I do not own Cars or any of its characters. PIXAR AND DISNEY
CLAIM THAT RIGHT.
READING ENJOYMENT ONLY
Rated M for language and sex.
Please read and review! I need criticism and encouragements!
Lightning drove out of the hospital into the afternoon sunlight. After fifty feet, Lightning was exhausted. He pulled into Flo's diner to get something to eat. Flo greeted him. "Hi, Sugar how are you feeling?" "Better," Lightning replied. This was true. Although he was still in a substantial amount of pain, it felt good to be able to get around a little. It had been depressing to stay in the hospital room alone. Listing to the monitors beep was starting to drive him nuts. "That's good," said Flo. "Are you hungry?" "Yes, starving" Lightning said. "It's hard just to drive down the street without getting exhausted." "Okay, Sugar" said Flo in her motherly voice. "I'll get you something." "Thanks, Flo" Lightning said gratefully. "No problem," said Flo, turning around to get Lightning's food. Just then, Mater drove up. "What are ya doin' outta the hospital?" he asked. "I'm allowed to drive around a little" Lightning replied. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Well then let's go tractor tippin' tonight!" Mater said excitedly. "We haven't done that since I don't know when! And those tractors, they is so dumb! It'll be fun!" "I can't drive more than twenty miles per hour," Lightning said glumly. "Why?" Mater asked, with a shocked comical expression on his face. "I wrecked, remember?" Lightning asked. Mater's face went blank for several moments. "Oh yeah!" he said, his face Lightning up. "You're still all dented up and everythin'!" "Yeah," Lightning said. Just then, Flo came back with Lightning's favorite food. A grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. "Here you go, Sugar" she said. "Thanks, Flo," Lightning said. "I appreciate it." "No problem," said Flo. She turned around and drove back into her diner. Lightning was hungrier than he knew and quickly ate the food and said goodbye to Mater. He turned down the street to see Sally, but then remembered Mater's comment on how dented up he was. Lightning turned back around and went to see Doc back at the hospital.
Lightning entered Doc's office. The office blossomed subtly with the smell of soap and antiseptic, it had an almost a lavender smell. The walls were off white and the medical machinery was high-tech. In the middle there was a lift lined with medical paper. Lightning saw Doc and Sofia kissing passionately. When Doc saw Lightning, he immediately stopped. "Hey Rookie," he said. "What can I do for you?" "So the rumors are true, you are dating Sofia." Lightning said "Were doing more than just dating" Sofia said. "I've got to go, I'll see you tonight" as she left his office, Sofia grabbed his codpiece "Come prepared, Loverboy." Doc shook with desire "Loverboy? Are you really banging her" "Yep, I almost forgot what is like to have a lover, and a younger one at that" Doc said. "Enough about my love life, are you feeling all right Kid?" "Yes, getting out of the hospital helps, but I'm still really sore." Doc nodded. "You'll be that way until we can get the dents out," he said. "How soon could you get my dents out?" Lightning asked hopefully. "I can't get that many dents out, Kiddo," Doc said almost hesitantly. "I'm going to have to replace your aluminum." Lightning almost vomited. He knew aluminum replacements were very, very painful. "All right do whatever you have to do," he said quietly. "Do you have enough aluminum on hand?" "Of course" Doc said. "But, with the way you race, I'm going to give you titanium. It's the lightest, strongest metal available. Let me go look at the appointment book I'll be right back" Doc said. Doc returned a few minutes later "Good news Rookie, I've checked the appointment book and I've even talked with Michael. We could the surgery tomorrow morning, if you like." "Wow, I wasn't expecting it so soon." Lightning said "The sooner you have it done, the sooner you'll feel better." Doc said, "Ok, I agree to have the surgery tomorrow morning. I have to tell Sally, though" Lightning said, his stomach churning. Doc nodded. "Go ahead" Lightning nodded and left the hospital.
He drove at his slow pace down to the Cozy Cone and saw Sally reading at her desk. "Hey! Doc finally let you out of the hospital," she said, driving around her desk. "How do you feel?" "Extremely sore" Lightning said. "Listen, Sally," he said. "I have to get my first surgery in the morning, and I want you to be there when I wake up." "What kind of surgery?" Sally asked fearfully. "Aluminum replacement" Lightning said, Sally cringed, and she knew how painful that was going to be. She had a small place on her side replaced a few years ago. She spent two days in bed because she was to sore to move. "Will you be there when I wake up?" "Yeah," said Sally. "Light I…" "I love you too," Lightning said softly. He carefully drove up to Sally and kissed her. "I'll see you when I wake up." "Okay," Sally said. A tear slid down her smooth hood and landed on the floor beside her. Lightning gave Sally a brave smile and gingerly backed out of the office. "I'll see you in the morning then" Sally replied. Lightning then drove slowly back down the road to the hospital. "I'm back," he said nervously. "Good," Doc said. "You'll need a good night's rest. Go back to your room, I have to get some medicine" Doc said. Lightning drove back to his room. Doc came in with a nurse and she connected Lightning to the I.V. machine. Doc had two syringes. "This first one is a painkiller, and the second is an antibiotic" Normally you could not have any pain medication. It also boosts speed, which is illegal for racecars, but you're not racing again until next season." Doc said as the nurse injected the drugs into his I.V. line. Doc covered Lightning with a quilt, he said, "Just rest, watch TV or whatever, I'll see you first thing in the morning."
