Great chapter! Correct me if I’m wrong, I think this is the first ‘racing’ chapter you’ve written? Well, I liked it. 
^^^ Exactly what I’m thinking. 
Ballboi: The wait is up… 
Oh, and I LOVE your signature!!!
Snipe: Thanks! And yes, I did look that up. 
SallyMcQueen: I wrote a bit about racing in “Personal Affairs” but not as much as this one. So thanks!
CHAPTER TEN
“Another great race!” McQueen grinned at Mack. A few weeks had passed, and ever since his initial win he’d been dominating the track.
“One more before the Cup, huh?” Mack added cheerfully.
“Yeah…I can’t wait!” he smiled back, but on the inside he felt differently. He was apprehensive about it, yet excited too. Once it was over he could go back home to Doc, and Mater, and Sally. Sally. He hadn’t spoken to her since taking off that night. Nor had she made the effort to contact him. He’d neglected her so much these past few months. When he got back he could make it up to her, and never leave her side again until the baby was born.
“Ready to go then?” Mack interrupted his thoughts.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Just let me check for any messages from Harv and then I’ll let the others know we’re heading out,” McQueen said and headed for the trailer’s rear.
Mack nodded, “Alright, boss!”
He could hear the transport begin humming to himself while he slipped up the ramp into the trailer. To no surprise, there was a message waiting for him. He hit ‘play’ and waited to hear the recording.
“Hey, Stickers…it’s um, me. Look, there’s been an emergency and I’m asking you to miss the next race. I know you should be there with the Piston Cup being so close, but I need you to come to Motor City Hospital. And you’re probably still mad at me but please, please come. I’m sorry Stickers, I really am. I just need you to be there…room 202. I love you…”
The message ended and McQueen found that his breathing had turned shorter and quicker. An emergency, the hospital…was Sally having a miscarriage? A premature birth? Was his baby going to die? Tears stung his eyes while he imagined the worst. He hadn’t even touched his child yet and he already felt attached to it. If that baby died a part of Sally would a die, a part of him, a part of them.
He flew from the trailer before the tears could start rolling. Fear consumed his heart and he went into panic over-drive. “Mack! Get hooked up!”
“What is it?” Mack said noticing McQueen’s frightened eyes.
“We’re taking a detour; Motor City Hospital. Now hurry while I get the others!”
The ride to the hospital was like watching paint dry; tedious and slow. When they finally arrived, McQueen ordered Mack to dump him outside the doors before parking. He dashed inside and approached the first secretary he saw.
“I’m here as a visitor, I’m looking for room 202,” he explained with urgency.
The lavender PT Cruiser typed away on her computer before asking, “Lightning McQueen?”
“Yes, that’s me!”
“Alright, you are being expected. Down that hall on the next level up you’ll find 202,” she instructed calmly.
“Thanks,” he muttered and rushed off in a haste. He found the room with ease but he hesitated momentarily outside. What if it was too late? It would all be his fault for not being there. Sally would blame him and then she’d probably want to end their marriage before he even had the chance to say ‘happy anniversary’. He didn’t know what misery lay beyond the door, so he pushed it open to find out.
Never a dull moment... :sunglasses: What lies beyond the all-mighty door? Comment if you would like to find out! <img src="//pixarplanet-forums.s3.dualstack.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/c/cc83e9b583138e48ff45f96609046b06d06c7f9d.gif" width="15" height="15" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green"/> Thanks for reading everybody!Now this is starting to get interesting. Oh, thanks for the compliment about my new signature! You can probably tell I’m a fan of Puss in Boots.
Alright! The snowball’s rolling now! I have butterflies in my stomach right now because I want to know what happened so bad! I literally flipped when I saw it was a cliffhanger. (reads along and gets more nervous/excited Oh my gosh… scrolls down and sees end of chapter NOOOOO!!!) 
You’re really good at cliffhangers, bt-dubbs. And I know how you are with them, you get really sneaky with your plot twists. So, I’m going to keep my thoughts about what happens at a minimum because I’ll probably be proved dead wrong. 
I literally can’t wait to the next chapter.
