From Heaven's Mind

Chapter Eighteen

Christine was frozen to the spot, oblivious to the chatter and laughing around her. Kelly Delaney looked her straight in the eye but didn't speak.

Christine turned, grabbed James by the arm and dragged him off to a corner. He shook her off.

"What's wrong with you?" He said desperately. "We're trying to make a good impression here!"

"Christine, are you OK?" Max said, joining them.

"That's her! Max, that's Kelly Delaney, the woman who tried to take Erik!" Christine hissed.

Max glanced back at Kelly. She was stood with the other reporters, pointedly looking in the opposite direction. James frowned.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Of course I'm sure, James! I can't… I can't perform knowing she's going to be watching!" Christine said tearfully.

In truth she wanted nothing more than to take Kelly Delaney to one side, give her a good smack and kick her bony arse back to America. But she doubted the critics would appreciate that. Max looked at James.

"I'll handle it." James disappeared gratefully and Max looked at Christine. "What are you talking about? Are you going to let some American cow ruin this? You've worked so hard for this, Christine and you've come up with the winning hand. Erik is still with you, you're having a baby together and you've got the starring role in a fantastic opera. Why are you threatened by her when she's got nothing over you?"

Christine stared at him. And then she sniffed and nodded.

"OK… yeah, I know. But Max, why is she even here? Why did she come all this way? Just to find us and write a bad review for the opera? No one is that petty, Max."

"Maybe she is. Just ignore her, OK? Remember, she is nothing." He said firmly. Christine nodded again and James shouted for the performers to get backstage.

Max watched as Christine disappeared and then looked at Kelly Delaney. She was sat alone, her note book in hand. Tom caught Max's eye and made a what was all that about face. Max shook his head and moved out of the theatre before pulling out his mobile phone.

Christine seemed to have taken Max's advice straight to heart, for she sang perfectly. Max, watching from the back of the hall, was astounded. A new, vibrant energy seemed to shine from her. She walked with her head held high, danced as though she were walking on air, sang like the angel she played.

She had never been more beautiful, he thought vaguely. His romantic feelings for her had long since disappeared but he could still appreciate her loveliness. James joined him at the back of the hall as the music for the final song The Lament of an Angel began. Christine's voice rang around the room and James whispered,

"I can't believe it. They're amazing."

"I know."

"Christine is incredible." He said, watching his star. "What did you say to her?"

"I just brought her to her senses. I think we've got some impressed critics." Max said, nodding at the group in the seats. They all sat, enraptured.

The curtains closed and an appreciative round of applause went up. James moved forward.

"There are refreshments in the main conference room and the performers will be in to answer any questions you might have." The critics all followed him out, talking excitedly. Tom grinned at Max.

"I guess I won't have to worry about writing a good review. Max, it's amazing!"

"Glad you think so." Max grinned, following him out.

Christine knew that she should go to the conference room but she couldn't help revelling in her joy for a few minutes longer.

She'd done it. She'd performed better than ever, everyone had said so and she knew deep down that she had been perfect. That might sound a little egotistical, but she knew it was true. She wiped off the stage make up and let her hair hang loose, going into the theatre to pick up her coat. She'd left it in there by accident.

The room was dark and she quickly found her coat and was about to leave when she saw that someone was still sat in their seat, head bowed. She frowned.

"Are you OK?"

Kelly Delaney looked up and Christine's heart sank. She turned to leave but Kelly stood up.

"Wait…"

"I've got nothing to say to you." Christine spat.

"Well, I've got something to say to you."

Christine paused and slowly turned to look back at her.

"I can't imagine what you've got to say that would interest me." She said coldly. Kelly met her eyes.

"Maybe it won't. But I have to say it anyway."

"You almost destroyed my marriage. You tried to take away the most important thing in my life. Erik is everything to me and you almost ruined that." Christine said. "And now you've come all the way here to write a bad review for my opera. How petty can one person be?"

"I'm not going to write a bad review."

