Next morning, everybody gathered up at Flo's Café. Sheriff had a friendly talk with Ramone while a young teenage Mater tried to do a prank to Luigi and Guido. Red sipped quietly on his can of oil. Fillmore and Sarge were still fighting over their tones and Lizzy slept away. The breakfast was good, as usual thanks to Flo. But something was missing from their daily routine.
"Where's Doc?" Sheriff asked suddenly. Everyone stopped what they were doing, including Lizzy, who jerked awake. Sheriff shrugged with his tires. "I mean, he is usually up before most of us."
"What are you talking about? He's right behind ya'!" Flo said.
Sheriff turned around and smiled at his old friend. "Doc! About time." Then he noticed how tired he looked. He looked like he had seen the Ghost Light. "Doc? What happened to you?"
"I need to show you something." He drove back to his clinic, Sheriff followed.
Doc was about to push the button to open the door, but he failed two times to do so due to his lack of sleep, always pressing the ground instead of the button. At the third time, he finally opened the door and drove inside. When they reached the office, Sheriff moved his tires awkwardly. "You know, my appointment is not today."
"This is not about your appointment. This is about what caused me to lose my precious sleeping hours." Doc drove towards a small basket (it was only temporary) and pulled back the baby blue blanket, revealing a sleeping baby car.
Sheriff would never admit whatever horrible things went through his head at the time. "HOLY DODGE! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET A BABY!?"
Lightning woke up and started crying. Doc glared at Sheriff. "I just got him to sleep, you idiot!" He hissed.
Sheriff bit his lip. "Sorry, Doc. But a baby? How did you get a baby? Wait! You had a girlfriend you never told us about and now you have to raise your kid? Doc, you're better than that- how could-"
Doc slammed the letter on Sheriff's hood. He read it and looked at Doc. He gave a nervous chuckled. "So, not yours and you are going to raise him." He stated. "How are you going to do that?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, every first-time parent has no idea. Don't worry, its normal." He watched as Doc put Lightning on his hood and started to bounce him slightly. In an instant, the baby yawned and went back to sleep. "You what…" Sheriff said lowering his voice. "You're the exception. You know what you are doing."
Doc placed Lightning back on the basket. "No, I don't. I never cared for a child before. Except in medical school and that was only about two times." He sighed. "I don't know how to raise a kid."
Sheriff smiled. "Well, you do have a tire with children."
Doc glared. "He bit my tire last night, thinking it was food."
Sheriff tried not to laugh. "Er- okay. But listen, nobody knows how to take care of kids, it just… comes naturally. And I can tell you are a natural."
Doc sighed. "Do you really think I can do this job?'
"Sure!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of falling boxes and Doc and Sheriff looked at the window. All their friends, who were previously at the café, were listening to their conversation. Mater, who made the boxes fell, laughed nervously. "Hey, guys! Doc's a daddy!"
Lightning woke up again and started crying. Doc wanted to cry too. The rest of the citizens glared at Mater.
"Jeje…" He blushed in embarrassment.