Family

Hudson and Mater went back to change before dinner. Sheriff stayed at Flo's and asked for another cup of coffee.

"Another, honey?" Flo laughed, "You're going to be up all night!"

"I know, I know." Sheriff sighed. "I guess I'll pass."

"Good choice," Flo winked. She sat across from Sheriff at the table, lit by the soft glow of green and pink neon.

"So, Mater and Hud' went to Wheel Well?" Flo asked.

"They sure did," Sheriff fidgeted with the empty coffee cup. "Mater told him about Radiator Springs and how we ended up in this condition."

"Mm," Flo hummed. "I wish we had some more customers…"

"I know, Flo," Sheriff sighed, then sat up straight. "Oh! You'll never believe this. I went out to drop off the carrots for the cows. You'll never guess, I found Hudson and Mater out there, throwing a ball back and forth. They were all playin', and Hudson was laughin'."

"Hudson? Laughing?" Flo raised her eyebrow. "You're lying."

"I'm not," Sheriff stated. "They were out, slippin' and slidin' in the grass, covered in dirt, but cackling too. It was great. Hudson rode home with me. He talked for a bit, but when I asked if he was enjoying his stay, he snapped right back into that attitude."

Flo sighed. "He's insecure; he's in a new place with new people."

"I don't know…" Sheriff squinted. "He seems lost, that's what. He's goin' out to California to look for a job, or at least he says so."

"He's a doctor, isn't he?" Flo asked. "He shouldn't be looking for work…"

"I know," Sheriff added. "Personally, I don't think he knows what he's doing."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't know why he wants to get out there so bad. I don't know why he won't stay out East."

"Maybe he's trying to get away from his parents," Flo giggled.

Sheriff chuckled a bit. "Maybe…" His eyes grew larger. "Say…"

Flo crossed her arms. "I don't wanna hear no' stupid ideas."

"Why don't we just ask him to stay here? He's my age, we could use the extra help around here. And you know how worried Lizzie was when the doctor left. If something happens to us, we're far away from any medical assistance. Don't you think it would be a good idea to have a doctor here again? And, not to mention, good company?"

"I suppose," Flo said. "He seems like a nice enough fella; he's starting to come out of his shell. But good luck getting him to stay. Apparently, California has more in store for him."

"I think Hudson is wrong," Sheriff stated boldly. "He's got a job here and he doesn't even know it; he won't need California."

"As I said, honey, good luck getting him to stay," Flo stated.

"I know, that's the hard part," Sheriff traced his finger along the rim of his coffee mug. "He needs a family. We can be that family. If we can prove that to him, I'm sure he'll stay."

"Speaking of Hudson…" Flo started, "Make sure he'll be here in time for dinner," she gestured to the other residents beginning to appear at the cafe door.

"I'll go get him now." Sheriff stood and hurried off to the Cozy Cone.

There was a loud knock on Hudson's door. "Hey! You! You're gonna miss dinner! What're you doing?!"

Hudson opened his eyes and found himself laying on his bed. Shoot, he thought. I must've fallen asleep. "Mm-coming! I fell asleep!" He threw on some warmer clothes for the night, then opened the door. Hudson knew all too well by now, breakfast was at 8:30, dinner was at 5:30. If the residents weren't there by the scheduled time, they paid Flo for the meal. She had to make an income somehow. She banked on the young ones to sleep in or forget. Sheriff grabbed Hudson and gave him a push to get running. The young men sprinted across the street, then burst into the cafe. As the residents sat down to eat, the doors flew open. Everyone looked up in unison. All eyes were on Hudson and Sheriff. Flo stood, dusting off her hands. "Well well," she smirked playfully. "Look who decided to show up."

Hudson turned bright red. "Sorry." He said softly. He reached into his pocket, fishing for some coins.

Flo held up a hand, "Nah-ah," she stopped him. "You get one absence," she stated. "That's the rule."

Ramone made a face to his wife. "I don't remember th-…"

"-shut up," Flo interjected, then turned to Hudson. "Go on, honey. Your excuse?" She giggled.

"I went to change…then I fell asleep."

"Good enough," Flo clapped her hands together. "Now, honey, sit down and have something to eat."

Hudson joined dinner and pulled up a chair next to Sheriff.

"Boy, you should've seen today!" Mater started. "We was havin' a good time! Went to Wheel Well, then down to see all them cows! Der's a few new calves too."

"How did Wheel Well look?" Flo asked.

"Just as beautiful as ever," Mater said, "she just needs a lil' dustin' and some TLC."

Flo smiled. "Well, I'm glad it's still holding up. I bet there are animals living in there by now."

"I saw some paw prints," Hudson added. "They looked like a coyote maybe."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Sarge huffed. "Those furry devils are always causing a mess."

"Hey, hey dude," Fillmore looked at Sarge and placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "They're living beings man, just like us. Don't disrespect the wildlife. They were here before you." Fillmore grinned and Sarge rolled his eyes.

Their banter made Hudson smile. Sheriff noticed the change in expression and spoke up. "I walked into the field to see Mater and Hudson running around in the grass. They were covered in dirt and mud!"

