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Rated M for language and sex.
To the Guest-
ndye838I love these better than the originals KEEP ON GOING PLEASE- Thank you and I planning on it
Chapter 9. -Sally's Disastrous First Race-
The Next morning: They rolled out of the hotel and headed back to the track. "What do you do around here?" "Nothing really" Lightning said. "Sleep" Sally laughed. "Are you that tired?" "Yes, after last night, you have worn me out" Lightning said. "Anyway I'm done with my training until the race so I can catch up on my sleep." "You're not going to train again before the race?" "Nah, I'm good" Lightning said. "Besides, I have physical therapy sessions everyday at three." "For your axle?" Sally asked. "Yeah" Lightning replied. "It's bothering you a lot, isn't it? Did last night's romance do any more damage to it?" Sally asked Lightning shrugged. "No, but it was pretty messed up last year, Sally" he said. "Some pain is expected." "Okay," Sally said. "Just tell me if it gets worse, okay?" "You'll be the first to know" Lightning said. On Sunday, Lightning woke up early; he stretched and rolled out of his trailer. He drove down to the track buffet for a little breakfast like he usually did. The race did not start until one, so he Lightning a couple of hours to kill before race time. Lightning got two cans of electrolyte drink and settled at a table by himself, eyeing Chick who was having his breakfast across the dining room, by himself as well. After he finished the cans, Lightning drove out to the track for a quick last-minute training session. Lightning found a groove in the track that he thought would work for him. He stayed in the groove as he drove at one hundred miles per hour around the track a couple times. Lightning drove off the track and drove back to his trailer, looking forward to sitting on ice. His axle was throbbing. This worried Lightning a bit, because he had not put any strain on it at all. Maybe Sally did get to rough and did do something to it after all.
Two hours later, Sally arrived at Lightning's trailer. "Good morning," she greeted Lightning cheerfully. "Are you ready to race? I think so," Lightning said, shifting on his ice pack. "Is your axle bothering you?" Sally asked. "A little," Lightning admitted "Not bad though. I'm fine, don't worry about me." "You know that's not going to happen," Sally said. "Should you be racing today?" "Of course I should!" Lightning said, surprised Sally would even think about that possibility. "There's no reason for me to scratch!" "Yes, there is," Sally said. "Your axle is hurting! If it breaks out there on the track, you'll be out for the rest of the season!" "Sally," Lightning said quietly. "Sweetheart, don't do this to me, please." Sally sighed "I'm just uncomfortable with you racing if your axle is acting up." "I'll put my brace on," Lightning told her. "How's that?" "Okay" Sally said, still looking apprehensive. "It has metal stabilizers in it right?" "Yeah" Lightning said. "Good," Sally said. Her expression softened. "I just don't want you getting hurt again" "I know," Lightning said. He gave her a sideways glance. "You don't like me racing, do you?" "It's not that I don't like you racing," Sally said slowly. "It's just…I saw your wreck up close in person, and now whenever I see you out on the track, I think of it. I can hardly watch you race without feeling sick. Your wreck replays over and over in my head." Lightning did not know what to say but there was no need. Sally drove up to him and hugged him. Lightning felt her shudder slightly and heard her sniff. "Hey," he said quietly. "It's okay. Don't fall apart on me before I can get out on the track." "I'll try," Sally said softly. She backed up and sniffed "Sorry, I turn wimpy when I'm scared." "Everybody does," Lightning said, grinning. "Except for me, I get mean and become an asshole." Sally gave a watery laugh "I'll be fine," Lightning said. "But if you don't want to be my crew chief, I'm sure can find someone else." "I can do it," Sally said. "Okay," Lightning said. "I'm sure you'll do a great job" "I hope you're right," Sally said. "I know I am," Lightning replied.
Several hours later, Lightning was on the track lined up, his engine started, and waiting for the green flag to be dropped. The racing official dropped the flag and Lightning shot out onto the track. He allowed Chick to pass him so he could get a draft. "Is everything clear behind me?" Lightning asked. "Yes," Sally said through the intercom system. "Who's in third and how close is he to me?" Lightning asked. "Sapphire" Sally said. She's about ten feet behind you." "Thanks," Lightning said. "No problem," Sally said. "I'm supposed to tell you about caution flags too, right?" "Yeah," Lightning said, blocking Sapphire from passing him. An hour and a half later, there was a severe wreck on the track, involving cars Lightning hardly knew. Debris was everywhere on the track. "A caution flag is up," Sally said "That'll be because of all this debris" Lightning said, swerving to avoid a warped bumper. In doing so, he did not see the piece of metal and unknowingly drove over it. Lightning felt a sharp pain in his bad axle, but he thought that it was complaining about him swerving, and it didn't even cross his mind that he might have been cut. The pain went away quickly and he continued to race.
An hour later, Lightning was heading into the final five laps of the race. He was in first, but Chick was coming up fast. "Chick's coming up on the inside," Sally warned Lightning. "Okay," Lightning said. He drifted inside and sped up slightly. Suddenly, Chick sped past Lightning on the outside. "See ya later, McQueen!" he cackled "Sally!" Lightning said. "Tell me when he switches sides like that!" "Sorry Light I thought you knew." Sally said obviously bothered by her mistake. Lightning floored his engine, getting neck and neck with Chick. For four laps, the cars dueled, but when they crossed the finish line, Chick was ahead. "Ugh!" Lightning groaned "No!" He gratefully accepted his second place trophy and dove slowly back to his trailer and started packing his things for his next race. Suddenly his phone started ringing. "Hello?" he asked, not even checking the caller I.D. "What happened out there?" asked Doc's voice. "I didn't see him coming up," Lightning said glumly. "Why not?" Doc asked. "Because I was told he was coming up on the inside," Lightning said. "Not the outside." "Mhmmm," Doc said. "What's fuck that supposed to mean?" Lightning asked angrily. "Nothing" Doc said gruffly. "I'll meet you in Philly day after tomorrow." "Sounds good," Lightning said edgily.
He hung up the phone and packed his stuff in his trailer. Lightning took his brace off and was startled to see it was soaked in oil. "Whoa," Sally said driving up. "What's that from?" "My axle" Lightning said. "Light, you need to go to the track doctor," Sally said. "I'm fine," Lightning said. "My brace just rubbed a sore spot, I'll have Doc look at it when I get to Philadelphia." Lightning drove up the ramp and into his trailer to put the brace away. "I don't think you are 'fine'" Sally said, fear dripping from her voice. "What?" Lightning asked slightly panicked. "Look" Lightning looked behind him and saw a trail of oil behind glistening behind him. "Only then did Lightning notice he was bleeding, not bad, but enough to scare him and Sally. Hand me that towel and I'll use that to helpfully stop the bleeding" Sally got the towel and helped Lightning wrap his axle tightly. "How do not know that your axle was bleeding" Sally said. "Due to the scarring, I don't have a lot of feeling in it" Lightning said. Once they got the bleeding to slow down, they drove to the medical building and asked to see a doctor. "It needs a few staples," the track doctor said thirty minutes later. "Do you know what caused it?" Lightning asked. "Properly from the big accident, there was a lot of debris out there," the doctor said. "You're lucky you were wearing your brace. If you hadn't been, it's likely it would have sliced your axle in two." Lightning nodded. "Is there any swelling down there?" he asked. "There is some," the doctor said. "But considering your wreck last season, it looks good." "Thanks" Lightning said twenty minutes later. He had four staples in his wheel axle. "So I can race next Sunday?" "Yes," the doctor answered. "The staples can come out after your race." "Okay," Lightning said. "Thank you." "You're welcome," the doctor replied.