Lights Out • 1 • Formula One ✔️

Chapter 18

The wait for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was two weeks, which was way too long in my opinion. I loved racing so having to wait for it was quite irritating especially when I was so excited for the race. Baku has always been one of my favourite circuits mostly due to its unpredictability - anyone can get the podium. I was looking forward to trying to make it two podiums in a row, Force India have typically been pretty competitive here.

So that I wasn't sitting around getting bored, Kudzai suggested that we went to see one of Marcus's races. It just so happened that his French GP fell on our weekend off meaning that I could go and see it. I had only seen three of his races live before so I was very excited, hopefully he keeps up his winning streak for me this race too.

"Does Marcus know we're coming?" I asked Kudzai, who was checking her phone for his room details. We arrived at the hotel Friday afternoon whilst Marcus was out doing some sort of testing, Damien was with him at the track, keeping us updated via text.

"Nope, that's the whole point of a surprise." Kudzai grinned mischievously. Eventually we arrived outside an ebony coloured door on the fourth floor. "Alright, D said that he hid the card on top of the door frame." She reached up and patted the wooden ledge, smiling when she pulled off a small white card.

"Anyone could've found that card - Damien needs to stop watching films where they do that."

"Damien can't help that he had a flare for the dramatics," Kudzai laughed as she unlocked and opened the door. "He likes to think he's living in a story sometimes."

"Maybe in some other world he is, but he'll make a pretty shit character." I joked. I dumped my bags in the corner of the room. Considering that Marcus was only staying with Damien, there was a lot of space. Kudzai and I could easily crash on the large L-shaped sofa so there was no need to book an extra room.

"Damn, MotoGP drivers get better stuff than you do!" Kudzai scanned the room, taking up all the details. "They have a full sized fridge!"

"That's because the FIA are snakes."

Kudzai's phone buzzed in her pocket. Her eyes quickly scanned the message, getting wider as she read on. "Shit. Damien just texted saying that Marcus's sister was coming to visit with her son but their car crashed. They're at Le Mans hospital."

I gasped in shock. "Shit." Of all things that could've happened, it had to be that someone Marcus is extremely close to gets injured. Although I didn't really know his sister, I had babysat her son, Teddy (short for Theodore) quite a few times when I was living with Marcus, and even after.

"D said to leave our stuff and head there." Kudzai looked at me, still in a state of shock.

"Of course." I grabbed my phone off the counter, as well as the key card. "I'll drive."

Kudzai knew Eleanor, Marcus's sister, better than me because they worked the same part-time job. "Fuck me. I hope Marcus is okay."

"He probably isn't, no one would be after hearing a family member was hurt."

Kudzai's phone pinged just as we had gotten into our rented car. "Teddy's mostly okay, just shaken up, but El isn't looking as good. Damien said she's in surgery at the moment."

"Of all the things to happen..." I muttered to myself, trying to drive as quickly but safely as I could. I wanted to be there for Marcus, especially since he's always been there for me. I'm glad he's had Damien for the meantime as he never fails to distract me from anything, another one of his talents.

"How much longer?" Kudzai asked. I checked the map on my phone which was giving me directions to the hospital .

"About fifteen minutes."