Erik waited impatiently for Christine to return. To pass the time he began testing each limb. He lowered and raised each leg, the left not as high as his right, and with considerable discomfort to his mid-section. That was to be expected he rationalized. His arms looked a bit smaller than what he remembered, but would quickly regain their shape when he could chop wood. His mid-section was bundled tightly so it was difficult to assess, but he could only assume the muscles would be flaccid, and in need of much work. He pumped his hands, tightening and releasing his fists. His wrists seemed as strong as ever. At least something seemed no worse for lack of use.
He tried to turn himself over on his side, but the pain in his abdomen made him immediately think better of it. He sighed, Christine's return was taking much longer than he preferred, and he felt himself becoming annoyed. Then he laughed at his own folly. Her absence of a few minutes frustrated him, when she herself had waited patiently, lovingly for two months for him to wake! He sighed again. Patience was an acquired grace, and he would learn the lesson well.
Erik's hand wandered back to his face. In a few hours time it had become a fascination for him, much like a bug-bite, or some other annoyance that drew one's attention. The lower lid seemed so strange to him. Normally it gaped, but tonight it felt smooth and flush with his eye. His hand wandered over to his ear. His finger traced from the lobe up to the rounded curve of the top. He began to tense, his respiration increasing as he realized he could make out the form of an entire ear…one not fused in its entirety to his head! Erik pulled his hand away.
He'd broken out into a cold sweat. His mind had been fevered, perhaps he was imagining things that were not so. He never really felt about his face before, he had looked upon it with such revulsion that even he recoiled at the thought of touching it. Perhaps it only felt different than it truly appeared. He shook his head, calming himself by breathing slowly in and out, until his heart rate began to drop. "She must have gone to Persia itself!" he said out loud, half shouting, relieved that his tone and volume were returning to him.
The door opened "who has gone to Persia?" the woman said carrying in the fresh linens. Erik snapped his mouth shut, studying the face of the woman as she moved to the small bed next to his, busying herself making it up. She glanced over at him. "Is this too much air?" she asked, nodding toward the windows. "I can close them if you like, you look sort of clammy." She finished tucking in the last of the sheets, giving the pillows a good fluff before placing them on top of the bed.
"No, they are fine, thank you." Erik said, still studying her face. She grunted slightly, bringing herself to an erect position. "Don't remember me do you?" She said with a little laugh in her voice. Erik, embarrassed that she had caught him studying her retorted, "why of course I do, you are the innkeeper that took such care of my nieces and my…." She interrupted him. "No need to call them your nieces sir, I know of their relation to you. And, that's not what I meant by remembering me."
Erik's face twisted now in puzzlement. "Here, I'll come closer, perhaps time has been cruel to my face, or perhaps you can't recall anymore." Sara moved over to the side of his bed, leaning over into the full light of the candles she'd lit for him. Erik studied her face. He couldn't place it, but perhaps it was more the issue of her knowing his identity that clouded his ability to think clearly. She smiled at him. "That seems like a lifetime ago now." Erik's face went blank, for he was at a loss. He couldn't remember her, yet something in her demeanor felt familiar.
She started to laugh. "Ah, I've got something that might assist your memory!" she turned and departed. Erik put up a hand as if to indicate it was unnecessary, but she was gone.
"Damnation….why doesn't she just tell me!" "Why doesn't who just tell you?" A voice said coming down the hall. He could feel his irritation rising. Had his room been nothing but a favorite retreat for everyone in the household while he'd been unconscious? Madame Giry appeared, carrying in a tub of salve and a few small instruments.
"I demand to know what is going on…this infernal mystery is driving me quite mad!" Erik snorted at her. "I can see we are recovering quite nicely!" she smiled at him, moving over to the side of the bed. "I'd not want you to regress Erik, but I rather preferred the docile man that we tended to last evening!"
Erik huffed lowering his shoulders to the pillow. "I am quite awake now, and quite aware that I've missed altogether too much in my own house!" Madame Giry laughed. Erik closed his mouth looking at her quizzically. He didn't recall ever really hearing her laugh…a polite laugh when he attempted to be humorous yes, but this was a genuine laugh. He could feel the corners of his mouth flicker just a bit. "What amuses you so woman?" She covered her mouth, attempting to stifle the laughter, but it was of no use.
She said in between each broken breath "it took you only a day to regain your gentile demeanor…..I think the doctor….I think he will be quite amazed at your progress now…." She broke off.
"What in earth is all this cackling about?" In strode Nadir. "Erik is just expressing his appreciation for our all having made ourselves quite at home here." Nadir smirked and started to chuckle himself. "I see, and you do not enjoy all this company my dear Erik?" Erik felt his head swimming. He'd been conscious not twelve hours and he was already longing for the solitude of his coma. "Nadir…where did you…what has….how do you know.." Erik gave up.
