Chapter 16 #2
“Ingrid was standing next to me. It would have been on my right, like she usually does. I was signing an autograph, and then I heard her scream. I looked towards her, and the bodyguard was catching her. I saw his eyes. Mark’s eyes.
Under a Wentworth cap. I didn’t notice him in the crowd before. Then he turned to run.”
“We’re sorry this has happened, Mr Svensson. Were you aware that Mr Blake was here? Is that why you had security?”
“No, we found out recently that he had forged documents, and my team principal suggested getting additional security until he was found.”
Erik was staring off into the distance, the memory of Mark’s eyes and Ingrid bleeding still on his mind.
“Is there anything else that you could tell us that would be helpful?”
“I don’t know.”
Erik didn’t know. All he could think about was Ingrid.
He rejoined Antoine in the waiting room. By this point, Jonathan was there. He hugged Erik immediately.
“At least they’ve caught the bastard now,” Jonathan said.
The doctor came out over two hours later to say she was out of surgery, and everything went well. Erik could see her now, but she might be a bit groggy.
“Hello, you, did we win?” Ingrid said croakily when she was fully awake.
“My love, the race isn’t for a few days.”
“I know, I just wanted to mess with your head.”
Erik laughed and went to kiss her head.
“I’m so happy you’re alive.”
“Was I going to die?”
“I thought so!”
“No, I’d never leave you. I’d drag you to Valhalla with me.” She smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
“Did they catch him? Mark? I thought it was Mark that did this.”
“Yes, they caught Mark. I’m so sorry I didn’t see him sooner and protect you.”
“Darling, we had five bodyguards with his photo, and I was scanning the crowd for him. He came out of nowhere. Mark was determined to hurt me again, and I knew it.”
Erik sat on the bed and kissed her.
The doctor came in to update them on her condition. She was stable, and they had repaired all the minor internal damage. She would need to remain in the hospital for the next few days.
???
Both sets of parents arrived the following afternoon. Erik had been allowed to skip official duties given the circumstances.
“Oh, don’t you worry, I’m fine,” Ingrid said to all of them as they crowded her room. “Erik is just hovering, so he has an excuse to miss media day.”
“That’s not true. I’m extremely worried about her,” he retorted.
“You see?” Ingrid said. “If he wouldn’t get caught, he’d be at the hotel on his sim right now.” She laughed.
“Erik!” said Freja, “That’s shocking! Although I do think you could do with a shower and some clean clothes. Why don’t you let us watch over her for a bit, and you go back to the hotel?”
“Yes, I agree with Freja,” said Bridget.
Erik kissed Ingrid goodbye and went to the hotel. He didn’t realise that he still had her blood on his shirt. This was probably why the mothers sent him off. He showered, changed, and then called Jimmy.
“Here you go, Rik,” he said, handing him the ring box. “I thought you were going to wait a bit longer?”
“After yesterday, I’m not waiting any longer.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Typical Ingrid. Calm, rational, laughing.”
“Are you still racing this weekend?”
“Of course! She’d kill me if I didn’t!”
When Erik returned to the hospital, he chased the family away. It was their turn to go to the hotel and relax. He sat down on her bed.
“You look much better without that bloody shirt!”
She lifted her arms, and he reached down to kiss her.
“I was so caught up in everything, I didn’t realise. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
“Ingrid…”
He thought about getting down on one knee but chose to sit on the bed instead.
“Erik?”
He pulled out the box.
“Oh, my earrings, I completely forgot about them. You kept them safe?”
“No, my love.” He laughed, opening the box. “Why do you always make these moments so difficult to do?”
“To keep your life interesting.” She grinned.
“Ok, will you keep making my life interesting then?”
“I would lean forward and kiss you, but I can’t.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, you idiot.”
He put the ring on her finger, leaned forward and kissed her.
“Good thing Oli isn’t here because he would tell us how this wouldn’t work for social media. I mean, you could have at least dressed up a bit. I have no excuse.”
Erik laughed because Ingrid didn’t realise that Oliver was there.
“Oh my god, you didn’t!” Ingrid exclaimed
“Yes, I got the ring moment on camera,” Oliver said. “Sister, you talk too much nonsense when you’re on painkillers.”
“You know, one of you could have been thoughtful and brought me some clothes to change into by now. Instead, my engagement photo is going to be in a hospital gown.”
“And messy hair!” Oliver added.
“Urgh, I don’t care. Please take a photo with the two of us in this hospital bed. I want to capture the moment, no matter how we look.”
Erik climbed into the bed next to her and put his arm around her. Ingrid held up her ring finger, and they stared into each other’s laughing blue eyes. The Mark drama was finally behind them, and they could move on to focus on the Championship.
???
Ingrid had watched FP1 and the Sprint quali from her hospital bed. She was itching to get out of the hospital. Even though the families had ensured she had an amazing private room, she felt like she had spent far too much time in hospital beds that year.
“You’re able to move around, and there’s no sign of infection. As long as you promise no strenuous physical activity for the next two weeks, then yes, you can be discharged. When are you planning to travel?” The doctor said.
“We were going to fly back on Monday, but I think we have to finalise some matters with the police here.”
“Your doctor can remove the stitches in three weeks, and please get some rest!”
Ingrid just wanted to go home. So much had happened, and she wanted to be alone, with Erik, at home, without all these people fussing around her. Team members had been visiting. Claire and Bartoli had visited. The parents were in and out all the time. She had hardly seen Erik, though.
Erik had been treated like a porcelain doll this time when he returned to the paddock.
Now he knew why Ingrid hated it so much.
To shut everyone up, he led the entire weekend from FP1 through to the race.
In the post-race interview, when Jamie was congratulating him on his performance this weekend, considering the circumstances, Erik responded:
“I love racing. I love my team. I love my partner. It’s the same for Ingrid. Plus, I know that she would rip her stitches, come here, and kick my ass if I didn’t do well for the team this weekend. We have a championship to win.”
“That’s my man…” Ingrid said to herself.
She watched the podium celebrations with Oliver by her side on the hotel bed, but Ingrid missed being there with the team. Just a few more days, then home, and then Texas.