Quick Note: I know I said only one chapter after this...but I kind of out-cliffied myself. Lol. In other words, there are a few too many things to be resolved for only one more chapter. So...look for a couple more. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated!
Christine stood frozen between the dark forest and the stone house, screaming in one direction and looking fearfully back toward the other. Panic gripped her throat. With another deep breath, she again shouted the name of the only other person who could help her. "Raoul! Help me! Please Raoul!" What if he was already gone? She would truly be alone.
To her utmost relief she saw her old friend running back toward her through the trees, a silver pistol held high in the air and ready to fire. Branches snapped under his feet, and he looked frantically around for something to aim at. At the sight of Christine he cautiously lowered the weapon and ran up to her, not able to see the cause of her distress. "What on earth is wrong, Christine?"
She ran to him and clutched onto his shoulders for support, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. It took her a moment to say anything. "A doctor," she finally choked out. "The medicine is gone." Raoul stared at her in complete confusion. Finally she managed to compose herself and become somewhat coherent. "Erik-he has collapsed! I came back...and he had fallen...and his eyes are closed. He will not talk to me! Oh Raoul!" She sobbed again before continuing. "The last time there-there was medicine, but it is empty. I need a doctor." The Vicomte looked at her with his mouth slightly agape as he attempted to take in what she was saying.
"It is...you...show me where he is," Raoul finally managed to stutter out, tucking the pistol in his jacket but still making sure he knew exactly where it was. The two made their way back to the side of the house in the dark, groping their way through the thickets of trees. She could feel the twigs tear at her bridal gown as she passed them, ripping at her veil.
Once finally there, Christine grabbed a lantern from inside, lit it, and came back out. Hands shaking she walked over to Erik's still form and held the light over it. Raoul very cautiously stepped up beside her, half-expecting the Phantom to suddenly jump up from the ground.
"He is still breathing," she murmured thankfully, looking at his chest. "But his heart...I..."
"You need to find the pulse, Christine. On the wrist." At this moment, Raoul had blocked all past emotions from his mind, reverting to pure reason. Her hands fumbled as she tried to find the spot of the artery, and a look of panic crossed her face. The Vicomte sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let me do it." With much anxiety, Raoul took the Phantom's arm and placed his two fingers over the wrist. Feeling a weak but steady beat, he quickly set the cold limb down. Christine looked up at him expectantly. "Yes, there is a small one."
Her features took on some relief, and she searched for something else she could do to help her beloved. "Oh!" she gasped suddenly. "He cannot breathe very well with the mask on." Christine removed the porcelain piece in one motion, ignoring the Vicomte's deep intake of air as he gazed upon the right profile for the first time.
"Good God," he murmured quietly, quickly averting his eyes. After a moment, the Phantom's breathing did seem to improve.
Christine whirled to face her friend. "Raoul, a doctor! Maybe if we hurry..." He stared at her desperate eyes for a moment, knowing she did not want to leave her husband alone outside. Had anyone told the Vicomte that his night would be spent doing this, he would have laughed at them.
"I will go try to find one, Christine," he said softly, standing up. "You stay here. It may take several hours."
She let out a soft cry and embraced him. "Thank you, Raoul. Oh, please hurry! Thank you so much!" Raoul grabbed a lantern and made a swift dash back into the darkness. She watched his retreating figure for a moment, knowing deep down that it was not necessarily in the Vicomte's best interest to help her. All she could do that night was trust him, though. Turning around, she knelt back down next to her husband, spreading her lacy white dress out around her.
Christine sat there and gripped his frigid hand, begging him out loud to come back to her...to say several words to her...to open his eyes. He did not, the only sign of life being his rising and falling chest. After a while, the ground began to grow cold, and she shivered, wishing there was a way to get him into the house. She got up and retrieved a patchwork quilt from inside. Sitting back down in the damp dirt, she spread the blanket out over both of them and became as comfortable as possible. An owl called out and some small creature scampered through the woods, breaking branches as it ran.
There was nothing she could do now but wait. Leaning down, Christine softly kissed Erik's head and cheek. Every so often she would place her two fingers where Raoul had placed his to make sure that the pulse continued to beat. Finally, exhaustion overtaking her, she lay down beside him and placed her arm over his moving chest. Closing her tired eyes, she fell into a very uneasy rest.
The soft crunch of footsteps awoke her from her slumber. Quickly raising herself up, she looked up and saw approaching lantern light. At first, she could only make out Raoul's form in the distance. Within a couple of seconds, though, she saw another man, an older one, following quickly behind. He appeared to be clutching a bag of some kind. She jumped to her feet and ran over to them. "Raoul! You came back!"
The Vicomte nodded. "How is he?"
She sighed, a tear falling out of her eye. "He is the same. Unconscious but still breathing." She turned to the other man, awaiting introduction.
"This is Doctor Lamark, my family's physician. He was the only one I knew to go to this late. I am sorry if we were too long."
The doctor approached. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame," said the older man, kindly but tiredly. "I am deeply sorry for the distress that you are experiencing tonight. Would you like to take me to your husband?"
"Yes. Thank you so much for coming doctor." He silently started to follow the Vicomte toward the direction of the house, but Christine called out to him again in slight worry. "Wait! There is something that you should—"
"I already told him..." interrupted Raoul.
Continuing to quickly move forward, the doctor turned to her. "Madame, I am a man of medicine. There is little that I have not seen after several years of working within the military." She nodded uncertainly, and the three rushed to the side of the house. Holding up a lantern, the doctor bent down over the unmoving form. Doctor Lamark's head was turned away from her, so Christine could not see his initial reaction. If he was startled, though, it was only for a brief moment. He quickly performed several tests before turning to her. "I cannot say much right now, Madame. It could be anything. I should like to get him into the house, though. He is ice cold." Doctor Lamark turned to Raoul then. "Monsieur, would you please give me a hand."
