"Really?!" Lightning asked excitedly.
Dr. Verte looked over the top of his chart and gave Lightning a winning smile. "Really, champ. Just sign the paperwork and you're free to go!" Lightning gave a happy cry and raised his tire for a 'high five' with Dr. Verte. "Hear that Doc? We're going home!"
Doc Hudson let a grin show across his features as his relief began to set in. The past few weeks had been difficult for both of them, waiting to hear for certain that Lightning would be able to race again. Doc knew Lightning had been particularly frustrated of late, as he had been stuck in the garage the whole time, unable to move off of the car lift while the garage staff worked on him every day. He was young and needed exercise, staying in one place had been torture for the kid. But now things were looking up for rookie. Dr. Verte had just given Lightning the 'all-clear', and they were heading back to Radiator Springs (Doc had almost chuckled when he heard the boy call the small town home). Lightning was grinning like a fool as the aides put the finishing touches on Lightning; re-filling his tires with air and putting gasoline in his tank. When they carefully lowered him back down to the floor, he only paused for a minute before starting his engine. The sound was like music to Doc's ears.
"Well what are you waiting for, McQueen, go for a spin!" Dr. Verte laughed as he backed away, giving lightning plenty of 'galloping' room in the otherwise empty garage. Lightning didn't need to be asked twice. Giving the engine a good rev, he dashed to the other end of the room and proceeded to do doughnuts around the two doctors.
Doc was suddenly made aware of loud gurgling sound that was coming from Lightning as he accelerated. "Hold up there, kid! What's that noise?" Lightning began to slow down, but Dr. Verte waved off Doc's worry by saying "It's just the tank getting used to having fuel after so long. The poor kid's been starved for weeks!"Satisfied, McQueen continued to show off his recovered state. Doc cringed when he heard the gurgling sound intensify. It certainly didn't sound like it was nothing to worry about. "Take it easy, son, no need to blow your motor all at once!" "Ah, come on Doc, I feel great!" Lightning proclaimed as he zipped about the room. "Stop worrying like an Oldsmobile!"
"He really is fine, Mr. Hudson," Dr. Verte said reassuringly. There's no reason to worry about your boy here, he's as ready to race as he ever was."
"Mmm…." Doc said, and seemed to chew on a thought for a while before saying "I want you to examine him again. Keep him overnight for observation too."
The doctor gave him a tight smile. His voice had lost its friendly tone as he addressed Doc.
"Now there's no need for that. Mr. McQueen has been thoroughly inspected by my team and repaired so that his engine is running better than before. I have absolutely no concerns about my patient's discharge and quite frankly, the garage needs the space for other customers."
"I'm just asking you to take another look at him!" Doc said, losing his patience. "That gas tank doesn't sound right, I'm sure of it. Now, I'm the local G.P at Radiator Springs, I do know a thing or two about mechanics-"
"Oh not this again!" Doctor Verte groaned. "Every car that can check his own oil tank thinks that he has a degree and can tell me how to do my job!" Dropping all pretence of civility, Doctor Verte got right into Doc's face as he said, "Listen here Hudson-has-been; I've got a dozen certificates on my wall saying that I'm in charge of this garage, and that includes any patients that walk in this door. I have a waiting list of clients lining up for an appointment with me today, and I don't have time to coddle some kid and his overprotective handler!"
"Hey!" McQueen exclaimed, having ceased showing off his good health long enough to hear the tail end of their conversation. "Back off Verte, he's just worried about me! There's absolutely no need to-"
"Shut up kid," the Hudson Hornet growled menacingly. "We shouldn't have come to this chop shop anyways, this idiot probably doesn't know a fan belt from a carburetor. We're heading out so the good doctor here can scam his other victims".
Obedient as ever, McQueen followed Doc as he made his way to the door, with Dr. Verte frantically trying to end the feud that he felt little responsibility for. "Mr. McQueen, please don't let this car's poor judgement affect our working relationship, I can assure you that there is no reason to doubt my diagnosis. I am aware of the trust that you must have for Mr. Hudson as your personal trainer, however you must admit that I have far more experience that he does dealing with serious cases like these! I trust my crew's work!"
By now they were outside the garage, and Lightning's first few minutes of freedom were being ruined for him by this sleezeball. "That's Doctor Hudson to you!" Lightning said with a small snarl as he sped off to catch up with Doc. "Consider yourself fired!" the sports car threw over his shoulder.
"I'm calling Mac." Was the first thing Doc said when Lightning drove within hearing distance. "I'm not having you driving around the interstate with your gas tank sounding like Sherriff's snoring." Doc had slowed down now so that Lightning was forced to keep the same pace. The red sports car nearly rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and began to try to reason with him.
"Doc, I feel fine! Great actually! Verte may have been a first class jerk, but he did say I was good to go." Lightning was still bristling from Doctor Verte insulting his mentor. He wanted nothing more than to take the air out of the jerk's tires, but he also wanted to keep his freedom.
Doc wasn't buying it. "That car is a light bulb short of a set of headlights. We've already wasted enough time here; I want you in my clinic by sundown before you can get into any more trouble.
"But I've been shut in that garage for ages!" Lightning argued. "How am I supposed to train for the next race if I'm locked up inside the whole time?"
Doc slowed to a halt and waited for McQueen to turn and face him. He gave the young race car a serious glare and said, "Some things are more important than racing rookie. That crash could have taken you out for more than just the season." Lightning had the grace to look thoroughly chastened. Satisfied that he had gotten his point across, Doc gave an exasperated huff and drove off to the nearest phone booth to call Mac.