Chapter 114 Waiting

DeChagny had made it to his carriage just as the rest of the shops in Paris were closing their doors for the day. He'd rather thought he'd be paid a visit by Nadir but it seemed he had not yet arrived in Paris for surely he would have stopped there for an escort to the offices of the government. Perhaps there had been some delay in retrieving the body. Who knew in smaller villages, they were so much less sophisticated than Paris. There were few places that DeChagny held high opinion of outside of Paris. They simply could not compare to what was available in his grand City. He'd been, and would always be a dweller of Paris for he'd grown accustomed to the fineries and culture that it offered. Yes, his tastes were refined, and that was just the way he liked it.

His carriage rattled off down the streets on its way to Raoul's. It wouldn't be long before DeChagny was finished with his duties in repairing the Opera House, and would be able to return to his own home. Raoul's house was growing full and the comfort and privacy it offered was rapidly diminishing. One can truly never relax fully if they cannot let their guard down. After all, Madame Giry was his employee… He looked out the window marveling at the absolutely spectacular weather. For a spring evening, it was the nicest he could recall in a great many, though there was a cold southerly wind.

XXXXX

The doctor closed the cover on the book he'd been reading, laying it aside on the table. He stretched and rubbed at his eyes before withdrawing his pocket watch to check the time. It had been four hours since he'd administered the last dose of morphine. Surely if the man had been in any pain now, he'd have come to….it did not look promising. He'd done all for the man that he could and there was little more he could do but wait. He knew the officers of the police wanted to interview him, but the man barely held on to life by a thread. If he could do no more than assist him to come round so he might speak with his wife one last time, the doctor would be grateful.

He walked back into the room, where the man's wife sat stroking his head with a damp cloth. No fever had set in, which truly was a good sign, but he'd lost so much blood, he'd no idea if the poor heart could recover it.

"Has he stirred, has he shown any signs of being uncomfortable?" The woman shook her head no. She leaned over putting a kiss on his forehead, nodding to the doctor to come into the outer room with her.

His wife closed the door. She and the doctor walked over and sat at the small table in the hallway. "He's been muttering from time to time, just as he was when you checked on him before. He's been saying the word "warning". In fact he's repeated it a number of times, but he's not said who or why. If he'd say more I'd tell the officers, but I don't know if it is mere ramblings of his delirium, or if knows something about the boy who did this to them."

The doctor knew the officers would be all the more eager to rouse the man if he told him, and he'd not have any of it. His first responsibility was to do no harm, he'd taken seriously his Hippocratic oath. "My dear lady, unless he's to say something more, we'll leave well enough alone. I trust that you'd prefer to spend your time alone with him, rather than being joined by a dozen officers in the room trying to wake him."

Her eyes grew wide, she'd not thought of that. She began to cry. "I'd only hoped, perhaps wished he'd say more so that I might spare yet another wife tonight of this same pain." She looked at the doctor as he offered her a handkerchief. "Why would a boy do such a thing…over a bill he couldn't pay? Deprive families of their fathers, wives of their husbands, all over a small some of money he couldn't pay? Surely he could have asked them to forgive it, to make arrangements to pay it another way…something…this was senseless carnage." She bit her lip trying to stifle a fresh wave of tears. "This city makes my blood run cold….there is so much hostility…so much madness these last months. First our beloved Opera House is burned nearly to the ground by a madman. A girl is kidnapped, a man is hanged, and now this?" The woman was dabbing at her eyes. "It nearly makes one want to move far away from this place and never return!"

The doctor nodded his head in agreement, though he'd been treating Meg who'd witnessed as much treachery in a small city, it was simply the times they lived in now. Villainous families abounded, and no matter where one went, they seemed to be gaining ground, not losing it.

"Dear lady, you should get your rest now, you've been up with him all evening, you'll not be any good for him if you've not rested."

The woman looked desperately but resolutely at the doctor. "If he's but a few hours left on this earth, do you think that I would miss them to find the comfort of sleep for myself?"

The doctor nodded again. "Very well," he said. The woman knew that which he'd not been able to bare telling her. Her husband needed a miracle to survive, and nothing less.

