you! I can never love you!" Finally she stopped fighting and looked up at him angrily through her salty tears. When she saw, though, that there was nothing but sadness in the golden eyes, pity quickly replaced her anger, and she almost regretted her last statement. So many years of deep pain and longing shone through, and her heart broke for him at that moment.
"You can never love me," he softly repeated. "I suppose that is true, isn't it? Then I suppose you are condemned to spend the rest of your life with someone you hate."
"Oh, Erik," she whispered. "I do not hate you. I just…I want to feel sane again…Please."
"I have never felt sane." He stood there hesitating, a haunted expression crossing his features. "I suppose I have driven you mad as well. Perhaps that is all I will ever do."
Christine sighed and closed her eyes in thought. Perhaps if not love...perhaps she could at least bring him solace.
Taking a deep breath, she bent forward and moved her neck upward from its place in his arms. Grabbing onto his thin shoulders to hold herself up, she gently brushed his lips with her own before drawing back and looking into his eyes. Erik stared down at her with shock, frozen into place. Before he could even process what had occurred, Christine again leaned forward and used both hands to remove the white porcelain from his face. He gasped as she kissed him more deeply now, moving her mouth within his slowly, hands at the side of his face and through his dark hair. Recovering himself, Erik finally kissed her back...grasping onto her shoulders and holding her up to him, his heart racing with a bliss he had never before experienced.
Then they drew back for air, and he stared down with wonder at the helpless woman in his arms...who had dared to touch him so deeply when no one else ever had...who he was dooming to a life of living in the darkness as his unwilling prisoner.
Christine felt several tears run down her cheeks as she realized she could no longer deny what she had been feeling for so long. The realization ran through her veins like fire, illuminating all of the secret thoughts she had kept hidden like sins in the darkest corners of her mind. She began to cry. God, she loved him. Even if it was completely wrong, she could no longer pretend.
Slowly recovering from the blissful shock, Erik saw her tears and knew immediately why they must be falling. Forever she would wake up and look upon his wretched, repulsive features. Forever she would live in the cold darkness with only a disgusting monster to brush lips with. She had dared to kiss him, without his mask, wanting to see what her future held. Now she knew, and she was utterly horrified.
He could still feel the tingle of her touch against his twisted mouth and wished the sensation to last for an eternity, for he knew he would never experience it again. Several tears fell from his golden eyes as he looked upon her soft, beautiful form in his arms. He could take her so easily now, force her into becoming his bride, but he could never get her to love him. No one could ever look upon him with love.
Christine lay there quietly now, leaning against him, waiting to be taken away into the cold night air. Perhaps later they could discuss the darker difficulties. She felt Erik hug her closely against his chest and very softly whisper to her. "Oh, Christine. I love you so."
All of a sudden, though, she felt a soft coldness strike her back through her thin dress. Opening her eyes, she realized that she was lying back upon the hospital bed. From below, she could make out Erik's anguished face as he quickly replaced his mask.
"Erik," she whispered in confusion, as he backed away from her in an unusually ungraceful manner.
"I will leave you alone now," he said softly. "I am so very sorry. Forget everything. Forget this entire nightmare." He turned to leave with pure pain in his eyes, and she could feel devastation build up inside her. As he walked out the door, she tried to call to him, but the words would not leave her mouth. She had a choice! Here was her chance, and she was the scared little girl again-too afraid to make a decision. Finally she sat up and gathered her strength.
"Erik!" she called out loudly, not caring if she was heard by the entire hospital. This was her last chance. If not now, she would be whisked off to some far away manor, and for all she knew he would be dead at the hands of the police. "Erik!" she called again.
Pulling herself up in bed, she turned her body and placed her good foot onto the floor. Slowly standing up and balancing herself, she hopped against the cold surface to the entrance of the room, praying he was not already far gone. Opening the door, she stuck her head into the empty corridor and called out to him again, suddenly feeling herself become dizzy from the effects of the injury.
As the hallway began to tilt and sway, she suddenly lost her balance. Christine could feel herself began to fall down into the blackness, and with horror, she realized she was about to land on top of her broken ankle. Crashing down to the ground, she heard a sickening crunch that was followed by a blinding pain. Laying her head against the cold floor in agony, she felt herself begin to fade away. For a moment, Christine thought that she saw a shadow lean over her, but she could not tell whether it was Erik or simply the beginnings of unconsciousness. On the slim chance that it was him, she whispered, "Do not leave me" before everything became dark.
"She is awakening."
"Lord, look at how swollen it is."
"I told you I needed more ice. Hurry girl!"
The medley of voices floated around her, mostly female, with one male giving an order now and then. Christine fluttered her eyes open and gazed around, the room slowly coming into focus. For a moment, she did not understand why everyone was crowded around her, but then the pain hit her, and she remembered everything. A nausea swept over her, and she placed her hand to her forehead and groaned.
"Mademoiselle," began the doctor softly. "Can you hear me?" She nodded, still only half conscious. He turned to the nurses. "How are you doing over there?"
There was a reply. "We have rewrapped it, but it is still very swollen. Though she has worsened the original breakage, it does not appear that there has been an additional fracture. Better watch it for an infection, though."
The doctor turned back to Christine. "Mademoiselle, I know you are in a daze, but how on earth did this happen? I do not understand."
"I...fell," she softly mumbled.
"But then how did you get back upon the bed? How were you able to climb with this injury?"
"Back on the bed?" she asked dumbly.
"Yes, Mademoiselle. I hear you scream and come to find you lying on the bed unconscious with your ankle torn apart."
Christine tried to register what he was saying for a moment. Then a calmness came over her. Erik had heard her call! He had come back to her, placing her back upon the bed and disappearing before anyone saw him. Even in pain, a relief overtook her, and she felt warm tears of both agony and joy run down her cheeks. She smiled at the doctor through blurry eyes. He shook his head.
