Hit the Brakes - Daniel Ricciardo x OC

Part 7

2 DAYS LATER 

The race day of Bahrain has arrived. Max has qualified in pole, with Sainz P2 and Checo P3. It's looking like a solid weekend for us - going to bring home the points early. Getting ready, for the race, I catch Max before getting into the car. 

I slap him on the back of his head to get his attention. He looks back ready to fight someone, but his face softens when he realises its me. 
"Hey Maxy, ready for the race?" I ask, handing him his fire-resistant balaclava. 
He takes it but he doesn't answer, biting on his lip. 
"What's up? Why are you doing that?" 
He looks back up at me. 
"I'm nervous." He says. 
I drag him into his room for a couple of minutes. 
"Why are you nervous? You've been talking about how excited you've been for this since the first day I met you." 
"I don't know. This year feels.. different. This year might actually be the one. My childhood dream, coming true. You know how happy my dad would be if I actually won this one?" He says, him putting the balaclava on.
"I get you. It's a big season for you, but I have no doubt that you'll make it. And if you don't, you're still on the top of your game, there's always next season. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. I catch you overthinking sometimes when you're in the corner of the garage. I can practically see the steam coming out of your ear." I reply. 
His shoulders drop, telling me he's relaxed a bit. He lets out a sigh. 
"You got this." I say to him. 
"Thank you, Poppy." He replies. 
"Now, let's go win this race!" I say, giving him a high five. He takes it and we walk back out, ready. 

The race begins, and the lights go out. 
Max stays ahead, with Checo managing to swerve past the outside of Sainz, into P2. The second corner comes around, and Sainz smashes into the side of Checo, sending them both straight out into the gravel. Checo flips over and over, smashing into a wall. The RedBull garage gasps, and goes a new level of silent, our eyes glued to the monitors plastered across the place.
After a couple of minutes, Jamie walks out in tears, so I go after her. 
I make sure I keep my headset on so I can hear out for any updates. 

I grab her and wrap my arms around her, while she cries in my arms. 
"Jamie, the safety precautions we have now mean he's going to be okay, alright? He's going to be okay."
"I know, but it just never gets easier when you see the one driver you're closest with flip over 2 times before slamming into a wall of tires." She says inbetween sobs. 
"I get you, I do. He's going to be okay."

I grab a bottle of water and we sit on the floor, leaning onto the walls. We take turns of taking sips from the bottle, with 5 minutes passing.
A new message comes through from my headset. 
"Update. Update. Checo is okay, out of the car and is heading to the medical center for health checks." 
I turn to Jamie and nod at her. 
"He's okay."
"He is?"
"He is."
She gets up and runs at a speed I have never seen a human being go before, in the direction of the medical center. I sit, where Mike, one of the RedBull engineers comes over. 

"Jamie and Checo have been a communications duo for years. She had to skip a few races over the past couple of years because of family issues, but they're best friends. I'm pretty sure she's the godmother to his kids. I never see her so upset unless something like this happens." Mike says.
"I get her. I've not known Max for too long, but we spend like all day together, it's hard not to make a new bond with someone." I agree.
"You're the closest line of contact with them, after all. I just chat to Max about what new stuff he wants on his car." He replies.
"I speak about what not to say to make sure he doesn't look like a twat on the TV." I say. We both chuckle. 

-------

A few hours later, everyone is done with the race. Max manages to win, with Sainz P2. Russell, from Mercedes, gets P3. Checo gets the all clear to come back, and we all greet him with a huge hug.

I, however, have a date. 
I get a text from Daniel. 

You ready?

Yeah. Where am I supposed to go?
Why do I not even have his number?

That's all part of the 'blind' part, dumb. 

Rude. 

Go to the restaurant. He'll meet you there. 

Okay.

Have fun.

Thanks.

And off to the restaurant I go.