Author's Note: Thanks to quarterhorseranch for the inspiration for this one! Text in italics is a flashback scene. This is a missing scene for Per Chance, a slight extension at the end of that story. It's also slightly AU for Cars 3, but it was an idea I thoroughly enjoyed writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Doc or cars, but Jason and Skye are my own creation. Ask if you want to borrow them.

Demolition Doc

It was nearing closing time for the surgery when the phone rang. Jason, sitting in the office and working through overdue paperwork for Doc, who was busy looking after his sick daughter, answered the call.

"Can I speak to Hud?"

"Who?"

"Hud. Tell him it's Smokey."

"I … don't know anyone called Hud."

"You new there or something?"

"No, I'm not, but I can assure you there's nobody here called Hud."

"He left me this phone number, and he told me he's in some place called Radiator Springs."

"Look, Smiley, was it?"

"Smokey."

"Smokey. There's nobody here called Hud. You must have dialled the wrong number."

Jason put the phone down and rolled his eyes. Probably some prankster. He finished the paperwork and went in search of Doc. Predictably, the younger doctor was sitting beside his daughter's sick bed.

"You need a break," Jason leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms. "You are allowed to leave her side now. She's on the mend."

Doc looked up at his old friend. "I know … I just … I don't want to lose her now I've found her."

"She'll be fine for a few hours."

Doc glanced at the bed, then at his doctor friend again, and stood up with a sigh. He stretched, and some of his joints clicked in protest.

"You need to take better care of yourself. You're not getting any younger."

"You're one to talk," Doc snorted.

"I'm not the racer," Jason pointed out.

"Former racer. And please, don't tell the others. I'm just a small-town doctor to them, and I'd rather keep it that way."

"They're bound to find out sooner or later. Wouldn't you rather tell them yourself, before someone else finds out and spills the beans, so to speak?"

"Who's likely to find out? It's only you and me, and I don't talk about it. You only know because of … previous injuries."

"Hopeless," Jason sighed. "You and Sheriff are as bad as each other. Stubborn mules, the pair of you."

Doc pretended not to have heard that last comment. At any rate, he couldn't think of a good enough way to express his indignation at being called a mule.

"I'm going over to Flo's for a drink. You can join me or not as you see fit," Jason unfolded his arms and stood upright again.

"I'll join you. They'll all be asking after Skye anyway," Doc followed his friend along the corridor, and grabbed a jacket off the peg by the door.

The two friends walked in silence for a few minutes, Doc still bristling about being called a mule (honestly, who did Jason think he was!), Jason musing over the puzzle that was 'Hud'. They were almost at Flo's when Jason decided to broach the subject. Doc seemed to know everyone around the town, so perhaps he knew who this 'Hud' character might be. Maybe someone had moved into the town while Jason was in the city.

"I had an interesting phone call earlier."

"Oh?"

"Mm, someone asking for a guy called Hud."

"Oh."

"You wouldn't happen to know this Hud fellow, would you?"

"I might do," Doc tried to keep his voice even, despite the dread growing inside his body. "Who was asking for him."

"Smiley."

"Do you mean Smokey?"

"That's the guy, Smokey. You do know him!"

Doc rubbed the back of his neck. "This stays between us, you understand?"

"Something to do with racing, then," Jason took an educated guess.

"I wasn't always a dirt track racer," Doc admitted quietly. "I got into racing when I was in college, but it was a college buddy who introduced me to it."

"Hey, kid, there's a gang of us heading out to Florida for Spring Break. It's going to be awesome. You should come with us."

Doc looked up from his neat, organised notes at the stocky guy sitting in front of him.

"I've got exams to study for. Thanks for the invite, but no thanks."

"Dude, you've got to take a break. It'll be a blast. Come on, man."

Doc contemplated the offer. He did need a break, that much was true. He'd seen some of his fellow medical students burn out recently from the pressure they'd put on themselves. Besides, he could always take some notes with him and do some light studying.

"I guess I could join you," Doc finally replied.

"Awesome. We're going at oh eight hundred. See you later!"

The boy got up and ran over to the next table where another lone student sat. Doc caught a snatch of the same invitation and shook his head. Half the college seemed to be on the list for Florida.

"So, what did happen in Florida," Jason asked.

Doc looked a little sheepish. "I discovered racing."

Jason opened the door to Flo's, and a wall of sound hit them. Apparently there was a game showing on TV, and the rest of the town had turned up to watch it. Well, there was no risk of being overheard, Doc mused as he followed Jason over to the bar. They quickly ordered their drinks, and retreated to a quiet table at the far end of the room, well away from the enthusiastic sports supporters.

"There were parties every night; I found them pretty dull. I wasn't much of a party animal, but it was so nice to be invited to a party that I went along to try to fit in with my fellow students."

