Chapt 15

It was early morning; light had just started to peek through the window as Erik stirred on the carpet. He wondered why he was lying on the floor for an instant, shivering as his clothes clung to him.

Oh, yes. How can I ever forget.

The pain in his arm and leg was immense and his body ached from lying on the hard floor. He struggled to pull himself onto the chaise lounge that was beside the bed. At least the pain in his groin was gone. He looked up.

Ah, damn it. She is still here.

He turned himself to lie down on the chair, facing away from the bed, and let out a groan as his body rebelled.

Angelique blinked a few times and struggled to asses what she saw. She was in a bed, facing the door in a dimly lit room. She put her hand up to her throbbing head.

When will I learn? I should not have finished that last bottle of whiskey. Where am I? Oh, at Elaine's. Oh, my head. Where is she anyway?

She heard a low grunt behind her and turned around quickly.

There was a tall man with disheveled brown hair and messy clothes in an awkward position on the chaise lounge; she could not tell if she was getting up or lying down. His head was facing away from her.

She gasped and the man turned around quickly to look back at her. Their eyes met in surprise. She screamed.

"Oh my God!" She shouted "Who the hell are you! Get away from me, you, you monster!"

There it was. Just what Erik had expected to hear one day; from her and others like her.

Her expression changed rapidly from surprise to a combination of fear and disgust right before his eyes. He could practically feel the instant hatred projected at him as her stare burned into his face. For the first time at Capellen, he felt deeply ashamed and angry.

He was nearly knocked over by the first pillow that she threw, but was prepared for the next one that he fended off successfully with his right arm. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her pick up a ceramic vase.

"Angelique, Stop!" He yelled. She froze in shock as she heard her name. "I already have two broken limbs and head injury. Please don't throw that, I promise not to harm you in any way." His voice was low and growling.

Even though wringing your pretty little neck seems like a good idea right now. Maybe she is just surprised this beast in front of her could talk. My, my. You were acting just a little differently a mere few hours ago. He looked at her darkly.

"Then what the hell are you doing in my room?" She shouted, holding the vase up, still ready to propel it. His words did not put her at ease. His appearance, his face scared her, but it was the look in his eyes that really sent shivers down her spine. It was of pain and anger, like a dog that had just been kicked.

"I beg to differ woman; this is MY room and it is MY bed in which you lay!" he said, breathing hard, wanting to turn his head away from her disgusted gaze, but not willing to lose sight of the vase. "You wandered in here last night, drunk as hell and decided to make yourself comfortable in my bed."

"What?" Her brows knitted in confusion, the arm with the vase lowering. She looked at the disheveled bed and then back at him. Her jaw dropped and she shook her head.

"Did anything… did we?" Angelique asked in a low voice.

The look on her face was of such distain that, just for spite, he wanted to tell her horrible things that would make her ashamed. But he held back.

"No. Don't fret. I slept here to keep your 'modesty' intact." he placed a sarcastic emphasis on the word modesty. He could not help himself. She looked relieved.

"Thank goodness." Angelique said, before she had the good sense to shut her mouth.

"Is just the possibly of me being with you THAT bad?" Erik said in a low voice, barely audible. A second later, it only made him feel worse. He was drowning in embarrassment. He his eyes were piercing as he looked up at her.

A whole host of emotions paraded across her face before his eyes. Shock, realization, embarrassment, then pity. Pity was the worst. He dropped his gaze from her face.

Angelique took a moment to give closer inspection to the man on the lounge chair. He was injured, with splints on his arm and one on his leg. She had not noticed that before. He had some bruises on his arm and several wounds on his head and neck. The large mark on his face distorted the whole right side, but other than the mark, he was actually quite normal looking.

Oh, no. Could this be the man Elaine was talking about last night? The man with the scarred face, the musician who has amnesia? This is the man who Elaine...? Oh, good God. I just spent the last two minutes insulting him horribly.

"Erik?" She finally said, in a small voice. He looked up at her as she said his name. The expression he had on his face was painful to see. Angelique put her hands over her face with regret. She could not look at him anymore. She could not believe how insensitive she had been.

"I can't believe what I just said…I'm sorry, Erik." Angelique said, knowing it would probably do no good.

