Chapter Two: Anniversary
Doc never needed an alarm clock. He naturally woke up at the exact same time every day unless he had been awake literally the entire night before. Being a doctor meant sometimes you would be called any time of the day or night. This made Doc a bit of a light sleeper.
Even if he wasn't, nothing could stop Harley's scream from waking him.
"Harley?" Doc called, speeding through his home to reach his daughter's room. The girl's screams echoed throughout the house and even the clinic. "Harley!" Doc shouted, shoving the bedroom door open and discovering Harley writhing around in her bed as though she were in pain. Doc shot over just as Harley rolled off the bed, catching the 12-year-old on his hood. She still twisted around like something electrocuted her. "Harley! Harley, wake up!"
Harley's eyes flew open, and she froze. Her breathing became labored, borderline hyperventilating. But when her crystal blue eyes locked onto Doc's, she calmed within seconds. She swallowed hard. "Hey Daddy."
Doc finally calmed down when he realized Harley wasn't freaking out anymore. "Hey there, sweetheart. You all right?"
Harley knew from past experience it was near-impossible to lie to Paul "Doc" Hudson. She sighed. "All I saw…was fire…and I heard….screaming….nothing but screaming….I don't know…if it was me or someone else…" The girl trembled now, blinking furiously to keep her tears at bay.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Doc said soothingly. But Harley kept shaking, clearly terrified of what she saw in her nightmare. Doc smiled nonetheless. "Hey, you want to stay with me tonight? Spend the rest of the night in my room?" Harley only nodded, clearly not keen on getting off Doc's hood anytime soon. Doc drove off to his room, keeping Harley on his hood and speaking words of comfort. Harley stayed curled up on the cobalt Hornet, gradually winding down and eventually falling asleep again. Doc caught sight of the clock: 1:12 in the morning. Above that rested a calendar, and Doc froze.
Today was the anniversary of the fire.
Doc sighed, settling down on his bed to sleep. I should've known. Harley somehow got the worst nightmares the night before the fire's anniversary. Nobody knew why; Doc guessed it was a PTSD thing. But Harley never let it bother her; at least, she made it look like that. So Doc was only mildly surprised when he woke up the next morning and found Harley gone. Yawning a bit, he drove out to discover the girl already at Flo's, chatting happily with the other residents and not looking at all like she just had a terrible nightmare.
"Mornin' folks." Doc greeted. The residents greeted their doctor and judge warmly.
Harley only had a few more bites of oatmeal to go before giving her bowl to Flo. "Come on, Mater! You owe me a ride out to Willie's Butte for losing the soccer game yesterday."
"Okay!" Mater nodded, allowing Harley to grab hold of his tow hook to pull her down the road. Doc watched them go, specifically focusing on Harley.
Sheriff noticed the look. "Doc? You okay?"
Doc sighed heavily. "You all know what today is, right?"
Any conversation happening at that moment stopped. Everyone slumped a little on their axles, eyes down. "Hard to believe it's been eight years." Lizzie said, sounding seriously saddened.
"How do you think she's doin'?" Sheriff asked.
"She had a nightmare last night." Doc reported. "One of the worst I've seen."
"She certainly didn't look upset." Sarge noted. "Still, that kid's pretty good at hiding her feelings for someone so young."
"I think we can all agree that Harley needs our help today more than any other day of the year." Fillmore noted.
"He's right, man." Ramone nodded. "She needs smiles, not sadness." The rest of the residents agreed. Sally stared in the direction Harley and Mater left, nibbling on her lower lip.
Mater and Harley returned from their drive a few hours later, the two of them covered in dust from another bout of what they called "dirt skiing," where Mater would drive at high speeds dragging Harley behind him. The rest of the town already dispersed to go about their business, casting smiles and cheerful greetings as Harley passed them.
"I still say the Ghost Light can't be all that bad." Harley shrugged. "I say we go looking for it!"
"Sounds fun, Sissy." Mater laughed.
"Hey Mater! Hey Harley!" Sally greeted as she approached the two.
"Howdy Sally!" Mater said.
"Afternoon, Sally." Harley waved.
"Hey Mater, can I borrow Harley for a while?" Sally requested. Harley and Mater exchanged looks, but shrugged. Mater drove off, leaving Harley to follow Sally towards the Cozy Cone. The two settled in the main office, Sally pouring them each a cup of tea.
