"great way to shut you up." Doc said. Lightning glared at him. "I believe you kid, but you need proof of the illegal spikes. you can't just go around saying that stuff without proof kid." Doc added.
"but I have proof-" Lightning tried.
"scratches on your car don't count." Doc said.
"gouges!" Lightning argued. Doc sighed and grabbed his face gently.
"look at me. he threatened you, I know. I believe you about the spikes, but you're going to get kicked out without proof and you know it. gouges and scratches don't count. you need proof. pictures or something." Doc said. Lightning and sighed and nodded.
"I know." he mumbled, dropping his head against Docs shoulder.
"on the bright side, you didn't do any more damage to your arm." Doc mumbled.
"Doc can we just go... train now or something?" Lightning ask, holding his injured arm. Doc nodded and helped him up.
"can you handle a few rounds around the track?" Doc ask. Lightning nodded.
"yeah. I can do it." Lightning said.
"I won't be easy on you this time." Doc warns.
"thats okay." Lightning assured. Doc nodded at him and headed outside. Lightning followed him. Chick and his crew had left already. Doc led him straight to the Hornet. he watched the younger, waiting to see if he'd react, but he simply climbed into the car. Doc smiled and climbed into the car. he headed for Willies Butte. he did his best not to look over at Lightning, but he glanced over occasionally Lightning was staring out the window. he seemed to be trying to relax himself.
"would it help if I kept you talking?" Doc ask as he started to speed around the track.
"you're not going to be able to hold my hand on the track Doc, I have to be able to do this by myself." Lightning said.
"kid, you've never done this by yourself and you don't have to start now. no I can't physically hold your hand on the track, but I'm always in your headset. anytime you start loosing it out there, I'm always there." Doc said. Lightning looked over at him. "you realize that right?" Doc ask. Lightning looked at him, then back out the window. "Lightning, I know you don't realize it, but we're here to help you. this team, you know we're your friends. we're not just going to leave because you wrecked. you're not a one man team." Doc said softly. Lightning sighed.
"I know. I know I'm not a one man team Doc... I just... I feel like... I have to do this. I know I have to do this myself." Lightning said.
"stop it. no you don't." Doc glared, hitting the breaks. he parked the car and grabbed Lightnings good arm. Lightning looked at the hand around his wrist. "look at me right now." Doc said.
"Doc-" Lightning started looking up at him.
"kid you are not a one man crew. you're not by yourself. you're not going to get any better trying to do this shit by yourself." Doc snapped. Lightning sat back slightly, surprised. "you can't do this by yourself. you need to depend on us. don't do that kid. we spent years making progress on you thinking you have to do this by yourself and I won't let you mess it up." Doc snapped. Lightnings shoulders fell. "we want to help you. we are a team, but you have to let us." Doc said softly.
"but you guys can't help. you don't know whats going through my head." Lightning said.
"because you won't let us. you won't let me." Doc said. "I know exactly what you're going through kid and you've got to stop this. either let me help or tell me you don't want me to be your crew chief anymore." Doc snapped.
"of course I want you as my crew chief, you're the best I've ever had!" Lightning snapped back.
"then let me be your crew chief. let me be your friend. let me help you." Doc hissed. Lightning looked down at his lap and Doc sighed. "kid I love you alright? and I want to help you, but you have got to stop this. understood?" Doc ask. Lightning sighed slightly and nodded.
"okay. I'm sorry." he mumbled. "I have to get back out there but you're right it's not going to happen without help." Lightning added. Doc let go of his wrist and put the car in gear.
"now be honest with me. would it help you if I keep talking?" Doc ask. Lightning shrugged.
"maybe... I don't know." Lightning mumbled. Doc nodded a little and headed back out onto the butte.
"see honesty. it gets you further than trying to handle everything yourself." Doc said. Lightning nodded a little then looked over at Doc.
"how do I prove Chick tried to kill me?" Lightning ask.
"easy. we get you back out there on that track. you keep your distance, be careful and stay behind him. winning on your first race back isn't going to be important. you know why?" Doc ask.
"no." Lightning said.
"who is the person who always comes in second behind you?" Doc ask.
"Cal. the little Dinoco rookie." Lightning said.
"exactly and who do you think he's going to go after if you're not on your not in the lead?" Doc ask. Lightnings eyes widened.
"Cal." Lightning murmured.
"exactly. so you keep on Chicks tail and you don't let up. you don't let him shake you and you keep an eye on that rookie. if Chick makes a move, stop him." Doc said. "understood?" Doc ask. Lightning nodded.
"yeah... but what if I can't stop him?" Lightning ask.
"you will kid. you'll think of something." Doc assured. Lightning nodded a little.
"sorry I punched Chick earlier." Lightning mumbled.
"don't apologize to me, you're the idiot who bunched someone with a broken arm." Doc snickered. Lightning huffed, looking over at him, a pink tint to his cheeks. Doc chuckled softly and smiled at him. the smile stayed even as he turned back to the track.
"what are you smiling about?" Lightning mumbled.
"we're maxing out at top speed." Doc murmured. Lightning looked over and seemed shocked. they were indeed maxed out, but he didn't feel the anxiety and fear he'd felt before. he felt relaxed like normal. Doc was watching him carefully. he leaned back in his seat and looked around. "so you think you got this?" Doc ask. Lightning looked around before nodded.
