Wanted

Chapter 8

Erik got out of bed and walked towards the music room. He sat on the piano bench and looked at the ivory keys. Oh, how he longed to play them. But he couldn't, his hands were still wrapped tightly in gauze, enabling him to move his fingers.

"Erik, love, how are you feeling?" He heard that angelic voice ask. He turned his head to see the source of the voice, his beautiful wife.

"Eh," he muttered and turned back around. Christine came behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders.

"Your father is making soup for dinner. He asked me to come tell you. We'd enjoy it if you ate with us." Christine pleaded softly. Erik hadn't eaten with them since the incident two days ago.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered and went back to staring at the keys.

"But darling, you haven't eaten all day." Christine said but Erik just shook his head. Erik had fallen into a state of depression over the past two days. He stopped eating and refused to do anything besides sit and look at his piano. He was getting skinnier and it was scaring Christine and his father. Christine had been trying to coax him into eating, but he still refused.

Christine turned to leave the music room but stopped herself and turned around. "I love you." She whispered into the air. She knew Erik heard her but he still didn't reply.

Christine walked into the dining room and sighed. James turned towards her and looked disappointed when he noticed Erik wasn't with her. "He still won't eat. He won't even talk to me." Christine said sadly. Christine ate her soup but then went to her bedroom.

Christine picked up a book and began reading. Eventually she put the book down and walked back out into the living room. Erik was sitting in a chair staring at the roaring flames in the fireplace. Christine sat on the couch and watched as her husband became more sad by the second. When she noticed a tear run down his cheek she spoke up.

"Erik?" Christine asked and he looked over at her. More tears ran down his cheeks but he wiped them away and stood up. He walked to their bedroom and Christine followed.

"Erik please stop ignoring me! I'm tired of you shutting me out! I just want to help you." Christine pleaded as she fell to her knees in front of him.

"The only thing you can do to help is stay out of my business." Erik said harshly and turned to walk to the music room. He shut the door and locked it. He knew she would probably come bang down the door, but he didn't care. Sure enough, a minute later Christine tried to get in. The door wouldn't budge so she sighed and walked away. There was no use fighting with him. He would come out when he was ready.

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(2 weeks later)

Two weeks had passed and nothing changed. Christine had finally gotten him to eat something but he was getting deathly thin. Anything he ate, he would just throw up afterwards. Christine was becoming really worried. If he didn't start eating then he could die.

Erik was laying in bed staring at the ceiling. Christine was laying beside him but they weren't near each other. Christine scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand. "Will you please eat something tonight? Please, Erik, for me? I'm worried about you, my love." Christine asked and Erik sighed.

"I'll eat something. But only because I don't like you worrying over me." Erik said and Christine smiled sadly and held his hand tightly in hers. James called them down a minute later for dinner.

After dinner, Erik set his plate in the sink and returned to the music room. He hovered his fingers over the keys before pressing a few notes. He heard Christine sigh from the kitchen as she put the dishes away and he stopped playing. That's when he realized what was causing her stress. He was. His constant depression and helplessness was stressing Christine.

Erik stood from the piano bench and grabbed some tools from the closet. He walked to a secret room in the catacombs of the Opera Populaire and opened the door. The door screeched open and dust hit Erik's face as he stepped in, causing him to cough.

He pulled a string that turned a single light on so he could see. The room was filled with different mirrors. He walked over to one that was similar to the current one in the chamber room. Erik grabbed a cloth and began dusting the mirror. The black trim around the edges gave the mirror and elegant look.

Erik carried the mirror to the chamber room and began to put it up. Once he was finished he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead and removed his sweaty shirt. He stood back and looked at it and smiled.

"Christine!" Erik called.

"What is it, Erik?" She called back, slightly exasperated.

"Come here!" He called and he could hear her light footsteps enter the bedroom. He smiled we. She appeared in the chamber room.

"You fixed the mirror?" Christine asked and Erik nodded. Christine smiled and then wrapped her arms around his sweaty torso. It was easy for her to slip her arms around his waist considering how thin he'd gotten in the past two weeks.

"I've been a bad husband lately. I wanted to make it up to you. I know you've been wanting to get the mirror fixed so I figured I might as well do it." Erik said and Christine smiled up at him.

Erik kissed Christine's head and looked into the mirror. Erik's mask wasn't on because Christine worried that the new wounds on his deformity would get infected.

"Erik?"

"Yes, chérie?"

"Je t'aime."

(A/N): There is some French used in this chapter and some past chapters as well as upcoming chapters. In case there's any confusion, I will go over those french words.

Chérie ~ Sweetheart
Mon Ange ~ My angel
Mon Amour ~ My love
Je t'aime ~ I love you
Mon cher mari - My dear husband
Ma chère femme - My dear wife