XXXXXX

Meg and Raoul sat by the fireplace in the parlor. Though they'd not really needed a fire as the house was most comfortable without it, they'd started one anyway. Raoul was mindlessly running his fingers through Meg's flaxen hair as she lay with her head in his lap. They were simply waiting for their parents to come home so that they might have supper together. They were simply enjoying the glow from the fire, and being in one another's company.

Raoul laughed, Meg turning her head as if to inquire. "We've changed places, my father, your mother, and you and I."

Meg smiled at him, "whatever do you mean?" Raoul chuckled again, "this morning they waited for us to present ourselves for breakfast, and here we sit, even now, waiting on them for dinner!"

Meg smiled, it was a bit ironic. "Yes" Meg said joining him in his laughter, "but they'll not be coming in wearing sodden night clothes!"

Raoul leaned down placing a kiss on Meg's forehead, "how true, how true."

"Raoul?" Meg sat up. She'd been wondering about it all afternoon really. "Where are your staff? Yesterday they were busying about, banging the walls as if they were horses in a stable, but now everything is quiet. All I can hear is Madeline humming to herself in the kitchen."

Raoul smiled. It wouldn't be until Madame Giry came home and gave the room a once-over that he could reveal to Meg what had been going on, and why he'd given his staff a treat for the evening. "Oh, they do rest from time to time my dear."

Meg wasn't certain why he was being so coy, but decided she'd not inquire further. She really wanted to know why she'd seen them clapping, and why Raoul had been shaking their hands, and why so many carriages had come and gone but there had been no visitors. Perhaps his house was always that busy, and he that friendly with his staff, but she rather doubted it.

"Raoul, do you think I might be sleeping in my own room this evening?" She asked taking a sip of the tea that Raoul had poured for her from the pot Madeline had brought in for them.

Raoul winced inside. He was nearly certain that she'd be in the room that very night, but he couldn't be absolutely certain. "I'll have to talk to the men and see if they'll be able to rearrange the furnishings now that the wax is dry."

Meg's heart sank just an inch. He'd only had the furniture moved as she'd suspected, but secretly she hoped he'd swapped it with something from a neighboring room. She'd even have preferred the cot she'd slept in to the bed that had been meant for Christine. She was a bit relieved however, that meant that her medicine would be at her disposal. There would have been no reason for them to look in the drawers if they'd simply moved them to another room for a brief time.

She smiled politely at Raoul. Inside, Raoul was trying to mask his excitement. He could hardly wait himself to see what Madame Giry and his sister had settled upon. He'd decided he'd experience this with Meg when she beheld it for the first time. He hoped that Meg would agree to stay on once her mother returned to the Opera House, at least until she was fully recovered. The doctor had said it would be two months time. Perhaps by then they would know….know for certain that they were meant to be together.

"Meg, come, let us go to see what Madeline is fussing about in the kitchen shall we? Something smells wonderful, and I believe it is that delectable apple pie that she's made." Meg smiled. She shan't mind moving about a bit. In the time she'd been at Raoul's, she'd never relaxed as much, she dared think, in all of her life.

XXXX

Erik and Christine had just finished dinner with the doctor. Their first proper meal in the winter house together. The cook was bringing in dessert. "My apologies sir," she said to Erik. "We've brought this in from Chauesser, I hope you do not mind. Once we've retrieved all of the dishes from Courtland Manor, we'll be able to prepare the tarts that your wife enjoys." She'd set a slice of the walnut layer cake in front of each of them, along with a steaming cup of coffee.

The three had a perfectly wonderful dinner talking over the events of the day, his sister's delivery, and his new little niece and nephew. "She had a rather hard delivery, a longer labor than I'd have wished on her, but in the end, she'd forgotten the difficulties when the babies were in her arms!"

Erik smiled, reaching under the table for Christine's hand and squeezing it. The doctor looked at the two of them, and could see the concern in Erik's eyes. "Monsieur, do not worry, my sister is much older than Christine, and difficult deliveries do run in our family."

Christine's face went ashen, her hand limp. "Whatever is it my dear?" Erik felt guilty for bringing the subject up for discussion.

