Bishop to King's Knight's level 5

His head felt like it would split as Erik watched Raoul approach Christine in the Garden. They were just below his window. Christine kneeled while cutting a few flowers in the garden. The sun made her hair glow like a soft halo around her head. He tensed as he saw her look up and smile at the vicomte, her cheeks were rosy as she did so. Her skin as always was dewy and smooth and Erik longed to be down there to touch it. Erik could not hear what Raoul told her but it made her look down and giggle. Damn that boy is there no end to his meddling. They continued to talk for a few more minutes with Raoul sitting on his haunches. Again, Christine giggled, the light sounds drifted up to his window. It seemed to him she was blushing. Where they flirting? He saw Raoul extended a hand toward Christine and smiling at him she took it…

Dr. Morel entered the room expecting to find his patient in bed. Instead, he found a tall thin man standing by the window intently looking down on the gardens, clenching and unclenching his fists. The only sound in the room was the unnerving grounding of teeth. The doctor sensed the danger emanating from the man in front of him. He wished for the unconscious patient of the other night even with his terrible face. Instinctively he knew his visit with the masked would not be easy.

"Good morning Moiseur"

Slowly Erik tore himself from the window and turned to see his visitor.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Dr. Julien Morel the Chagny's family physician. I attended you two nights ago."

Erik grunted and stared at Julien Morel, mentally dismissing him. He turned his attention back to the garden. Damn the man…they were gone! He began to rub his temples with his fingertips.

"I'm here to…"

"I know why you are here" Erik looked at him as if an unwanted insect had just crawled into his lair.

"Good" said Dr. Morel as he put down his bag and opened it. Maybe this will not be so difficult. "Will you take a seat so I can examine you?"

"I will not. You are not putting a hand on me. Leave!"

"But…" passed a quivering hand over his balding head.

"Get out" Erik growled his face flushing and he began to walk menacingly toward the doctor.

"I just…" Terror rose in Julien's throat as he saw the masked man approaching him. He snapped his bag closed ready to flee. Julien blanched as he almost felt the large hands encircling his throat.

Erik slammed his fist down on the dresser next to Dr. Morel and hollered. "GET OUT" Immediately he began to rub his temples again clenching his teeth against the pain.

Christine entered the room to a shaking, red-faced Dr. Morel. "Is Erik giving you a hard time Doctor?" she asked smiling.

"Well…" said a pale Dr. Morel barely having any breath left with which to answer.

Christine placed her flowers in a vase. She walked up to Erik and on tiptoe gave him a chaste peck. Dr. Morel remembered the face under the mask and shuddered. Erik's eyes closed as Christine's lips touch his lips, his face relaxed. It always pleased Christine that any contact with her, specially a kiss, had such an effect on him. She then turned to Erik and in her sweetest voice asked "Erik, will you let Dr. Morel examine you?"

"No. Let him leave" He crossed his arms across his chest and turned away from them.

She put her small hand on his forearm and felt the tension there. "Erik, I am going downstairs now." She released him and began to walk toward the door. "I can go help Madame Giry or I can go have tea with Raoul in the parlor. Either way my company will be welcomed. Which do you choose for me to do my love?"

He glared at her then without a word, he sat on the chair and began unbuttoning his shirt his slightly shaky hands making the processes more difficult.

Dr. Morel sighed with relief. How utterly simple, thought Julien. From the night he met her he had liked the spirited young lady now he absolutely adored Christine Daae. If he were twenty years younger, he might have given the masked man some competition. Yes, for a woman like that he just might have. From the door, Christine blew Erik a slow kiss and closed the door behind her. Erik scowled and rubbed his temples.

"I'll tell her you send your love," she said from the other side of the door.

Dr. Morel pointed to Erik's shaking hands and said, "So, what other symptoms are you having? Headaches?"

Upon hearing Dr. Morel's call Christine returned to the room. She sat on the small chair opposite Erik hands neatly folded on her lap.

"As we discussed the other day Ms. Daae…"

"It's Christine please," she said smiling up at him.