"So, what's up?" Harley asked.
Sally thought for a moment about how she would go about this. "Harley, I've known you for a long time. In all the time I've known you, I can't think of a single friend of yours that's a human."
"Yeah, so?" Harley shrugged.
"That doesn't bother you?" Sally asked.
"No, should it?" Harley shrugged again. "I have a great family here. Who cares if they're all vehicles?"
Sally shrugged this time. "I don't know, I guess I would feel a little lonely not having anyone else of my kind around me."
"I never really thought about it." Harley said. "I mean, do you miss L.A.?"
"Sometimes." Sally admitted. "But I fell in love with this place. I can't imagine leaving."
"I guess it's the same for me, then." Harley said with a smile. "I love this place too much to leave. I was born here, after all."
Sally stared at Harley for a moment. "Harley, you know what day it is, right?"
Harley nodded. "The day of the fire."
"Not many in town would want to talk about it, but I have to know: how are you not affected by this?"
"I guess it's because I'm…over it. I mean, I do miss my parents and I wish I could see them again, but you can't change the past." Harley still sounded mournful, even if she tried to shrug it off.
Sally laughed lightly. "Boy do you handle this a lot better than most kids."
Harley laughed. "Sally, I promise, I am very happy here." She stood from her spot, her tea only half-drunk. "I'm going skatin'. See ya around!" She waved as she rolled off, disappearing down the road. Sally watched her go, sighing sadly. She knew Harley was still trying to hide her feelings. The young human girl could easily hide her pain because of her tolerance to the physical sensation. But how does she hide her emotions so well?
Harley hummed to herself as she skated down the road, waving to the Radiator Springs' residents as she passed them. The residents gave warm smiles and cheerful hellos, hiding how concerned they were for the girl. They refused to show it, trying their best to be subtle when they ask how Harley is doing. The brunette finally made it to Stanley's statue and waved to Red as she turned the corner to go farther down the road. She only needed to travel a short distance before arriving at her destination: the charred remains of a house that used to stand there eight years ago. Harley lowered herself down to sit on the ground, staring at what used to be her house. Most of the house was still standing, but it was almost all black and the roof had since caved in from age. It was silent, save for the distant sound of an argument happening between Sarge and Fillmore. Harley stared at the remains of her house, momentarily wondering why nobody had just teared it down completely.
"Harley."
The girl perked up at the sound of her name and she turned to see Sheriff roll up beside her. "Hey Sheriff." The two of them sat in silence for a while, staring at the burned remains of the house. Sheriff always liked to keep an eye on Harley on the anniversary of the fire, concerned for her mental and emotional health. If she knew he kept such a close eye on her, she didn't show nor say. Harley finally spoke. "You know this is the exact same spot where you took me when you saved my life."
Sheriff gave a half-scoff, half-chuckle. "Saved your life? Nah, I was just doin' my job."
"You dragged me out of a burning building." Harley noted. "That counts as saving my life in my book."
Sheriff chuckled. "It was my pleasure."
Harley smiled softly. "You know, I don't remember much about that night except details like that. I remember being asleep, and then hearing voices. Then it's all bright because of the fire. Next thing I know, I'm outside with you and everyone else." Harley laughed lightly. "Guess I'm lucky. If I remembered everything, I'd get like PTSD or something."
Sheriff cast her a concerned look, but shook it off. "Guess so."
Silence returned.
"I'm goin' tumbleweed chasin'." Harley announced, standing. She patted the Sheriff's hood. "See ya around." She skated off, leaving Sheriff to only sigh and return to the town. Harley watched him disappear into town before taking a detour and skating towards the mesa rock formation behind the town. Hiking up the hill, she came to a stop at the bottom of the RS painted on the rock. Harley turned to the town and sat down, laying back to let the sun wash over her entire form.