"It is nothing," Christine stood, "gentlemen, would you excuse me…" She didn't wait for their reply. She had to get some air, she had to be alone, if but for a few moments. She at once found herself outside, staring out at the failing sun as it set on the Western horizon. Her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. Her eyes welled and overflowed with tears that she couldn't fight.

She'd never known her own mother….and yet she missed her terribly. It had not been until the doctor made his last statement that she'd given any thoughts to it at all. She'd not thought about it for years. Christine felt a pair of warm hands slide around her shoulders, pulling her into a gentle embrace. He turned her around to face him, gliding her carefully into his arms he held her as she trembled.

"Christine, whatever is it that troubles you so?" He whispered in her ear. Christine began to sob. He ran his hand affectionately up and down her back trying to comfort her. "Christine, do not be afraid my dear, I am here with you, I shall be here with you always." Christine tried to stop crying, but the harder she attempted it, the more futile the effort became.

The doctor stood looking on from the window in the dining room. He couldn't imagine what he might have said that had that affect on his patient, and then it struck him….he'd never asked about her mother…and his comments about his family having difficult deliveries…

Christine tried to slow her breathing, as Erik wiped the tears from her face. She held her eyes tightly closed as she leaned into the warmth and safety of the broad expanse of his chest. She felt safe there, loved there, felt hope there. "Erik," she began in a voice so strained that it was barely audible. "My mother…she was a wonderful woman Erik…my father loved her more than life itself." A fresh swell of tears threatened to overtake her, but she fought it. "When she was with child…when she carried me…everything was wonderful." She smiled up at him briefly through the pain. "He said she was the most beautiful pregnant woman he'd ever seen. She sang to me in the days before my birth, rocking me to sleep…" she gasped. "Erik…my mother….she….she….died when I was born….she lived only long enough to hold me once…kiss me once….utter….utter my name…" Christine's legs went out from underneath her as emotions took control of her.

Erik scooped Christine up into his arms, carrying her into the house and up the stairs to their room. Erik pushed open the door with his foot, taking Christine to the bed. He sat with her, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead. "Shhhhh….shhhhh…..do not worry Christine…I shall be here for you…" Inside his heart was breaking. Had he not been so selfish, had he not wanted her for himself, had he not taken her…..his own guilt ate away at the joy they'd shared, the joy they'd basked in just hours before. "If you can manage for a moment my dear, I'll go to relieve the doctor, send him on his way."

Christine nodded, "give him my regrets." She said between sobs. Erik stroked her forehead, leaning down to place a kiss on her temple. "I'll be but a few minutes my dear…you rest."

Erik stood and made his way downstairs as quickly as he could. The doctor met him at the bottom of the stairs, his cap and cloak already in hand. "Is she alright Erik?"

Erik waited until he was at the bottom of the stairs and then motioned for the doctor to go into the parlor. "Her mother's struggle…she did not live beyond Christine's birth….." Erik's eyes now welled in pity of the pain Christine was in. "Is there a chance…" He looked with pleading eyes at the doctor.

The physician put a reassuring hand on Erik's shoulder. "I do not know the circumstances surrounding her birth, but I can assure you we shall keep a watchful eye on her, and take good care of her those last weeks. Erik, it is in God's hands…the miracle of life is His and His alone. We must believe that for whatever reason He's seen fit to bless you and Christine, and I cannot believe that He would bring her this far…bring the two of you this far only to deprive you of the joy that is due you." In truth the physician could do nothing to ensure Christine's safety, but he knew the strain of worry would not be good for either of them.

Erik looked at him with such pleading. "We shall do whatever we can for her…" The doctor nodded in agreement.

"Yes…now Erik, we should talk about your progress." Erik glanced back toward the door leading to the outer hall. "Dear sir, I've much I'd like to ask you, but at this moment, I'd not be able to concentrate on anything else….I must return to her. I am sorry to cut our evening short but…"

The doctor patted Erik on the shoulder, "you've no need to apologize Erik….go to her…tell her I shall visit again tomorrow will you?"

Erik nodded, grateful the man did not insist upon talking of his face…that could wait….Christine's comfort was far more important than the worry of his own flesh. The doctor nodded as they walked back into the foyer.

