Chapter 11: A Betting Car
"Blue blazes! Watch the muffler Doc, you almost done ripped it off," barked Sheriff from atop his perch, Doc pulling away from under the ramp to give him a bored look.
"Well, if you had come in sooner, I wouldn't have to be tugging at things to get the gunk out," said the healer as he dropped a rather greasy tool onto a tray to be cleaned later. "Also, it's time to change your filters. Let's start with your oil filter since I don't know when I will get ahold of you again."
Sheriff cringed at the sight of the dirtied tool. He hadn't gotten gunk build up that badly in years. His engine had always been good to him but recently … he knew he was having trouble keeping up and now there was a real worry of actually blowing a gasket. He could get ahold of the Road Hazards whenever they came through, but they weren't exactly the most graceful speeders. If someone like the Mad Racer came into town … He didn't want to think about it.
Chief said his rookies did most of the chasing nowadays, but then again Roy was younger than him … and the whole group of rookie officers seemed childish and more trouble than they were worth. He just knew that if he got a rookie officer … Soon, he wouldn't be of much use. He would be expendable. Something meant to rust away until his carbonator gave in or his gas tank rusted out.
He was so frightened … that no one would need him anymore. He needed to be needed … what was his purpose otherwise? He had no family in the area. All he had was the title Sheriff and this town, a seemingly unimportant dot on the map even though it was his most treasured thing.
"Mark?" said Doc, coming forward with a container to catch the old oil. "Is something wrong?"
Blinking back the tears that were threatening to gather on his windshield, the Sheriff shook his hood, sinking low on his tires in depression.
"I'm not crying if that's what you think," the enforcer grumbled, hating how soft his emotions were. His mother had been a kind car and had taught him soft sentiments, and though she told him that having a heart was never a sign of weakness, it always felt like one.
Doc sighed as he placed the oil catch and quickly unscrewed the oil plug, the ramp whining to life as the police cruiser was lowered down almost to the ground, Doc giving his friend a soft look now that they were eye to eye. Offering a sad smile, Hudson stated simply, "We have at least a few minutes to chat, Mark. You are not going anywhere until after that oil is done draining and the filter changed."
Sighing, Mark squirmed on his tires somewhat before he got low on said tires, curb checker's twitching.
"It's foolishness," said Mark softly, looking at the floor.
"Foolishness?" said Doc, his tone almost quip. "Oh, I don't know Sheriff; if it wasn't important you wouldn't be bothered by it. Now, tell your old friend what's been bothering you."
Mark sunk lower on his fires, sighing deeply before he swallowed, "I don't want to burden you with my problems."
"Your problems?" Doc raised a metallic brow, "Now Mark, everyone in this town knows that if something is broken … I generally end up fixing it. That is why I am both the town doctor and judge, isn't it? And you also know that since this is in my medical office, anything you tell me will never go beyond these walls."
Closing his eyes, feeling like he was going to choke on his own words, Mark whispered softly, "I don't want to be replaced, Doc. This town is all I got."
Doc actually looked taken aback, his eyes widening as he drove forward, looking pained, "Replace you? Mark, why would we replace you? A little bit of gunk build up and backfires are to be expected for a car your age. You are not Lightning's age anymore."
Pulling his tires in tight, feeling the tears threatening the corners of his eyes again, Sheriff's tone came out choked, "Then why have you been looking for rookies? I've gotten a few inquiries this summer already from hot rods straight out of the academy."
Driving back slightly, Doc solemnly nodded, "Yes, I did make those requests, Mark, but it wasn't to discourage your service. I would never do that. I am not trying to have you replaced."
"Then why do I need a rookie?" said the cruiser, bitterness in his voice.
"Because … I would rather be banging out an academy kid's dents from a high-speed pursuit then signing your death certificate, Sheriff," added Doc in his own rancorous tone. "Forgive me if I was just looking out for you."
"So … you think I should just retire then? I'm getting too old for the chase. Maybe I should just move to the side for a newer model?" he barked back, sorrow quickly turning into a long festering rage. If he wasn't on a ramp he might punch his old friend. Doc had it coming, stepping over him as town judge and just requesting officers behind his back. Doc might be able to win in a race, but Sheriff knew he would win in a physical fight.
"NO!" barked back Doc, his teeth bared but then just as quickly his rage faded, his usual calm present. "Please, don't be this way. I just … thought I was doing what was best for you, for the town."
Deflating somewhat, Doc's calm and gruff voice always effective at calming a scene, Mark gave in somewhat. It was a healer's art, Mark supposed, the ability to bring calmness.
