It was a few weeks later and he was helping his best friend Matter to organize his office a bit. While he was carrying a box outside he tripped and twisted his ankle. But he didn't want anyone to know, especially Doc. So he stood up and hid the pain as well as he could.
Matter came in to thank him when he was done and saw him limp and wince.
"You alrigh' Lightnin'?" Matter asked.
"Yeah I'm fine!" he lied.
"Hmmm, if ya say so." Matter said.
"Bye Matter."
Matter didn't believe him and wanted to go to Doc but he let it slide.
Lightning was at home icing his foot.
"How am I gonna hide it? HOW AM I GONNA RACE!? Maybe it'll feel fine tomorrow. I hope." he said.
Doc was on his way home and Lightning could hear him. So he put his sneaker back on and hid the ice pack.
"Hey dad, how was your day?" he asked.
"Good, how was yours?"
"Not bad, helped Matter clean up a little."
"That was nice of you. So, you hungry?" asked Doc.
He nodded and said, "Yeah."
So while Doc made dinner he rubbed his ankle and wanted to ice it again but didn't want him to see it. About half an hour later he sat there having dinner with his dad being quiet.
"You seem a bit quiet, you ok?" asked Doc.
He nodded his head yes.
The next day it felt even worse, and he had training this afternoon! While he was at training he was ready to tell him that he couldn't do it but he kept it quiet. He was scared about one thing, he had a race tomorrow and after training he was on his way there. He wasn't so excited this time but he had to hide it from everyone.
On their way to the race his foot was pounding. He was getting closer and closer to telling Doc about his fall but he couldn't. When they got to their hotel room Lightning sat down, winced and rubbed his ankle for a minute. When he was sitting down Doc saw him and was curious of what was wrong.
"Lightning? Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No! I'm, I'm fine don't worry." Lightning said to quickly.
"Alright, if you start to hurt anywhere let me know ok?" Doc said.
"Ok." he said.
Doc was a little suspicious now.
The next day was the race, he was nervous about his ankle.
'Come on you can do it. You can ignore it you've hurt yourself tons of time! And it'll be over before you know it. ' he thought.
"You ready Lightning?" asked Doc.
He gulped and said, "Uh huh."
He was nervous that he was going to lose it but could fight it.
When the race started he was in a lot of pain he was getting close to his spot and really close to telling Doc. But he did his best to ignore the pain as well as he could. Doc heard him make a noise that sound like he was in pain.
"You ok rookie? You don't sound ok, you sound like you're in pain." he said worried.
"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry."
He was on his 235th lap and he still had 65 to go. He wasn't so sure how much he could stand he was winning but Chick was pretty close.
Then all of a sudden Chick smacked into him causing him to lose control and then he was in a crash. He fell off his car and everyone on his team was scared.
"LIGHTNING! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" asked Doc nervous and worried.
"Ohhh, yea I can hear you." he answered.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah but my ankle hurts and so does my wrist." he said.
"Alright, don't worry I'll look at it when they get you to me."
Everyone knew that Doc was his doctor and old famous racer called 'The Fabulous Hudson Hornet' because of the news paper so they let him take care of him. But not many knew he was his dad.
A few minutes later Doc took a look at him and didn't like his injuries.
He sighed and said, "Son I don't think you can finish this season. Your ankle's broken and your wrist is sprained pretty bad."
Lightning sighed and nodded. "I've actually been hiding something."
"What did you hide from me?" asked Doc.
"I, I kinda fell a few days ago while I was helping Matter clean up and hurt my ankle. That's why I was wincing, limping, rubbing my foot and everything else." he said.
Doc looked at him and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know! I just couldn't do it! You were busy so I didn't want to bother you." he said.
"Aw kid, you can tell me anything you need to. You know that."
Lightning smiled and hugged him with one hand.
An hour later Doc was fixing Lighting's ankle and wrist.
"There we go rookie, now you be careful ok?"
"Ok dad, I will."
A bit later Lightning was just sitting there reading to keep himself busy. He was also thinking about how he's not going to finish the season but with a broken ankle and sprained wrist he didn't have a choice.
He sighed for a second and thought, 'Oh well, it's best for my foot and wrist. Besides, how could I drive without both hands and both feet? '
Later that day he was on his way to Mack so they could get home. While they were on their way home he read for a bit. They weren't too far from home when they left for the race. Once he got home everyone was happy that he was ok.
"Is somethin' wrong buddy?" Matter asked.
"No, I just can't finish the season but it's the best for my wrist and obvious for my foot." said Lightning.
"Don't worry Lightning you'll be back before you know it!" said Sally.
He smiled and gave her a kiss.
"Why don't you take a seat and I'll get you some lunch ok?" Sally said.
"Ok thanks Sal."
So Lightning went and sat down while Sally went and got them lunch. When she came back she had a sandwich and a soda for Lightning and a sandwich and tea for herself. While those two had lunch Doc and Sherriff were talking to each other.
"So what happened?" asked Sherriff.
He sighed and said, "Chick put him into an accident. And he said he was helping Matter clean up a bit when he tripped over something and twisted his ankle. Since just about everyone knows me from the years I was racing, I was a doctor they let me take care of him."
"That must of hurt." Sherriff said.
Doc nodded his head. "It makes me think of what happened to me on that accident." he said.
"He must be upset about not finishing the season."
"Yea, even I'm not too happy. But he can't really do it on crutches, and with only one hand can he." Doc said.
Later that day, Lightning was watching some TV when he heard something.
"What was that?" he said.
So he grabbed his crutches and went to look at what was going on. It was only Sarge and Fillmore fighting as usual. He sighed and shook his head smiling.