Chapter Six: Hudson Hornet vs. Junior Hornet
"Mornin' Doc. Mornin' Sheriff." Harley greeted as she entered the clinic the next morning.
"Mornin' Harley." Sheriff waved from his spot on the lift.
"Sleep well?" Doc asked as he raised the lift Sheriff rested on.
"Yeah." Harley nodded. "Slept great. Whatcha doin'?"
"Just a basic tune-up on the old geezer." Doc replied, pulling his tools out.
"Look who's talkin'." Sheriff scoffed.
Harley giggled. "Can I help?"
"I think I got it." Doc assured. "Unless there's somethin' Sheriff ain't tellin' me…again."
"When have I ever—" Sheriff paused at Doc's and Harley's pointed looks, and he sighed. "All right, point taken. My axles are feelin' a bit sore."
"I'll take a look, see what I can find." Harley offered, skating under Sheriff and taking a look at his front axles.
"M-maybe yer dad should do that." Sheriff said, shifting uncomfortably on the lift.
Harley moved out from underneath him and raised an eyebrow at the Mercury. "You'd rather stay in the hospital longer?"
Sheriff huffed. "No."
"Good." Harley nodded. "Now hold still, it should be a simple fix." Her eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall. "Uh oh. Daddy, 7 a.m. in ten."
Doc and Sheriff glanced at the clock, realizing the morning wake-up call would soon arise. The three of them waited patiently, Harley silently counting down the last three seconds. Right on cue, the reveille began playing, followed by the loud blaring of Star Spangled Banner on the electric guitar.
"Will you turn that disrespectful junk off?!"Sarge's voice shouted.
"Respect the classics, man!" Fillmore shouted back. "It's Hendrix!"
"Right on schedule." Harley rolled her eyes, pulling out her favorite wrench and moving under Sheriff again. Sheriff jerked a little when Harley touched his axles. "Sheriff, hold still! You're axles are sore because one of the bolts connecting your wheel to the axle is loose. I have to tighten it."
"Harley, I really don't think it's appropriate fer a young lady ta be starin' at a car's undercarriage." Sheriff said. "Much less a man's undercarriage."
"Why?" Harley shrugged, still working away.
"Well, lookin' at a car's undercarriage is like lookin' at a human who ain't wearin' clothes." Sheriff said.
"You've seen me not wearing clothes." Harley shrugged.
"When ya were two and I was helpin' yer mom give ya a bath!" Sheriff protested.
Harley skated out and gave Sheriff a look. "I fail to see your point."
Sheriff rolled his eyes as Harley resumed working. "That's because yer Doc's daughter."
"You better believe it." Doc confirmed.
The three of them jumped a little when Lightning suddenly burst through the doors minutes later. "Hey, have you seen the Sheriff?" Lightning asked. Catching sight of the Sheriff's position, the stock car jumped and quickly averted his eyes.
"Hey, what are you doin'?" Doc demanded.
"Get a good peek, city boy?" Sheriff snickered. He yelped when Harley knocked her wrench against his wheel.
"Sheriff, don't be crude." Harley scolded, sounding like a mother reprimanding her child.
Lightning stuttered a bit. "I just need my daily gas ration."
"Well wait at Flo's." Doc ordered. "Now get outta here."
Lightning glared. "I've been trying to get outta here for three days!" He reversed out in a hurry.
"Harley, why don't you go keep an eye on him?" Doc suggested. "Make sure he stays outta trouble."
"Yeah, then you can smack him with a wrench." Sheriff chuckled.
Harley rolled her eyes. "Behave, Sheriff. One slip up and Doc could 'accidentally' kill ya." Sheriff laughed, but the laughs dwindled down at Harley's devious smirk, and he gulped. Harley laughed, tucking her small wrench into a pocket and skating from the clinic to search for Lightning. But, to her surprise, he seemed to have disappeared. "Now where did he go?" She murmured, looking around. To her horror, she noticed a red bumper disappearing into Doc's private shed around the back. "Hey!" Harley quietly called, not wanting Doc to hear her. She sped off after Lightning, pushing the shed doors open. "Hey, Speed Racer, you're not supposed to be in here."
