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"Who… are you?"
Alaine's heart dropped. She looked back at Adrienne, gobsmacked.
"You don't… remember me?" she asks, deflated. Adrienne shakes her head, closing her eyes.
"Sorry… I have no recollection of anything." she says, breathing out.
"I… see."
And without another thought, Alaine retreats from the hospital ward, tears forming in her eyes.
It had been about 3 months after the San Marino grand prix. That day was endlessly long for the Frenchwomen.
Already the weekend was tainted — poor Roland Ratzenburger just the day before had been killed in an accident — and now, Adrienne Senna, Prost's greatest rival (and, as of lately, obsession) had been severely injured in an incident at Imola.
Miraculously, the surgeons at Bologna had managed to save her. Though she was put into a coma, of which she has awoken just today.
But now, Alaine sat in the hospital's cafe, head in hands, wondering.
At what cost?
Just then, the chair in front of her slid out of from under the table.
In it now was Wiliams' sole driver, Damon Hill.
"Damon," she greets, leaning to rest on her chair. "What are you doing here?"
Damon smirked and placed the menu back down on the table. "I can't visit my teammate now? Jeez Alaine, talk about territorial."
She gets a little red, before clearing her throat. "I meant at this café, you andoille." she said, staring daggers at the Brit. As usual, he doesn't care.
"Looking for you. I figured you'd enjoy some company seeing that your original idea for some has… forgotten."
Alaine sighed.
"Fine fine, sit here." shr relented, waving him off.
"So… what'd you get?"
"Just a coffee. I can't bring myself to eat. Not with Adrienne like this." she says. Damon sighs this time, looking up from his menu.
"Alaine, you best not be going through one of those 'oh my loved one is sick I can't eat or drink or sleep before she's better-' ow!"
Alaine had pinched his wrist, of which he had left on the table. Alaine smirked at Damon's pain.
"You know, your cries of pain has been the last thing of bliss I've heard in a while." she remarks, to which Damon rolls his eyes.
"Whatever, you loaf."
"…"
"… Alright, enough with the jokey stuff though." Damon began again. Alaine groaned.
"Ugh, I know you imbecile. I won't go over the top with the taking care of her." she said. "What do I have to gain from it? Not like I can get her wooed or something. I stand by her as a friend, regardless of my feelings."
Damon shrugged. "Fine, whatever you say. The rest of us want to come over in the next few days, though, so be prepared." he said, waving down a waitress.
Alaine used the moment to think. 'More people? I guess it's to be expected… I hope I can kill this jealous pit I have…'
"So yeah, the rest are coming too. But not today. Today, you two just… reconcile, I guess." he says, giving the menu back to the waitress. "She's seemed to forget me too."
"Duh, she lost her memory."
"Did she now?" Damon starts. "She mentioned Ratzenburger earlier."
Alaine blinked. "Ratzenburger?"
"Yeah. Asked if he was okay or something. Clearly she hasn't forgotten everything."
Alaine leaned back in her chair, whistling. "Alright, that is… odd."
'And making me damn jealous.'
Adrienne shuts her eyes, and all of a sudden the whole world is as though it never existed.
This… all of this was going too fast. What did she even remember?
She remembers a few things.
One, she's Adrienne Senna da Silva, 3 time world champion of the world.
Two, she was 35 years years old, born on the 21st of March, 1960.
Three… she'd been saved.
She was still just regaining her memories, but one of the first she got back was of her crash… some time ago.
She'd been apparently hit on the head, which was why she didn't remember anything.
Back to the topic of her being saved…
After the crash, everything stopped. The car wedged in the wall, the tire having bounced off her helmet. Luckily however the suspension didn't penetrate her visor.
The scene replayed in her mind from a different angle. From there she could see — and hear — her scream, even with the helmet on.
She could see her neck violently snap on contact.
She could hear something snap.
She heard a familiar voice.
"Well, well, look who decided to show up."
Adrienne snaps around, already stricken with grief and terror, only to be met with a young Austrian boy from Salzburg.
