"I had to. I'm going to keep pushing him if he wants Strips agent, he has to be ready by next season." Doc said.

"scaring him doesn't help! you could've have just set him back." Sally said.

"there was nothing to set him back to! he hasn't made progress!" Doc hissed. "unlike you, I know how to train him. I have to be firm with him. it's the only way he learns." Doc snapped, heading for his house. the spare room door was shut. Doc frowned and sighed. maybe he had pushed Lightning too hard too fast. he really was just trying to help the kid. he walked over and knocked on the door. "kid, look I know that wasn't fun but we have to do this." Doc said.

"you said you'd stop if I told you to! you lied." Lightning hissed.

"I wanted to see hard far we could push it." Doc said.

"you said, if I couldn't handle it you'd stop. I had to scream for you to stop!" Lightning hissed.

"I'm trying to help!" Doc snapped.

"who exactly did that help? because it wasn't me." Lightning hissed. Doc went silent and stared at the door.

"I know you're upset kid, but we made progress. the first time you got in the Hornet after your wreck I barely made it to 80. this time we were pushing 140." Doc said.

"I don't care!" Lightning hissed.

"look kid you either want that agent, want to get back out there and keep racing, or you don't. I'm doing what needs to be done to get you out there as fast as possible." Doc said. he turned and walked away from the door. he plopped onto the couch, muttering to himself. he waited to see who would make the first move, Lightning saying he'd over reacted or him saying sorry for pushing so hard. he was just about to get up and apologize when Lighting came out in his gear, helmet on and everything. "kid?" Doc ask.

"you're right." Lightning said walking over. "I don't have all the time in the world to get myself racing again. lets go." Lightning said, heading out the door and towards the Cozy Cone unit he stayed in. Doc got up quickly and followed him.

"kid where are you going?" Doc ask.

"to my car." Lightning said.

"you can't drive yet kid." Doc frowned, catching up to him easily.

"I don't need to drive it until I can sit in it without having a panic attack." Lightning said. Doc nodded in agreement.

"you should work your way to it. it'll be worse with your gear on." Doc said. Lightning paused, looking down at his track suit before looking at Doc.

"thought I didn't have that much time?" Lightning ask.

"you don't." Doc said.

"so that was your medical opinion then?" Lightning ask.

"yeah it was." Doc said, raising an eye brow.

"keep that to yourself. I need your crew chief opinion." Lightning said. Doc huffed.

"I used that earlier and you locked yourself in your room for nearly two hours." Doc huffed. Lightning pursed his lips and looked over at him.

"I wanted you to be my friend two hours ago, now I realize I need you as a crew chief more than a friend at the moment." Lightning said.

"okay, but if you come sleep walking into my room again tonight, I'm going to remind you I'm your crew chief and not your friend before I shove you onto the couch." Doc warns. Lightning nodded, though he didn't believe a word Doc said. he'd been forceful, but hadn't physically hurt Lightning ever, well not on purpose.

"Doc-" Lightning started.

"don't kid." Doc interrupted. Lightning nodded a little and they headed for his car. as they got over to it Lightning looked confused.

"thats not my car. thats the shell, but thats not what the inside of my car looks like." Lightning frowned. Doc frowned a little.

"thats your car, but when you wrecked it was basically totaled. so it's just rebuilt and refurbished. it looks different on the inside, but Mack said they did what they could." Doc frowned, looking inside. Lightning nodded a little and climbed inside. "think you can run a few laps in it?" Doc ask.

"I don't even know if I can turn it on." Lightning mumbled. Doc nodded slightly, watching him raise a shaky hand and run it over the steering wheel.

"kid, look, I pushed you too hard earlier. you've got two months before the next season starts, its not long, but if you keep pushing yourself like I tried to, like I pushed myself, you're going to hurt yourself." Doc said, bending down to the window. Lightning swallowed some.

"I can't let this keep me down Doc. I've already lost my first agent, I don't want to lose another. this could be my only opportunity to prove to them what the wouldn't let you prove to them. that down doesn't mean out. that you can be out for a season and a half, get back up again, and still show them out." Lightning said, nervously. he met Docs eyes, trembling a little. "do you have the keys?" he ask hesitantly. Doc frowned a little, but reached into his back pocket and pulled Lightnings keys out, holding them just beyond his reach.

"just listen to me kid." Doc said. Lightning looked at him. "you're not doing this for the right reason. you need to do this for yourself okay? you don't have to do this for me, just yourself." Doc said. Lightning frowned a little at him.

"I have to do this to show them how bad they fucked up not letting you back out there." Lightning said, leaning out and snatching the keys out of Docs hand, and pausing when he realized just how close to Docs face he was. he could smell the olders morning coffee. he could almost... Doc jerked back suddenly looking angry, but more so at himself than Lightning. he refused to look at the younger and Lightning looked at him. "sorry." he mumbled.

"why are you sorry?" Doc snapped. "you're not the one who-" Doc started, before quickly snapping his mouth shut with a grunt. Lightning looked slightly confused. "just start the damn car." Doc hissed.

"uh, Doc, are you okay?" Lightning ask. Doc stayed silent and Lightning frowned, turning back to his car. he hesitantly started the car up, freezing. Doc immediately focused his attention on him. he was frozen like a scene from a movie when paused, he wasn't even breathing.

