AN: I'm back! That was sooner than I expected.

Sally could only watch helplessly from their space on Pit Row as the ambulance swung out onto the track beside the battered #95. Lights on the response vehicles created a strobe effect across the track as all eyes were trained on the scene. She held her breath, tapping her phone nervously against her mouth before looking in all directions for an official, maybe they knew something she didn't, maybe they'd heard something over the radio.

She was startled to hear cheering and applause and glanced up at the screen in the infield to see Lightning had at least been able to get himself out. Pale and visibly shaken, he sat with his back against the pile of metal that was his car with a hand raised in acknowledgement to the crowd. He made eye contact with the camera, and Sally made eye contact with the screen.

An official did approach her then, and she listened in a daze as she watched the medical crews at work and the gurney brought out of the ambulance.

He'd said something about the name of the hospital, and that she'd be escorted with the ambulance.

She barely remembers getting to the hospital and she hadn't expected to wait this long to be able to see him. She'd finally told Mater he needed to sit down before he wore a hole in the floor. His pacing had finally gotten the better of her. Trying to find a comfortable position in those horrible hospital chairs she glanced down at Lightning's phone. She always held onto it for him during a race but she'd never expected to use it in a situation like this. His phone had barely stopped chiming.

Few of his friends from the racing world had her number and it was easier to keep everyone updated this way. She'd barely been able to keep up with the amount of texts, so instead opened a group message.

(12:54 AM) Lightning
It's Sally, using Lightning's phone. Still in
the waiting room, no word.

Jr (12:56 AM)
Did they say anything when you left the
track?

Swift (12:56 AM)
Keep us posted.

(12:57 AM) Lightning
They just told me what hospital we were
going to and that he was stable.

Cal (12:57 AM)
Thanks for keeping us updated Sally.

(1:32 AM) Lightning
Nurse just talked to me. She said something
about his blood pressure dropping when they
were in the ambulance.

Swift (1:32 AM)
They say anything else?

(1:32 AM) Lightning
No

Flyboy (1:33 AM)
They might be trying to prevent shock.

Sally blinked in surprise and glanced up at the clock, what time was it where he was?

Jr (1:33 AM)
?

Cal (1:33 AM)
What does that mean?

Flyboy is typing...

Sally stared at the three little dots for what felt like ages. Either Crophopper was typing out some insanely long explanation, or he was hesitating.

She hoped it was a book length explanation in the reasons and physiological changes that constituted shock.

Her heart stopped when the phone chimed.

Flyboy (1:49 AM)
It just wouldn't be good.

(2:23 AM) Lightning
They're letting me back. I'll let you all know
when I can...

She placed the phone in her bag and left it with Mater, who'd decided he wasn't going to go back until he knew Lightning was ok but she didn't want any distractions at the moment.

Making it back to the room they'd told her, after a few wrong turns and then finally asking someone where room 21 was, she peeked around the door frame to see a single bed and an exhausted Lightning McQueen staring dully at the white sheet that covered his legs.

"Stickers..." She murmured, still not entering the room.

He looked up and his eyes brightened considerably, but there was a shadow in his expression she couldn't quite place.

"Sally."

She finally did enter the room, looking him over as she rounded the bed and pulled the chair closer.

Scrapes and bruises she wasn't concerned about, and she was a little surprised to see some up around his eyes and hairline, wasn't that what the helmet was for? His arm was in a sling but there was no sign of a cast and his left leg was propped up with pillows. She looked back up at him questioningly, only just then noticing that they also had him on oxygen. The little tube ran under his nose, hooking over his ears.

"What'd they say...?"

"Dislocated my shoulder..." He gestured to his left arm. "Tore the ACL in my left knee...how I don't know..."

"That seems...minor..." She said in disbelief but very much relieved.

"You can barely move in those cars anymore..."

"The oxygen...?"

"I tanked in the ambulance." He looked at the IV that was in his hand as opposed to his elbow. "They blew out the vein trying to get the IV in my arm, and with everyone rushing around I guess I started going into shock-"

She reached for his good hand, careful of the IV and brushed her thumb over his wrist, watching him silently a moment.

"Everyone's worried."

"I'll be ok..."

Sally took a deep breath, studying his deadly white features and explained that everyone was in the waiting room, that she'd left his phone with Mater but if he was allowed to have it she'd get it for him.

"Just tell them I'll talk to them in the morning, they should get some sleep."

Her brows lowered, concerned with his response.

"It's after 3 AM, Sal...I'm tired, I'm sure they're all tired..."

"Right." She said dully. "I can go do that now?"

He shrugged his good shoulder and she stood, releasing his hand to walk around the end of the bed. She paused when he spoke, and looked back at him.

"I just...need a little bit...ok?"

He looked so young reclined in that bed, the fluorescent lighting making him look even more pale and shadowing his eyes. His tired expression crumpled finally and his brows knit together, wiping a sudden tear away with the heel of his hand as his voice cracked.

"I wish Doc were here."

Her heart sank and she went back to his bedside, her own eyes filling with tears as she brushed her fingers through his hair and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"I know, Stickers." She spoke softly as they hugged each other and just cried together.

An hour later, she was lying on the bed next to him. She wasn't sure that was permitted but she really didn't care.

"I just want to be able to talk to him..." He said, still teary eyed.

"He'd tell you to stop moping and start worrying about yourself." She was happy to hear at least a small laugh from him, even for as strained as it was.

She looked up at him from where she'd rested her head against his good shoulder. "You ok?"

Lightning hesitated, sighing finally.

"Yeah, Sal. I'm alright.

AN2: I'm going to be putting a playlist together for this series! If you have suggestions feel free to leave them in a review or PM me!

Also, I spent a lot of time driving the last three days and I get a lot of good ideas whenever I'm on the road for a good length of time. Most ideas were AU, so instead of bogging this fic down with tons of alternates that would make it hard to keep track of, I believe I'll be posting an entire new series that would be something along the lines of Life's Highway Alternate Stories, be sure to watch out for it!