Hello everyone and here is the long awaited chapter you all have been looking forward to! I apologize again for the long wait, but I am happy to say I have lots of plans now for how I want this story to continue. I hope you guys enjoy and it keeps you at the edge of your seat!
Also if any of you guys love games and are playing the new Disney Heroes: Battle Mode game, you can find me on there as Kachowbarator also. I am part of the Marvel Ohana guild, but if we are filled up you can find me around in global chat to add me as a friend!
Now off to write chapter 8.
And remember, not everything is as it seems...
Bang, bang, bang. Mack was whacking his tire against the side of the trailer, trying to get Cruz's attention. Cruz jolted back into reality. Everything seemed to be spinning, and her head was pounding with the worst imaginable headache. She accelerated forward, ramming into her paraphernalia shelf, toppling over her Derby trophy and a stray lightning McQueen bobble head. She could hear the murmuring of paparazzi and security guards yelling. For some reason it seemed louder than ever before, making her headache only feel worse. Everything felt like a dream.
"Hey kid! The paps are gonna bust down this door if you don't get out now!" Cruz heard Mack yell over the radio.
She shook her hood trying to focus. "Oh-um-yeah! Okay! Ye-yeah I'm coming!" She fumbled around for the switch. When her tire found it, the door lowered and the blinding flash of cameras flooded the entrance to the trailer. Cruz squinted into the daylight, the brightness hurting her eyes. I shouldn't spend so much time in here I guess.
Cruz managed a small grin as she was overwhelmed by reporters. Finally Lightning and a group of security cars broke through the swarm to escort her to the pits. She heaved a sigh of relief, but still panicked as a wave of dizziness hit her.
Okay Cruz let's go through what you ate. Please let it not be food poisoning. Please let it not be food poisoning.
"Hey Cruz, are you alright? You've been sorta weaving the past few minutes." Lightning asked, a little ways behind her. Cruz was sandwiched in between two security vehicles and had bumped into their sides.
"Oh, um I don't know. Nerves, I guess?" she giggled, and tried to correct her path.
Lightning shot her a confused look as she continued to laugh.
The guards pulled away to help another racer when they arrived at the Dinoco sponsored pit. Cruz sat in silence and stared off into the distance while Lightning hooked up his radio and shoved the headphones over his roof. Luigi and Guido quickly changed out Cruz's tires and topped off her gas. The race was due to start in an hour.
Cruz felt like she was floating each time her tire was swapped out. Her mind was straining to remember something important, but she couldn't find the energy to concentrate. Everycar around her seemed to moving slowly about her. She felt Guido remove the gas can from her side.
"Guiiiido, I neeeeed mooore gaaaasssoline." Cruz slurred.
"No capisco!" the forklift popped up from inspecting a tire.
"A-Luigi and Guido do not comprehend what you are a-saying." Luigi apologized.
"Neeeed more gas!"
"Oh! But senorita, we already a-topped off your gas. You are full. Luigi do not a want you to be bloated for the race!"
"Ooookay." Cruz sighed.
Cruz could hear bickering as Luigi and Guido sped off. She closed her eyes, trying to bring back her focus. But when she opened her eyes again, everything felt the same. Some thing deep, down inside her was telling her she couldnt race in this condition. But she couldn't find the will or force within her to follow her intuition.
Lightning swung around in front of her on his way back from a fillup. "You sure you're feeling alright, Cruz? Luigi said you seemed to be really nervous. Your eyes are red too."
"I'm-I'm-im fiiine. Reaallly tired is all." Cruz replied.
Lightning raised an eyebrow. "You seem pale. I'm really thinking I should step in for the first half while you go see a nurse."
"Nooooo. I have too…Storm. Storm."
Panic raced across Cruz's eyes as she began remembering bits and pieces from earlier. The bet. She had a bet. Storm terrified her. Was it real? No it wasn't real. She was asleep. It was nightmare. No, but it was real. The bet was real. Did he really say that?
Cruz's mind was swarming and she began breathing heavily.
Lightning grabbed Cruz's hood with his tire, "Cruz, Cruz look at me! You're having a panic attack. I need you to take deep breaths. Slow your breathing."
Cruz took several deep breaths as Lightning continued talking.
"I know you're strong enough to beat Storm. You don't need to worry about that as long as you're in good shape. Getting yourself sick from thinking about it is going to make you fail."
But everything Lightning said was just sound as Cruz concentrated on breathing. She felt herself being pushed over next to the crew chief section, and Lightning mentioning something about taking a breather.
Lightning watched from afar as Cruz closed her eyes, her frame moving up and down as she breathed. He shook his hood and rolled up to his pedestal as the rest of the Radiator Springs crew was arriving. Tex drove up beside Lightning.
"The race has just been delayed an extra half hour." Tex said, looking up in Lightning's direction.
"Huh, I wonder what for?" Lightning wondered out loud.
