The driver, The Girlfriend and Me

Pain

We heard the bell for qualifying.

"I need to go and have a blood test done, I'll meet you after qualifying. I'm not sure Lotus would let a Force India PR in their garage!"

"Can I come with you?"

"Don't you have to go to the garage"

"I can tell them I'll be a little late. I'm not needed unless it's for Friday practise sessions"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I'll just have to run and tell them. Come with me, they'll let you in if I explain the situation"

"Right, you won't be allowed in our garage though!"

"Why not?!"

"Top secret Mr Palmer. I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you. And I don't want to do that, not now I've only just gotten with you"

"This is the Sophie I love" he said, kissing my cheek.

"This is the Jolyon I love. How can you put up with this? Me being pregnant and you having to go along with it?"

"I guess I can for you. Only for you and no one else"

I kissed him again.

"Come on, we need to go!"

We walked hand in hand to the lotus garage.

"Don't be a stranger Sophie! Come in!" Jolyon said.

"Force India PR!! What are you doing in our garage?!"

"Hey! George cut the girl some slack! She's been to hell and back today!"

"Sorry..."

"Jason! I'm off with my girlfriend for her blood test! I'll be back in twenty minutes!"

He ran back to me as we went to my garage.

"I'll be one minute, they won't let another driver in!"

I ran inside to see Nico with Elisha. It sent shivers down my spine but I ignored them. I tapped his race engineer on the back.

"Sophie! Is everything okay? I saw the bust up with you and Nico"

"Just Nico in a bad mood I guess. Erm, I have a blood test to go to and I'll be back in twenty minutes, is that okay?"

"What is it for?"

"You guys will find out soon!"

"Okay okay. Jolyon! You better not be spying!"

"I'm not, i promise!"

"Come on Jolyon! Off to the medical tent"

***

"Hey Sophie!" Alan said as I sat down on the second chair. Jolyon stood behind me with his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey Alan"

"So, how's the expectant mother?"

"I'm great thanks!"

"This is just a routine blood test"

"I know, I read the leaflet for once"

"Really? Wow, pregnancy does change people!"

"Can we get on with it? I need to get back to the garage!"

"Okay, short sharp scratch...and we're done! I'll send that to your GP"

"Thanks Alan! Come on Jolyon, we need to get back"

***

Everyone stared at me as I entered the garage. I brushed off all the looks and sat down to finish of my work. Nico had been out for a while now and was getting very far.

"Okay Nico, pick up the pace, pick up the pace, we're in the bottom half of the field, you have five minutes to get into Q2"

There was an angry rant from the team radio that I couldn't really understand. I thought I heard him say 'this is all her fault'. By her fault, he would mean me. All my fault. Not that I knew why.

***

After the race had finished, Jolyon was waiting for me outside the garage. I had Nicos debrief papers which he came over to me for.

"Here's the papers" I said to him.

"Danke"

I went to walk away before he called me back.

"We need to talk, can I meet you after the debrief?"

"I'm going out with Jolyon"

"No, no, I Erm, I understand. Another time"

He said, staring at my stomach. He walked to the screens for his debrief.

Jolyon hugged me as soon as he saw me.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm really hungry. Eating for two now!"

"Do you want to go out for dinner? Or do you want to go to our team motorhome? Yes, they will let you in and make you dinner"

"I'm to tired to walk to a restaurant so can we just go to the motorhome?"

"Of course we can" he smiled and held my hand as we walked over.

***

"That was gorgeous!" I said, putting my knife and fork down.

"Rather like you then?"

"Aww!"

He kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Ooooo what's going on here then?" A Frenchman said.

"What can I do for you Romain" he said, blushing a little.

"I was coming here for my dinner with my girlfriend"

"And how did Nico Hulkenbergs PR get in here? No mixing teams"

"Lovely to see you to Romain!"

"You too Sophie"

"Go get your dinner romain!" Jolyon said to get him away.

"Au Revoi!"

I didn't stay with Jolyon that night.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?"

"I'm sure Jolyon. I really want to sleep and I need to think about some things"

"Okay, if your sure"

We kissed again as Nico came down the paddock to his motorhome.

"So can we have that talk now?" I yelled over to him. He pointed to his motorhome which I stepped into.

"What did you want?" I asked.

"About what I said"

"Nico we've been over this. I don't want to walk about it"

"Sophie we've got to! This baby is mine and Laura thinks it's Jolyons!"

"And Jolyon is prepared to go along with it! He's my boyfriend"

"What?"

"After you had a go at me today, we got together"

"Okay then"

"I don't want to talk about the baby Nico. I'm going to bed"

"Sophie! What did I just say? I'm desperate! We have to talk about it! We have no choice!"

I ignored him and walked towards the door. He grabbed my wrist, twisting it badly as I screamed in pain. It ripped through my arm like a wildfire.

When I looked down my wrist was badly bruised, swollen and contourted. It was quite obviously fractured if not broken. I couldn't move it. Nico seemed worried but he was the one who caused it.

Several track medics came to try and straighten it but it wouldn't work. I was taken to the medical centre where they sorted it out but left me in a lot of pain. I couldn't believed Nico had done that.

He'd lost the chance of seeing his child.