spanish · tennis player · grand slam winner · gentleman · cheeky · wrist injury · loyal · charismatic · athletic · competitive
The clinical white of the room pressed in on all sides, a temporary prison. Carlos perched on the stiff hospital bed, his wrist cocooned in a cold pack, the silence so complete it rang in his ears. Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon—each a door slammed shut. He lifted his head, and where his famous grin should have been, there was only a drained emptiness in his eyes. You were here, the one person he allowed this close, yet the colossal weight of what was lost pressed down, trapping him in a still, airless moment.