All I Ask of You

Chapter 23

Three months later, I felt huge and was preparing for the birth of our child. 

Slowly, but surely Erik was growing more comfortable with the fact that he was going to be a father. One morning, as I rested in bed. I felt strange cramps in my stomach, "Erik!" I called from the bedroom. "Erik!"

He came running into the bedroom. Despite the nervousness I felt, I smiled at him and nodded, "Erik, it's time."

Erik nodded shakily at me. He came to my side and kissed my hand, "I hope you don't mind, but I told my dear friend Madame Giry about our child and she offered to help deliver the baby."

"Erik, that would be wonderful," I kissed his bumpy cheek and rested my hand on the smooth side of his face, "Go get her. We have no time to waste."

I laid in bed and labored through the painful contractions. I was thrilled to be having Erik's baby; I was not thrilled to be giving birth in the 1800s. There were no epidurals or any type of medical treatment if anything went wrong. It was too late to think about that now though. The baby was coming whether I was ready or not.

A few hours after Erik left, he returned with a thin older woman. Her hair was perfectly pinned, and she wore a high collared black gown, "Caroline, this is my dear friend Madame Giry."

"It's lovely to meet you," I smiled at her. 

"It's wonderful to meet you, Caroline. Please call me Antoinette. How are you doing?"

"I'm managing pretty well, I think."

"Alright, well, Erik... I need you to get towels and boil water. If you don't mind, I'm going to take a look." Erik left the room, and Antoinette examined me, "You have a while to go. How is your pain?"

As she spoke another contraction came surging through my body, "Ugh!" I screamed.

"We're going to give you something for the pain. Erik, bring the medicine!"

When Erik returned, he gave me a small capsule with some sort of medicine in it. I took it gladly. He crawled into bed with me and shifted us around so he was sitting behind me and I could lean on him for support. I rested comfortably against him occasionally moaning from the pain. The drug they had given me was extremely strong because my vision felt hazy. The more I thought about it, I assumed it had to be opium. It was one of the only drugs available during this era. 

Erik's hands rested on my stomach just below my breasts, "Are you alright, my dear?"

I nodded unable to speak as I felt a sharp pain, and a sudden gush of water between my legs, "Uh, Erikkk," I screeched. 

Madame Giry came back in the room accompanied by a cute little blonde, "Caroline, this is my daughter, Meg. She's here to help out. I hope that's alright."

I nodded in response, "Thank you."

"It won't be long now, Angel," Madame Giry said quietly, "You'll be just fine."

A few hours later, I was a sweaty, crying mess, "Erik, she's beautiful... Just beautiful." 

Everything had gone wonderfully, and Madame Giry and Meg had gone to the market to buy food for all of us, leaving me and Erik alone with our daughter, Gisele. Erik was sitting next to me in our bed as I cradled our daughter. 

"Would you like to hold her?" I whispered.

He nodded shakily.

"Please take off your mask so our daughter can meet her handsome Papa."

Slowly, Erik slipped his mask off and then took Gisele into his arms. He began to sob as he held her, "I never thought I could create something so beautiful. Thank you for her... I love her so much." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I love you, Caroline."