Yay! I must say, I’ve gotten a bigger reaction out of this cliffhanger than I thought I would. Ah yes, plot twists…gotta love 'em. The wait is over my friends!!! Read on!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Inside the sterile hospital McQueen could hear the steady ‘beep…beep’ of a heart monitor. There were no sounds of a crying baby or motherly cooing. He could feel a hint of wetness on his windshield but blinked rapidly to keep it from welling into droplets. A turquoise coloured nurse with sharp green eyes emerged from behind a curtain that shielded the bed. Her eyes softened and she drove over to McQueen.
“Lightning McQueen?” she whispered gently.
His tongue sat like dead weight, so he nodded in response.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she said with her voice still low, “He’s been bitter ever since he got here. Hopefully a visitor will lighten him up.”
Him?! “Uh, excuse me, I don’t think I’m in the right room,” McQueen sputtered with confusion.
“Not if you’re Lightning McQueen. I wouldn’t assume there are many Lightning’s out there. Now just don’t stay too long, please. Visiting hours ended an hour ago but your wife informed me you would be late,” she explained and began to back away.
McQueen blocked her path. “Y-yes, my wife, that’s who I’m looking for!”
“I’m sorry, Mr. McQueen. She called the ambulance but she never checked in. If you’ll excuse me,” she inched past him toward the door.
What?! How could she of-? McQueen’s mind spun with misunderstanding. He hadn’t been this confused since waking up in the Radiator Springs impound lot. The nurse disappeared without another word and he turned to study the curtained bed. Suddenly he heard a hoarse cough and his body shuddered with recognition. He slowly made his way to the bed and pulled back the curtains to reveal Doc Hudson.
His eyes met those of the drowsy car who was like a father to him. Wires climbed out from underneath the elderly car and there was no noise except for the continuous beeping of the heart monitor. A tube stuck out from under his left side and connected to some type of machine that appeared to be filtering his oil.
At last McQueen found his voice, “Doc! What the hell are you doing here?!”
“I had a heart attack yesterday. Didn’t Sally tell you?” he grumbled like he was ashamed of himself.
“N-no! She told me to come quick, but I had no idea! I thought maybe-.”
“She’s fine, doing great pregnancy-wise,” Doc told him.
McQueen let out a long breath of happiness. “I bet you’ve all been taking good care of her, thank you. What about you though? Are you going to be OK?”
“Well, of course I am,” Doc replied gruffly.
“Then what did Sally want me to rush out here so quick for? Doc, what aren’t you telling me?” he pressed.
“I suppose she probably wanted you to stay with me tonight. I’m having bypass surgery in half an hour,” he mumbled.
McQueen’s eyes widened with shock. “Are you serious? I’ll wait for you all night, Doc. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’ll be alright.”
Doc smiled weakly, “Thanks Rookie…you’ve been there for me more than anyone else.”
“Me? Doc, you’re the one who changed me!” McQueen said with disbelief.
“No, it wasn’t just me. I taught you some valuable lessons, but Sally is the one who changed you. But you…you’re the only one who changed me.”
A smile formed on McQueen’s mouth with the words, “And that’s why I’ll be here when you wake up, old-timer.”
Well? What did you think? Predictable or not? I kind of gave it away early in the chapter who it was. :stuck_out_tongue: And I hope you guys enjoyed the tender moment between Doc and McQueen. Hope to hear your thoughts! :slight_smile:Nice chapter! It’s great to see Lightning stay with Doc during his surgery. Can’t wait to read how Sally is doing.
Oh yeah! I haven’t forgot about her!
Thats good. Oh, I love your new signature!
Thanks!!
Whoa! I had no idea that was going to be Doc in there! I guess I should have seen it coming, with some of those hints you put in, but I guess I was too sure it would be Sally and the baby. 
But that was an awesome plot twist. Great job, MissCarrera!
dances around happily Let me just say that I. KNEW. IT. That’s why I decided to keep it to myself also because I didn’t want to ruin it for everybody. Man, high-five on that one! Brownie points for me! I had said yesterday after reading the chapter, “Watch it not even be Sally. It’s probably Doc.” and my thoughts were correct! fist pumps Okay, I’m back down on Earth now. You did a really good job of making it seem like it was Sally though. Oh no, Doc! I hope everything goes okay with the surgery and yes, Doc and McQueen moments rock. Awesome job!