Regardless, he wasn't about to back down, his words flat and yet demanding, "Then let me prove myself. That I can still take care of this town by myself … at least until I'm ready for a rookie."
Shifting his tires, looking up at the artificial light on for a moment, Doc slowly nodded, "So … a test it is then, a bet even? If you win, I leave things as they are, if I win you choose a rookie."
"I'm not much of a betting car, Doc," said Sheriff slowly, calmly. "But I took a chance on Lightning and that turned out well enough."
"It's agreed then. Let's shake on it, "said Doc, nodding his hood sternly. "I will give you until the end of the sprint racing season to show me wrong and I won't bring up the rookie conversation for a good long while if you succeed, deal?"
Despite knowing how dangerous it was to bet on anything with Doc, Sheriff slowly nodded. He did not miss the victorious grin on Doc's face at all as the other lifted up a tire. Staring at the offered tire for a moment in slight paranoia, Sheriff reached out his tire as well and shook on it, murmuring, "Deal, even though you are a terrible cheat. So it can't be something unreasonable. It has to be something any officer worth his salt should be able to do."
"Fair enough … and what do you mean by cheat? You fell in the lake that one time and you still haven't gotten over that?" said Doc with a growing grin as the shake continued for a good long while.
"Fell? As I recall, you pushed me," groused Sheriff, recalling the dreadful day. "Now, what is something that would be considered bet worthy?"
…
"I made a bet with Doc that I would find the Mad-Racer before the end of the sprint racing season," said Sheriff blatantly to his old colleague. "I think he even wrote up a legal document."
A spitting sound filled the area, several patrons and semis turning to the small collection of officers at the truck stop, Chief's gulp became a spray of oil.
"You did what!" choked Chief, dropping his can of oil as the two of them sat there, enjoying a cool drink. The truck stop had always been a nearby meeting place for the two as the years went by. After all, the truck stop always did have very pretty waitresses.
Gina, a cute little foreign 2002 Fiat Stilo, drove over with her usual smile to the small group of officers, throwing Jimmy Jones a nasty glare before she picked up the spilled can and placed it on a side tray. Her accented voice was as sweet as usual despite her obvious dislike for one of their members, "Is there any-thin else I can get phor you officers? Mister Roy?"
"Yes, Gina, that would be … best. Another can, the strong stuff," said Chief with a grimace while Sheriff just continued to sit there, brow raised, the slightly older officer noticing the glare Gina threw at Jimmy.
Not wanting to upset their long time waitress, Sheriff nodded his head towards Jimmy and the new waitress, Aida (a 2006 Fiat Panda), as he spoke, "Yes, I did. I know it was stupid, but I'm sure I will succeed with your help … and if you want to keep your rookie alive you better make sure he stops hitting on Aida. You know how Gina gets about her little cousin. I heard she gave a semi a cracked windshield once."
"Don't you remember what happened the first time you made a bet with Doc and how he mowed you into the earth? …Tried to drown you if I recall correctly... It's just his competitive nature to win, especially given his racing origins. That bet sounds like a fool hearty idea," growled out Chief before he bumped his rookie on the side, the young car giving him a love sick look as Aida drove off to get the Charger's drink. "Stop that boy, Aida is off limits. Everyone knows that. She came to live her with her cousin so she could go to school."
"But she's so adorable … and that Italian accent," murmured the young officer, his pout thrown to the two older officers before he turned over his engine, "Anyway, I'm going to go ask her what time she gets off. I mean … got to the restroom."
The 2006 Charger was then gone before either of the older officers could stop him or properly question him, Sheriff shaking his hood, "Well, that kid's dead, better start looking for a new rookie. Why did you even bring him?"
"He gets into things he shouldn't when he's bored, like a child," grumbled Chief, "And you are the one that should start looking for a rookie. You know as well as I that it could take years to solve that case if we don't get any leads yet you made a bet that you would find him before the end of the racing season? That season is nearly half over and September will be upon us before you can even turn your engine over, Mark. You just dug yourself a deep hole."
"Doc isn't as clever as he likes to think he is," smirked Mark with a chuckle.
"Is that so?" said Roy, his tone mocking. "Tell me how you are going to save your bumper, Mark? I haven't even heard a 'please help me, good old buddy, old pal' yet and half of my court requests are still pending for medical records. It's not a done deal yet."
"Well," said Mark with a grin, feeling young and invigorated for outsmarting Doc. "I got ahold of Doc's master list of contacts as a physician when he wasn't looking … and Lightning McQueen's contacts. Well, it was more like I got Mac's sympathetic audio, but it's the same thing. Mac also said he would keep an audio out for rumors."
