Say You'll Share With Me | Phantom Oneshots

POTOber Day 16 - Miss Daaé Has Returned

day 16 prompts: aftermath/recovery/the Daroga

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As Nadir approached the underground home, his heart sank a bit seeing the state it was in; the windows were broken, the door was wide open, letting him see the chaos inside the home itself. His friend had prided himself on keeping his dwelling clean and in pristine shape, but what had been done to it was a far cry from that.

It had been turned completely upside down, he realized as he stepped through the front door. Furniture overturned, books thrown from the shelves. None of the destruction had anything to do with someone trying to find the Phantom, and yet, it had happened anyway. Just to throw his life even more out of balance than it already was.

With a sigh, Nadir ventured further into the house, only slightly worried for his friend's safety. He knew that Erik was wise enough not to hurt himself in the grand scheme of things, his morphine addiction considered, but he wanted to make sure of that.

"Erik?" he called out as he stepped into the parlour and found the organ completely destroyed and his friend's prized sheet music torn and cast all over the floor. He was beginning to worry a bit more about his friend's wellbeing after seeing all of this. "Erik, where are you?"

Still no response. Nadir swallowed hard and continued his search of the home, finding that the only room left untouched was the spare bedroom filled with his mother's furniture. It had been Christine Daaé's room whenever she visited, he recalled. It made sense, then, that Erik would have left it untouched, his love for the young woman too strong for him to fathom destroying it.

"Erik!" the ex-Daroga called out again, shaking his head when he still heard nothing. He knocked on his friend's bedroom door, but took a step inside only moments later, then froze. There was Erik, on the ground leaning up against one of his bookshelves, looking to be in terrible condition. Something was very wrong.

"Daroga...I didn't think I'd see you again," his friend said, his voice strained and his smile weak. "I assumed I would be alone in death, just as I am in...in everything else."

"Erik, hush, for goodness' sake," Nadir replied as he rushed over to the other man's side and crouched next to him. A quick test of Erik's heartbeat gave him more proof that something was wrong; it was fast, erratic. "What has happened?"

"An attack of sorts...I can't really explain it," Erik said quietly. "Not quite a heart attack, I don't think, but something like it. The pain in...in my arm and chest when it happens is blinding."

"And it's happened before?" Nadir asked with a frown.

His friend nodded slowly. "At least twice. This one was worse than the others," he managed to explain as he tried to adjust his position, only to wince and quickly suck in a breath as he did.

"Alright, stop moving. It'll be okay." Nadir looked around the room, his eyes settling begrudgingly on the coffin that Erik insisted upon sleeping in. "Let me help you to bed, come on."

"No, not here. In the other room," Erik replied, noticeably speaking through gritted teeth. "If I'm to die...I just want it to be in a place where she was happy once. No other room in this house fits that bill anymore."

Nadir sighed and set a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's a farther walk. Will you be alright to make it there?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Erik nodded. "Not that it really matters anymore. This sort of pain isn't comparable to everything else I'm feeling right now. Now that she's gone."

"I know, Erik. I'm sorry," Nadir said softly. "You...you'll get past this. This, whatever this bout of illness is, it's going to be fine, I promise. Let me help you up, come on."

Getting to his feet, he grasped his friend's hands and gently pulled him to his feet, then wrapped an arm around him as Erik draped his arm over his shoulder. "Just move slowly."

He saw Erik nod, but he didn't say anything else, so Nadir began to lead him towards Christine's old room. They moved slowly, even pausing for a few moments to simply let Erik breathe and get his bearings; Nadir had feared he might collapse on him if the expression of discomfort on his face was anything to go off of, but Erik insisted that he was fine and he knew better than to question it. He would only get snapped at...though he was beginning to wonder if Erik even had the energy to do that anymore.

It pained him more than he cared to admit to think about his friend dying. They had been through so much together and he had thought that Erik would meet his untimely end before, but it had never had any substance. Now, though, it did, and he wondered how much longer the former Phantom had. He had never looked so...broken, dejected before, and it was terrifying.

Finally, the pair reached Christine's former room and Nadir carefully helped Erik onto the bed, propping him up with a few pillows. "I'm going to go get you some water and make you something small to eat. We need to keep up your strength," he said before he turned to leave, only to pause and look back when Erik grasped his sleeve.

His friend gave him a small smile. "I appreciate it, but...you must know I don't have much time left, Daroga," he said quietly. "I know you can tell. You're smart enough to recognize that."

"Well, I...I can tell that you're ill, but we can fix that. Perhaps we can have a doctor see you, you could come to my home for a short while when you're feeling a bit better and a doctor can come to visit," Nadir proposed.

"No doctor can fix a broken heart, Nadir," Erik said with a quiet sigh. "That's what's killing me, not whatever condition ails me now."

"Broken hearts can mend, my friend. No one is saying that this will kill you except for you yourself, and you always have been rather morbid."

His friend cracked a weak smile. "Perhaps, yes, but...I know what's happening, Daroga."

Nadir set his jaw as he bit back any show of emotion that threatened to overtake him. He hated how certain his friend was, but he had to admit that he was seeing the same signs. That didn't mean he had to let Erik know that, though.

"You'll be alright," he said softly, setting a hand on Erik's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll only be a moment. Just rest, my friend."