Apex | Charles Leclerc

Epilogue Part 3

We've reached the end!! I won't say much here because I have a long author's note after.

This epilogue has 11k words, so be prepared :)

Enjoy!

*****

December 25, 2027 - Monaco

I smell coffee.

I don't know why. I drink coffee, but the smell of this one is too strong. It's like the entire place had been sprayed with it and the smell was never going to disappear.

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was a figure standing a few feet away. I had to blink a few times to clear my vision and when I did, I found myself staring straight into a pair of brown eyes. The next thing I noticed was the chain hanging from her neck although the rest of it was kept underneath the top she was wearing.

Who was this?

As mum and my brothers gasped and hurried to my side, I continued to stare at the woman in front of me. She felt weird. She squirmed underneath my gaze before turning to the door of the hospital room when it opened as a doctor and nurse walked in. She looked like she felt lost, but it also seemed like she belonged here with how Arthur kept glancing at her.

I don't even know if that makes sense.

My family stepped aside as the doctor examined me, doing a series of tests as the nurse took note of what he said.

As he continued asking more questions, I saw the people in the room grow uncomfortable. Mum looked worried while Arthur and Lorenzo repeatedly glanced at the mystery woman who just watched me with a neutral expression on her face.

"What's your marital status?" The doctor asked and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What does that have to do with this? Maybe he was a fan and got wind of my recent breakup with Rose?

"Single." I easily answered and I saw everyone tense. The woman was frozen before she hurried out of the room, leaving me even more confused.

My doctor sighed before looking at me calmly. "Charles, I'm afraid the crash you endured has led to some memory loss. It is still unsure if this is short-term or not, so we'll run a few more tests on you today. Physically, you'll be alright and the time you spent asleep gave you a chance to recover." He listed off a few medications to the nurse who took note of them. "We'll do a workup to make sure you are okay. I'll be back in an hour. It looks like you and your family need to talk." He gave me a small smile and I nodded.

As soon as they left, mum rushed over to me and gave me a hug. "Oh, my goodness. I'm so glad you're awake." She cried against my shoulder and I hugged her back.

"I'm okay, mum." I reassured her as she pulled away and wiped her face. "Just a bit confused."

"Let's hope this will just last a few days." Lorenzo said, walking forward and squeezing my arm. My eyes moved to Arthur who stayed put by the foot of my bed, his posture tense and rigid.

"Who was that?" I asked, my gaze moving to the door.

"That was Doctor Luke. He's been very kind and always visits to check out your progress." Mum answered and Arthur shook her head at him.

"He wasn't talking about him, mum." His voice surprised me because out of all of us, Arthur was the softest and most playful one. You rarely see him like this.

Before either of them could answer, the door opened and Max walked in. Relief washed over his face when he saw me and he smiled. "Back from the dead, are we?" He joked, bumping my fist with his.