So I got some of you but not all of you. 
Hey, as long as you enjoyed it then that’s great guys! Look at this…triple whammy here! Read on!
(Oh, and in the Cars world I picture a bed to be simply a matress with blankets or very low to the ground. Just for future reference.)
CHAPTER TWELVE
After the longest three hours of his life, McQueen was finally given the news that Doc’s surgery was successful. As promised. He remained at the hospital until Doc woke from the anaesthesia. Doc would be kept in the ICU for five days before he could be released to Radiator Springs.
Too tired to run the last season race before the championship, McQueen was convinced to spend the day in Radiator Springs. Doc assured him that a quick, one-day rest at home would be the perfect break to re-energize him for the Piston Cup.
He arrived to town mid-morning to find it was teeming rain. The rest of the crew had come directly back and now milled quietly about their respective shops. He passed through the main street under their sorrowful stares. They had been telephoned the news that Doc was going to recover but no one dared to press McQueen for details. His face was sullen and fatigued; it worried them to see him that way. His mind was only on one car now; Sally. All he wanted was to collapse against her and unburden everything. He wanted to crawl under thick blankets beside her, and let her pluck every bad emotion away from his thoughts.
Making his way home the rain began to drive down harder. It was so heavy he could almost see the individual droplets hit his hood. He was so weary but managed to lift his eyes. Through the fog and mist he could see the outline of the house, and like a mirage, he could see a figure outside the doorway. As he moved closer he saw that it was not a hallucination, out in the distance Sally waited for him. The rain poured down all around her body and her face was blank, but she looked like an angel in his eyes, one ready to embrace anything he brought her way.
“Sally,” he exhaled while tears finally spilled from his eyes. Masked by the rain he let them fall and cried out louder, “Sally…Sally!” His tires unwillingly turned faster and he fled to her like a child. Lack of sleep was doing wild things to him, but he didn’t fight it.
When he reached her, he found her lips and kissed her like it was his last breath. He savoured the intensity while she kissed him back just as passionately. The cool rain washed away his tears but hot flames danced between their lips as she pulled his mind higher into clouds of desire. No more than a few seconds later they broke simultaneously from each other and McQueen’s face relaxed to a dazed expression. Not a single kiss had ever evoked such a sensation in him before. It was a feeling of fulfilled longing and mutual comfort.
“Come inside,” she whispered softly and led the way into the house. Still fazed by the moment they had shared, he followed her without a word. She took him to the bedroom and pushed back the comforter. His heart hammered from within and in a haze he saw only her and the inviting mattress. He wanted her to kiss him like that again. And he wondered if she would if he asked, or begged.
“Go to sleep, McQueen,” she ordered from the bedside.
He whimpered at her demand.
She kissed him sweetly on the fender, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Where had he heard that before? Doc; he’d told Doc the same thing. It seemed like centuries ago that he’d said it. He snuggled beneath the blankets and closed his eyes knowing that she would be there the next time he opened them.
Doc lives! [i]This[/i] is why I pointed out how everybody assumes that Doc is going to die whenever his health is mentioned. You should know I don't like the predictable. Oh, and I happen to like Doc. :sunglasses: This right here though: [i]"The cool rain washed away his tears but hot flames danced between their lips as she pulled his mind higher into clouds of desire,"[/i] is probably one of my favourite lines from this entire fic. <3 Just wanted to throw that out there. :stuck_out_tongue: But I'd love to hear what you guys think! Thanks for reading!Phew, glad to hear that Doc’s surgery was sucessful. That line you mentioned was just epic! Always enjoy reading some of your fan-fics. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Ballboi! For those who want to know, this story is going to have [spoil]16[/spoil] chapters in total. Don’t read that if you prefer to keep it unknown!
Your welcome. Also, I’m cool with this fan-fic being [spoil]16[/spoil] chapters long.
