In my dreams - a short Andy Roddick fic by Addie

[tinuviel]

Enjoy this - another fic from Addie - this time an Andy Roddick Fanfic.

[addie]

1.

“You mean he forgot everything that happened in the last three years?”
The doctor, in a crisp blue uniform, nodded. “I’m sorry, Mr. Roddick. In time, he will remember. But for now, it’s better to take it slow.”
“But he will remember, won’t he?”
“He will, Mrs. Roddick. I can assure you he will. Just be patient.”
The woman went out slowly, while the man remained to talk with the doctor. She walked to the room where he lay, watching him through the blinds. She wiped a tear and left, understanding it was the only thing she could do.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“When can I go home?” Andy whined, rolling his eyes pleadingly at his brother and at the doctor. “You have no idea what it’s like to be here.”
“In a few days, Mr. Roddick. But remember you have to come back for therapy, and do your memory exercises every day.”
“Yeah, yeah, as you say. Just let me get home, I’m itchy from this bed,” the patient complained.
In a few moments, the doctor left, and so did his brother John. He was alone again, staring at the ceiling. He put all his effort into standing up, and walked to the armchair where one of his visitors had forgotten a newspaper. He sat down and started to scan it. On the sports section, he saw his picture, and it dawned on him that he looked older. He had not seen his face since he had woken up. But he was three years older than he remembered. He began to read, at first out of curiosity, then as something natural. It described his accident, explaining that his car had rolled a couple of times, and then it had exploded. He had been rescued a few seconds before the explosion, but his injuries had been major. There were speculations that he would never play again. Terrified, he reached to touch his knees and then stretched, as if to prove himself that he was alright. He remembered nothing of what happened. The most recent memory was of the blue hospital room where he had woken up in agitation and pain.
He went to the bathroom and studied his face in the mirror, realizing he must have been in there for many days, if he was to judge by the beard. He looked even older than in that picture in the paper, and he had scratches on his face. He went back to bed, already feeling worn out, and he fell asleep in what seemed forever.
He woke up in agitation, as it seemed to be the norm, having dreamt of the same woman. He pressed the button and called the nurse, finally giving in. “I need to talk to the psychiatrist. Now! Move it!” He was acutely aware of his raspy voice, but he needed to know what was happening to him. He needed a reassurance that he was not going insane.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“So you are having a dream about getting married to a woman?”
Andy nodded. “Every time I fall asleep. I marry her, and then she faints in my arms.”
“Could that be a memory?” the doctor tried to make him remember. She knew nothing about him, but anything was worth trying.
“No,” he laughed at the possibility. “I don’t see any wedding ring. But that dream seems so real. It makes me feel like choking… it’s scaring me how I can…” He went on talking, finally freeing himself from all the emotions he had been experiencing.
By the time the doctor finally left, he felt better. He made his way to the bathroom, feeling strong enough to change his look and turn into the man he was familiar with. He noticed the changes time had drawn on his face, but he was at peace. He knew he would get used to his new self little by little.
Deciding he had had enough of the hospital, and there was no danger, he got dressed and sneaked out of the room. He put on a cap to hide as much as he could and managed to get out of the hospital unknown. He took a cab home, stopping in front of his door. He opened it and tried to take in the changes he could not remember.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“Will you stop nagging? It’s just a walk. I need some air, that’s all. I’m losing you, my battery’s low.”
Andy, don’t you dare turn that phone…
“I’m way better than you,” Andy darted his tongue out at the phone. All he wanted was to be left alone, and everyone seemed to try to keep him in the dark, in a glass cage. His only relief was talking to the psychiatrist, but he could not receive too much help. He pondered over what had happened to him. He walked absent-mindedly until he nearly collided with someone.
“Can you help me?” The woman turned to face him and her eyes widened. She was motionless and speechless, as if she had seen a ghost.
“Are you ok?”
She shook her head, trying to come to her senses. “I… My cat is up there,” she said on a faint voice.
Andy was in s state of shock as well, once he had seen her face. He recognized her instantly. She was the woman in his dreams.
“Um… sure.” He felt a shiver, but he reached his hand to climb the tree and, surprisingly, the cat came down and touched it. He caught it in his arms and returned it to the owner, patting the head. The cat purred in delight.
“Thank you,” the woman replied, trying to get hold of her emotions.
“I’m Andy, by the way,” he introduced himself. He could not explain why he was still there, talking to her. His first impression was that she was just an overwhelmed fan, but his curiosity stroke again. He wanted to know everything about her, and what connection they had. “Do you know me?”
“Of course,” she replied, raising his hopes. “I mean I’ve seen you on tv. I’ve also attended some of your matches.”
Andy’s wide smile turned into a grimace. She was just an eager fan, after all. And she had lost her fascination.
“I’m not a stalker, you know,” she joked. “I’m Chloe.”
“Sorry, with my absent memory I don’t know anymore…” He shrugged, slumping his shoulders. “Did we meet before?”
Chloe hesitated, not knowing how much she should tell him. “We did. At a party.”

