Chapter TwentyThree

DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple

Since then, Karen has not gotten out of Erik's bed. She would lay in it for hours; just spinning her optics toy. Watching the two pictures become one; caging the bird. Erik loved her; she knew that; and he would do anything to help her; but she didn't even know what was wrong with her. She couldn't find the energy to face another day; she found it comfortable to just lay in the bed; and play with the optics toy. She had spent almost a week in bed; and Erik did his best to bring her out of her sadness.

"Karen, why don't you and I go up to the roof together?" Erik asked. Trying to get her to get out of bed and try to be herself again. But when she refused; saying she was too tired; he knew Meg was wrong. She said Karen would be herself in a week; but she was worse off than before. She didn't eat anything; not even enough to keep her alive; and she grew very thin. Erik would sometimes hold her in his sleep; and he would be able to feel her ribs. He asked her to eat something; he told her that if she didn't; she would starve to death.

"I might as well." She told him coldly. Not meaning anything she was saying. "That would be the only way for me to see Iris again."

"Karen, If you don't eat on your own; I'm going to take you to a hospital where they will force it down your throat. They'll take an apple, pull out the stick and stuff it down your mouth. If you don't eat it; they make you sleep so they can force it themselves." He was trying to scare her into eating. But she refused.

"Why not stick me in a mental hospital?" It was the hunger making her irritable; but she refused to eat. "You and Meg say I'm "Depressed" and that nothing seems to be working."

"Your worse off now than before." Erik tried not to snap at her. "we are just trying to help you."

"It would have helped to not have come down here at all!" She snapped at him unfairly. "If I hadn't been down here with you; I'd have been up there with her and she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

"Maybe you'd be better off back in the Populaire with all those reporters; mindless pity; and the managers trying to get you to act as if nothing happened. All I'm asking is that you eat so you don't starve yourself to death!" There was silence; before he spoke under his breath. "Your being as high maintence as Carlotta." They split ways to keep themselves from exploding at each other again. Meg had come by for another visit; but Erik wouldn't go near Karen. "She got mad because I told her to eat something. That girls so skinny her rib cage can be seen from under her skin. She refuses to eat and we got in a fight."

"Erik; this really isn't the best time to be fighting with her." Meg warned. "People in a mental state like her tend to get suicidal. You almost killed yourself when you had a fight with her before." Meg went to talk to Karen; leaving Erik to think. Karen was in the kitchen; wanting to eat; but unable to get the energy to eat. She just poked at the food with her silver wear. Meg went and sat with her at the table; and asked her how she was feeling.

"Horrible." She started to cry. "Erik threatened to send me away! He said that if I didn't eat he would send me to a horrible place where they force food down my throat." Meg comforted her; and saw Erik walk in the doorway. "That man has been alone all his life and hasn't cared if someone died or not. He was usually the one that caused it!"

"I'd care if you died." She looked up from her sobs and saw Erik walking towards her. "That's why I want you to eat. I'd be in the same position your in, alone and unable to get up." He stood beside her and tried to get her to eat. Her mind told her to eat; her heart had the will power; but her hand wouldn't cooperate.Soon; she did infact; take a bite. In less than ten minutes; she had finished the meal she had.


She tried to get better; she tried. She tried to smile at him; she tried to be able to run again; but her heart wouldn't let her move on. After five weeks of mourning; Erik had brought in a doctor. There had come a time that she wouldn't even open her eyes. The doctor was a doctor who knows the mind; he came and examined her. He got her to wake up and speak to him. She wouldn't open up to him like she did to Erik; she wouldn't tell him of the illness that may be running through her veins; and the death of her sister was the only thing he knew. That her sister died. She did not speak how; claiming she could not remember. But that was a lie; she could see it as if it had happened only ten minutes before; the horrible sight of her sister's bloody corpse; her expression haunted her. The doctor came out to see Erik waiting. He had wanted to be in there with her; but the doctor would not allow it.

"It seems her sister's death, made her unsure of her security. Unsure if she would live or die. So she has decided to stay here; and never leave the bed. She probably feels most secure here."

"Then why won't she eat?"

"She wouldn't tell me why. But if she doesn't start improving; then she'll become ill. Over the course of time; her body will not work; and she'll die. If she won't come out by will; I suggest you force her out. You told me earlier that you and Meg Giry have been trying to make her feel better by letting her know she has you two, correct?" Erik nodded. "It was helping; but it seems that when she went to the funeral; it made her see that it had really happened. She spoke of losing all of her family one way or another; her father had run out on her mother, she had lost her mother to an illness, and now her sister. Her mother and sister were apparently the only people she's ever seen loyal. Try to talk to her; if she does not seem to be making any recoveries; than tell me and I'll run some more tests on her." Erik nodded. He hated that it resulted to him having to bring in a doctor. He wanted to help her by himself. He walked in and saw her playing with her Optics toy.

"Karen, I'm sorry I had to bring in a doctor. But I'm worried."

"I'm trying." She told him weakly. "I'm trying to get better."

"I know." He held her. "I want you to be better; I love you." She held onto him; and asked him if he was thinking of sending her to a mental hospital. "Never. I'm keeping you here; and if you need doctors; they'll come here so I can be with you." Karen kissed him; for once in what seemed like an eternity.

"I love you." He stroked her cheek. "Let's go outside."

"I'm too tired." She lied. She just couldn't get herself up. Erik tried to get her to go outside; not wanting to force her.

"If you don't make any recoveries; the doctor will come back and run you through a lot of tests. I don't want to force anything; but please." He nearly started to cry himself; he didn't want her to be like that. "Please try to get better. We can do whatever you want. We can go outside; we can go on the roof; we can pull pranks on the ballet girls. Anything."

"I want to see Iris's grave again." She told him.

"The doctor said it was because I forced you to go to the funeral that your worse off now. I don't want it to get worse."

"No, Erik, please. You said anything." She gave him a weak smile; it was not forged; she tried to get him to smile back at her. It worked;he smiled back at her and tackled her onto the bed; kissing her.

"Alright. Let's go."


They reached the cemetery again; Iris's grave was not any different than before. This time; Karen had roses; and she placed them on her grave. Erik rested a rose with a black ribbon around it; on her grave as well. Karen sat in the snow and staired at it. Trying to accept she is gone. She started to hear Iris's voice in her head.

Not Believing won't bring me back.. Neither will starving yourself; yelling at Erik; cutting yourself off from everyone else; and losing faith. All it's been doing was forcing Erik to bring in a doctor; a doctor to tell him you may have to have more tests done. That you may be taken to a hospital; away from him and Meg. It hurts to lose someone you care about; but you can't keep yourself buried; Erik wants you to get better; he had tears in his eyes. Please; Please; let this go. Don't get stuck in the past.She felt Erik wrap his arms around her as she tried to convince herself. You know what you saw; it was never a dream. Meg and Erik have been doing their best to bring you back. All you've been doing is hurting them. Erik loves you; he doesn't want to see you lose yourself in this depression. You know as well as I do that if he ever finds out who killed me; he will kill them.It was herself. Karen knew it wasn't Iris talking to her beyond the grave. She was trying to find a way to convince herself; so she thought of Iris's voice; and put it to those words. All of that was true; she knew that.

. She felt Erik wrap his arms around her as she tried to convince herself. It was herself. Karen knew it wasn't Iris talking to her beyond the grave. She was trying to find a way to convince herself; so she thought of Iris's voice; and put it to those words. All of that was true; she knew that.
Kind of cheezy I know. But still.