Mental Abuse at 200 Miles an Hour: Part 2
I think I spend too much time in a car. What kind of life is that?
15 more lap are left. If someone causes a caution now I might just give up. I want to ask how he is. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. What if he’s fine? I might be giving myself an ulcer for no reason.
No… I don’t think he’s fine… not from what I saw.
It feels so weird being in this car now. So much history comes with it. And none of it is mine.
ALRIGHT! That’s enough! I need to just shut up and concentrate! Sitting here dwelling on things is gonna make the race go on forever!
Think of something else…
10 laps…
Hmm… it got hotter out…
URG should I ask? How long did my period of concentration last? Like… two minutes?
When this damn race ends I’m drivin this thing right into the garage. It’ll be a quicker sprint to the care center.
5…
Wow… Stewart is right behind me. Where’d he come from? I wouldn’t mess with me right now Tony.
3…
2…
FINALLY!! ONE MORE LAP!
I can see that checkered flag… YES I passed it! This race is OVER!
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The first thing I head for is Pit Road.
After cutting off a few of my fellow drivers, I entered pit road the wrong way and headed for the garages.
I can hear my crew yelling in my ear… asking me what the hell I’m doing. I ripped it from my ear and start taking off all the safety belts.
Finally I come to a stop and pull myself out.
I can see eyes all around me. I KNOW the cameras are on me. Who cares? Let them see where my priorities lie.
I took off in the direction of the center in a full sprint. I don’t know how I’m carrying myself. I need a drink... I’m tired as hell... but my legs are still moving so I’ll let them.
I get up to the door and yank it open.
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“Where is he?” I screamed. I didn’t mean to scream either… must be my adrenaline.
“Who?” a middle aged looking nurse said.
“Dale! Where is he?”
The lady looked at me strange and then told me to hold on.
I don’t know why she thought she could tell me to hold on. She has some nerve. I can hear people rushing to the door that I had let shut behind me. I quickly locked the door before anyone could open it while the lady went to look at something on the desk.
“Well?” I was tapping my foot now. I have to know now!
“Mr. Harvick, he wasn’t brought here he went straight to the hospital.”
That didn’t sound good. He didn’t come there? I turned around and unlocked the door to run back out. I didn’t even stop to think how the lady knew who I was or who I was talking about. Doesn’t matter.
I cut through the heap of reporters and then stop.
How the hell am I gonna get there?
I turned and looked at my car… which was now being moved... prolly to inspection.
I could hear my crew yelling my name but my mind was on the problem at hand.
“I GOT IT” I yelled and then made my poor legs carry me away again the fastest I could go.
I didn’t slow down till I saw the red trailer and bus… and parked right next to them was my answer.
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No one was there. Not one crew member. That made me a tad uneasy too… I hopped into Jr’s bus and found right away what I was looking for. It was like he left them out just for me.
Look at me... now I’m thinking TOO much.
Sliding into the front seat I remember the conversation we had earlier. Then… without hesitating a moment longer… I shoved the keys in the ignition and turned. The red pick up started with a roar and a second later I was deafened by loud rap music… My god… where’s the power button!
I don’t even remember the drive… and I don’t know why I thought it was the right hospital but the next thing I knew I was standing at the desk stuttering.
“Uh… uh… I…” What the hell am I doing? I was so vocal before! Now I’m confused!
“Sir calm down… do you need to sit down?”
I looked at her sideways. Need to sit down? Did I look that exhausted? But then… I figured out why she asked. I felt the sweat pour down my face and … now I feel a tad light headed.
Maybe I SHOULD sit down… The room is starting to spin. Whoa… maybe I should have takin a drink or something first.
Suddenly I notice a younger nurse grab my shoulders and that’s when they gave up…
Damn legs… they always worked before… but now they have failed me and I felt myself land in a heap on the floor.
And that’s all I remembered.
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After frolicking with a few deer on a white puffy cloud I suddenly realize that my eyes are opening.
Bout time too… that deer was to slow for me.
