Chapter Text
Max had been consumed by a whirlwind of despair from the moment they pulled him out of the room.
The fluorescent lights flickered intermittently, casting eerie, trembling shadows on the pristine white walls—harsh reminders of where he was. The ceaseless hum of cardiac monitors echoed in his ears like a sinister chorus to his own agony.
Max was overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of helplessness, as though he were fighting an invisible enemy threatening to drag him into the dark.
As he waited for news about Lewis, Max couldn’t stop pacing back and forth, his mind flooded with shadowed thoughts. Each step only fueled his anxiety, trapping him in a limbo of uncertainty that was slowly consuming him. The waiting room—with its cold lights and uncomfortable chairs—only deepened his despair.
Every time a door opened, his heart would leap, only to crash back down when it wasn’t the doctor with news of Lewis.
When Lewis’s parents arrived—visibly frantic, both demanding answers—Max felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Lewis’s mother was crying inconsolably, while his father moved restlessly from one side to another, radiating desperation.
Max thought, for a second, that maybe they hadn’t seen him. But when Sebastián arrived with them and walked directly toward him, Max knew it was about to get worse.
Sebastián had sensed it—he always did.
-Verstappen, what happened to Lewis?-Sebastián asked, approaching with worry etched on his face.
Max turned his gaze away from the ICU doors and met Sebastián’s eyes.
-I… I came to apologize to Lewis for the way I treated him. But he… he wasn’t okay. I could see it—he looked so pale. I know him. I knew him. I don’t know what happened, he just collapsed. I brought him to the hospital as fast as I could. They admitted him and I…- Max faltered, his voice breaking, and the tears finally came.
- I’ve been waiting for hours. Dr. Adams told me Lewis is refusing to wake up. She asked me to let him go. But how, Sebastián? How can I let him go when he is my entire life? She asked me to mark him… I know he’s with you, but I had to do it. I swear, when he wakes up and gets better, I’ll break the bond. And if he still wants you, you can have him. Just… don’t be angry at him. -Max looked him in the eyes, silently pleading for something—understanding, forgiveness, or maybe just the strength to breathe
Sebastián had tears in his own eyes, still processing the weight of Max’s confession.
-Max… Lewis isn’t with me, I have a wife- Sebastián whispered.
-We need to talk—but not now. I promise I’ll explain everything. And thank you. Thank you for bringing him in time.-
Max nodded and instinctively stood the moment the ICU doors opened and Dr. Adams emerged.
-Family of patient Hamilton- Dr. Adams called out.
Lewis’s parents stepped forward, as did Sebastián and Max—both hesitant, unsure how close they were allowed to stand.
-We are his parents- the couple said in unison.
-I’m Dr. Adams. As I already told your son’s partner, the situation was critical… but we managed to stabilize him. Lewis seems to want to come back—or at least, he’s fighting. He’s improving, slowly but steadily.
To be honest, I didn’t believe the marking would work. The omega didn’t want to return from his trance, didn’t want to fight. That usually points to traumatic events, and sometimes… omegas never come back. But Mr. Verstappen didn’t give up. Even after I explained the consequences if the patient didn’t wake up, he accepted them.
Mr. Verstappen—your partner is recovering, but very slowly. It will take time. He’s still on a ventilator and will remain in the ICU for a few more hours so we can continue monitoring him. Once we’re certain there won’t be complications, we’ll transfer him to step-down intensive care. He’ll stay there for at least two weeks, until he wakes up. It’s necessary to avoid any risk of hospital-acquired infections. After that, he’ll need a few more days for us to stabilize his condition entirely.
The nurse will explain the visitation schedule. In step-down care, you’ll be able to spend time with him.-
Max knew Anthony had never approved of him as Lewis’s alpha. He had probably always hoped for someone else. Truth be told, Max had once felt the same—unworthy of Lewis. Especially after leaving him, even as Lewis had begged him to stay.
-Anthony, not now, please- Martha said gently. -Our son is getting better—that’s what matters. And Max, sweetheart… I knew you’d come back. I just didn’t expect it to be in a hospital. But I’m glad you’re here.-
She wrapped her arms around Max, soft but steady.
Mrs. Martha… I’m so sorry I hurt him- Max whispered, barely holding himself together.
The weight of all his regrets bore down on him—yet somewhere deep in the ache, a flicker of hope stirred. Maybe he still had a chance to stay by Lewis’s side.
Even if only to watch him heal.
___________________________________
The nurse allowed them fifteen minutes with Lewis.
His parents went in first, and when they came out, Max could see their broken hearts etched into their faces—raw and barely held together.
Max braced himself as he stepped inside, his breath catching at the sight of Lewis, pale and still, his body entangled in wires and tubes. Machines whispered and beeped around him, like cold lullabies that didn’t quite reach the soul.
There was pain, sharp and suffocating, blooming in Max’s chest. But under it, a fragile thread of hope pulsed. Dr. Adams had told him Lewis wanted to come back. That meant something. That meant everything.
The bond they had just formed, still new and shimmering with pain and promise, gave Max a reason to stay standing. Protocol required an alpha to remain close while the bond solidified.
Max had been relieved to learn that Sebastian wasn’t involved with Lewis. But even so, the shame gnawed at him. If only he’d fought for Lewis sooner, none of this would’ve happened.
He could’ve protected him. Instead, he’d abandoned him.
The guilt didn’t just sit in his chest—it consumed him, a slow burn behind his ribs. But this time, he wouldn’t run. He would stay. He would fight.
His phone buzzed constantly, pulling him out of his grief for a moment—ten missed calls from Kelly, two from his father, several from the team. But none of it mattered. None of them mattered.