Christine blinked. Kelly was standing with the air of one who knew that she was defeated but still had her pride.

"You think that'll make up for what you did?" Christine demanded.

"No."

"Then why are you here?" She asked. Kelly sighed.

"Because, believe it or not, I need the work. Erik fixed it so that no newspaper in New York would take me on. I needed a fresh start."

"And you needed it here?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Kelly said.

Christine closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then opened them again.

"Why him, Kelly? Let's face it. You're a good looking woman, you're intelligent, you could probably have any guy you wanted. Why Erik?"

"Because he's everything that my husband wasn't. Do you know exactly how lucky you are, Christine? You've got this perfect little life, this wonderful little world with your job and your friends and your husband." Kelly said bitterly. "You don't even know what it's like to be alone."

Christine glared at her.

"I don't know what it's like? I lost my parents to a drink driving accident when I was just nineteen. I lived alone for two years, I didn't have anyone. Don't you DARE tell me that I don't know what it's like! I lost my parents!"

"And I lost my baby!" Kelly spat.

There was a stunned moment of silence. Christine's mouth, which had been open to retort, shut. Kelly swallowed hard.

"That's why he left me. He couldn't stand to look at me, knowing that our baby was dead."

"How…?" Christine began. Kelly sniffed hard, a lump rising in her throat.

"He was… god, he was just a month old. He was the most beautiful baby in the world, everyone said so. He was called Alex and you loved him at first sight, you couldn't help it. He was just that beautiful. We'd been trying for a baby for a few years and we thought it was just never going to happen."

Christine saw Kelly's expression soften slightly as she remembered the beloved child.

"He was so tiny, he'd been two weeks premature but the doctors gave him the all clear. And then… he was born in the middle of winter, you see. He caught a cold one afternoon. Just a little sniffle and I was going to take him to the doctor the next day. But he died in the night. I woke up to check on him and he was just… just lying there, totally still." Kelly paused and took a breath. Christine saw tears threatening in the American's eyes.

"I just… I didn't know what to do. We buried him and… my husband blamed me for Alex's death. He walked out, taking everything with him. I didn't have a career, we'd married right after university. My life just fell apart."

Kelly stopped and Christine blinked back the tears that had risen in her eyes. Kelly looked at her sadly.

"I met Erik and thought This is the guy. This is the guy who can fix my life. But he was already taken. But I figured, hey, I've had my hardships. Isn't it time that I got a break? I know that I did the wrong thing, Christine, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for what I did to you. But do you know what? All this… my writing, my money, you could take that all away. I'd give it all up… if I could just have my son back."

Kelly's voice broke and she let out a sob without meaning to. Christine bit her lip to stop it from shaking. This was all wrong. She couldn't feel sympathy for this woman, she couldn't… but as she stood there and watched as Kelly wept, she knew she couldn't play her trump card. She couldn't tell Kelly that she was pregnant.

Christine stepped towards her hesitantly and Kelly looked up. She took a breath and straightened, trying to scrape her pride back together. She looked at Christine and said quietly,

"You don't need to worry. I'm writing this review and then I'm being transferred to a London newspaper." She turned to leave. Christine watched her go to the door and then said,

"Kelly?"

Kelly turned, tall and beautiful. Christine felt that sensation of being two foot tall but ignored it.

"I… good luck. In London." She said simply. Kelly looked vaguely surprised but nodded and then left.

Christine sank into a chair and placed a hand to her belly.

And I lost my baby!

The proclamation still rang in her ears. Christine had never thought that… she knew that a child could die so young, of course. But a simple cold? Something as meaningless as that could steal away the life of a child, destroying a strong woman in the process?

"My baby…" She whispered and then stood up abruptly.

She had to talk with Erik. It didn't matter if he was busy, she had to speak with him, to hear his voice, to let him know that she loved him.

The crowd in the conference room were all talking about the stunning performance that the cast had put on. Christine slipped in quietly and caught Max's sleeve as he passed.