The pair had started to laugh hysterically. Nadir pulling Madame Giry into a friendly hug, she patted him on his back as he did. "It is so good to see you again," she said closing her eyes. Erik blinked several times. He felt very much lost in the moment as though he was a mouse who'd happened into someone else's house like uninvited company. He sighed heavily exhaling, a suitably disgusted look on his face.
"He's been a bit temperamental I understand. I spoke with the physician this evening before coming." Nadir was talking to Madame Giry as though Erik weren't even in the room. Erik raised his hand from the bed, slamming it back against the covers, turning his head indicating his disapproval. That seemed to make Madame Giry and Nadir laugh all the more.
"What is going on in here?" Christine reappeared around the corner. She was dressed in her bedclothes, a silken robe wrapped loosely over them. Erik's eyes lit up as she came in, hoping at last to have an ally. Much to his chagrin she went to Nadir, embracing him warmly as one would an old friend, then turned to touch Madame Giry's hand before coming to his side. She looked down at him, reaching out and grabbing his hand.
"He is quite alert now, and you can tell he is ready to be rid of this bed and move on to other more industrious pursuits." Christine said in a mocking manner. They all began to laugh. Erik was finding no humor in any of their words, and was just ready to tell them of it when Sara came back in.
"Here, this ought to help you." From inside the silk bag she produced a paper Mache music box. Fixed atop was a monkey with symbols in his hands. The group went silent as she cranked at the bottom, winding the key. She released it, and it began to play. The room that had been filled with laughter was now deathly quiet, the music reverberating in the silence.
Erik felt his emotions rising in his throat, constricting it so that even air refused to move through it. In one swift motion with his hand he bellowed "OUT, OUT, leave me alone…I wish to be alone!" He huffed as if he'd moved a large boulder, or ran a great distance. The veins in his neck were bulging, his eyes filled with a fiery countenance. Sara reached out to retrieve the music box but Erik would not release it.
The cluster looked at one another, a bit of fear that they'd pushed the reunion too far, as they quietly collected their things to leave. Sara was first, followed by Madame Giry. Nadir tarried a moment, glancing over at Erik who was still puffing, looking up at the ceiling. "Do not worry my friend…all is well," he said turning to follow the others.
Christine let go of Erik's hand, turning to leave, but he reached out and grabbed it. "Not you! You must stay!" Erik stared at her as she fearfully turned to look at him. His temper had boiled over, overwhelmed by the vast gorge he felt as though he was perched upon. They all knew so much…so much more than he did, and he was not letting her out of his sight until she had informed him of every detail. He huffed heavily a few more times, swallowing, as he began to relax. "Please stay," he said to Christine.
The worry in her brow dissolving as she gazed on his face once more. His eyes pleading with her to help him. Let him understand what had happened, bring him up to the present so that he did not feel the void. He needed to recover those two months, desperately needed to recover them if he was to ever feel in control of his life again.
She sat down on the bed, running her hand over his forehead, and along his right cheek. He reached up, firmly holding her hand in place over it. She hesitated, looking nervously at him. "We need to talk about this…and so many other things." He looked up at her, glancing back towards the door. She settled herself in on the side of his bed, taking his hands into hers, placing one on her stomach, for that seemed to calm him. The other she held in her hands, caressing it softly.
"My dear husband, I shall try to answer all of your questions. Let us proceed slowly. Stop me if you have need to, but try to understand that this will be long and perhaps difficult, as there is much to tell. We may not finish in one night."
Erick's breathing had slowed now, and he reluctantly nodded. "Let me see, where to begin…." Erik interrupted her "let us start with the smoking gun I saw in your hands…that would be a good place to start." Christine looked at him in horror, her first realization of what he'd seen last rising in her mind.
Erik sensed her tension, and began to rub his hand lightly on her stomach. His touch reminded her that he loved her, that he cared for her, that he needed her. She put one hand over his, and took in a deep breath. "Very well." She leaned down to kiss him, a brief flicker of passion lingered between them as their lips joined, tarried, and at last parted. "I'll start from the beginning."
Author's notes:
Captain Oblivious: No shaking wooden spoons please…it sounded like you were going to put a hex on me! O.k. sorry, I saw Bewitched this last weekend, I know, I know, a rather shallow movie for someone who loves "true" literature, but I had to take a break into something a bit more lighthearted…Anyway back to the story…I did not hurt Erik, it was Joseph, and no, he wasn't a Bouquet, but that would have been a good link though! He, unfortunately, has a much more nefarious purpose….yikes…almost gave a spoiler!
Well, if you hate gardening, we will just have to find something else for you to do…perhaps physical therapy for Erik…oh wait…they didn't have that then…and I'm quite afraid Christine would chase you out of the house with a broom….there I go again… Hope you enjoy this four-chapter installment. I hate doing so many chapters at one time, but I just couldn't feel good about leaving the story hanging…too much…
CrayAnn: Should I call 911….find a defibrillator? I've a knack for knocking off story characters, but I'd just as soon preserve the life of my readers! Sorry about the cliffee, it was necessary though. I've included four chapters today so that you can have an easier weekend…I'd not want to be responsible for any implosions!