The next morning Hudson slowly eased off the younger car as he woke, amazed the occurrences earlier had not been a dream, and also stressed that said occurrences had not been a dream. He left the door to his room open as he exited into the main operating room, where he spent half his times in doors. He was just to set to organising, despite using nothing the past week, when he noticed the paper on the floor a foot or so away from the front doors. Doc kept all his papers in his room, which also doubled as an office for the more mechanical duties fit for a doctor. There was no reason for one to be out here.
And so he concluded it must have been slipped under the door some time after taking in the little child stuck in the rain. The fact that the paper was wrinkled with wet spots only proved his conclusion.
Written upon the paper was an anonymous letter. The main points were as follows.
I have not named my son
He is five
Why I have left him in your care
I've no clue as to who you all are, I apologise if this hassles you all too much.
Hudson gave a sharp. "Hrmph."
Then he heard the small yawn a ways back, then the startled gasp. Not wanting another show from last night, he hurried back to his room. He peeked in, only for the kid to stare at him in fear.
"You think I'm going to eat you?"
The child opened his mouth, paused, then spoke. "No."
"Good, I won't harm you otherwise, either." The child nodded, surprising Doc. He didn't exactly speak fit for the general understanding of a five year old. He paused, realising he left the letter from his mother out in the open of the operating room, or main room of his clinic.
"Can you wait here kid?" The kid nodded, a fierce look on his face. Hudson near chuckled, if not for what made this kid so stubborn.
Hudson returned with the letter, putting it in one of the higher drawers in his desk, which was nearer the front door, and thus blocked off the back half of the room where they slept.
He half expected the kid to ask about the parcel, since he knew from the few kids he'd treated to when the town still had some version of business that they were filled with insatiable curiosity. Yet the red kid was silent.
He really should do a check up on the kid. Knowing the kids background, he may not have had any to begin with, but also knew the kid was probably too nervous currently for any check up to be successful.
He gave another sigh. Interesting how he just filled with sighs when in the presence of a child. He turned, facing the young'un. He stared, wondering what the worn down town looked like to the child late at night.
Sure Hudson was stand off-ish, sure he was always sounding gruff or uninterested. But he held a lot of regret and secret from his own past, from which he's learned a lot. He was nothing if not secretly understanding.
"Looked like a ghost town last night, huh?"
The tiny car nodded. Hudson could have sworn the kid looked four instead of five.
"Well, how bout I show you the people that live here. Prove there aren't no ghosts."
The child hesitated before nodding.
"Good."
Hudson could feel the stares the moment they left the clinic. He was usually among the first to wake, now he was the last, with the exception of Lizzie. Of course, there was also the mini red car tailing him. Though, Hudson could care less, feeling his doctoral habits kick up as he watched the kid follow him in his rear view mirrors. The kid was taking in his surroundings, but every once in a while would lean a tad to the left with a look of concentration. It was odd.
He definitely needed to do that check up as soon as possible.
As they approached Flo's V8 they might as well have been swarmed.
There was Flo, who was excitedly curious. "Well look what Doc brought in, I just bet you're starving. Doc, you've ought to explain..."
She drove off inside the cafe, more than content with the little's curt nod and wide eyes at the mention of food.
Then Guido and Luigi, keeping a slight distance but cooing in a jumble of English and Italian at the child.
Sheriff approached Hudson directly. Birthed spoke, but Hudson knew the other had questions, and Sherif understood Doc would explain once Flo returned.
This was overwhelming the small car, who didn't show it other than almost pouting. It wasn't until Mater practically jumped forward with "Hey buddy!" That the child jumped back, then crying out in what sounded like pain.
The glare Mater got from Sheriff was enough to make him roll back as Hudson turned swiftly to face the little. "You alright? You're not hurt are you?"
The child stared at the floor, pouting, before starting to recent we his balance, Hudson noticed he had been leaning to the left again, and nodding with that fierce look again. "I'm okay."
Doc squinted, sure something was off. But he couldn't force the kid to tell, especially stressed as he is.
It would just have to wait.
"So wait, you're telling me..." And Sheriff recounted Hudson's story, near word for word, as the rest of the town listened on.
The town had varying reactions, though all similar. Guido and Luigi stared sadly at the child, Mater looked straight shocked, Lizzie, well, she was off in her own world currently, Red had already broken down sobbing after driving far enough away to not disturb the child, famine and Flo shared a look of concern, Sheriff and Hudson thoughtful, Filmore was staring off in the distance, trying to take in what he was hearing, and Sarge looked down right pissed.
Let's just say it wasn't the best of stories.
The child meanwhile, was alternating between exploring the outside of the cafe building and returning to sip from his fuel that was just outside the front door, far enough away to not hear the conversation.
"And he has no name?"
Hudson nodded. "Correct."
The cobalt blue car sighed, looking everyone over. "So, what are we gonna do?"
