#mercedes-AMG | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jwnchstr · 2 years ago

Text

waiting for superman | m.s47

title: waiting for superman part 5 (final)

characters: you/reader/catherine, mick schumacher

summary: when your father (a former ferrari mechanic) was diagnosed with alzheimer's, your world turns upside down. you had to give up your city life, get back to your village to take care of your father. but what hurts the most is being so close to him and seeing him not remember you (catherine) as well as every precious moment in his life with you. you start to questions about everything until mick schumacher (your childhood best friend) comes back into your life and teaches you life lessons that you're sure will remember forever.

other f1 fics | masterlist | my wattpad

waiting for superman part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

you used to be alert, always on your toes, ready to for an action when you hear your father's name. it could have been nothing serious and yet, you would be the one to worry about his state. you used to know what to do when someone informs you that they see karl in the middle of nowehere, or when he is having another episode of tantrum as much as it strangely sounds. you were like the black widow in your own movie. however, something isn't quite right in your systems today, right now, and you couldn't understand it.

for the first time since your father got sick, when you hear your father's name from annie through the phone just now, and when she said that your father doesn't have much time, you didn't understand what she meant as if it wasn't clear enough. or maybe you did, but you didn't know what to do. meanwhile, you remember one year ago, as soon as the news about your father being diagnosed with alzheimer's, as soon as you accepted that this illness isn't going to make your father any better, you were prepared for this. you're prepared to lose your father despite him being the only family you have left. however, when it actually happens tonight, you found yourself not believing anything annie had said and hence, you're standing there as if nothing serious happened. if not, why is mick still having a conversation with the rest of your small group and not noticing how pale you are beside him?

you can say that you're lucky the vettels kids notice how you suddenly disconnected from the world, didn't hear the loudest one when she calls your name. you're like frozen beside mick, looking pale, and the kids would nudge you and pull you to continue play chase with them, but you wouldn't budge. it's like you're anchored on the spot beside mick. the youngest one started to cry, scared of something that might happen to you with your sudden change. the middle one just stood there, staring at you as if looks could wake you up from your trance. but the eldest one gets to his mother, pulls her arms to get her attention and points his finger at you.

"catherine, are you okay?" hanna asks. her voice is so gentle, so motherly. you remember when you were a young girl, you used to ask your father why you've never had a mother. and your father refused to answer your question until one day you shouted at him, saying how he was not a good father and husband that your mother left you. and that's when your father realised that you're old enough for the truth. since then, you never asked about her again but admittedly, you long for a mother's love.

the chatters around your circle immediately stops. you had all eyes on you. mick, gina. even norbert is worried about you because he knows about your father as well. well, by this far, amongst your closed circle, who wouldn't? even the kids had stopped playing and hug their mother's legs as they watch you. you felt someone's warm hand carressing your back and that's when a tear drops onto your cheek. and maybe it's the way mick jumps in front of you, as if protecting you from the media and public from seeing your wet eyes; maybe it's the way sebastian's family and mick's family had their concern look on you that you felt so vulnerable but in a good way; maybe it was hanna's motherly voice that made you cried harder.

"catherine?" mick isn't the only person who panicked, but he is the only person who asked since he's closest to you. "hey, why are you crying?"

honestly, you didn't hear a thing that came out from mick's mouth as annie's voice still lingers around your ears as if she's still on the phone with you. you father doesn't have much time is repeating itself like a broken record and you didn't know how to shut it down. so you stayed frozen, still not in the zone. mick's voice continued to muffle as he squeezes your upper arms to get your attention. as your visions continue to blur, you keep telling yourself to move, to say something, stop crying, but you're just numb, in the middle of the paddock, at an event, in front of mick, gina and sebastian's family, and people.

but good thing the fireworks are still playing somewhere behind mick, aren't they? because there was a pop of the fireworks snaps you out of your trance, wiping your eyes and the tear stains on your cheeks. you see mick's worried blue eyes and if that isn't the most relieveing thing in the world, you don't know what else is. he had his palms cupping your cheeks. now, as your senses coming back to you, you can finally hear every bit of mick's words.

"oh, catherine! you're freaking me out! please tell me what's wrong. do we need to get back right now? has something happened to your father?"