Max had wanted to leave Kelly for a while now, but the little Sophie had kept him tethered. Now, everything was clear. He had to make a choice. And this time, he would choose Lewis.
Sebastian approached him gently.
-Max, you can go in now. We’ll stay out here. I know you have a race soon in Imola, but I’ll stay with him. I already spoke to Toto—they’ve made it official. Kimi’s replacing Lewis. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.-
Max turned to him, eyes unwavering.
-There’s no need, Sebs. I left him once, and I’m never leaving him again. Lewis is worth more than any championship. More than anything in this life. I realized it too late—but I did realize it. I won’t let go again.-
Sebastian gave him a weary, bittersweet smile.
-You know he’d be furious if you skipped a race for him. Go out there and win it for him. Make Mercedes bleed. I never thought they’d abandon him like this. I thought Toto saw him like a son. But this?- He choked back his anger. -This isn’t how you treat a champion. I swear, Max, I’ll make them pay for every tear Lewis shed. But you… you win. You win for him. Make them choke on every point they thought they’d steal from him.-
Max nodded, eyes glassy, jaw clenched with determination.
-I will. I’ll make them pay—for what they did to him… and for what I did. I broke him too, and I’ll never forgive myself. But I’ll do everything I can now. I’ll stay until tomorrow. I had a sim race, but I’ll skip it. I’ll talk to Chrane. And… thank you. For being there for him when I wasn’t. No one else knows he’s here, right?-
Sebastian shook his head.
No one. They’ve been texting me nonstop, but I’ve told them nothing. Lewis deserves this silence. He’s carried too much for too long, Max.
I saw him cry. And I think… I think enough is enough, don’t you?-
Max nodded and stepped back, but before he could go far, Sebastian called his name—barely a whisper carried by the weight of what he was about to say.
-Max… there’s something I have to tell you. I shouldn’t be the one saying this. It should’ve been Lewis. I sent you a letter explaining everything, but judging by your face… you never saw it.-
Sebastian’s voice trembled, and the sorrow in his eyes was unbearable.
-This is going to hurt, Max. No one else knows. Lewis wanted it that way. But you deserve to understand why he’s like this… why he’s so broken. Lewis lost your baby, Max. He lost your child.-
The world stopped.
-He didn’t even know he was pregnant. Everything happened so fast. I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty—it wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was the stress, everything he was carrying. He named him Lion. He was six months along. I saw him… just a tiny little bundle. Beautiful. That day was the worst of our lives. Lewis didn’t stop crying. I’d never seen him like that. He screamed, sobbed for hours… and I couldn’t do a thing. I wasn’t you. That pain tore him apart, Max.-
Sebastian’s voice cracked.
-He shattered completely. Every night, he cried for Lion. Every night, he screamed his name and blamed himself. Until… one day, he didn’t. And I thought he was healing. But I was wrong. He was giving up. And I didn’t see the signs. I should have known. But Lewis—he became an expert at hiding the agony. I believed him when he said he was fine. And I was wrong.-
Sebastian stepped closer, gently resting a hand on Max’s shoulder.
-If it hadn’t been for you… Lewis wouldn’t still be here. You saved him. I’ll thank you for that every day for the rest of my life. I know you think he and I were together, but we weren’t. He’s always loved you, Max. Always. He never stopped.-
Max’s knees gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the hospital floor as if the world had been ripped from beneath him.
-Lewis lost our baby…- he whispered, voice shaking, eyes glassy with unshed tears.
The words echoed like a death knell inside his chest. "Our baby." Over and over again, each repetition more painful than the last. The image of Lewis, clutching a tiny body—Lion—was a vision that would haunt Max for the rest of his life.
A storm surged inside him—guilt, grief, overwhelming remorse.
-I did this to him - Max choked out. - I wasn’t there. I should’ve—God, I should’ve—-
He doubled over, sobbing, cradling himself in an attempt to hold together the pieces of a heart shattered beyond repair.
He had failed—not just as a partner, but as an alpha, a protector… a father. Their son had died and he hadn’t even known he existed. While Max was on podiums, raising trophies, Lewis was alone… breaking.
The contrast was unbearable.
He gasped for air, like a man drowning in regret. His chest constricted, crushed beneath the weight of a pain too vast to contain. Tears streamed down his face, hot and unstoppable, each one a testament to the life he’d never get to meet.
- I saw him smile for the cameras- Sebastian said quietly, kneeling beside Max. -And then I saw him scream into his pillow at night.
Max didn’t respond. He couldn’t. His voice had vanished, stolen by the sorrow tearing through him.
Sebastian placed a steady hand on his back.
-This isn’t your fault, Max. Lewis never wanted you to carry this burden. He didn’t want to be the reason you broke. But now… now you have to be strong for him. He needs you more than ever..-
Max curled in on himself, lost in the pain. He wanted to tear the world apart, scream into the void, trade every win, every accolade, just to take back Lewis’s suffering.
-While I was winning…-he muttered, -he was dying inside.-
The emptiness of the victories clawed at him now, meaningless in the shadow of what he'd lost.
Sebastian leaned in closer.
-You still have a chance to fight for him. Not for trophies. For Lewis. For Lion. Be the man they both needed.-
Max swallowed the lump in his throat. Through the tears, through the anguish, something flickered—resolve.
-I won’t leave him again,- he said, voice cracked but clear. -I swear, Seb… I won’t.-
Sebastian helped him to his feet, gripping him firmly.
-Good- he said, his eyes fierce despite the tears. -Because if you ever do… I swear, Max, I’ll finish with you.