The Lady Or the Beauty

Secrets Revealed Part 2 (1/2)

Erik POV

As soon as Christine said this, the adrenaline kicked in. I needed to get her to a doctor. I carried her out carefully to a carriage and we started to head to the doctor’s office. I made sure the driver went as fast as possible. Christine was leaning against me. Every so often, a scream would escape her lips as she had contractions. “Just breathe.” I taught her how to breathe again. In and out. In and out. She gasped in pain.

“Erik...I can’t…” She gripped my arm.

“Yes you can. You’ve done this before. Just breathe.” She buried her face in my chest. Her screams were muffled in my clothes. Finally we arrived at the doctor’s office. I carried her out of the carriage and they had a bed prepared for her at the office. I propped her up with some pillows. I gripped her hand. Suddenly I was pushed away by doctors.

“Sir, we are going to need you to leave” I tried to resist them, but I was taken from the room and the door was closed.

“CHRISTINE!” I yelled through the door as I heard her screams of pain. I tried opening the door, but they locked it. I pounded the door with my fists. That’s when I realized I need her more than she needed me. “Christine…” I knees felt weak and I fell to my knees against the door. I knew about her illness. I had known from the beginning. She may die and I wouldn’t even get to say goodbye.

When I came back home from Phantasma after a long day, I had noticed my handkerchief was missing and I went to look for it. I wasn’t able to find it. Later on that week, I was cleaning mine and Christine’s bed after one of our...passionate nights...That’s when I found the handkerchief under the bed, stained red. It was blood. Later on I overheard Christine and Meg discussing it. I saw Christine crying when she thought I wasn’t looking. That day when Christine and I went on a picnic, I smelled something it on her breathe. It was medicine. I knew that smell. It suppressed coughing. I added two and two. Christine had tuberculosis.

I had to get to Christine. Screams were still echoing in the room. Then silence. I went to break down the door, but the door opened. A doctor stepped outside. His face looked grim. “My wife! How is she?!”

“She will be okay……for now…”

“And the baby?”

“You have a healthy baby girl.” His face still looked grim.

“What is wrong?”

“Sir...I hate to be the one to tell you...but…”