Save Me (Roger Taylor FanFiction) [Wattys 2019]

39: Awakening

*21st June 1972*

*Roger's POV*

IT HAD BEEN A FEW days that Jules had been in a coma and I was beginning to lose my mind. I'd barely left the room she was in, I'd hardly slept and I never felt like eating.

"Rog, mate, you've gotta eat something," Brian told me as he sat in the room with me.

"Brian, I don't feel like eating," I muttered, annoyed that I had to hear this from him everyday.

"But she's going to be fine! You have to eat, you're going to end up collapsing. You barley sleep, I can't get you to eat, you barley even drink water,"

"Brian, I told you, I'm fine!" I snapped at him and immediately felt bad.

He said nothing for a few minutes. "I'm just worried about you, that's all,"

"And I'm worried about Jules. How can I eat? I couldn't keep it down, I'm so worried. You couldn't even begin to understand what this feels like, Brian, you just can't,"

"If she was here, she'd be annoyed at you for doing this to yourself and you know she would,"

He was definitely right; she would be annoyed at me. My hands shook from my lack of food and I felt like the shadow of the man I was before all this happened.

"You're probably right," I gave in.

"Probably?! I'm definitely right. I'm going to get you something to eat right now and then you have to have a sleep," he promptly got up and went to find something to eat, leaving me alone with Jules.

Her small hand fit perfectly into mine, even now. I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles absentmindedly and stared straight down at the bed under my elbows.

"R-Roger?"

That voice. Her voice! The voice that made my stomach flip. The voice that calmed me down. The voice that brightened my days.

Jules was lying with her eyes open and her hand was lightly squeezing mine.

"Jules?" Tears fell from my eyes at the sight of her. She was finally awake!

"Jules, love! You're awake! Thank God, you're awake!" I jumped up, grabbed her face between my hands and kissed her about ten times, trying not to pull her forward in any way.

"Where am I?" Jules asked, trying to sit up but I pushed her back down gently.

"Don't try to get up, darling," I told her, concerned that it would hurt her. I suddenly realised something.

"I have to go and get a nurse. Wait till Freddie hears this!" I hadn't felt this happy for days as I rushed out of the room to find a nurse. I was shaky on my feet from the lack of energy but I didn't care.

"Nurse, nurse!" I shouted. A worried looking woman appeared and asked me what was wrong. "She's awake!" I told her, grabbing hold of her shoulders in a happy way.

*Julie's POV*

Someone was holding my hand and rubbing my knuckles. I think I knew who it was; I recognised the feeling of their skin. It was Roger.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with a bright and glaring light which took my eyes a few minutes to adjust to.

I looked over at Roger who was sitting, hunched over beside the uncomfortable bed in which I lay. I squeezed his hand as hard as I could which, admittedly, was not very hard.

"R-Roger?" My voice was hoarse and very unpleasant sounding.

When he looked up at me, Roger's eyes filled with tears and his face showed an elatedness I'd never seen expressed by anyone.