Away We Go • 2 • Formula One

Chapter 17

* high tw for whole chapter - aftermath + description of accident (in italics)*

I didn't realise that I had even undid the belts that kept me in the car until I had taken off the steering wheel and pulled myself out. My mind wasn't thinking about any of my actions and the only thought running through my head was that I needed to make sure Lewis was okay. He has to be; I don't know what I'd do with myself if he wasn't. The pounding in my chest drowned out the thunderous sounds of the rain that fell around me, soaking my racing suit and rolling off of my visor in large droplets.

Once I was out of the car, I pulled my gloves off and threw them absentmindedly in the general direction of my car as I broke out in a run to the carcass of Lewis's cockpit. Having my hands free gave me better access to the straps securing the helmet to my head, allowing me to get it off my head quicker. The helmet had been making me feel claustrophobic and hot in my panic. Once the balaclava underneath was also off, the cool rain washed away some of the excessive heat in my face.

"Lewis!" I yelled, dropping to the floor to have better access to him in his upside down cockpit. I discarded my helmet on the floor beside me. I had to be weary not to kneel on any bits of the car that had fallen off in the heavy accident.

Goosebumps ran up my spine, along with a cold shiver of fear, when I noticed that Lewis wasn't moving. I manoeuvred around the awkwardly positioned halo, my shaking hands desperately trying to reach his visor. The first thing I noticed was that it was already partially open. I was practically lying on my side/front just to reach him. Despite my fingers being coated in a layer of water from the horrible weather, I managed to flick his visor further upwards, exposing his closed eyes. There was a stream of deep red blood peeking out from underneath the top of the helmet so I knew that Lewis must've cut his head upon impact. My guess was that it either came from the sheer intensity of the crash, or something managed to catch his skin with the visor exposed. His white balaclava wasn't completely white anymore and prevented me from seeing the source of the blood.

I sat up briefly to see where the help would be coming from before returning to my previous position. There was some scrambling being the fence so I presumed that medical response was on their way. I let out a shaky exhale, my eyes burning as the urge to cry grew. A tight lump formed in the back of my throat and it felt like I had swallowed a golf ball. "Lew, please wake up." My voice, however weak, was desperate. With an outstretched hand, I gently tapped the side of Lewis helmet to see if he'll respond. I couldn't get a good enough angle to shake his shoulders, however I didn't want to do that incase he hurt his back in the crash. There was a rise and fall in his chest so I knew that, at a bare minimum, he was still breathing.

A twitch in his eyelid made my actions more desperate. I was pleading with him to wake up, asking if he was okay, and telling him to hold on on the off-chance that he could hear me. My hands were shaking more than ever as I scanned his face any more signs that he was okay. Despite not being religious, I was pleading to a higher power. Lewis was very strong with his faith so I was praying that he'd be okay.

At first, I thought I had just heard someone yelling in the distance, however when I heard it got a second time, I knew it was Lewis mumbling. I clasped my hand over my mouth in amazement as his eyes slowly opened. They looked heavy, and his brown eyes were overwhelmed with confusion.

"No, no, don't move, Lew," I told him, hand reaching out when he started to reach for his belt. "The medics are on their way."

He slowly reached his hand up to pull on his helmet, making it easier for me to hear his voice. "Why are you... why are you upside down?"

I let out a breathy laugh, still in shock, however feeling such a relief to know that Lewis is responding. "You had an accident. Just stay awake for me, okay?" My voice cracked with emotion.