I do not own Cars or any of its characters. PIXAR AND DISNEY CLAIM THAT RIGHT.

READING ENJOYMENT ONLY

Rated M for language and sex.

Please read and review! I need criticism and encouragements!

The next morning after a good nights rest and a cool morning shower at the hotel, Doc and Sofia headed to Lightning's room. "Morning, Rookie!" Doc loudly greeted Lightning. At first, he almost missed it; the briefest twitch of Lighting's tire. "Kid" Doc said nothing happened "Come on, Rookie, I know you can do it." Still, nothing happened. Then Sofia noticed the second twitch of Lightning's tire. "Doc, I saw it too, Lightning twitched" Sofia said. Doc knew he wasn't imagining things; he reached over with his tire and hit the call button. "Lightning, wake up" Doc pleaded quietly, barely taking any notice to the nurse entering the room. "What can I do for you, Doc?" She questioned, "He twitched… twice" Doc said. The nurse frowned a bit and looked at the monitor that kept track of Lightning's pulse. "His pulse has gone up a bit… Try talking to him again. Do what ever you did to get him to twitch. I'm going to get Dr. Pantera" She instructed, quickly hurrying out of the room. "Come on, Kid… get your lazy butt out of bed, you have to train" Doc uttered softly to Lightning as the nurse came back with Doctor Pantera behind her. Doctor Pantera quietly studied the monitor for a few moments. Lightning's tire gave another twitch, his pulse jumping. Suddenly, Lightning took a strong deep breath, and let out a little groan "Kid?" Doc said "Lightning?" Lightning not only took another deep breath this time, but moved somewhat as well. "Rookie! Kid," Doc said "Get up, it's time to train… and your late… as usual" Lightning moaned softly in response as he moved again slightly. "He's trying to wake up!" Doctor Pantera reported, causing a hopeful smile to slowly creep across everyone's faces "Keep talking to him, Doc" Doctor Pantera said. "Hey, Rookie… how are ya feeling?" he didn't get a response, though he wasn't expecting one anyway. Lightning tried to say something, but with the respirator in his mouth he can't. No coma patient ever woke up, looked around and asked for something to drink… Lightning was 'awake' for only a few minutes and then drifted back to sleep. Waking up from a coma was a slow recovery, but the first steps were the most important that thought caused a wave of relief to wash over Doc.

Over the course of the morning Lightning became more and more aware of his soundings. Doctor Pantera examined him and found that he was breathing well enough to be taken off life support. Doctor Pantera removed the respirator, allowing Lightning to communicate. "Doc, where…where… am … can't see anything…" He hoarsely said. "I hurt all over… where's Sal…ly?" "Lightning, it's ok, you're in a hospital, you properly don't remember, you crashed on the track. He's alert" Doc said to Dr. Pantera "Lightning, this is Doctor Pantera, can you understand me?" the physician asked. "Yes…" "Do you know where your at" "Doc tells me I had a wreck and I'm at a hospital" Lightning said softly. "That's correct, we have some diagnostic tests to run," Dr. Pantera continued, "But it looks like you are coming out your coma." "Sofia, could you release this to the media?" Doc asked. "I don't want to leave Lightning." "Consider it taken care of," Sofia assured, turning to leave, and nearly jumping for joy. Dr. Pantera addressed Doc a while later in the hallway. "The results from the tests are great; it looks like Lightning's brain has suffered no damage. The same cannot be said for the rest of him" Dr. Pantera said. "I have been in contact with the resident surgeon at our hospital. He said that he and his staff are ready to have Lightning convalesce there." Doc said, "I know that you, and your team of doctors are more than capable of performing the necessary surgeries, but it would do Lightning a world of good to be home, and he'll probably heal quicker as well." It was decided that Doc would take Lightning home to perform the surgeries. "Okay, Rookie," Doc said re-entering Lightning's room. "The tests are all done now, and you're doing great. Way to go!" "I can't see" Lightning said weakly. "I know, Kid," Doc said understandingly. "You've got to recover from the coma a bit more before we can begin the reconstructive surgeries you'll need, okay? When we get home, I'll fix your windshield. Then remove the bandages. We are heading home when you are a little stronger" Doc said. "When?" Lightning asked. "In a few days" Doc said. "Could you get me something to eat, Doc, I'm starving." He said. Doc just laughed, and at that point he knew Lightning was going to be ok. "Ok, Kid, I'll get you something" Doc said. Over the next day and a half Lightning continued to improve.