"Well the winds have been pretty high lately, and there's a dust storm been reported to the southwest of here. I guess they're gonna wait it out." Tex shrugged his frame.
"Great! I mean, not great, but that gives Cruz more time for... I'll be right back Tex!" Lightning reverses out and sped over to Cruz. He didn't want to worry Tex.
Cruz's eyelids were heavy and she was drooling all over the concrete when Lightning drove up in front of her.
"Cruz! Cruz, hey Cruz! Wake up! Hello?" Lightning shook her.
"Hmmm…noooooo. Mmmm. The tractor..." Cruz mumbled.
"Cruz wake up! The race was delayed. We have time to let you see the nurse."
Cruz mumbled something and opened her eyes slightly then leaned on her side again. Lightning stared at her quizzically. Keeping his eyes on Cruz, he turned himself to face the crew pit. "Hey, uh…Mater you still over there?"
"I suuuure am! Whatcha need buddy?" Mater drove over to where his friend was parked.
"She doesn't look good at all. She isn't responding well enough to drive. I think you'll have to tow her."
"Where to?" Mater asked.
Lightning pointed his tire to his left. "The on-site hospital. See that white tent over there with the red symbol on it?"
"Yes sir I got it!" Mater swung his tow cable under Cruz and slowly drove forward and around the corner.
"Give me a ring once she's out!" Lightning called after Mater.
"Will do Captain!"
Lightning shook his head. Crazy Mater. What would he do without him.
"Hey Stickers, is everything alright?" Lightning felt cool metal against his side as the blue Porsche rubbed against him. He sighed.
"Well, I hope anyway. Cruz looks to be coming down with the flu or something. She's been acting kind of strange ever since she came back from the press. She was conked out and breathing heavy just now. Mater took her to the doctor's tent." Lightning sighed again. "I better prepare myself to race if she's ill."
"I'm sorry Lightning. I hope she gets to feeling better." She planted a kiss on his right cheek. "Why don't I run and get us some iced frappes? I'm sweating!" Lightning could feel the slight vibration of her AC motor.
"Sounds great, Sal. Get me two shots of oil with that."
"Sure thing Stickers!" Lightning watched her zoom away until he couldn't see her anymore. He sighed in pleasure. Suddenly his happy thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice and the vroom of an electric motor.
"Awww how sweet," the voice said mockingly. "Where's costume girl at? Shouldn't she be getting ready?"
Lightning could feel the frustration boiling in his tank. He hated run ins with Jackson Storm. He could understand why this idiot kept tearing his rookie down. Sometimes he forgot that he himself raced against Storm and his extreme ego just a year ago.
"She'll be out soon Storm." He didn't want to tell him where Cruz was really at. It was none of his business anyway, and he didn't want to fuel the fire.
"Girls. They always take forever to get ready. Nothing changes on the track either I suppose. I'll bet you even your little girlfriend will run into somebody she hasn't seen in 20 years and chat for two hours. Hope you aren't too thirsty." Storm chuckled.
Lightning rolled his eyes. "Look Storm. There's nothing to see here. And whatever is going on between you and Cruz today with this race, I'm warning you, don't do anything reckless. You don't want to know my consequences."
"Oooooh, do I hear a threat? Is the Lightning McQueen threatening me? I'm so scared!" Storm said in a sarcastic tone.
Lightning simply glared at the haughty race car.
"Look man, it's just a game. What you think I'm gonna, I don't know, set her on fire on the track or some shit?" He gave Lightning a puzzled look.
"I'm just going by what I've seen you do in the past."
Storm snorted. "Eh, whatever. I won't do anything stupid. If she somehow miraculously wins, I'm supposed to like pay for her dinner. Ha! But I know I'll win."
Storm began to drive off toward his pit, but he braked when he heard Lightning speak again.
"So, uh, Storm. What's the plan if you win?" He didn't know much about the bet, but he couldn't help but worry about the hostile relationship between the two competitors.
Storm shrugged his frame. "I've got ideas. It'll just depend on my mood." He thought for a second. "I'll think of something good after the race. Maybe drag her to an LV club." He chuckled.
"Oh you are so not doing that. Not on my watch jerk." Lightning said in a warning tone.
"Easy Lightning. You act like she's your kid or something."
"I just don't want her to do anything that might get her hurt or upset. I am her crew chief after all. Don't you dare doing anything dangerous or inappropriate." He argued.
Storm looked taken aback. "Dude what is your problem? You're acting like I'm some sort of freak." He revved his engine. "Didn't you and that other Dinoco guy pull pranks and bets all the time? It hasn't even been a year since you've quit racing and you've already forgotten what's it's like to be one? Lighten up Mr. Kachow. Geez."
"Oh I'm sorry, but the last time I checked, you and Cal have very opposite personalities and I don't trust you." Cars could hear the shouting match between the two racers from the Dinoco pits.
"Chrysler McQueen. Just because your student is a slut doesn't mean I'm a pervert." And with that he spun around, and zoomed off, his tires screeching extra loudly on the pavement.
