It has been a couple of days since the hike and it is an all-hands-on-deck situation. My team and I are battling the clock to get the car ready however it is proving to be a little difficult. Dmitry is insisting that he speaks to me. It turns out he really wants me to trade places with Yuri. The thing is I am working under Mick. Plus I get the feeling that I will be treated like trash instead. I am currently buried in my work which seems to be doing the trick. It doesn't last long. I can feel myself being pulled away from my work. Literally.

"For the last time, Dmitry, the answer is no," I say before jerking my shoulder out of his grip. I wish that he would leave me alone.

"But-,"

"But nothing, Dmitry. All you need to do is treat Yuri and his team with respect. That should make things better for Nikita. Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do," I cut him off. I get the sudden feeling that it was not a good idea but the truth is I am not sure what to say. Dmitry is getting on my nerves. He is meddling with something that he can't even begin to understand. It doesn't take long for Dmitry's one-sided conversation to be interrupted.

"ona ne stoit tvoyego vremeni papa (she's not worth your time dad)," Nikita remarks. I know he means to be nasty but he has saved Dmitry the pain of seeing me angry. I see Dmitry off with a death stare. Something tells me that I might not be staying at Haas for long. Oh well, I can always move to another team if it comes to that. I just hope it doesn't come to that as I enjoyed my time with Haas even though I've had my fair share of drama. After ten long minutes, the time has come for the first free practice session. Mick is quick to join me and I am just as quick with helping him. After sending him out I head to my usual spot. The mood is tense. As the free practice session goes on it seems that both Mick and Nikta are struggling more than usual. I am looking through some of Cal's data to see if I can spot something unusual about it. The thing is there is not much that I can see that is out of the ordinary.

"Morgan, can you see anything unusual?" Cal asks, having noticed the fact that I am looking over his shoulder.

"Not really. The only issues that I can think of are related to the gearbox and it seems to be holding," I responded. It looks like it is going to be another long day for me. It doesn't take long for the first free practice session to come to an end. Thankfully nothing major happened even though the cars were struggling more than usual. It doesn't take long for me and my team to get to work on making the required adjustments for Mick. Luckily for me, It only takes me thirty minutes. That means I have a chance to relax. Sure it won't be for long but I'll take any chance I can get. I find myself wandering through the paddock. I would go to the hospitality area but that's where Dmitry would be and I want to relax. It doesn't take long for me to be intercepted by Mick.

"Hey, Morgan. You seem a little bothered," Mick observes.

"Yeah. I'm spending my break trying to avoid Dmitry. To make matters worse I have something on my mind," I find myself venting to Mick. Surprisingly he seems like he understands the issues at hand.

"Morgan you don't have to worry about me," Mick responds to my rant with the standard response.

"I know but I can't help it," I reply. Not only is he under my care as a driver he is also my boyfriend. In my mind, that means I have two big reasons to worry. After twenty minutes of chilling with Mick the time has come for me to make sure the car is ready to go. Luckily for me, my team has done the leg work. That means the only thing I need to do is make one last check. It is the easy part of my day. After ten more minutes Mick joined us. He throws a gentle look my way. It is probably his way of telling me that it will be ok without actually saying that it will be. With some help, it doesn't take long for Mick to get ready. 

As per usual I send him out with a gesture. I soon made it to my spot. It doesn't take long for disaster to strike. I glance at the screen that is showing the data of Mick's car. Something is wrong. I turn my attention to the broadcast. It shows the forty-seven car partially in the barriers. I find myself holding my breath.

"Sorry guys. I'm all good," Mick announces via the radio. A sigh falls from my mouth. That collision means that I will have to work hard tonight. Not that it matters as it comes with the territory of being a Haas mechanic. It doesn't take long for the wreck to make its way back to the garage. With that, I get to work. After two long hours of work, I have come to the conclusion that it is going to be an all-nighter. Again. I am not even going to bother asking Yuri for help as he has his own Mazepin problem to deal with. It doesn't take long for me to notice the feeling of someone watching over me. This time it is the feeling of concern that oozes from Guenther. He has every right to be concerned as I have discovered that the repairs I have done to the gearbox have failed. I turn my attention to Guenther.