Three days later: Lightning felt refreshed and glad to be alive despite being blind and in pain. Lightning felt himself being wheeled out on a mobile platform to what sounded like a helicopter. "Kid, we've arranged to fly you home on the Dinoco helicopter," Doc said to Lightning while moving beside him. "Mack wanted to take you home himself, but you are in too fragile a condition to withstand road travel. So I sent him, Abby, and the team home a few days ago, and they should be arriving in Radiator Springs about the same time when we'll land." Lightning felt himself being lifted up, and placed inside the helicopter's cabin. As Lightning was being loaded in the helicopter, Doc stopped and thanked Sofia for all of her hard work during the crisis. "Sofia I don't know what I have done without you and your amazing skill with the press." "Anything for a dear friend." Doc helped Sofia on to the helicopter, and then he boarded the helicopter. The medics were finishing loading Lightning "Kiddo, I'm right beside you. Doc gently gave Lightning a nudge along his side as he heard the cabin door close and felt the helicopter lift off. "Just allow yourself to drift off to sleep for a while, we'll be home soon." Doc said "Will I be able to race again?" Lightning asked. "Rookie, I won't lie to you. That won't be easy, but if you want to, then yes, I gladly help you race again. There are many cars who want to see you race again. Even do anything to help you race again" Doc said, "Race again, for my Crew Chief," Lightning whispered softly. Lightning was still very weak and just the helicopter ride was taxing for him "I'll always be your crew chief, Lightning," Doc warmly responded, as Lightning slowly fell asleep.

"Lightning, Kid, time to wake up, Doc said to him gently. "We're about to land back in Radiator Springs, and wow, there are a lot of cars down there who look ready to welcome you home!" The Dinoco helicopter circled over Radiator Springs. The helicopter touched down on the helicopter pad as gently as he could, so as not to jar Lightning. "I'm getting out first okay, then Sofia, then you" Doc assured him. "I'll never be more than a couple feet away. You want anything at all, you just tell me." "I want something to eat, I'm hungry" Lightning said. "See what did I tell you" Doc said to Sophia, she just giggled. "Once you're settled in the hospital, I'll get you something to eat" He said to Lightning. The crowd began cheering as Doc and Sofia slowly came down a ramp from the helicopter as medics went aboard afterward to retrieve Lightning. The crowd's cheering grew even louder when Lightning finally emerged into the sunshine. "McQueen! McQueen! McQueen!" the crowd began chanting. Lightning could only smile in gratitude as he was moved slowly down the ramp on his wheeled-platform. "Ladies and gentle cars," Doc began, "Lightning and I can't begin to express our deep appreciation for your incredible support and turnout for our homecoming." A loud cheer went up from every car in the crowd. Lightning smiled. "Thank you!" Doc continued. "Rookie, would you like to say something to everyone?" He gently moved the microphones towards him. "Go ahead," Doc invited. "Everyone," Lightning said as loudly as he could, but his voice was barely above a whisper. "Thank you. I can't say much right now, but with Doc's help, and your support, I going to race again." A loud cheer went up from the crowd. "Okay folks," Doc said loudly to the microphones. "Thank you all for coming and showing your support. We're going to go ahead and allow Lightning to get some rest, and begin his return to racing. We will announce further updates through Sofia. Thank you again, and have a good evening!" "Okay" he said turning to the medics, "Let's get him settled." Doc said to the medics and others who were helping Lightning get settled.