Too late. Harley realized Lightning wasn't paying attention to her as he gawked at the Piston Cup sitting on the desk nearby. She knew he was most likely staring at the engraving on the cup: Hudson Hornet. Champion. 1951.
"He has a Piston Cup?" Lightning breathed.
"You really need to get out of here." Harley warned, desperate to get the stock car out before Doc found him. But Lightning caught sight of something else in the corner, and he moved over to discover two more Piston Cups, one for 1952 and for 1953, along with some old racing tires and a newspaper with a headline that read "Hudson Hornet: Champion for All Time!" The picture on the newspaper showed Doc Hudson, but he was much younger and smiling broadly and decorated with stickers.
"Three Piston Cups?" Lightning gasped softly.
Harley skated over to stand next to Lightning. "Hey, Speed Racer. If Doc finds you here he's gonna extend your sentence."
Lightning didn't respond for a moment. He caught sight of Harley's yellow T-shirt with the 51 on the front and cartoon hornet on one sleeve. "Did you know?"
Harley sighed. "Listen, Light—"
"Sign says 'stay out.'"
Harley and Lightning gasped and spun around to the door, where Doc stood and glared at them.
Lightning was the first to speak. "Y-you have three Piston Cups. How could you have—"
"I knew you couldn't drive. I didn't know you couldn't read." Doc growled, driving in and herding Lightning out the door again. Harley skated aside, her back hitting another desk.
Lightning's face broke into grins. "You're the Hudson Hornet!"
"Git over the Flo's!" Doc snapped, shoving Lightning out of the shed.
"Of course!" Lightning said, growing excited as he spun around to face Doc. "You're The Fabulous Hudson Hornet! You still hold the record for most wins in a single season. Oh, we gotta talk. You gotta show me your tricks, please!"
"I already tried that." Doc growled, backing up into the shed.
"You won the championship three times!" Lightning cried excitedly. "Look at those trophies!"
"You look!" Doc snapped. "All I see is a bunch of empty cups." He slammed the doors to the shed shut, leaving Lightning standing dumbfounded outside. He grumbled to himself as he turned, finding Harley still standing at the desk across the room. "I told you to watch him, not show him my past."
"Hey, don't think for one second I would do somethin' so stupid." Harley snapped. "The guy wandered in here on his own. But seriously, you didn't think he'd would recognize you sooner or later? You're a legend in racing; I bet he read all about you as a kid."
"Harley…" Doc warned, his tone dangerous.
Lightning's voice caught their attention, and they moved to the window nearby to see Lightning arrived at Flo's café next door. At first, there was silence at Lightning's revelation. Then, everyone burst into laughter. A new sound reached the shed, followed by the dings of the gas booth filling up a customer. Harley had to step onto an old tire to see over Mater and Sheriff, but she could just make out Sally as the Porsche began giving Lightning a full tank of gas. Harley and Doc couldn't hear much of the conversation, but they watched as Lightning received a full tank of gas and began following Sally out to the main road. He paused, turning and looking out at the open road leading from Radiator Springs. Sheriff rolled forward, lights clicked on and ready to give a chase, but Lightning suddenly turned and began following Sally the opposite way.
"Hey, can you believe it, man?" Ramone laughed in disbelief. "He actually thought Doc was a famous racecar!"
"I suppose next we're supposed to believe Harley's some secret agent." Sarge laughed, causing laughter from the other residents.
Doc blinked in surprise, then looked to the floor. Harley stared out the window for a moment, and then made a "hmph" sound. "And to think, all these years you kept that side of you hidden, and nobody even believes it in the first place."
Doc glared a bit at his daughter. "Why don't you go skate around town or somethin'?"
"While you what?" Harley demanded. "Wallow in your self-pity?"
"Harley….." Doc intoned, his voice dangerous again.
Harley stood firm. She was Doc Hudson's daughter after all. "I'm a kid, but I'm not stupid. I can see how much this hurts you, but you don't need to bottle up your emotions like this! Why can't you see that I'm here to help you?"
"I don't need help with anything." Doc snapped. "Now get out of here. You know I don't like anyone in my shed."