"Max, can I use your mobile phone?" She whispered. He passed it to her and then frowned.

"Have you been crying?"

"I… I'll tell you later." Christine said, dialling Erik's number hastily.

He answered after the first ring.

"Yes?" He sounded impatient.

"Erik, it's me."

"Christine. Are you alright? Max told me that that Kelly Delaney was there, is everything alright?" His words came out in a concerned rush. Christine felt tears at the sound of it and swallowed hard.

"I'm fine… I just… I just wanted to hear your voice. Erik, I love you."

"I love you too, Christine." He said gently. "What's happened?"

"I'll tell you at the weekend. Oh, I've got to go, the critics want to speak with me." Christine said, seeing James signalling for her. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Be careful." He said lovingly. She smiled.

"I will. Bye."

She passed the phone back to a bemused Max before joining James.

Erik listened in silence as Christine told him Kelly's story as rain pattered onto the windowpanes from the dark grey sky above. By the time she had finished, Christine was huddled up in her arm chair, looking thoroughly miserable.

"It's just so horrible, Erik. I mean… I can't say that I like her, in any way possible. But she suffered so much. And I just keep thinking, what if that were my child? What if I lost our baby? I couldn't bear it. It's not even two months old and I already love it so much…"

She pressed her hands to her stomach protectively. Erik moved to sit on the arm of her chair and stroked her hair.

"I know, Christine. And I am so proud of you, for how you've acted. You could have hurt her but you didn't."

"I couldn't, Erik." She whispered. "I couldn't do that to anyone, not even her. I wanted to hurt her so much, I wanted to make her suffer."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because she already has suffered. More than anyone should ever have to." Christine said, burying her face in Erik's side. His arms wrapped around her and he put his face to her hair, breathing in the scent of her.

"You're right. No one should have to suffer that much." He murmured. Christine looked up at him.

"Promise me something?"

"Yes?"
"Love our baby. I know you're still afraid, Erik. Afraid that it will look different. But please… you know what suffering is. You went through so much, especially with your parents. Don't let our baby suffer, OK?"

Erik blinked. How did she…? Well, of course. Of course she knew. She had always been so observant, catching onto things that he tried to hide. Her dark eyes implored him and he nodded, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I already love our baby, the same as you do." He said. Christine put her head against him, satisfied.

She did not see the unsettled expression on Erik's face as he stroked her hair.

"We perform our opening night this Friday." James said, pacing back and forwards in front of the entire cast and crew of Des Yeux D'Ange. "This Friday. That gives us five days to get everything perfected. We did well with the critics and the reviews will be available tomorrow morning. But we can do better. We are going to improve this whole opera by one hundred percent by Friday night. We've worked hard but we're going to work harder."

He stopped and looked at them, frowning. Then he smiled briefly.

"So let's get going."

"And in other news, well done and remember to relax." Max called. They all laughed and set off with renewed energy. Christine grinned at Rebecca.

"I don't know about you but I am so ready for this."

"I know what you mean. You just can't get a bigger adrenaline rush than performing!" Rebecca said, stretching her arms above her head.

"Ladies, enough chatter please." Max said jokingly. "James may just assassinate us if we don't get going straight away."

"No problem." Christine smiled.

"We're just coming." Rebecca nodded.

"From the beginning, let's go!" James shouted. Christine went backstage as Stuart and Rebecca prepared for the first scene. Christine watched as they performed and sighed, leaning against a backdrop. It had been a strange week.

She had gone to see her parents yesterday, leaving a bunch of flowers on both graves. She tried to go regularly but since she'd started work it had slipped to only every couple of weeks. Christine had made it a point to go more regularly from now on.

They worked solidly right up until lunch and then Christine joined Stuart, Rebecca and Max in the café.

"OK, are we the best or what? That was the best rehearsal yet!" Stuart said, munching on a sausage roll.

"I know, I think we did even better than for the critics." Rebecca agreed.