"Morin'! Lightning" Flo said brightly as she burst open the Lightning's room doors. Sally was right behind her. "Ouch!" Lightning said as he stretched a little too much the wrong way. "Oh Stickers!" Sally responded with concern "You okay? Here, you just let me rub out your kinks a bit instead of stretching, alright?" "Good idea" Lightning said, now afraid to stretch anything else. "Sorry Lightning," Flo said as she set hot cup of coffee next to Sally. "We're told you have to have an empty stomach this morning ahead of your surgery, so this is just for Sally." "Don't worry Light," Sally assured as she continued to gently rub him. "Here, have a sip of coffee." "Thanks," Lightning yawned, as Sally placed the steaming cup coffee right in front of his lips. "Well, here I am" Ramone announced, arriving for his part of the surgery. "I hear we have some serious body work to do today!" Sally gently removed the quilt off Lightning. "Whoa! Dude" Ramone remarked upon seeing the full extent of Lightning's injuries. "Man, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was so bad." Flo shot Ramone an angry look. "Well, you've always said you enjoy a challenge," Lightning said pleasantly. Sally nudged up beside Lightning and kissed him. "Good morning Kiddo," Doc said as he entered Lightning's room "Are you ready?" "Yeah," Lightning said. "Well, I see the rest of the troops are already here," Michael observed as he came thought the door ready for the operation. "Hey, I know you like your morning coffee, but that's probably enough for now," Sally said, gently taking the cup from him.
"Well, I hate to cut your morning short here, son," Doc said "But are you ready to have your kinks straightened out?" "Yeah, Doc," Lightning said. "We'll see you in the operating room." Sally and Flo headed to the waiting room. The nurses removed Lightning's codpiece and underwear. A car's 'underwear' was a somewhat thick piece of material, normally cotton, but can be any kind of cloth. It lined the codpiece and could be changed out when needed. It kept the hard outer part of a codpiece away from the male's sensitive genitals. Lightning tried to conceal himself, hindering the nurse's attempts to get him ready. "Lightning, you need to be naked for the surgery, Your not the first male I've seen naked" Nurse Jackie said. "The doctors need full access to your body" Lightning swallowed hard "I know… I'm… do they need to… to see that." Lightning pointed his genitals "Lightning, Michael and Hudson are doctors, they are not going to comment on your genitals" Jackie said. "Come on, you can't keep them waiting." Lightning let the nurses finish getting him ready for surgery while the doctors headed to the operating room. He was placed on a mobile lift and taken to the operating room, where he was transferred to the operating table. "I'm going to put you asleep, for the surgery" Doc said. "Okay," Lightning said, thankful he wasn't going to be awake when Doc and Michael started removing his aluminum. Sally watched from an observation window "Okay, Rookie, Michael is starting the anesthesia" Doc assured. "This should make you very sleepy. Michael, would you put him under," Doc invited, as he put a respirator mask over Lightning's mouth. Michael hooked Lightning up to monitor so he could check his vitals during surgery. "Lightning take a few deep breaths for me" Michael said "Don't worry, Light" Sally assured him as the anesthesia started to work and Lightning began to fade out, "I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Stickers" Lightning began to hear, "Take a deep breath again, would you?" "Ohhh," he groggily said. "It's okay, Sweetheart," Sally replied. "Today's operation was a success, but you need time to heal. So your new titanium is going to remain bandaged for now, and you're going to be very sore and stiff all over. It's alright Sweetheart," Sally assured. "Is it over?" Lightning whispered, reaching out a tire, just wanting to touch Sally, know that she was real as he continued to wake up from the effects of the anesthetic. "Yes, I'm right here," Sally assured him as she took his tire in hers, lovingly stroking it. "I'm so cold…" Lightning trembled. Nurse Jackie who was monitoring his vitals got a heated quilt and put it over him. "Lightning? Kid? I need you to open your eyes" Doc said. Lightning slowly opened one eye, half way "There does that count" Lightning said. "Come on Kid, I need both eyes open" Doc said. Lightning groaned and opened both eyes and saw the fuzzy outline of Sally with Doc right behind her. "Hey," Lightning said groggily, but then he felt it. Every inch of his titanium burned like he was on fire. Lightning closed his eyes, swallowing hard a few times and desperately fighting off nausea the pain was causing.
