it had been a freak accident. the race had been over and a couple of guys were just running laps for fun on the track when it happened. one of them lost control. the car went flying into the pits. straight into Lightning and Cals crews. Lightning still couldn't remember the whole accident. a tire had flown off and hit him in the head, thankfully he was still wearing his helmet. the only reason he knew he'd been hit by a tire, even though his friends had told him, was because he had a tire track imprinted on his face so back he'd almost broken his nose. when he'd come to, the whole team was hurt and people were screaming. he'd found his husband under the car that had hit them. Cal had immediately come to his side, helping him drag Doc out.

now, two weeks later, Lightning hadn't left Docs side. refusing to get up and leave, shower, or even eat. he sat in the chair, holding Docs hand gently. the older man still hadn't woken up. he hadn't even gone to check on the rest of the team, who were all suffering different injuries from bruises and scratches to broken bones. Cals team was no better, but Doc had been the worst out of all of them.

"we haven't been able to get him to move. he needs a shower, clothes, breakfast, maybe some coffee. think you can help?" Sally ask softly, looking at Cal. Cal swallowed and frowned slightly, his arm was in a sling. he'd injured himself helping Lightning pull Doc out from under the car, he'd mostly been kept safe as he'd been in his own car, but some debris had flown through his windshield. he'd had minor injuries, but refused to leave Lightnings side until he'd been released from the hospital himself. he looked over at Lightning and heaved a sigh.

"I can try." Cal said. he walked over to the older man. "hey Lightning." Cal said, smiling. Lightning looked over and cracked a slight smile at him.

"Cal, glad to see tripping over that tire and nearly breaking your ankle didn't keep you down too long." Lightning murmured, getting up slowly. Cal hugged him tightly, Lightning hugged back smiling slightly.

"you need some clothes man and a shower. you stink. whens the last time you went back to the hotel to clean up?" Cal teased. Lightning shrugged.

"can't remember... can't remember what day it is, or how long I've been staring at him like this." Lightning said softly.

"tell you what. I'll stay here, I'll keep an eye on the old man. you go home and get you a shower, maybe some breakfast. I'll call you if anything happens." Cal said.

"no." Lightning said shaking his head. Cal shook his head and looked up at him.

"I won't leave him." Cal murmured softly. those words rang through the older man. Cal had said the same thing when they rushed Lightning off in an ambulance, kicking and screaming that Doc needed him. Cal hadn't been injured too bad, so he'd been quick to volunteer to ride with Doc to the ambulance. he'd kept true with his promise. wouldn't even let the doctors look him over until Doc got rolled into surgery.

"go Lightning. I'll stay with him. I won't leave. promise. I won't leave him."

Lightning looked back at Doc silently.

"promise." Cal murmured, with a half smile. Lightning nods at him slowly.

"'kay." he mumbles.

"hey Red, will you go with him? this guy smells like a dumpster." Cal grins. Red nods slightly and motions for Lightning to follow him. Red had been hit with the same tire that had hit Lightning, cracking two ribs, but he was okay. he gently through an arm around Lightnings shoulder and lead him away. Cal sat down in the chair Lightning had been in and looked at Doc.

"how'd you do that?" Sally ask.

"hmm?" Cal ask.

"get him to leave that quickly. we've been trying for two weeks. couldn't get him to budge." Sally said. Cal shrugged and shook his head.

"made him a promise." Cal murmurs. "same promise I made him when they loaded him up into an ambulance." Cal smiled slightly, but it was a sad smile.

"when you promised to ride with Doc right?" Sally ask. Cal nodded slightly.

"yup." Cal said. Sally nodded and watched Doc.

an hour and a half later Red and Lightning came back. the younger was no longer wearing the hospital issue clothing. he was wearing some shorts and a baggy t-shirt. he'd clearly had a shower and his hair was combed. he had a cup of coffee in his hand and what looked like a bagel from a coffee shop down the street. Red had a cup holder with coffee's not only for himself but Sally and Cal as well. Cal stood and smiled at Lightning, but the older mans eyes weren't on him the coffee cup slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor.

"Doc!" Lightning shouted, walking around Cal to look over the bed. Doc twitched slightly, slowly opening his eyes. he cracked a small smile around the tube in his mouth. "Red get a doctor or something. someone to get this tube out of his throat." Lightning said looking over at Red. Red nodded, passing Sally the coffee quickly before running off. Doc blinked and winced. Lightning was pushed out of the way by a team of doctors and nurses. Doc immediately started coughing once they had the tube out. after doing a thorough check up on him, they left the room. leaving the five standing there.