Doc perched on a stool in the corner of the room, a red solo cup clutched in one hand. All around him, girls flirted with pretty much every single person. He observed the almost predatory approaches, the girls who were going way overboard with their attempts to spend the night with someone. He didn't understand the party scene. What was wrong with going about everyday life and waiting for the right person to come along?

"Dude, you look as bored as I feel," another one of the students came over.

Doc wasn't sure of the lad's name. They'd only met a few hours previously upon discovering they were sharing a room in the motel.

"Want to break out of here? I know somewhere more fun."

Doc considered the options for a moment. "Sure. Anything has to be more interesting than this."

"You're not into flirting with everything that has tits either?"

Doc shook his head.

"Don't blame you man. Girls are weird creatures."

They slipped out of the house and down to the road where a long line of cars was parked. Doc dreaded to think how many of the car owners had been drinking. He was glad he wasn't a police officer. Still, seeing the after effects of drink driving in a hospital … he shook his head to clear the memories. That hadn't been an easy training night.

The other student pulled out a set of car keys and approached a plain, sensible sedan.

"Don't worry dude, I'm tee total. Makes parties a right drag when people are getting pissed all around you."

Doc wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Parties shouldn't be all about the drinking. Wasn't there supposed to be a social aspect too?

"Come on," the student called to Doc from behind the wheel of the car.

Doc scuttled to the passenger door and sank into the smooth leather.

"Nice car."

"Rich parents. Sensible parents too. I wanted something sporty, and they got this for me."

Doc looked around at the wood-panelled interior. Any sort of vehicle would be nice, sporty or otherwise. His student loans wouldn't stretch that far.

The two boys fell quiet as the miles passed. Just how far were they going anyway? Doc was worried they were heading home, without going back to the motel to fetch their bags, but then the other boy turned into a narrow, tree-lined road, and they bounced over the ruts into an equally rough car park. It was filled with cars of all shapes and sizes … and … was that the engine of a truck? Doc frowned. Strange place.

"Come on dude, let's get a seat before the action starts. You'll love this."

Doc hurried after the boy, eager not to get left behind when he felt so out of place. They settled into benches a few minutes later, surrounded by angry looking people.

"What are you looking at?" the person sitting on Doc's other side glared at him.

"N-nothing," Doc replied, and turned to study the arena in front of them.

A truck was driving around what seemed to be a dirt track, spraying water across the road. Doc cocked his head. Cheers and jeers erupted from the stands as an assortment of battered vehicles emerged onto the track. Then all hell broke loose.

"He took you to a demolition derby?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

Doc chuckled. "Unlikely place for a trainee doctor. It was … thrilling."

"I would have thought it would be horrifying."

"They were destroying the cars, not the drivers within the cars. The drivers were pretty well protected, and most of them bailed after their cars were totalled, but before they were completely wrecked."

"Most of them?"

"You always get a few crazy drivers who refuse to give up. I wasn't one of them. I had more sense than that."

"Excuse me?"

"I, uh, I took part in one of the races. Well, I say race ..."

"You took part in a demolition ..." Jason's voice tailed off.

Doc looked up his friend and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I took part in a few while I was down there. I think Smokey was watching one night, happened to be in the area after a race. He said I had spirit and guts."

"I knew you had a reckless streak, but … that's … extreme."

Doc chuckled again. "Like I said, unlikely scene for a trainee doctor. It made Florida considerably more interesting that week."

"You didn't strike me as the racing type," Doc's new friend (if he could be called that) watched Doc following the demolition.

"I've never really tried it before," Doc admitted. "These guys are skilled drivers."

"Knew you'd like it," the friend grinned smugly.

Doc shrugged. "How many of these things do they have?"

"In one night … a few. Three or four. Depends how many drivers make it through."

"Where do you sign up?"

"There's a hut over by the entrance. Wait … what?"

Doc jumped to his feet and wove along the row to the stairs.

"Hey, dude, wait up!"

Doc barely slowed his pace as he jogged down the stairs and across the car park to the hut in question.

"How much to take part?" Doc asked the man in the hut.

"Seriously, kid?"

"Seriously. And I'll need a car."

"You kidding me?"

Doc shook his head. "Nope."

"Dude, are you crazy?" the other boy caught up with Doc at last. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Better than a party, right?" Doc glanced at the boy.

"Better than a … dude!"

"How much?" Doc turned back to the man in the hut.

"Twenty bucks to register. If you get wrecked, you're paying for the car."

"And if I don't?"

"If you … kid, you're asking for a lot."

"What happens if I don't wreck the car?"

"You pay less, and you keep the car."

Doc slapped twenty dollars on the man's table. "Sign me up."

"Dude, you really are crazy. What's your name, in case I have to identify your body later?"

Doc grinned. "It's Doc."