"Do not worry Erik, that which you feel in your cheek even now.." Erik reached up, covering his face, he'd not even noticed that the nerve had begun to jump. "It is normal for what you've gone through…in fact…I'm glad to see it really, it means that the nerves are growing back through that part of your flesh….yes, that is a good sign."

Inside Erik was relieved, he sighed a deep mournful sigh. "We'll speak more of this on the morrow sir, do take care, and convey to your sister our fondest congratulations…"

The doctor nodded and departed. Erik turned, mounting the stairs two at a time. The nerve in his cheek was pulsating, but he no longer covered it. Though it was unsettling to deal with, it was preferable, just knowing it made it easier to bare. Now he could focus fully on his Christine, and that is all he intended to do.

As he opened the doors to their bedroom, he could hear her sniffling, curled up in a tiny ball in the center of their bed. He went to her drawing her up into his arms, cradling her as he pulled a cover over the both of them. "I am here for you my dear, I am here for you. Shhhhh…." He kissed her on the cheek as she nestled into his chest. She let out a staggered breath as she relaxed in the comfort of his presence. He always could calm her…he always had…she was thankful for that.

XXXX

The boy had made a small fire. He was four hours from Paris, and had decided to make camp for the night. Surely the morning light would bring guards and officers skimming the woods. The further he removed himself from Paris, the easier it would be to plan his next move. He'd need to allow the dust to settle before he'd be able to once again enter the city and even the account that was due his family…that girl had to go…she had to be finished before he'd feel justified. That man, the one who'd taken his brother's life from him on her account…he'd pay the most dearly…perhaps to take them as a pair…yes that was it…a pair. His brother and father's memories properly attended to would require no less.

He picked up the cloth he'd been using to clean his carriage by the light of the fire. His arm had grown weary from all of the scrubbing. He stretched his arm out once again, trying to reach near the top of the carriage….he'd not expected the blood to have splattered that far, or that much. He'd have to be certain that every drop of it was removed before the carriage could be on the road again. Somewhere he'd have to find someone who could change the crest. He'd not want to dishonor his family, but the carriage would be easily identified if he'd not see to it. He thought about his family as he rubbed and rubbed at the surface, stopping to wring the bloodied towel out every now and again. Really, it was amazing the amount of blood that had dried there….

Author's Notes:

Dear Faithfuls: I hope everyone survived their chocolate fix! For my part, this weekend I had to partake of a rather large mocha infused vanilla ice-cream cone…alas…the last day of summer! I am happy to be reunited with my computer….and with you.

Captain Oblivious: I nearly cried, really, when I read your note about your good-bye dinner cake…obviously you have a mommy and daddy who love you very much! That was very sweet. And, for your sake, I'm happy you had it…lest the chocolate monster force you to take Susie on a mad dash to the market for a big Hershey bar! It is with a happy-sadness (yes, it is an oxymoron) that I write this response to you. I'm certain it may be a long time before you get a chance to catch up with our Phamily…but we do hope you think of us from time-to-time… Do not worry, we will be here for you…right where you left us.

Yes, Raoul and Meg are rather enjoying one another's company, and one seems to be as willing as the other to play….hmmmm, could that simply be a mask? Hmmmm..

Poetzproblem: Thank heavens, I can breathe a little easier…no MOB connections! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the playful chapter between Meg and Raoul. You are right, I'm certain the angst concerning all that was going on with Christine before she disappeared, left little time for anything even remotely like what he share's with Meg. It has me wondering though if he respects Meg as much as he did Christine, because he does treat her so much differently than he did Christine…I do like the two of them together though!

Christinelovesphantom: You are most welcome for the updates. I hate being "hung-out-to-dry" myself, so I simply cannot do it to anyone else! Yes, happiness is connected for a lot of us, and the characters in our story are no different….they are all connected in an odd sort of way…a finely linked web of sorts. I hope you enjoy 114!

Hybridknightress: Thank you for the compliment. Nadir and Erik have been through so many things together. Many things that most friendships would not ever survive or dare to endure. So, letting Nadir go…for Erik…was his way of loving him…however painful for the both of them. If I'd really been in that room when Erik was saying that to Nadir, I don't think I'd have been able to breathe for the sheer angst of it all!

