She's back ~ L. Hamilton

77. | Decision making

The next morning my uncle wakes up. He's groggy and confused, and wincing in pain at most things.

But Dr. Wiffen says that his pacemaker is operating properly and the surgery went really well

"So when can I go home?" he asks

Dr. Wiffen shakes her head "You have to stay here and recover. The surgery was long, the repairs have ta heal. We need you here for
observation"

"For how long?"

"Marco you need to focus on getting better" I say.

He holds my hand tighter but he ignores my words. "How long?" he asks again.

"A week at least" she says. "Maybe more"

"Okay" he says with a nod. "I understand"

When the doctors leave, I start to ask if he wants me to bring him anything else from home. But he cuts me off

"If we can't train together, you are wasting your time on the home court. You need to go to London and practice on grass"

"Marco-"

"No," he says. "You know that I'm right. We would have left for London by now anyway. You need to go on your own"

"I know, but I'm not leaving for London yet, not with you still in the hospital"

"Yes, you are, and don't fight me on it. I've been thinking about this for days now. This is the new plan"

There is a gentle knock at the door. And sure enough, none other than Lewis is standing in the doorway, holding a fern and a balloon that says Get Well Soon.

"Hey Marco" he says "I hope I'm not intruding and over stepping my welcome"

"Not at all" my uncle exclaims, motioning for him to sit in the empty chair on the other side of his bed that Daniel's been occupying for the last few days

"What are you doing here?" I ask "How do you know Daniel won't give us a surprise stop by?"

"Because I heard that there's some emergency at red bull" Lewis says, but I don't miss the mischievous glint in his eye as he does

"Well we were just discussing the fact that Delaney needs to go to London. Now Lewis" my uncle says, banging his hand off the bed on Lewis's side "your a very dedicated athlete. Can you please help me talk some sense into Delaney, she needs to go to London, she's wasting time here when she should be training"

"Oh" Lewis says, glancing over at me "now Mr. Ricciardo I do value my life, so I won't try to talk Delaney into anything anytime soon. But I can definitely say I have to agree with you, if I were in your shoes I'd go, it's a tough decision but it's probably the right one"

My uncle looks over at me with a clear 'I told you so' look

"Kiss ass" I mount at Lewis "but I can't just leave my uncle here in Australia with no one to check on him"

"What about Daniel?"

"He's going to Africa for a tv show that he can't get out of"

"I'll be fine Delaney" my uncle says "I'm a grown man, I can look after myself"

"And look how far that's got you" I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest "I'm not leaving you here alone without anyone to look after you"

"Tell me if I'm over stepping here" Lewis says, sitting forward in his chair and rubbing his hands together slightly as he did "but why don't I do it?"

"Do what?" My uncle and I say at the same time

"Check in on you?" He says, his eyes darting between my uncle and I "there's only one race left in the season, which I'm leaving for in a couple hours, I can be back here in three days, and then it's the summer break - and I haven't signed on to do anything, my plans were to literally go to Monaco and lie in the sun, but Australia is as good a place as any to lie in the sun"