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“Look how late it is!” Chloe exclaimed. “I need to take my cat home and go to a show.” She had lost the track of time with him, enjoying the moment. It had been just them, walking in the park, sitting on a bench and patting a cat. But to her it meant the world.
“To a show?” Andy echoed, a little disappointed. Strangely, he seemed at ease with her. He completely forgot he had lost his memory, she had made him forget. She had suggested they pretended they had just met, which had helped him.
“Yeah, I’m a model.”
He frowned, trying to remember, but then he gave up. He could not remember anything. The only thing he knew for sure about her was that he knew her before his accident. “Can I see you again?”
“You will,” she smiled and nodded. “I’ll call you some time. Take care!”
“Why can’t I remember you?” Andy thought aloud, rubbing his forehead. Who are you? He felt embarrassed and powerless in front of her.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

She’s fainting! Catch her! Andy stretched his arms to save the woman from falling, and he woke up with his mouth dry. He could feel the drops of sweat on his back, and his heart racing. It was all so real that he could not avoid shuddering. He held on tight to the pillow, and closed his eyes.
It had been a week since he had met Chloe in the park. He had not received any sign from her, but he did not lose hope. He took a shower and put his running clothes on, then got out to breathe the fresh air of the morning and clear his head. He walked by a newsstand and a cover caught his eye. It was her! She looked amazing in that luxurious dress. He took the magazine and started to browse it, looking for the article about her. “Chloe… Roddick?” he exclaimed. He remained motionless for a few moments, then his mind started racing. She could always have married one of his relatives. But then how come he was getting married to her in his dreams? He scanned the article again, and found it black on white. The wife of the famous tennis player… And then his name. There could be no mistake. As he walked back home, memories of his forgotten years came back to him. He remembered almost everything in a short while. Startled, he took out the phone from his pocket and answered it. It was her. “You’ll never believe this! I remember,” he yelled, overjoyed. “I remember everything! I know you’re my wife, and I love you, and we’re going to have a child!”
Chloe remained silent at the other end of the line, too surprised to react. Then she heard a crash, and her whole world felt like crashing. Andy? There was no reply. As she heard later on the news, he had been hit by a car. He had been found lying on the street, clutching his phone tightly.

[addie]

2.

