Remember My Dreams

1. Who are you?

POV Bill

My heart leapt with joy when I saw Elise slowly open her eyes. She blinked a few times, her gaze focused yet confused.
"Elise," I whispered, a smile on my face, my heart filled with relief and love.
But as I looked at her, I saw fear in her eyes. She pulled her hand back as if she were afraid of me. My smile slowly faded when she asked, her voice trembling, "Who are you?"

It felt as if time stood still while I continued to stare at her, hoping she would recognize me, that her eyes would meet mine and everything would be normal again. But the longer I looked, the more fear I saw in her eyes. It was as if she didn't know me, as if I were a stranger who had intruded into her room.
My hand trembled as I let go of hers, a last beacon of hope threatening to break between us. A feeling of panic gripped my throat as I realized I might have lost her presence forever.
Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled back, my feet heavy as if nailed to the ground. A team of doctors gathered around her bed, their faces serious and focused.
"May I ask you to step out of the room?" asked a woman in a white coat, her voice soft but firm. My lips moved, but no sound came from my throat. Tom appeared by my side, his hand firmly on my arm as he pulled me outside.
The sound of my own heartbeat filled my ears as I walked dazed through the hospital corridors. My thoughts were a whirlwind of fear and confusion, my mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
Outside the hospital room, I found no peace, only the echoes of my own despair reverberating through my mind like ghosts. I wanted to go back, back to Elise, but an invisible force held me back, like a wall of uncertainty preventing me from moving forward.
Tom's voice sounded distant as he tried to calm me, but his words barely reached me. My thoughts were with Elise, with the woman who had stolen my heart and who now, before my eyes, was slipping out of my grasp.
I could only wait, wait for news, wait for hope, while time seemed to stand still in a moment of unbearable fear.

"Bill," I suddenly heard beside me. This voice cut through my confused thoughts, and I looked to the side as if pulled from a deep trance. Suddenly, everything around me seemed clearer, sharper, and I saw Jacob sitting there. I looked at him desperately, my hands trembling as I grabbed him and tried to hold back my tears. I felt Jacob trying to comfort me.
"Sorry, Bill," he said softly, his voice filled with regret. I looked at him, my eyes searching for answers. "What happened?" I asked him, my voice hoarse with emotion. He began to tell the whole story, his voice hesitant as he tried to recount every detail.
"Elise had to re-record a song," Jacob began, his words slow and heavy. "I thought I could just go to the bathroom for a moment." My breath caught in my throat as I listened to him, the horrific truth of his words slowly sinking in.
"Meanwhile, Elise stormed outside in anger," Jacob continued, his voice breaking. "I had no idea David had entered the building unnoticed." My fists clenched to white knuckles as I dug my nails into my palms, the rage and fear coursing through my veins unbearable.
"When I got outside, it was already too late," Jacob said, his voice trembling with regret. "David had her." A wave of pure panic washed over me as I imagined the horrific scene, Elise trapped in the grip of that monstrous man, her life at stake.
"David made me an offer to bring my family to Germany," Jacob continued, his voice almost a whisper. My heart stopped at his words, the thought of what Elise had to endure while I was powerless on the other side of the world filled me with a crushing sense of guilt.
"I pretended to go along with the offer," Jacob said, his eyes filled with determination. "But it was just a distraction." My admiration for his courage grew as I let his words sink in, my respect for the man who had saved Elise greater than ever before.
"Then it was time to attack," Jacob continued, his voice now full of fire. "I ran at full speed towards David, with all my strength."
"David threw Elise to the ground," Jacob said, his voice breaking. "She hit her head and lost a lot of blood." A wave of nausea washed over me as I imagined the horrific impact of her fall, her life hanging in the balance as she fought for her life.
"But the ambulance arrived immediately," Jacob said, his voice now filled with hope. "Paul, Bas, and I didn't leave her side for a second."
I closed my eyes, trying to get my emotions under control. Elise needed me. I had to be there for her, no matter what. And as I sat there, surrounded by my friends, I felt a determination rise within me. We would get through this together. No matter what.

Tom sat down with us, his face expressionless. "David has already been arrested," he began, his voice serious. "He will most likely get a prison sentence." Jacob nodded in confirmation. "Good," I muttered, my fists still clenched with suppressed anger. "Otherwise, I would have personally made sure David ended up in prison."
As we sat there, we saw a doctor coming towards us. She looked at us seriously, and I read "Dr. Müller" on her name tag. "We have thoroughly examined Elise," she began, her voice calm but penetrating. "The good news is that everything is physically fine. The bad news, however..." Her voice faltered for a moment, as if she found it difficult to speak the words. "The blow to her head has caused her to lose her memory."
A heavy silence fell over us as we tried to process the doctor's words. Elise, my Elise, had lost her memory. It felt like a punch in the face, a crushing reality I could not escape.
"She knows who she is, but beyond that, she knows nothing," the doctor continued, her voice full of compassion. "Will her memory ever come back?" I whispered, my throat dry with fear. The doctor sighed, her gaze full of concern. "Hard to say," she answered honestly. "There is a chance she may never recover her memory, but we will do everything we can to prevent that."
A wave of despair washed over me at the thought that Elise might never remember who she was, who we were together. I felt nailed to the ground, powerless against this merciless turn of fate. We had captured David, but the damage he had caused was deep and irreparable. The possibility that Elise might permanently lose her memories felt like a sledgehammer blow. I couldn't imagine a life without her, without the memories that had shaped us into who we were. But I also couldn't imagine giving her up. Never.