Harley huffed. "Fine." She skated towards the door, glaring. She opened the door, but paused and looked back to Doc with that glare still in her eyes. "You know, I don't think those are just empty cups." She jerked her head to the Piston Cup on the desk. "They may look that way to you, but I know different. Those trophies are more than just 'empty cups' or a prize for winning a race. They're the summary of a season's worth of great racing; they're part of the rewards and recognition for a job well done; they're proof that you know what you're doing and always will. Those trophies are not empty cups. They're the things that show the world what I already know: that you really live up to your name, Fabulous Hudson Hornet."
Doc looked down, a frown on his lips, and Harley sighed. She pushed off, shutting the door behind her as she skated down to Flo's. Doc stared after her, sighing heavily.
"Hey there, Harley." Sheriff greeted. "Thanks fer your help this mornin'. I feel much better."
"Good." Harley nodded, putting on a smile. "Finally over the whole undercarriage thing?"
"Yeah, whatever." Sheriff chuckled.
"So what happened to Speed Racer?" Harley asked, even when already knowing the answer.
"He and Sally went fer a drive." Mater said, smirking. "Ye know, on a date."
Harley's nose scrunched up. "Gross."
"Someday, yer gonna get a boyfriend and I'm gonna hold that comment against ya." Sheriff warned.
"If she ever gets a boyfriend." Ramone corrected.
"Yeah." Sarge agreed. "He's gonna have to go through us first." Harley laughed along with the rest of the residents, but she couldn't help glancing towards the clinic now and then. She knew Doc hated talking about his racing, but Harley could see it was once a huge part of his past and who he was. It must've really hit hard when he was forced to retire because of the crash. Innocent as Harley was, Doc's story was her first introduction to the cruelty of other people and vehicles. She found it hard to believe such souls existed, especially given the ones she grew up with and raised her. But Doc had a passion for racing, just like Lightning. To be forced to give it up must've been devastating.
Still, Harley couldn't bring herself to confront Doc about it, and she and the residents went about their daily business. Harley did some figure skating across the new stretch of road, still amazed by the smoothness and how easily she could glide across the surface without hitting any bumps. When she grew bored with that, she decided to sit with Guido and read one of her books to him in Italian. Luigi complimented her on her language skills, Guido echoing his sentiments in his native tongue. Harley thanked them, though she could only owe her Italian language fluency to twelve years' worth of their Luigi and Guido's teachings. Harley chatted with the two Italian vehicles for a while before she realized something seemed to be missing. Looking around, she could see every resident save for Sally, Lightning…and Doc.
Harley kept looking, wondering if her father was just cruising around somewhere. But it soon became apparent that Doc was nowhere to be seen. Confused and a little concerned, Harley bid Guido and Luigi goodbye before skating off towards the clinic. But she couldn't find any trace of her father in the entire office nor the house attached to it. Concern growing, Harley quietly skated out and around the side towards the garage. The doors were still shut, so Harley silently removed her skates and tiptoed over. She held her breath, peering between the space between the double doors, and noticed Doc resting in the exact same spot she left him that morning. He stared off into space, his eyes glancing now and then to the newspaper framed on the wall. The cobalt blue Hornet sighed heavily, slumping down low on his axles. Harley stared sadly, unable to recall seeing Doc so upset. It made her heart heavy. Doc turned around, looking towards his Piston Cups in the corner. He stared at them for a long moment before his eyes moved to stare at the doors.
Crystal blue locked onto crystal blue.
Harley jumped a little as she hurried from the door, grabbing her skates before taking off down the road again. She slowed as she reached Flo's café, glancing back to find Doc wasn't following her. Sighing, she sat on the ground and laced her skates back on her feet. It didn't seem possible Doc was in that garage all day, but Harley wouldn't put it past him.
Just don't bother him. Harley told herself. You know how he is; he likes time to himself to think. He'll come out by lunchtime.
But Doc didn't come out at lunch. In fact, nobody saw him for most of the day, even at dinner. Finally deciding enough was enough, Harley put her dishes in the sink and skated out of the house and to the garage. She raised her fist to knock, hesitating slightly. But she gathered her courage and knocked.
"Hey Doc?" Harley called softly. "Can I come in?"
