Chapter II

Note : Thanks a lot for the reviews ! It's always nice to see that people have appreciated your story ! Here is chapter 2, it got a lot of dialogue and exposition but also emotions and I hope I have managed to keep it interesting. I hope you will like it !

Christian was waiting anxiously in the hospital room. It had been 2 hours since Satine has collapsed and she had not woken up yet. The doctor who has intervened did not seem really hopeful, yet Christian refused to give up : he could not go on without Satine. Suddenly, he saw a slight movement in the bed near him :

"- Satine ! How are you feeling ?"

Satine struggled to talk : - better", she said in an hoarse whisper. Christian squeezed her hand and said with an assured voice :

"- You are going to be fine, don't worry. Everything is going to be all right, I promised."

Satine sighted and closed her eyes. She had to tell him the truth, to prepare him for the inevitable…

"- No, Christian, I'm not going to be fine. I have consumption and I'm dying. I learned this from Harold only last night. That's why I didn't run away with you last night : I didn't want you to go through this, I …"

Christian interrupted her :

"- So, you would have died while I still believed that you never really loved me ? This would have been worse, Satine ! We will find a way to get you better. I can't live without you !"

Satine was about to answer when the door opened to let Jean Becquerel appear. As soon as he entered, he was bombarded by Christian's questions :

" - There is a way to get her better, isn't it ? It is not so bad as it look, right ?

What …"

Becquerel interrupted him :

"- Calm down, please ! I can't tell you anything if you don't let me speak !" His face grew somber as turned toward Satine and went on :

"- I'm afraid I have no good news. You have consumption in a terminal phase and There are no known medical treatments that would be able to heal you. I'm sorry to have to tell you that, but I'm afraid all you can do is pray."

After hearing the diagnostic, Satine answered :

"- Thank you for your honesty, doctor. I already knew I was condemned, anyway."

Christian shook his head violently, denying everything he had just heard :

"- No ! There must be something ! We are in a good hospital, aren't we ? Good care and medication must have some effect ! "

Jean felt bad to be the one to crush this young man's hopes, but he didn't have any choice :

"- I'm sorry, but the only effect that it will have is to extend your lifetime for a few weeks, Miss. And sir, I must warn you : there is a low risk of contagion, especially if …I am sorry to have to ask you that but …Did you have contacts more …intimate than a kiss ?"

The look that passed between the two young people and their blushing was all the answer he needed. He sighed :

"- Well, in that case, we will need to run a few tests on you too. And you should not stay too close to Miss Satine."

Christian looked at him as if he were crazy :

"- I'm not going to leave her ! He turned toward Satine : And I'm not going to accept to let you die either ! Not when I just got you back ! I want a second diagnostic. With all the discoveries made these last years, there must be some that could save you !

- Christian …This time you won't be able to save me, nothing could. But even if I die soon, I am so glad to have known you ! I have never been happier in my life than for these few months we were together. You have taught me what true love is. But I don't want you to waste your life because of me ! You are too young and talented ! You have to overcome my death and go on ! Promise me you will go on and lead a happy life ! "

Jean felt himself more and more as an intruder and began to leave when, suddenly, Christian's last remark gave him an idea. He cleared his throat and said :

"- I will leave you for tonight. Sir, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay much longer, given the hospital rules. I will come back tomorrow morning for a second diagnostic, after I would have discuss with some colleagues. But I don't think they will have a different opinion of mine, he warned. However, it never hurts to have a second opinion.

He was beginning to go out of the room when Christian called him :

- Wait ! Thank you for everything you have done, Doctor.

- I only did what every doctor would have done, sir. I'll see you both tomorrow, he answered before finally exiting the room."

Only a few seconds after he was gone, a nurse entered :

"- I'm sorry sir, but I must ask you to leave. The hours for visits are finished since quite some time."

Christian simply glared at her :

" - I will not leave her.

- I'm afraid you don't have any choice, sir. These are the hospital rules and if you don't want to accept it, we have a security service to force you."

Satine looked worried and said to Christian :

"- Christian, it's ok, I can stay here alone tonight and you can see me tomorrow. Besides, it's probably better if there are risks of contagion …

- I won't leave you now, Satine ! No matter what happens, I'll stay with you till the end. He turned toward the nurse : Do you ever had someone you love in a hospital ? If this someone was seriously sick, would you want to leave him ? I simply cannot leave her, I don't care about rules, love don't know any rule !"

The nurse looked at the young man who was looking both so desperate and determined 0.:

"- Oh … All right, I guess it's ok for you to stay one night. As long as you don't disturb other patients …

- I promise you, I won't leave this room. Thank you so much " , said Christian, feeling relieved.

The nurse left then. Despite the circumstances, Satine could not help but teased Christian a little :

" - You could really talk anyone into doing anything, don't you ?"

Christian smiled a little while he answered :

"- Well, that's part of my charm, darling.

- You shouldn't have done it, though. I don't want you to risk to become sick because of me, Christian. The doctor said I could be contagious and …"

He interrupted her :

"- One night more or less won't make any difference Satine. I've already been in close contact with you these last months, so if you are contagious, I'm probably already infected anyway. I will stay with you no matter what !"

Satine looked at him, worried:

" - Don't say things like Chrisitan ! I could never forgive myself if you became sick because of me !

- Don't blame yourself Satine, you couldn't have know ! And, anyway, whatever happens, I will never regret to love you. You don't want me to go, do you ?"

The look in Saltine's eyes was all the answer he needed and he snuggled himself in her bed, holding her tightly. At first, Satine seemed to want to protest, but once she was in Christian's arms, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She knew it was not reasonable but somehow she did not care. Christian was right for the risk of contagion and she did not have the willpower to push him away anymore. She fell asleep rapidly, feeling serene now she was once again with Christian. She was not afraid of what would happen, as long as she was with him.

Christian took much longer to fall asleep. He was feeling both the happiness of knowing Satine loved him and the dread to lose her. He had the impression that fate was against them and he feared to have Satine back only to have her snatched away from him very soon. No, love had to overcome all obstacles, there had to be a way to save her, he could not stand the thought to live without her. Finally, after a few hours of torturing thoughts, he finally surrendered to exhaustion.