That Face in the Mask
Chapter 7: Life, Death, and Love
Author's Note: Okay, instead of submittingthree short chapters and drawing out the suspense, I decided to just lump them all togther in one big chapter. See? Aren't I nice? Now, please be nice to me by reviewing when you're done ;)
Mme. Giry shut what remained of the door to the main entrance of the Opera Populaire. She sighed and leaned against the wall, sadly gazing at what remained of the grand staircase. She'd just returned from the Opus Majestique, and her and Meg's jobs were now permanent and contracted for the next five years. She knew Meg would kill her when she found out, but she was more concerned about breaking the news to Firmin and Andre, but she was relieved she'd at least secured a room in a nearbybordinghouse for she and Meg to live in as soon as possible. Oh, why did her life have to take this turn for the worse? Why did Erik have to go and ruin the happy, safe world she and Meg once used to live in. Why...
Suddenly, a hauntingly familiar envelope dropped from the celing and fell in front of her feet. Mme. Giry couldn't believe it. She must be hallucinating. Yes, it was just the effects of all that she'd been doing today, ans she was just far too tired and too old to be doing all this. The last time she had seen an envelop like this was in her dressing room right before Don Juan had begun, warning her not to interfere, no matter what may occur, and not, under any circumstances, to assistance the Vicomte de Changy. Well, Erik saw how much attention she'd paid to that note. But why on god's earth was he writing these again? No, she told herself, t's not really there, I'm just imagining it's real because of how badly I keep wanting to go back to the old days. But somehow, the longer she stared at the envelope, the more she began to believe it was real. Taking a deep breath, she bent over, picked it up, and mentally debated whether she should've nearly screamed from shock and fright or mentally kicked herself for not reading the notice sooner.
Mme. Giry,
Your daughter is deathly ill, and requires your attention in her dressing room immediately
O.G..
She was too shocked to breathe for a moment. Then suddenly, she snapped back into reality as she dropped the note, picked up her long, black skirts, and ran, as fast as a women of her age was able to. Her heart was pounding, and she prayed she wasn't too late every single second until she got there.Strange noises, lke a combination pof ragged pants that turned into sobbs, omitted from her throat. She briefly thought she saw someone, Firmin or Andre, or Cedric maybe, in the corridor, but she was too dismayed to think about it. She withdrew the key to the dressing room from her waist pouch and fubled with it, her hands shaking, until finally, she opened the door.
The sight that greeted her was enough to make any loving mother's heart bleed in agony. Her daughter was tangled up in the bedsheets, twisting and turning, and crying out jumbled bits of delierous nonsense. Mme. Giry rushed over to her, and immediately touched her. Her hands, her entire body was as cold as ice. Her lips were almost blue and she was shivering violently, her teeth chattering so loudly Mme. Giry could literally hear them. She untangled the bedsheets and covered Meg up, smoothing her hair out of her face. From what she could tell, it looked like a fatal case of pnemonia. Meg could die soon if she didn't act.
At that minute, thank the fates or angels of God, whomever responsible, Cedric knocked and came bursting in
"Mme Giry! I saw you running through the hallways! What in god's name is wrong with-?"
She turned wordlessly, allowing Cedric to see Meg. He gasped in shock and rushed over to the bed
"Meg! My god, what's wrong with her? What is it?"
Mme. Giry gave a weak cry, sinking to her knees "I don't know. It may be pnemonia, Cedric! She could die! We need a doctor, quick!"
"Say no more! I'll go get one right now. But, what is it? Is it-"
"I don't Cedric! For god's sake, go get the doctor and hurry up about it!"
Cedric nodded, slamming the door behind him. Mme. Giry could hear his foosteps running down the hallway. She grasped Meg's hand silently, laying her head on Meg's body and whispered "Please God, don't take my little angel away from me. Please"
Unknown to Mme. Giry or anyone else at the time , Erik watched from the mirror, his heart wrenching in agony at his helplessness in the siuation, silently offering the same prayer to whomever might have been listening.
Cedric came back a few minutes later, though it seemed like days to Mme. Giry, with a doctor in tow.
"This is Dr, Grieg, Mme. Giry. He said he'd come immdediatly once I described Meg's symptoms." Cedric said, though no one was really listening
Dr. Grieg bent over Meg, listened to her heart and breathing patters, took her blood pressure and temperature, ad checked her lips and hands. He stood up, sighed and gave the bad news.
