-Discontinued- A Guiding Hand (A Phantom Of The Opera Fan Fiction)

20 - a New Friend.

-Nathalie-

"Please... Nathalie wake up..." I heard this and the soft chimes of the tune that came from the bracelet I was given by Erik. I thought it was just my imagination.
My subconscious just missing the man I loved.

But that's when I realized, I felt warm, safe. I wasn't on concrete but on a soft material that made my body relax as I took a proper breath for the first time sense I had lost consciousness.

I slowly opened my eyes to a singing pain running through my head as I winced and closed my eyes again. Even the slightest amount of light after being locked in the dark for so long that it was going to take some getting used to. Even just candle light was going to hurt.

"Nathalie?" I heard a soft farm iliac voice call to me as I slowly opened my eyes letting them get used to the light this time. I blinked once or twice before looking to the side to see Erik sitting by the bed side. He had been holding one of my hands the one that wrist held the music box that filled the room with a calming music. Erik smiled at me and kissed my hand sweetly.

"Good morning" he said to me as his free hand went to my forehead as if seeing if I had a temperature. He frowned a bit which confirmed it before he ran his hand through my hair and smiled at me. We sat in a comfortable silence for awhile as I was trying to scrounge up the strength to even speak at that point.  "I'm glad you're finally awake" he said smiling at me as I slowly tried to sit up. He placed a gentle hand on my back as he helped me sit up. He placed the pillow behind my back as I leaned against the head board. I smiled at him.

"Thank you Erik" I said as I leaned my head back against the board and looked at him as he took my hand again this time interlocking our fingers.

"It's nothing" he said to me as I rolled my eyes a bit.

"No it's not Erik. It means the world to me that you care so much." I said he looked at me confused.

"Of course I care Nathalie. I do love you after all" he said as he slowly stood up and left a gentle kiss on my forehead before smiling down at me. "How about I get you something to eat?" He offered. I slowly nodded as he left me alone afterwards leaving the room. I looked down at the bracelet and smiled as I restarted the soft tune and relaxed a bit.

Was this all a dream? How did I get here? Surely Dominick wouldn't have just let me go without a fight.. Maybe this was my subconscious just getting to me. I shook my head a bit. It was all too real to just be a dream. At least that's what I hoped...

Erik walked into the room about a half an hour later with a plate full of deliciously smelling food. He smiled at me as he walked to me and gently set the warm plate in my lap and handed me the utensils I would need. The plate had some buttered white bread, roasted what I recognized as duck some cooked vegetables and some dried apples. I smiled at him.

"Thank you so much" I said as he smiled at me but didn't say anything as he sat next to me this time on the other side of the bed.

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things. If you feel up to it..." Erik said a little worried as he stared at me. I had started to eat some of the meal that he had brought me. I swallowed the mouthful I had before looking at him.

"You can talk to me about anything Erik, you should know that." I said softly before smiling at him but he didn't smile in return like he usually would.

"First off... I want to know what happened after you left the night you disappeared..." He said. I looked away from him frowning a bit.

"Dominick.. He tried to forcefully take me but when I refused he stuck some sort of needle into my neck.. Three weeks later I woke up fully.. But I remember bits and pieces of what he did to me during the time I was completely out of it" I explained while looking away from him.