Raoul looked confused for a second, and his face paled slightly. "Oh...uh...yes, doctor." Christine had to turn her head momentarily as the two men struggled to lift Erik and bring him up the front steps and into the house. Her husband appeared so terribly helpless-his body, so limp and frail. Quickly she took a deep breath of resolve, though, and followed them in.
"Would you light a fire, Madame?" asked the doctor kindly, noticing her distraught expression and wishing to keep her busy with something.
"Oh yes," she murmured, searching for kindling. Doctor Lamark and Raoul placed Erik upon the blue sofa. When she had a fire finally burning, Christine sat down upon a settee and placed her head into her hands despairingly as the doctor went about his work. After what seemed like hours, the doctor finally left the sofa and came to where Christine was.
"Madame, there is little I can do. It does seem to be related to the heart, and medicine has not come very far when dealing with that organ."
She interrupted him in panic. "But he had medicine. It is only empty. It came in a blue bottle! Cannot you give him more?"
The doctor sighed. "Whatever it was, Madame, it was likely at best an herbal remedy and at worst a complete placebo. There is no known substance to treat serious heart ailments."
"But it worked! He was better afterward. Please..." She was nearly in tears again, her last hopes slowly being crushed. The doctor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Madame, I did not say he was definitely going to die. Truthfully, I do not know. He may very well recover." Doctor Lamark's face became stern then. "But, and you must listen to me, should he get better, the only way he will continue on is to remain fairly sedentary. For a very long time, he must abstain from any physical exertion. Do you understand?"
Christine nodded frantically. "Yes, yes I understand."
Slowly the doctor picked up his bag. "I shall leave you now to rest. Should conditions change for the better or worse, come get me. I wish you the best, Madame."
The Vicomte rose and walked with him to the door. "Is what you told her the truth?" he asked softly, as they entered the cool night air, a full moon now lighting up the landscape.
"More or less, Monsieur." He sighed. "But if that man does pull through, I do not know how the poor girl will survive out here. It is so isolated, and he shall be in bed for some time if he wants to live any longer. Well, I suppose it is none of my concern. Are you coming?"
Raoul hesitated. "No, I think I shall remain with her for the night unless she asks me to leave. My driver shall take you home. Thank you very much for your help." The doctor nodded and left, and Raoul went back inside. Christine had knelt by the sofa and was grasping Erik's hand with both of her own, leaning her head against the cushion. She was softly murmuring what appeared to be a prayer of some kind. The Vicomte sat back down on the divan and stared into the fire in thought.
Christine looked up after a moment. "Do you want me to get the guest room ready?" she asked. "I appreciate you staying, doing everything you have done tonight."
He shook his head. "No, I am fine. You have enough to think about." Christine nodded in thanks and retrieved two wool blankets and two pillows. She handed one set to Raoul and took the second set to another sofa. After only a few minutes, the Vicomte had already nodded off. Christine sat up for a while in the dancing glow of the firelight, continuing to intensely watch her husband.
Throughout the rest of the night, she uneasily dozed off and on upon the sofa, getting up at least once every hour to ensure that Erik still had life within him. As the early morning approached and the sky lightened, she knelt on the frigid wooden floor beside him and softly stroked his weary face. He seemed even colder than earlier, his breath shallow and more forced.
"Please," she softly pled, tears glistening in her eyes. "Do not leave me, Erik. I love you. I am so sorry for the times I have hurt you. Please, please wake up. Please..." Her words came out so choked, she didn't even know if they were understandable. "I love you, Erik. Stay with me. I need you so much, my Angel." She placed a kiss upon his marred cheek and clutched his hand tightly as if to keep him from going somewhere, a deep ache beginning to consume her entire body.
The Vicomte, hearing her sobs, awoke from his short sleep. Slowly he got up and walked over to her hunched form, hating to hear so much pain in her voice. She looked up at him with her mouth in a heartbreaking grimace and her face streaked with streams of tears. "Christine, I am so very sorry," was all he could whisper to her in solace, as he heard the Phantom's breath become more ragged.
"Oh...God, Raoul! He is not coming back!" she sobbed desperately. "Please," she pled, turning back to her husband. "I love you. Just wake up! Do not leave me. Please." Raoul placed a hand onto her shoulder as she cried, feeling a vague sickness inside at her tears. "Please, God...Please...Please...Do not take him from me..." She stood up and whipped around, sobbing into the Vicomte's shirt, her tiny body shaking in anguish. Tentatively Raul held her, before slowly walking her back over to the divan where she collapsed in sorrow and exhaustion, continuing to cry and plead.
Raoul stood with his head in his hand for a moment, several tears falling down his own cheeks. Finally he turned and rapidly strode back to the sofa, furiously glaring down upon the Phantom's dark form. "You..." he began angrily. "You are going to give her up now-after everything? Damn you! I hate you! How can you leave her now?" He suppressed a sob before continuing, his voice growing louder over Christine's cries. "If you die, she will go with me! That is right, Phantom! She will go with me! She will be mine. How can you leave her now? How dare you leave her now!?"
"Stop it, Raoul!" Christine choked out from the divan.
The Vicomte ignored her. "Damn it! Wake up, you selfish bastard! Look at her! You killed for her! Look at her, damn it!"
"Raoul! Stop it!"
"Look at Christine!"
"STOP IT!"
The Vicomte didn't hear her, though. He was suddenly silent. A look of strange peace had crossed his smooth, boyish features. Never in his life had he thought he would be happy to see those two golden lights furiously glaring up at him.