"I'm terribly sorry, but there isn't much I can do at this late state. All I can advise is keep her warm, as many blankets and layers of clothing as possible, but nothing that will restrict her respiritory intake, like corsets or tight clothing. Make sure to keep her hydrated, as many fluids as possible, and perhaps an occasional dose of food, if her stomach is settled enough to hold it down. Give her this medicine, three times a day at least, and if she shows any signs of regaining conciousness, call me at once."
"Please, isn'tthere anything else you can do for her? Something?" Mme. Giry asked desperatly, tears freely streaming down her face
"Prayer, madame. Lots and lots of prayer. Sure hope the sweet little mademoiselle will recover." he said, and shut the door.
Mme. Giry sighed, sinking into a chair. She and Cedric fetched Meg blankets, some water and tea, and some food. Mme. Giry sank against Cedric, still grasping Meg's hand. She stayed like that for hours, her lips silently moving in prayer. Cedric wished there was something he could do for her and Meg. Mme. Giry must be so devastated. It must be horrible, the thought of losing your only child. Cedric couldn't bear the thought of losing Meg either.
Eventually, Mme. Giry, forced by Cedric to take a break, knowing he'd watch her, went to the linens closet to fetch Meg some fresh bed sheets and covers to replace the soiled ones.She had been sitting by Meg's bedside for nearly two days, eating and drinking only the smallest amounts and only when forced to. She hadn't slept in almost forty-eight hours, and that, plus the grief, was nearly killing her. She needed a rest.
When she was gone, Cedric grasped Meg's hand tightly, his body shaking from the effort of holding in his tears. It was useless. They streamed down his face freely. He stroked her cheek and sighed. There wasn't much anyone could do for her now. He couldn't actually believe that there was actually a chance they could lose Meg. It was just too impossible to imagine.
He kneeled down to her bedside. His voice shook with emotion. "Meg, come on, you have to wake up. Please, don't do this to us. You have to get well. Your poor mother wouldn't be able to bear losing you. I can't even imagine losing you. Please Meg, can't you see how much everyone loves you? We need you. I need you. Meg-"
His voice broke and he drew in a ragged breath
"I love you"
Cedric quietly sobbed as he gathered up his hat and coat. Mme. Giry would be back any second, and he couldn't let her see him like this. He was supposed to be the strong, reliable man, her support to get through this. If he broke down, god knows, the poor woman wouldn't be able to bear this. He quietly took his leave.
As soon as Cedric was gone, a shadowed figure pushed the mirror aside and walked swiftly to Meg's bedside. He stroked her hair with his black gloved hand gently, and fresh tears streamed freely beneath his porcelain mask. Erik couldn't take this. He had overheard everything that stupid, pompous, arrogant bastard had said to Meg. He couldn't let this happen! How could that boy possibly love her! He didn't even know what true love was! The heartbreak, pain, the denial, he'd never experienced it, never even known it could possibly exist. Erik took ragged breathes. That boy would not win Meg's love! He was not going to be betrayed and hurt by the second woman he'd trusted enough to love. He couldn't. He felt his heart break in two as he quietly sang to Meg:
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
Lead me, save me
from my solitude .
Say you want me
with you,
here beside you . . .
Anywhere you go
let me go too -
Meg,
that's all I ask of . . .
Erik's voice broke, and he sobbed quietly. He couldn't go on. He couldn't finish this. He found his voice as he said one final thing
"Meg, I love you."
As he departed through the mirror, his heart leaped with joy and disbelief as he saw Meg stir slightly and weakly call out
"Erik?"
He rushed back over to her bedside
"Meg! Meg, you're awake! Oh thank god!"
"Erik, is that you?" she asked faintly
"Yes, Meg. It's me, I'm right here. What do you want?"
"Did you say something to me? A minute ago?"
"Yes, I did" Erik took a deep breath. It seemed a million times harder to say now that she was awake, but he needed to tell her
"Meg, I said, I love-"
At that moment, Erik heard the lock clicking into place in the door, and knew he had to leave before Mme. Giry caught him here. He quickly stood up, and lightly placed a kiss on Meg's forhead
"I'll return later Meg. I promise" With that, he hurridly shoved the mirror door aside, annd bolted down the stairs into the long maze of passageways, nearly singing with joy for Meg's recovery.
Mme. Giry wiped her face with her hankerchief and shoved it back in her waistpouch. She didn't want Cedric to see how much she'd been sobing on her way back from the linen closet. She slid her key in the lock and opened the door, shutting it softly behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, looking at the stack of linens she held, trying to pull herself togther. Suddenly, a faint movement made her look up.