Chocoholic is a good word….a fitting word…for me. I love the stuff…white, dark, milk, Bavarian, German, Swiss, French, Italian…nutted, fruited, creamed, hot, cold, melted, baked in something, poured on something…well, you get the idea! Yes, I shall rent the movie. I'll be spending part of the next weekend housesitting for my sister…perhaps that would be a good one to bring along with me!

PhantomLover05: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the playfulness on Meg and Raoul's part. There is so much sadness that has forged their relationship, that I think the playfulness helped to balance it a little. Christine and Erik are so strong, so mature, so deep. Meg and Raoul's is a much different sort of relationship, perhaps rightfully so, not nearly as serious…after all…they've only begun to see each other in a different light. Erik and Christine loved each other for years….. Yes, Christine was brave, something that she has found to be very helpful. She wants to be a good wife, and because of that, she was willing to put her fears aside…so that she could be the wife she wanted to be…for Erik's sake. Oh how I wish we all had someone to love like that, and to be loved and adored like that….everyone would walk around just smiling wouldn't they?

ElvieIII: Yes, I was having a major craving myself! I'm not sure I'd be grabbing Madame Giry's chocolate though…if she's like any other woman…she might give your arm a little bite! I am not a jealous person, I am not a jealous person, I am not a jealous person….BUT….Oh….how I wish I could have toured the Garnier! What a very lovely thing that you were able to do that, and to see the lake no less! That is a dreamy little day trip for me… Yes, who could but help but hum that tune when you are there….I'd think it would happen all the time!

I smiled when I thought of your fan-club. You'll have to ask the instructors again and point out to them that there are tens of thousands, hey impress them and say throngs of fans out there that admire him, his work, his passion….that should count for something don't you think? Besides, they should give you credit for being a pioneer…because you can bet that in the next couple of years….that man's face is going to be everywhere!

HopelesslyObsessed: You do not need to be sorry my dear….school is very important, and though I enjoy hearing from you, I'd feel terrible if it interfered with your ability to cram every little bit of learning into your brain that you can. This story is designed to be a reprieve from our normal labors…a mini-vacation…and we all know we cannot be on vacation every day! I do hope you have a chance to keep up with your Phamily…but school should come first! Hope you had a great week at school!

Phantomfan13: Yes, everyone is preparing for the fall…whether it is going back to school, or college, or preparing for all the autumn festivities! I must confess that autumn is my favorite time of year…the apples, the pumpkins, the falling leaves…yes, I am a happy camper during the fall! Getting ready to go back to school is very expensive isn't it! I remember that very well.

You are a clever one…you are right…Crawlings wouldn't have knocked on the door at all…hmmmm… Yes, I was relieved myself when I found that it was the doctor…though I felt sorry for him when Erik grabbed him by the neck and had him suspended mid-air dangling….I could just picture it couldn't you?

Liriel-eris: My goodness…what an explanation! I'd no idea it was all that involved! It is interesting when cultures and languages meld though!

Yes, Erik and Christine will have their hands full indeed! I agree, I cannot wait to see Erik as a dad…it just makes me all warm and tingly inside just thinking about it! I too feel sympathy for Madame Giry…it reminds me of the line that Erik sang to Christine when Erik had him by the neck in the caverns below the Opera House… "No matter what you choose you cannot win…" All the emotions that will go into her decision…she loves them all….how could she ever be separated from any of them….oh such a cruel thing she has to endure. Ahhh…you discovered the essence of the growth between Nadir and Erik. For when one truly loves another…the greatest gift that can be given is freedom…if their happiness is to be found in a life that doesn't include us…. Christine's choice…yes, it was not an easy one. We all live with the expectations of others, whether it be of our friends, our parents, our employers, our significant others…there comes a point where we have to decide who is living our life…are we…or are they? She was brave, she chose happiness no matter what the cost. I think that is in part why her devotion…her love for Erik is so intense…she risked everything to be with him. When one does that, there is no looking back…no worrying about what others think. As far as Gaston…I have a couple of personal theories. Usually an author will write from the pain of their own experiences. I think he might have loved someone that he could never love, someone who perhaps had rebuffed or rejected him, and for Gaston, this story was an outlet for his frustration, his deep longing for someone he would never have. You simply cannot write something like this without ever having had a tragic love in your life…the only way you can do it with such passion is to have traveled the road yourself first. As to why he didn't let Erik and Christine be together…perhaps it is more of the same thing…he didn't "get the girl" so he forever immortalized a character in a story that suffered as he did, and this way he could "share the pain" with the rest of the world as the story lived on far beyond his lifetime. That's one theory of course. The other theory is that he followed in the footsteps of so many other great authors who wrote tragic romances such Shakespeare. If you have tragic romance in your heart, it has to have an outlet. I personally, think Gaston got it wrong…that is why, hundreds of pages later, I am still writing this story…trying to give it an ending that will make all of our hearts rest a little more happily!

