Deep Breath | Daniel Ricciardo

Part Sixty-Six

🎵 Like I'm gonna lose you-Megan Trainer 🎵

There was a moment where I couldn't function. A moment where I wanted to run but I couldn't. "Whose car," I asked Christian as I walked into the garage. He didn't reply. "Christian," I raised my voice slightly and he looked at me, "whose car."

"I've never seen anything like it." He replied. "Carlos wheel just came off and hit Daniel's car, it flipped it."

As I watched the screen I saw the back of the upside down car on fire. Daniels car was on fire and he was trapped. I had no idea what to do, how to process his moment. Grace was already crying quietly in the corner and Michael was with them helping Joe keep her calm.

My God Isabella and Isaac where watching, I couldn't even imagine the situation Michelle was coping with right now. My whole body was in shock, I just stood watching the screens, waiting to see him emerge. I felt arms around my shoulders, Max had come over to find out what happened. They had red flagged the race.

"I can't loose him" I whispered to Max and I felt his grip tighten. I saw Lando on the screen he seemed to be shouting for them to get him out the car. Lando had stopped his car and got out to help, he'd managed to help release Carlos from the car and he was taken away in a medical car.

The fire was only growing. They were trying to extinguish it but it just kept reigniting. His car was still upside down. Nothing was happening. It felt like an eternity just watching without being able to help him. He was silent on his radio, only static was heard. Then we heard his voice "help", more static. "Fire" "I'm stuck" more static "help me". My whole soul was crumbling inside me, my chest was so tight I couldn't catch a full breath. I could hear the fear in his voice and my eyes started to burn with tears.

"Max it's his birthday, he can't die" I whispered he was still holding onto my shoulder. His grip was the only thing grounding me.

"Fucking hell come on" he shouted and made me jump at his rage. "Get him out the fucking car are you fucking joking me." He removed his hand and threw the headset he had in his hands to the floor smashing it.

Eventually we could see Daniels helmet, he seemed to have been able to free himself from his seatbelt in the car and the guys round him worked to pull him out. They grabbed his race suit and pulled him from under the car. They pulled at his shoulders and I saw the material rip. They were fighting against the fire, it would only be seconds until it engulfed him. I could only imagine the pain he was in.  We saw some footage but it was limited. "Libby if you head to medical you can meet him there and get an update out as soon as possible." I was just in my own world. I had finally found the love of my life and I couldn't loose him. Not like this. Only a few hours ago he was telling Isaac we could have a baby and how much we loved each other. "Libby," Christian's shout brought be back to the room. "if you head to medical you can meet him there and get an update out as soon as possible."

"Ok," I said relieved to be out of the shot of everyone's eyes. My eyes started flowing with tears the second I walked out the garage. I pulled some sunglasses and a team cap on. I practically ran to the medical room and could hear voices. I could hear his calls of pain.

"You need to go and get her, tell her I'm ok" he was shouting. I pushed my way through as far as I could then security wouldn't let me in the final set of doors.

"I'm his media manager I need to see him,"

"Not until the medic clears him."

"Fuck that, he'll say I can come in if you ask. DANIEL ," I shouted.

"He's not really in the position to work right now."

"I want to know he's okay".

The medic came to the door and was surprised to see me a 5"8 lady shouting at a 6"2 security guard. "Are you Libby?" She asked and I nodded in reply. She gestured for me to follow her and I desperately wanted to flick the bird at the security as I passed, but I held myself back.

There he was, in one piece. It looked like they'd cut some of his race suit off and it was in a pile in the corner. He was laid out on the medical table in just his fire shirt and underwear. He was bruised and scratched. But he was awake. He was alive.

I ran into his arms and placed a big fat kiss on his lips. I didn't care who saw us, the relief I felt in that moment was more than I could explain. I started to cry the second we pulled apart and he pulled me close. "I thought" I sobbed into his chest.

"I know," he said, "but I told you, I'm never going to leave you."