"yeah." Lightning mumbled, a hint of a smile one his face. Doc chuckled softly and reached over taking his hand.
"I told you kid, this is easier when you let me help." Doc smiled. Lightning nodded a little.
"yeah but you're not going to be able to-" Lightning said.
"hush. whatever it is, I'll deal with it." Doc assured. "where's your helmet?" Doc ask as he stopped the Hornet. Lightning shrugged.
"I never got it back after the wreck, but I have like 4 suits. Mack said mine didn't survive the crash, that they cut it off at the hospital, but I haven't seen anything about my helmet." Lightning frowned.
"thats fine, we'll throw mine on you until we either find you and get you a new one." Doc said, heading back to town.
"think Chick and his crew will come back?" Lightning ask after a moment. Doc frowned.
"probably, but we've got your back. though it may be good to get the footage of him harassing you." Doc mumbled. "I think Sally just put up a new security system at the Cone because some of her guests didn't feel safe." Doc said with a frown.
"might be worth a shot..." Lightning said. Doc shifted in his seat, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. he handed it to Lightning.
"find your appointment card." Doc said as he drove back into town. Lightning hesitated only a moment, but opened his wallet and looked for the card, almost pausing when he saw a picture of the crew in Docs wallet. it was from their first race win. Mater was holding Lightning up on his shoulder, Mack was holding the Piston Cup, Red was awkwardly standing behind Mater, eye's on Lightning in case the other dropped him, again. Doc was standing on Maters other side with an amused smirk and his arms crossed over his chest while Guido and Luigi were standing in front of them laughing. Lightning remembered seeing that in a news paper once upon a time.
"I remember that." Lightning muttered. the picture was, of course, only two years old but it was still fresh in his memory. Doc looked over.
"your first win." Doc said. Lightning nodded slightly with a small smile.
"it was also the day my car caught fire and Mater dragged me out, the dropped me and Red left a bruise on his head from hitting him so hard." Lightning chuckled. Doc snickered and Lightning pulled out the car. "oh hey, I get this off tomorrow." Lightning said. Doc frowned at him.
"tomorrow? no way. that hurt you way too much for you to be getting that off tomorrow." Doc frowned.
"do you realize how hard it is to punch someone properly with a cast on? it fucking hurt." Lightning huffed.
"or you're a baby." Doc said.
"I am not a baby." Lightning glared. "you're who Mater gets that from." Lightning glared. Doc chuckled slightly.
"guess we'll be heading up there tomorrow." Doc said.
"well, you're a doctor, can't you take it off?" Lightning ask. "I mean it would save time and gas." Lightning said. Doc seemed to think a moment as he parked in front of the house.
"I mean I probably could." he says after a moment of thought. "but I'm not sure if I have the tools for it. it's better I just take you to them." Doc added. Lightning nodded. "come on, lets see if Mack has your helmet." Doc said getting out. Lightning nodded and got out with him.
"hey how'd the drive go?" Sally ask.
"we maxed out on the speedometer and he never even noticed." Doc smirked, almost proudly. but he was always proud of Lightnings accomplishments.
"oh thats great!" Sally grinned.
"yeah, I'll be back out there as soon as my cars fixed." Lightning smiled.
"oh Ramone's working on that now." Sally smiled. Lightning nodded.
"hey you know where Mack is?" Lightning ask.
"last I checked, giving Red a hand with his flowers, Chicks pit team destroyed them." Sally said.
"oh no, really?" Lightning ask. Sally nodded.
"he's pretty upset." Sally frowned. Lightning nodded and he headed towards Reds flower bed. Doc followed him.
"I'm getting him flowers." Lightning said.
"I figured. what kind are you going to get him this time?" Doc ask. anytime Reds flowers were destroyed, Lightning replaced them with what ever he could find.
"I dunno, I might ask what he'd like to see." Lightning shrugged. as they walked up, Red and Mack had just finished cleaning up. "hey." Lightning called. they both looked up at him and Red pointed to his ruined flower bed tearfully. "I heard buddy, give me a few days and I'll get them replaced again." Lightning assured.
"Chicks an ass." Mack muttered. Lightning nodded.
"tell you what, make me a list of some different types of flowers you want to see and I'll get them for you." Lightning said. Red smiled at him a little and nodded, walking off to make a list.
"whats up guys?" Mack ask.
"you seen my helmet?" Lightning ask. Mack shook his head.
"they ripped it off you when they loaded you up into the ambulance, but we never got it back." Mack replied. "but I can get a new one ordered.
"it won't come in before the race. not if I'm going to make the first race." Lightning said.
"you can just borrow mine." Doc muttered. "you're going to be borrowing it for practice anyway, may as well just use it until yours comes in." Doc added. Lightning nodded and Mack headed off to order a helmet. Doc and Lightning headed back to Docs house.
"I haven't even seen you wear that helmet except in pictures. do you even have it anymore?" Lightning ask.
"in the garage. with my old suit." Doc muttered.
"you still have your old suit?" Lightning ask curiously.
"yep. I still have the one I wrecked in and I had a whole new one made and never even got to use it. I'm too tall for it now." Doc added.