Mater volunteered to care for the baby, but considering the tow trucks recklessness, every one near unanimously agreed that was not the best of ideas. Guido claimed to love the child, but that his place was not one designed for children. Luigi agreed.
Red was, well, Red was just too sad for the child's wellbeing. Lizzie, well, she has a good heart.
Fillmore knew he'd not the responsibility, which Sarge drilled into his head with a "Don't even think about it."
Sarge was the one who turned to Sheriff. "Can't you take him in to a bigger town? Carry him on your hood? Let the authorities find a place form him, with other children and younger adults?"
Sheriff blinked, shaking himself. "Well, yeah, if it comes to that. But, I mean, we may not be the youngest, but we all know each other at least and can work together at worst right? Better than some strangers."
"We are strangers to his mother." Hudson pointed out, though he did agree, he knew they could at least all work together.
"We can take him in. We've the food right here, he'll have a mama and a papa and-"
Of course, now the child started approaching the crowd of larger cars, forcing himself to not act nervous. And it didn't take much effort. As soon as he realised what the aquamarine car and purple car with flames were talking about he felt a surge of panic, then anger.
He remembered his mother's words.
"No. I won't go with you."
They all stared at the little red car. Sheriff started to roll forward. "Now is that how you shoul-"
"No. Mama said so." The car turned, looking the black and white car in the face. It was a cop, he wondered if this one was actually trying to help. Cops never seemed to do so.
"What do you mean mama said so?"
He turned to the ocean blue car that had spoken. "Mama..." He paused. "Mama said to go to your place. She promised you'd love me. Take care of me. She promised."
Hudson's eyes widened, not quite sure how to react. "Kid, I-"
The child had wound himself up, he sounded furious, but the tears were probably of fear.
"She promised. You can't say no."
With that, the child rolled off, not out of town, but further into town. They all rolled just enough to watch the child go, inviting himself back into Hudson's clinic. No one but Mater dared to do such a thing. Mater simply because he didn't pick up on most social cues that said 'leave me alone'.
Then everyone turned to stare at Doc Hudson. The older car just groaned. Then he fell silent. Finally he began to pull forward. "Well, looks like I'm a father now, thanks to that 'promise'. Probably should go calm the kid."
As he drove away, he realised, he still didn't necessarily want to be a father. However, this kid was obviously a stubborn one, and taking him in for the night was enough to earn an inkling of trust, or perhaps expectancy from the child. Until the kid could get to know the others, he was staying with Doc, whether or not Doc Hudson wanted him.
When he saw the kid sniffling in his corner of his bedroom, he knew he wouldn't mind the kid. Probably even come to love the kid, if he were honest with himself.
Hudson was almost never honest to himself, as was the case now.
"Hey... Hey, son. Look at me."
"You don't want me. She lied." The child didn't turn.
Doc couldn't exactly explain that his mother never actually told him he was supposed to keep the child. Explain that the promise was dangerous hope the mother instilled in the child, probably to make the child comply with her leaving. So instead he said.
"You know, I don't remember actually saying that. You're mom promised right?"
The kid nodded, slowly turning, still sniffling. "Promises can't be broken. She said that too."
Hudson knew there was no backing out from this. "She's right. So, how bout you stay here with me, and I'll take care of you. But, you have to pay."
The child's eyes widened. "Pay? I didn't pay mo-"
"First, by letting me call you what I want, like kiddo, or even son. Second, by promising you'll be good friends to the cars out there. Deal?"
The child stared, then squinted, like he was thinking real hard. "Deal."
Hudson gave a small smirk. "Well then, how about I give you a tour of your new home, called Radiator Springs."
"You're keeping him." Sheriff didn't believe Doc for one second.
They were sitting outside his clinic, watching the little time roll his way up and down the street, before venturing into the small spaces between each building. They weren't worried, the town wasn't dangerous these days. And should the tractors stampede the town, Hud knew he could protect the child easily.
Hudson looked to his friend, eyes lidded as always. "What else was I gonna do? The tike is a stubborn one, and he's already been through a bit, or at least seen some things. In his mind, according to his mother, I'm all he's got, and his mother is the only one he trusts."
"You don't seem like-"
"The type to raise a kid?" Doc raised an eyelid. Sheriff chuckled.
"Of course."
"I'm not the type, but I ain't a bad car. As I said, I'm all he's got, whether or not I like it."
Sheriff eyed the doctor with mirth. "You know, that's what you said when you started settling in, refusing to lay your love for the place but claiming we needed a leader. Remember it clear as freshwater. "I'm all you guys got."
Doc rolled his eyes. "Got me there."
Doc had finished up his tour of the town, leaving out the extra eccentricities like Willy's Bute, and the Wheel Well. The child, still energetic as ever, wanted to explore on his own. So doc explained an area to explore, while he could relax and idle. Which was how Sheriff found him.
"You said the kid was five, right?"
"Yep."
"Won't that kid need some schooling?"
Hudson smirked, finding a perfect opportunity to jest at his old friend. "Oh no, the law gon force me to take him to some school, even if far off?"
