Beyond the limit

blood runs thicker than water

The situation between George and Kiara was quickly forgotten because the 2022 F1 season started. The pair was busy with the team, the car, the media. Rarely seeing eachother, or talking about the fact that they basically slept together.

Kiara was doing her last interview before getting in the car for the qualifying. The car felt good and she was confident. Little does she know that this qualifying will change her forever.

She got in the car after a small lecture from Toto about how she should break in the corners. She drove on the track before everyone else, she wanted to give the team some details about the car without being in traffic.

After everyone started coming out, the traffic was being horrible, she was trying to do a lap but it was impossible. Her car was slippery through the track

She was starting to panic and she talked with James.

"Why is the car so bad?I'm trying guys! The car is unstable!" She had panic in her voice.
"I don't know Ki, please calm down and focus." He tried to calm her down but Kiara was already feeling pressured and stressed. Losing control of her car.

She found herself hit in the wall, her car upside down. She felt panic, fear, almost like she was dying.

She felt blood running down from her temple, making her dizzy and in pain. She could barely hear the voice of her race engineer..

"Ki, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

She was already unconscious, blood running down from her head, legs and torso. The debris from her car had cut her body through her suit.

Kiara was staying there, lifeless as the marshals tried to get her out.

Charles was already in his garage, looking at the replay of her crash, feeling himself become nervous and scared. What if Kiara dies? He can't lose her... she's his girl. She can't die.

George on the other hand was with Toto, silently praying his teammate is alive. But no information.

Silence. Through the whole paddock, garages and drivers. No one dared to speak till they knew Kiara was alive.

It seemed like hours when Kiara was taken out of her car and put on a stretcher. Charles let out a shaky breath, still not calm enough to do anything else than looking at the screens. Her lifeless body being carried to the ambulance.

Charles insisted on not continuing the race, if he did, he would crash himself. He wanted to see Kiara. To hug her, to just make sure his girl was okay.

The team agreed to let him go, they didn't know the connection between Kiara and Charles but they let him go.

Charles immediately left the paddock, passing everyone and everything without turning back. The drive to the nearest hospital felt like ages. His leg constantly bouncing, his hands shaking.

Once he arrived there, a nurse literally had to stop him from rushing inside, Kiara was in surgery. She had internal bleeding that needed to be taken care of, also her wounds needed to be stiched.

Charles collapsed on a chair in the waiting room, head in his hands, shaking uncontrollably. He was so scared. So freaking scared.

He waited for hours, no updates on Kiara. He felt helpless, his head was pounding and his body was aching.
He needed Kiara.
Kiara needed him too.

He spotted George coming in also, he felt oddly jealous. Even though he was her teammate, Charles couldn't shake the jealousy away. He wanted to be the first one with Kiara when she wakes up.

A doctor came and told Charles that Kiara is stable, but she's still asleep. And he better go home and come tomorrow. But he refused.

George also stayed, making Charles tense even more.

"Didn't you hated Kiara?" Charles mumbled, his emotions getting the best of him.
"I don't hate Kiara, we had disagreements but we are fine." George said, somehow irratted.
"Well, you were pretty rude to her." Charles growled.
"I changed!" George snapped, making Charles flinch.
"Kiara don't like you!" Charles snapped too.
"Oh really? Then why she fell asleep in my arms?" George yelled.

That made Charles jump from his chair.

"Huh? What?" Charles frowned.
"She fell asleep, well at the morning she was far from me, but she fell asleep in my arms."

That calmed down Charles somehow. He knew Kiara needed comfort, after everything. Kiara woke up snuggled into him, comfortably. Since she was far from him.. means she doesn't love him right?

But why they even fell asleep together?

"Why it happened?" Charles snapped again.
"Before the race. The team said we need to improve our teammates relationship. But since you're here means she has something with you too?" George frowned. "She's such a whore." He mumbled.

That made Charles's blood boil.

He grabbed George by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall.

"She's not a whore! Take your words back she could have died!" Charles yelled, the security separated them quickly.

Charles pleaded them to stay and see Kiara while George just left. So they let Charles stay.

He stumbled back on the chair, exhausted.

After another hours, a doctor came to inform Charles that Kiara woke up.

He basically sprinted to her room, with the little strength he had left. He entered her room and got greeted by a bantaged Kiara, bruised, tired yet... beautiful.

He quickly sat on the bed, taking her hands, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh god Ki, i was so scared.. so scared.." Charles mumbled, kissing her hands.
"I'm okay..." She cupped his face, Charles leaned his forehead against hers.
"Ki..." He couldn't talk, he just kissed her forehead, holding her.
"It's alright.." She whispered, looking at his bloodshot eyes. "Why don't you lay down, I'm okay.."
"No no, you need all the space and rest, I'm sleeping on the couch here." Charles pointed to a small couch where he could hardly even lay down, but insisted sleeping on so Kiara can have some rest.

Even with Kiara's protests, Charles layed on the couch, his eyes fixed on Kiara as she was reading a book a nurse bought her. Charles' tired eyes were slowly closing as he tried to force them open just to keep watching Kiara.

"Charlie." Kiara whispered softly, receiving a soft sigh from Charles.
"Yeah?"
"Go to sleep." She said with calm voice, noticing how exhausted he seemed.
"Soon. After you fall asleep." He assured. But Kiara didn't had it.
"I'll be awake for another couple of hours because I'll be reading. So please, just sleep." Kiara softly said, while Charles had already closed his eyes, unable to fight the urge to rest.