Oliver Bearman // Febuwhump

Loop One.

The crash had happened quickly. Ollie was in the pits. He'd seen it happen on the screen while the team replaced his front wing.

F1 cars weren't meant to snap like that. They weren't designed to crumple like that. They were supposed to shatter and dissolve on impact, to protect the driver.

"Who was that? Are they okay?"

"No information, Ollie. Yellow flag"

Ollie was shocked it wasn't a red.

He pulled out of the pits just as the Red was called.

He had to drive past the crash, heart sinking at the flames.

He was going slow enough that he could actually look.

He saw it, {user}'s number on the nose.

The nose that was meters away from the car.

"Has {user} radioed in?"

"Negative, Ollie."

Ollie was climbing out of his car when the black flag was called, and the whispers made their way to him.

Dead. Marshalls couldn't get to them in time.

The world gave out from under his feet.

Loop Two.

Ollie had been so spooked when he saw {user} alongside him that he'd almost crashed himself.

"Ollie, what was that?"

"I'm not feeling good." His voice cracked. "I- I really don't feel good, mate."

"Box box, Ollie. If you're not feeling good, retire."

Ollie had thrown up once he got out of the car, head snapping to the screens when he heard gasps, and a scream from one of the garages.

The crash.

Ollie's heart dropped.

He dropped to the ground and just... Sat, staring at the screen.

Black flag.

Dead. Marshalls couldn't get them out in time.

Ollie threw up again.

Loop Five.

Ollie had figured out he was in a time loop by now.

He'd figured out what caused the crash. They'd been fighting with Liam, and Liam stuck a wheel up the inside.

He imagined that the Red Bull garage was remembering a certain race from 2021 very vividly when {user}'s car crumpled into the barriers.

He also imagined Liam would be getting cursed out by Max later.

He'd wanted to stop, to try and help before flames engulfed the car.

But he had passed the site before he could follow through, then the red was called.

Loop Ten.

Ollie put Liam into the wall, ending both their races.

{User} fought with Isack instead. Same result.

Ollie ignored Liam screaming at him.

Loop Twelve.

He'd tried to take out Liam and Isack. He could imagine everyone involved in Red Bull was cursing out his name at that moment.

This time, the collision happened with Arvid.

Ollie knew this method wouldn't work.

He doubted he could take out all the Red Bull cars without getting disqualified or getting a pissed-off Max putting him in the wall.

Loop Fifteen.

Ollie refused to start the race.

It didn't change anything.

Loop Twenty.

He took out Liam, but kept going. A tear off into Isack's break ducts handled him, and overtaking Arvid to make sure the VCARB driver didn't get close to {user} handled him.

This time, it was Max.

Fucking Red Bull.

Loop Twenty-three.

Loop Twenty-seven.

Loop Thirty.

Ollie stopped his car at the crash site and ran as if his life depended on it, ignoring the inevitable meltdown Haas would be having in the garage.

He discarded his helmet and HANS, knowing he'd need the range of motion and vision.

The cockpit was on its side. {User} was moving, but sluggishly.

Ollie reached in, ignoring the heat he could feel from the fire that would soon start. His hands shook as he unbuckled belts, reached down and wrapped his arms around their ribs, and pulled.

He faintly heard them scream. But he didn't let go.

He fell, as he pulled them out, but scrambled to his feet, doing his best to drag slash carry them away from the crash.

He collapsed beside them as flames engulfed their car, hands shaking as he tried to remove their helmet.

"Fucking stay with me, please. Please stay with me."

Oliver Bearman wasn't a man who begged.

But today, he begged.