23. Questions

CAMERON'S POV

It had been a week since Lara found out Gallagher was involved in my accident and even though I know my wife is fuming and angrier with that guy, I'm completely calm. I don't know if it's because at least I knew more than I did at the beginning or because it's no longer entirely important how everything ended. I knew what had happened and the FIA and the justice system were investigating it, but I wasn't going to stop the whole process either because I know this will bring peace to Lara, and that is the most important thing for me.

Today was the day we would go to Paris where the FIA headquarters was located and where they would ask me things related to the accident. I know Lara is nervous, mostly because she was doing things twice and wasn't talking. I approached her from behind and with my arm, pressing her back to my chest and leaving my hands on her abdomen, which everyone could already know she's pregnant, and I began to caress it under her shirt. "Everything will be fine, dear. I'm going to be fine" I said for the third time in the morning "I know, but that doesn't mean I like that you have to relive the accident again" she responded and I nodded, because I understood what's going through her head "Honey, you don't have to come in with me. I know hearing what happened in the accident is difficult for you. If you don't think you're ready to hear it, you can wait outside with Eli and your sister."

"It won't be necessary. I want to enter. Plus, it's a way to start getting psyched up for the trial" she pointed out and I nodded, because even though I knew it's true, I don't want her to have a bad time either. "If that's what you want, we'll do it, but you can keep in mind that when it gets too much for you, we can stop and go out for a while to get some air," I assured, because the truth is, I care more about my wife's condition than doing the interview. "I don't think it's necessary, but I appreciate it, I really do" she responded, and I gave her a kiss on the temple, just at the moment I noticed something tap against Lara's abdomen.

"Is that what I think?" I asked, trying to contain my smile, at least until I'm sure it really is one of the kids kicking. "It was. They haven't stood still for days, it's like they're fighting for the best position in my uterus" she responded, and I laughed. "If they are already fighting inside you now, imagine once they are outside" I responded with a big smile on my face "I already had an idea, you just have to take into account my character and the trouble Bianca and I got into" my wife said with a smile on her face, probably remembering something the two of them had done together. "It's something that happens with all siblings. I can assure you my sister and I also got into trouble more times than I remember. Maybe not as much as you because you have to take into account my mother has the same character as you and we hated being punished."

"I know," she whispered and again I noticed another kick, but this time on the other side of her abdomen. "Do they spend a lot of time like this?" I asked curiously "It depends. Sometimes it's just a couple of turns, other times they spend almost an hour moving" Lara responded. "Has it been a long time since you've noticed they're moving?" I questioned with a smile and looking at my hands under her shirt. "Well, the truth is I notice kicks, at least like this, for a month or so, but before, from three months or something like that, I noticed how they moved inside me. I couldn't explain it to you."

"I guess you would notice, after all they are inside your body" I responded and noticed how Lara put her hands on top of mine, intertwining our fingers. "Are you sure you want to go inside with me?" I asked again "Really. Plus, it seems your hands calm the kids" she pointed out and I laughed "Then come in and I'll leave my hand on your abdomen if it calms them down" I replied, "That seems perfect to me."

"Are you ready?" I asked and she nodded. "Lend me one of your jackets," she asked, and I looked at her. "What do you need it for?" I asked curiously since a couple of weeks ago she's wearing more of my clothes than she's wearing her. "My clothes fit tighter than they normally do, and I don't like it. It makes me feel uncomfortable, so I take yours because it fits me righter now" she replied "Then take everything you need" I replied with a big smile on my face. If there's something I love about Lara wearing my clothes, it was that her scent is impregnated in them.

Not much later, we left Eli's mother's house, since she insisted that we stay at her house, we went to the FIA headquarters. Once we arrived, we waited a couple of minutes until they called me. I gave Lara's hand a squeeze, intertwined our fingers, and walked inside with her by my side.

Inside the room there was only one woman sitting in a chair, and the moment she sees us, a smile appears on her face "Hello guys, thanks for coming. My name is Freda" she said kindly, standing up and stretching her hand in our direction, which we ended up shaking. "Well, get comfortable. The truth is I didn't expect to see you here, Lara" the woman pointed out and my wife shrugged her shoulders "I just want to support my husband"

"That seems perfect to me. Are you ready Cameron?" She asked and I nodded "Very good. Did you notice anything strange about the car when you got in?" Freda asked and I denied "No" I responded "But around lap twenty you reported on the radio that you noticed something weird in the car. Could you describe it to me?" the woman asked "Well, I noticed the car was skidding more. At first, I thought it was a tire issue, but once I changed them and ran a couple of laps with them, I still had the same problem. The car was jerky at times, the gears didn't shift easily, and I ended up losing power."

"Did they tell you anything about whether you had a mechanical failure or something?" she asked, and I denied "They said the data was fine. Didn't see anything Weird with the engine," I reported. "Could they lie to you?" She questioned and again I denied "No, they wouldn't" I quickly responded "Also my sister-in-law looked at the data and she assures there's nothing strange in it. If I trust any mechanic, it's her" I assured, and Lara gave my hand a little squeeze "I guess that's a good reason. Can you tell me what you felt or noticed moments before the accident?"