"Gunther I have some bad news," I announce. I just hope that the gearbox isn't the only problem.

"What's wrong?" Guenther responds.

"We have to replace the entire gearbox but I'm not sure I can do it before qualifying," I dispense the bad news to Guenther whose face scrunches at the idea. He is not the only one that is annoyed. The thing is I had a feeling that something like this was going to happen.

"But I will do my best to fix the car," I mustered some much-needed enthusiasm.

"Of course," Guenther responds as he leaves. With that my team and I get to work on making sure that the car is ready for tomorrow's action. It is the day after and it turns out that the contact with the wall has revealed even more problems with the car. Of course, that meant an all-nighter. Right now I am fighting the urge to fall asleep as I get the car ready for the day. I have decided to get started earlier than normal as I still have a lot of repairs to do. It doesn't take long for me to be interrupted.

"I came bearing gifts," It's Mick who is holding out a cup of coffee for me. He must have arrived early so he can help my team and I.

"You are a lifesaver Mick," I remarked as I took the cup from him. I take a sip from the cup as I turn my attention back to the car. Thankfully the coffee is able to give me a small boost.

"Anything for you. Just let me know if you need any help," He replies with a smile. Mick is quick to take his usual position of watching over me just in case I need help. After three hours and a cup of coffee, the repairs are complete and the car is ready to go. The only problem was Mick had to miss FP3. Not that it really mattered. It just meant that Cal is upset that he didn't get the data that he needed. Now all the car needs are its driver. As if on cue I am joined by Mick. As per usual it doesn't take long for Mick to get comfortable with some help. After a brief pause, I get the go-ahead to send Mick out. With my usual gesture, I sent Mick on his way. After fifteen minutes of driving Mick has only made it into seventeenth place. In Mick's defence, it was a valiant effort for someone in a terrible car.

It is the morning after. I find myself jolting awake from a nightmare. I find myself wrestling to get my breath under control as I force the horrific image of Mick's car hitting the barrier out of my mind. There is no way that Mick would lose control like that. I gently pull myself away from Mick who is fast asleep. I find myself stealing a kiss from Mick before quietly getting ready for the day. It doesn't take long for me to head to the Red Bull Ring. Before you can ask I didn't want to wake Mick up because it is only six-thirty and Mick only needs to wake up at seven. I make a beeline to the garage where I get to work on making sure that the car is good to go. It doesn't take long for me to realise that there is something wrong. It is at this moment that I feel a weird sense of deja vu. I chose to ignore it as I needed to get my job done. After what feels like an eternity I have discovered a problem that could mean disaster for Mick. After two minutes of looking, I found Guenther.

"I don't think Mick should be allowed to race," I announce.

"What do you mean?" Guenther asks. I am quick to explain the problem. Guenther doesn't seem convinced in the same way as me.

"Look Morgan you've probably done the best that you can. I'm sure Mick will know what he is doing," Guenther dismisses my worries. To be fair I am probably overreacting but the sense of deja vu hasn't disappeared. I am honestly beginning to feel like my nightmare is playing out in real life. With that, I head back to the garage. Before I enter I am intercepted by Mick.

"Morgan, you look worried. What's wrong?" Mick checks on me.

"I have a nasty feeling that something is going to go wrong. There is nothing that I can do as Guenther dismissed what I had to say," I explain the situation. To be honest I should invoke my mechanic's privilege and say the car is not fit for Mick to drive. The thing is I don't want to do it unless Mick agrees with me and I don't think that is likely.

"Morgan, I'll put it to you this way. If the car feels off during the formation lap I'll retire," Mick announces as we enter the garage.

"Promise?" I ask.

"Promise," Mick responds. His voice is gentle. Well, there is now nothing that I can do. Mick's made up his mind. I just have to trust my team's ability to repair the damage to the car. After fifteen tense minutes, the countdown to the race has begun. Right now the car is sitting on the grid while my time and I are making some last-minute checks before the one-minute countdown.

