Game Over (Andley)

Spark

The heart rate monitor beeped steadily, being the only noise aside from Andy's peaceful breathing, and Ashley's as well. He watched his boyfriend rest in the bed, a small smile on his lips. Words could not express how overjoyed he was to see those eyes open again.. The kid looked like hell, yeah, but for three and a half months in a hospital bed? Andy looked pretty damn good, considering that.
Doctor's current orders required Andy to remain in the hospital for the next few weeks to monitor his recovery, and to make sure everything healed correctly and to confirm he was safe to go. As long as Andy was awake, Ashley didn't care...

At this point it had already been roughly a week since Andy's abrupt awakening. Ashley had visited everyday, doing what he could to help Andy's recovery. To help his muscles regain their strength, Ashley would lift him out of the bed, hold him tight in his arms and dance. It was more swaying side to side than anything, but one thing at a time. Andy's legs trembled horribly each time, his frail hands gripped Ashley's shirt for dear life, but Ashley would reassure him it was okay; he wouldn't let go. Not this time.
And once Ashley felt that Andy needed a break, he would lay him carefully in the bed, kiss his forehead, and tell him to rest for a while.

"A..sh?"
Ashley looked up to see the source of the weak, raspy voice. He smiled a little. "Hey, Andy.. Sleep okay?" He reached over a hand and brushed his hair back. Andy closed his eyes a bit and nodded.
Andy opened his eyes again and looked at the remote that laid on the bedside table. It controlled the position of his bed, and was used to help him sit up, but he hated it... It made him feel so helpless... With a wince, he scrunched up his shoulders to prop himself up, straining to lift his upper body to rest against the pillows and to sit up a bit more. Ashley's face dropped, and he stood up from his seat. 

"Sh- baby, no, don't. The doctor says you still shouldn't be straining yourself while you're still recovering. Here." He nudged Andy back down and used the remote to lift the upper half of the bed. Andy laid his head on the pillow and pursed his dry lips, looking away from Ashley stubbornly. "Oh, come on, Andy.." Ashley sighed, sitting back down. "Don't be like that."
"I don't like being babied." Andy whispered, not necessarily because he wanted to but more so because his voice was still weak as well.
"I know."
"I want to go home."
"I know."
"Then take me home."
"I can't."
Andy closed his eyes, squeezing them tight. A small pool of tears pricked the corners of each eye. "I want to be able to walk, Ashley.. I can't lift a glass of water without help."
Ashley was quiet for a moment and got up to sit on the edge of his bed. "I know, sweetheart... I know."
Andy exhaled shakily. "I want some water... please..."
Ashley sighed heavily and kissed his cheek. He got up and left the room to get some water for Andy.

While Ashley was gone, Andy stared out the window. Everything was still confusing to him. Somehow, in the three and a half months that he was in comatose, he had managed to live a long, alternate, fabricated life inside of his head. But it all felt so real...
Maybe that was the funny thing about comas. The brain has to stay active somehow, he supposed...
Did he seriously have a conversation with his own subconscious? Damn, that was freaky as hell.

"Here, babe. Look at me.." Ashley startled him from his daze, lifting the glass to his lips. Andy cooperated, tilting his head back a bit and gulping down the liquid. Ashley set the cup on the table and put his hands on his hips. "Ready to move some more?"
Andy groaned and closed his eyes. "Ash, it's too much... Not now, please."
Ashley frowned a little, quite obviously a bit discouraged and disappointed. "Can I hold you, then...?" He asked softly. "You won't have to do anything, I promise."

Hesitantly, Andy nodded. He was just so tired...
Ashley carefully lifted him from the bed, one arm under Andy's legs and the other behind his back. "Just hold onto me, sweetie, okay? I've got you..." He murmured. Andy didn't wait to put both arms around his neck as securely as possible. Ashley carried him around the room, rocking him carefully. He was so light.... Almost like he was holding a human sized feather. It was almost sad how thin Andy had gotten. He was so frail; he looked like he'd break if he got dropped.

"So I've heard that coma patients can have some weird dreams... Anything happen inside that pretty head of yours?" Ashley mused. Andy looked up at him a little,  a reminiscent smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah.." He breathed.
"Oh really? Tell me everything." Ashley smiled softly.
Andy laid his head against Ashley's shoulder. "You were there..."
"I was, huh..?"
"Mhm..." Andy closed his eyes.
"Well, then. Tell me more." Ashley murmured, cradling him close as he paced the room. Andy smiled more and began to tell Ashley every last detail.
He explained what he did in the alternate reality his mind had created, he explained his life, the game, the design of the game, the characters, the people.. He explained literally everything. 
"And then I..." Andy trailed off, frowning a little.

Ashley frowned as well, gently setting Andy on the bed. "And then you, what?"
"I was by myself..." He looked at his hands, which were already anxiously playing with the sheets of the bed. "In my head, I mean.. and... there was another version of me; I was wearing this hospital gown and he was wearing jeans and a Bengals sweatshirt."
Regret and sadness flashed across Ashley's expression for a moment. "You were wearing that the night you.. Um. Got hurt."
Andy looked at him weakly. "The other me told the alternate reality me that my subconscious had split when I went into a coma... Part of it stayed, and the other got me to believe I wasn't really.. me, I guess."

Ashley blinked. "As confusing as that sentence was... continue... What do you mean part of 'you' stayed.. Stayed where?"
"Here. In reality." Andy shrugged a little. "Heard everything... Saw everything.... Anything that was going on in the room, I know about it."
"So you know-"
"You read every card I got." Andy smiled weakly. "I can't remember what they said, but you read them... And I know what happened, yes. Not in full detail, though... Car crash, right?"
Ashley cringed. "Do you remember why you were out there, though?"

Andy frowned. He looked ahead and furrowed his brow. "Sort of..." He looked back at Ashley and his face dropped. "Oh my god, yes, I do... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry- Oh my god, I- I switched producers without talking to any of you. I'm sorry, Ash, I'm sorry-"
Ashley quickly pulled Andy into his arms, brushing a hand through his hair soothingly. "Sh... Sh, Andy, baby.. sh... I'm not mad anymore. I shouldn't have gotten that mad to begin with, I should be sorry, not you."
Andy whimpered into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you... It's just that the new producer and I were talking about concept albums we liked and how we... we..." He sniffled and lifted his head, glancing at Ashley.
"What is it, blue eyes?" Ashley murmured.
"I think I... I think I know what the concept for the third album should be..."

Ashley frowned, searching his eyes for some clue to point him in the direction of Andy's thought. He soon caught on, and pecked his lips gently. "Y'know what? I think I do, too."

A/N: So maybe like one chapter left after this idk.

also i'm regretting taking this plot twist, because it seems like it majorly confused everyone and fucked up the story entirely like everyone loved the whole gaming world reality thing and the whole 'it wasn't real bc Andy was in a coma' thing really killed it, sorry ://