Head in the game:
an f1 baseball au
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In a game leading up to the playoffs, Oscar piastri hits and has a good play, up until it all goes wrong as Lando Norris watches from the dugout
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“God damnit!” Charles slammed his helmet down on the dugout bench, before swiftly sitting down and putting his head in his hands. He had just struck out, Lando chuckling to himself, briefly watching him scowl and mumble to himself, before turning back to watch the field. With Charles just striking out, they were now at 2 outs, with Oscar up. Lando watched intently from the dugout, more intently than anyone else on his team, other than maybe the coaches. He and Oscar had come to the team around the same time, himself playing shortstop and Oscar playing second base, they were destined to become as close as they had become. The opposing pitcher cocked his arm, then threw with no swing from Piastri, ball. Lando sighed with relief and clapped.
“Good eye Osc!” He shouted, elbows resting on the rail of the dugout. He felt someone shift closer to the right of him,
“I think you would fuck him if you had the chance” Alex snickered, recieving a smack to the back of the head from Lando, watching as Oscar recieved a strike.
“Stop projecting you and George’s love life onto me! I'm just supporting my teammate you muppet!” Lando shook his head and turned his attention from Alex back to Oscar. Anyone with two eyes would be well aware of how close Alex and George were, tipping the edge between ‘very good friends’ and ‘homosexuality’, but Lando didn’t judge. He watched as Oscar tensed up to hit again, as the pitcher released the ball. With a swing, a crack swept through the air, Oscar had hit the ball out into centerfield. Lando jumped up farther up the fence and cheered the younger on, with most of the team following. Oscar ran the bases as quick as he could, getting waved past first by the coach as the opposing teams center-fielder caught the ball and threw it to their second baseman. Oscar kept sprinting, with his teammates yelling different variations of “GO!”. Out of his peripheral vision, he watched the ball approach closer, so he slid. He slid to the base as their second baseman stepped back to catch the ball.
CRACK
He had stepped with his full weight onto Oscar's ankle, and Piastri stayed down for the play.
“Oh fuck.. OSC” Lando yelled in panic, as he watched his best friend throw his hands over his face, visibly in immense pain, with the second-baseman bending down and waving over the medical team. Lando watched his head coach, Alonso, and the athletic trainer following quickly behind. Time stopped for him, whatever the hell that had happened on that field, it sure as hell wasn't good. Oscar had sat up, grimacing as his ankle was assessed by Alonso and the trainer.
“ Shit, that looks bad” Carlos had come up and Lando’s left at some point, but he didn’t pay any mind to the spaniard. More various medical team members had come out by this point, with Oscar being prompted to stand up, with people he couldn’t name on each side of the aussie. He was slowly pulled up to his feet, whispering various curses under his breath as his arms were put over the staff's shoulders. He hobbled off the field, keeping all his weight on his left leg, his right being bent to avoid putting pressure on it, using the teamd staff members as support. He was visibly distressed as he was clapped off the field by the audience and both teams. Lando jumped down from the side of the dugout, rushing over to the stairs to prepare to help the injured. They reached the stairs, Piastri hopping down them and meeting Lando at the ground, still being supported by the athletic training staff.
“Its broken, I-i know its fucking broken.” Oscar stammered, before being led into the locker room. Lando just watched him go by, along with the rest on the team, before hearing another baseball crack off a bat. Ollie Bearman was now on second base, in place of Oscar, and Pierre had just hit a homerun. Lando couldn’t go and support Oscar, there was still a game to play, and a game to win. They were now up 2-0, top of the 6th,and they had a job to finish.
It was final out, Hamilton was put in as a closer, but all Lando could think about was Oscar, thinking about the worst the injury could bring. Lewis threw, the bat was swung, strike. They had won the game. Lando, followed by the rest of the team went to the pitchers mound, dapping up Lewis, trying to be as happy as possible while he still kept glancing at the locker room entrance.
“Go check on your boy” Lewis hugged the shorter and nodded at him, Lando nodding back before sprinting toward the dugout, the crowd team too busy with their celebrations to notice his absence. He ran right in the hall, before quickly turning into the medical room before bursting in. He was met with a very shocked looking Oscar, who was now in a hoodie and sweatpants, and athletic trainer, Kim, due to the door being slammed open.
“How bad?? Are you okay??” Lando walked up to Piastri, seeming more stressed than the one with the injury.
“I have to go to the hospital to get an X-ray, it's probably broken.” Oscar's grip on the medical table tightened, glancing down at his ankle, Lando frowning at the response.
“I can go grab your stuff when I change, meet me at the car and we'll go.” Lando spoke before bolting off to grab him and Oscar's belongings. Oscar sighed and slid off the bench, still not daring to put weight on his potentially broken leg. Using the crutches that Kim had given him, he shuffled to Lando's car. Even with Lando having to change and grab both their things, he had beat him to the car in the parking lot. Oscar staggered to the passenger side door, being met with his first issue. He tried to get the door open, but couldn't without losing a crutch and falling flat on his face.
“Lando, get the door please.” He mumbled to the man currently loading their bags into his car. Lando smiled at the other before grabbing the door, allowing for Oscar to get in before taking his crutches and putting them into the back seat, circling to the driver's seat of the car. Lando pulled out of the parking lot and started driving towards the hospital.
“Are you in pain? You seem fine” Lando glanced at the other who was now glaring at him.
