I re-posted the previous chapter with a bit more description about Noir at the very beginning. Thanks for telling me, I had completely forgotten to put in some character description.

After another long stumbling journey in the dark back to the inn, they arrived. Raoul ran in, shouting. The owner came down the stairs, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Hurry," Raoul cried, "we need a doctor!" The innkeeper glanced for a second at Christine and then ran to the stable. Raoul fidgeted until he came back and motioned them to follow. They got into the carriage and the innkeeper drove off quickly. As they rattled down the road, Raoul looked at Christine. She was so pale...

Soon they reached the hospital and Erik and Raoul practically ran inside. The doctor hurried over and took Christine from Erik, carrying her into another room. Raoul and Erik attempted to follow, but they were stopped by another man who appeared to be the doctor's assistant.

"I'm sorry, messieurs, you may not come in." He said. Raoul opened his mouth, but the man cut him off. "You may stay in the waiting room until we have some news." He pointed down the hall. Raoul turned obediently and stumbled down the hall. Erik paused, but he followed.

After about half an hour of tense waiting the doctor is came into the room. Raoul leapt to his feet.

"Please, is she... Will she..." He looked pleadingly at the doctor.

"She's fine," the doctor said, "the knife mostly hit her arm, and though she's lost a lot of blood, she will be fine." Raoul's legs felt weak, and he sank back into a chair. Erik gave a small sigh of relief. The doctor looked at them sternly.

"Now, would one of you care to explain how she came by her injury? I could plainly see that she had been stabbed."

"She tried to save me," Raoul moaned, "she jumped in front of me." The doctor nodded, though it was plain he wanted more details.

"Well," he said, "she will stay here tonight, but you should go back to your homes." Raoul protested.

"She's my fiancee," he said, "and she means the world to me. Please, let me stay!" The doctor nodded slowly.

"Monsieur, my younger brother is quite devoted to her, and we would be very grateful if you let us stay." Raoul's head snapped around to Erik. What on earth was he doing? The doctor sighed.

"Very well, you may stay here, but you cannot see her until tomorrow, when she has awoken. She needs rest." Raoul nodded gravely. The doctor left the room and hesitated by the door. He didn't like the look of them. The boy seemed all right, he could very well be her fiance.

But the other man... Why was he wearing a mask? And the boy had seemed so surprised when the man had introduced himself as his big brother. They weren't related, the doctor decided. He would need to keep an eye on the girl... make sure nothing happened to her. He walked back up the hall. But for now, all she needed was rest...

After the doctor had left Raoul rounded on Erik. "Brother? What on earth possessed you to say that?" He asked. Erik answered simply.

"It was the only way that he would let me stay. Though you might have been a bit more cooperative." Raoul glowered and sank back in his chair. Christine... She was all right... He sighed.

"You're lucky Christine is fine." Erik informed him. Raoul blinked.

"Ah, I see," he said sarcastically, "you would have killed me if she had died." Erik smiled.

"Correct." Raoul frowned and sank back in his chair. That fact did not make spending the remainder of the night in the same room as Erik any more appealing. After several hours Raoul was intensely bored. He had been sitting here, doing nothing, for ages. He got up, stretched, and sat back down. Erik was still standing in the same place as he had been when the doctor left, his arms folded.

Raoul glanced at him. His eyes were closed. Was it possible he had fallen asleep? Raoul cautiously got up and walked toward him. He stopped in front of Erik, and waved his hand in front of Erik's face. No response. Raoul peered up at him. He couldn't be asleep, not standing up. He turned to go back to sitting when Erik's voice made him jump.

"I'm not sleeping," he said. Raoul turned back and saw Erik staring at him.

"I never said you were." Raoul informed him. He sat back down and sighed. He wished he had something to do. After several more minutes Raoul sighed again. How long would he have to wait? Another few minutes dragged by. Raoul sighed once more, maybe he could engage the phantom in conversation, that at least would be something to do. He sighed yet again. There was no way he would talk.

"Would you stop sighing, it's annoying me." Erik said. Raoul sighed, he only spoke to give orders. Erik glared at him, and Raoul realized he had sighed again. He folded his arms and glared back. A staring contest would give him something to do, he reasoned, but he would probably lose. Raoul suppressed another sigh and closed his eyes. After a few more minutes he spoke.

"I'm bored," he announced. No response. "Do you have anything to do?" Still no response. "Hello?" Raoul opened his eyes and sat up. Erik was gone! "What?" Raoul gasped, sitting up.

There was a chuckle from behind him. He turned and saw Erik standing there. "Don't do that," Raoul muttered.

"Do what?" Erik asked him. "I'm allowed to walk aren't I?" Raoul scowled.

"I mean, scare me like that."

"What, realizing how bad your senses are makes you scared?"

"No..."

"What then?"

"Nothing! Never mind!"

"No, really, what makes you scared?"

"None of your business."

"You are afraid of something, then?"

"No! Never mind!"

"Come on, tell me. What does the wonderful vicomte de chagny fear?" Raoul sniffed disdainfully and turned away. Erik snorted and went back over to where he had been standing. Raoul yawned. He hoped that Christine would wake up soon, that way he could see her.

School has made me unbelievable busy! I'm taking/studying nine classes/subjects. Musical theatre, Litereatre, History, Math, Writing, Fencing, Latin (two this year, woot!), Technology (maya, the computer program for animation.), and Science (physics, yuck!).