When I woke up the next morning, for a split second I had forgotten. The hospital, the doctors, Emily. I had woken up, ready to start my day at the Opera House, half expecting Erik to burst into my room to ramble about the Opera, or another mistake the cast members had made the previous day, not even noticing that I was half asleep.
And then the smell of disinfectant invaded my nose, the beeping of the heart monitor entering my mind. And it all came back. The screaming, the crying, the heartbreak. Reality hit me like bricks as I opened my eyes, staring at the electric lighting above me.
I sighed, turning over onto my side and stared at the clock on the wall. The minute hand slowly ticked by, the time reading 7:48 in the morning.
I jumped slightly when the door opened, and I turned back over and sat up as the doctor strolled in with a large grin.
"Mornin'!" he said as he stood next to the bed, "How was your night?"
I shrugged, "Fine, I guess."
"Well, that's good." he said, pulling out a clipboard and writing on it, "Better than bad, ey?"
I pursed my lips and nodded.
"Well, here is some good news, blood work came back normal, CT came back normal. As far as I'm concerned you're as healthy as a horse!" he laughed, shoving his pen in his coat pocket, then looked back down at me, "All that's left is to get you up and runnin', or at least on your feet, and then you're outta here! For today we will send you to physical therapy, get you some daily appointments set up, and once you're on your feet we'll have you come back twice a week for..." he paused, staring off into space, then grabbed his pen and made another note, "About a month," then he looked back up at me, smiling as he tucked the pen away again, "Let's get started."
XxX
Relearning how to walk was just as hard as dealing with being back in the 21'st century. I had started with simple exercises to rebuild muscles, and my legs would tremble as I did them. When I stood for the first time, I could feel my thighs burning and I had almost collapsed, gritting my teeth as I held onto the physician who was helping me. A few days later I took my first steps, my legs shaking as I walked from one side of my hospital room to the other. Before I knew it, I was walking carefully out of the hospital and into Emily's car, an anti-pain prescription in one hand, and my Physical Therapy appointments on a piece of paper in the other.
I sighed as I slowly sat in the seat, tucking my legs in and closing the door. I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the headrest of the car.
Emily smiled at me as I opened my eyes, sitting up and reaching for the steatbelt, "Ready to go home?" she asked as she placed the keys into the ignition.
Inside I grimaced, but outside I smiled and nodded as I buckled my seatbelt, "Yeah. It'll be nice to not sleep in a hospital bed." I told her as she put on the radio.
She snorted and nodded, slowly backing up, "Oh I bet. I'm sure you're so done with the hospital smell. I would have gone insane, I hate the smell of disinfectant."
I nodded, but my smile fell slowly as the song Let it All Go by Birdy and Rhodes began to play.
"I've been sleepless at night.
Cause I don't know how I feel.
I've been waiting on you, just to say something real.
There's a light on the road and I think you know,
Morning has come and I have to go."
I bit my lip staring out the window and trying to keep my mind from the Opera House, from him.
"I don't know why,
I don't know why,
We need to break so hard.
I don't know why we break so hard.
But if we're strong enough to let it in,
In, in.
We're strong enough to let it go, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-"
I reached forwards and switched the station, not caring how Emily was eyeing me oddly.
"-Cold sheets.
Oh where's my love?-"
I shook my head, changing the station again.
"-Shadows and the stars appear,
And there is no one there to dry your tears.
I could hold you for a million years.
To make you feel my love."
I growled as I changed the station again, feeling tears well up.
"-You promise me each time you leave,
You haven't seen the last of me.
It's just I never have enough of you!
Feed me any lie!
Just tell me this won't be the last ti-."
I felt a tear slip as I reached out and shut the radio off, then sat back in my seat, gazing out the window as I bit my lip. I gripped onto my shirt, using all my willpower to not break down in the car. I could feel Emily staring at me in concern.
"Are you ok?" she asked me as we pulled into the apartment parking lot.
I nodded, "Yes. Sorry. I just didn't want to listen to music, that's all." I mumbled as she parked the car, but jolted in my seat as she braked too hard.