"mick..." you manage to croak. "my---my father---"

yes. exactly. that's what everyone of them here thinks. samething happened to your father. it explains why you were so out of daze, like your soul flew out of your body, like you were dead for a few seconds, like you were taken somewhere else. you got mick scared the most when you didn't respond when he tried to get your attention.

everything else that happened after that was a blur. you noticed the other adults talking amongst themselves, as if discussing something while you stand there, not knowing what to do. you were aware of how mick's hand wrap around yours as he leads you back to haas hospitality. and he doesn't let you go when he enters haas motorhome, packs his clothes in his driver's room, also when he came to meet his manager. it's like he is afraid that you would get lost or faint behind him and he didn't notice

there are many factors as to why he never let you out of his sight, even for one second, but if there's one word that could sum it up is: care. mick cares for you. mick cares how the change of the paddock made you jumpy. he cares how the fireworks make you cringe. he cares how the new faces on the paddock make you small and insecure even though he doesn't understand why. you are the daughter to a former ferrari mechanic. you were an engineer. you are respected as much as other people on the paddock.

while you wait for mick to make his schedule free (at least, for the next few days), gina had gone back to the hotel you share with her. she helps you pack your clothes, other items that are probably scattering around on the bed, on the table, in the washroom. gina could get mixed up with some of her items, thinking that they're hers, but you don't think it's a big of a deal. she's going to come home sooner or later, anyway. she can bring them back to you when she's home.

when you get on the last flight home, there is one thing that you wish you could do: convince the mercedes-amg team principal to lend you their private jet and pilot so you could be home sooner. because now, as you're sitting at the economy's three seated aeroplane, you cannot stop yourself from shaking in your seat while keeping your eyes out of the window, overlooking the dark sky. and you're biting your nails. something that you haven't done in years. and if there's one more thing that you would wish is that, to get another chance with your father. even if it only means to see him for the last time.

"please wait for me, dad," you repeat what you told your father before leaving for abu dhabi on saturday.

oh, it was only yesterday that you last saw him. and it was so... crazy how in under one day that he's gone. just like that. or was it because that you didn't pay enough attention on him? that---that time when he rested his hand on yours. was that the sign? was he trying to tell you something from that movement? was he trying to tell you to stay? or was it a goodbye?

the thought of your father never left you even when you feel a hand on your knees, as if telling you to calm down, that you're worrying too much. well, it seems that your body agrees with him because your legs did stop shaking. you turn towards the person and only see a pair of sad eyes looking at you. mick has always knew what to say when tough times are hitting you, but not in this kind of situation, no. he keeps looking at you. his jaws flexing. he is trying his best to say something to comfort you, but nothing came out.

"he was okay when i left him, mick," you whisper weakly. "how---how can he---"

and you stopped yourself because a bile got stuck in your throat. you gulp, blink away your tears but more stream down to your cheeks.

"i'm sorry, catherine," mick says when he finally found his voice. "but i promise everything will be okay."

you shake your head. "it won't. we know it won't."

you start to look away again, to hide your glassy eyes from mick even though it's useless to do so. but at the same time, you cannot see his face right now. that look he had when he hates himself because he cannot help you. but it's okay, you thought. there are some things that we cannot control ourselves and it's enough that he is by your side right now. there's no other person that you would like to be with, in this situation, except with mick. and his family.

and as if reading your mind, mick says "don't worry, okay? i will be here with you." mick gives you a small assuring smile that you return with a thankful one. "now, come here. you need to sleep. we still have four hours to go. one transit. and another six hours until we reach home."

when you finally close your eyes and fall asleep in mick's embrace, you dream nothing.