"you idiots look like I died." Doc mumbles quietly. Lightning gave him a shaky smile, jaw quivering as he attempted to keep the smile. Sally motioned to Cal and Red follow her out. as soon as they were out, Lightnings smile fell and he huffed a laugh.

"thats not funny." he said softly.

"what happened?" Doc ask.

"car came flying off the track. took our our whole team and most of Cals." Lightning mumbled, taking Docs hand gently. he huffed a laugh again and sniffled. "didn't think you were gonna wake up." he smiled slightly.

"someone's gotta keep you in line." Doc murmured quietly, gently squeezing Lightnings hand. "I'm okay baby." Doc assures.

"a rogue tire flew off and hit me in the head, so I didn't see much, but when I finally managed to get up, you were under the car." Lightning says, voice quivering. he sniffled a little and gave a forced laugh. "Cal helped me drag you out. when they loaded me up in an ambulance, I made him promise to stay with you." Lightning added. Doc squeezed his hand tighter.

"tire huh? explains why your necks in a brace and there's a tire imprint on your face. you alright?" Doc ask.

"Hud, fuck me and my health. a car landed on you!" Lightning cried looking at him. Doc gave him a small smile. his face was still covered in bruises though, so it hurt and he didn't hold it long. he couldn't really move much, everything hurt so bad.

"how bad is the breaks in my legs?" Doc ask. Lightning shrugged a little.

"buncha medical mumbo jumbo I didn't understand, just know that your left one was broken at the knee pretty bad and your right, I dunno fibia I think, is fractured." Lightning said.

"my fibia?" Doc snorted. "you mean fibula or tibia kid?" Doc ask. Lightning shrugged.

"dunno. I can't remember. but your other arm is broken. dunno the name of that bone." he shrugs. Doc laughed softly, gently lifting Lightnings hand to his mouth and pressing a kiss to it.

"don't worry about it kid. I can ask a doctor for all that 'medical mumbo jumbo'." Doc assures.

"sorry." he mumbles. "you're better at that stuff than I am." he added with a small smile Doc chuckles softly before stopping immediately, to wince. "you uh, broke three ribs too and I think your hip and part of your back." Lightning said. Doc nods.

"great, things people my age don't really recover from all that quickly." Doc mumbled.

"we'll get you back up and racing me in no time." Lightning said softly. he'd already vowed that it didn't matter how much it cost, Doc was getting all the best physical therapy and treatment he could get.

"how bad were you hurt?" Doc ask.

"fractured vertebra in my neck and a fractured collar bone. concussion." Lightning said. "didn't wake up again for like three days. m'okay." Lightning assures.

"you look like you just had a shower, glad to know you're still taking care of yourself." Doc smiled.

"m'not. Cal had to convince me to go... made him promise to sit with you until I got back." Lightning murmured. Doc chuckles softly.

"thats okay. you still got yourself a shower and some clothes. you eat anything?" Doc murmured.

"I was gonna. then I walked in and you were awake and I don't remember what happened to it." he chuckled slightly.

"pretty sure it hit the floor." Doc murmured. "Cal slid in it on his way out the door." Doc chuckled, smiling slightly. it looked like it hurt pretty bad to do that, but he held it a moment longer than he had last time. "why don't get you get Sally or Cal to come sit with me and get Red to take you back down for coffee?" Doc ask.

"I'm not gonna ask Red to take me again. he's got two broken ribs and the walk to the hotel nearly killed him." Lightning said, but he pulled out his phone anyway. Sally came back in after a moment with a smile.

"hey Stickers, Cals waiting outside to go get coffee with you. he dropped his." Sally chuckled. Lightning nods getting up and heading out of the room. he spared a glance at Doc, who smiled at him, before stepping out and closing the door.

"maybe you can fill in some blanks for me. I wasn't gonna get any real information from him." Doc said.

"don't think he really remembers. he got hit hard enough in the head that his helmet cracked." Sally said.

"what do you remember? you seem okay, not too injured." Doc said.