"He did not just bring that up." Lightning muttered. He knew what a sensitive topic that was to Cruz. Her mental health was suffering because of it and he didn't want Storm to fan the flames of disaster. If he hadn't already.
Lightning tossed his headset in the corner as he made his way to detailing. What a complete jerk, he thought.
He entered the yellow, glassed in area and hit the enter key in the keyboard for the computer. He swiped his tire across the screen until he came to the Dinoco sleeve.
He was right about one thing though. I am getting mighty thirsty.
"Oh Sally, Sally, Sally." He said aloud.
As if to answer his thoughts, he heard the voice of the blue Porsche muffled through the glass. She was banging on the side with her tire. Lightning turned to see her trying to get his attention, all with a worried look on her face. He flipped open the door.
"What's the matter Sal? Are the drinks ready?"
Sal rolled her eyes. "Guys. Always worried about food." She muttered under her breath. Lightning raised an eyebrow.
"Um, excuse me?"
"Never mind. Lightning, I saw Mater on the way over to order. He looked really worried, and he told me the doctors are running a bunch of tests. Something is not normal and it's definitely not the flu either."
Instantly Lightning's brow creased with worry. "I need to come over there right now!" He sped past Sally and out onto the pits lane.
"Lightning wait!" she accelerated quickly, sending pebbles flying as she fought to keep up.
"Lightning stop! They aren't letting anyone back there right now!" It was no use. Lightning was already halfway through the entrance.
Sally was taking short, deep breaths when she caught up to the race car. After entering the sliding doors she rolled up beside Lightning who was having a heated argument with the receptionist.
"What do you mean they don't know?" He shouted in the poor lady's face.
"Sir, it doesn't mean the doctors don't have a diagnosis. I don't have that information in the system yet and even then it may not be information I can release to just anyone."
"But I'm her crew chief!" Lightning was frustrated. Sally whispered something in his ear and he finally backed down.
"I'm sorry about that ma'am. What time should we come back to hear about Cruz?"
The receptionists set a stack of papers in a folder and slid it in the filing cabinet under the desk. "Probably not much longer, maybe try back in about…"
Suddenly a nurse came swinging through the double doors, a doctor following close behind her bumper. "Is Mr. McQueen here?" the doctor asked out loud, looking at the clipboard on his side.
"That's me! Is everything alright? Is Cruz okay? What kind of medicine does she need? Do I need to take her place today? Will she be okay for next week? Is she mentally stable?" Lightning spit out question and question, earning a glare from the nurse.
Sally set her tire against his side, silencing her worried boyfriend. "Lightning calm down. Let him speak."
"We don't mean to worry you Mr. McQueen, but Cruz won't be able to race today. Cruz should recover fine in a couple of days, but what we found is a bit troubling. Please follow me back here. I have a few questions to ask to help me treat her condition." The doctor preceded to enter a partitioned off room in the corner that Lightning assumed must be an office. One in which the doctor could speak to cars about patients and discuss important matters and troubling situations. Lightning felt a bit apprehensive as he drove into the room.
The doctor shuffled around some papers, then pulled out his tablet and began to jot down some information.
"Mr. McQueen, after performing thorough tests, we've discovered something that will unfortunately require the involvement of the Las Vegas Speedway authorities for investigation."
Lightning's eyes shot up and his guts lurched forward. The authorities? What the hell is going on?
"What do you mean, sir?" Lightning gulped.
The doctor adjusted the glasses spanning his windshield.
"The symptoms Cruz has been experiencing are a direct result of the drugs we found present in her oil system test."
Lightning's jaw hung open.
"Because the use of drugs is strictly forbidden on the track, I will need to call in an investigation as soon as Cruz comes to. There will be some questioning, and I may need to call you back in."
Lightning's head was spinning. Drugs? What? How? Why? Cruz wouldn't do something like that. She wouldnt have even thought about jeopardizing her chances of winning today. That's all she was talking about this week. I mean, yes Lightning she has been depressed...but no! No!
The doctor was still speaking as Lightning pondered what could have caused everything that was happening.
"...which doesn't necessarily mean Ramirez strictly partook in drugs herself."
Those words went straight to Lightning's head, bringing him sharply back into the conversation. "You mean, like, another car drugged her without her knowing?" He asked.
"Precisely."
And the first thing that came to Lightning's mind was a certain egotistical, black electric race car by the name of Jackson Storm.
On a serious note and in light of Demi's recent hospitalization due to a drug overdose while I was writing this chapter, if you or a loved one are struggling with susbstance abuse, self harm, addiction, etc. never be afraid to seek help! Even if it seems you are strong enough to fight it alone, sometimes your devils can get the best of you and take over. I tried fighting my anxiety and dermantillomania alone and I couldn't do it. But after seeking help from someone else to have an accountability partner and psychological help I am doing much better. I wouldn't be where I am today all by myself.
