Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 34: Trapped Inside

Author's note: This chapter runs alongside @__highflying's chapter 12. Link in comments.

"Aiti stop." Heikki muttered gently, patting his mother's hand as she held his forearm in a vice grip and wept uncontrollably.

"But look at my baby girl." she whispered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve for the thousandth time.

Heikki sighed, sharing a quick glance with his father on his other side before settling his gaze back on his sister in the hospital bed in front of them.

"She's going to be okay Aiti. You heard the doctor."

"It is a brain injury, Heikki! She might never be the same again!"

"She is strong, she will get through it. I expect nothing less of her." he replied firmly, reaching out with his free hand to grip his sister's wrist. After two rounds of surgery, she had been placed in an induced coma and had laid unresponsive ever since they were allowed in to see her 12 hours ago. Heikki hadn't slept in 3 days since getting on the first flight to Indonesia as soon as he'd realised Tully was on the downed plane, his parents weren't much better off. As his mother grew more tired and wary, she lost even more control of her emotions.

A small tap on the glass door behind them caught all of their attention. Heikki looked over his shoulder to see Britta looking back at him, smiling weakly.

"Britta!" he breathed happily, shooing his mother off his arm before he could get up and greet his former colleague.

He flung the door open and pulled her into his arms. "Thank god you're okay." he whispered, kissing the top of her hair fondly.

Britta clung to his waist, subtly trying to wipe away a rogue tear as she let the Finn engulf her in his strong arms.

Slowly, she pulled away again to look past him at the hospital bed.

"How's Seb?" Heikki asked, watching Britta's face carefully as her eyes darted back up to his.

"Asleep at the moment. His thigh was completely split open, but with rehabilitation he should make a full recovery. He's lucky, things considered." she replied, "What about Tully?"

"Traumatic brain injury for certain, she's in an induced coma while they test further." Heikki explained quietly, trying not to let his mother overhear him in fear of setting her off again.

"Will her full memory return?" Britta asked nervously, biting her lip.

"What do you mean?" Heikki asked, his brow creasing in puzzlement.

"She... when she was awake after the crash, she couldn't-"

"She was awake after the crash?" Heikki gasped.

"Yes, a lot!" Britta exclaimed, shocked that he didn't know.

Heikki turned to his parents urgently and said something very quickly in Finnish before turning back to Britta, "That is such good news Britta, you don't understand! We thought she might never wake up again. How was she?"

"She couldn't remember some things." Britta replied quietly.

"But she could talk? Move?"

"Oh yes, of course." the German replied, realising the doctors and families must not really know yet what had gone on at the crash site, "I had conversations with her. She could walk fine. But she couldn't remember. She asked for you all the time, and Stoffel. She didn't know who I was... who Seb was..."

Heikki pulled Britta back into his chest as she broke down into tears.

"Shh..." he cooed, holding the tiny German tightly and trying not to give in to his own anxiety.