Chapter 13

"Speed. Hey, buddy what's wrong?" Sparky squatted down on the ground next to Speed who sat leaning against the wall of the garage.

"Huh?" Speed rubbed his eyes; he was so tired and had no idea why. It had been a little over an hour since he had taken the pills Dallas gave him. He dizzily arose, almost falling down before Sparky grabbed him by the arm.

"It's okay, pal. C'mon let me help you inside." Sparky tried to lead him in to the garage where there was a small couch he could rest on.

"No," Speed said shaking him off. "I'm fine, just feeling a little tired. Had food poisoning or something, I'll be okay."

"You don't look okay," Sparky remarked. "You were sitting on the ground, staring into space. You didn't even answer me when I spoke to you."

"Just a little out of it, that's all. I'll be fine after a cup of coffee." He started shakily walking towards the commissary.

Sparky stopped him. "You wait here, I'll get it." He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Are you sure you want coffee? It's not the best thing for an upset stomach, you know.

"Well, that's what I want, dammit!" Speed exclaimed excitedly. "Why won't you get me what I want?"

Sparky put his hands, palms up, in front of him. "Alright, alright, I'll get you the freakin' coffee, just calm down."

Speed took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry I'm..." He shook his head trying to clear the fog. "Nerves, it's just nerves."

"Why don't you go inside wait for me while I go get your coffee?"

"Yeah, I'll do that," Speed said stifling a yawn.

While Sparky went to get the brew, Speed made his umpteenth trip to the restroom.

"What is wrong with me?" he asked his reflection which seemed to pulsate before his eye. "Heh. I look so funny." He bent over the sink and splashed water on face, swallowing some of it in the process. "I feel like I've spent all day in here."

There was a knock on the door. "Speed, you in there? I got your coffee."

"Oh, yeah." Speed spun around to open the door, vertigo hitting him. He grabbed the edge of the sink to steady himself. "Whoa!" Bracing himself against the cold porcelain, he opened the door to admit his friend.

Sparky handed him the hot, black coffee. "Damn, buddy, you look like hell." There was concern in the mechanic's voice. Speed's face was flushed. His normally, large, bright eyes were half-open and glassy. It was apparent, even with only a portion of them showing, that his pupils were dilated.

"I'll be okay after I drink this." Speed said, taking a very long sip of the hot beverage.

Sparky watched him as he drank the stuff. Speed perked up a bit with each sip. "Maybe he's right, the combination of food poisoning and nerves must've done this too him," he said to himself.

---

Pops Racer paced angrily back and forth in front of the Mach Five. Mom, trying in vain to calm him down.

"I'm sure Speed and Sparky will be along any moment. They probably just went to get a bite to eat before the race," Mom said soothingly.

"I don't think so!" her husband raved, "Speed was upchucking all morning, I doubt he's in the mood to eat."

"He could be feeling better, you know," Mom said. "At least, I hope he is. Poor thing, having to race when his tummy is all upset."

Pops rolled his eyes. "Don't let Speed hear you talk like that."

"Don't worry, I won't," Mom replied. "I understand that he might be struggling with his newfound feelings of adulthood. I just wish he'd talk to us about it. Sometimes, with the way he's been acting, I don't even recognize him anymore."

"I know what you mean." Pops had stopped his frenetic pacing. "He's also been screwing up a lot lately. We had another argument this morning. He threatened to move out. Stupid kid."

"Now, Dear," Mom lightly touched his arm, "Speed's acting the way most boys…young men…his age do. He's testing his manhood, testing you to see how far you'll let him go."

"Well, I don't like it!" Pops growled. "He can test out his manhood with his friends, not me." He checked his watch. "And he'd better get here ASAP, or I'll be doing some testing, to see how far I can get my shoe up his butt!"

Mrs. Racer noticed two figures walking out of the shadows of the garage. "Honey, they're coming."

Speed's father crossed his arms. "It's about time."

"Hi, Guys!" Sparky greeted them and smiled. Speed was oddly silent and kept himself a bit distant from his parents.

"Where've you boys been?" Pops demanded. "It's getting very close to race time."

"Sorry 'bout that. Speed and I went to the commissary for a cup of coffee," Sparky explained.

"Coffee? Are you nuts?" Pops berated them. He waggled his finger at Speed. "It's a stimulant, it'll make you jittery."

Stimulation was something that Speed needed desperately. He could barely keep his eyes open. "I'll be okay, Pops."

"You'd better be. This is your track; you've driven here countless times. You should know it like the back of your hand by now. I expect you to win this race, nothing less. Am I clear?" He stood nose to nose with his son.

"Crystal," Speed answered, wishing he could go off someplace and sleep instead of driving in the race. He still couldn't figure out why he was feeling this way.

"Car all set?" Pops asked Sparky.

"Yep, everything checks out. All that's left is for our boy here," he slapped Speed on the back, "to go out and win it for us."

Speed rubbed his eyes; it was becoming more and more difficult to keep them open. "Yeah, I'll win it, don't worry."

"See that you do," Pops told him. "Now, go take care of any business you have before the race starts."

---

Speed suited up, feeling even more lethargic than he had before drinking the coffee. He threw his clothes in the duffel bag and didn't notice his wallet fall to the floor. He leaned against the wall as he zipped up his fire suit and forced his eyes to open wide. "You can do it." Carefully, he pulled away from the wall and went to outside to the Mach Five.

Sparky was the only one there, besides the extra pit crew members Pops had hired. "How ya feeling?" One look at Speed, and the mechanic had his answer. "Speed, maybe you should drop out, you really look like crap."