"Thank you. Christine we need to begin Erik's course of shots right away. We're a little delayed as it is"

She looked at Erik out of the corner of her eye. He kept his eyes down toward a corner of the room and rubbed his temples with his fingertips. She hated to see him look that uncomfortable.

"I'll go get it" she sprang up. She could feel his eyes following her as she left to get the wooden box. She did not like what she saw in his eyes. It was a look of despondency and desperation. He quickly hid his eyes from her. Upset and flushed she ran out of the room.

So, they did bring it here! It had never occurred to him to ask her if she had taken or even seen the wooden box. He had been planning to go back to the ruins of the Opera House just to get his box. His Christine had it. Did she know what it was? She had to, that was why she was hiding it. This was another of his weaknesses that she was now privy to.

Christine brought in the wooden box and placed it before Dr. Morel. She didn't look upset anymore rather she wore a nonchalant look on her face. Very un-Christine he thought, she is upset. Damn it, and it is my fault so being so weak. Erik sat on the bed now his sleeves rolled up. He fought to look unconcerned but he could not keep his eyes off his box. It lured his gaze toward it. His heartbeat accelerated and he felt a watering in his mouth as if a delectable morsel was about to be presented to him. His breathing began to grow ragged in anticipation of the upcoming gratification. He hated this reaction in his body. Instinctively his body knew relief was near and it was getting excited about it, too excited.

Although he held them against his sides, he knew she could see his shaking hands. Christine injected the muscle of his upper arm as Dr. Morel instructed her. It did not give him the rush that a venal injection would have but the rest would come, it always did

"You better lay back Erik it might kick in quickly" Dr. Morel put a hand on Erik's shoulder. Obviously, with Christine in the room the doctor felt daring and must have thought he could touch his masked patient at will. Without looking up Erik grabbed the doctor's hand and removed it. He gave the imprisoned fingertips a sharp squeeze just to remind him of how easily fingers could break. Dr. Morel took back his hand and took a step back.

Erik hissed as the fluid began to travel in his body. Slowly the blood began to absorb the liquid, a feeling of elation and calm came over him. He kept his eyes open looking anywhere but directly at Christine. He was mortified that she was witness to his degrading vice, to his surrendering of power and surrender he would to this unforgiving master. Damn it. Why did this fool get her involved in this? For a moment, it occurred to him, that the boy was behind this new attempt to humiliate him. His eyes shut on their own as his breath came in shallow rhythmic spasms he tried to open them again but he could no longer focus. Erik's heartbeat accelerated… his face and the mask was fading from his consciousness. One thing brought him back …Christine…he did not want her to see him like this so out of control…he opened his mouth as if to protest but then she too faded.

As his head hit the pillow, his eyes rolled back and he was still. Christine could not think of when she had seen him more relaxed and content. She felt very alone at that moment. For once, she knew that at that moment, she was not the source of his joy and he did not need her. Christine picked up an ampoule and felt like smashing it. Christine you cannot be jealous of this, but she was. She removed his mask to let him rest comfortably. It occurred to Christine that the doctor might mind but she had already decided that if anyone minded Erik's face then they needed to remove themselves…and their services.

Dr. Morel handed her the closed box. "You can't keep this box in your room anymore Christine he might look for it there. Find another hiding place for it outside your room. Next time fill your syringe there then bring it to him. The most important thing to remember is that you do not inject it into his vein, always in the muscle and second only the amount I told you every three days."

"I'll remember Doctor. Thank you"

"I'll be back in six days. He will be fine I am sure. It is never easy caring for an opiate addict" He wanted to make sure the young girl would be all right. At least she would not have to deal with his detoxification. He would never allow that. Christine, although gutsy was too delicate for an ordeal like that. "Two or three weeks from now we'll begin to look for a sanitarium," concluded Dr. Morel.

She nodded even though she did not like Erik being called an addict. Christine had no idea what it was that his recovery would involve but she would be there by Erik's side.