It was a peaceful morning in the quiet rural town of Redstone Springs, Arizona, and old Henry Hudson, better known as Doc Hudson these days, was setting up his medical clinic to prepare for whatever issues may come during the day. He had spent the last year mentoring the hotshot rookie racer Montgomery "Lightning" McQueen as his crew chief, helping him win his first NASCAR Nextel Cup series championship not long ago. With the off-season finally here, Doc could relax and focus on keeping the town running smoothly and making sure everyone was healthy. He had just finished a checkup with Sheriff, the police officer waking up a bit under the weather, when Lightning suddenly ran into the clinic, looking panicked as he searched for Doc. "Huh! What is it, kid? Can't you see I'm busy?" Doc asked the blonde grumpily, raising a brow in confusion and crossing his arms as he turned to face his protege.
Lightning quickly explained that a tourist had been injured and that their vehicle had broken down in the center of Redstone Springs. Doc’s tired eyes widened at the news, and his confusion turned to urgency. Grabbing his cane for support, he rushed out of his clinic with Lightning walking beside him. "Where are they?! How bad are they hurt?" Doc asked as his heart began racing with concern, dread starting to build in his gut. As they walked, Lightning filled him in on the details on how the injured tourist was at Flo’s Valley Café with their vehicle parked at the adjacent gas station.
Just moments later, the two reached the café. Doc saw the broken-down vehicle at the gas station but focused on the injured tourist. Inside, Flo gestured toward a booth by the window and Doc hurried over, careful not to startle the guest further. "I'm here. Name's Doc Hudson. I'm the doctor around here. Let me take a look at you." He said gently, his usual grumpy tone softened. As he examined the tourist, his expression grew serious, grimacing at the extent of their injuries—far more concerning than the broken-down vehicle outside.