Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, I have had a busy week. I am about to PSC in a month so it's getting even more hectic around here. Any way here is Chapter 4, hope you enjoy!
Christine could hear Madame Giry speaking to her father in a gentle strict voice "If you can hear me, try to squeeze my hand."
Christine scurried to the sink to fill a pot of warm water before shoving it onto the stove mercilessly. Cranking the knobs to the highest degree, hoping it will boil the water faster, whilst she dashed away towards the towel closet and grabbed as many towels as her little arms could hold, making her way back to Gustave. The towels dropped and pooled at the floor as she saw Madame Giry shoved a tube into his mouth attaching a purple ball to the end, pumping air into her father's lungs. Christine stood there in absolute shock and horror, staring blankly at the sight before. Madame Giry glanced over her shoulders, with no hesitation barked out the orders "Christine, don't just stand there like a statue. Get the water!" Madame Giry attention snapped back to Gustave as she continued her ministrations while checking his pulse.
Christine fled the room, her legs weighing down with lead, or at least so it seemed. Her movements seemed sluggish, even too her, as she poured the boiling water into a large basin. Pushing the basin from this room to the next was a daunting task for someone of Christine size, but she knew she would never be able to simply carry it. The basin was half her size and in the haze of it all somehow, Christine found the strength. "Madame" Christine whispered hollowly as she stared at her reflection in the basin, not daring to look up at her broken father.
With swiftness Madame Giry dipped and wrung out the cloth, and dabbed it carefully on Gustave's head. "Christine" She spoke gingerly; "I think you've had enough excitement for today, go sit down child" she looked over to Christine, to ensure the tiny girl made her way to the bed.
Hours passed by silently, as Madame Giry tended to Gustave. Constantly wringing out a washcloth to place it on his feverish head, pushing back the heavy chocolate brown curls out of his face, he was quite handsome. She thought to herself occasionally, and she took note of his heart beat and temperature again. Fatigue finally taking its hold, Madame Giry sat on the floor and rested her head upon Gustave's bed, her hands firmly on his wrist to monitor his heartbeat. Her eye's fluttered heavily as she yawned and before she could even fight it, sleep overcame her.
Madame Giry awoke to something squeezing her hand, forgetting herself completely she gasped, as her eyes popped open. Only to be met with the sight of Gustave awake before her, a slight smirk upon his face.
"Do you think this is funny Monsieur?" Gustave cracked a small smile, and mouthed WATER silently. Madame Giry's cheeks stained red with embarrassment, "Why, yes of course. I'm sure you are thirsty." She rose immediately and hurried out of the room, she returned with in second with a small cup of ice cold water. Kneeling towards Gustave she brought it up to his lips as he drank it steadily. She placed the cup on the dresser nearest to Gustave and stood up abruptly, while Gustave mustered the strength to catch her arm, he looked at her pleadingly. Madame Giry gazed into his soft brown eyes and instantly recognized a kindred spirit. "She is sleeping monsieur; your brave little warrior brought me here to take of you. I will let her know you are awake."
He sighed thankfully, letting his body relax submerging his back into the couch, his smile alight with happiness at the thought of his precious little daughter. Warily he rubbed his sunken face as he heard the pitter patter of feet scuttle across the room floor as he pulled his body taught preparing for the physical bombardment about to come.
"Papa! Papa!" Christine shrieked excitedly, as she pummeled her face into Gustave's frail body and wrapped her tiny arms around him. "Oh papa, I am so glad you are okay." Christine lifted her head enough to flash her father a pearly white smile, "I told you I would get help" she said proudly as she clung to him tighter.
"That you did my little brave warrior. Madame Giry just finished telling me how you braved the snow storm to find her and brought her all the way back here to me."
He patted her head gingerly, as Christine giggled; her eyes lit up as she remembered the beautiful women in the humble abode.
"And Madeline!"
"Maudit" Gustave cursed, "Christine, I did not raise you to refer to strangers by their first names." He scolded her lightly.
Christine blushed regretfully as she continued "Well papa, I stumbled upon Mrs. Maddie's home during the storm and she was generous enough to let me stay the night, and the next morning she called upon Madame Giry for assistance. We are really in her debt, without her I might have died in the storm, and you would have perished as well."
The realization taking hold of her mournfully, as she began to contemplate the reality of the situation at hand.
Gustave notices the storm brewing behind his daughters blue eyes, and grab a hold her firmly as he spoke with more strength than he had; "Well than Christine, as soon as I am better we will thank her. Now, let your father rest so I may recuperate fully." He squeezed her close and planted a feather like kiss upon her forehead before laying back into the couch.
Christine returned the mutual affection and placed a kiss upon Gustave's forehead as he relaxed into a dreamlike state. She regarded her father for a moment, his face completely at peace, the hard lines of his face dissipated into his skin, the gray hair contouring his face furthering exaggerating the multitude of wrinkles, as his labored breathing wracked his body with a slight tremor. She sighed wistfully, as she sat down in the floor beside her father nuzzling into the couch closer to him. Pressing herself against him, she listened tranquilly to her father's heartbeat, the constant rhythm beginning to lull her to sleep.
As each day passed, Gustave became stronger and stronger, as both Christine and Madame Giry tended to his every need. By the end of the second week Gustave was able to bustle around himself, he was breathing better, moving faster, and getting healthier every day.
It seemed to Christine that her father's transformation had less to do with the medicine and more to do with Madame Giry. Christine had noticed in the last several days how much closer her father stood to Madame Giry, she also noticed how Madame Giry would whisper quietly to Gustave when they thought Christine was not around or asleep. Christine would try to spy and over heard them later that day.
"Gustave, please I cannot"
"Antoinette, you can't tell me you don't feel the same. I see how you look at me and how you look at Christine"
"No Gustave, you are mistaken. I…I am still very much in love with my deceased husband, it would be improper for me to move on with my life this soon after his passing. For god's sakes I'm still wearing my widow's clothes."
"He would have wanted you to be happy… You have a daughter who needs a father, and I have a daughter who needs a mother. We could make each other happy Annie."
Christine saw her father raise his hand and stroke her cheek softly as he leaned further into her until their lips met. Christine gasped from shock, causing them to quickly pull apart as they heard her clumsily stumble back to her room. She could still hear them continue to whisper, and several moments later she heard rustling and then the door opening and closing.