Elaine had stirred when she heard Angelique's scream. She jumped up to her feet from the couch in the sitting room, where her and Angelique had been drinking and laughing through the night about old times. She nearly fell over immediately, her head throbbing from the liquor. She heard Angelique shout again, then Erik. Her headache suddenly dissolved.

What the hell is going on? She thought as she stumbled out to the hall. Erik's room door was slightly opened. She raced down the hall and pushed open the door to witness quite the scene.

A much disheveled Angelique was in Erik's much disheveled bed, pillows lying on the floor. Erik was slumped over on the chaise lounge, looking quite disheveled as well. Both of them stared at her wordlessly as she walked in. Everyone knew what it looked like.

"What the hell happened here?" She said, looking back and forth between the two. Angelique had a guilty look on her face. And as for Erik, Elaine had never seen Erik so upset and angry appearing. His usually soft green eyes were gray and steely, his brows knit. Erik was the first to talk.

"Your friend here decided that she wanted to sleep in this bed last night. So, I slept here, on the chair." He was hoping the simple, direct answer was enough.

"I don't remember anything, I must have blacked out." Angelique said, going for short and sweet, too. She crawled out of the bed and stood to face Elaine.

Elaine passed her with a scowl on her face and went to kneel before Erik's downward gaze. "Are you alright?" she said softly, sensing something was very, very wrong.

He looked at her with pain and anger in his eyes.

"I'm fine." He said. Elaine reached up to touch his lip, where a new scab had formed. A trickle of dried blood ran out of the corner of his mouth. She held his hand gently. Elaine turned around and looked sharply at Angelique.

"Did you hit him, Angelique?" She said, accusingly.

"I didn't touch him!" Angelique responded. Neither woman missed the cold, angry glare that passed from Erik to Angelique.

"I just must have bitten my lip in my sleep, Elaine. You know the nightmares I get." he said, teeth clenched. "This couch is not very comfortable, and my arm and leg are aching right now." He was desperately trying to explain away everything, including his peculiar actions. Elaine helped Erik get up and back into the bed.

Angelique was touched at how gentle they were towards each other. She just turned and silently left the room, feeling terrible.

"Are you sure you are fine? Is that all that happened?" Elaine said, looking deeply in his eyes as he sat down on the bed, wincing in pain.

"Must have been a bad nightmare this time." Erik said, struggling for a smile. "Go to her, Elaine. I think she feels bad about pushing me out of my bed. I'll survive. " He reached over and pulled the cord to call for someone downstairs. "Someone else can help me tidy up. Don't worry about it. " He wanted her to go; he could not put up his charade anymore.

"Alright, Erik. But call me if you need me." She said, turning to leave, as he obviously wished.

"Need you? That would be always, Elaine." he whispered to himself as he watched her exit the room.

Elaine stamped down the hall, fuming, towards the room where Angelique was staying. She pulled herself together and calmed down a bit. She opened the door to face Angelique, who was standing in the middle of the room clenching her hands, her eyes wet.

"I'm so sorry Elaine…" she started.

"What did you do to him?" Elaine said. Angelique started to babble through tears.

"Elaine, when I woke up, I was so shocked to be there. I was so shocked to have him be there, then I saw his face, he frightened me. I don't believe I called him a monster, right to his face, not after what you told me last night."

"A monster, Angelique? I don't remember much about what I told you but…a monster?" Elaine winced at the thought of it. Angelique covered her face, and was crying, sinking to the floor.

"God, the look he gave me. I hurt him, I know. I.. I know how much he means to you. How could I be such a bitch? I am so sorry, Elaine!"

"I think it is Erik you have to apologize to for that insult." Elaine said sternly.

"Yes, I know. I don't know if I can face him again. I said those horrible things before I realized who he was," she sobbed.

"How many injured men with deformities do you think we have around here?" Elaine snapped.

"Elaine, I just was not thinking. It was just a really bad slip of the tongue."

"No, Angelique, that was beyond rude."

Elaine's compassion got the better of her again. Elaine tucked away her anger, walked up to Angelique and pulled her up, placing an arm around her shoulders. They walked to the bed and sat down.

"Alright, Angelique, you can't change it now. It is done. But that was not really what I was referring to." Elaine got up and walked a few steps away from her. She turned around and gave her a suspicious look.

"I don't follow you," said Angelique, between sniffles. She was puzzled by Elaine's expression.

"We both know the look of an extremely frustrated man when we see it." Elaine said.