Harley thought back to the townsfolk. They meant well, but the reality of it was Harley didn't lie; she was truly happy in Radiator Springs and she didn't care that she was the only human. She rather preferred it. At least she was surrounded by people….er, cars…who loved and care about her. But her thoughts wandered back to a conversation she had with Doc some years ago. Doc, like most of the town, believed Harley would benefit from more human interaction. He told Harley that, if she wanted, she could go live in a larger city where there are other humans. We could find a boarding school so you could come home for holidays and such, he said. That is, if you want to. Harley thought about it for a while, but decided she didn't want to leave. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she grew to dislike the idea of leaving Radiator Springs. She only remembered so much of her parents, making the residents of Radiator Springs more of her family than her own parents. She was only twelve, for Chrysler's sake. How could she even consider leaving any of them? Quite frankly, the thought of leaving Radiator Springs terrified Harley. If being able to stay meant she had to put on a smile even when she felt upset, she'd do it.
Despite the concerns of the residents, Harley ended up returning from her sunbathing full of energy. Sheriff even challenged her to a soccer match, to which he was quickly beaten. Harley spent the rest of the day with the townsfolk, doing various jobs and chatting merrily. She thought for sure she had expelled any and all fears about her wellbeing.
She didn't know how wrong she was until that evening.
Harley was about to get into bed but found she was missing her favorite wrench. Strapping on her skates, she rolled out of the clinic and headed towards Ramone's to ask if she left it there. But she noticed Ramone with most of the other residents at Flo's, chatting. Luigi, Guido, Red, and Lizzie seemed to have already retired for the night. Harley began skating over, opening her mouth to announce her presence.
"…..what's best for Harley."
Harley froze, ducking down behind the drive-thru billboard. She pressed herself against the wood, listening.
"I've known that girl her entire life." Doc said. "Heck, I helped Paula give birth to her. I can tell when she's lyin' to me, and not once has she ever told me she was happy and lied about it."
"We all know Harley's truly happy here." Sally agreed. "That should be clear just based on how she lives her day-to-day life. But is it enough? The girl deserves a better life than this."
"I hate to admit it, but Sally might be right." Sheriff nodded. "She's a kid; she needs to be in a place that offers so many more opportunities for her. A place where she can be guaranteed a good future, especially in school."
"I dunno, man." Ramone shrugged. "I mean, she does pretty good with that homeschoolin' stuff."
"She's got nothing but love in her heart." Fillmore sighed. "I think she's growing up just fine."
"She does have all of us there for her." Sarge nodded.
"So what's the problem?" Mater asked.
"It's clear we're all giving her our best and she's loved by everyone." Flo nodded. "I guess we're all just a little afraid it's not enough. She kinda the only interaction we get with kids."
Mater looked down, then to Doc. "Yer…yer not gunna send 'er away, are ya?"
"I'm not givin' her up, if that's what you mean." Doc said firmly. "Harley is my daughter, and she's a part of our family. If she ever leaves Radiator Springs, it'll only be temporary." He sighed. "I only hope I'm not failing her."
"Hey, come on, Doc." Sheriff encouraged with a smile. "Your species aside, you're the best dad Harley could ask for." The rest of the residents there voiced their agreement.
"And we're always going to be there for her." Flo assured. "Whaddya say we postpone this conversation for another time?"
"Yeah." Ramone nodded. "After all, if she's truly happy, why bother her?" Everyone else voiced their agreement and nodded.
Doc smiled. "All right. Done."
Harley stared at the ground for a moment, biting her lower lip guiltily. I didn't mean to make them worry. I thought that if I assured them I was okay, they'd be happier. Silently standing, Harley snuck back home. She discovered her wrench on the kitchen table, and she rolled her eyes a little before climbing into bed.
But sleep evaded Harley, even when Doc came to tuck her in and bid her goodnight. She tossed and turned, but nothing felt comfortable. Finally, she rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling. Stars drawn in glow-in-the-dark paint dotted her ceiling, casting a soft glow around her room. Realizing sleep wasn't coming to her anytime soon, Harley rose from her bed and quietly jumped down to the floor. She pulled on her skates and a jacket before creeping outside, praying Doc would still be asleep. The clock on the wall read 11:55 p.m., making it a decent hour for Doc to be out cold. Testing her chances, Harley hurried back to her room and snuck outside, carrying a small stereo and a couple CDs. Harley casually skated down the street, only the glow of the streetlamps lighting her way. Every building was dark, indicating the residents long since retired to their homes for bed. Harley kept going, not stopping until she reached the Stanley statue. She smiled at the late founder of Radiator Springs, greeting him with a small salute. The girl turned around to stare down Main Street, getting a good view of about everything in town. To most, it would be a reminder of how forgotten and near-rundown the place had become. But it was all Harley ever knew, and she found the sight filled her heart with happiness.
