A/N: Hello again… It's been hard writing these few chapters… I know it's important to get everything going, but it seems so… drab… and lifeless… and uninteresting… not to mention I've been catching mistakes all over the place (no beta as of yet)… but please bear with me… the fun will begin soon… Sorry for the late update… problems came up within the family (hospitals are never fun)… and so I was stuck without a computer to use for quite some time… and by the time I got home, I was too tired to use the computer… So this is a rather short chapter… just wanted to get it out…
Opherz – Audet's there for you
Disclaimer: As usual… nothing that is recognizable is mine…
Bittersweet – Chapter 5
It wasn't long before Étienne returned with a flustered-looking Dr. Audet, for he was woken up quite abruptly. By that point in time, Raoul and Meg had joined Mme. Giry in Christine's room, all looking anxious and worried. Christine was latched onto Mme. Giry's arm, no longer crying, but had a look of horror on her face. Audet stood just inside the doorway, his eyes meeting Mme. Giry's, waiting for the consent that he felt was needed before he approached Christine's bed. Mme. Giry looked to Christine, who gave her a small, nearly indistinguishable nod. Mme. Giry then turned to Audet, nodding her own head as a sign of approval and permission. Audet promptly requested that everybody leave the room save Mme. Giry, much to the distress of one Raoul de Chagny. As soon as they left, he took out his stethoscope and assorted other things from his bag. The whole time, he was silent, yet had a smile on his face. He was relieved that the girl had woken up; he was starting to worry. He arranged his stethoscope on his ears, and looked to Christine for consent before listening to her breathing and her pulse.
Christine liked this man. He didn't seem to look down on her just because she was young. She did not know if he knew of the incident, but if he did, it did not affect how he was examining her. He gave off this sense of comfort, and familiarity. He reminded her of…
Mme. Giry did not know why Christine resumed her crying, but she did. Tears were coursing down her cheeks, and she was shaking with sobs. Audet had immediately stopped his examination for fear that it was his presence that was affecting her, and that his examination was disturbing to her somehow. He would never know that it was because of his kindness and care for this young woman that would cause her this distress.
The two let Christine cry for the little while that she did, but soon Christine's tears stopped, and the examination resumed. Audet found little wrong physically with Christine, save dehydration and slight malnutrition, both due to the fact that she had not been awake and eating for the past few days. However, Audet suspected that there were things… mental things… that bothered the young woman.
"Mlle. Daae? Have you been dreaming at all during your time asleep?" Audet inquired. Christine balked at the question. How did he know? She had to answer, no matter how much she did not want to.
"Oui, monsieur… I had been dreaming…" Christine's voice was raspy, a result of the crying she had done. It sounded nothing like the voice that graced the stages only a few days ago. Before she could continue, Audet interrupted her.
"Were any of them nightmares, mademoiselle?" Audet knew the answer to this question before he asked it, taking into account the distressed look on her face, the tear tracks down her cheeks, and the way she clung to Mme. Giry's arm. This was not the look of one who had just woken up from a peaceful slumber.
Mme. Giry also wanted to know. She has known and taken care of Christine since she was a little girl, and not even her father's death affected her this way. She was worried for her, as a mother would her child.
Christine didn't want to answer the question. She wanted to believe that it was a nightmare and a nightmare only, but deep down inside, she was afraid that what she saw was not a nightmare but visions of what had happened. She didn't want to hear a decision on what it was come out of her lips. If she said that she had a nightmare, it would haunt her for life if they were really visions of what happened. If she said that it was not a nightmare, it was as good as admitting that the things were what had come to pass. She couldn't make a decision as to what she would respond with. Finally, she made a decision.
"Oui…" she whispered. She would rather hope this was a nightmare… she would rather believe that this was a nightmare…
Audet didn't ask Christine to elaborate, sensing the girl's reluctance. He produced a small bottle of laudanum from his bag and handed it to Mme. Giry. "Give a few drops of this to her, if the nightmares are too much to bear." Mme. Giry took it and put it on the bedside table, making sure she knew where it was. Audet then left the room, leaving the two women by themselves.
Mme. Giry wanted to know what Christine's nightmare was, considering it scared the young girl so much. However, she never had a chance to ask her before Raoul burst into the room, worried for his fiancée.
"Christine? Is everything alright?" When Christine didn't give him an answer, he turned to Mme. Giry. "Mme. Giry? Is Christine alright? What did the doctor say?" Raoul had to find out from either of these two women, for Audet had left without telling him anything, respecting Christine's privacy. Mme. Giry was about to answer when she felt a squeeze on her arm. She turned around to find Christine's pleading face. She then understood that Christine did not want Raoul knowing anything. Why, she did not know, and she intended to find out. But in the meantime, she would help the girl.
"It is nothing to worry about, monsieur. Just exhaustion."
Raoul sighed in relief. Christine was alright. If she was not, then he would not have known what to do. But he blamed the monster for her weakness. He blamed that thing for everything that happened to Christine. As he left Christine's room to return to his own, he swore to himself to protect Christine with his life. Even if it meant his own.
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