Its amazing how bright things can be after having your eyes closed for a while. Takes a while to get use to light.
When I finally do… I saw a familiar face… the last one I would EVER expect!
It was Junior.
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“You alright man?” I said, sitting up way to fast.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? What the hell were you doin?”
“Huh?” I said… my brows fusing…
“The road trip you took instead of being in Victory lane!”
It was coming back to me now… wow…
“I… I was making sure you were alright…”
He looked at me blankly for a second… making me think he never heard me.
“Well… I’m fine. Just some scraps. Nothin serious.”
This was the first time I looked him over. He had a cast on his wrist and his nose looked like it had a run in with a baseball. Other wise he looked alright.
“So what happened…” I said motioning to the arm with my eyes.
For a moment there… he paused.
“Well… I know you saw the oil… Damn stuff is slipperier then ice. Well I had a feelin Jeff was gonna hit it harder then I did… and he sure as hell did!”
“No kidding.” I said.
“Well when he hit me I tried to hold on to the wheel and turn out but of course I couldn’t. I’m an idiot for tryin too!… so anyways I sprained my wrist. When he hit the side of the car it pushed in the seat and it kinda turned it sideways and I smashed my nose into the bar next to me. Broke my nose and knocked the wind right outta me… plus it knocked me out completely. Don’t even remember them pullin me out.”
“Wow” I said… What else am I supposta say! It looked a lot worse and I was just glad that’s all that happened.
We sat there for a couple minutes just listening to silence. I took in my surroundings. I wasn’t in a room… just a closed curtain and was still wearing my cloths. I guess that means I don’t have to stay. Finally the silence was broken with laugher.
“HAAAAaaaa haha! I can’t believe you drove down pit road the wrong way! And THEN you went straight to the garages! I’m gonna remember that the rest of my life!”
“You were watching?”
“Was I WATCHING?!?! Hell yeah! And I’m glad I didn’t miss it! That was classic! People didn’t know WHAT to do!”
“HA! I guess I really must have shocked people huh?”
“Are you kiddin? I thought Benny Parsons was gonna faint!”
I’m prolly gonna get ripped a new one for not answering them back on the radio.”
“YOU? What about me! I already got a lecture about that and I wasn’t even there. Something about not callin to let people know what happened or something like that.”
“Richard?”
“Yeah”
We both burst out laughing when finally a nurse followed by Tony Sr. And Richard came in. One look at who entered made us laugh even harder.
“I don’t think either of you should be laughing right now. Its not funny!” Tony said while eyeing Jr. specifically.
“What! We weren’t laughing at what happened!” He said with a not so covered up chuckle.
Finally the nurse spoke up.
“Mr. Harvick you can go in about a half hour. We’re just makin sure you have enough fluids and rest. You over exerted your self tonight.”
“Thanks…” I said… wow… that reminded me… I forgot to ask what was wrong with me!
“OH! By the way!” Jr said… eyeing me in such a way that I knew instantly what he was gonna say.
“I believe you need to return something to me before I knock you back out again…”
I wanted to laugh SOOO bad but that would have pissed him off more… I reached into my pockets and pulled out the truck keys.
“Here… Drives pretty good!”
He snatched the keys from my hand… still eyeing me sideways. Now I can see the Earnhardt in him. I’m startin to get kinda scared…
Kinda…
“Well… Yeah… yeah it does actually!”
A SMILE! Wooo… thought I was in for it a second there.
“So is our trip postponed?” I questioned… getting off the subject.
“WHAT? Are you kidding! After tonight’s race? I need to lose myself in the NYC streets!”
“That’s not all your gonna lose your self in… Mr. Budweiser.”
He stared at me for a second…
“Apparently you don’t’ want to go on this trip… well… not in the same vehicle as me.”
“Sorry man!”
Right around then I was told I could leave.
I was my happy self again… its funny… only a few hours ago I was driving myself insane… worrying my ass off and causing a scene.
Its weird what goes on in your head driving a race car.
Its mental abuse… at two hundred miles an hour.