"R-Roland…?"
"Indeed it's me. What happened?"
Adrienne could feel tears in her eyes. Was this… was this it?
"I… tires… cold. No grip." she managed, steadying her breathing.
"I know."
They stand in silence, looking at the incident in front of them.
"Am I… dead?" she asks, a quiver in her voice. He chuckles.
"Do you want to be?"
Adrienne shakes her head. "No I… no." He smiles.
"Then come with me."
She walks up to him, he says something in German, and there she is in bed.
Some things have come back, some memories have returned.
But… that woman that came in earlier.
Who was she?
The look that she had on her face just before she ran off had been taking centre stage in Adrienne's head for hours now. She felt horrible that she didn't remember who that was.
She wondered if she'd come back or not. Then some other guy came in and she didn't recognise him either, then a few doctors. But never in the last 2 or so hours did she forget her.
The door slid open, startling Adrienne. It was her.
"Hey… sorry I ran out. I got you some food." she says, an awkward smile on her face and a hand on her neck. It brings a smile to Adrienne's face.
"You came back."
The girl blushes and she walks in, plopping a sandwich on the wheeled table.
"Of course I did, Adrienne. You're a friend."
Friend.
Adrienne smiles. "Thanks again… could you tell me-"
"Just call me Alaine." Alaine replies before she can finish. "How've you been feeling?"
Adrienne humms in satisfaction. 'Alright, got her name.' she muses.
"I'm… alright."
Alaine's expression sours. "Still no memory of us, I presume?" she asks, opening her own packet of whatever. Adrienne sadly shakes her head.
"What about… Roland?"
The name echoes in her head. Roland.
"Yes, him. Is he…?"
Alaine blinks. "Erm… yes, sorry." she sighs. "Did you… see him somewhere?"
Adrienne nods. "Just before I woke up. I… he… saved me." she says, looking away.
"What do you mean?"
"He saved me, what do you think?" Adrienne bites back. She takes a moment.
'Yep, still got her feistiness.' Alaine thought.
"Sorry. I'm… it means he could have saved himself somehow but didn't. He saved me." she figured. It was… an odd conclusion, but Alaine didn't interrupt. "But… why? How?"
There's a moment of silence before Alaine walks up to her bed. "It sounds like you've had a lot on your mind, eh?" she says, smiling. "Do be sure to not mull over it too much. If you have anything you just want to say, I'll be here until your family arrive."
Adrienne couldn't remove her eyes from the French beauty that was on her bed. She was dazzling, all with the blemishes on her cheeks and that damn adorable nose.
"A-Alright… thank you."
And, having lost her memory, she was uncertain of how close friends they were.
So, Adrienne closed the distance and hugged her, catching Alaine off guard.
"E-Eh?" Alaine stammered out, begining to panic. "A-Adrienne! There could be…"
She began getting lost in her hair.
"…could be a…"
Then her smell.
"…a creep in the…"
Then she wrapped her hands around Adrienne.
"… I missed you."
Adrienne didn't respond. She couldn't. She herself got lost in Alaine.
Not a specific part of her.
Just. Her.
"A… Adri."
Adrienne blinks.
"That's what I… called you back in the day."
Adrienne smiles. "I like that. Could you… could you tell me more about what I was like?"
Alaine doesn't respond immediately, starting to sway now.
"… you were… feisty. Arrogant, hot headed, a little stupid." Alaine said, teasing her.
"W-Was I now…"
Alaine chuckled. "But you were also a fighter. A winner. You'd stop at nothing to get what you wanted, and you'd drive me nuts."
'Which you're doing again right now.'
Adrienne made an… odd sound. A little sad. "Are you.. are you upset that I've forgotten?"
Alaine shook her head. "I don't think it matters. For months I thought you… I thought I lost you." she says. She tightens her grip on Adrienne, of which she wished she could do for so long already.
"I'm just… so so incredibly happy you're here. With me."
Adrienne returned the tighter hug, swaying slightly.
"Likewise."