June 15th, 2008
Lightning McQueen was sitting on his bed in the little house he had bought half a year ago, head downward, staring at the floor, a text had just popped up and his face had turned really pale upon reading the text, after some time he finally looked up, he gaze over at his night stand to see that it was time for him to go down to meet Doc at Willy's butte for practice, he really didn't want to because Doc would know the minute he lays his eye at lightning that something is wrong. But if he decided not to show up doc would be ticked and come knocking at his door, so with that Lightning knew he must get going, he picked himself up from the bed, got dressed, took his helmet and his keys, and went out the front door.
"Hey stickers" came the voice of his almost 2 years girlfriend. Sally Maggie Carrera.
"Hey Sal, how's your day?" he said while hoping his girlfriend wouldn't recognizing his sad almost depressing mood.
"It's been great so far, if you forget the part where my boyfriend didn't show, like he usually does to breakfast. (Lightning and Sally have made it a habit to always eat breakfast together).
"Yeah, sorry about that, I have been a little distracted today"
Sally's brows frowned in concern "are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay" answered lightning "I really got to go Sal, I'm totally gonna be late for practice now. Love you bye!" he gave her a fast peck on the lips and started running towards the butte.
"Your late" came the gruff voice of his mentor
"sorry" lightning said and jump in his car ready to get this practice run done and finished.
Doc knew the rookie wasn't himself even before lightning turned his car on. Usually when Lightning is late to practice, he would come with a cheeky remark like "come on doc, I have to make sure I get my beauty sleep, I mean this face doesn't look this hot by itself" or "come on Doc, I'm one minute late, I'm sure the world isn't going under just because I'm one minute late".
But today he just said sorry and jump in his car, he didn't even stop up to say sorry, and didn't look him in the eyes like he usually does.
Doc signed, switch down the microphone and turned on the radio.
"Okay, bring it in kid"
"Kid?"
"Rookie?"
"Hotshot?"
The car didn't stop, it didn't even decrease in speed, indicating that lightning wasn't even hearing him, and he was coming up to the turn very fast.
"LIGHTNING!"
That did it, lightning slammed the breaks, but it was too late, and he ended up in the tulips as doc called them.
Doc put his headset down to rest on his shoulder and ran to the edge of the track. "Lightning! are you okay" he spoke into the microphone
"m'kay" came the very quiet reply, "Doc I'm tired"
"I need you to stay awake rookie, okay?" Doc said while phone out and calling up mater.
"kay"
10min later
Mater had pulled lightning car up, and doc squatted down Infront of lightning
"Mater keep an eye on him while I get my hornet, and with keep an eye I mean make sure he doesn't fall asleep or faint."
15 minutes later
Mater and doc had together gotten lightning over in doc car, though he was unconscious when they finally got to the clinic.
He woke up with and oxygen mask over his mouth, eyes slowly opening while groaning. Doc was on his feet in a minute standing over Lightning.
"Morning hotshot"
"Doc?... What happened?"
"You crashed into the tulips"
"You can call them many things, but tulips wouldn't be something I would call them" he said a little out of breath.
Doc took his stethoscope.
"Could you lift your shirt in the back for me" doc asked
"Good, now take a deep breath in and let it out slowly, do it 3 times please"
Lightning didn't ask questions he just did it, he trusts Doc with his health.
"Well, everything sounds good. Now… what's going on Lightning? your head isn't where it should be"
"I'm fine doc, I just haven't slept very well"
"Why haven't you slept very well?"
"I just haven't okay!" Lightning said raising his voice
"Can I go now?"
Doc just looked at lightning for a while
"Yeah, you can go"
Lightning was at the door faster than lightning strike; he opened the door and was about to walk out when doc suddenly said his name.
"Matthew"
That stopped him, Doc only used his real name when he wanted him to listen more than what he usually is
" I'm here when you are ready. You can always come to me you know that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah of course. Well… see you later Doc"
"Stickers! You okay" sally yelled and jumped at him when he came out in the waiting room.
"Yeah, I'm okay cozy" Lightning said
Sally just stared at him for a bit, and after a while she took his cheeks in her hands and rubbed her thumbs over them.
She went on her tip toes and kissed him on his lips, just a sweet heartfelt kiss that lasted for more than a minute, Lighting loved it and could not help kissing her back.
Sally pulled back "you sure you are, okay?"
"YES Cozy, I'm okay" "now, let us go to the dinner pick up some food to go, and watch a movie at my place, and maybe later we will end in my bed" he said the last part with a wink
"It sounds like a plan, what about I pick up the food, and you go home and take a break, you seem really tired stickers."
So, the couple split up, sally went to pick up food and lightning went home.
He was planning something special in his head.
Lightning shoves the couch backward and laid a double mattress in front of the couch, he threw a blanket on it and some pillows. He hangs some led lights up and fired up for some candles. He even had some time to melt chocolate and make coated strawberries.
There was a knock on the door later, lightning went to open it and let sally in.
"What are we having for dinner?"
"Noodles, I thought that was the easiest to eat while seeing a movie" she turned around and saw how romantic lightning had made it.
"Oh stickers, this looks amazing, but you didn't have to do this"
"I know but I wanted to, now are we gonna stand all night or are we gonna eat the dinner before its cold"
"Yeah lets"
2 hours later:
"Soo stickers, it's your birthday tomorrow, what do you wanna do"
"Nothing big, I just wanna spend time with you and everyone in this town."
