A/N: Yes, yes. I know. Some of you really want to kill me right now. I'm sorry. Every now and then I need a cliffie.

mikabronxgirl- Yes, Erik is impatient on finding out if Christine loves him. I know Christine is 8, but there is nothing written in stone that 8 year olds can't love other boys. I know that I have had a lot of boy crushes, maybe even more then a crush. And I know Christine coming down for breakfast in a black dress is weird, but Christine can be dramatic sometimes.

Thanks to: tink20, Gerardphantomhot, Twinkle22, Opera Dove, mikabronxgirl, Lotte Rose 37, Erik's Secret Admirer, ErikMySweet, Christine06, Morte Rouge, and siriuslyaphanatic for reviewing. It means a lot to me. .

Chapter 18

Christine rushed to her father's side, blinded by the hot tears that were streaming down her face.

"Father! Father! Father!" she screamed, shaking his limp body, "Please be alright," she begged.

Christine couldn't help but think about Erik. 'If he were only here.' she thought bitterly. Her thoughts suddenly returned to her father.

"Hold on, Father, I'll get help."

Christine ran out of the house as quickly as her little legs would carry her.

XXX

"Please! Somebody help me!" Christine cried frantically. She was begging anyone who would listen to her in the town's town square. Her tears mingled with the cold rain that was coming down in torrents.

"Anybody...please...help," her words were muffled in the rain. Christine was about to give up hope when she spotted, Bernard, her father's friend. She ran up to him and tugged on his coat.

"Christine, what are you doing out here?" he paused. "Where is your father?"

"Please come with me. Father collapsed on the floor this morning. You have to help me please!" she begged.

"We have no time to loose," he mumbled as the truth sunk in. He held her hand and led her to a house accross the street.

"Where are we going? I- I... thought we were going home," she stammered. "He needs our help."

Bernard did not say a word. They stopped in front of the small house. He raised his fist and pounded on the door three times. They heard a rustling behind the door.

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming," a deep voice answered behind the door. A portly man with glasses answered the door. "What's the trouble, Bernard?" he questioned as he looked from Bernard to Christine.

"There's no time to explain. We need you to come with us. Bring your
supplies. Hurry," Bernard replied.

Christine and Bernard waited for the man to get his coat and case of his doctor's supplies. Bernard picked Christine up so that she would not fall behind. He flagged down the nearest carriage and settled himself and Christine into the carriage. The man stepped in shortly after.

"Gustav has collapsed, Dr. Rioux," he explained softly, glancing at Christine.

XXX

The carriage pulled up in front of Christine's house. Bernard paid the hansome quickly and ran into the house with Dr. Rioux and Christine on his heels. Bernard's face turned pale as soon as he saw Gustav laying on the floor.

"Bernard, help me bring him to his room," Dr. Rioux said under his breath. As soon as they got Christine's father in his bedroom Dr. Rioux informed them to stay out of the room until he was finished inspecting Gustav.

"But I want to be with Father," Christine sobbed into her hands.

"I know you do. I would like to see him as well," Bernard replied.

"Why can't I be in the room with him?" she asked.

"He might have tuberculosis. It is a very contagious disease. We don't want you to catch it," he explained.

"I don't care. I want to see him now!" she yelled as she stomped her foot on the ground childishly.

"Christine, please. I know how you feel-,"he started, but she interrupted him.

"No you don't! No you don't!" she screamed as more tears came down her face. "If he dies, I will have no one. Now that Mother-," her throat constricted in pain. Christine sobbed harder than ever and crumpled into a sobbing heap near the door. Bernard put his hand on her back as he tried to fight back his own tears. It was useless. Bernard felt the hot tears running down his face.

Christine soon fell asleep from the exhaustion the day had brought her.

Bernard placed her in her bed and gently tucked her in.

XXX

Dr. Rioux shuffled sleepily out of the room after what seemed like day's worth of time spent in the room.

Bernard looked up at him, from his post in the chair. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"He does not have tuberculosis as I thought," he informed Bernard.

"Then what happened? Is he going to be okay?" he asked. Dr. Rioux shook his head, 'no'. "He has lung cancer. There is no cure. I'm sorry, Bernard."

"How long does he have-?" his voice cracked.

"I don't know. Days..., weeks...,months... I don't know."

Bernard rested his face in his hands.

"You may see him now, though he is still unconscious," he permitted.

Bernard walked to Christine's room. He shook her sleeping form until she opened her eyes.

"You may see him now," he informed Christine.

A/N: Well I hope you are all happy now. I'm sorry this update took longer then I expected. I dug myself a hole that I couldn't get out of. But I worked it all out.

Please Review! I want to know what you thought of this.