Harley crouched down by Stanley's statue, setting her stereo and CDs on the ground. Inserting a disc, Harley closed the lid and pressed PLAY. When she heard the strumming of the guitar, she skated out to stand under a light from a streetlamp, the yellow glow casting over her like a spotlight. She allowed the music to flow into her ears, letting her muscles move to the control of the music.
Harley started by only moving her arms fluidly. But she soon began slowly skating around the street, moving gracefully and smoothly as though on ice. Harley felt all of her emotions from the day melt to nothing, and she began smiling softly as she continued to skate smoothly. Her moves became more advanced as she skated with the grace and style of a ballerina. She jumped up and spun, landing perfectly and gliding across the ground. Harley pulled in her arms, spinning in a tight circle like a professional figure skater while smiling broadly and even giggling.
Harley stopped her spinning and suddenly realized she had an audience. She gasped softly at the sight of Sheriff parked nearby, watching her with a soft smile. Harley looked down, suddenly sheepish.
"Don't stop on my account." Sheriff said, his usual gruff voice coming out much softer. "I'm just here to watch an amazing girl do something incredible."
"I'm not that good." Harley shrugged.
"You're being yourself." Sheriff said. "That's all I need to see."
Harley looked up and smiled. She pushed off again, resuming her dancing. Sheriff watched with a warm smile, happy to see Harley look genuinely joyful. Soon, her dance and the music caught the attention of the rest of the Radiator Springs' residents, and they began moving out to see what was going on. In a matter of seconds, the entire town had come out to watch Harley's dance. Somehow, Harley managed to encourage them forward to join her, and it only took a few encouraging gestures to get everyone to join in the smooth dance.
Doc was the last one the scene, having caught sight of Mater heading into town. He had been awake most of the night, unable to sleep much like Harley. Realizing his daughter had started an impromptu dance, Doc drove out to investigate. He smiled warmly at the sight of Harley actually enjoying herself as she danced/skated amongst her vehicular family.
Harley finally noticed Doc had joined them, the cobalt car parked just a few feet away. Smiling warmly, she skated over to him and rested a hand on his hood, hugging him as best she could. She kept on grinning as she gently pulled Doc towards the makeshift dance floor, the two of them moving smoothly and slowly as the song finished.
Harley and Doc ended their dance, and Harley gave her adoptive father another hug and a kiss. Everyone else gave small cheers, complimenting Harley on her dancing/skating skills. Harley accepted it all with modesty and a warm smile, forgetting that the anniversary of the worst day of her life was just several minutes ago.
Suddenly, a much more upbeat tempo song blasted from the stereo, and everyone turned to see Lizzie had changed the song. She laughed. "Well, when life gives you music, have a party!"
Nobody understood her, as usual, but then again nobody could argue either. The dancing resumed in seconds, this time much livelier. Harley laughed and whooped, weaving though her family and taking a moment to dance with everyone, especially Mater.
Doc and Sheriff parked off to one side, watching the joyous scene with soft smiles. "You know somethin', Doc?" Sheriff asked.
"What?" Doc asked, not taking his eyes off Harley.
"I think Harley's in pretty good hands here." Sheriff chuckled. "Or tires, rather."
Doc chuckled. "I think I'd have to agree with you there."
Everyone agreed. Though they wouldn't admit it out loud in fear of interrupting the wonderful moment, they all knew they would never have to worry about Harley's happiness ever again.
Harley ended up so exhausted by the end of the party (which really didn't end until about 3 a.m.) Doc had to carry her home on his hood. Mater brought along the stereo and CDs, dropping them off on the kitchen table before yawning a "Goodnight" and returning home.
Doc was careful to not wake Harley as he drove to her room, lowering her bed down and gently setting her on it. Being ever so quiet and gentle, Doc managed to removed her skates and pull the blanket up over her. He nuzzled her head, causing her to smile in her sleep.
"I love you, Harley." Doc whispered. "My baby girl. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."