"catherine! hey, wait---"

mick was not trying to stop you from meeting your father who is in the ICU. he would consider evil if he did that to you---to anyone---given that he had the same experience back when he was a teenager. but you are in a hospital. and you shouldn't be running and being loud as if there's no one else in the ward who probably needs the same amount of rest and attention as your father. he watches you sprint towards the counter, talking to a woman behind the counter, nodding a few times before bolting to your left without looking back at him. mick grunts, jogs towards you and just in time to catch you, who is already inside a lift.

you couldn've sworn that you saw mick glaring at you as he stands close beside you in the lift. maybe he was pissed that you left him by himself at the front entrance. and if it weren't because of his ethletic energy, he wouldn't be here with you right now in the lift. as much as you want to apologise mick for that, you decided that you could that later. maybe after seeing karl. right now---

ding!

once the lift doors open, you are running once again. out of the lift, towards an unfamiliar hallway that leads you to a ward room. and a particular memory that resides somewhere in mick's brain brought mick once again to when you were younger, when michael was still a ferrari driver and karl was still their mechanic. and how that time you used to travel with the schumachers to f1 races because that's the only way karl would allow you to come to his work place. you were always sticking with them until when you saw your father and you excitedly ran towards him. there were smiles on both of your faces as karl lifted you up, spun you around like a princess, and walked hand-in-hand to only God-knows-where. it was one of the most beautiful scene in mick's memory and a happy one. it has nothing to do with the current situation.

mick jogs close behind you and stops when he sees you hugging annie in front of a door.

"annie! i'm sorry! i'm sorry i'm late! i'm---!"

"hey, catherine. shhh, it's alright. your father is still there. you can calm down." annie sounds exhausted but for catherine and karl, she stays awake. "you can come in anytime you're ready. hi, mick."

mick tries to smile at annie but the scrunch of his face make it seems like he hates the smell of the hospital. though, annie wouldn't blame him. she used to work in the hospital before, taking care of people, wipe someone's butt, trimming their pubes hair, holding a person's hair when she is vomitting, cleaning someone's urine on the hospital floor. and not to mention when the patient suddenly lost exessive blood, suddenly burst out of their wound.

but mick... he had always hated the hospital not because of the sick people or the smell of the antiseptic liquid. but it's the image of his father that appears at the back of his eyes. how he, even as the son, has to wait for the right time and the visiting hour to see his dad. he tried to move on from it especially when his work requires him to see the doctor frequently but the truth is, he could never. but for you, he braves himself and follows you inside your father's ward room. he thought you didn't notice him, but you can imagine his surprise look when you link your fingers with him as both of you stand beside your father's hopital bed. you squeeze mick's finges, as if he was the one who needed the encouragement.

both of you watch as your father slowly and painfully breathing behind the oxygen mask, eyes wild as he searches for your voice above him. these wires. the machines. you know this isn't something that you will forget easily especially seeing how the man behind the oxygen mask halfly doesn't look like your father at all. seeing him lying helplessly on the hospital bed, it's hard to remember how he looked like when he was still healthy because this image in front of you is all that you can remember now. and possibly forever.

you reach your father's hand with your free hand. his skin calloused under your fingertips. "dad, i thought i told you to wait for me."

the man on the bed didn't show any sign that he understands you. neither did he show any sign that he recognises you, but he does stare at you when he hears someone else's voice in the room.

"dad, i'm sorry for leaving you. i---i shouldn't have left you... like mum did. i shouldn't---if i didn't leave two days ago, you wouldn't be here." you sob.

mick, who was standing beside you this whole time, suddenly snaps out of this own world. there is voice in his head saying, "it's your fault" as he watches your father on the hospital bed, not having any idea that the woman standing before him is his daughter. he shouldn't have gotten you that vip access. he shouldn't have begged you to come to watch his and sebastian's last race in abu dhabi grand prix. he shouldn't have let you leave your father's side. he shouldn't told you that he booked the flight tickets, hotel rooms, had a driver ready for her when she arrived in saudi arabia, made you feel guilty so that you will eventually agree to come. if he had done nothing of these, your father won't have fallen sick that annie had to call the ambulance and got him taken to the emergency.

mick suddenly let go of your hand. your head snaps towards the space between your hands before looking up at mick. confusion written on your face, but instead of explaning, mick turn around for a run.

"hey, how's it---oh. i thought you were catherine," annie says outside of the ward room. "hey, mick!" and annie didn't mean to shout in the quiet hallway. she knows how to respect othe patients inside other ward rooms, but mick had run away from annie. and when the clicking sound of the door greets him, he runs faster towards the stairs.