Emily whirled to me, "What?" she asked, "Didn't want to listen to music? Since when do you not... are you sure you're ok? Listen, whatever is going on, you can tell me."
I turned to her, my mouth opening and closing, then I shook my head. I couldn't tell her. I didn't even know where I would start.
"Nothing is wrong, ok?" I said as I unbuckled and opened the door, "I just have a headache."
XxX
"I managed to bring some of your things from storage, like your bed, your electric piano, guitar, and some clothes," Emily said as we walked into her apartment, "But that's it right now," she shrugged, setting her keys on the counter, "I can only do so much by myself, I'm afraid. Perhaps tomorrow we can get some more of your things."
I nodded, looking around the place. It was fairly simple, a bathroom, kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms. There was a couch and a T.V. in the living room, a few plants here and there, and a shelf full of our favorite movies. I was certain that The Phantom of the Opera was on that shelf, and it took all of my strength to not rush over to it and find the D.V.D case to see Erik's face again.
"Hey on the plus side," Emily smiled as she opened the blinds in the living room, light streaming in, "We finally moved in together, like we were planning before... well, before the accident."
I grinned, "Yeah."
Emily nodded, then walked over to a room to the right, "Well, this is your room. If you need anything, let me know, 'kay? I'm gonna go take a shower."
I walked in, then stopped short as I stared into my room at some objects on my bed. I spun around as Emily started to leave, "Hey, did you get me something?" I asked, feeling my heart start to beat.
She shook her head, "No? Only a few things from the storage unit... Is something wrong? Did I miss something important?"
I faked a smile and shook my head, "No, everything is fine. I just didn't recognise something. I remember now. Thank you."
Emily stared at me in confusion, before turning away and heading to the bathroom. I slowly turned around and re-entered my room, my gaze turning back to the bed, spying the objects that laid there.
I stared at it in shock, feeling tears well in my eyes as I stared at the sight. Quickly I rushed to the window and looked outside of it. There was no one, nor was there anyone in the closet or under the bed. I bit my lip and turned back to the objects, tears falling as I reached out to them.
Lying on my bed was a small black book, a green masquerade mask, and a creme note with a red wax skull.
I smiled slightly as I reached out to the book, flipping the pages open. All of the drawings that I had created over those months were right there. There were a few drawings of Erik, a drawing of Christine, of the view of the stage from the rafters, and a drawing of the view from the roof of the Opera House. There were a few more sketches here and there, of Simon, ballerinas practicing, other stagehands working, or of Erik writing his opera, and my heart swelled as I stared at them.
Proof of what I had experienced these past few months was sitting right in my hands. For the first time in a while I felt my heart soar with happiness.
"I knew it," I whispered, sniffling as I slowly sat the book back onto the bed and reached for the mask, "I knew it happened. I knew I didn't make it up. I was there."
I rubbed my thumb softly against the fabric of the mask, memories from that night at the masquerade drifting back to me. A night of swirling dresses and soaring music, of laughing and dancing. It had happened. It had really happened.
And then my gaze drifted to the note, and my face fell. Placing the mask back onto the bed I reached for the note and opened it, the wax seal had already been broken.
'Dear Scarlet,
I apologize that I can not deliver this to you in person. I'm afraid that I am far too busy at the moment preparing for my opera to do so. Here is your dress for tonight. I am looking forward to hearing your performance. I know that you're going to be spectacular.
Your faithful servant and friend,
Erik.
P.S. I found your masquerade mask the other night. I thought you might like to have it back. As a memento. Your performance was truly wonderful that night, and I believe you should have something to remember that by.'
I sat down on the bed, having to hold the letter away from me to keep myself from staining it with my tears as I quietly sobbed. Everything that I had put into the pocket of my dress that night was here with me.
But he wasn't. Erik wasn't here. And now I felt more alone than ever as I stared at the only object that proved to me that he ever existed.
I sniffled as I read his note over and over, and I couldn't help but smile slightly as I ran my thumb over his writing, the memories of our times together dancing through my mind and slowly I drifted off to sleep, holding his note to my heart.