No, it couldn't be. Could it?
Suddenly, Meg's weak, cracked voice called out "Maman? Maman, Erik, where are you?"
Mme. Gir gasped with joy and dropped the stack of linens she was holding as she rushed to Meg's bedside. "Meg! Oh Meg, darling, you're all right. Oh honey, I was so worried!"
"Maman? Is that you?" Meg weakly tried to sit up, but Mme. Giry pushed her back down
"Shhh, don't do that Meg. You need to get your strength back first. Now, what did you want?"
"I Thought- I thought Erik was in here a moment ago. I could have sworn I heard him talking"
Erik? Mme. Giry thought quietly to herself. She couldn't possibly mean the Erik I know, like The Phantom, could she? Then again, Mme. Giry's husband's name has also been Eric, so Meg could have been refering to her father, and several men who worked in the Opera Populaire were also named Erik, so it was hard to tell. It was probably just the results of delerium, or Meg was too sick and tired to know what she was saying. But Mme. Giry just had a little feeling, a little sense of security, that the Erik Meg meant was the Erik Mme. Giry was thinking of, and it was the same man, the Phantom of the Opera. But how would she ever have come into contact wuith him?
Mme. Giry shook all those thoughts from her mind. Her sweet daughter was better and that was all she needed to think about.
"No, honey, it was probably just a dream or your sickness talking. Now lie still and tell maman what you want. How do you feel?"
"All right, I guess. But I'm so tired and my body's just aching"
"It's all right, Meg, it's just aftereffects. You'll be well again soon. Now, you just lie there and rest. You've been sick for quite awihle. Had me nearly worried to death."
Meg grinned and laid back against the pillows. "How soon do you think I'll be able to dance ballet again?"
In spite of herself, Mme. Giry couldn't help laughing "You'll do no such thing, young lady. Not for a good long while. You need to get your strength back. You can barely talk!"
"I know, I know" Same old mother thought Meg I almost died and no less than two minutes after I wake up, she's right back to scolding me again.
"Now" Mme. Giry said "Do you think you can hold down some food? Are you hungry?"
"I suppose, a little."
"What would you like, Meg?"
"Maybe some soup, or some fish, maybe. I can't decide"
"No matter. i'll get them both for you if you want them"
Meg smiled. Life was going tobe so sweet if she was constantly waited on like thiswhile she recovered. But, she was feeling kind of hazy, very tired. Her mind was too confused to sort through what had happened while she was ill. She'd think about it later. Right now she just wanted to rest.
Meg sank underneath the warm covers andwas just about to go bak to sleep when a loud knocking woke her up. She saw Cedric poke his head in the door, whispering to Mme. Giry
"Any change yet?"
Both Meg and Mme. Giry had to fight the urge to smirk. As best as she could, Mme. Giry pushed the door closed solomly and motioned Cedric towards Meg. "See for yourself, monsieur"
"Oh no. She isnt-"
"She isn't what, Cedric? I'm right here you know. " Meg said, popping back up from underneath the covers
Cedric nearly fell dead away in shockand it took him a moment to grasp what happened
Meg prodded him again "You neednt' talk about me like that. I can hear you and it's terribly rude"
He laughed and rushed over to Meg's bed
"Meg! You recovered! Oh, thank god. How do you feel?"
"Better, I suppose"
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear. You had us worried to death. I was so afraid we might've lost you!"
"Nope, I'm still right here. You both know you can't get rid of me that easily."
Unknown to the three joyous, happy people below, a scorned, hated figure in a black cloack and white mask was watching them from above, in the rafters, and wondring why he couldn't be down there, instead of that damn idiot, Cedric, happily joking and laughing about Meg's recovery, freelyexpressing his hapiness for her. Why was life so unfair to him? The woman he loved was finally well, and now who knew how long it would be before she'd be stromg enough to sneak back down to see him? Once again, his fantasies and dreams of her had been crushed, and reality had reared its ugly head back into his dreams, crudley snapping him back to life. If only he could let Meg know, let the world know, how he really felt about her. He felt the tears slowlyrolling down his face beneath his mask as he barely whispered in a cracked, weakened voice to no one in particular
"I love you, Meg"
A/N: You like? I hope so! I also hope no one was too OOC in this chap, but if they were, please let me know by REVIEWING !Review! REVIEW!
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