The small medical clinic, which had been Doc' private practice had been transformed into a gleaming hospital. In fact, it was no longer just Doc's clinic; it had been changed to read aptly the following: Ornament Valley Hospital. It was small with only 150 employees, but with its modern interior and up-to-date procedures it became one of the top small hospitals in the nation. With Doc spending so much time with Lightning during the racing season, Doc needed some help with running his private practice as well as the hospital. Doc still had a wing of the hospital that he used as his private practice. He shared it with the town's two new medical residents. It turned out that the red Ferrari that Lightning referred to Luigi's shop for tires a year ago was a doctor, and was looking for somewhere to start a practice. That Ferrari's name was Dr. Michael Schumacher and his wife Zoë. A bright violet Lamborghini, with green eyes, and a super sweet personality. Although Michael was much younger, he had as much experience as Doc and like Doc, he was skilled at everything, in fact, he was more skilled in some aspects of surgery than Doc was. Zoë was a Gynecologist and Obstetrician, impressive for someone who was so young. Doc was not their supervisor but equal partners, and held the same degree of respect and workload the three of them ran the hospital together. Michael and Zoë were as well loved as Doc was. The Italian-born doctors immediately fell in love with Radiator Springs. The couple was cute, young and extremely friendly.

Once Lightning was back in Radiator Springs under Doc's care, he began to improve quickly, within just a couple of days, Doc was able to repair Lightning's windshield and remove the bandages. Lightning had a severe concussion and was in and out of conscious the entire time. "And then I went and asked Doreen to be my girlfriend, much like you and Miss Sally," came a distant voice. "But she already had plans to go and move away, so she went and left me. I didn't love no one other again. Instead, I took to tractor tippin" Lightning groaned. He opened his eyes and saw the fuzzy outline of Mater, talking to nobody in particular. "Mater continued. "Mater," Lightning said weakly. "That's really interesting and all, but shut up." "Yur awake!" Mater exclaimed. "Hey everybody, Lightning's awake!" "How long have I been out?" Lightning asked, attempting to clear his hood. "I don't know," Mater said. "But you've been in and out of conscious for right near a week I suppose." All of a sudden, it all flooded back, Chick, the wreck, being hit by many cars, the hospital, the helicopter ride, and everything else. "I feel terrible," Lightning groaned. His whole body was throbbing. Underneath, Lightning was especially sore and tender. He attempted to move forward, but a huge brace on his front axle prevented him from going anywhere.

All of a sudden, the whole town seemed to surround Lightning. Voices called his name, making him even dizzier than he was already. "Everybody get the hell out!" roared a very angry, very familiar voice. As soon as everyone left, Doc approached Lightning. "How do you feel, Kiddo?" he asked. Lightning forgot his grievance with Doc. "Not great" he admitted, both weakly and groggily. "Yuh look about the same as yuh feel," Mater interjected. "Yur sides are all dented up and…" "Thanks Mater," Doc interrupted. "Why don't you go and make sure everybody's doing their job outside?" "Okey dokey!" Mater said happily, leaving the room. "What hurts the worst, Son?" Doc asked once Mater was gone. "My hood and my underside," Lightning said, weaker than before. "You got hit hood-on," Doc explained. "You have a severe concussion." "I don't remember that hit," Lightning said. "And you got hit hard a number of times on your underside" Doc said. "I do remember those," Lightning said as he noticed tubes and wires that seemed to come out his underside from all angles. "How much did break under there?" "A lot," Doc said. "Your front axle on the right side is crushed. Your engine was severally damaged, so we had to immediately replace that. Most of your internal organs are bruised, including your male parts, but you should be able to have children with out any problems." "How long until I can race again?" Lightning asked. Doc hesitated. "A long time, Kid." "As in how long?" Lightning asked, panicked. "At least not until next season," Doc said.

