Fading - Lando Norris

Memories

Lando's POV

I have always hated going to hospitals. The chemical smell is horrible, the food is disgusting and the chairs are super uncomfortable. 

As if it wasn't stressful enough to have someone you love here.

Thankfully, All the workers have been super friendly and attentive, although that does not improve the situation much.

I turn in the chair next to Luna's bed trying to find a confortable position. Today should not have been like this.

What an irony, I earn my living by risking my life in a car, and it is a car that almost took the love of my life from me.

The doctors say that she has been very lucky, that she might not have gotten out of this much less with so little damage. But they also say that she should have woken up by now and she hasn't opened her eyes yet so I don't know what to think.

I was trying to get some sleep when I heard a groan of pain from the bed. I open my eyes immediately approaching her side.

Luna opened her eyes abruptly and took a breath as if she hadn't breathed for hours. She looks scared and disoriented, it was normal, after all the last time she was conscious she was in a car.

-Hey, it's alright, you're alright- I say looking for the button to call the nurses- someone will be here now, you are fine.

-What are you doing here?- she looks at me scared with rapid breathing- why I'm here, where I am?- She is trying to take her IV out, she looks like she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

-Moon, calm down you are going to hurt yourself- I try to get her to lay down again but she takes my hands away without letting me even touch her.

-Dont touch me! And why are you calling me that you dont even know me!- That left me blocked, just at that moment a nurse entered. Seeing the scene, she returned to the hallway and yelled for reinforcements.

-Why are my parents not here? - She sits as far away from me as she can on the bed, and if it weren't for the railing of the bed she would have fallen. - Why are you not talking! Are you going to answer anything or what!

-Luna...- I say trying to get closer to her again but it doesn't take long for him to start screaming again.

- Get out of here! Get out of my room!- just when I was going to talk I feel a nurse rest her hand on my shoulder.

-Its best if you go out right now Mr Norris- he said calmly as another nurse approaches Luna.

-Why would I leave? She needs me she's my- she cuts me sharply.

-I know who she is to you. But we have to do some tests on her and you can't be here if she reacts like that to your presence.- I let him guide me to the waiting room without really knowing what to do.

When I got there, Max was there, he was the one who lived the closest and he offered to bring me in his car, I didn't know that he had decided to stay. When he saw me he got up worried by my expression, I tried to open my mouth and say something but I didn't even know what to say.

-What happened? Is she okay? has something gone wrong?- he asked worried.

-She...- how do I explain what had happened if I dont even understand it myself- She didnt remember who I was- I say finally.

-What do you mean she didn't remember you? Didn't she remember you were home?- I shake my head and sat on one of the chairs. I grab my hair trying to organize my ideas a bit. This must be a joke.

-You are not understanding me- I run my hands over my face and let out a frustrated sigh.- She said we didnt know eachother mate.- realisation flood over Max and he let himself fall into the chair next to me.

We are not strangers to head trauma and their consecuences. We've all crashed at some point, the first thing they always check is your head. We have all heard stories or known someone who has suffered any kind of side effect from a blow to the head.

But she was not driving an F1 car, she was not skiing or doing any dangerous sport. She was just doing groceries. It is a fucking Monday, she was going to the supermarket and now she doesnt even remember me.

I remember that she has named her parents and the world falls on me. How am I going to explain to her mother that her daughter is not well? When I spoke to them I assured them that everything was fine, The doctors had told me that there was no more damage than a couple of broken ribs. Now they were on a flight on their way here thinking it was just a simple scare.

Max has been trying to reassure me for the last hour, he said that surely it is not that serious, that it will surely pass quickly. But he did not see the face with which she looked at me, like she was scared of seeing me there.

The doctor I had been talking to earlier walks into the waiting room and Max and I are immediately on our feet. I don't know if I'm already very negative with this whole situation or the face with which he comes is not hopeful at all.

-Mr. Norris can we talk in private?- That makes me even more nervous. It is never good to be asked to speak in private, that always means bad news

-Can... Is there any problem if he stays?- I'm tired, frustrated and confused and I honestly don't trust how my reaction will be to what he has to tell me.

-Of course, no problem.- I have always admired the integrity with which doctors are capable of giving bad news. Right now, I cant think of anything that could make me more nervous - Ms. Barker seems to have suffered a concussion to the head more serious than we thought.- I nod, that was obvious after what happened- It seems that she has a memory loss, we have done a few tests to try to determine the level of severity and I am sorry to say that it seems that she has forgotten at least the last six years.

Six. Whole. Years.

Where was I even six years ago? The doctor continues telling how we are going to deal with this situation but my mind no longer registers anything he says. I leave them there, I need to get out of there. I don't even know if Max says something to me when I leave, my only goal right now is to go outside. I need fresh air, I feel like I can't even breathe.

I don't even know how I get out of there since all the corridors look exactly the same to me. When I go outside the cool February air shakes me. I try to take a couple of breaths of air to try to clear my mind. Six years is a long time, damn we are 24 years old, I was a different person six years ago.

I sit on the steps of the main entrance and reach for my phone with shaking hands. I can only think of doing something right now. I hit the call button and put the phone to my ear.

-Mum?- I say once she picks up, my voice ends up coming shakier than I intended- something happened...no, I'm alright, its...It's Moon mum... I need you here, I dont know what to do.