A Babe Without A Name (A Brian May / Queen fan fiction)

21

Brian

"When I'm gone
No need to wonder if I ever think of you
The same moon shines
The same wind blows
For both of us and time is but a paper moon...
be not gone."

The door opens, and I turn my weary eyes to the sound. Across the room I see a woman enter. She's blurry at first, but as she comes closer I recognize her. I'm filled with relief.

"Singing again?" My nurse asks me while she exchanges the IV bag hanging over my head. Her hands move gingerly, as if she's done the same thing a thousand times. "Are you working on a new song?"

"Mmm, just adding on to one I heard before." I feel a cold rush trickle into my veins. The new fluid starts to pump through my body, and the world around me gets fuzzier. My nurse starts to walk to the door again, but I call her back.

"Yes Mr. May?" She comes closer, but her face is distorted now.

"Where is she?" I mumble. My eyes are growing heavier by the second.

"She's safe at home." The nurse's reminder echos through the beginning of my dream. I'm whisked back to where I was before.

"They're lying to you." Another voice cuts in- her voice. I'm standing in a crowd, but everyone around me is frozen as if they're made of stone.

"Heather?" I call out to the voice. "Where are you?"

I see a flash of movement in the distance. A wave of blonde hair passes between two people, but disappears before I can be sure it's her.

"Please come out, I just want to see you again." I beg her. I move through the crowd, pushing the people out of my way. They fall to the ground, shattering into pieces at my feet.

"Why are you giving up so easily?" Her voice taunts me. I see another flicker of movement in the opposite direction. I turn and start to barrel through the statues, crumbling all that stand in my way.

"I don't want to lose you!" I shout into the seemingly never ending crowd.

"Then don't."

I follow her voice to the end of the sea of people, and find myself standing at the edge of a cliff with nothing but an endless void beyond it.

I was so close this time.

I fall to the ground and break down. Through my sobs, I feel her presence fading further away.

Why did I let them take her?
                             
                                     •••

"The nights grow long
But dreams live on
Just close your pretty eyes and you can be with me..." I add a new part to the song Heather used to sing in private.

The door opens. I can't wait any longer. I was so close last time, and I'm sure I can catch her if I try again.

"Doing alright, Mr. May?" The nurse approaches my bed. She unplugs the empty IV bag, and puts a fresh one in its place.

I don't know where I am, who I'm with, or what they're doing to me, but I don't care anymore. They could kill me right now and it'd make no difference to me. Heather is gone- but whatever they're giving me brings her back. Even if only in my mind, and only for a short amount of time.

If I can just catch her...

The nurse smiles, and starts to retreat back to wherever she goes, but I call her back to me before she leaves.

"Yes Mr. May?" She appears at the bedside.

"Why won't you tell me where she is?" I fight hard to stay awake long enough to hear her answer.

"I did sweetheart, she's home." She pats my shoulder. For some reason I still can't believe it. I start to shake my head, but it's hard as the drugs begin to take effect.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you until it's time for you to go." The room fades away as I'm plunged back into my dream.

"Brian, you're too slow!" Heather's sweet voice calls to me, and I'm off- pushing and running my way to her. The shattering of the statues echos louder and louder as I go along- chasing after a brief sight of her.  My feet are moving in slow motion, and there's nothing I can do to go faster.

"Don't you see, you'll never get to me this way." I feel a gust of wind and realize she's been running circles around me the entire time.

"Tell me how then," I plead, kneeling down in defeat. The air around me swirls into a violent cyclone, obscuring all of my surroundings.

Suddenly I feel hand on my back, and my heart is overwhelmed with joy when I turn to see her standing there.

"Heather!" I bring myself to my feet. She's glowing white like the stars in her paintings, wearing a shimmering gown that's whipping around in the quickening wind. Her kind eyes are beaming up at me, and I feel as though I could melt from their simple gaze. She's so angelic that it makes me ache inside.

I cautiously reach out to touch her, and she takes my hand, pulling me into her. Her warm breath fans my face, and she holds me while she kisses my forehead, my cheeks, and then my lips. I lose myself completely in the kiss, wishing it could last a lifetime.

"Don't you want this?" She asks me, breaking away.

"You're all I've ever wanted, and more."

"Then you need to fight for it."

My eyes pop open, and I realize I'm back in the hospital room. My chest is rising and falling at a nauseating rate, and there's a layer of sweat clinging to my cold skin. I promptly lean over the side of the bed, and vomit into the bucket placed there. When I'm done, I try to wipe the corners of my mouth, but the straps on my wrists prevent me from doing so. I stare up at the tiled ceiling, and let myself cry.

Heather my girl, I hope wherever you are, you're happy. I hope you're tucked away in your bed at home having the sweetest dreams. I hope one day you'll find someone who will love you as much as I do.

I'll visit you when I'm old and grey. You can tell me all about your children and your life, and I'll listen and smile at how lucky I was to have ever known such a beautiful, wonderful woman.

Maybe then I'll be happy again.