A pause, which Harley took as a "yes" and she pushed open the door. Slipping inside, she shut the door behind her and skated over to her surrogate father. He glanced at her to acknowledge her presence, but then resumed staring off into space. Harley pulled over a box and sat on it to stay eye-level with Doc. The two sat in silence for a while before Harley rested a hand on Doc's hood, rubbing the cobalt blue metal with her thumb.
"You haven't thought too much about your racing in a while, huh?" Harley guessed.
Doc sighed. "Every time I see you in that shirt, I think back to my racing. But no, I never thought so much about it because I got used to seeing you in that shirt almost every day. Then comes this….this reminder…."
Lightning. Harley realized. "Doc, what if him coming here is a good thing?"
Doc stared at her. "You crazy? I found Radiator Springs because I was looking for a secluded place to forget my past. It was dumb bad luck that he found this place."
"Is it?" Harley asked kindly. "I don't know how much I believe in fate and all that, but something tells me you weren't supposed to fully give up on that part of you. It's who you are."
"Not anymore, kiddo." Doc said, firmly but in a soft voice.
Harley sighed, not willing to argue with him. She loved him too much to force him through bad memories, even when she believed he could be happier embracing this reminder of his past. She patted Doc's hood, and he leaned into her touch. Harley smiled softly. "Wish I could've seen you actually race against him. I bet you would've mopped the floor with his fenders."
Doc smirked a little. "Yeah. The kid knows some stuff, but he ain't no dirt boy. A rookie through and through."
Harley laughed lightly. "Yeah. I guess so."
Doc stared at Harley for a moment. After the girl had discovered his past as a racer, she was so excited. It continued to amaze him, the similarities they shared despite the lack of blood/oil relationship. To keep Harley quiet, Doc had agreed to show her how he raced out on Willie's Butte. The girl couldn't even hold back her amazement at his skills.
It had been so long ago… Doc sighed. "Hey Harley. Do me a favor."
Harley perked up. "What's that?"
Doc gestured over to the dirt racing tires in the corner. "See them tires over there? Be a good girl and help me get them on."
Harley's entire face seemed to light up with excitement like turning on a flashlight, and she hurriedly skated over to the tires and pushed away the boxes, newspapers, and Piston Cup trophies. Doc chuckled in amusement as the young girl lifted the tires up and rolled them over to him. She whipped out her wrench, twirling it skillfully in one hand, and began unscrewing the bolts on Doc's wheels. It took several minutes to unhook and attach the racing tires, followed by another several minutes of Harley grabbing a can of air to blow up the tires a bit. But once Doc confirmed he was ready, he allowed Harley to skate beside him as they snuck out of the garage and made their way towards Willie's Butte. Nobody called out or tried to stop them, so they were confident nobody in town saw them leave. Doc moved rather slowly, but Harley's excited comments and hyperactive skating encouraged him on. They finally reached Willie's Butte and rolled down to the starting line.
"All right, now here's the thing." Doc said. "I don't want any cheering and don't tell me 'go.' Just let me drive. Sound good?"
"Okay!" Harley nodded, plopping down on one of the tires at the starting line and watching excitedly yet patiently.
Doc smirked, looking straight ahead. His face fell as memories came flooding back, and he slumped a little. Can I really do this again? Do I still have it in me?
Harley still waited patiently, watching Doc examine the track. Come on, Daddy. I know you got this.
Doc continued to stare down the track, rubbing the dirt with one tire. He sighed heavily. Am I really going to do this?
Come on, Dad. Harley pleaded.
Doc looked ahead, seeing nothing but clear road ahead of him. His eyes settled into a determined glare and he readied himself on his wheels. Then, to Harley's amazement, he kicked up his engine power. It didn't sound anything like the sputtering sound that came out during his race against Lightning. Doc revved his engine loudly, the black smoke coming from his tailpipe disappearing in seconds. He paused…..
…..then his wheels spun and he took off down the track.
Harley's eyes widened in amazement as she watched Doc not only speed down the straightaway but also loop up the quarter pipe made from the butte. He left a cloudy trail of dirt in his wake, smirking in ecstasy. He ran off the small ramps of the second straightaway, bounced a bit hard but sticking the landing and continuing on. Doc didn't slow down, coming up fast on the turn that made Lightning wreck so many times. In fact, he was picking up speed as he came to the turn. Harley stared in excited anticipation, waiting for the moment of truth.
