NIGHT CHANGES || Oscar Piastri

Wake Up, Please...

I didn't expect to wake up at midnight.

Usually I was used to waking up during day time, but my brain called a full rest during the day. I was asleep, Oscar had told me while I was still in the bed. By the time the doctors had ran multiple tests on me and said that I was in the progress of waking up, but not yet secured. Oscar ran in to visit me everyday after the race - it had already been a full week and the Saudi Arabian GP had ended. Next stop was his home Grand Prix, the Australian GP. 

He had a few days before heading off again, trying to visit me as much as possible during his free time. Lando did too - talked about the funny businesses happening in F1, and how Daniel was complaining all the time of not having my laugh all the time. A few drivers even got bored - Charles, Pierre and Carlos. I wasn't used to them getting excited over me or so.

But I soon realised every time I was around, the mood usually got better. Mum and Dad paid me weekly or daily visits, and Oli, Flo and Cisca as well. They had visited at least once a week, Oli reporting the weird things happening in their neighbourhood, Cisca and Flo telling me about the horses' health. They were getting better after recieveing an injection. 

I was used to Oscar or Lando sleeping overnight at the hospital whenever they had time or basically could. They provided extra foldable beds that were surprisingly comfortable, Oscar had told me once. Mum came over more frequently to give me a wash and a change of clothes while I was still strapped to the boring beeping machines I heard every day.

Sometimes the doctors would turn on the live race for me to listen to - I wasn't able to watch, show emotions or celebrate for them, but I was able to cheer for them in my heart, just silently. I knew Lando and Oscar had both tried their best, but it just wasn't a great start to the season for McLaren.

I did have a few encounters with Amelia, but in my dreams.

That night, I had drifted off to sleep hearing Lando's calm breathing. In the dream I was back in the hospital that I recieved the news Amelia had died. But she wasn't - she was sitting in the waiting room, her knuckles completely white and her face pale. I almost didn't recognise her - she was so much older, more mature and more steady in person.  

Her brown hair was swept back and her blue eyes had shown in a shade of sadness. The usual smile on her face I saw every day back then at school had  mysteriously vanished. She was wearing a simple white shirt and some dark jeans. 

Her face when she saw me was more like an excited look. She looked the exact same back then every day I appeared outside the school gates, clutching my bag in my hands. We'd link arms and walk into the school building like anything or anyone didn't bother us. The teachers often described us as being 'unbreakable' and 'glued together'. 

"Ali!" Her voice was a bit lighter and deeper at the same time. "I missed you so much. Sit down, we have to talk about everything that has happened while I was gone." 

Tears had streamed down my face. "You're dead, Am. You can't be here."

"What?" The sudden happiness faded away on her face quickly. "I-I know. It's just that... I can't. I'm not able to go until you let me go. I know you're still mourning, Ali. But it's time to let go of me, for once, like your friend Oscar said."

"How about me?" I asked. "How can I see you? How can I feel you?"

"That is very much confusing to me too," Am frowned. "But the only answer I can give you is that this might be the last time I am seeing you in a dream. Once my soul's completely faded into Heaven, I can only view from there. Not to visit you anymore. I may be granted a few times or so, but not too frequently." 

"I-I'm so sorry," I mumbled. "If it weren't for that fight, you would still be alive and well. Seeing how successful Lando is on your own. Alive and well, watching him at every race. You could've had a family together. I wish you could see how he's growing over the years - but he still hasn't hit puberty."