The sun was just beginning to set over Desert Springs as Lightning dropped his shovel wearily and sank to his knees with a groan. He held out his hands, staring at the dirty, bleeding calluses that were just starting to form. Why was this so hard? He had played sports, worked out at the gym, thought of himself as strong and fit… but barely a day of this work and it had just about done him in. He let his head slump forward as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Hey, Lightning…" he turned his head at a soft voice at his side and a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Sure, yeah, whaddya think?" he croaked, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just great. I'm practically the most famous rookie in racing history, and look at me!" his voice rose and, grabbing for the shovel, he threw it as hard as he could. It fell just shy of Luigi's remaining unbroken window. "I'm stuck here in hillbilly hell, shoveling off the streets!"

"Well, a little bit of hard work never killed anyone," Sally grinned. "I can tell you're not used to it, though." She felt him stiffen.

"Course not, I'm a racer, not a street cleaner! You people don't get it."

Sally chose to ignore that last comment.

"Got some lemonade for you. Flo's secret recipe. She's the best cook on Route 66, I'll betcha." She handed him a glass and he downed the lemonade in a few gulps. "So…" she added slowly. "I'm curious about something. Where on earth did you get a name like Lightning?" she laughed. "Gracious, our town was struck by Lightning!"

He rolled his eyes and Sally prepared herself for another smart-alecky comment. But he looked sideways at her and she was startled to see something of a change in him for one brief moment. His eyes were searching her face as if trying to determine whether he could trust her. He seemed a bit… wistful… and when he answered, his voice was different. Softer, almost hopeful.

"Eh… Lightning's just a stage name," he shrugged. "You can call me Kellan, if you want…" he tried to grin, but it came out crooked.

"Alright then, Kellan," Sally smiled and took the empty glass back. But she frowned at the bloody marks he left on it. "Let me see your hands," she reached for them before he could protest and turned his right hand palm-up. "What have you done to yourself? You've all but torn the skin clear off…"

"Yeah? So what?" he jerked his hand away, his voice hardened again, his eyes angry. "You got me into this mess, Miss Hotshot-Attorney. The judge was gonna let me go!"

Sally glanced up at the sheriff, who had returned after his dozenth coffee break of the day to collect his prisoner. "Alright if he comes with me for a while? He'll need some help with his hands, and I doubt Doc is in the right frame of mind to do it…"

"Suit yerself, Miss Sally," the sheriff shook his head, looking as if he doubted her sanity. "Mater, go 'long with Miss Sally an' keep an eye on the prisoner. Bring him back to the jail afterwards, okay?"

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna go with you?" Lightning folded his arms over his chest and glared at Sally. "I do getta make decisions for myself, y'know. So maybe you just leave me alone, okay?"

"If you wanna go back to jail now, with your hands in that shape, suit yourself," Sally shrugged. "I'm just trying to be friendly, that's all."

"Folks what make dumb decisions shouldn't be 'llowed to make 'em," Mater chuckled, grabbing Lightning's arm. "C'mon!"

"Yeah, come right in," Mater said unnecessarily as he half-dragged Lightning through the door of Sally's office. "This here's the Cozy Corner mo-tel. Best motel in town. Fact it's the only motel in town," he chuckled. "Sit down, make yerself at home. Miss Sally's the hospitable type, ain't that right, Miss Sally?" He raised his voice to yell as Sally disappeared into a back room. She emerged a moment later with a first aid kit and a bowl of water.

"Cookies from Flo's on the desk," she grinned at Mater and indicated the cookies with her head. "Help yourself. As for you…" she pulled a chair up to sit across from Lightning. "I already knew you were crazy, but doing that kind of work without gloves is more like slightly insane." She laughed and Lightning grew indignant.

"Okay, that's not fair," he jerked back angrily as she reached for his hands. "I was forced into this, I'm being held here against my will, you can't just…"

"Alright, alright," Sally only laughed again. "Don't go losing your head. Tell you what. First thing in the morning, you go over to Sarge's and he'll get you a good sturdy pair of work gloves. The surplus store is good for stuff like that. Here now, let me help you… or are you still Mr. One-Man Show?"

She glanced up at him as she said this and he glared harder. He didn't answer, but neither did he resist as she began gently washing the dirt and blood from his torn hands.

"At some point," she added softly. "You're going to have to explain how you got here and what on earth were you doing tearing up the town like that."

"Yeah," Mater chimed in between cookies. "We all is mighty curious about that. Were ya bein' chased by the FDE or FBE or whatever them government guys is called?"

"And whenever you get to where you're going," Sally spoke again. "How do you expect to race alone? Y'know…" she paused as she dug through the first aid kit for bandages and looked at Lightning again. He was staring at her with something like a glazed-over expression in his eyes. She wasn't certain he had heard a word either she or Mater had said. "Uh… Kellan? Stormcloud?" she laughed and he wrinkled his nose at her.

"I always race alone," he spoke abruptly. "It's always worked out for me and it always will. Soon as I get out of this hillbilly town of yours and off to California, I'll win the Piston Cup and prove it to the world. Y'hear me?"

Sally only smiled as she wrapped his hands in gauze. She almost looked forward to watching him learn a rather painful lesson.

"Remember," she murmured, doubting he would take a word she said to heart. "People weren't created to stand alone. We need each other. Yes, even you, Lightning McQueen. I doubt you could have bandaged those hands by yourself." and she grinned at the stormy look that crossed his face.