Tisking the other like he was a child, Chief shook his hood, "You think that will save you? You thought your boosted engine would save you when Doc challenged you to a dirt race when he first came to Radiator Springs. It took two tow trucks three hours to get you out of that lake, the town made a barbecue event of it. You were lucky you didn't sustain water damage."
Mark huffed, remembering the humiliation of the incident. "Well, I didn't know he was a race car at the time. He tricked me. It was a trick I will not let him do again."
"And yet he's always outwitting you it seems," said Chief, a deep part of him in love with Radiator Springs' antics. Personally, he had to visit more often if only to get more dirt on Mark. Apparently, Doc and him had been having a friendly rivalry every since that first race when Doc moved into Radiator Springs. At this point, Roy was sure Sheriff just gave Doc a hard time about medical checks as a form of rivalry.
"Hardly, he hasn't outwitted me in ages," said Mark, his chassis puffing out somewhat.
"Oh," said Roy with a coy grin. "What about the surprise medical exam I heard you got a few days ago? I certainly doubt you went to him willingly."
Sheriff deflated, embarrassment in his eyes before he stumbled over his words, "B-but I … how … ugh … How did you find out about that?!"
"Let's just say a certain tow truck told me since he was in my county," chuckled Chief, loving that seemingly dull witted tow truck. Some thought him slow, but there was a level of skill and adventure that a daredevil could never compare to. Then again, if that story of the daredevil was true, Mater had already done that… and a dozen other things. It was a well-known fact that Mater did have some of the best tall tales in the area.
"I'll impound him for this," groused the enforcer.
Chief snorted, "I doubt that. Who's going to drag your speeders to the impound lot then? Regardless, you have better thing to do … like finding my rookie. He's been gone too long … he must be up to something."
"He's fine. He's an adult … barely. We have to focus on reviewing our current case, the Mad-Racer," stated Mark. "Besides, what kind of trouble could Jim find he-"
The two veterans were suddenly interrupted when a blur of black and white rushed past them, throwing up a thin film of dust before said blur reversed harshly and nearly crashed into Mark. Not that Jones noticed, he was too focused on his superior.
"Chief!" cried Jimmy, his eyes wide and almost scared looking. "Are you ready to go! In fact, I say let's get going now."
"Now?" groused the older vehicle. "But I haven't even gotten my new oil yet. Gina hasn't even gotten-"
"Gina! Where, I … uh, on second thought. I'll find a good place to park, Chief. I'll catch some kissers. I mean speeders. Later!" cried Jimmy and before his superior could even question the rookie, that powerful engine was roaring as the youth spun his tires and dodged out into the traffic, a group of mini-vans cursing his bumper.
The two aging cars both gave each other a questioning look at they leaned forward and watched the youth speed away like he was already in a chase down the interstate, leaving nothing but a trail of dust.
Only when the youth was completely out of sight did normal return to the truck stop, Chief and Sheriff falling back against their rear struts. Sheriff, his face confused, asked the other, "Now what was that all about?"
Humming to himself, Chief barely noticed a red faced and flustered Gina drop off his drink until she was gone, the drink to his lips. Then, nearly spitting out his drink again, Chief started chuckling.
"Oh, I have a good idea," purred Chief as he looked at the interstate with mild interest. "Say … did Jones' bumper look dented to you? Someone must have hit him pretty hard."
Sheriff, who had gone back to his own drink, looked surprised for a moment before he was suddenly smiling wickedly as he shook his hood, "I didn't see anything if you didn't. I personally like being on her good side. Gina can be mean for a little foreign thing."
Roy was quick to agreed, "I learned my lesson the first time I made her mad, but I still think we should start looking at candidates for you now instead of later."
Sinking low on his tires, Sheriff moaned in indignation, "Ford-Almighty, do you and Doc share notes when I am not looking or something because you two sound exactly the same."
Chief only shook his hood, laughing, thinking what fun it would be to see Sheriff interact with his rookies for the next few weeks as they tried to solve the case because Mark was going to need the experience. Soon, he would have one academy graduate of his very own to bug him about regulations, high-speed chases, shoot outs, paperwork and how boring the job really could be. It would be like a horrible growth one just couldn't get rid of. He was going to enjoy this.
XXX
Paw07: Yeah, a Sheriff chapter! And honestly, I don't know if Cars need oil changes since they apparently have bathrooms, but eh … it's a part of car maintenance so I went with it. Either way though, I'm sure they have to have their filters changed. XD