"How have you been my dear?" Landos' Grandmother gave Leah a side hug. She was walking around with them. Lando was showing them around his paddock and Leah wanted to see them.
"I'm doing great, how are you?" Leah kissed the older woman's cheek getting a big smile in return.
"I'm happy, now that I get to see Lando and my grandaughter once again when has been the last time I got to see you both?" She asked as they walked with their arms linked.
"Probably around family Christmas so almost a year ago," Leah laughed a little. They did always have a busy schedule.
"That is too long my dear, too long, we will come to visit you both more often, I like to see my grand kitten too, little Pippin, that is such an adorable name," She smiled at Leah. The rest of the group was several steps ahead of her. She hadn't told any of them that she couldn't get pregnant or carry to full term. She didn't want any of them to feel bad or judge her. She knew they wouldn't judge, but it was one of her irrational fears.
"Leah! Leah!" She looked back to see Cassidy running for her. Leah's new bodyguards were still behind her a few ways back. Their names were Eric and Philip. She called them the princes because of their names. Prince Eric and Philip from Disney movies. She thought it was funny, no one else did.
"What's up? Time to go already?" Leah asked as Lando came to stand by her now as well as the rest of his family circling around.
"Yeah, Christina also needs to talk to you," Cassidy hunched over a little catching her breath.
"You could have just radioed Eric," Leah smiled and patted her friend's shoulder. Cassidy held up her middle finger and Leah laughed.
"It was good seeing you again, I will see you all after Quali," She quickly hugged Lando's grandparents and parents.
"See you later Baby, I love you," Lando kissed her quickly as she smiled at him.
"Get pole," She pointed at him as he smiled.
"I think you are more likely to get pole," He told her as they pinky promised before she was escorted back to her paddock as well. She saw Christian get off the phone and then he waved her over.
"Hey, you wanted to talk to me," Leah smiled at him, but Christian wasn't smiling.
"Yeah, after this, I would like you to get checked out by a doctor this evening, would you have time for that?" He asked as his eyes wandered behind her frantically like he was searching for someone.
"Uh, yeah, sure, but why?" Leah asked.
"It's just a concern that came up in our meeting, I know you've had your weekly checkups as well, but this one is going to be more in-depth," Christian patted her shoulder a few times. He took a deep breath. "Good luck out there today, go beat Max." He winked at her. She nodded and went back to her car getting ready. She put on her balaclava and zipped up her suit. Once her helmet was on she slid into her seat.
"You ready?" Isabella radioed. Leah gave her a thumbs up.
"Born ready Iz," Leah smiled as she put her visor down.
"You nervous?" Isabella asked. Leah was waved forward out of the pit lane and off she went. "You've got a lot of people here."
"I know," Leah laughed. "Are you trying to mess me up right now?"
"No, I was genuinely asking," Isabella smiled. "I love you, you know that right?"
"Of course, I do," Leah smiled. "Ready for a flying lap?"
"Clear to go," She radioed back. "Kill it." Leah smiled and took off. She make it around the 4th corner she had to slow down a bunch, the bad part about this track was that she couldn't get her speed out fast enough and she wasn't allowed to use DRS during Quali.
"Now every go chop breakfast! Shay oh, nah!" Leah started singing as she went. "Shayo oh, igbo-oh, you go bow for the result, oh, nothing to discuss, oh, 'cause I dey win by default, and without any doubt, oh, omo, me, I be adult, oh, I no go fit take your-I no go fit take your insult!" Leah sang her heart out as she went faster and faster.
"Leah, what are you singing?" Isabella asked.
"One of Lando's songs, I need igbo and shayo! Shayo. I need igbo and shayo!" She sang again as she crossed the line setting the fasted lap.
"You've got the fastest lap as of right now," Isabella told her.
"That was my first lap of course I have the fastest lap," Leah laughed a little at her come back. "Sorry, am I good to go for another one?"
"Yes, clear, for another, you have fifteen minutes remaining in Quali one," Isabella reasoned.
"When it gets closer to time, would you tell me the whole order please?" Leah asked. Isabella always told her the order after each Quali, but it never changed.
"Yes?" Isabella responded confused why she even asked.
"That was an unsure answer," Leah laughed.
"Yeah, I will tell you, but I always tell you," Isabella looked over at Cassidy confused.
"Oh, do you?" Leah laughed a little. "Sorry, I uh, must have forgotten I have a lot on my mind, sorry Iz, my bad."
"No, no, no Leah you are alright, stay to the left for now. Leclerc is coming your way fast." Isabella reasoned. Leah watched as the red Ferarri soared past her followed by another red car.
"Are both Ferraris following one another?" Leah asked as she stayed on the outside.
"Yeah mostly, eight more minutes in Quali one. You are P8," Isabella told her. "Good for a lap?" Leah smiled and went out she hummed to herself as she went around the sharper corners.
