Max steers his car through the corner in Mexico. He has the second world title in his pocket already. He doesn't need to win this race. He's not going to either, despite Checo not being overly quick, he still can win this race with max cruising behind with ease.
Max has won the second title second last race in japan, which had been quite an emotional rollercoaster for Charles. The track of where his godfather crashed and left the world with emptiness to fill.
He knows that that still haunts Charles to this day, it had been raining just like that day and for a moment max had lost the control over his car. Barely missing the barrier on the start and finish straight with full speed but he succeeded in keeping it on track and in one piece.
After the race, max had won and became a second world champion. Charles had come bursting through his door, crying before crashing in his arms. It had taken max about an hour or three to calm him and have his ability to talk back.
"I saw the spin on tv, i was so scared that you would crash. Like jules." Charles had said to max.
"I promise, i will always be here for you. I'm not leaving you, i promise you that." Max had promised.
And makes intents to keep his promise, even if time comes to an end. Max will always come back to him, he will always find Charles. No matter where he is.
Max shakes his head as much as his seat in his car allows him to. Shaking off his thoughts before he loses his control on his car. He doesn't want that, his eyes flicker to the screen once more.
He watches something red crash with high speed into the barriers. His heart drops to the floor, he knows that car, he knows who drives it. He can see by the helmet who crashed out. His ears start ringing in pain, the silence deafening in his mind.
He wants to scream, shout. Anything to make it stop. To turn back time and do anything to prevent his Charles crashing into the barrier. His Charles is hurt, his Charles. His schatje, the man that puts a smile on his fave from the moment he wakes up.
"Max!" Gp shouts through his earphones.
"Huh?" Max mumbles into the mic, choking on air as he wants nothing more then to cry.
"It's a red flag, red flag. Leclerc is in the barriers, looks like a huge crash." GP tells max. "I want you to tell ne every moment where you drive. Talk to me. I know this looms bad and i know you're scared at the moment but talk to me." GP tries to keep max from losing control over his mind, and crash himself.
"GP? Is he alright? Why did he crash?" Max asks softly, choking on a sob.
He's praying at this point that Charles is alright, that Charles will make it out alive and well. That he will be fine and not have anything. Max prays for the tv not sending out his radio communications with his engineer at this moment. They don't need to see max almost crying.
"I don't know. Christian is asking for you. And why he crashed? Don't know that either. Stay with me. The medics are on their way to him." GP tells max, hoping to calm the boy that is at the point of breaking down inside the cockpit of his car.
He knows that Max would do anything for Charles, he knows by now that if anything happens to Charles, max will lose his mind, will break down and crumble to the point that he can no longer get up. He knows that in some way, they're soulmates.
"I'm scared, GP. I'm so fucking scared. I..." max breaks down into sobs under his helmet.
Tears close to blurring his eyes, he knows that he still has to drive a but to the pits. He knows that he is only halfway to the pits. His heart is breaking and his mind is racing. He's shaking and his hands can't seem to stay steady enough to show everyone that he can compose himself.
"They're not getting a reaction from him. But the medics just arrived on site. The marshals think he's unconscious. He's not moving in his car." GP tells max the truth.
He knows that if he lies to Max the boy will know. He knows when a crash is bad and which are not. He knows from which you walk away unscathed and which you won't. He's been in his fair share of crashes himself.
A louder sob leaves his lips, he wants nothing more then to sit in a corner, praying to wake him up from this horrible nightmare. He wants someone to wake him up. To shake him violently until he's awoken from this horrible nightmare. He can't lose his Charlie. He can't!
"Stay with me, max. It's all gonna be alright. He's gonna be alright. They're gonna lift him out in a minute." GP says to max as the dutchman steers into the pits.
He parks the car, the mechanics come rushing towards him. He climbs weakly out of the car, once he jumps out of the car. His knees buckle and Christian had a feeling that Max's emotions would be running high. He catches Max before he could fall to the ground.
Christian feels his heart breaking for his driver, the boy clinging to him as he barely is able to get his helmet and balaclava off. His face red and so are his eyes, he falls through his knees. His sobs loud as he cries on the floor into Christian's shoulder.
"I'll take him." Jos speaks softly.
He easily lifts his son onto his feet, letting his son lean on him while sobbing like his heart has been stomped over and broken a million times. Jos knows how much Charles means to max. Almost more then his career and he knows that this is the most painful thing that can happen to max.
"He will be alright, i promise. They got him out of the car and once the race is over, we'll go visit him in the hospital, okay?" Jos tells his son.
"I'm so scared." Max mumbles into his dad's shoulder.
His father doesn't say much more, just letting max cry out on his shoulder. Pouring every bit of emotions out and rubbing his back in comfort. He knows this is hard on his son. He knows that this hurts his son very much. And he will comfort him until they know more. Until max no longer needs it. Until then, he will hold him and comfort him. Letting him cry.
