Disclaimer—I OWN NOBODY, Raine belongs to Raven's Revenge, and other characters belong to Pixar.

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Chapter 2

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Raine had never screamed so loud in her life, but she screamed. Lightning had won and that was one other thing that she and everyone else was ready to use to wipe of Chick Hicks smug little grin.

There was no doubt about it, things seemed to be looking up, and Raine had to return to tell Doc the good news…if only he could have heard her.

When she returned, the thought of telling him would have been the last thing on her mind.

Raine slowly pushed open one of the clinic doors, being careful to not wake her patient up if he was resting. But what she saw immediately frightened her. It seemed that Doc took a turn for the worse, his vitals were unstable, and his fever was high enough to cause him to black out. Choking back a sob, the mustang buried her face into his side, ignoring the heat from his fender and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Doc! Please wake up! Chrysler why did I go to the damn race? I shouldn't have left you here! It's all my fault..." She sadly nudged him, hoping that by some miracle he would wake up.

He seemed to moan slightly before muttering, "I…wouldn't have forgiven…you if you hadn't gone."

Raine tried to smile, he was still in good spirits and he managed a small grin, but she couldn't get past the reality that Doc was slowly wasting away.

"So………how'd the—rookie do anyway?"

"He, won, but Doc…he won for you, you need to get better." She continued her soft sobbing, sure, she remember that they had a cure laying around in the clinic, it took several days to a week to cure the patient…would that be enough time?

Doc groaned, "Now…you said…there was a cure somewhere around here."

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Over the next few days, It was nothing but a nightmare to both Raine and Doc. The critically ill Hudson couldn't keep anything down, his breathing was still labored, and his heart rate was dangerously low. Raine hooked him up to an EKG to monitor his vitals, and had attached an IV to his tank to maintain nutrition, since he wasn't able to take anything orally.

Raine had never had to do something so extreme in her life. She watched sadly as Doc struggled to fight through this living hell. She never left his side, fearing that his condition would worsen if she so much as peeked outside the clinic doors.

The residents took the news pretty hard; constantly praying and hoping that the older car would pull through. Business in all their stores seemed to have come to a screeching halt. It was almost like the river of time itself had frozen. Seconds seemed like minutes, minutes turned into hours... All everyone could do was wait and hope.

Raine had even once tried to get a doctor from the city in, hoping they'd have a faster cure…but they didn't. It was like the whole world was against Doc's life, and only a handful stood against it.

At the moment, Raine was buzzing around the clinic, working to watch all of Doc's vital signs. He seemed better, but he still got nauseated and sometimes, he couldn't hold back. Still…she was very worried and she wasn't sure what she was going to do if she couldn't save him.

'Stop that Raine.' She thought, if she kept thinking like that, she probably wouldn't save him. After awhile, she sat back to relax and watch to see if Doc was getting any better. Shortly after, the door burst open.

"Lightning! What on earth!"

"Raine…I think you better come out and see who's coming into town."

Raine looked at him skeptically, "But…I can't leave Doc."

"I'll be fine…Raindrop…just…don't do anything you'd regret"

Raine looked at him confused, and sighed, "Alright Lightning."

Once outside, Raine saw what made Lightning force her out, Chick was coming down the road with a gang of newbie racers. They were laughing as if they had done something brilliant. Anger boiled inside of her, she wanted to show him right there and now…but Doc's words echoed in her mind.

"Don't do anything you'd regret."

She'd have to play it cool.

Chick rolled up, "Morning, Raine was it? Nice day isn't it?"

"Sure is." Raine said plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Yes…fine day for any sort of activity, weddings…funerals."

"Funerals eh? I'd think you'd be mourning if it were a funeral."

Chick grinned, "Depends on the funeral kid."

Raine clenched her teeth, "Well, I oughta let Doc know you're here, he'll be glad to know."

"Really now, are you like his spokes girl? Why doesn't he come and meet me himself, or are the old geezers wheels getting shaky?"

The group laughed at Chicks joke, Raine didn't think it was funny, if you needed a lame joke; Chick was the one to see.

"Actually no, he's in the clinic, recovering from a…problem of sorts."

"Problems, ya don't say?" Chick said; his grin widened.

"Yes, luckily, I had an antidote." She emphasized that word for effect, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a poison called Copper Sulfate, do you?"

Raine may have made a good game, but Chick was a smooth player.

"Nope, no clue, I'm a race car, does it look like I study poisonings?"

"It's a poisoning causing severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever."

"Well that's a shame."

"Yes it is, poor Doc had a bad case of gasoline he ordered from somewhere, gained it just shortly before we began the race a few weeks ago."

"Really now? I'm guessing it tasted terrible."

"In fact it did."

"Hmmm, must not have taken very much to ill him, because something that tastes that terrible would make me give it up right away."

"Right you are Chick, Copper Sulfate doesn't take much, I must say, you are very educated for not knowing anything about it."

A flicker of fear flashed through Chicks expression, but it was hardly noticeable, even for Raine before he regained his place.

"Don't forget kid, I'm a good guesser, and besides, my answers are clearly obvious; few cars in their right mind would actually keep drinking something that tasted so terrible, and in regards to that, a car would throw it away afterward. I just assumed Doc had done just that, so it must've taken only a small amount of poison to put him in bed."

Raine had to admit, Chick was a quick thinker (even if he didn't think so well), and he knew how to wind his way out of things…maybe this is how he got out of trouble when he nearly killed The King, Chick had gotten away with nothing so much as a warning and nearly an entire world hating him, he had no punishment though.

But Raine was quick too, and on top of that she had smarts, unlike Chick here.

