"She needs to go to a doctor." Raoul said looking up at Erik. Erik stopped his pacing and looked at him.
"She doesn't want to go. I tried to take her up to the surface, but she told me that she wanted to stay here." Erik said.
"She needs a doctor! We can't determine what she has, without one." Raoul insisted. Erik knew that he was right, but he didn't want to take her to a doctor if Christine didn't want to go.
"Maybe there is a way to see what she has. Let's list off her symptoms." Erik replied.
"Fever, weakness, she can't eat. That's all we know." Raoul said counting off on his fingers. Just then as if on cue, Christine coughed harshly. "And now a cough" Raoul said.
"What if it's the flu?" Erik said. Raoul looked up. Christine definatly showed all the symptoms of the flu, but how could they be sure? "It has to be the flu. It couldn't be anything else."
"Yes it could. We have to ask her about symptoms that we can't see." Raoul knew that Erik was on the right track with the flu, he just wanted to be sure. "We have to wake her up."
"Let me. She doesn't know you're here." Erik went over to Christine's side and gently shook her awake. Christine's eyes fluttered open slwoly, and her vision was blurred with fever. "Christine, I'm sorry to wake you, but I have to know how you feel. Do you hurt anywhere?"
"My stomach hurts, and my head, and just about everywhere else. I feel so weak." Christine breathed. Erik gently stoked her hair.
"I know. Don't worry, I'll help you get better. You can go back to sleep now." Erik said gently, but Christine was already asleep. "That confirms it; it is the flu. I have medicine for it." Erik said slowly rising to his feet.
"Yes it is. You were right." Raoul said. "Please, let me help." Erik turned around and faced him, after a while he nodded his consent. Raoul hurried after him, and Erik got the medicine. Raoul stood by until Erik needed him.
"Get a spoon." Erik said. "They're in that drawer over there." Erik pointed. Raoul nodded and got the spoon from the drawer indicated by Erik. They went back to Christine, and Erik poured a spoon full of the medicine. Raoul lifted Christine's shoulders off the bed, and Erik poured the medicine down her throat. Christine swallowed it, adn coughed. "I know it tastes foul, but it will help you get better."
Raoul gently let Christine lay back on the pillows. She looked up at him and said; "Raoul? When did you get here?" Raoul smiled down at her.
"About an hour ago." Raoul replied. He took Christine's hand in both of his. "Do you want to stay here, because I can take you back to the surface if you want to go." Raoul added in a whisper, hoping Erik wouldn't hear it.
Erik looked over at Raoul. He had heard what Raoul had said to Christine. He slowly picked up his lasso and straightened up. He slowly crept foward and slipped the lasso around Raoul's neck. He tightened the rope around Raoul's neck, and Raoul made a choking sound. Christine gasped.
"Erik, I wasn't going to say yes. I want to stay here with you." Christine said weakly. "Please don't kill him."
"I have no choice little angel, he will keep coming back, eventually he will try to take you from here by force." Erik said, still holding the rope.
"Like you brought me here?" Christine inquired pointedly. She got Erik there.
"Christine, my child, I must do what is best and this is." Erik said, and pulled the rope even tighter. Raoul fell to his knees. Christine closed her eyes so that she didn't have to see Raoul die. Erik killed him in a matter of seconds. Christine felt tears rising to her eyes. Erik took care of Raoul's body and went back to Christine.
He saw that Christine was crying. She was looking towards the opposite wall. Erik gently put his hand under her chin and turned her face so that she was looking at him.
"Little angel, I had to kill him. He was going to take you away from me. I couldn't live with that. I love you little angel and no one will take you away from me." Erik said. He gently wiped away her tears. He picked up the forgotten bag by the bed, and got out Christine's book. He put it on her lap. "The book you requested."
Christine nodded. "I'm hungry." Christine said.
"I'll go make some more broth. I'm glad I could find the right medicine for you. I can see you are already recovering." Erik said as he rose to his feet. Christine stared at Erik as he left the room. She couldn't believe that he had killed Raoul, but if she hadn't close her eyes, she would have seen it.
Yes, the truth hurt, and it hurt something fierce.