"that should be the pizza." Doc murmured, kissing his head gently. "its okay." he soothes softly, rubbing the younger mans back. "my wallets on the dresser." Doc muttered.

"I got it." Mack muttered, getting up and heading for the door.

"you're going to eat this kid." Doc said. Lightning nodded against him, cuddling him.

"hold me." he mumbled.

"fine but you have to eat at least two slices of pizza." Doc murmured, holding tighter. he leaned forward a little to the youngers ear. "I'll hold you the whole time if you eat. okay <i>kid</i>?" Doc ask softly. he nodded.

"'kay, deal." he mumbled, curling up more. Mack brought the pizza over and set the boxes beside Doc on the bed, grabbing himself a slice.

"so whats gonna to that sore loser?" Mack ask. he was being careful, Lightning was already having a bad time, he didn't want to say Chicks name and make things worse.

"who knows." Doc said, handing Lightning a slice. he took it and cuddled to Doc, taking a bite. Doc grabbed his own slice. Red glared arms over his chest.

"if I ever see him again I'll hurt him." Red promised. Lightning gave a have smile, snorting a laugh. Doc smiled at him, ruffling the youngers hair. Red smiled, snatching his own slice of pizza, proud he'd gotten a laugh from the younger.

"if I would have aimed better, we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore." Lightning mumbled around bites.

"kid, you saved Sheriffs life. focus on that." Doc murmured.

"besides if you had hesitated for even a second to take aim, he would've killed Sheriff then you, he would've shot the both of you then probably gone off to shoot the rest of the town.." Mack said. Lightning tightened the hand around Docs arm, nails digging into the older mans skin hard at Macks words, curling up more and tensing up. Doc shot a dirty glare at Mack.

"that never would've happened kid." Doc hissed glaring at Mack. "the moment you fired that gun I was in the back door. no body was going to die, if I'd had my pistol, I would've fired and hit him." Doc assured. Red reached out and smacked Mack in the back of his head.

"<i>think.</i>" Red hissed softly.

"ow!" Mack huffed, rubbing the back of his neck with a pout. "hey." he huffed.

"he's right Mack. think before you speak." Doc glared.

"m'not a kid." Lightning snapped. "you don't have to watch your language around me." he added. Doc reached out gently, putting his hand over the hand squeezing his arm. Lightning blinked and looked down. he shrank in on himself and immediately let go of his arm. Doc held onto the back of his hand gently, intertwining their fingers and tucking their hands into the youngers lap gently.

"eat. you agreed to at least two slices." Doc said. Lightning nodded and reached over with his free hand to grab another slice. Doc didn't stop him, simply loosening his grip. he immediately tightened it back up once Lightning had a slice and was sitting back.

"whatever happened to the others?" Lightning ask.

"Guido and Luigi are back in Radiator springs cleaning up with Maters help. Sally, Sheriff, and Fillmore are still in the hospital. Flo and Ramone are in a room down the hall." Doc murmured.

"where's Sarge?" Lightning ask, tilting his head to look at Doc.

"sitting with Fillmore. Chick slashed his throat, not too bad, but enough he needs to stay for a bit." Mack said. Lightning looked over at him, then nodded.

"any one know how Sheriffs doing?" he ask hesitantly.

"better. last I heard out of surgery and in recovery. same room as Fillmore so Sarge can keep an eye on them both. Sally insisted she was fine and didn't need a man watching over her." Doc murmured with a small smile.

"I can get an update on him if you want." Mack offered, pulling his phone out.

"don't bother them." Lightning said quickly. Doc looked over at the clock,

"we should get some sleep." Doc murmurs. Lightning nodded and got up out of his lap heading for the bathroom.

"I'm staying." Mack said.

"me too." Red frowned.

"no. it's better if you guys just go back to your room." Doc said.

"what? no. what if-" Mack started.