"Just so you know this track is horrible for this car," Leah reasoned as she slowed around corner thirteen again.
"I know that Christian was talking about it at the briefing as well," Isabella added. "We were working on adaptations for faster turns, so you should be fine for next season."
"Oh, sweet," Leah slowed down and went to the outside.
"You've got Lando and Pscar coming up to your left, stay right, so you're out of their way on a turn," Isabella instructed and Leah did as she was told staying clear as both of their silver and orange cars passed.
"I love their new livery's although ours is amazing too, there's just seem to be much faster. I think those modifications they added to Lando's worked," Leah smiled. She was thinking about how excited Lanod probably felt finally being in a fast car.
"Alright Quali one is over, come pit," Isabella instructed. Leah brought the car in as her tires were changed. "Lando, Leclerc, you, Russel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll, Albon, Gasly, Hulkenburg, Ocon, Bottas, Sainz, Sargent, and Piastri. Those who were out are Alonso, Tsunoda, Guanyu, De Vries, Magnussen." Isabella told her.
"Good for Lando. Oscar almost got out, but he will do better this time. He was looking good for a while. Poor Nyck though damn," Leah sighed as she went back out. She was feeling really lightheaded again. She had been feeling that way since a few races ago, out of nowhere. It wasn't after a crash or anything. So she'd been trying to drink more water and eat better foods while she trained.
"Iz?" Leah muttered as she took a deep breath.
"Yes?"
"I'm not," Leah took in another sharp breath blinking hard. "Ho much longer?" She asked.
"Why, are you alright? What's wrong?" Isabella asked. Suddenly Cassidy and Daniel appeared next to Isabella as they listened to Leah's harsh breathing.
"I just feel a little lightheaded is all," Leah muttered. "How much time?"
"You have ten more minutes in this session, then another ten after, is it the car? Is there any other kind of pain?" Cassidy asked now as the three of them looked at one another concerned. "Maybe sip some of the water."
"No cause I already have to pee," Leah sighed. "Let me just try and get through this first and then I'll worry about what I did wrong later."
"do you want us to sing for you?" Daniel asked suddenly which made Leah smile.
"Hey Danny," Her voice was quiet which alerted the two of them that she really wasn't feeling well. "I'm good, but thank you. You do have a wonderful singing voice."
"I wouldn't mind," Daniel smiled as he radioed back to her.
"Yeah, I'm trying my hardest not to clip these corners right now."
"Are you on your period?" Isabella asked suddenly hoping to rule things out.
"No, had that last week," Leah breathed as she got to the side of the track out of others' way. "Am I dow any amount of time right now?"
"You have eight minutes left," Isabella grimaced.
"For fucks sake," Leah shook her head. "I just want this to be over with honestly. I feel horrible right now."
"Well just push, I know it's hard, but all you have to do is get your final position," Isabella added as she leaned against the table in from of her staring at Cassidy and Daniel. She turned off her radio and the other two did the same.
"Do you think it's cancer-related or food?" Isabella asked.
"She's been eating well as of lately, so I don't think it's that and she said she'd been drinking water as well, but her doctors haven't said anything when she goes in for her screenings," Cassidy explained.
"I don't know what it could be then," Isabella shook her head and turned on her radio once more. "You are clear for a flying lap if you would like one? You are currently P1 still."
"What's the time difference?" Leah asked.
"Max is 0.018 behind," Isabella informed her. Leah sighed and went off for another fast lap. She was dreading going another round of this. Each turn it felt like her brain was being pulled out of her ears. She'd never had that happen before. "You didn't fall or anything right?"
"No, Iz," Leah smiled a little. "Let's just finish the race and then deal with that all later."
"Alright, You, Max, Piastri, Lando, Albon, Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, Gasly, and Russel. The ones who are out are Hulkenburg, Stroll, Ocon, Sargent, and Bottas. All you have to do is get a fast lap and then we can retire the car." Isabella reasoned.
"But there isn't anything wrong with the car?" Leah asked as she pitted once more. As they changed her tires she closed her eyes for a moment.
"Yes, but three is something wrong with you if you get a good lap time in then we can pull you and you will be safe," Isabella explained. "So let's get a good time."
"Got it," Leah muttered as she went out for a fast lap.
"Oh I also forgot to tell you that Max ran into the Pit lane wall earlier, which was extremely funny," Cassidy radioed in as she laughed.
"Really? Into the pit lane wall?" Leah smiled a bit thinking about it, but her mind felt a little cloudy and it hurt to think super hard.
"Yeah, so after you get out of that car and feel better we should bug him about it, okay?" Cassidy asked. She was trying to cheer Leah up just a little bit so she could get through this lap.