"Everyone, we have two minutes before the race starts," Cal announces. That much is obvious as the media people and most of the team personnel have scattered. It is at that point that my nerves start up. Deep breath Morgan. Mick knows what he is doing.

"One minute," I gesture for my team to leave. It doesn't take long for us to head back to our places in the garage. After a minute that feels like an hour, a single light comes on to signify the start of the formation lap. Thankfully Mick gets away well. My eyes are glued to the screen that is showing the broadcast. Nothing looks out of the ordinary. Even with the data that Cal is getting. It seems that my worries are for naught. I push the thoughts to the back of my mind as the cars line up in their respective grid slots. As soon as the last car slips into the last grid slot the five lights come on one by one.

"Morgan, you don't have to look so nervous. You've done the best you can," Yuri says echoing what Guenther said.

"I can't help it. I know what can go wrong," I reply. During the conversation with Yuri, my eyes never left the broadcast screen. Yuri is right though. I try my best to force myself to relax but there is no point. After thirty minutes of a largely drama-free race, I notice something off in Cal's data. As soon as I do, disaster strikes. In an attempt to overtake Nicholas Latifi Mick loses control. I avert my gaze from the broadcast that is showing the action. The thing is I already know what is going to happen next. As soon as the car comes to a stop Cal gets to work on getting Mick's attention. My heart sinks as Cal gives up. That can only mean one thing.

"Sorry, everyone. I think Mick is unconscious," Cal announces. Crap. I am hit by a wave of guilt. I should not have let Mick race. Thankfully the martials are quick to pull Mick's limp body from the car. Both Guenther and I release an appropriate barrage of curses as Mick is loaded into the awaiting ambulance. After a few tense minutes, Guenther has given me permission to follow the ambulance to the hospital. After what feels like an eternity I finally make it to the hospital. I find myself pacing around the waiting room while I wait. It doesn't take long for a nurse to find me.

"Can I help you?" She asks.

"Yes, I am looking for Mick Schumacher," I responded. I am trying to keep my emotions in check but it is proving to be a little more difficult than I thought. The nurse looks me over. 

"Right now Mick is undergoing some tests. I'll find you when he is done," The nurse says as she shuffles back to work. At least I have some information. It is at that moment that it is due to the fact that I am still in my uniform. Uniform is a word that I use loosely because it only consists of a Haas polo shirt and a pair of black shorts. The nurse must have thought that I was here on Guenther's behalf. Whilst that is partly true I am here because I am worried as Mick's girlfriend. I continue my pacing while I wait. The guilt is bubbling up. Honestly, I should have followed my instinct and prevented Mick from racing. This mess is my fault. After thirty minutes the nurse gave me permission to visit Mick. I am about to enter his room but his doctor is there. I timidly entered his room.

"What can I do for you?" The doctor asks as he finishes writing some notes.

"I was wondering if Mick is going to be ok," I replied. Again I feel like the only reason why he is going to tell me anything is because of my Haas polo.

"All I can say was it was good that he was wearing a helmet. He suffered a blow to his temple," The doctor fills me in. Those words deliver the final crippling blow to my guilt. At least the safety devices did their job.

"I'll leave the two of you alone," The doctor soon leaves. With the doctor gone, tears take hold. Before I lose myself to my emotions I send a quick text to let Guenther know that Mick will be all good. I find myself giving Mick an awkward hug as I let go of my emotions. After an hour of trying to get my emotions under control, I am pulled out of my thoughts by a pained groan. It is at that moment that I notice that Mick's eyes flutter open. I am quick to sit up.

"What happened?" Mick mumbles.

"You crashed while trying to overtake Nicholas Latifi. I think it had something to do with the damage that the car suffered during FP1. I should have used my mechanic's privileges and prevented you from racing," I explain. The guilt on my face should be enough for Mick to read.

"It's not your fault. I was the one that made the mistake, not you," Mick says as he holds his hand out for me to hold. The thing is he is right however the feeling of guilt isn't going to disappear anytime soon. It doesn't take long for the relief to settle in.