Asylum Ghost (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 24 - Destler Jr.

Erik's POV:

I scooped up my screaming bride and carried her into our bedroom. Madam Giry had heard the screaming and seemed to know what to do without asking any questions. Christine was just standing there. I looked at her and pointed towards the Louis-Philippe room. I wasn't about to let my niece stay in here. I would have to and that alone would kill me. I would have to listen to my lovely wife screaming as she brought our child into the world. I was beginning to think that maybe I didn't want to any more children. I helplessly watched as Madam Giry went about doing whatever she had to do.

I walked over and took Amber's hand in mine. I held it tightly as she screamed again. And again. And for twenty long hours, she screamed. For me it felt like twenty years. Every scream and whimper of pain was killing me slowly but surely. If this didn't stop soon than I was going to collapse. Suddenly after one particularly long scream, I heard Madam Giry doing something. I looked back and she was holding my little one. But something wasn't right. I was thinking that children screamed when they were first born. She washed the little one and handed it to me. Before she let it go she said,

“You have a son.” I looked down into the bundle and gasped. There lay my son. He was just like me. Everything. And I mean everything. Even my bicolor eyes and deformity. I held him close and closed my eyes. I had cursed my son. What would Amber think? I looked at her and she held out her arms. That effort was killing her but I couldn't deny her that one privilege. She looked down at our son and said,

“Ours, Erik. He is ours. I love him.” I sat beside her and kept my eyes off her chest as she nursed him. She didn't have the strength but she was doing it. She was putting our son before herself when she needed to be sleeping. I carefully took him from her and her eyes closed the minute he was in my arms. I brushed a lock of hair from her face and watched her sleeping form. What she had gone through to give me a son was amazing. If it was possible I fell more in love with this woman than before. When I had first met her I thought she was just a dream. But then that dream became a reality. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect. And so was our son because it was ours. I didn't care that he was deformed. I looked down at him and he was sleeping. I walked into the Louis-Philippe and saw Madam Giry standing back Christine. Christine had a few tears stains on her cheeks. She was so sweet and gentle. I walked toward her and held out her new cousin. I wasn't sure how they were related but cousin sounded good to me. She looked at William and said,

“He looks like you, Uncle Erik. He is beautiful. May I hold him?” I nodded and passed my sleeping son to Christine. She sat down and stroked the deformed side of his face. She looked up at me and smiled. I returned it and suddenly felt a wave of protectiveness. I watched Christine carefully to make sure that she didn't drop my son. She finally handed him back and I walked back to Amber and I’s room. I was exhausted myself. I laid William in between us and fell asleep. I didn't think I wanted to go through this again.

Amber's POV:

I woke up and felt immediate pain. I had for one moment forgot that I had given birth however many hours ago. I looked to my side and saw Erik was sleeping. He deserved it. How he managed I would never know. I picked up my son and started to nurse him. What worried me was that he never cried. Not once. I twirled a tiny lock of black hair around my finger and smiled at the thought that he was the spitting image of Erik. Now there would be two of them. And if William was anything like his father than it would be a circus. I looked over at Erik and saw him blushing. I laughed and with a strained voice said,

“Erik, why are you blushing?” He waved off the comment and said,

“How are you feeling?” I sighed and passed William to him.

“I hurt.” I said. My throat hurt, my legs hurt, every part of my lower body hurt. Erik didn't chuckle at this. He just kissed me gently.

“Well, everything seemed to go well. Except for our son.” I glared.

“Erik, he is perfect. It will be fun with two of you running around.” Erik glared and I returned it. We burst out laughing. I took William back and held him gently. I didn't care that I was surrounded by deformed people. They were my family and I was going to keep them. I loved them all. And most of all the man that was lying right beside me.