A Woman's Devotion (Phantom Of The Opera x Reader)

17. Mike O'Malley

Christine's POV:

Mike O'Malley's announcement to join us at St. Clare's Mercy was an event of much fanfare to some, namely to Chief Mattis. He counted it as our closest lead to locating the Phantom and Y/n.

"Just think!" He always said. "Monsieur O'Malley will know precisely where Y/n is, being her guardian and all. If he can't lead us to her, nobody can!"

From my friendship with Y/n, I knew few things about her Uncle Mike, but I knew just enough to discredit his coming as anything except a burden. According to Y/n, he was a jobless, raging alcoholic with anger issues. Not exactly the company an expecting woman wants to be around near the end of her term.

If only I had known that Mike O'Malley was exactly the company I needed.

We still had a handful of days until his arrival, and until then, I deigned to uncover why the nuns were secretive over Raoul's situation. This 'situation', as I mentally dubbed it, was a beacon of dread, though I refused to identify exactly why. But, deep down, I knew the truth. I feared a fatal case of this awful disease that the nuns were too afraid to tell me about.

And when did they intend to tell me? When things became either worse or better? After I'd had the baby to alleviate the stress it might cause? One thing soon became clear to me. I'd figure out the truth before the baby was here. I can not explain why, but that was the time limit my mind set for itself. Besides, I doubted I could bring any child into this world calmly until I had answers on this count.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Over the next few days, as my health was nearly restored, I pleaded with all the sisters for just an ounce of information, especially Sister Maisie. 

Finally, on the brink of tears, I said, "fine. If you don't tell me anything, I'll figure it out myself. I'm recovered enough to walk around some now, and I'll discover the truth on my own."

Sister Maisie, eyes wide, glanced down at her hands briefly, then flicked her gaze upwards to meet mine.

 "You are determined, aren't you, madame? Well, I can't exactly blame you. But I refuse to let you go on your own. I..." She stopped, as her voice lowered to a whisper. "I'll take you myself, but please, be warned. There's a reason we've been hesitant to let you know."

My stomach twisted into knots.

 "And why is that?"

I regretted the words the instant they left my mouth. Did I want to know? No, my wants hardly constituted anything. I needed to know.

 "It's what you feared, madame. The case is so painfully severe that nobody wanted to stress you, and in your condition, stress is obviously something worth avoiding-"

 "So I was just never meant to know?" I asked, anger rising alongside my disbelief. I checked that in seconds. There was no point in growing angry with Sister Maisie, especially since she was just following her superior's orders, and I had bigger concerns to attend to. "I want to see him. Right now."

 "Truly? Right now?"

Sister Maisie looked both stunned and hesitant, but I nodded, constructing a wall of bravery I did not actually feel.

 "Yes. Why would I wait? Please, Sister Maisie, it would mean so much to me if I could go now."

Traitorous tears! Those horrid things returned for another round.

 "And you're certain you can handle it?" The sister asked, eyebrows raised in suspicion, evidently weighing my response for the truth.

 "I refuse to not be ready. My experience with this horrible disease has kept me away from him long enough."