Chapter 9

The illness

Christine fell sound asleep and was so peaceful when Erik returned; he just walked over to her, knelt down in front of her sleeping form, and buried his head in her hair. He wept for love of her. What was he doing to her; this jealousy he had of Raoul was as consuming as his love for Christine. They were all being destroyed by this game of cat and mouse. Why would she not just let him kill Raoul and put all three of them out of their misery? Raoul, when he found him, looked as tormented as Christine and he felt. They would never be happy as long as all three of them lived, and he was beginning to fear that the one who may not live might be Christine. He raised his tear stained face to see her face was so white in the soft moonlight that filtered through the open window. She shivered with the chill of the breeze that entered the still open window. Erik, realizing he left the window open at last, walked over and closed it. Then he came back to the bed and placed a heavy quilt over Christine. What would he do if he lost his Christine, God, he could not bear that. He wondered if she knew that she saved him with her love. He would have killed without a thought before her, now he values life, even, grudgingly, Raoul's. He just shook his head when he realized that. What was left to do to save Christine? What a hopeless mess they were all in.

Christine was stirring, Erik wanted to let her sleep, she had been through too much of an emotional roller coaster. Maybe he had to just go away, let her go whether she wanted to or not. Raoul was here in the Pension, he could take her back to Paris. He could resume the life of a Ghost, a Phantom. After all, wasn't that all he was good for. He was stealing what belonged to a whole person. Erik felt so ashamed of his desires then, at that moment, he even thought about his Punjab lasso. No, he would not let it come to that.

Too late, his thoughts kept him preoccupied just long enough, Christine woke up and sat up in bed. "Erik, oh God, I was so afraid you would never come back. I had the worst dream. In my dream Raoul had driven his sword through your heart; I held you as you lay bleeding to death in my arms. Raoul was laughing, Erik, laughing at my anguish and your final torment. He said "Now look at how mighty and fearsome the Phantom Of the Opera is, my how the love of you, Christine, has destroyed yet another man. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say man, I meant…. abhor ration." It was horrible, Raoul was so wicked, I then took the sword and pierced his heart, after that, I woke. You are here; thank God it was only a nightmare. I was so scared that he might be able to kill you with our love coursing through your veins, my darling; I didn't want to see you hurt. You have suffered enough at the hands of cruel people, jealous of your talent and ability. See, you have so much more then the pretty faces they hide nothing behind. They know that upon seeing you for the first time, they fear that, they know you are a genius and they are uncomfortable by that. My darling, I revel in that, you will always be the most interesting and beautiful man on earth to me. "

Erik walked over to her and sat on the bed besides her. He considered her words carefully, the torture she was feeling matching that of his own. The stress of this break from her life was creeping with great detail, into her dreams now, that dream disturbed him with its details. He was not going to put her through this much longer.

"Christine, all will be ok, I watched Raoul leave this village earlier, he is combing all the small areas outside Paris himself, then he shall begin to travel to other countries, I heard him tell the Mademoiselle at the front desk. He took his leave; I followed him to the outskirts of town. I could have easily hung him from a tree and made it look like he had been ambushed by gypsies, however, my promise to you was real, I could not break that, or you would not trust me ever again. I left him safe and alive, on the road out of town. I am sorry, Christine, for letting my jealousy of Raoul get the best of me, I will keep my promise to you, or die trying. I love you!"

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, Erik silently went to hide in the cupboard while Christine answered; "One moment, please."

"Oui, Mademoiselle"

Christine came to the door, and was met with a tray of food, and some tea. "I didn't see you come down for any meals after breakfast, and I didn't see you leave the Pension today, so I wanted to be sure that you were not ill. I took the liberty of bringing you some bisque, croissant's and cream as well as tea, so you could have something in your stomach. Mademoiselle, are you perchance with child? Is that why you are so weary and hungry, pale too?"

"Oh, no, I just think that it has been a bit more of a trial this trip out of Paris, then I had expected it to be. I will be alright soon enough, for the food as well as the concern for my well being, merci!"

The older mademoiselle blustered at the gratitude, "Nonsense, no need to thank me, anyone could see you were fragile and needed assistance. Now, you eat up and leave the tray outside the door when you are done, I will pick it up later. By the way, I am married, so you can call me Madame, what a compliment that you thought me young enough to call me mademoiselle, though. Bless you child. Bonne nuit!"

Christine closed the door, tray in hand, with her foot; she then turned and walked over to the bureau and set it down gently. Erik came out of the cupboard and over to where she stood. "You know you do look as white as a sheet, are you sure you are alright?" He felt Christine's forehead, she was burning up with fever. He had to get some supplies and make her something to fight this fever; it could be dangerous or deadly if he didn't. "Christine, you are burning up, when did you start ….." but the rest of his words were lost as Christine fell to the floor unconscious. Erik picked her up and placed her on the bed carefully. She was so light and so limp, he grew very worried about the total loss of consciousness she fell into. He had to go and get some supplies now, she was very ill. How could he have missed it? He could not wait for her to wake up, he had to go. With a soft kiss on her forehead, which sent unnatural warmth through his lips, he softly and silently bid her adieu until he returned with his ingredients.

As Erik went from shop to shop looking for an apothecary to go to and get the herbs and other assorted items for this mixture, he wondered if maybe she was pregnant with their child now. Could Christine be having this much trouble within days of them fulfilling their burgeoning desires for each other? Was it possible, or was she just falling prey to some of the illness borne of too much stress and too little rest. When it came to matters of this sort he was totally naïve and had no way to find out. Either way, it was the only priority he held, Christine's safety, he was single minded in his efforts to fight back the rising panic he felt at the merest hint of losing her.

