Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 56: Roses

"I hadn't remembered it before," Gustave explained, "It had been one of those childhood memories I had blocked out. But somehow Mothers injury had gotten irritated when she had fallen a day earlier and there was a high chance of internal bleeding. I didn't know what to do with myself. Nadir came, he was looking after us." 

"I had asked Gustave to take care of Eli and Ilios for me." Erik recalled, "I didn't want them anywhere near should something had happened."

Gustave nodded, "So I decided to take them upstairs, up to the old attic room where all the chandelier mechanisms were. I knew Eli was interested in inventing and Ilios loved any place she could pretend was a tower. They had played happily most of the day, Eli putting together the pulleys and gears in his head and Ilios pretending to be some lost princess."

"I needed to see Gustave before I left. I had put it off for weeks," Autumn explained, "Finally I had days, then a day, then hours. I just couldn't bring myself to let him go. I loved him, and it scared me." 

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THE DAY OF THE FIRE: 

Autumn had pulled Gustave into a hug, retraining him best she could. She knew that Gustave wouldn't make it a month if Christine died. In truth she pitied him, his life was so full of hardship. Not to mention she had to tell him she had made up her mind to go to New York with Anabel.

Erik had carried Christine into her room and sent for a Doctor.

Gustave's heart stopped in that instant. Nothing was real, it couldn't be real. He waited, for what seemed an eternity to wake up. The time never came.

Erik rushed passed him and Autumn sent him a nervous glance, or at least he thought she did, everything was a slow blur. He couldn't breathe fear and paranoia was slowly filled his lungs, drowned him, killed him. He could take so much until he had enough.

Christine had fainted, she had just served lunch to Ilios, a nice serving of cantaloupe

"No," He whimpered, "No."

It all flooded back to Gustave, his mothers face, his father's solemn sobs. "No. Not again, not again."

Now as he recalled it, watching his siblings in the attic, Gustave felt that perhaps now his loss was even worse. If he lost his Mother, so would his siblings, his family might very well come apart at the seams. 

"Gustave," Autumn smiled peaking in the doorway interrupting his thoughts, "Can I see you downstairs for a minute?"

Gustave sent a glance to Eli.

"No worries," Eli had grinned, "I'll watch her."

"Since when did you speak?" Ilios scoffed with a laugh, reaffirming Gustaves suspicions that the two would get along just fine.

Autumn gestured for him to follow.

"Gustave-" She started with a sigh, "I need to talk to you."

"So you said," Gustave laughed.

"It's about-" Autumn wiped a tear, "My Mothers sick Gustave, dreadfully sick."

Gustave frowned, he understood, he was feeling intense round the clock panic right now himself, but he couldn't show it to the children, he couldn't let them know.

"Gustave I can't afford to pay her medical bills." Autumn sighed.

"Well, I'll pay them," Gustave laughed with a shrug putting his hands in his pockets.

Autumn shook her head, "Not this time Gustave. I've been thinking- I've been meaning to ask Uncle."

"Raoul?!" Gustave scoffed, "But he's not even your uncle."