Ready or Not?

25.

6 hours later...

I had been sat in the waiting room at this hospital for hours and hours, I was starting to make myself more comfortable here until I saw Carlos sainz walk in.
"Natalia. How is he doing?" "I got here as soon as they let me leave the briefing"
"Thank you Carlos, they've said Max will be okay, he's got a fracture but he'll recover from it soon enough" I hesitated because I didn't want the words I was about to say to be true "Lance isn't looking so good, he's in and out of consciousness because he had a head injury"

I buried myself into Carlos' chest as he sat himself down next to me in the room. We were sat for around an hour before the nurses came back out of their offices
"Miss Verstappen, your brother is ready for discharge. Could you help us with his things?"
I jumped up from Carlos' arms and grabbed a hold of Max's race suit and other bits and pieces he had brought in with him.

Carlos started the car and pulled up to the front so my brother could just hop right in. With all the anaesthesia I don't think he paid too much attention to the little signs of affection Carlos was showing me on our ride back to the hotel. When we got back, Max was welcomed by many of his team who helped bring him in and get him to his suite. I told them I'd meet him up there I just needed a minute to process what had been one of the most stressful days of racing I'd been through so far.

I didn't really know how to feel, with Max now injured for the summer and not knowing how bad Lance's condition is, I felt a lot of pressure to readjust my attentions since I'd been so focused on myself recently. I really needed to know why Lance was so sorry, I imagined it was about the so-called video he had but I couldn't be completely sure of that.

Carlos wandered back into the lobby in his pajamas and eye mask.
"Hey you, i thought you might be still down here so I thought I'd keep you company, and I brought you your blanket too" He wrapped my shoulders in the blanket before seating himself down next to me on the sofa. The lobby was empty, it was quiet except for the occasional echo of water coming from the massive fish tank at the front. I leaned into Carlos and found comfort in his presence. He didn't need to speak because I was just happy to be here with him out of all the people in my life right now.

"I called some friends of mine and they've said Lance is okay" Carlos's eyes were glued to me looking for a reaction "Natalia he's been hurt but he'll be okay. They're stitching him up and sending him home tomorrow" My eyes were stinging because I didn't know whether to cry tears of joy or fear. I still needed to have this conversation with Lance at some point and maybe deep down I would've preferred to delay it if he stayed in hospital.
"Thank you Carlos, you didn't have to be there today but you were and that means a lot to me I hope you know that" He left me with a cheeky smile and headed back to his room. It was here that I knew I needed him more than before because being alone made me realise he was my comfort.

Note
Sorry for delays again hopefully I'll post a little more this week and get this story moving again