Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 57: The Waiting Game

It was dimly lit and spacious, with no more than ten tables dotted around the room. A fireplace crackled in one corner and a rickety staircase on the opposite wall seemed to lead up to another dining area. There wasn't a single other customer in the restaurant yet.

"Sebastian!"

Tully looked around for the source of the shriek and quickly found it as a tiny blonde woman hurried over to them. She was a bit older than them, maybe in her late thirties or early forties, with twinkling eyes and smile lines gracing her features.

"Mida." Seb replied, grinning back at her as she scurried over and wrapped her arms around him. He released Tully's hand to pat the woman around her shoulders, laughing as she leaned back and inspected him.

"I am so happy to see!" she said solemnly, clutching at his arms. Tully noted a thick Norwegian accent curving around her broken English.

"When I hear on news, they say you missing... after this plane went down!" she trailed off, making a horrified expression, "I cry for days!"

"You know it will take more than a little plane crash to kill me." Seb teased, trying to lighten the conversation.

"This is the one." the woman suddenly said, turning to Tully and grabbing one of the Finn's hands in both of hers, "This is her! Your trainer, no?"

"She is the one, yes." he replied, catching Tully's eye momentarily, "This is Tully."

The woman gasped and erupted into another bout of verbal diarrhea.

"They put picture of you, all over news! I was shocked. I did not know you had gone from Hayley! You don't visit enough! But you looked so happy with this one, and then they say you may be dead! The tragedy of it! It was all the media talk about every channel for many days. I cried and cried, and then they found you and I cried again!"

Seb laughed quietly, shaking his head, "Tully, this is Mida. I've known her since..."

"For many years now." Mida finished for him, nodding enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you." Tully said, trying not to portray any lingering bewilderment at this woman's somewhat chaotic presence.

"I am more happy to see you both than you know! And together!" she finally released Tully and clasped her hands together.

Tully was just trying to keep up, which was proving difficult. She hadn't thought about the media really. Apparently pictures of her and Seb had been shown on the news. She would have to Google more about this later.

"There have been much stories. I don't believe some of them. They say you have terrible injuries and nobody has seen any picture of you since you were found." she whispered, looking Seb up and down with a frown.

"I'm fine. We needed some time to heal, but we're both fine." he explained, finding Tully's hand again and squeezing it gently.

Mida seemed to realise she'd reached the limit of information he was willing to give, clapping her hands together suddenly, "A table for two. You must sit! Not stand here all day!"

They followed her as she headed towards the staircase, leading them up before directing them towards a corner booth.

"Sit, sit!" Mida chirped, "I will keep area empty for you. Nobody else eat up here til you are finished."

"Thank you." Seb smiled, nodding appreciatively.

"I come back soon." she beamed at him, squeezing his shoulder before quickly scuttling away and disappearing back down the stairs.