"Actually no," sheriff let a full smile grace his lips, humour having not flown by his head. "Ain't nobody even knowing bout this town existing really. No one will know, but we should still teach him."
Doc hmphed, not disapprovingly, and settled back to watching the little red car cross the street, alleyway to alleyway.
"Tonight, for dinner, we're gonna discuss this further."
"I don't see no reason to qualm with that." Agreed Sheriff.
A comfortable silence fell over them as they watched the kid explore, never really speaking but never really slowing down, other than for a wince or two occasionally(which Doc assured was being taken cared of.)
"Say," started Hudson. "He's sure as hell not a pure model, but he sure is something of a car, huh?"
"On second thought, yeah, looks like some sports car or something."
"Or something..."
Flo couldn't pass up on a chance to poke at the old Hudson. "Keeping him? Where'd your stubbornness? Being willed around by a five-year-old child."
"Just remember I'm your customer."
"And you never had to pay."
It didn't matter, Doc wanted to get down to business, and he knew exactly how to trap the others into complying. He looked down on the red car sipping silently at his fuel like his life depended on it. "Say, kiddo, how'd you like to start school?"
It was as if someone just instilled two times the amount of life in the car, who rolled back and then forwards again in absolute surprise and joy, other than for a wince. He was absolutely giddy, seemingly trembling with excitement. "With other kids? And learning more than counting and ad-adding?"
Hudson pursed his lips. "Well, there aren't any other kids, but yes."
"Oh." The joy dimmed somewhat, but before he could dwell on that fact he was rolling in front of all the cars parked at Flo's shouting in glee to the world that he was gonna start learning. Seeing everyone's looks of shock, incredibility, or near glares directed at him, Hudson could only chuckle. It took only a few moments for the car to calm again, finishing off his drink before shooting off to explore this lower half of the town.
"How exactly are we to-a make a school for the child?"
Hudson dragged his eyes from the little car that was staring up at the papers in an abandoned window of a forgotten building. "We aren't, ain't no one outta this town gon know or car, Sheriff will make sure of it. But I figured we could all help and teach him ourselves."
The town grumbled, and thus started a discussion on what the little needed to be taught. They all agreed they had learned more than a couple of handfuls of knowledge from school they never needed to use in life, mostly because they all forgot said handfuls of knowledge. So as they discussed, they decided it would be good for the boy to learn addition, subtraction, and then the concept of division and multiplication, as well as the very basics of algebra. As for English, the child would learn proper writing, harden his skills for reading, and in doing so increase his skills at speaking. They'd teach what they remember of science, mainly being how the weather works and how plants came to be at its basis. If the child really cared, in his later years Doc could go into the electricity that made them cars run. Finally, the basis of the history of their land.
And of course, some years into the future, Guido and Luigi would eagerly be teaching the boy to speak Italian. It didn't take a genius for them to realise no one would be able to stop them, except perhaps the boy himself.
And thus they came to the consulting of who'd teach what. Almost immediately Flo stepped forwards to teach mathematics, claiming working on all the money she made and investing from when the town still had business kept her mind sharp in the world of math. While in technicality, that meant most all of them who owned business was fit to teach the boy math, none of the others particularly wished to do so.
Filmore figured he could get some books from an abandoned library in the town and read with the child, Sarge made it clear he would be teaching history and that no one was to interfere. Hudson figured he could set the child to small writing tasks as he cleaned his clinic every day and reorganized.
Sheriff took it upon himself that the kid learned the laws of the land, should the child ever go to any other town where the rules were more strict, but also so the kid would be respectful.
As for science, well, they'd tackle that when they got there.
Of course, not everyone wanted to be left out, thus how Red was silently looking forward to perhaps teach the child the basis of gardening, Ramone the way of art, and Lizzie. Well, Lizzie just saw another person to ramble to about when she was young. Mater meanwhile was eager to play with the child and be his new best friend. No one was quite sure how that would go.
With all of that settled, they all sort of sat there, somewhat awkwardly. No one could remember the last time they had such a serious and engaging conversation. Now that it had ended, they weren't quite sure of what to discuss next. Luckily, the small child rolled up about then yawning. In the light of the dying red sunset, the kid might as well be the colour of blood. Hudson chuckled at the kid, who looked adorable.
"Long day, eh, kid?"
"Yeah..."
"Ready for some sleep?"
"No..."
"Of course you aren't." Hudson rolled his eyes at the younger. The kid was clearly pooped. He looked to the rest of the small town. "Let's give it a couple of weeks till we start any lessons. Don't want to stress him out too badly."
He turned back to the kid. "Come on, let's go back to your new home."
"I don't wanna sleep though..."
"I didn't say you were."
The kid was cute, and Doc felt he could make room in his heart for one more person in this old town. He also felt it was going to take a lot to get this kid to agree to his wishes the more confident the kid grew to be, the safer the kid came to feel.
