Ride

Chapter 12- Guilt Tripping

"Are you kidding? I would never forget that!" Lightning replied.

That was a prompt for the two of them to begin to talk about their first trip up to the Wheel Well together. From there, they started to shift to other conversations.

Although they weren't talking about Fudge, Lightning couldn't stop thinking about his sister. The same thoughts of how her current condition was all his fault and how he couldn't go in to be with her were whirling around in his brain. He'd told Sally exactly how he felt about all of that; all the stuff he'd told Mater earlier that day, but she would insist that it wasn't his fault and that it was okay that he hadn't been able to go and see her because he was upset. Why didn't anybody understand that it was all his fault?

Despite that, the race car found himself relaxing and enjoying the evening. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. Sally always seemed able to do wonders for him. He had no idea how she did it.

"Hey, McQueen!" a familiar voice called out when they returned to town. It was Sammy, who approached Lightning and Sally with Finn, Holley and Mater.

"Hey, guys!" Lightning greeted them, trying to smile. "When did you get here?"

"About half an hour ago", Finn replied.

"We'll be going with you to the hospital tomorrow", Holley added. "We won't be able to do anything for her either, but we wanted to be with you."

Sally nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

"I still can't believe any of this has happened", Sammy remarked, shaking her head. They started making their way over to Flo's where the rest of the townsfolk and Mack were gathered for the evening. "How you feeling, McQueen?"

"I've been better", he repeated the response he used every time he got asked that question.

"You know", the human woman began thoughtfully, "I know exactly what you're going through... I've told you about my mom, haven't I?"

"How she was murdered?" Lightning asked. It sounded familiar.

Sammy nodded sadly. "Yeah. That."

"I saw it happen", she explained. "I can't stop wishing there was something I could've done." She looked at the race car in front of her. "I know what it's like to feel responsible for something like this happening to a loved one. The pain you feel. The guilt..."

"Yeah, can you just cut to the part that's supposed to make me feel better?" Lightning snapped. He felt bad enough as it was and Sammy's words weren't helping at all.

"All I'm trying to say", Sammy informed him, "is you didn't even do anything wrong like."

"Didn't do anything wrong?!" Lightning echoed incredulously. "I've put my little sister in the hospital because I was stupid enough to stay when I knew the weather was bad! That was the dumb decision I made!" For a moment, everyone, even the stock car himself, thought that he was going to cry again, but he didn't. Not this time.

That was when Sammy moved away from the gas station and lit up a cigarette. They all knew that Sammy only ever smoked when she was either depressed or wanted to look tough. They all had a feeling which one it was this time.

"Hey... uh... boss?" Mack piped up after a couple of minutes of awkward silence. "I know this might be a bad time and I'm sorry, but... I was just talkin' to Rusty and Dusty... They were just wonderin' if you got their message."

"Yeah... Yeah I did..." he replied.

"Are... are you gonna race?" Mack questioned.

Lightning sighed. "I don't know... I mean, I'm not sure if I'll be ready... Though, it may be a good chance to take my mind off Fudge... and Luigi."