A/N – I just spent 6 hours last night when I should be studying for my Chem exam writing down pure plotline for this fic… Yes, it is officially finals season… and my first one is in two days… sigh
And So It Begins...
The second night had given way to morning. This was the day that Raoul was going to bring Christine back to his parents' home where he would reintroduce her as his fiancé. However, those plans would have to be put aside.
"Christine! Christine! Wake up!" Meg's voice traveled down the hallway into Raoul's study. It was not early in the morning; dawn had broken hours ago, and the time for breakfast had come and gone. It was late indeed.
"Christine Daae! WAKE UP IMMEDIATELY!" Mme. Giry's thundering voice followed Meg's. Concerned, Raoul set off for Christine's room and was greeted by two ladies shaking the poor soprano. Raoul knocked on the door, and Mme. Giry and Meg turned to him, the former with a look of concern on her face, and the latter with the same concern, but with a blush.
"Good… morning, Monsieur le Vicomte" Mme. Giry, always minding her etiquette, was lost as to which time of day she should refer to in her greeting. She curtsied, and a dazed Meg followed her mother's actions.
"Good afternoon, Mme. Giry, Mlle. Giry." Raoul nodded his head in acknowledgement. He turned to Christine, concerned at her state of sleep. "Has she been sleeping all this time, Mme.?" He asked. This was certainly uncommon, for one to sleep for two straight days.
She had collapsed in his arms once they were out of the Opera Populaire. He had fetched the doctor, which, after examining her, said that there was no physical illness with Christine. He had first explained it as exhaustion. Raoul was, and still is, deeply concerned for his fiancée. It was understandable – she had gone through a lot these past few months, and he was afraid that she was going to be tainted by that monster… He fought so hard to free her, and he would die before he would let her succumb to illness because of what happened.
"This is of monumental concern, Mme. Giry. I'll have the doctor fetched immediately." With that, he set off to find a servant to send word to Dr. Audet, the family physician.
It didn't take long for Dr. Audet to arrive at the de Chagny estate, as the family was always gracious to him. He was quickly ushered upstairs into Christine's room. Raoul proceeded to tell him the details about Christine's behaviour, which weren't very many. All they knew was that Christine has been sleeping since that night at the Opera.
Audet was concerned. It was not normal for anyone without physical injuries to just fall asleep and stay asleep for so long. He had questions, and he needed answers. "How has her sleeping patterns been? Has she been moving?"
"Oui, monsieur. She has moved, though not much, when she is asleep. It is as if she were sleeping normally," Mme. Giry supplied.
"No dreams? No nightmares?" Audet asked Mme. Giry, realizing that she was the one with the answers he needed.
"Non, monsieur. She has not had any nightmares. Her sleep has been peaceful. Long, but peaceful." Mme Giry was unsure of why the doctor asked these questions, but she would answer them to the best of her ability. Christine was like a daughter to her, and she would do all she can to make her well.
"Well, I cannot find any problems with her," Audet diagnosed. Raoul moved to talk, but Audet held up a hand to stop the vicomte. "There is nothing of major concern right now. She has no severe injuries, no physical injuries at all, and no nightmares. There is no evidence of any internal injuries. Mlle. Daae seems to only be sleeping. Perhaps the lady is sleeping to cure herself of the exhaustion she has been through." Audet did not want to voice his concern. A good doctor should always be aware of what is happening, but avoid any unnecessary grief to the family. He had no solid evidence that this long sleep was damaging to Mlle. Daae, and so he chose not to voice his concern.
"Is there anything we can do for her right now?" Raoul asked, wanting to provide some sort of comfort to Christine while she was in this state.
"Make sure you keep her at a comfortable temperature, and keep her clean. Prepare lots of fluids as she will be in need of hydration when she wakes. If she does not wake tomorrow, then that is of concern," Audet instructed. He liked the young cheerful vicomte, and wanted to help as much as possible.
"We will call you when she wakes, Dr. Audet. Thank you," Raoul answered. He didn't want to imagine what could happen if Christine did not wake up before tomorrow morning. He motioned to the manservant that was standing in the corner. "Étienne? Will you please show Dr. Audet to the door? Oh, and also the good doctor's fees." Audet followed Étienne out of the room. "Merci, M. le Vicomte" Audet bowed, and Raoul nodded his head. "No, thank you, Dr. Audet."
As the doctor left, Raoul turned to Mme. Giry and Meg. "Mme. Giry, Meg, I wish to ask a favour." Mme. Giry, not totally shocked, but still surprised, asked him to go on with his request.
"Mme. Giry, would it be possible for you to stay until Christine fully recovers? Both you and Meg will be taken care of and would not have to worry about expenses or anything. I know both of you are without employment as of right now, and I know that seeking employment is a priority. I will have some of my servants look for places of employment on your behalf." Raoul was desperate. He trusted Christine with Mme. Giry and Meg. The two of them took care of Christine all those years at the Opera.
Mme. Giry bowed to Raoul. "We would be most thankful, M. le Vicomte. Christine is like a daughter to me and I thank you for giving me the chance to take care of her at her time of need." Meg said nothing, but bowed alongside her mother.
"Then it is settled! You shall keep the rooms that you are in right now. I thank you, Mme., Mlle. I wish I could stay here with Christine, but there is urgent business that need taken care of." Raoul went back to his study, though still worrying, but definitely worrying less than earlier.
The rest of the day was quite uneventful. The Giry's belongings were touched by the fire, yes, but Mme. Giry had managed to take her most precious belongings with her when they fled the Opera house, and were already sitting in a neat little pile in their rooms in the de Chagny estate. The day was spent sorting those out and putting them into some semblance of organization and checking up on Christine. Meg was unusually silent, worried for her friend and almost-sister. The two had grown up together, and to have Christine like this was not doing well for Meg's nerves, especially after what they had all been through.
While organizing their things, Mme. Giry came across a hastily bundled package. Not knowing what it was, she opened it, and nearly dropped it in surprise. The angry face of the pristine white half-mask stared back at her, as if mocking her. Memories flooded Brigitte Giry's mind. Memories of when she had saved Erik from the gypsies. Of when he would haunt the opera. She cried for the little boy whose innocence was robbed by the world. She cried for that little boy who had turned into a man, and had felt only the worst of all emotions in the world. She cried, knowing that she had betrayed a person who had taken care of both herself and Meg. She was concerned for Christine, which was why she had led Raoul down to the cellars in the first place. Little did she know things were going to turn out this way. She dared not ask the Vicomte what had happened to Erik, and Christine was already dead weight in his arms when Mme. Giry found them outside the opera house. She worried for Christine, not knowing when her surrogate daughter would wake up. Also, she worried for Erik, as she did not know what had happened to him. Meg's silence after going down to the depths was also unnerving. For the first time in a long time, Brigitte Giry felt old.
It was not until deep into the night when the figure shrouded in sheets and blankets began to toss and turn. Deep in slumber, the rest of the household was unaware of what was happening. The figure continued to fidget within the cocoon of sheets. Arms escaped, and began to fling about. Hair was whipped around as the head was shaken from left to right and back left. Sweat broke across the forehead, and eyes moved behind the eyelids, rapidly, in all directions. Teeth were clenched together, then the mouth was opened in a silent scream. The face was twisted in agony. The legs were thrashing, still encased in the sheets. Soft moans and cries emanated from the mouth.
"No… no… no…"
Suddenly, the figure shot up with eyes wide. A terrified scream cut through the night.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