"he's been having nightmares okay? he already gets embarrassed by them, it's not going to help if he wakes you two up and feels not only embarrassed, but guilty as well." Doc said firmly. Mack frowned, but knew Doc was right. so he nodded for Red to follow him to the room they'd be staying in. Doc laid out on the bed and waited for Lightning to come back. when he did he said nothing, just simply curled up in the bed beside Doc, though he didn't cuddle up to him. Doc let him have his space. he just his eyes and let himself fall asleep, hoping the younger would do the same.

Lightning jerked up and turned quickly to look at Doc. he was still asleep. catching a glance at the clock, it was only 1 AM, but he had to find out if Sheriff was okay. that had been an awful nightmare. he got up quickly from the bed and grabbed his cell phone, calling Sarge. the call didn't go through, his phone must've been off. Lightning frowned and pulled his shoes on, grabbing his key and a room key that was labeled for Red and Macks room. Mack must've left his, thank god. he ran straight to their room and opened the door. he paused staring at the two beds. Red was on the left and Mack on the right. who did he want to wake up? who did he want to drive him? he frowned and walked over to the bed quickly, shaking the bigger man gently.

"Red." Lightning mumbled. Red blinked awake, confused, and looked around. his eyes settled on Lightning, utterly confused.

"Lightning?" Red ask.

"I need you to take me to the hospital." Lightning said. Red sat up looking him over.

"are you okay? whats wrong?" he ask.

"please, I can't drive myself. I need to che- I need to go up there." Lightning said. Red blinked once more, staring at him a moment, before nodded.

"okay, let me get my shoes." he murmurs. Lightning nodded and stepped back, watching the door. Red grabbed his wallet and looked at Macks keys. they had only brought the Hornet, Macks semi cab, and Fillmore's van to them. Fillmore's keys were probably back in Lightning and Docs room, along with the keys to the Hornet. not that Red would ever attempt to drive that. he snatched Macks keys with a guilty look and leading Lightning from the room.

the trip to the hospital was completely silent, with Red casting occasional glances towards Lightning as he drove. the younger man was anxious and on edge, so he assumed he'd had a nightmare, like Doc said he would. he pulled into a parking space and got out with Lightning, heading inside. the younger man waisted no time using his fame and charm to get the nurse to tell them the room their friends were in, then they were off down the hall with Red struggling to keep up. he froze outside the door to their room, staring. Red watched him a moment, before gently nudging him forwards. Lightning look at him before nodding and slowly opening the door.

"I'll be in the waiting room." Red said. Lightning nodded slowly entering the room. Fillmore and Sheriff were in beds beside each other, hooked up to several machines. Fillmore was awake watching the tv, he paused and looked over.

"hey man." he murmured, voice gravely. Lightning waved at him, looking at Sheriff then around the room. Sarge was asleep on a small couch on the other side of the room.

"hey Fillmore. how are your?" he ask quietly. he smiled a little.

"m'okay man. so is Sheriff." he murmured. Lightning looked away then back at him. "you okay?" he ask.

"sort of.... I guess." Lightning mumbled. "sorry... I uh... had an awful freaking nightmare that you guys died so, made Red drive me up here." Lightning added.

"s'okay man." Fillmore murmured.

"I hear Sarge saved your life." Lightning said.

"yeah, my throat could've been a lot worse if Sarge hadn't fought back." Fillmore chuckled slightly, looking over at the man on the couch. Lightning followed his gaze and smiled.

"one of these days he's going to tell you he loves you." Lightning said.

"no he won't. he's too focused on the fact I'm a hippie." Fillmore chuckled. Lightning smiled slightly.

"sorry I bothered you FIllmore. I'm gonna back to the hotel room." he said.

"stop in an see Sally." Fillmore said.

"I will. thanks. see ya." Lightning said, turning to leave. he paused beside Sheriff, looking him over. eyes wondering over the olders body, before settling on the mans heart monitor. he nodded to himself and headed out of the room. he checked silently on Sally, but she was sleeping, so he went back to Red. he was snoring in the waiting room and Lightning refused to wake him. after asking around, one of the nurses said he could hang out on the roof, where the staff smoked. so, after leaving his phone and keys with Red, so he wouldn't think he left, he headed upstairs and sat down, looking over the city and hugging his knees. he quietly watched the sun rise, thinking about needing to ask Doc if they could sit up in the Butte sometime and watch the sun rise together. he sat quietly until he heard someone come up onto the roof.

