A.N: Helo, this is the first of (hopefully) many F1 oneshots. For those that are a little in the dark with F1, this oneshot is based off a nasty accident what happened in qualifying during the 1995 Australian Grand Prix (you can look it up on YT), and uhhh yeah. Nightmares galore😂. [EDIT 06/04/22]: Has been rewritten.
//
The Australian Grand Prix 1995.
Whenever someone mentions it, he stops.
/ /
Quite normal, if you consider his near fatal crash during qualifying. He was still extremely grateful to the medical team, who put all their skills to the test to save his life. If they had been later, ever so slightly later, he most likely wouldn't have been breathing.
Since the start of the season, more rather, since pre-season testing, the nightmares had flooded him, nightmares about the accident happening again - but he paid the ultimate price instead. This rendered him sleepless, and yet he'd refuse to tell anyone who had noticed what was going on.
/ /
He was looking in a mirror. His reflection stared back. He felt his relection's eyes boring holes into him. The longer he held his gaze, the more the mirror cracked, when it eventually gave in, large pieces falling out of the mirror, and cracks running all the way to his reflection. He then bent down to pick up one of the larger pieces of glass, looking to see himself being put down by the reflection. He was only a shadow of his former self.. right?
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//
Mika bolted upright to a sitting position, having been scared by a nightmare. The type that had been haunting him lately, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and it took him a long moment to calm down.
Goddamnit.
That was the second nightmare since the week leading up to the Australian Grand Prix had begun, and it made him feel worse. He could feel his heart beating ferociously in his chest, so, in a weak attempt to calm himself down, he tried breathing deeply. It didn't work too well, unfortunately. He then looked to his alarm clock on the nearest bedside table.
01:00 AM
He was not supposed to be awake, but he was. And he didn't know how to deal with the fact he was being plagued by nightmares.
Having recovered from the shock a bit, the Finn got up, and headed to the bathroom, where he threw all his nerves out, cleaned himself up, shuffled back to the bed, sat on it, before he had a rare meltdown.
He didn't realise he'd woken his teammate, until the light of his room was switched on, and in the doorway stood his Scottish McLaren teammate; David Coulthard.
"Is everything okay?" he asked in his heavy Scottish accent.
"N- nightmares." the other whimpered, very uncharacteristically. "S- second night back t- to back."
David walked towards his teammate, before joining him 0n the bed. "Nightmares about what?"
The Scotsman bit his lip after asking the question, knowing that he probably shouldn't have asked the question, as his mind put two and two together, figuring it was his near-fatal crash at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. The Scot's face eased, and turned sympathetic as he looked his teammate in the eyes.
"I think I understand.." he murmured, wiping some of the Finn's tears away with his pj sleeve.
"I- I'm just afraid I'll do it again David and I-" the other sniffed. "I'm scared."
David was speechless. Mika Häkkinen admitting he was scared? He'd never heard the likes of it. But David knew Mika was human too, he had emotions. It was just that on the racetrack he was better at hiding it.
"Hey," the Scot whispered, "It'll be okay.. You've learned from it, and improved."
"But that one time c- could have cost my life." the Finn protested weakly. "I- I don't know if you saw it but-"
David noticed more tears forming in his teammates eyes, so he decided to move a little closer to embrace his off-track friend, as he clearly needed it. He felt something bury in his shoulder, and from the corner of his eye he saw it was his teammate's head. All he needed to do was be there for him, and that's all his Finnish friend could ask for.
The two McLaren teammates stayed put for what felt like an hour, David comforting Mika that it wouldn't happen again.
"David," the Finn whispered, breaking away.
"Mika," David replied, almost teasingly.
"Thank you."
"It's okay.."
"You're the first I've told about this.. and I'm glad I told you." the Finn revealed, sighing weakly.
David sat there not knowing what to say to this, but still looked genuinely concerned.
"E- even though we may be competitive on track, I- I'm glad I have you as a friend off it." the other said, biting his lip.
"Yeah... me too." the Scot replied, placing his arm around the Finn's shoulders, before squeezing gently.
"Again... thanks David." Mika said, smiling slightly.
"It's not a problem. Besides, if you have any other troubles, my door's always open." the Scot smiled, glad to see his teammate was faring better than he was doing.
"Well," he diverted the topic, "if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed."
Mika yawned. "Yeah, sure."
David left the room, turning the light off as he opened the door. Mika then grabbed one of the pillow's he'd previously set aside, and gave it a good squeeze to comfort him.
//
Later in the morning, as Mika made for his breakfast, he could see David hurrying along, also for his breakfast. He felt a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth upon remembering the events that played earlier that morning.
"Morning Mika." his teammate greeted.
"Morning David." he replied, looking up slightly to meet his teammate's eyes.
"Thanks.. for earlier." the Finn mumbled.
"It's fine." the other replied, grinning "Besides, it's for your benefit as well as the team's."
The Finn raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
"Eh.. come on." the Scot diverted the topic, "We're needed elsewhere in a little over an hour."
The other hummed in agreement. "Yeah, let's go."
//
A.N: Thanks for reading. Please vote and comment😅, oh and also, there'll be a 'part two' to this, as in, a follow up oneshot. And uh yeah, that's all from me. (Sorry for the republish, I forgot to add the AN's.)