"I'm okay, I have to be in the race...have to win." He opened to car door and sat in the cockpit. He didn't have the energy to do his car vault, much to the disappointment of the fans in the stands.

"Here." Sparky handed Speed his helmet. "Better keep the visor down, your condition won't be as noticeable."

"I don't have a condition, I'm just tired." Speed muttered as he put the helmet on his head. "Where is everybody?"

"Your parents are in the Girl Team's pit, talking to Mr. Maverick. I think Trixie and Janine are somewhere corralling Spritle and Chim-Chim."

The announcement was made over the PA for the drivers to get into position.

"Better get out there," Sparky said as Speed's parents rushed up to them.

"I thought for a minute I'd miss sending you off," Mom said, nearly out of breath. "Good luck today, Son," She leaned in and kissed his cheek, making him squirm.

Pops placed his hand on Speed's shoulder. "Go out there and show them why you were World Champion."

Speed averted his eyes from them; afraid that even with the visor down his father would notice how bad he looked. "I'll do my best."

The PA again called for the drivers to get into position. Pops smacked the top of Speed's helmet. "Get out there!"

Speed turned the key in the ignition, the grinding of the gears caused him to flinch. The engine was already engaged. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his father's face set in anger. He blinked as he put the car in gear and pulled onto the track.

---

Trixie and Janine pulled the youngest Racer and his simian companion along with them as they headed towards the Go Team's pit.

"You are in so much trouble," Trixie told them.

"We didn't do nothin' wrong!" Spritle cried.

"There you are," Mom said going up to them. "So, where were they?" she asked the young women.

"We caught them playing hide and seek in the women's locker room," Trixie said in disgust.

"What?" Mrs. Racer exclaimed in shock. "How could you do such an awful thing?"

"Don't worry, Mom, we didn't see anything," Spritle sounded disappointed.

"You better not have!" Mom said angrily.

"They were skulking around the showers. Good thing nobody was in there at the time."

"Yeah, too bad." Spritle whispered to Chim-Chim.

"I heard that!" Mom grabbed the two of them by their collars. "Your father is going to hear about this!"

"Aw Mom...NOOOO!" the boy cried as his mother dragged him away.

The girls giggled as they watched.

"Poor Spritle, I'll bet he won't be able to sit down for a month," Janine said.

"Serves him right, the little pervert. Too bad his big brother couldn't be punished in a similar fashion," Trixie commented dryly.

"Knowing Speed, he'd probably enjoy being whacked on his bottom!" Janine snickered.

Trixie tossed her head. "Well, what I'm going to do to him he certainly won't enjoy."

"Uh oh. You're really pissed at him, aren't you?" Janine asked.

"Big time," she replied. "He's not going to make a fool of me again, I'll make sure of that!" She glared at the Mach Five. "He doesn't even seem to care that I didn't wish him luck." She felt tears in the corner of her eyes and blinked them away.

"Don't let him get to you," Janine said, putting a consoling arm around her shoulder, "he's not worth it."

---

Pops watched Speed in his position at pole. He wondered why his son had changed so much lately. He had an attitude that had never been apparent before. He walked to the garage. "Guess I'll go to the head before the race starts."

Inside, he almost tripped over Speed's gear. "Damn that kid, leaving his crap all over the place." He bent down and picked up the duffel bag and put it in the corner away from any traffic.

"What's this?" He noticed the wallet lying on the floor. "That's real smart, leaving something like that around where anyone can find it."

On impulse he opened it. He took inventory of the items, "A few bucks...credit cards...business cards...pictures...condoms...Huh? Condoms?" Pops pulled them out and nodded. It all made sense now, the cockiness, the swagger Speed had in his step. A grin broke out on his face. "Well, well, well...My boy really IS a man. Now I know why he's been keeping such late hours. And Trixie...it explains the way she's been acting, too. Poor girl's probably embarrassed about the Mrs. and me finding out."

He was about to put the wallet in Speed's bag when a piece of yellow paper got his attention. His smile quickly faded. "A ticket? How the hell can he get a ticket?" He read the type of infraction and the fine. "That idiot! He'd better hope the press doesn't find out about this. They're looking for anything that will ruin his image." His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a child's cries.

"Waaahhhh! Don't punish us, Mom!" Spritle's wails echoed off the walls of the garage as his mother pulled him, along with Chim-Chim, to face his father.

"I hope you ground them for a month!" an enraged Mom said to her husband as she deposited the pair on the floor in front of him.

Pops shook his head. "Rotten kids'll be the death of me yet," he grumbled.

---

Dallas Maverick sat in the cockpit of her car waiting for the announcement for the race to begin. She smiled evilly at Speed in the Mach Five. "How are you feeling, Speedy? Ah'll bet that right now you're struggling just to keep your yes open. Ah do hope that if something bad happens, you won't be hurt too bad, just enough to knock you and maybe a couple other drivers, out of the race."

She flipped down the sun visor, revealing a photo of Speed flashing the oh-so-perfect smile that complemented his compelling, sapphire eyes. "Oh mah darlin', you are so handsome. Ah hope that nothin' happens to the pretty lil face of yours. Ah really do want you to survive the race since Ah still have plans for you."

One of the other drivers from her team caught her attention. She gave her a thumbs-up. Dallas returned the gesture. "Stupid fool, she doesn't stand a chance out there." She laughed, "No, not a chance with Speed driving under the influence."

The klaxons sounded for the cars to take their pre-race laps. The drivers put their cars in gear and started to make their way around the track. One car, with the number "5" on its side, stayed in place, its driver staring straight ahead, as if in a trance.