in the morning light [g.r]

six - back home

It was raining, and Abi was being sick. She had been sick for two days straight, and she was fed up. She was sure there was nothing left in her system aside from a few sips of water Alex had forced her to have when she had the courage to sit back from the toilet and calm her heartbeat. She was so tired, the throb in the back of her head matching the dull ache at the base of her spine.

"You should go to the doctors," Alex said, sitting on the floor beside her with a mug of tea cupped in his hands. He had somewhat optimistically made her a cup too that sat by her leg as she rested her head against the rim of the toilet. "It's not healthy, Abi. I'm so worried for you." Abi looked over to him, pasty and eyes sunken, and then threw up again.

She had been fine for the few weeks they were in Austria, though something had shifted when they touched down in London following a short stint in Hungary. She had felt unwell the second they got off the plain, ducking into the toilets at Heathrow to rid her body of the bag of mini pretzels and water she had consumed on the flight. It had been downhill from there. She wanted to go and see her family, so close to them that it killed her to not be able to stop over for a cup of tea and a natter, but she also didn't want to worry them. She had told them she was fine, but the FIA's COVID restrictions meant she wouldn't be allowed to see them. Alex had put her up for a few days, not wanting her to be alone in the finest Travelodge Silverstone had to offer whilst she was unwell. George too had offered, though she knew that wouldn't end well. Not that things with Alex, who she had had sex with almost every night for the three weeks they were on the continent, would end any better.

"I'm ok." She assured, though it was an obvious lie. She was tired, weak and felt so unwell she was sure another night of throwing up bile and she would be a goner. Alex gave her a look, sipping his tea and shuffling about so his back was against the wall, spare hand rubbing her back gently.

"I really don't think you are," Alex added with a frown. "You're in no fit state for the race this weekend and I don't want you left alone." Abi gave him a look, relaxing against the toilet again. Alex's arm hesitantly wrapped around her and pulled her close. "You know what, no arguments we're going to the doctors." He said and, before Abi could complain, he was typing 111 into his phone and bringing it to his ear. Defeated, Abi picked up her mug and dipped it slowly, settling into Alex's side as he spoke to the operator. He seemed agitated in his conversation, eventually sighing and passing the phone to Abi. "They won't let me speak to them." He grumbled and Abi nodded, putting the phone to her ear and speaking to the man on the other end. He sounded old, speaking slowly and using a lot of words to get across a simple point. She told him how she kept being sick and couldn't eat, and before she knew it she was instructed to go to A&E immediately, the chap hanging up before she had the chance to say thank you.

"A&E." She frowned with a shrug, looking up at Alex who sighed and then nodded. "I'm sure it's nothing, I'm feeling better today so-"

"If the professional thinks we have to go to A&E then that's what we're going to do." The firmness in his voice took Abi by surprise, but it was safe to say she didn't mind the tone too much. "I'll pack some stuff and we can head off... Do you think you can get changed?" He asked and, determined to get out of her three day old pyjamas, Abi nodded.

With a lot of breaks to gag and five minutes of sitting on the edge of the bed, Abi was dressed and ready. Alex laced her shoes for her, helping her up and not letting go of her hand until they were in the basement of his block and at his car.

"If you need to pull over then just say, ok?" He said, holding the door for her as Abi got in and nodded, smiling at Alex while he shut the car door and got inside himself.

They had had some conversations about what it could have been, and figured it was probably anxiety induced. The strange text they had both received in Austria had become a daily occurrence, becoming more and more strange in nature, from pictures Abi was sure only a select group of people had seen before to pictures of the two of them going about their day around the tracks. They had tried to block the number, but as soon as they did a new number would text them the following day. Abi tried to get a new number, though it only continued through Facebook messages from John Smith. The fear that had been brought upon them both was immeasurable, but it was also making them impossibly closer. As they drove through the capital towards St Mary's hospital, their phones bleeped at the same time and they didn't even think to mention it, they just knew what it would be.