Next to me, I noticed how Lara tensed up, so I got closer to her, and began to run my hand over her back just as I was doing over her abdomen. "The car had been going well in the previous laps, so I assumed the problems were over. My wife was behind me, I remember seeing her in the rearview mirrors, and the moment she passed me, I noticed how the car began to lose power. I asked on the radio what's happening to the car, but they never answered me."

"Did you warn by radio?" Freda asked looking at the papers in front of her, searching for something "I did it" I stated, and I could see how she frowned "No call ever came to your wall" she pointed out and this time, Lara is the one who frowned "That's not possible" my wife murmured "I know. Did you find anything weird that has to do with the radio?" The woman in front of us asked Lara, who denied. "Bianca is taking a look at all the data we have collected," Lara responded. "I would like to see your reports, because honestly, I no longer trust what I have in front of. Especially when we consider that there are things that do not add up"

Lara nodded and started to look out the window behind the woman. "What did you notice when the accident was happening? You don't have to answer if you don't feel capable of telling me. I understand it's not easy for you" she said, and I went to look at Lara, who had tensed up again and was squeezing her other hand, leaving her knuckles white as paper, so I took her hand and left it on my chest to see if it helped her in any way.

"I noticed how the car skidded... Everything was very fast. I know I was against the wall and my leg hurt and after I don't know how long, I noticed a vibration in the car and heat... a lot of heat... I supposed there was a fire and I know how long I must get out of the car, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move my leg without it causing immense pain..." I responded and heard how Lara took a breath and her breathing had accelerated a little. "Can you open the window?" I asked Freda and she nodded, turning around and opening the window.

We stayed in silence for a few minutes, me waiting for Lara to calm down or say she wants to go out, but she didn't say anything. He just nodded and looked at the woman in front of us. "After a few seconds I started to feel dizzy and tired, but the only thing I wanted to do was get out of there... I wanted to get back to my wife more than anything, and I think I managed to unblock the leg at least... It was at that moment I noticed hands holding my arm and the heat was no longer the same as before, and once I saw other people and the sky I fainted" I finished counting, pulling as much as possible Lara's hand to my chest.

"Anything else you can tell me about the accident?" Freda asked and I denied, because I don't know what else could be relevant. "Perfect. Let's talk about after the accident. When your team came to ask you if you had noticed anything," she asked, "I think it was shortly after I woke up. They asked me what had happened in the accident if I had said the problems had passed some time ago. When I told them that I had reported the car was doing weird things again they said they hadn't received a call. At that moment I thought maybe I hadn't pressed the radio button, but after a few months, I know I pressed the button" I assured, and Freda nodded "And I believe you. Did you read what your team sent us from your statement?" She asked and I nodded "I can assure you I didn't say anything like that. The only thing I said that is true is that I didn't want to talk about it at that moment, that's why I told them they should record it and send it to the FIA."

"At first we had not found the recordings your wife had requested, but after searching thoroughly, we found the recordings that they sent us, and which fit with what they gave us in writing" she informed, and I frowned "That is not possible." I responded quickly, because if I'm sure of anything, it's what I said. "And that's why I have the recordings here, so you can tell me if it's you or not," she responded, and I nodded.

The moment she played the recordings, I knew it's my voice, there's something weird about it, but I guess it's because I was still in pain, or it was some noise from the machines I was hooked up to in the hospital. "That's not my husband's voice" Lara said after a while and both Freda and I turned in her direction. "What?" Freda asked "That's not my husband's voice. In all these years we have been together, Cameron and I talked on the phone quite a bit since our calendars didn't always add up. I know what my husband's voice sounds like, and I assure you that's not Cameron's voice" she insisted. "Why do you say that?" the woman asked. "It has a robotic tone that Cameron's doesn't have. There's something else, but I couldn't tell you what."

"I guess I'll have my recordings analyzed with those of the team so at least we can invalidate the first ones" Freda responded, and Lara nodded. "Well, I don't have anything else to ask. I hope it wasn't an inconvenience and it didn't interrupt anything you had planned," she said with a smile on her face and I denied, because the truth is that it's been days since we planned anything other than going to the garage, and at least Lara already wasn't going there as much, I guess she's tired or something.

"I'm glad to have met you guys. You can go now. If I need anything I'll call you Cameron" Freda said and I nodded, getting up and helping Lara since she seemed to be in her head in a certain way. Once we left the building, I stood in front of my wife with her hand on my chest where she could feel my heart beating, and my other hand on her face so she could look at me. "Honey, I'm fine, and nothing has happened to me" I said what I always told her when she's like this, because I know that in a way it's because of my accident.

"I know," she finally said, sighing. "What do you think if we call the pilot to go home and while they prepare everything, I ask you on a date?" I asked with a smile, and I could see the sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. "And where would we go on that date that I'm going to think about whether to accept?" My wife asks "Well, wherever you want Mrs. Edwards, it will be time and you will decide what to do with that time" I said with a smile on my face "Well Mr. Edwards, the truth is I would like to spend time with my husband and he takes me to eat some cake before going for a walk through the streets of Paris" she responded with a big smile on her face. "Your husband will be happy to take you wherever you want," I replied and gave her a small kiss on the lips before taking her to eat something and then go for the walk she wants.