Come into the Light

Reunion

Chapter Five

Reunion

That same night hours later

I closed the door to my home after a very long night celebrating with Benedict and the rest of the Ballet Company. My feet were killing me and I felt exhausted; I couldn't wait to feel the bed under me and leave this night behind me. I haven't stopped thinking about Erik for the whole evening, even while I held Benedict's hand as he complimented me over and over to others about my dancing. Where could he be? Is he alone in a dark sewer somewhere? Is he all right, has he eaten? I found myself remembering the last time I was so worried about him; it was eight years ago, the first night after he had left my life for what I thought would be forever. Now, here I was again, worrying ceaselessly about him and with a familiar feeling that made my heartbeat erratic. I tried to calm myself as I took off my shoes and my coat.

You had moved on from him, Meg, a long time ago. You promised yourself to forget him.

I shook my head and tried to forget about my thoughts as I walked to my bedroom. I was startled to see that my carbon arc lamp, an expensive gift from Benedict for my birthday this year, was already lit.

Did I leave it on before I left?

I walked quickly inside and I gasped as I saw a familiar body on my bed.

"Erik!" I exclaimed and went running towards the bed and panicked as I saw my sheets red from all of the blood. His dark coat was on the floor and I could see traces of blood coming from my opened window. I took his pulse but it was weak.

"NO! Erik! Do not you dare die on me!" He was only unconscious but he had lost a lot of blood. His hands were red from holding a cloth tightly to his chest. I moved his hand from his chest and quickly opened his white, cotton shirt. There seemed to be a bullet wound in the right part of his chest. They, miraculously, missed his heart completely.

Who could have shot you? Was it Raoul?

I had no time to think about that, I had to save him before it was too late. I quickly got my emergency kit from the hospital I work in. The bullet seemed to be still inside, blocking some of the blood flow; I had to get it out as fast as I could.

"Meg." I heard Erik whisper almost inaudible. He reached over to a necklace that was hanging around his neck. I gasped surprisingly as I realized it was my necklace, the one I gave to him before he left. I can't believe he never took it off. This only made me more determined, I had to save him.

"I am here, Erik. Stay strong, keep hearing the sound of my voice; Look into the light." I said to him as I swiftly opened my kit and started to get the bullet out of him.

I was not going to lose him, not again.

...

The Next Morning

I was brewing coffee when I heard footsteps coming from my bedroom. When I looked behind me, I saw Erik hunching over as he leaned against my bedroom's doorway, with only his black trousers on, a white bandage on his chest and some of his abdomen, without his mask. Surprisingly, it wasn't a shock to me after all these years to see his deformed face. I dreamt so much about it for these past years, it felt quite familiar.

"Erik, you should not be walking yet!" I quickly ran over to him and I felt him fall over slightly on me.

"Why can't I see straight?" He whispered to me.

"I injected you with some morphine last night for the pain. Just give it time and you will be able to see straight again but you must sit down." I laid him down on my sofa and he fell hard on his back. I checked his stitches and they had not come off.