Lightning groaned. "I'm out the rest of the season?" he asked. "Yeah," Doc said. "You got pretty banged up. The good news is Chick's out for the rest of the season too. He's suspended for as long as you're out." "You got him suspended?" Lightning asked, his mood lifting slightly. "Yeah I did!" Doc said forcefully. "But there's another thing we need to discuss. I'm sorry I got into your personal life, Kiddo. I should have minded my own fucking business. I got in between you, Sally, and look where it landed you. I'm really sorry, Rookie, this is my fucking fault." "No it's not, Doc" Lightning said weakly. "I was the one who was too aggressive on the track, not you. You warned me not to try to pass Chick." Suddenly, the room started turning fuzzier. Lightning closed his eyes and groaned as a particularly hard throb ripped through his body. "Kid? Don't pass out on me!" Doc said. "Lightning!" But it was too late; Lightning had already passed back out. When Lightning resurfaced, the pain quickly returned. He groaned and opened his eyes to see Sally. "Hey," Sally said softly. "How do you feel?" "A little banged up," Lightning said weakly. "I'm sorry I broke up with you," Sally said. "I shouldn't have listened to Doc." "Are you saying we're still together?" Lightning asked. "Yes" Sally said. Then, out of nowhere, Sally burst into tears. "This is my fault!" "Sally," Lightning said softly. "This isn't your fault. I was the one acting stupid at two hundred miles an hour." Sally sniffed. "I never stopped loving you, Lightning," she said. "I know," Lightning said. He attempted to drive forward, but he could not. "Don't move" Sally warned him. "You can't move for at least a week, maybe more." Lightning nodded slowly and sighed. He then asked the question he had been dreading. "Sally, how beat up do I look?" "I have your wreck on tape," Sally said. "Do you want to see it or would you rather not?" "Go ahead," Lightning, said miserably. "I'm going to see it at some point anyway."

Sally nodded and went to the television. She turned it on, pulled out the DVD, hit play, and Lightning saw himself on the television. Lightning saw Chick slamming against him, his tire blowing out, and himself being hit by the other racecars. When Lightning was still on the racetrack, the camera zoomed in on the unconscious Lightning, he almost unrecognizable to himself. Sally turned off the television. She gave Lightning a pitying look. "Who won the race?" Lightning said "The Dinoco one, I think her name is Sapphire" Sally said, "The racing supernatant, disqualified Chick for causing your wreck. They're calling it the worst wreck in racing history," she said. "Do you remember waking up on the track?" Lightning tried to think back. "No," he said. "I can't remember much. I just remember being hit. "You didn't say much," Sally said. "From what Doc said you were really disoriented." She gave a small smile. Lightning remembered what he saw on the television. "Do I still look like I did?" "Pretty much," said Sally. Yeah, you pretty much look the same. Most of the damage wasn't on the outside though." "I know" Lightning said, very depressed. "I'm out for the season." "I know you," Sally said. "You're going to come back and win the Piston Cup."

Sally moved in front of Lightning and gave him a kiss. His half healed male parts responded to the stimulation. Lightning gave a week groan, and lowered himself as much as his injures would allow. Sally immediately noticed it. "Even when you injured, your horny" "Well what to do expect, I'm a male" Sally just giggled and said "Sofia has started a web page for you. She's keeping everyone informed of your condition. Doc is spending a lot time with Sofia. "Have they known each other for long?" Lightning asked. "Yes, she's the only one that Doc had any contact when he went to self-imposed exile, here at Radiator Springs" Sally said. "She a reporter that was at the top of her field and she don't say anything about where the Fabulous Hudson Hornet had disappeared to." "Doc, asked her not to, and she respected his wishes," Sally said. "There might be a romance starting to bloom between them." Lightning let out a huge yawn. "Well I'll got to go, I have a ton of paperwork waiting for me at the cone, and its looks like you need a nap." "That's the only thing I'm allowed to do" Lightning companied. "Yeah, well your healing, and that takes a lot of energy" Sally said. "I'll be back later and we can watch some TV together."