"And that was one hell of a performance." Max put in. They began their walk back to the theatre, still discussing the morning's work.

They were back early from lunch and were just considering re-rehearsing a song from that morning when James rushed in, looking concerned.

"Max, there's a call for you at reception. It's the local hospital."

Max went rather pale and half-ran out. Christine, Stuart and Rebecca exchanged a glance and then followed, James joining them. Max was already on the telephone, speaking quickly with whoever was on the other end.

"I'll be right there. Are they…? Oh, God. Of course, I'm on my way." He hung up and then turned. He saw Christine and she saw that he was ashen-faced.

"Max, what's happened?" She asked.

"Chris, it's… Meg and Tom."

Christine's heart clenched.

"What's happened to them?" She whispered. Max looked as though he wanted to cry but wouldn't let himself.

"They've been in a car crash. They're both in surgery at the moment. They've got me down as their emergency number. I've got to get to the hospital."

"A car crash?"

"Yeah…" Max swallowed hard. "There was… another driver. He's dead. Drunk. Chris, I've got to get the hospital, they're both in critical condition and the doctor doesn't know if they'll…"

Christine nodded and looked at James.

"Go." He said quietly. Christine took Max's arm and the pair of them ran for the door.

She hated hospitals. Max was pacing back and forwards, his lip bleeding from where he'd been chewing it.

They had been waiting for nearly four hours and they still didn't have any news. Every time a doctor or nurse came out of the operation room, they'd both look up sharply but none of them had stopped to tell them anything.

"Bloody hell!" Max snapped. "What the hell is going on in there?"

"Max, don't…" Christine whispered. He looked at her and then sighed heavily.

"I hate waiting, Christine. Our friends are in there and no one is telling us anything."

"I know."

"What was the point of calling us here if nobody's going to let us know what's going on?"

"I don't…" Christine's voice shook. Max stopped his rant, hating himself for it and sat beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry."

"You're right though." Christine whispered.

Max looked at his watch and then said,

"Why don't you go and call Nadir? He's going to get worried if you don't get home from the opera house."

"OK." Christine said quietly. She threw an anxious glance at the doors that led to her two friends before going to the next room to use the payphone.

Nadir answered after two rings.

"Hello?"

"It's me." Christine said, almost inaudibly.

"Christine? What's wrong? Where are you?" Nadir demanded.

"I'm… I'm at the hospital."

"Christ, what's happened? Are you OK?"

"Not me, Nadir. Meg and Tom are… there was an accident. Can you come?"

"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes." Nadir assured her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"I'll see you soon."

Christine slowly hung up the phone and then crossed to the drinks machine. After buying two cans of coca-cola, she returned to Max, who had resumed his pacing. She passed him a can.

"Nadir's coming down."

"OK. Thanks." He said, snapping open the can and drinking thirstily. Christine sat hunched up on her chair again, her knees under her chin as she watched the doors. There was a television on in the corner and there was some soap opera on. The vague noise of it drilled into Christine's brain, mixing with that antibacterial smell, the roughness of the textured plastic chairs, the squeaking of Max's trainers against the polished floors, the conversations of passing people and, somewhere, the knowledge that her friends were lying on some sterile table, maybe dying and she didn't know.

"Christine?" She looked up and saw Nadir. She stood and he hugged her tightly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm OK. Nadir, can't you find out something?" She asked. He nodded.

"I'll see if I can find a doctor."

"Thanks."

But before he could move, the doors to the room opened and a doctor came out. Max, Nadir and Christine turned to him quickly. He moved towards them.

"Are you here for Mr Sutherland and Miss Grayson?"

"Yes. Are they OK?" Max asked.

The doctor took a deep breath.

"I think you'd better sit down."

A/N: Whistles innocently I know, another cliff hanger. And quite an evil one. I hope this chapter throws Kelly into a different light. I mean, there are always two sides to every story, right?

Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are just wonderful. I really need some cheering up at the moment.

Lotsa luv 'n' huggles

Katie