Lando Norris has known Stephania Anderson almost his whole life, but the childhood friends had a rough falling out when she started dating his then teammate. Now four years later, he finds himself back in her life and he has to deal with the feelin...
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2. Death With Dignity
Lando's hands trembled as he stared at the phone, its screen glowing like a specter in the dim light of his car.
The call he dreaded making, felt like a lifeline and a death sentence all at once. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the air felt thick and heavy, like he was trying to breathe underwater.
His mind replayed the events of the past hour in a relentless loop: the blood, her cold body, the flashing lights of the ambulance.
A soft ding from the phone jarred him back to the present. It was Carla updating him on Steph's condition and giving him directions on where to go when he arrives at the hospital.
He looked at the time - it had just turned past midnight. Steph is spending her birthday at the hospital. Fuck, she haven't even had the chance to blow out the candles on her cake. A rush of anger came over him again.
There was no more time to stall. He had to let her parents know about it. Fuck, he hadn't spoken to them in a while. He felt unsure but he couldn't let his fear take over. They needed to know. With shaky fingers, he dialed Mrs. Anderson's number.
Each ring felt like a hammer blow, driving home the reality of what he had to do. Staring at the screen, the number still saved as ''Mathilda - Niah's mum''. His mind is flooded with memories, he really missed the deep talks they would have, and joking around with Mr. Anderson.
Finally, the call connected.
"Hello?" Mrs. Anderson's voice was warm and familiar, laced with a hint of concern. Reasonably so, given that he was calling in the middle of the night. Also, she might not even have his number saved anymore.
"Mrs. Anderson, it's Lando," he began, his voice cracking despite his efforts to sound composed. "There's... there's been an accident."
There was a pause, a dreadful silence that seemed to stretch on forever.
"Lando? dear, what happened? Is Stephania okay?" Her voice was rising, the calm veneer cracking under the weight of impending dread.
Lando swallowed hard, his throat dry and tight. "We don't know exactly what happened, she... she left her party and was nowhere to be found. When we found her she. Niah... she's hurt, Mathilda. The paramedics took her to Princess Grace Hospital Centre. They said she's in critical condition." Lando was too devastated to relalize that he called her by her first name, like he used to.
A gasp, sharp and pained, came through the line. "Oh God, no. My baby. Is she... is she going to be okay?"
"They're doing everything they can," Lando said, his own voice trembling now. "I'm on my way to the hospital. I just thought you should know."