"OhI definitely will," Leah breathed as she took a corner a little too sharp clipping her rear wing and causing some damage. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Leah finished her lap.
"You are P3, even with the damage to the wind, but you have to retire the car now to get it looked at," Isabella reasoned. Leah shook her head and went into the pit lane with her hands over her face as they wheeled her back into the paddock. She took out her steering wheel and handed it to the mechanics as she pushed herself up. She paused for a moment and then got out completely as she stumbled a bit.
"Hey," Daniel grabbed onto her making sure she put all her weight into him. He helped her to her driver's room. She took off her helmet. Daniel let go of her for one moment to close the door before any cameras could see anything, but she melted to the floor. Her knees hit first and then her chest. "Leah!" Daniel knelt down beside her as he yanked off her balaclava and rolled her onto her back. The door was swung open nearly missing Leah's feet.
"What is happening?" Christian asked as she rushed in tossing the door closed behind him. It opened again and Cassidy looked in. "Go get the doctor!"
"She just passed out, she was saying she was light-headed during the raced, but that was all," Daniel muttered as he tapped her face lightly. "Leah, honey, I need you to wake up for me, come on." He hit her head a few times, but Christian grabbed his hand.
"You have to be more gentle, she could have head damage, I need her to be looked at thoroughly before you start hitting her and everything," Christian ran his hands through his hair and then looked around. He found her water bottle in the corner and poured it all over her face. She gasped and shot up suddenly. Her body fell over onto Christian as she coughed a few times.
"What the hell?" She blinked a few times and slowly wiped her face.
"Leah, what is happening?" Christian asked, but Leah just shook her head.
"I don't know," she wiped her eyes and looked over at Daniel. "When did you get there?"
"I helped you into the room," Daniel reasoned, but Leah just stared at him. She looked up at Christian confused as well.
"How long have you both been here, when did I stop the race?" She asked suddenly becoming more and more alert.
"Leah, you damaged the car and were complaining about lightheadedness the entire time," Daniel reasoned as Christian slowly helped her stand up.
"I don't remember that," Leah rubbed her hair back from her face. "Although I still feel sluggish and my head feels cloudy still, that's all," Leah reasoned as she took a deep breath and gripped Christian's arm as she closed her eyes. "Sorry wave of lightheadedness."
"We have the doctor coming to look at you so just sit down for a minute, we will get you another water," Christian nodded to Daniel who left the room.
"Don't tell Lando, please don't tell Lando," Leah breathed as she unzipped her suit. She wiped the water from her neck onto her pants as she sat there. "I don't understand what's happening to me."
"I just want you to get looked at before anything else," Christian whispered. The door opened and Cassidy came in followed by the doctor. Isabella was behind him with Pippin. Daniel came in behind them with another water.
"Good, no one tells Lando about this please, he has a lot of families here and he needs to do good for the race tomorrow," Leah reasoned as she was handed the water. The three of them nodded and the Doctor took the place of Christian.
"He has a right to know though Leah," Daniel reminded her. She nodded and took a sip.
"Yeah, but not now, he needs to focus and he has a family with him, he doesn't need this," Leah took a deep breath and then allowed the doctor to evaluate her. He drew some of her blood and gave her some electrolytes saying that nothing would be official until tonight when he could do a CT scan of her head.
"You don't need to do an MRI?" Leah asked as she was handed Pippin.
"No, I do not need to," The doctor pulled Christian to the side and whispered to him before he left the room. Leah was sitting there petting Pippin trying to ignore the last hour.
"Lando got second place," Isabella told her as she cracked her fingers. Leah smiled and went to stand up, but stumbled a bit, she held Pip close to her chest so she wouldn't hurt him.
"You need to stay in here for a while, alright, we can let you know when he is done with his interviews and everything," Daniel reasoned as he left the room.
"Please make sure Lando doesn't find out I wasn't feeling well or I have a doctor's visit tonight, I need him to be focused," Leah rubbed her head.
"We promise," Cassidy gave her a tight smile before the other three left her alone with her kitten.
"What do you think is happening? What were you whispering about?" Isabella hissed as she pulled Christian to the side. He stared at her for a few moments slightly offended she would talk to him that way.
"It's none of your business," He mumbled.
"If it's Leah, it's my business," Cassidy argued as she stood in front of him as well. He sighed and looked back at her door.
"I don't know anything for sure, so I won't say anything just yet, but I fear it may be some past head injury that could be affecting her," Christian told the two women in front of them. He let it settle in before he left them there. He had to go congratulate Max and talk to the press. Isabella and Cassidy both stared at one another not being able to say a word.
Isabella was worried about what would happen to Leah the next time she crashed and Cassidy was worried about if it was true, what that would mean for Leah. Her whole life has been about formula one and racing. If she can't do that anymore. If she can't race for her family, she didn't know what that would do to her.