"I didn't get hit by a car or anything." Sally said. "there was screaming and when I turned around Stickers had stiffened up. looked like he barely had time to register what was happening by the time the tire hit him. he went down and the tire that had bounced off him, hit Red hard enough to break two ribs and crack a third when it hit him in the chest and knocked him over. parts came flying off the car and other things. Luigi and Guido got hit with a seperate tire and it bounced off and hit Mack. Mack fell over into the shelf of spare tires and both of them landed on me." Sally explained.

"wow, I'm the only one that got hit by the car?" Doc ask, snorting. Sally shook her head.

"Sheriff got hit to, clipped his side. he's got a broken arm and a broken leg, but he's okay. when I looked up the car was on you and Stickers was screaming at Cal about something. Cal grabbed his jack and Lightning went after Guidos. they used them to jack up the back end of the car then drag you out." Sally said. "when the ambulances finally got there, two of the paramedics grabbed Stickers and literally carried him away by his arms, kicking and screaming." Sally added.

"sounds about right." Doc mumbles. "what about Ramone and Flo?" Doc ask.

"they'd gone over to talk to some of Cals team. when the second car came flying over and took out half of Cals team, they'd already been walking back over. they managed to get missed by both cars." Sally said. Doc nods a little and winces.

"everyone okay other wise?" Doc ask.

"everyone's gonna live." Sally assured. "Mater got missed too, he'd already been towing Stickers car back to Macks Semi." Sally added.

"I thought I remembered that." he said. he relaxed into the bed. "try not to let the kid loose his mind while he's waiting for me." Doc murmured. Sally chuckled.

"I can try." she smiles. Doc smiled at her a little and waited for Lightning to come back. he was dreading the recovery process and what it was going to do to his younger partner, but knew everything would be okay.

because of Docs age, by the time they released him from the hospital and rehab, it had been nearly a year and a half. Lightning hadn't been allowed in to see him, policy, so Cal had been stopping by every day to take care of him. but Doc was finally out and Mack was driving him home.

when Doc walked through the door, followed by Mack. Lightning was snoring on the couch, looking like he hadn't showered in a week. there were bags under his eyes, though Doc doubted the younger had done much other than sleep for the past year. they'd cancelled the rest of the last season and this season as the two drivers from the wrecked cars had died, so it wasn't like he had any real training to do.

"I'll see you Doc." Mack murmurs, closing the door quietly. Doc nodded and looked over the couch smiling, before heading to the kitchen. maybe he could get some breakfast made for the younger before he woke up. he was almost finished when he heard the younger wake.

"hmm? Cal, it's only 11:30 you're not supposed to come babysit for another 45 minutes." Lightning mumbled. he stretched and got up heading for the kitchen and rubbing his eye. he's wearing one of Docs old 'Smokey's garage' t-shirts. Doc smiles at how baggy it is on him. Lightning looked up and froze, staring at Doc in shock. Doc smiles at him.

"hye baby, miss me?" Doc ask. immediately Lightning ran over slamming into him and hugging him tightly. Doc winced a little as his back made contact with the counter, but he wrapped his arms tightly around the younger. "missed you too kid." he says softly. he looked down. "Monty damn it!" Doc said, pulling him away from the stove.

"ow!" Lightning pouted.

"I'm back 30 minutes and you're already getting hurt." Doc muttered, looking over the burn on his arm.

"its cute you think I stopped getting hurt, just because you weren't here." Lightning muttered, letting Doc bandage the burn from the stove.

"yeah right. whens the last time you showered?" Doc ask.

"I dunno, maybe three days ago? days kinda blur together." he mumbles.

"go shower, change your clothes. breakfast will be done when you get out." Doc murmurs. Lightning shook his head.

"no. absolutely not. I'm not going anywhere." Lightning replied. Doc holds him gently.

"baby, I'm not going anywhere." Doc says softly.

"don't care. missed you." he mumbles, holding him tighter. Doc smiles slightly.

"okay, fine, we'll eat breakfast then go shower, sound good?" Doc ask. Lightning nods.

"okay." he mumbles. Doc chuckles softly and kisses his head. "glad your home." Lightning murmurs.

"me too Monty." Doc smiles.

"your bacons burning." Lightning said.

"shit!" Doc hissed, gently pushing him away and running over to the stove. Lightning grins at him, waiting until he's got everything taken care of, before huffing his back tightly. Doc lets him, no reason to push him off, especially since they'd missed each other. he'd really missed the younger, the once a week video calls making it manageable, but he was glad to be home with the younger.