Ride

Chapter 10- Unfrogettable

It didn't take long for the receptionist to smile and nod, sending Gloria on her way.

Luigi closed the book he was holding with a heavy sigh. He had been reading another one of Fudge's books out loud to her. It was a book from the Babysitters Club series; the books had been Sally's when she was younger and she gave them to Fudge. Now, whenever the doctors and nurses caught him reading to her, they'd tell him he was a good father. He wasn't so sure about that. He was just doing what anybody would do.

Apparently not. The nurse currently in the room, Nurse Flossie, eyed the title of the book. "My husband would be too self-conscious to read a book a called Boy-Crazy Stacey", she informed him in her Louisiana drawl. "I can tell you'd do anything for that girl."

Luigi nodded vigorously. "I would."

Flossie smiled ruefully. "Well, I'm afraid that I am going to have to ask you to leave for a few minutes. It's test and medication time."

Not surprisingly, Luigi didn't want to leave. However, as previously stated, he would do anything for Fudge and that meant cooperating with the doctors and staff helping her.

He took one last glance at the little girl as he rolled out of the room. Normally, she would have a meltdown if she left, begging him not to go. Not this time. She just lay there. How could she just lie there? She didn't seem to be getting any better! It had been a month now!

Parking out in the hallway, Luigi burst into tears. He had no idea how long he could do this! How long she could do this! She was going to be fine- he knew it- but he was tired of waiting for it. Besides, he couldn't cry when he was in her room. If there was even the slightest chance that she could hear him, then he had to be strong.

A few minutes later, Luigi became aware that there was someone behind him. Slowly, he turned around and found himself looking into familiar, comforting eyes.

"Mamma..." he murmured. He knew she shouldn't have been there, with her engine condition and it must've cost a lot of money to travel across the Atlantic at the last minute. Yet, he didn't care. He just wanted- and needed- her there.

Gloria said nothing. She just held out her tyres as her eyes filled with tears. Luigi raced towards her and collapsed into her hug, crying louder. He wanted to be so strong for his daughter, but, for the time being, he didn't have to be the strong one.

Meanwhile, Lightning was heading in the direction of the waterfall to check up on Hoppy. He had been coming almost ever day since the accident. He even started a notebook to keep Fudge up to date on the things Hoppy did while she was gone. He was having a little trouble filling the pages, though. Hoppy was a frog; he didn't do much. Still, he was sure Fudge would want to see it when (if?) she woke up.

Since it was February, it was still cold down by the waterfall. Lightning saw several frogs leaping around the water, but none of them were Hoppy. Everyone in Radiator Springs knew Hoppy when they saw him.

"Where did you go, Hoppy?" Lightning wondered to himself softly, just as he became aware of laughter coming from the other side of the waterfall.

Driving around to investigate led him to discover five boys- two cars; a forklift; a pickup truck and a human- all about ten years old, stabbing at something with a stick.

"Oh, man! That is so gross!" the forklift chortled.

"Yeah, but it's so cool!" one of the cars agreed.

"Wanna bet I can tear it in half?" the pickup truck asked.

Lightning drove closer to see what they were stabbing and his oil ran cold when he saw.