37. Jona

                                    

                                          
I wake up at this ungodly hour, to get ready to go to the airport. I turn off the alarm on my phone to see a huge amount of missed calls from Lando. 
Shit. 
I never called him after my match. He doesn't even know I tore my ankle ligament. He doesn't even know I'm bound to this stupid cast for four weeks. And it freaking hurts. 
It's only four-thirty, I know I shouldn't be calling Lando at this time. He won't wake up until eight-ish. 
I go through my morning routine as well as possible. I get into a pair sweatpants, as that's most comfortable with the stupid cast. Wearing my McLaren shirt as well. Knowing I'll be going straight to the track. 
When we arrive at the airport, I ask for assistance, knowing very well that I can't roll my carry-on with me. For once I'm already thankful that Lando upgraded me on this short flight. Just so I can recline the seat and keep my foot up. 
As we're about to board the plane, it's only 7 am. Alana's phone number appears on my screen. 
"Alana." I say into the phone. 
"Thank god you picked up. Lando's worried sick." She tells me. 
"I figured, I texted him I'm okay. I'm about to board the plane." I tell her. "But actually, something happened last night. I don't want to worry Lando, but I tore my ankle ligament. I have a cast on my foot for the next four weeks." 
"Are you okay?" Alana asks. 
"I'm fine. It just hurts a lot, and I can't really walk or stand for long. But we'll talk about that when I'm at the airport. Who's picking me up?" 
"Well, Lando's determined to do it. Or so he said yesterday. But hearing this, it might be better if I do it." 
"Let him do it, but could you please prepare him? I really have to board the plane now." 
Being disabled for a while, I get to board the plane as one of the first people. Not feeling the rush for once is nice as well. 
I'm accompanied by an airline employee once again at the Nice airport. I immediately spot a worried Lando as we enter the arrivals hall. He rushes toward me, engulfing me in a hug. 
I thank the airline employee, handing my carry-on to Lando. 
"What happened?" He asks, looking at the cast and the crutches. 
"An opponent stood on my foot." I tell him. 
"Are you okay?" 
"I am, just a lot of pain." I tell him. "I'd like to get into the car." 
"I'm taking you home." He tells me as we're getting into the car. 
"No, you're taking me to the track. You'll be late if you take me home first." I tell Lando. "Also I've got work to do at the track as well." 
"But..." 
"No buts Lando. Get us to the track." I tell him sternly and so he does. 
Making our way to the McLaren hospitality takes a lot longer. Fans asking pictures, them asking what happened to me but the most important factor is that I can't really walk fast. 
While making our way to the hospitality, Charlotte is quick to make her way to us. "What did you do?" She asks worriedly, walking on the other side of me. 
"I didn't do anything, an opponent decided to stand on my foot." I say. "It's not broken, so no surgery yet. But I have a tear in my ankle ligament. I might need surgery if it gets worse in the cast. But i'm hoping it won't." I explain. 
I have never been more happy to see the McLaren hospitality center in my life. Taking a seat in the first chair I see. 
"I never knew walking on crutches was this exhausting." I say putting them to my side. Charlotte and Lando both taking a seat at the table as well. "I have no idea how I'm gonna do what's expected from me." 
"Jona, you're here?" Alana asks in surprise as she sees the three of us sitting at the hospitality center. 
"I am." I say. 
"Lando said he was taking you home." She says. 
"Well, Lando's not my boss. And I'm needed here, although I don't know if I'm really that much of help." I tell Alana. 
"No it's good you're here. I've spoken with both marketing and Zak, and we've come up with some things you can do around here. We'd like you to cover a live blog on twitter and Instagram Stories during Qualifying and the race tomorrow." She explains. "But I'll be back later to explain a bit more. Rest for now. Lando go to the garage you've got a free practise to do. No buts just go." Alana says turning her attention to Lando before leaving us. 
"You're sure you'll be alright?" Lando asks. 
"I'll be fine. Charlotte will be by my side." I say looking at Charlotte hopeful. 
"I will." She says. "Isa, Carmen and Kelly are supposed to be here somewhere as well. We'll be fine." 
"Good." Lando whispers, placing a kiss on my lips before walking to his garage.
*** 
"Thanks," I say as one of Lando's engineers places two chairs for me in front of one of the televisions. 
"You can go support your boyfriends." I say to Isa and Carmen, who helped me get to the garage. 
"Just text any of us if you need us, Kelly made a group chat." Isa says giving me a quick hug. 
I grab my laptop from my bag, logging into the McLaren socials. 
Covering a qualification on socials is definitely more work than I had anticipated. So many things happening in a short period of time. But it's definitely fun to do. 
Lando had a fine qualifying finishing in 5th place. Daniels qualifying was way not good at all. Starting the race tomorrow from the 14th place on the grid. 
"Are you ready to go?" Lando asks as he comes back into the McLaren hospitality, where I went to after the race. 
"Definitely" I tell him, not really wanting to get up. My whole body sore from getting around on crutches. "Can you get the car as close to our entrance as possible?" I ask Lando as we are exiting the paddock. 
"Yeah sure, just wait here. I'll be right back." He says pecking my lips, and making his way to the car. 
*** 
"How did you sleep?" Lando asks as he's getting ready for race day. 
"I slept okay. Felt my ankle throbbing pretty much the whole night. But I do feel rested." I tell him. 
"So am I taking you to the track again today?" Lando asks, putting on his McLaren hoodie. 
"Kelly is picking me up, so I'm there a little later. I spoke to Alana and Andreas last night, and told them I'm in a lot of pain. So we decided it's better for me to come in a little later." 
"Good, because I didn't like seeing you in that much pain at all." Lando says, pecking my lips and collecting the things he needs to bring with him to the track. 
I try getting ready, but doing that on crutches and with you leg in a cast, costs much more energy. I grab my hairbrush sitting down on the bed to comb through it, when I hear the door to the apartment open. 
"Jona, it's me." I recognise Kelly's voice. "Lando gave me a key." 
"I'm in the bedroom." I yell back, as I'm trying to put my hair in a ponytail. 
"Do you need help?" Kelly asks entering the bedroom. 
"I'm ready." I tell her, twisting the hair tie one more time. 
I hate this cast, and I can't believe I have to be in it until the week of the Austrian Grand Prix.