I love it! <3 Phew, Doc’s okay- check. Lightning and Sally back on good terms- half-checked. I guess we’ll see when McQueen wakes up. When I read the line you mentioned, I said “That is beautiful.” and it is, it’s pure poetry, seriously. I’m all good for it being that many chapters long. Or at least I am till it gets to that chapter, then I might just cry. 
Aw, this whole chapter with Light and Sal was so beautiful. <3 The rain had a nice effect too. And yes! Doc lives! About the bed thing, I completely get it… in fact, my brother actually has a Cars toy that has a sofa-like thing. I might try to post a picture of it for ya’ll tomorrow. And I didn’t read your number of chapters there. I prefer to be surprised. 
But yeah, as always, fantastic job! Keep up the good work!
Really?! Haha, that I must see.
I’m happy the SalQueen romance was enjoyed! And that’s exactly why I kept it in spoiler tags Snipe, sometimes I prefer the surprise too! Oh! And I would love to see the bed thing you were mentioning too! Well, here’s the next chapter before the weekend…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The room was surprisingly dark when he awoke. The clock read 10:21 pm and Sally snoozed quietly on the left side of the bed. Not wanting to wake her, McQueen climbed out from the bed and snuck down to the lower floor. In the kitchen he saw the silhouette of a fuel can. He sipped the lukewarm liquid and jerked away with disgust. It tasted like some kind of nutrient supplement, most likely something Doc had prescribed for Sally. He smacked his lips together and tried to rake the flavour off his tongue using his teeth. Suddenly the kitchen light flicked on and he heard soft laughter from the doorway.
“You weren’t supposed to wake up before me,” Sally said with a casual smile.
He chuckled with humiliation, “Whoops.”
The smile on her bumper faded and her tone turned serious, “Stickers, I’ve been wanting to tell you that I’m sorry. I know I said it over the phone but it doesn’t mean a thing unless I say it to your face. So, I’m sorry.”
McQueen was taken aback by her apology but replied, “It’s OK, all those hormones-.”
“No, don’t make excuses for me,” she interrupted, “I said what I said, but I just want you to know that I was wrong and I regret it. Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time so I’m hoping an apology will make up for it.”
“Of course it will. Besides, we’ve been through worse fights than that. Did you really think that would tear us down?”
“I guess not, but it still hurt you,” she said shamefully.
“Well, you had every right. I wasn’t exactly there for you,” he admitted.
“You couldn’t have been, and I understand that. I was only being selfish. It doesn’t matter now though. Look at you! You’ll be off to the Piston Cup when morning comes! You know…we’re really proud of you this season, what with Doc retiring and all that.”
McQueen’s eyes sank to the tile floor, “Yeah…”
“What is it?” Sally asked a note of concern in her voice.
“I’ve been thinking…perhaps I could just end the season now? I could look after Doc and you-.”
She cut into his explanation abruptly, “Are you scared?”
“About what?”
“About racing the Piston Cup without Doc.”
He paused to choose his answer carefully, “I just think that now would be a good time to settle down.”
“You’re quitting!” she exclaimed with disbelief.
“I wouldn’t call it quitting,” he tried to protest, but it was too late.
“Lightning McQueen! You are quitting if I ever saw it!”
“Well, yes. I mean, no! Look, when you say it like that-.”
“Like what? Like the truth?” She rendered him silent. If there was a downside to being married to a former lawyer it was that she could read him like his feelings were written all over the walls. He could never lie to her, no matter how hard he tried.
He couldn’t find anything to say and she drove closer to him. Suddenly her eyes looked saddened and hurt. “Stickers…settling down doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams. You have settled down, and if you give up now then you’re giving up on Doc and everyone else behind you. And you’ll be giving up on me. I could never live feeling satisfied that you let something you’ve wanted for so long escape you. Just because things are changing doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice what’s important to you.” She paused to let the words sink onto his soul and added, “I know you’re nervous and I know you want to be here. But you’re almost there, and it will only get easier after it’s most difficult. Don’t burn out yet.” And with that, she went back to bed.
Next update will be on Monday at the earliest! Comments are welcome, and thanks for reading! :slight_smile: (Sorry, it's late, don't have much time to leave a longer author's note).Great chapter! It was a little surprising to me that Lightning decided to take some time off from the racing.