Doc turned his wheels hard to the left. A second later, he jerked his wheels to the right and forced his body to spin around to be perpendicular to the track. He skidded, practically gliding, across the dirt, perfectly balanced and in control. Once he made the turn, he shot off again and raced past the finish line. Harley giggled as a cloud of dust washed over her. Doc turned and skidded to a halt, not even using his brakes.
The dust finally settled and Doc sighed, smiling. "Yeah…." He glanced back to see Harley was holding her hands over her mouth, looking ready to burst. He rolled his eyes. "All right. Let it out."
She did. "And the crowd goes wild!" Harley cheered loudly, standing and skating around excitedly. She whooped and laughed, causing Doc to chuckle amusedly. Harley continued to cheer. "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet has done it again! He is the champion for all time!" She smirked as she rolled up beside her father. "Even if he is a little rusty."
"Rusty?" Doc scoffed. "Please! I haven't raced since the fifties but that doesn't mean I've lost my touch!"
"You think so?" Harley smirked craftily. "Then let's see you beat me: the Junior Hornet!"
"Junior Hornet?" Doc chuckled.
"I am your daughter." Harley smiled proudly, showing off the hornet cartoon on her shoulder sleeve. "Come on, old man. You afraid to get beat by a kid?"
"Oh, you're gonna regret that!" Doc warned. "Ready? Go!" He took off down the road again, leaving Harley to scramble to catch up.
"Hey! You got a head start!" Harley complained, skating after the Hornet.
Doc laughed as he kept his speed down, allowing himself to run at the same speed as Harley skated. "Oh yeah? That's how racin' works, kiddo. Sometimes you gotta start at the back and work your way to the top."
"Like this?" Harley picked up speed, darting ahead of Doc.
"Oh, now you're gonna get it!" Doc laughed, driving a little faster. The two of them pushed each other teasingly, laughing.
"They're side-by-side as they come to the final turn!" Harley called. "The death trap turn!"
"The Dirt Master speeds up!" Doc laughed, going around the turn with ease. "There's no way the Junior Hornet can make it through!"
"We'll see 'bout that!" Harley skated as fast as she could, turning her skates to make a hard left turn. Harley repositioned her skates to make a right turn, drifting the same way Doc did and making the turn. Harley continued on, and Doc began slowing down again.
"They're comin' up on the final stretch, and the Junior Hornet falls behind!" Doc warned.
"Think again!" Harley suddenly darted past him, jumping over the finish line so to not trip. "The Junior Hornet wins!"
"Oh no!" Doc cried exasperatedly. "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, beaten by a mere child! My reputation's ruined!"
"Aw, it's okay." Harley teased, laughing. "Not everybody can be as smooth as me."
Doc smirked and jerked towards Harley, making her jump and trip to the ground. "Oh yeah?" Doc laughed, driving over and nuzzling her stomach. "How smooth do ya think ya are now?"
"Stop it!" Harley giggled furiously. "Doc! Daddy, come on!" Doc laughed as he backed off, lifting Harley up with a tire. The girl still giggled, hugging Doc and resting her head on his hood. Doc smiled warmly, nuzzling her.
"Not bad, kid."
Doc and Harley gasped and looked up to see Lightning approached them. He was smiling broadly. "And Doc, you're amazing!"
Doc glared, his tires kicking up dirt as he sped off. Harley barely had time to grab one of his side view mirrors as he drove off, taking the girl with him. She held on tightly, wondering if Doc even noticed she was hanging on. "Doc, slow down!" Harley called. But Doc seemed to go faster, right into town and straight to his garage. Harley managed to stop herself before she crashed into a table, and she panted a bit. The doors to the garage almost slammed shut before Lightning appeared, pushing them open again.
"Doc, hold it!" Lightning pleaded. "Seriously, your driving's incredible!"
"Wonderful." Doc growled, facing the corner. "Now go away."
"No, really, you've still got it!" Lightning insisted, driving into the garage to approach Doc. Harley skated out of the way to the other side of the garage, closer to the door.
"I'm askin' you to leave." Doc ordered.
"Doc, listen!" Lightning reasoned. "I'm a racecar you're…..a much older racecar, but under the hood you and I are the same!"