Chocoholics abound in our Phamily! As for teas….I am a tea fanatic! I am very odd though, as I love coffee just as much. I have no less than ten different kinds of tea in my house at all times…it depends what kind of mood I'm in. The only one I am not really crazy about, sadly, is chamomile. Something about it makes me nauseated every time I try to drink it. My absolute favorite is black currant, followed closely by loose leaf green, and then by Orange and Spice. When I'm feeling rich I stop at a tea shop and pick up the latest offerings…it is so very much fun!

I'm glad you connected with the whole "Fiddler on The Roof" analogy…it just seemed to fit! Hey, you know, we don't really know what Raoul's father's first name is….hmmm….are you thinking what I'm thinking…. LOL! I loved what you said about the notebook! I am constantly writing things down on scraps of paper…ideas…thoughts. I swear if I was to get hit by a truck, someone would think I was as crazy as Howard Hughes, if they found all that stuff! It is a good way to live though. It helps us to keep that creative flow going, and reminds us every second, that we are alive…not just existing, but living, breathing, creatures capable of random and wonderful thought!

O.K., one last thing before I kill another cyber-tree…The countries thus far…France, Russian, Mediterranean (o.k., that one was a region!). Next up is Germany, Poland, Ethiopia, and Italy. Haven't planned beyond that, but I'm looking so forward to it!

Christineluvserik: You are most welcome for the welcome! We like having newly adopted Phamily members! I am humbled by your words regarding the story. The characters have truly become as near and dear to me as some of the people in the real world. I am thinking about publishing this story, once it is complete…but I'm not sure there would be enough interest for more than a few copies…and I'd hardly like to make a profit on it since it has been a labor of love. It makes me happy to know that others are enjoying the journey with me…if I can bring a smile to the face of someone else out there in the world…then my life will have been worth living! I hope that the coming chapters add to the happiness for the characters…I can just feel something brewing!

Draegon-fire: Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I think there are some intentional links to the movie here. There is something to be said for seeing the printed words come to life. Some, nay, most people are very visual, so if they have that point of reference to start from, it makes it easier to move to the printed word. I know most literary scholars would disagree with that statement, maybe even call it sacrilege, but in truth, the masses are a visual bunch!

I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying the transformation of Erik's character. He always had that deep core that longed to be happy. Now, faced with the prospect of finally having all that he thought he would never have…it is hard, but even more poignant than it would have been for the average man….much more. His sufferings will no doubt be of use to him as he raises his children….there will be very little that could ever happen to one of them, that he could not relate to on some level. Oh what a good dad he will be…and we already know what kind of a husband he is….everyone should be so fortunate!

Dancingdragon42: Welcome to the family! We hope your stay with our little Phamily will be a long and happy one! Yes, it has been a long time in the making, but it has been a true labor of love for the story of POTO! I think it is completely wonderful that someone is willing to commit so much time to reading so many chapters…I admire that about all our Phamily members…we are on a journey together…and it is not for the easily bored or the phaint of heart!

Now, as you've probably already realized, it is our tradition to attempt to guess at the origins of your tag name. Hmmm…..Dancing….implies you are a happy person….dragon…perhaps you like Puff the Magic Dragon? Or perhaps you just like dragons, which leads me to wonder about 42…O.K., I give up….If you are willing…please share with your new Phamily won't you?