"Mr.McQueen?" a soft voice ask. Lightning turned around. "that man you came in with is looking for you." she murmured. Lightning stood, rubbing his eyes. he was tired but he couldn't sleep. he followed her back down stairs to the waiting room. immediately Red swooped him up in a hug, holding him tightly, almost painfully tight. Lightning was confused, too confused to keep up with his previous threat to punch the next person to pick him up.

"damn it! where have you been!?" Red shouted, in the loudest voice Lightning had ever heard from him.

"o-ow." Lightning mumbled. Red sat him down and he was immediately grabbed by Doc, who grabbed his shoulders and shook him <i>hard.</i> "ow! Doc! ow! you're hurting me! let go!" Lightning shouted.

"where the hell have you been!?" Doc shouted. "I get up this morning and your keys are gone! you're gone! I go to see if you're with Mack and Red only to find Red gone too! I call your phone and I get Red in a panic that he can't find you!" Doc hissed. Lightning flinched trying to pull away from the older mans painful, but worried, grasp. he winced when Doc stopped shaking him to hug him tightly. he squirmed and wiggled, trying to pull away.

"whats going on? let go! you're hurting me!" he ask, looking around. once Doc finally let him go he was immediately grabbed by Mack, who hugged him tightly, but no where near as hard as Doc or Red.

"do you have any idea what time it is Boss? whats been going on the past several hours?" Mack ask. Lightning shook his head, still trying to pull away from Mack. .

"no. I had Red bring me up here just so I could make sure Sheriff was okay. when I got done checking on them Red was asleep. I wasn't going to wake him up a second time, one of nurses said I could hang out up on the roof and relax." Lightning said utterly confused as to what was happening. he was also pretty terrified with the way the older men were handling him. he was going to have a lot of bruises later. "I don't get it, whats going on?" he ask. Mack let go and looked over at Doc stepping away from him. Lightning looked between them, stepping away from them all. "whats going on?" Lightning ask. Mack opened his mouth, but closed it and looked at Doc again.

"Chick escaped. they can't find him." Doc said.

"b-but I put a bullet in his chest... I-I shot him in the knee!" Lightning shouted. "I shot him twice! how could he have escaped!" Lightning shouted.

"well he had help getting out and he's on the run." Doc snapped. "what the hell were you doing on the roof?" he growled. Lightning looked at him then huffed, stepping away from them.

"watching the city. it was pretty so I sat up there and watched it." Lightning said. "I... I didn't know that Chick had escaped." he muttered. Doc heaved a sigh out his nose.

"okay. come on. we have to get you out of here." Doc said, grabbing his arm and leading him out towards the parking lot.

"what about Sheriff? what about the others?" Lightning ask following hesitantly.

"they've been transferred to a new hospital." Doc said. "come on." Doc said.

"let go, you're hurting me." he mumbled.

"kid, <i>kid</i>, I'm not letting go of you until I get you somewhere safe, if I have to take Sheriffs handcuffs and cuff you to me." Doc said. Lightning pulled his arm from Doc with hard pull Doc hadn't been expecting. he rubbed his arm. it was red and already bruising.

"stop hurting me." he mumbled, rubbing his arm.

"Chicks going to do a lot more than hurt your arm if he finds you kid." Doc said.

"well no wonder he fucking keeps finding us. we're driving easily identified cars. the Hornet still has 'Fabulous Hudson Hornet' on it." Lightning muttered.

"I know, all four of us are heading back to Radiator Springs. we have rental cars. Maters going to keep an eye over the town with Guido and Luigi." Doc muttered. "our priority is to get you out of here." Doc said.

"we can't just leave them there." Lightning argued, getting into the Hornet. Doc reached in locked the door and shut it behind Lightning before heading over to the drivers side. he got in and closed the door.

"Mater insisted. says he and his 12 gauge can handle anything." Doc said.