"We are not the same!" Doc snapped, backing up and out the door. "Understand? Now get out."
Lightning spun around to stare at Doc in shock. "How could a car like you quit at the top of your game?"
Doc and Harley froze, the latter staring at her father and praying his hood didn't explode in anger. But Doc only rolled forward a few feet and glared at Lightning. "You think I quit?" He glanced to the wall before moving to a switch to turn on the light. Harley didn't need to look, but Lightning glanced up to see a newspaper in a frame. The main headline read "CRASH! HUDSON HORNET OUT FOR SEASON." Two pictures rested on the page, but the one that caught Lightning's attention (and had caught Harley's when she first saw it) was the picture of Doc in a crumpled heap. Even with Lightning's rookie experience, he had never seen someone so beat up from a crash. Doc's entire body had apparently been crushed and crumpled, with no smooth surfaces left. His racing stickers and paint were scratched. The picture even caught the steam sneaking out of the destroyed car's hood. It was hard to believe the car standing before Lightning was the same car in the picture.
"Right." Lightning breathed. "Your big wreck in '54."
"They quit on me." Doc explained, a soft snarl in his voice. "When I finally got put together, I went back expecting a big welcome. You know what they said? 'You're history.' Moved right on to the next rookie standing in line." Doc's face fell, his anger replaced by sadness. "There was a lot left in me. I never got a chance to show 'em." He glared again, anger returning as he gestured to the newspaper. "I keep that to remind me never to go back. I just never expected that that world would…would find me here."
Lightning glanced at the newspaper before turning to Doc. "Hey, I'm not them."
"When is the last time you cared about something except yourself, hot rod?" Doc growled. "You name me one time, and I will take it all back." Lightning opened his mouth, but came to the crushing realization that everything he did, he did for the sake of his racing. Doc cast a knowing look. "I didn't think so." Lightning slumped on his tires a bit, looking shameful. Doc looked up to Harley before gesturing out towards Radiator Springs. "These are good folk around here, who care about one another. I don't want 'em depending on someone they can't count on."
Lightning glared. "Oh, like you? You've been here how long and your friends don't even know who you are? Is Harley really the only one who knows about this?" Doc reversed, looking insulted, but Lightning wouldn't be deterred this time. "Who's caring about only himself?"
Doc returned the glare, only harsher. "Just finish that road and get outta here! Harley, let's go."
"Coming." It was the first time Harley spoke during the entire conversation. She turned and skated out to follow Doc down the road.
"Harley! Harley!" Lightning called, driving out to the road and staring after the girl and the former racer. The girl paused at the sound of him calling her name. "Harley, you know I'm right, don't you? Come on, you can't possibly think Doc can just hide this forever."
"Don't you dare drag her into this!" Doc snarled.
Harley held up a hand to stop Doc, turning to face Lightning. He was surprised to find an almost hateful glare in her eyes. Harley readjusted her glasses before speaking. "Why do you care, Speed Racer?" She seemed to spit out that last word like it was a bad taste in her mouth. "Ever since you got here, you've been doing what you could to leave. You can't honestly tell me you've had a change of heart and you actually care."
Lightning stared at Harley with a look of pleading. "Harley, I just—"
"You don't belong here. You never belonged here." Harley said harshly. "So go on and fix the road so you can leave, just like you always wanted. You really think anyone's going to miss you when you're gone? Even Mater?" Lightning cringed, looking hurt. Harley refused to back down. "When you leave, things will go back to the way they used to be before you ever came. So just go; by the time you'll get to California, you'll have forgotten about us anyway. And we'll have all forgotten about you."
Lightning glared a little. "Even you?"
Harley looked down, but still glared at Lightning. "Especially me." She turned and skated towards her father, the two of them heading back home. Harley stared at the ground, blinking furiously to hide her tears.
Lightning stared after them for a moment before looking back into the garage and towards the newspaper showing Doc's crash. Something churned in his stomach at the thought of leaving Radiator Springs. But Harley had a point; he was so close to being done, and then he could finally leave and get to that race. So why did he feel so conflicted over leaving like this? The red stock car sighed, pressing the button to turn off the light and shutting the doors of the garage.