“What do you think, let me start wailing, yes im in agony right now, and might freak out if they don’t give me some form of pain killer when im there.” Oscar flatly stated, with his elbow on the door and head resting on his hand. Lando made the drive quicker to the hospital, a few minutes later making it there and pulling into a spot. He quickly got out of the car and rushed to the other side, grabbing the crutches and handing them to Oscar who had already opened the door and swung his legs around, Lando only just noticing he couldn’t even get his shoe on his injured foot. Lando closed Oscar's door for him before they made their way to the front desk of the hospital. It wasn’t long before they were called back into a room. Oscar sat on the medical bench as Lando sat on the chair right next to it. The aussie pulled his pant leg up, anticipating the doctor asking him when he or she came in, revealing the swelling and bruising that was already occurring from his ankle to the bottom third of his leg. Lando grimaced.
The doctor came in, bringing a wheelchair to go get X-rays of the ankle, leaving Lando in the room alone with his thoughts. What if this puts Piastri out for the season? That's his partner in crime, he's helped bring the team to so many victories, they can't lose him right before playoffs. He must be in so much pain right now. Lando felt horrible, imagining how upset Oscar must be, but refusing to show it. It could easily be a season ending injury. Time must’ve flown by while Lando was thinking, because he was disturbed by Oscar being brought back into the room with the nurse saying “ill be back in with the results” before swiftly leaving.
“Did they give you anything for the pain?” Lando questioned as Oscar hopped onto the bench.
“Not yet, they wanna rule out surgery before they do..” He played with the edges of his hoodie sleeves, head resting against the wall. Lando patted the other's thigh.
“Even if this does rule you out for the year, it just means you come back stronger next year. That's how you are, you always come back better. And I can even be your nurse around the apartment.” He winked along with the last line, earning a kick from Piastri’s good foot.
“I mean…yea… but we’re on track for the world series. I wanna be there, I wanna play. This sucks.” Oscar groaned, running a hand through his already messed up hair. Their conversation was quickly interrupted by the doctor.
“So your results came back, you have what's called a lateral malleolus fractured. Good news is it's non-displaced, so you don’t need surgery. But the bad news is, you're going to need to be in a walking boot for 4-6 weeks depending on how recovery goes ” Oscar sighed, Lando nodding and looking at him, feeling more guilty than ever. He was definitely out for the year. The doctor left to go get the boot, and Oscar hit his head into the wall behind him. Lando looked at him, not sure what to say to comfort him. Lando hadn’t had a injury like this before, but he coukd imagine he’d be freaking the fuck out if he was in the aussies position.
“I'm sorry Osc, I really am. I’ll be the best nurse you’ve ever seen when we go home, they might even hire me here I'll be that good” Lando tried to lighten the mood, receiving a light chuckle from the other.
“It’s frustrating. If he had just looked where he was stepping this wouldn’t happen. But now im out for the foreseeable future because he wanted me out that bad” Oscar snapped, crossing his arms right before the doctor came back in. He held a grey walking boot that would reach about 2/3rd up Oscars shin. The doctor compression wrapped his ankle before teaching Oscar how to wrap his own ankle and how to use the boot before putting it on him. Oscar straightened his leg, examining the boot he’d now be stuck in for at least a month. The doctor prescribed him painkillers before saying his goodbyes and leaving the room. Lando offered his hand, which Oscar took to get off the bench, before hesitating to put the boot onto the floor. Lando looked at the clock for the first time that night, 11:47, when did it get that late? Lando looked back at Oscar, who was now hobbling towards the door of the room, which Lando was holding open. They, slowly, made their way out to Lando's car, with Oscar awkwardly trying to walk in the boot.
“I think all the pharmacies are closed right now, i’ll go first thing tomorrow morning, I have ibuprofen at the apartment if you want that.” Oscar quietly nodded, putting his hands into his hoodie pockets. Oscar was visibly upset, understandably so, his season was already over, being on track for one of the best second basemen of the year, but his run was now abruptly over because of one bad play, one misstep.
“Do you wanna get ice cream or something?” Lando offered as they approached a red light, Oscar trying to figure out how to sit comfortably with the boot.
“No, I'm tired, I just wanna go home and lay down, and not want to die” He chuckled. Lando rolled his eyes and turned to the road their apartment complex was on. He turned into the parking lot, parked, and claimed he’d get their bags tomorrow, before they made their way inside into the elevator, and to their apartment. Oscar beelined for their couch, flopping down and taking the boot off, getting a few pillows and elevating his ankle onto them. Lando came over and handed him an ice pack, making a second trip to bring him some painkillers and water, which the injured quickly took.
“Thank you, hurts a lot..” Oscar laughed it off as Lando planted himself on the other side of the sofa, turning the TV on.
“Any suggestions?” Lando glanced over and asked.
“Yea, let me see the end of the game, after my leg got crunched.” The aussie said, laying farther back into the cushions of the couch. Lando laughed and put on the game highlights. Oscar knew his situation sucked, and god he couldn’t be more pissed off, but he’d make the most of it, he would come back stronger, and he’d be his teammates biggest fans while he was out. During the replay, Oscar looked at his phone, the team group chat blowing up.
Formula Team GC
12:23
George Russell
Oscar are you okay?
Max Verstappen
that didnt look pretty ill be honest with you
Kimi Antonelli
yea i hope its nothing bad 🥲
Pierre Gasly
hopefully its just bruised or something minor?
Oscar Piastri
My fibulas broken, im out for the year
Alex Albon
how many times has lando offered to be your sexy nurse 🤨??
Lando Norris
im gonna mill you alrx istg 🖕🖕
Oscar laughed and put his phone down, looked at the very red Lando next to him. He felt his phones buzz with everyone's “sorry” and “that sucks”. Oscar would get through this. The team would win that world series with or without him. And he would be the biggest cheerleader.