“Chloe!” Andy gasped, opening his eyes. The light was too bright for him, and he had to close them. Blinking a few times, he could finally watch the room he was in. Apparently, he was in a hospital. His brother was there, watching him in worry. The other man who stood at the side of his bed he did not know, but assumed he was a doctor. He felt his body was damp, and his mouth was dry. As soon as he lifted his head from the pillow in an attempt to stand up, he felt everything was spinning. It was all going around him faster and faster, darker and darker. Until he fell to the familiar unconsciousness again.
He could not tell for how long he had been sleeping. He did not want to wake up yet, but the smell of the hospital room and the noise of ambulances coming and going forced him. He rubbed his eyes and moaned, then he opened them, ready to face the world.
“Don’t make any sudden moves, Mr. Roddick,” the doctor warned him.
“What happened to me?” he asked with a hoarse voice he did not recognize as his own.
“You were hit by a car. Do you remember it?”
Andy reached into the deepest corners of his memory, but this was completely unknown to him. “No.”
“Can you please accompany me outside?” the doctor asked his brother.
“No, whatever it is, I want to hear it,” Andy protested.
“You have lost your short-term memory.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“That you don’t remember some of the events that have recently happened to you. There is no danger however,” the doctor informed. “Your brother will explain you more. Now I need him to come with me for some instructions, if that’s alright with you.”
“Fine,” Andy rolled his eyes, turning to look outside. It was dark, and there was a storm approaching. He stood there, almost motionless, pondering over what was happening with him. He did not feel the person he remembered. It was as if he was in his body, but someone else’s mind and feelings had been attached to it.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“He’s ok, he woke up,” John told Chloe, who was waiting in the lobby. “The bad part is that we’re at the start again.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, already suspecting what he was going to say.
“He doesn’t remember anything. The doctor said we have to take it slowly, let him remember by himself. A shock can be dangerous for him.”
Chloe did not listen to what he had to say further, she grabbed her purse and started walking away. Why of all people he did not remember her? She needed him so badly. There was no one to support her, no one to make her feel as he did. She let every hope dim. She had to manage on her own, and be it as God wished. She knew one day he would remember her, and come after her.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“Are you going to hit that ball today?” John urged his brother. He knew he did it deliberately to annoy him.
Andy shook his head, a little disappointed. It was the first time he would play after a long recovery. He might have lost his memory, but not when it came to tennis. He had trained hard over the past week, nervous about the upcoming tour. He sat with his back on the grass, put his arms under his head and looked at the bright sky.
“Ok, spill it,” John said, sitting down next to him.
“I feel something’s missing,” Andy confessed. “I thought it was tennis, that it would go away once I get back on tour, but now I know it’s not that. It’s something else.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. But I always have this feeling, it’s been there since I woke up in that hospital room. It’s months and I can’t remember. What if I never will?” he asked, terrified by the perspective.
“You will, where’s the optimism?”
“I left it home, I didn’t want to pay a high tax for heavy luggage,” Andy grinned. “You know what? I don’t want to practice anymore. I’ll go do some sightseeing,” he announced, suddenly standing up.
Something inside him told him he could find what he was looking for. He passed by the crowd that had gathered around the court and headed for the showers. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the soothing feeling of the water. Like every time, she was there. A ghost, always out of his reach.
In the beginning, he had been afraid, not understanding what was going on. He had had the same dream almost every day, and it involved the same woman. He knew nothing about her, but wanted to discover everything.
He sat in his car and contemplated where to go. It was a large city, there were many things to see. While he was still thinking, a pigeon landed on his hood. “Now that’s an idea, little guy,” Andy smiled.
Reaching his destination, he mingled in the crowd, looking for her. He knew how silly it was, looking for an unknown woman in an unfamiliar city. But he felt relieved and happy when he saw her sitting on the steps of a building, eating ice cream.
“Chloe?”
She lifted her eyes to watch him, not believing her ears. “You’re here,” she whispered.
Then an awkward silence settled. He sat down next to her, wondering what to say next. He had never thought what he would tell her once he met her. He had not even known if she was real or just a figment of his imagination. He coughed, clearing his voice.
“I’ve… I’ve had a car accident. Two, actually,” he smiled. “I dream of you, and I know your name is Chloe. And today something drew me here. But I don’t know anything else,” he shrugged, embarrassed.
“We’ve known each other for a while,” she replied, praying he would remember. “We were getting along very well before I got married.”
“You’re married?” he blinked, surprised and jealous.
“Yes. To the most wonderful man in the world,” she added, standing up. “I’m going, my baby is sending me signals he wants to rest.”
“Your baby?” Andy echoed.
“I’m pregnant,” Chloe nodded, standing up.
Barely then he realized what she was hiding under the large blouse. She was radiating, touching her bump. “He’s playful just like his father,” she chuckled. “It was nice seeing you again.”
“You too,” he agreed. It had been nice, but it had been painful too. Meeting her made him realize he was in love with her. But she was already taken. “Will you come to my match tomorrow?”
“Sure,” she answered after a moment’s thinking. There was nothing harmful in that, was it? After all, he had returned in her life, one way or the other.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Andy looked at his box, and noticed John was the only person in it. She hadn’t come. With every passing second, he grew more agitated. What if she wouldn’t come at all? What if he lost her when he had just found her?
After she had left the previous day, he had remained stuck to the spot for hours. He had been thinking, trying to remember, and putting the pieces of the puzzle that was his life together. Then it had all clicked. She had mentioned a husband, and in his dreams he was getting married to her, not another man. When he came back to his senses, it was dark and the square was almost deserted. By that time, he was already feeling calm.
When he looked again, she was there, talking to his brother as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. He smiled and waved them. In no time, everything and everyone disappeared, and the only left were his opponent, the court, and the balls. Now and then, he would look at Chloe, and her smile gave him strength. It also gave him the wish to finish sooner so they could catch up. He waited patiently until the umpire announced the end, then he left the court, having been declared the winner. He sure felt like one. He followed his normal routine, and then went back to the court, which was empty. He was disappointed, and headed back for the lockers, walking slowly and counting the tiles. He stopped short when he saw a pair of feet. He’d recognize them anywhere. He looked upper and upper, and his whole state changed. Chloe was radiant. It was not just her mouth smiling, it was her eyes.
“You know,” she whispered, lacing her fingers with his.
“Everything,” Andy replied, forgetting his earlier alarm. “Why didn’t you stay on the court?”
“Because I knew you’d find me,” she explained as she let him wrap his arms around her. “You’re not going to lose your memory again, are you?” Chloe pleaded.
“If it depends on me, no,” he promised.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“Do you realize how many miracles have come our way?” Andy asked, watching his baby girl breathe calmly in her sleep.
“We’re never short of them,” Chloe agreed as their eyes met.
“I never thought I’d say this, but she’s beautiful. With her crying and keeping us awake and all…” he darted his tongue out.
At first, he had been overenthusiastic about his daughter, but when he had set eyes on her she was so little and messy that he was afraid. After being groomed, she looked infinitely better, but he was still worried that he might hurt her in some way. She was wrapped in a pink blanket which he had got a few days before her birth. Then she had been brought home, annoying him with her yells. He could swear she was like a little beast by how loud she cried. But the moment she had smiled at seeing him had him wrapped around her finger for good. She was a part of him, and a part of Chloe. The best they could get.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“I’ll get the bags out of the car, you take her inside,” Chloe suggested as she laid her daughter in Andy’s arms.
He cuddled her and started walking towards the house, almost reaching the door when he heard the sound of a car crash. He turned around praying Chloe was alright, and ran to her. She seemed to be unharmed physically, she did not even have a scratch. But her head had touched the pavement and the impact seemed to have been serious. The driver of the other car was already calling an ambulance, and all he had left was wait. The minutes turned into hours, and then into days, until she finally opened her eyes. She saw a man asleep on her bed, and she shook his hand to make him react.
“You woke up,” Andy smiled in relief.
“Who are you?” Chloe frowned, not understanding how the hospital had allowed a stranger to remain in her room.