Nova [Tayvis Fanfiction]

ABSOLUTE ZERO

Three Days Later
Taylor Swift's Point of View
I ran out of the hospital the moment I realized Travis didn't recognize me. The look in his eyes—blank, almost as if I were a stranger—had felt like a slap. The doctors tried to reassure me, their voices a blur of soothing words. They said it was normal, that he'd just woken up and might need time for things to come back. Almost six months in a coma, they reminded me. Six months of his body barely hanging on, fighting to recover. I wanted to believe them, to cling to the idea that he just needed a little more time.

So, I did what they said. I let myself breathe, let myself calm down, though the weight of the unknown felt crushing. Now, three days later, they say he's more stable, ready to see visitors, and I've spent what feels like hours pacing the hallway, gathering the nerve to go back.

As I walk down the hall toward his new room, I keep reminding myself to breathe. It's quieter on this floor, less restricted than the intensive care area where he'd spent so many months. The walls here are painted a muted blue, a calm color that's supposed to make the place feel less clinical, but it doesn't do much to ease the tension coiling in my stomach.

When I reach the doorway to his room, I stop. My feet feel like they're cemented to the floor, my heart pounding so loud it drowns out everything else. I know he's right there, just a few steps away, but the fear—fear that he still won't know me—makes it almost impossible to move forward.

Jason appears beside me, his expression cautious but steady. "He won't remember you," he says, his voice low and careful, as if he's testing how I'll react.

My stomach drops. "He won't?"

Jason shakes his head, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "The doctors explained it all, but most of it went over my head. Something about how he can make new memories but has no recollection of anything from after December 25th, 2022."

I swallow, trying to absorb the words, though it feels like trying to hold water in my hands. "He just... forgot?"

Jason nods slowly. "He doesn't even remember winning either Super Bowl. He doesn't remember my youngest daughter."

The thought is almost surreal. Those moments were everything to him; it's like he lost a piece of himself. "And... the pregnancy?" I ask, barely above a whisper, afraid of the answer.

"We haven't told him about you or the baby," Jason replies. "Figured it'd be best not to freak him out any more than he already is."

I feel a wave of sadness and fear wash over me. "So, he really doesn't remember me?"

Jason looks at me, his face soft with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Taylor."

Taking a deep breath, I nod and force my feet to move forward. I push open the door and walk into the room, my heart racing as I look at Travis, who's sitting up in bed. His face is pale but familiar, the lines and features I'd memorized now carrying an air of detachment, as if he's both here and somewhere else entirely.

When he looks over at me, his eyes widen in shock, his gaze sweeping over me with a mix of confusion and awe. "Whoa!" he says, his voice breaking the silence. "Taylor Swift? Is this some kind of... Make-A-Wish thing?"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I feel the corners of my mouth tug into a fragile smile. I want to laugh, to cry, to tell him it's so much more complicated than that. "No," I say softly, fighting to keep my voice steady. "No Make-A-Wish... just me."

"Well, Ms. Swift," Travis says, grinning up at me, "to what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?"

I pull up a chair beside his bed, feeling the ache of the past few hours settle in. With a sigh, I ask, "Travis... do you ever want kids?"