"mick, would you stop?! mick!" you run after the young man, leaving annie with an eyebrow raised. you are sure that you owe so much to annie. after living with you for about more than a year, annie has put up alot of behaviour, your mood swings, your rebellion, your tantrum. as you run after mick right now, you suddenly feel sad with the thought of her leaving you after your father...

you stop yourself from thinking about it now. you continue running after mick. and oh God, why must he chose the stairs? "mick, would you care tell me what's wrong?"

"leave me alone," mick says.

"mick, come on! we're not teenagers anymore!"

"nothing, catherine. i just need some fresh air." mick tries to keep himself composed.

"you can do that with me!" you shouted. your voice echo in the empty, hollow emergency exit of the hospital. you glance at the one side of the wall and see a LG sign. and your voice gives so much impact on mick that he immediately stops running. his hand pauses on the door knob. "mick, i can tell something is in your mind right now. please, tell me."

mick doesn't move. he keeps his eyes on his hand on the door knob. his heart is pounding in his ears. from the running, from the anger towards himself, from your voice. he once swore to himself that he would take care of you until his last breath, even if you didn't end up marrying him, but he wants to do that to you. however, this guilt... he's not sure about that now. he cannot look at your face and not see that he was the reason behind those tears. he had caused your father to---

mick gulps. "i'm sorry, catherine."

you frown. "for what? mick, for what? tell me, please. we don't have much time. my father is---"

"your father wouldn't be here if i didn't buy you that damn tickets."

"what?"

there is a pause as mick contemplates with himself. he is in a dilemma between opening up to you or continue to run away from the problem, ghost you because, apparently, that's best option he has in mind. he cannot see your face knowing that it was his fault your father, the only family you have left, is leaving you because of him and his selfish decision.

finally, mick sighs and turns around to face you. it's one of those nightmares for you to see him with eyes red and him to see you desperate for explanation. but if there is one thing that he remembers both his parents taught him was not to leave the person you love hanging. bad things will always happen in a relationship, in friendship. and it hurts to tell the truth and see the reaction on the other person's face, but never leave them without trying.

and that's what mick is doing right now. he loves catherine so much that he could risk his life in anything. both of you had gone through so much together. you were one of the few people who were there for him when michael got into that tragic accident. you were there on the track side to support him in karting, in the formula series. it was his fault that he didn't see you you any sooner. and now that he got you, he doesn't want to let you go. or his mother will give him the silent treatment.

"your father, catherine." mick is shaking. you can hear it in his voice. and he can take as much time he can to talk, but the fact that your father could die any time now, makes you on edge. "if i didn't buy that stupid tickets and didn't force you to come and watch me on my last race, he wouldn't be hospitalised."

"i'm sorry for throwing you in this situation, catherine," mick continues. "and---and i get if you--"

"mick." you take a few steps closer toward mick. "look, i'm sorry if i ignored you just now. i just---i'm just so worried about my father. okay? and mick, it's not your fault my father is here now. and i flew to abu dhabi because i wanted to, not because you forced me to. i knew how it meant to you and sebastian if i were there with you guys."

mick doesn't know what to say. he is so angry at himself and adore the way you handle the situation. how could he not see this on you before? how could he abandon you and hurt you instead? he doesn't deserve, does he? even though you agreed to to be his girlfriend, you let him kissed you in front of billions of people after the race, he still doesn't deserve you.

"so please stop with that 'everything is my fault' bullshit, okay? and i thought you said that you will always be by my side. you're going to break the promise now? after you kissed me in front of everyone---literally everyone---after park femme?"

mick snorts. after all these years, he is amazed how he is still surprised with all your little snide remarks as if you could read his mind. he lets his hand on the knob go and hugs you.

