Love 4 Apex | Lando Norris

🏎 53.5 - Resilience

Rose's head throbbed, her thoughts tangled in the fog that clung to her. Her eyelids fluttered open, the harsh glare above making her wince. She groaned softly, her body aching as if it had been caught in the grip of an unrelenting storm. The faint scent of antiseptic and the rhythmic hum of machines pulled her back to the present, though her mind still swirled with disjointed fragments, caught between reality and the nightmare.

She shifted slightly, the soft fabric of hospital sheets cradling her as the steady beeping of a heart monitor filled the air. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, her pulse racing as if trying to anchor her to consciousness.

"Rose..." A familiar voice broke through the haze. Flo.

Flo's warm hand enveloped hers, grounding her with steady reassurance. "Hey, you're awake. You're safe now," she said softly, her tone laced with both relief and lingering worry.

Rose blinked, trying to gather herself. Her breaths were shallow, her chest tight, her heart still pounding from the memories clawing at the edges of her mind. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was raw, every word a struggle.

"Lando...?" The name escaped her lips, fragile and desperate, carrying all her hope.

Flo's expression softened, her relief tempered with lingering fear. "He made it, Rose," she said gently. "He's stable. The doctors are with him."

Disbelief surged through Rose. Pain shot through her limbs as she tried to sit up, but the need for answers overshadowed her body's protests. "How... how is he?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Flo squeezed her hand tightly. "It was bad, Rose. The crash was horrifying, but the Halo saved him. They got him out unconscious, but alive. He's stable now."

The words hit her like a wave. Relief mingled with the lingering image of the wreckage and the helplessness she had felt. Her body sank back against the pillow, too exhausted to fight the weight of it all.

"You collapsed," Flo continued softly. "The stress, the exhaustion—it was too much. Your body just shut down."

Tears spilled over as the fear and pain she'd tried to suppress broke free. Flo moved closer, her hand steady and comforting. "It's okay, Rose. Let it out. You're both safe now."

Rose sobbed quietly, the blurred edges of her nightmare creeping in. The suffocating grief from her dream clung to her like a shadow she couldn't shake. Her voice broke as she whispered through the tears, "I thought I lost him, Flo... I thought I lost him..." The words spilled out like a dam breaking, and the tears came harder, her body trembling under the weight of it all.

Flo's grip on her hand tightened, steady and reassuring. She moved closer, her voice soft but firm. "Rosie, listen to me. Lando's here, and he's fighting. You don't have to carry that fear anymore. He's not gone. He's still here."

Rose's sobs continued, her breaths uneven as Flo's words anchored her, slowly pulling her back from the depths of her despair. She nodded weakly, her sobs fading into soft gasps. "He's really alive?" she whispered.

Flo's eyes glistened as she nodded. "Yes, Rose. He's alive."

Rose sank back against the pillow, the weight of relief settling over her, though the ache lingered, raw and unshakable. But just as the edges of her panic began to blur, a sudden realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. How could she have forgotten?

Her breaths grew rapid, and without thinking, her hands instinctively moved to her belly. Her heart pounded furiously, the fear rising anew.

"Rose, what is it?" Flo's eyes widened, concern etched in her features.