Chapter 10

Erik and Christine ran as fast as their feet could take them. Meg had not even moved, which worried Christine. By the time they reached the opera house it was late at night, and as Christine suspected Madam Giry was outside with a candle, obviously distressed by Christine and Meg's long absence.

When Madam Giry spotted the three of them, she was shocked and was trying to hold back her tears at the sight of her injured daughter.

Christine said in a hurry, "Madam, I don't think now is the time for explanations, but this is Erik, the boy I told you about. He is a fugitive and he just saved our lives, so could you help me hide him?"

Madam Giry nodded, speechless, and quickly hurried to her room and placed Meg on the bed.

When Madam was sure her daughter was still breathing, she said to Christine, "It's too late to fetch a doctor; go fetch Marcel, the violinist. His father trained him to be a doctor!"

As soon as Christine was gone, Madam focused her attention on Erik, who was looking very scared and seemed to be concerned for Meg.

Madam Giry smiled at Erik with gratitude and Erik figured in his head, She must not smile much. Madam Giry looked serious again as she said to Erik, "Sit down, young man, and tell me what happened."

Erik sat across from Madam Giry and started to tell of the whole incident of him and Christine falling for each other, Gustave dying, and when Erik was kidnapped by the evil doctor and sold to the freak show he and his brother owned, and finally his and Christine's escape with Meg.

When Erik finished the tale, Madam Giry had a stern look on her face, but her eyes showed gratitude. She said to Erik, folding her hands in her lap, "I owe you my life, young man. You not only saved my daughter from being raped, you saved Christine as well, and I don't know if Gustave could forgive me if something awful befell her."

Erik looked at the unconscious Meg, saying to Madam Giry, "Gustave forgives you, Madam. He was a good man, and you don't owe me anything, but I could use a favor."

"Of course. What do you need?" Madam Giry asked.

Erik finally looked at away from Meg and back to Madam as he spoke. "The police will be looking for me and I don't want to leave Christine's side again. Is there anywhere in the opera house I could stay?"

Madam Giry replied, "There might be. I believe when they built the opera house there were five cellars that led down to an underground lake."

Suddenly Christine appeared with Marcel, a shaggy looking twenty-two-year-old whose appearance could mistake him for a stagehand or a beggar.

Marcel ran up to Meg as soon as he saw her unconscious, and Madam had a suspicion that the delicate way he cared for her injured head wasn't just from his training as a doctor.

He looked sharply at Madam Giry and told her, "She will live, but the bump on the back of her head is so nasty, she probably will be unconscious for some time, and her concussion might cause slight memory loss, though I can't say how much she won't remember."

As soon as Marcel left, Madam Giry said to Erik, "Maybe we should find you some fresh clothes, young man."

Christine put her hand in Erik's and he looked down at his angel. "Are you all right, Erik?" she asked. "Shouldn't you have those lashes on your back checked?"

Erik frowned at this and responded, "I think I have had enough of doctors to last me a lifetime."

AN: Sorry this update took so long I have been having problems at home and school has been hectic so I decided to take a break for a bit from The Wild Rose but I am back now so please R&R!