"Are you okay, Rookie?" Doc asked. "Every inch of me burns, I think I'm going to barf" Lightning said. Doc quickly nudged a sick basin in front of him. Lightning vomited with the agony of one who has nothing to emit, but must still vomit. When Lightning finished he trembled and sunk low on his shocks panting. "Are you done?" Sally asked. Lightning hook his hood yes. Sally took a towel and gently wiped his mouth off as soon as he shook his hood. Sally watched Lightning as he shifted uncomfortably with a groan. In pain, Lightning kicked off the quilt. Doc took a sheet and covered his genitals, even though Doc knew Sally has properly seen him naked many times. The burning was reaching such a pitch to where Lightning had to fight for consciousness. "It's normal" said Doc "Just try to relax." "Is there any pain medication I could take?" Lightning asked "Yes," said Doc. "Okay, Kiddo, Jackie is adding something to your I.V." Doc assured. "This should take care of the pain and should nock you out for a while." "I'm beginning to wonder why I became a fucking race car," Lightning said. "You don't mean that," Sally said comfortingly. "You're the best race car there is." "Good race cars don't wreck," Lightning said icily. "Oh, so I wasn't a good racecar?" Doc asked. "I don't fucking know," Lightning said edgily, trying to clear his hood, but pain medication was starting to work; he slowly drifted back into darkness.
Lightning opened his eyes and saw Mater. "Hey, Bud!" Mater said excitedly. "Yur awake! It's been right nearly three days since ya went and got yur new titanium!" "Seriously?" Lightning asked. His titanium burned dully, but it was not even close to what it had been before. "Where's Doc and Sally?" "Uh," said Mater, putting on a comical, confused expression. "I dunno. Miss Sally said she needed to get away for a while and Doc's around here somewhere." "When did Sally leave?" Lightning asked, panicked. "About two days ago I guess," Mater said. "Doc said she was stressed and she was gonna come back in a few days." "Oh," Lightning said. He began to wonder if Sally's absence had to do with his profanity. "Do you know if I'm allowed to drive?" "I dunno," said Mater. "But I wouldn't wanna go outta this here room if I was you, seeing that as ya don't have no paint on and ya have nothing on you alls underside" Lightning glanced to his sides and saw that his bandages were gone and his titanium was shining in the light. And there was nothing under him other than a heated blanket to keep him warm. "Mater, could you please get Doc for me?" he asked. "Why sure I can!" Mater said happily. He turned and drove out of the room.
Ten minutes later, Doc drove into the room. "You okay, Kid?" "I feel better," Lightning said. "But where did Sally go?" "Taking a few days off" Doc replied. "I told her she needed too. The whole time you were out, she was sitting here crying, so I told her to go back to L.A. and see her family." "Oh," said Lightning. He looked sadly out of the door of his room. "I'm sorry, Kid," Doc said, "But she was miserable. She even slept here." "Do you think I can get my paint put back on today?" "Yeah," Doc said. "You're titanium feels better, right?" "Yeah, it doesn't burn as much" Lightning said. 4 hours later, Lightning was fully painted again, and had even talked Doc into removing his urinary tube from his penis. Lightning was incredibly sore and Doc ended up helping him put on his codpiece. Feeling a little better Lightning asked, "Can I go outside?" "Sure," said Doc. "No going over twenty." "Thanks, Doc." He drove out of the hospital and saw Mater, Sheriff, Lizzy, Luigi, Guido, and Flo all parked at the diner. Lightning made his way over to the café and parked beside Mater. "Well look who's out and about!" said Sheriff warmly. "How are you feeling, Lightning?" "Pretty good," Lightning replied. "A couple aches and pains, but overall okay." "That's good," Sheriff said. "What's this I hear about you dating Sally?" asked Lizzy in her feeble elderly tone, obviously outraged "Especially after you lead me on like you did!" "Uh," said Lightning. He knew Lizzy was fairly close to losing her mind and he had done nothing to lead her on, but he still did not know how to respond. But there was no need Lizzy had already stormed off. "Well" said Flo, "That was unexpected" "Yes, it was," said Luigi in his Italian accent. "Are you really dating Sally?" Lightning felt uncomfortable in answering her, but Mater took it upon himself to answer. "Dang tootin' they is!" he said proudly. "I'm the one who told Lightning he loved Miss Sally in the first place!" Flo laughed triumphantly. "It's about time! You quit betting around the bush" "Yeah" said Lightning, still very uncomfortable, both mentally and physically.