"Original."

"And you won't have to identify my body. You'll be watching me driving out of there with a car of my own."

Jason choked on his mouthful of drink.

"What the hell, Doc?!"

Doc slapped Jason on the back and grinned. "Yeah, a lot of people had that reaction that night."

"What happened?"

"You can have this one," a steward pointed to a dusty, heavily dented car sitting in a back corner of the yard. "She's a real handful," the steward leered at Doc.

Doc ran his eyes over the car. It was large, and the tyres were almost bald. There was a risk of him being a sitting duck.

"Give me the keys, then," Doc held his hand out.

The steward dropped the keys into Doc's hand and walked away laughing his head off.

"It was nice knowing you, dude," the boy with Doc seemed to have lost his earlier cocky attitude.

"I've got this," Doc spied a helmet and neck brace on the driver's seat, and quickly donned both. "Just you watch."

"Can you even drive?"

Doc snorted. "My godfather treated me to a rally driving experience day a few years back. Epic birthday present. Pity he'll never see me doing this."

"What happened to him?"

"He wrecked his car."

Doc climbed into the car, stuffed the keys into the ignition, and fought to get the car started. They would have given him a dud. Take it out on the rookie. He rolled his eyes. The car finally came to life, belching thick, dark smoke out of the exhaust. He revved the engine a few times. It spluttered, but the smoke cleared, and the exhaust pipe roared. A steward was waving him over to a gate where tow trucks were pulling the wrecked vehicles from the last round out of the arena.

"What's your racing name, kid?" the steward leaned down to speak through the broken window.

Doc thought for a moment, glancing around for inspiration. There was a small badge on the steering wheel declaring 'Hudson Hornet'.

"Just call me the Fabulous Hudson Hornet."

"Sure thing, kid," the steward rolled his eyes, as if he thought the name was lame.

Just you wait and see, Doc thought, as the last car was dragged out and he was waved in.

The crowd roared, the rules were explained (though Doc barely heard them over the jeers and screams), and suddenly he was driving as though his life depended on it. Probably did, he mused briefly, dodging around a maniac in the truck engine.

Unwilling to damage the already beaten up car, Doc decided to put the rally driving experience into practice. The car fought against every turn, the tyres struggling to find grip on the slick mud.

"And we're down to Hudson and Marco. That's some impressive driving from the rookie, but no hits from him yet. Let's see what he makes of Marco."

Doc grinned. Last two. His evasive tactics seemed to be working. The truck bared down on him, the driver leering at him, a crazy glint in his eyes.

"Let's see just what you've got," Doc muttered.

The final showdown blurred, and looking back, Doc had no idea how long it lasted. As Marco chased him down, he tried to up his game and his manoeuvres. The noise from the crowd seemed to fade until it was just Doc and his Hornet. Marco was just an irritating insect buzzing behind him. There was a loud crash somewhere behind Doc.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is some skilled driving from our rookie."

Bright light engulfed the car, and Doc skidded to a stop. Sliding the car in a neat power slide before he climbed out of the window. The cheers from the crowd made him smile.

"The rookie wins. I give you the Fabulous Hudson Hornet!"

"Hm, I wondered how you got that name," Jason mused as Doc paused to have some of his drink.

"Pure skill, my friend," Doc replied.

Doc drove out of the arena to find the steward standing with another man. The second man was holding some paperwork in his hands.

"A promise is a promise," the second man said as Doc stopped beside them. "You gotta sign these papers and she's yours."

When Doc drove into the parking lot a few minutes later, his college friend was waiting for him, dancing from one foot to the other. His face was pale, and bore signs of anxiety where he'd been clutching his head.

"Jeez, dude," the boy stammered.

Doc laughed. "Easy as pie."

"So, the ride is yours now, huh?"

"Yup," Doc patted the steering wheel fondly. "She needs a bit of work, but she's all mine. Know of any garages around here? It'd be nice to fix her up a bit before the next race."

"The next … dude, you're crazy!"

"I second that opinion," Jason muttered, making Doc laugh again.

"How long have you known about my racing? I think one of the earliest things you said to me was that I was crazy."

"A statement I still stand by. Just promise me one thing, Doc."

"Oh?"

"Don't teach your daughter how to race! Having one racer around town is bad enough."

"You'll be relieved to know I've calmed down a bit in recent years. Discovering you have a child will do that to a person."

"Hey, you're doing a good job raising Skye. Try not to dwell on the rocky start."

Across the bar, a cheer rang out as one of the teams scored. Doc's mind flickered back to the demolition derby. It was quite a start to his racing career, but he liked to think it had made him a better racer in the long run. Good old Smokey. He'd have to phone is old coach back when he got a chance.

"Here's to old friends," Doc raised his glass.

"Old friends," Jason echoed.