There, he almost missed it, the Apothecary, at last. He found a rock and broke the front window. He walked through and went around to the counter. He groped in the dark for a candle, found one and lit it with the match next to it. That done, Erik set about looking through the supplies for his concoction. Erik mixed it well with deft hands in the Apothecia's jar and took the cover for it. Placing the cover on the jar, he turned to the desk with the money box, he dropped 2000 Franc's on the box and left the way he came. That, he figured, would cover the cost of the window and the supplies he had taken.

Erik returned to Christine's side as quick as he could, though when he returned he found her laying there weeping, sure he had left her in her delirium. The fever had gotten much worse, he went to the basin and poured water from the pitcher into the basin, he then grabbed the washcloth sitting next to it and brought it over to Christine. He gently washed her face with the cold water, soothing her burning flesh.

"Christine, drink this, I mixed it to help you break your fever."

Christine looked up at Erik as if trying to understand his simple words was more than she could handle at this time. "Oh, God, my dear dear Christine, you look so young and vulnerable right now, like you did the night you came to live in the Opera house. That look is the look I first remember tugging at my heartstrings. Do you not know what you do to my heart and soul when you gaze at me like that?" Erik spoke very softly and passionately to her while stroking her face and hair. She trusted him, her angel of music, and her one true love. Blissfully, all memory and thought of Raoul was far away from this picture of raw emotion and concern. Erik gave her the potion to drink, she trustingly drank the burning liquid, watching him with wonder the whole time. He poured her some warm tea and made her drink that after the medicine was gone. She took two tentative sips of it, and handed it to Erik. Erik set the teacup down and came back to her bedside. She reached for him and he held her tightly, then he slipped his legs on the bed and laying his head back on the pillows behind him, half sitting half laying, with Christine in his arms, he began to sing softly to her. He sang of his love for her and then told her softy, stories of his dreams to come. Soon she was sleeping, though Erik never closed his eyes, he sat guard over his beloved all night long. Nothing would take her from him, not even death. He would cheat it all if he had to, to keep her with him. She woke to semi-conscious several times through the night, calling his name and groping in the darkness for him. Sometimes she would simply sit up, sometimes she would feel him with her and just lay back down. Always Erik was whom she needed, she sought. Her angel of life she had said once, his heart soared to know he was so adored in unguarded moments.

The daylight broke in the morning sky, rousing Erik from his half sleeping state. Christine still limp in his arms, he was very warm at the moment. This concerned him, the fever should have broken by now. What was causing this? He was going to have to summon a Doctor to come and tend to her. He was very uneasy about this, as the concoction he made her should have broken even the most stubborn of fevers, it did nothing to the fever raging through her body. She shivered, calling for Erik.

"Shhh, child, I am here. You are alright darling. I will see to your illness, you shall be alright. Just rest a while, my dear, I shall prepare some more medicine and cool your brow."

Erik slid from her and got out of the bed, he left her loosely covered, trying to cool her down. She shivered and cuddled closer to the quilt. "Erik, where are you? I am so cold." she stammered, her eyes fluttering open from her brown thick lashes. She saw Erik busy and smiled, having had yet another of her horrible dreams where somehow her Angel of life lost his. She was so fearful, yet she could not quite comprehend why. Her head felt so heavy and fuzzy, she didn't even want to think. At least the terrible headache which had felt as if it were splitting her head in two was gone. She knew she was getting better, she probably just needed a few days to rest and recuperate from the whole ordeal they had been through. Just stay by me Erik, I shall always be alright with you by my side. She drifted back into her slumber with Erik on her lips.

Erik turned to hear her softly whisper to him, "I will be alright Erik, with you by my side, always to love me, never leave me Erik…."

Erik was not going to mess around anymore, he worried so about what might be wrong this time, he needed to get a doctor there. Then he though of the tray, it had not been touched, but for a few sips of the tea, and it needed to be picked up this morning. He sat and wrote a hasty note for the tray…

Madam,

I fear that perhaps you were correct in your summation of the situation yesterday evening. I feel feverish and wish to beg you to summon a docteur for my illness. I wish to leave in three days morrow, and shall need my health and strength to do so. Merci Madam. Madeline De Lecat

Placing the note in the middle of the tray, he brought the tray to the door and placed it on the table outside of the door. He heard someone coming down the hall, so he quickly and swiftly re-entered the room and closed the door silently. The footsteps stopped at the door, he heard the key enter the lock of the door after a few moments. He silently went to his cupboard and hid, to watch over his love while they made her well.

"Oh, Mademoiselle, you are ill? Can you hear me, Mademoiselle De Lecat, please, can you answer me?"

"What, where is Erik? Erik, you have left me to these strangers, what is this, who are you, how did you get here? Where am I , oh my God, Erik, Erik, where are you Erik. Raoul got you this time, didn't he? Oh my God, Erik……" Christine passed out at this, her heart beating so fast, it was all she heard in her chest just before blessed oblivion stretched out before her."

"Charles, go and summon the docteur, now, we must get this child well, she has delirium, the fever must be brought down, she will bake her brain; she is like fire."

Then the thought of what this might be struck her, she got up and backed away, covering her mouth. "Oh my God, what if its…."