"breathe." Doc said. Lightning stayed frozen and Doc reached into the car quickly, feeling his neck gently. his pulse was quickly becoming faster. "Lightning, breathe!" Doc hissed. Lightning wasn't moving. frozen as though he was having a flash back. Doc shook his shoulders hard. "Montgomery! kid! fucking breathe!" Doc hissed, shaking him. Lightning gasp loudly, scrambling to get himself out of the car.

"get me out!" Lightning shouted, trying to throw himself out of the car. "Doc get me out!" Lightning cried. Doc immediately grabbed him carefully and helped him out of the car, before reaching inside and turning it off.

"kid! hey, hey you're okay." Doc said, holding his shoulders. "Lightning hey, look at me kid." Doc said, gently grabbing his face and forcing him to look him in the eye. "breathe. it's okay." Doc soothed. Lightning shook his head, his breathing speeding up, chest heaving.

"I-I'm not getting in there! I can't I-" Lightning started. Doc slapped at hand over his mouth.

"listen to me or I'm going to slap some sense into you." Doc said firmly. Lightning started at him, trembling. "take a deep breath." Doc said.

"D-Doc I-" Lightning tried.

"deep breath." Doc repeated. Lightning took a deep shaky breath. "let it out slowly." Doc said. Lightning let it out. he looked up at Doc as the older man let his face go, before wrapping his arms around him gently, letting the younger wrap his own arms around him as tight as he could. he heard someone clear their throat and looked over. Sally stood there looking concerned. Doc frowned and nodded slightly towards Lightnings car. Sally nodded slightly, looking at Lightning worriedly, watching him bury his face into Docs shirt while taking deep shaky breaths. Doc was breathing intentionally slow and deep, trying to get Lightning to copy him, and hold him tightly. Lightning was spluttering gibberish against his chest, clinging to him. "shh kid. shhh. just breathe." Doc murmured quietly. Sally watched them a moment before heading back to the Cozy Cone.

"I-I..." Lightning whimpered.

"just relax kid. come on." Doc said, carefully leading him back towards his house. Red was watching them, watering can in hand. he was tense and looking like he wanted to just run over and hug Lightning. Doc met his eye and nodded. Red immediately dropped his watering can, walking over as quickly as he could. Doc stepped away and, before Lightning could even lift his head and see what was going on, Red swooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly. Lightning looked confused, but let Red hug him. Lightning sighed slightly and wiggled his arms free, hugging Red gently. Red stood straight, one arm wrapped around Lightnings upper body to hold him, and used his other arm to hold up Lightnings legs. Red gave Doc a dirty look. "I didn't hurt him Red. he wanted to see if he could handle his car." Doc assured. Red looked at him quietly, carrying Lightning towards Docs house.

"R-Red... put me down. it's okay... I can walk..." Lightning muttered. Red held tighter. "okay... okay." Lightning mumbled quietly. Red smiled at him slightly and followed Doc inside the house.

"go a head and set him on the couch Red." Doc said. Red nodded before setting Lightning down, ruffling his hair gently, then walking out of the house. he made sure to shut the door behind him. Lightning smiled slightly after him. "you okay kid?" Doc ask. Lightning curled up on the couch.

"I... I can't even start up my car Doc." Lightning said softly. Doc walked over, crouching in front of the younger. he ignored the popping of his knee's, though it made him wince.

"kid, hey, it's okay. look, thats your first time being in that car since the wreck. just relax kiddo." Doc said softly.

"I... Doc thats my car." Lightning said softly, voice shaky again. Doc sighed a little, ruffling Lightnings hair gently, before getting up. he headed for the kitchen. he came back with a couple beers, a pint of ice cream, and a spoon. if the kid was going to start crying, Doc was going to need alcohol. he sat on the couch by Lightnings feet.

"okay kid, come here." Doc said. Lightning looked over at him. Doc gave him a half smile and held up the pint of mint chocolate chip, it was Lightnings favorite, and the spoon. Lightning let out a half sob half laugh and sat up. he shifted and took the offered items, leaning against Docs side. the older didn't complain, simply wrapped an arm around him and took a swig of his beer.

"I'm an idiot." Lightning mumbled, shoving a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. Doc looked at him, then sighed some.

"you know I had had a panic attack the first time I got back in my car, so bad I damn near pissed myself." Doc said. Lightning looked over him, mouthful of ice cream, but gave him a questioning look. Doc smiled a little. "yeah, I threw up in it as soon as I started it up. that Hornet stank for weeks. took me forever to get it all out." Doc said, huffing a laugh. "had to go through and have it specially cleaned before I finally got it all out." Doc added. Lightning smiled a little.

"did it smell like that when they turned you away...?" Lightning ask hesitantly. Doc started laughing, like Lightning had told a joke.

"yeah. it did." Doc chuckled softly. he held Lightning a little tighter, taking another drink from his beer. it was quiet a moment. "I cried." Doc said softly. Lightning looked up at him confused.

"huh?" he ask. Doc nodded to himself, looking a little lost in his memories.

"I cried in the Hornet when they told me I'd never race again." Doc said. "sobbed really. I lost my mind. I didn't know what to do with myself. I started driving and I kept driving until I broke down. I found myself in a county about 200 miles from here. settled for a bit, went back to college. because a doctor and left. I found myself here... and I settled." Doc added. he looked at Lightning, who dropped his head against Docs chest. "if you're going to cry let me know so I can pop you open a beer first." Doc added. Lightning chuckled a little and wiped at his face.