"Very good point, and well made. You know, I can hardly believe I thought you did it too. How awfully terrible of me." She said it with fake sincerity, but she played it like it was real.

This caught Chick off guard, he paused for a moment.

"Really, whatever made you think that? Doc's a fine racer, some great inspiration for cars when they were beginners like when I began…I have nothing against him."

"Well that's good, I feel awful for thinking that, I was out of place doing that. I hope you forgive me, I wouldn't want this to turn into a lawsuit or anything, because if I were nailed by your lawyer and arrested, I wouldn't be able to fix the wonderful Doc you admire so much."

Raine's sincerity and smile looked genuine, in fact, if she wasn't a doctor she could be an actress, but she was playing the part…there was no genuine sincerity in her words.

Chick stumbled over his words, "R-right, we wouldn't want that, it would be terrible."

But in fact, that wasn't true; when Chick found that Doc was getting better, a lawsuit was exactly what was on his mind. He was coming here to slowly gain evidence that Raine was against him, maybe even spying on him. He had hidden evidence so craftily, that he could have had her arrested and tried for harassment and incorrect judgment. It would have all been so easy, and then there would be no one to take care of Doc.

'Inspiration my axle!'

"Anyway, I'm glad you forgive me, I'll let Doc know you stopped by, in the meantime, maybe you could go get some fresh drinks from Flo's or a nice rest at the Cozy Cone." Raine smiled winningly, "Have a nice day Chick!"

Chick plastered on a really fake smile, "Yes…it's been a pleasure." He then turned away and disappeared with the rest of his gang.

Lightning stood in awe, again he had only known one person who could tell another off so calmly and collected…so craftily and strangely violent and creepy…he looked at Raine, his mouth still hung open.

"That was brilliant! Where'd you learn to use your words like that?"

Raine shrugged, "The voices in my head." She said grinning, she turned back and rolled into the clinic.

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Over the next few days, Doc was rocketing up the health counter, he was getting better by the hour and that was a good sign. He was happier and he could move a little more and hold a lot more down. Things were finally looking up and everything was going so well.

Raine sat in the clinic, taking some tests on Doc.

"Wow Doc, your pump pressure has returned to normal and we removed the IV yesterday."

She was smiling like a little kid on Christmas morning, and she might as well have been. She turned to Doc who looked tiered but equally happy, nuzzling him she removed the thermometer from his mouth, his temp was still a little high, but much better than the days before.

"Raine?"

"Yes Doc?"

"I'm craving some gasoline from Flo's…as long as it's from her alone, can you—"

Raine smiled, "Yeah, why not. Just try to keep this down okay?"

He chuckled.

Raine rolled out of the clinic, only to see Chick slinking around, she sighed and continued to Flo's having Lightning stay and watch Doc. Chick had done this for the last few days, he was looking for any sign that Raine was suspecting him so he could get her, and Raine knew it, she knew he wanted a law suit now that Doc was regaining his health, but of course…she couldn't let him have it.

"Flo?"

"Well good morning Raine! How's the Doc doing?"

Raine smiled, "Well, he's wanting some of Flo's famous gasoline, after awhile the one's at the clinic just don't suffice your taste ya know?"

Flo chuckled, "That's our Doc, hang on, I'll bring you out some."

Raine nodded, she settled in by one of the gas pumps and sighed, exhausted. Things were definitely looking up.

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"Yeah, that's the gasoline this old engine remembers." Doc sighed, smiling as he finished off the fuel that Raine had brought for him.

"Nothing in it this time?"

"Nope, that's definitely Flo's work."

Raine smiled, it nearly brought her to tears to see him this happy after the weeks of Hell he went through. She went to him and nuzzled him lightly; he smiled and nuzzled her back.

"Thanks Raindrop, if it wasn't for you, I'd be a goner."

Raine smiled, "What would you do without me?"

"Be a goner."

Raine chuckled and kissed his fender softly, "I'll be taking your pump pressure once more."

He nodded and hunkered down, relaxing in his spot in the clinic.

"Do your worst, you can't take old Doc down so easy."

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And he was right, Doc was kipper and bright in only a few more days. He was out, moving around and working his wheels again. He hadn't used them in so long that it took him awhile to get used to driving again.

"Careful Doc, you might have to go through Drivers Ed again." Lightning joked.

"Not as bad as you will if you keep missing that turn on the dirt track Hot Rod." Doc said giving him a grin.

"Hey! I know that trick now."

"Your still a rookie."

Raine laughed, Doc was definitely back, he'd have to work hard to get himself used to normal life again, but he was back, attitude and all.

Raine couldn't help but at that moment thank God, it had been awhile since she had done that, but now she would thank him every time she saw Doc smile.

"Hey, you!"

Raine turned to see Chick Hicks and his passé coming over, "I have a name."

"Right…listen, I—don't know what you did but…great job."

It looked like it pained him just to say it.

"Chick, don't fake it anymore. Law suit all the Hell you want, but Doc's back and you won't get him again. So don't pull any more of that, or in the name of Chrysler, I'll law suit you from heaven to hell…and that's a loooonng way down."

Chick was taken aback, but he glared, "Alright, forget your Doc, but this isn't over, I have a new target now." He turned on his wheel and drove off followed closely by the others.

Raine smiled triumphantly.

"You didn't have to do that."

She turned to see Doc looking at her, "Doc, how much—"

"Well, I heard it all."

She smiled, "Well you wrong, I did have to, because you see, we got in each others ways, so I had to push him out of mine so I could keep on driving."

Doc smiled, "Alright kid, how about you keep on driving up to Wheel Well with me, my wheels could use a workout."

"You bet!

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Ze end…for real…this time.