A few days later: Both Lightning's spirits, and body, were brightening — thanks in no small part to genital hot wax massage Sally was giving Lightning, "Ohhh, Sally," Lightning sighed, "Thank you. It feels wonderful." "Well, Doc said it would do good to stimulate your frame and speed you towards recovery than anything else right now," Sally replied as she leaned over him and rubbed his hatchback down with a big soft cloth. "But my dented up chassis can hardly be worth waxing and polishing," Lightning said. "Mister, your chassis is always worth waxing and polishing, no matter what shape it's in!" Sally assured him. "Well, after your upcoming surgeries, you can just work all those newfound joints, tires, and shocks on me, by giving me a hot wax massage. I need ironing out my kinks," Sally offered. "I been so worried about you that I'm all in knots. In fact, I'm already looking forward to it!" Sally just rested the front of herself on top of Lightning's back for a moment. "Is it okay if I do this on you? It's not hurting you is it?" Sally asked cautiously. "You're fine," Lightning reassured. "It feels good. The pressure is relieving strains on my middle, Thanks!" "Trying to be a chiropractor are we?" Doc said with a smile as he came through the door "Oh boy," Sally said, blushing deeply. "I'll be off him here in just a sec!" "Don't go" Lightning said. "It's feels really good!" "Don't worry about it," Doc assured. "It is good for him that you're stimulating his body to heal faster. "Do you think I can race again?" "Well Lightning" Doc responded. "Collisions will be more painful than they used to be. You'll need more frequent check-ups, other than that, yes, you should be able to race again."

A week later, Doc approached Lightning. "Do you want to try to start driving a little?" he asked. "Yeah," Lightning said eagerly. "It's going to hurt, like a son of a bitch" Doc said. "When you drive, you carry eighty percent of your weight on your front tires, and that your front axle is crushed, so it's going to be fucking painful." "I'll take my chances," Lightning said. "I need to get out of this hospital room, I'm going crazy with boredom." "I'm going to take the brace and I.V. off and we'll take it one step at a time." Doc said "What about the tube that you have in my…my" Lightning struggled with the words, and pointed at his penis even though Doc was a fellow male and a doctor. "Once I'm sure your up and about, I'll take it out" Doc said. Lightning nodded in agreement. He winced as Doc took the large brace off and replaced it with a smaller lighter weight brace. Lightning had only one I.V. going. Doc disconnected Lightning from the I.V. machine. "All right, were going to take it nice and slow, there's no rush Kid" Doc said as Lightning readied himself. He started his engine and attempted to slowly drive forward. He inched forward, but had to stop when the pain flared. "Oh, fuck, that hurts" Lightning said. Terrible, intense pain did not stop. "Stay with me, Kid," Doc said calmly. "It's normal. Just get used to it and we'll try again." "It's not stopping!" Lightning grimaced, closing his eyes, and swallowing hard. "That's because you shifted your weight onto your front axle," Doc said. "You just have to get used to the pain. It will go away in a minute or two, just relax." Lightning nodded. He took a deep breath and tried to forget about the burning pain that was ripping through his front axle. Lightning held his breath as he rolled forward again, only to receive pain that was worse than the first round. "its okay, Rookie," Doc said. "You have to keep going." Lightning nodded again.

The pain eventually subsided a bit. Lightning took it as an opportunity to drive forward again. He accelerated slightly and braced himself for pain, but when it came, it was not nearly as bad as it had been. Lightning turned down into the main hall of the hospital. He attempted to accelerate slightly down the straight hall and made it up to ten miles per hour. "Good, Kid," Doc said encouragingly. "You can drive up to twenty miles an hour. We'll see if we can make it up to fifty in a week or so." "Okay," Lightning agreed. "Go back to your room and I'll remove the tube" Doc said. Lightning made it back to his room without to much pain and parked on his bed. Doc arrived a few moments later and he had Nurse Jackie with him "Ok Rookie we are going to remove your tube" Doc said as he and Jackie moved around to Lightning's rear. Doc washed his tires in the sink and Jackie covered them with latex gloves. Doc raised the table up and drove underneath. Jackie steadied his penis as Doc grabbed the tube and started to pull it out. "Ok Kiddo, this is going to hurt but it will only last a minute or two" Lightning's undercarriage flared with pain. Lightning gritted his teeth as Doc finished removing the tube. "There it's out" Doc said. "When you urinate, your going to feel a burring sensation, its normal and should go away by tomorrow. Do you have any questions?" "Am I allowed to come and go as much as I want?" "Yeah," said Doc. "But you're going to get really tired, so go easy on yourself." "Okay," Lightning said. "Do I still have to stay in the hospital?" "Yeah," Doc said, "At least for rest of the week." "Thanks, Doc." "No problem, Kid," Doc said. "I'll see you later." Doc and Jackie left the room.