LOCK UP - Lando Norris [BOOK 2]

29

LANDO

When I first walked in, my vision was blocked from the amount of machines set up around her bed. The constant beeping of her heart monitor radiated through my entire body, causing me to flinch on every accent.

Right before I round the corner, knowing the next step I took would bring me in full vision of your face, I paused, letting my eyes roam the length of the rest of your body I could see. Every inch of it wrapped in some sort of cast.

"Everything okay?" I hear from behind me.

I turn to find one of the nurse staff standing behind me, clipboard in hand.

"Sorry, I was just.." I stutter.

"It's okay, it's hard, I get it" the nurse empathises, "Have they informed you on her injuries?"

I look over my shoulder and shake my head, turning back to Evelyn and having her face still blocked.

"Both her legs are broken, but the surgeons were able to repair them, with a lot of physical therapy, they believe she'll make a full recovery. Her left side suffered the majority of the impact with her wrist, elbow and collarbone all being broken. Her left lung is punctured and her spleen ruptured, but all of that was taken care of in surgery."

"You talk as if she'll come out of this. They doctor on the phone suggested otherwise" I murmur.

"It's my job to have faith" she settles beside me. "But in the accident, the vehicle caught on fire, she has some second degree burns to her face, we've done some grafts."

My hand snaps to my mouth. "Is she...?"

"She's gone through a lot. I'll leave you with her for a few moments, but I need to come back soon and change her dressings"

"Thankyou" I offer as I hear the door close behind me.

Somehow allowing my feet to step an inch forward, breath staggers in my lungs as I come face to face with the severity of your injuries.

I rush to your side, your free hand resting by your side I bring my palm inside of yours and hold your lifeless frame.

"Oh baby" I mumble, feeling the tears lurking in the corners of my eyes.

I take a seat in the chair next to the bed, pulling it so I'm right against the mattress, keeping a tight hold of your hand, using my other to draw patterns all over your soft skin.

I don't have anything else to do except stare at you, take in every single injury and prepare mental notes about how I can fix every single one of them.

It wasn't long before the nurse came back in, excusing herself as she worked around the bed, adjusting tubes, reading data that I had no idea the meaning of, and taking observations of everything.

"Sorry, can I have 5 minutes?" She requests, and I nod my head. Regretfully, letting her hand go. I place a kiss on top of her forehead, before walking back out to meet the others.

Max still hasn't returned and I have no idea how long I was in the room for, but Johan, Gabriel and Charles are settled on the chairs, in different seated positions, Charles flicking through his phone and Johan and Gabriel talking low amongst themselves.

Johan looks up at me on my arrival, "the nurse is just changing some dressings, she asked to give her 5" I relay the message.

Once Johan heads in and Gabriel excused himself to get some food, Charles and I are left in the waiting area together, a giant elephant in the room.

"How is she?" He asks, not looking up from his phone.

"She's on life support" I snap.

Silence.

I flip open my phone and scroll aimlessly through social media, thinking back to what Johan said earlier, about not making any more tension for Evelyn then there needs to be.

"It seems like everything is broken" I mutter, refusing to look up from my device. And I can see from my peripheral vision that he doesn't either, but he tenses at my statement.

"Her arm, her spleen, collarbone, legs" I rattle off aimlessly, and.." the information chokes in my throat, "she umm.. the car... it caught fire"

Charles attention snaps from his phone up to my face, I hang my head low. "There's burns to her face"

"Fuck" he gasps and then I feel it. The pressure on my left shoulder, his hand resting firmly over the material of my hoodie.

We stay in this awkward comforting position for a while, before we hear footsteps coming up the hall. Looking up I see Max rounding the corner.

My body stands up voluntarily, and he comes in for a hug, my arms wrapping around him like it's natural for us to be doing this.

"Johan's in with her now" I inform, "I've just... "

His grip tightens.

So does mine.

When Johan came out and held the same expression that splattered over mine and Max's, I could feel the tension arise around Charles.

"I can't" he mumbles and all our eyes fall onto him.

"Charles" Johan sighs.

"I can't. I can't see her like that" he shakes his head, and for the first time, I see genuine fear in his eyes.

Funny, almost, that right now there are 3 people who possess no fear at all, not when it comes to charging toward a wall, but right now, an intense, deep fear is present in all of us.

"Charles?" I add, "you can"

He holds my gaze for a moment, both of us nodding between us.

"I don't know if I can" he admits before standing up and pacing down the hallway at a heightened speed.

I look over at Max who's looking at Johan who's looking at me.

"I'll go talk to him" Max offers.

"Actually, Max" I jump in, "do you mind if I go?" 

As I finally catch up to him, he's almost out the front doors of the hospital.

"Charles, wait up!" I call out, breaking into a slight jog.

He doesn't turn around, so I have to move quicker.

"Charles" I call again. "Stop" I announce, grabbing onto his arm and turning him to face me. His face covered in tears.

"I know; I get it" I start to empathise.

"You don't get it!" He barks.

I stare at him in shock.

"All I seem to be doing is picking up the broken pieces of that girl and this time, I have no fucking idea how to fix it. When it's you; which it's usually you, picking her up from you is easy. I'm used to doing that by now. But this. This. I have no idea how to fix"

"We can help her, we can all help her through recovery and therapy, and be there and.."

I stop when I see him just shaking his head.

"What?" I bark.

"What if she doesn't wake up?" He cries.