"i know you won't." you smile back at mick.

maybe annie shouldn't have let you know this, but she figures she didn't want to lose your trust and feel guilty for the rest of her life when you and her parted ways after your father dies. so she tells you anyway.

the truth is, soon after you left for abu dhabi, your father showed a bad sign and annie instinctively called the ambulance and soon, she was inside the ambulance with your father on the bed. karl was hospitalised and warded immediately while waiting for the on-duty doctor to check up on him. she was not allowed to take care of karl like how she does at home since they have nurses to look after him.

she wanted to call you soon, but thought you were busy. and she thought that, after years, you might miss the life you once had back then, and let you have all the fun. let annie and her only to worry about karl. she was about to take a relieved sigh, but the next thing she knows, the doctor told her that karl doesn't have much time left.

annie was taught not to panic in any kinds of situation she is facing, but when she heard that from the doctor, she panicked. maybe it was her fault that she has taken you and karl and everything about you two personally that she feels as if you're her family now. but after a year of living with you, how could she not feel as such?

she called you to deliver the unfortunate news. and she called again and again and again, even when she was still taken to voicemail after a few more tries. she stopped for a few minutes. and called again when the doctor had informed her that the oxygen mask had no function to karl anymore. it's either you bring karl home to save you from the expensive hospital fee or let him go. here. in the hospital. take off that oxygen mask and let him free of his misery. because there's no cure for alzheimer's disease even though, initially, it was cardiac arrest that took karl to the emergency department.

you didn't know what to do. you wanted to bring your father home. you wanted your father for as long as you could but annie had told you that you were selfish for doing so. with her advice, you agreed to let the doctors take off the oxygen mask and do their stuffs. and you were there to watch, with annie by your side. you wish mick could be here but the hospital was strict with their regulations. only family members was allowed in here. and you had to bribe the doctor to let annie in with you, telling them that annie was a nurse before she was your father's caretaker. and when you hear as the heart monitor changing from the constant beep, beep sound to a constant beeeeeep, you feel the sky falls on top of your shoulders.

when you wake up the next time, you're at the cemetery.

"thank you for coming," you say to one of the neighbours. "karl would be happy to see you."

"thank you. say hi to britney for me."

"it's nice of you to remember him. i appreciate that. karl would appreciate that."

there were a lot of thank yous today that at some point, you started to get bored saying it that you just smile and nod your head as you send those visitors to the front door. you had enough hugs, too, but you can't get rid of this one especially when they were the one who pull you into their arms, caressing their palms on your back. sometimes, you feel as if they're invading your personal space. but you don't want to be rude so you let them. at least, only for today.

and there were nothing that you didn't hear from those who visited you today. there are always be strong or your father must be proud of you or you must inherited a fortune from your father since you're the only child! or it's so sad just because you lost your only family member. you don't hace siblings, aunts and uncles, a mother, grandparents from either of their sides. if you need anything, just give us a call. you know you don't need their help to any extend but you politely, smile back and wave them goodbye.

the only people you love to see aside from the schumachers, annie and the vettels are marc and franco. they didn't say much but their smiles and hugs are enough to tell you that they will do anything for you. like you can bunk in marc's house if you're afraid to sleep in the ouse by yourself. if you have any trouble with your car, they can give you a free fix. if you needed money, they'd lend you some. you might need two of them, but either way, you're thankful with their presence here.

marc and franco were the last visitors to leave your house. and when they did, you finally can breathe normally as you shut the front door, already on another mission and that is to clean the house. maybe God was on your side today that there weren't much trash in the living room and the porch but there are still a lot cleaning to do.

"hey, let me do that for you," hanna says as she snatches dirty plates in your hands. "go sit over there. i'll bring you some water in a minute."

you're mentally exhausted from arguing with anyone right now. the only thing you can now is smiling at hanna, appreciating her presence here with sebastian and their kids and norbert. "thanks," you mutter, watching her short blonde air bounce as she truts into the kitchen.

as you sit by yourself in the living room, watching the vettels kids playing by themselves silently while their parents helping you with chores, watching the adults going back and forth the kitchen as if their home, watching corinna and annie giving orders, watching gina somehow making jokes in the kitchen to light up the mood and mick standing in the kitchen not knowing what to do though he tried to help, you realise that you might lose your father, but maybe you gain another, two maybe three mothers, a grandparent, a sister, little siblings. most importantly, you gain a partner who understands you inside and out and you didn't plan to lose any of them soon.

the end

#mick schumacher #mick schumacher x you #mick schumacher x reader #ms47 #f1 #fia #ferrari #mick to mercedes #mercedes-amg #michael schumacher #haas #formula 1 #formula fanfiction

61 notes · View notes