Mater talked and chewed with his mouth open. "Yah! Oh, you should've seen Doc at first, he was so scared! Weren't yah?" He nodded to Hudson across the table.

"What?" Hudson played it down. "Not really. I have bad memories of cows in the past."

"Oh…?" Sheriff smirked. "Do tell." A few residents chimed in, agreeing with Sheriff.

"No no, wasn't a big deal." Hudson played it off.

"Sugar, you mentioned it, now you have to tell!" Flo exclaimed. Everyone else agreed.

Hudson gave in and chuckled a bit. He set his fork and knife down. "When I was younger, I had a friend who lived on a small farm. She had chickens and cows. She was a daredevil and liked to poke at the cows. They'd chase her and she got a kick out of it. She made me and my friend do it. We got chased and almost got slammed into the fence. We thought we made it out safely but ended up in the mud." Hudson shrugged.

"Niiiice," Flo laughed along with the others.

"Hmph! Luigi likes no mud." Luigi shook his head, then adjusted his bowtie. "Mud gets in your shoes. Then I have to clean the mud!" Guido crossed his arms and grunted. "No mud," he said firmly.

"That's what mud does," Lizzie added. "Ah, Stanley used to make mud pits with pails of water. He would drive his Ford through the puddles. He thought the dirt made his car look stronger."

Sheriff smiled lovingly at Lizzie, then turned his attention back to Hudson. "Tell me, your friends, are they local?"

Hudson shook his head. "North and South Carolina, and Georgia. We bounced around a lot."

"I see…" Sheriff nodded. "Well, they sound like a nice group of friends."

Hudson slowed his chewing and started to zone out at something on the table. He swallowed, then cleared his throat. "Yeah. They were nice fellas…"

Sheriff gulped. He must've struck a sensitive nerve. When Mater continued to tell a story about Frank, Hudson snapped out of it and started engaging again, but Sheriff couldn't stop watching him. What's going on, Hudson…Sheriff wondered to himself.

"Hey, Hudson," Ramone spoke up. "Good news. The car will be done tomorrow man," he gave him a wink.

"O-oh." Hudson had forgotten about the car for a few hours. Dinner had captivated him and the time had flown by. But it wasn't just dinner Hudson had enjoyed: it the whole day in Radiator Springs. When it suddenly dawned that Hudson was leaving tomorrow, regret stung at his heart. This was the last night.

When dinner was finished, Hudson and Sheriff helped Flo clean up the dishes and put the leftovers away. "Now, don't come whining to me for lunch tomorrow," Flo said. "Look. Both of you." She waved her hand in front of them. Once she got their attention, she pointed into the fridge. "Leftovers. Plenty of them. Heat them up. Delicious." She closed the fridge. "I think we're done now. Goodnight, you two." She waved them out of the cafe.

"Thanks for dinner," Sheriff waved her goodbye, then walked back to the Cozy Cone with Hudson. The neon lights shut off for the night. Only a few street lights remained under a vast sky of twinkling desert stars. "I just wanted to say," Sheriff started, "thank you for spending the day with Mater. He gets lonely sometimes. I know it meant a lot to him."

"Of course," Hudson replied, nodding at Sheriff. "He's fun to be around, and it makes me feel young again."

"You're not that old, are you?" Sheriff smirked.

"Thirty-five."

"Thirty-seven," Sheriff pointed to himself.

The two arrived at the Cozy Cone room. Hudson turned around at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, extending a confident hand to Sheriff. "Thanks for today." Sheriff looked down at the hand, then back up at Hudson. He accepted the handshake with a firm, confident grip. "You're welcome," he replied optimistically. "Get some sleep, and I'll you later." He turned and began to walk to the courthouse. Hudson watched his friend go, then began to pack for the morning. I'm leaving tomorrow, he thought to himself. I'm never going to see them again. The items seemed to become heavier and heavier as Hudson relived memories from the week. His heart sank as he thought about every moment. The muddy pants made him laugh and think about Mater. A bandage in his suitcase reminded him of Sheriff; he sure hoped his arm would heal. What is it about this place? Hudson asked himself. He hadn't felt safe in years, but suddenly, Radiator Springs was a shelter: a place with open arms, full of "good-hearted folk" as Mater said. The young racer had become captivated. Maybe it was the neon lights, the cows, or Flo's fantastic food. Or maybe, Hudson thought, it was the people. Hudson found it impossible to let go. Radiator Springs held greater opportunities than California ever could. How so? It was such a small town. The people, he said over and over in his head. They're a family… Hudson never made a friend in over ten years of medical school. Surely it was partially his fault. However, he had only been in Radiator Springs for a few days and had made over five friends. They were a close-knit group, but always welcome for more visitors. No, Hudson told himself. You need to stop fantasizing. He finished packing the suitcase. The heaviest item of all was a Route 66 keychain gifted by Lizzie. Hudson bit his lip and tucked the keychain between two socks. "No, Hudson…" He said to himself. "No more; home is waiting in California, and that's where you're going."