NIGHT CHANGES || Oscar Piastri

Bring Me Back

*Ali's POV*

I never expected to wake up in a place of darkness.

I didn't wake up,  but in my world it was just... complete darkness. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't. They seemed to be stuck together with super glue. I tried moving, but my brain declined my actions. It was like it was half asleep, half my brain working and the other half sleeping or dead. I decided I was sleeping, but I could see what was inside my brain while I was  sleeping.

I heard footsteps as I tried to open my eyes again. Nothing. All this felt like I was ready to lose everything against the world at the moment. Suddenly a car honk could be heard. I saw the same car which had hit me, and I tried to run away from it. But as usual I was frozen to the ground. It came rushing, but it just went through me like I was a ghost.

The beeping of machines were heard as some familiar footsteps were heard, and a soft hand squeezed mine tightly and stroked it. Oscar. He breathed hard as I felt drops of water fall down my hand. Tears. He was crying. "It'll be fine, Ali. You'll be fine..." His whispers seemed to give me more motivation, me pushing through my barriers. But nothing happened. I was still frozen.

"We've done everything," The doctor announced. "But she can't wake up in this short amount of time. Oscar, Lando, you have to expect for the worst. But here Ali's condition here is worse than it seems. Her head had hit the ground quite hard when she landed."

"I-I didn't come all the way over to the UK for just this fucking news," Oscar muttered crossly as he ruffled my hair. "Just do anything you can." 

"She can hear you, feel you, but she just can't move," The doctor explained. "Mr. Piastri, as I've said, we've done everything we could. We can just wait now. But considering the state she was in when the helicopter arrived, we can only estimate the amount of time Alissa here will take to wake-"

"Where's my daughter?" Mum. I wanted to cry, my eyes were dry. Her voice was pained, as I heard three four more pairs of footsteps enter the room. "No no no... wake up, Ali! Please!"

"Cisca!" My dad must've grasped her arm and pulled her back. Her shoes slid across the marble floor and made a horrible squeaking sound. Everyone held in their breaths at the same time as Oliver, my other brother, had spoke up. 

"Dad, let her go," He choked back tears. Suddenly it had hit me. I was in a coma. That's why I couldn't move. "Mum d-deserves to see her and hug her. Lando, you did great during the race, brother, I'm proud. But why didn't you listen?" 

"I told you, she wasn't listening!" Lando argued back angrily. "I told you loads of times, Oli." He gripped my hand tightly and hugged it close to him. "She was stubborn. She followed her own way instead of listening to me." 

"Maybe we should talk about this another time," Flo mumbled. "I mean, it's just not a good time to talk when the patient can hear us. It's not a good time. Besides, I've got an appointment with one of my workers to check the horses." 

"Yes," Cisca, my sister mumbled. "Can we go now, Mum?" 

"So you're just going to leave your sister here?" Lando exclaimed, horrified. "You're really terrible siblings. Caring about horses while your fucking sister is in a coma? She got hit by a car you lot! Anyways, I don't care if you go or not. She'll only need me and Oscar anyways. Right?" 

There was a bit of hesitation from the cute boy which was quiet and grasped my hand the whole time. I wish I could just open my eyes, sit up, kiss him and tell him how I loved him to the bottom of my heart. "Y-yes."

"O-oh," Oliver stuttered. "Um, Flo, don't you think-"

"Nope," She cut him off straight away. "We're really sorry, Ali, but we have to go. You know the little horsies we used to bring you to see? One of them's sick. I hope you can forgive me." A few pairs of footsteps including the doctors' and nurses' stepped outside quickly. Silent filled the room for some moments before Mum decided to speak up.  

"Sorry, darling," Mum sighed. "By the way, you're Oscar, isn't it?"

"Uh, yes, Oscar Piastri, uh, ma'am," I wanted to tease him for his formal tone.  "I'm Lando's McLaren teammate and Ali's... friend." I heard Mum stiffle a sob as my heartbeat went quicker, but went back to normal immediately. 

"Best friend," Lando corrected. "He was the one who I was talking about on the phone to you, Mum. The one that Ali always speaks highly of. All good things, Oscar. Don't you worry." The grasp on my arm was tighter now. I felt the sweat on his hand drip down. He was nervous. 

"Well, quite nice of you to try and keep her safe," Dad sniffed. "You know my daughter likes you quite a lot. Lando has told us she speaks of you highly quite a lot." I wanted to die at that moment, before Oscar could comment on anything at all. 

"As a friend, sir?" Oscar placed a hand on top of mine. 

"No, that's the thing," I could almost sense Dad's smile. "As something more than a friend, judging by her tone when she talks about you." I wanted to curse. "And just call me Adam, and my wife Cisca. You know the rest."

"Uhm, okay s-Adam," Oscar swallowed. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Take your time then," Dad and Mum left the room. Soon it was just me, Lando, and Oscar. 

Lando hugged me tightly. "Take care, sis. I love you."  

He left the room as well, and Oscar sighed. 

"Well, just us two, like that night, under the stars," There was a moment of silence, as if he was wondering what to say next. "That night, I made a promise. To keep you safe and mine, forever. I swore myself on that, but I broke it the next day. I don't keep my promises well." A choked sob.

Then he finally said it. "I love you, Ali."

He was quiet next. Then something even better happened. Just gently, he felt him bent down and place a soft kiss on my lips. Even if it lasted only a second or two, it was the best kiss I'd ever had. The first ever kiss that ever had any love or feelings in it. I wanted it to last longer. 

He sat next to me, stroking my cheek. "I have to go now. I know you can hear and feel me very clearly. So I want you to remember this, even if you forget what happens by the time you wake up." 

I wanted to say I loved him too so badly. But I couldn't.

"Just know I'll always be with you," Oscar mumbled, a sob choked in his throat. He sniffed. "I love you, but I-I just couldn't admit it. I was too late. As I always am." I wanted to wake up, sit up  and scream in his face he wasn't late. He was just in time.

"I want you to have this as well," He tucked something into my grip. He pressed down something, the the message played. The last message. Oh, Oscar. "I-I knew you cherished this all along, so, just to have Amelia by you, I'll tell the doctors to play it once a day. She'll be with you. By the way-" Oscar placed a quick kiss on my forehead. "-I'll be with you too. Just know that I'll be there everytime you wake up or feel down."

I just wanted to cry and hug him back just so badly. But it was impossible. 

I suddenly broke through my barriers. My fingers moved slightly, touching his fingertips. "Ali?" I knew I could do one thing. At least one message before he returned to the next race. I wrote on his palm, tracing the letters one by one.

"I-I love you too," He sounded surprised. "Doctor!" The doctors and nurses burst in. "Her fingers moved!"

"We still have hope then." One of them chuckled. "Meanwhile, I'll phone her family."

I just needed to break through step by step.