The hospital had said it, everyone knew it, especially him. And there wasn't anything they needed to say more about the situation.
And no animal could deny it.
Nicolas Piberius Wilde was dying.
And Judy seemed to be dying along with him.
No animal had hurt more when the hospital released him, saying there was no more they could do. No animal hurt more when Nick had just nodded his head in understanding, slowly looking at the floor as his ears drooped. No animal had hurt more when they had slowly driven over to Judy's house, where Nick would spend the rest of his life. No animal had hurt more when they all realized it would only be around one more week until Nick's passing.
No animal had hurt more than Judy Hopps was hurting, and it hurt bad.
She sat there now, next to the bed in her spare room, sitting there next to her best friend, watching as the minuted kept ticking, ticking, ticking, each taking another precious moment of the once loved fox.
However, Nick didn't seem to care.
And Judy didn't know why.
It had been about 4 days after the hospital release, and with each day the fox lost a little more of his energy, as his breath wheezed more and his talking became more ragged. He couldn't even make it out of his bed anymore, and Judy would sit there for endless hours, slowly talking to him and comforting him, even though each comforting sentence was more towards herself.
She had begun to worry that Nick didn't care that he was dying because he hadn't had anything to live for, that he didn't feel he was worth worrying about. Judy was worried he felt neglected, and that he really couldn't care anymore.
They had both aged together, found the love of their life, had kids, been the aunty and uncle for each of their kids, went out for ice-cream together, played tag together.
Lived together.
Everything had been together, so why wasn't Nick worried about breaking this intrepid cycle?
Why why why?
That was all Judy could think of as her friend's life slipped away between their paws, out of reach of finding an antidote, out of reach of fending off. It was so unlike the cases they had solved together over the years, so unlike it. And it was the one thing Judy feared the most.
Not being able to fix anything.
And this was the worst thing you couldn't fix.
Especially the fact that all of their kids have gotten married themselves, and flown out. Both of their partners had died long ago, and so the two were the last standing. But not anymore, as the fox slipped away from Judy, from life, from the living.
And Judy couldn't control it.
And how she hated it so. It was like watching someone being strangled, but you had to sit there, helpless, not being able to stop or fix it. And how long she had tried to find a cure for her friend, long after the doctors had said it was useless.
She had tried many natural medicines, like soup, and it had worked for a period of time, but not enough. Judy smiled at the memory sadly as she had first tried to introduce the vegetable soup to the grumpy old fox.
"Here Nick, drink this, it'll make you feel better,"
"What is it?"
"Car- Soup, just soup,"
"Carrots…?"
"Yes?"
"This has carrots in it, doesn't it?"
"Ye- No," Nick raised a wrinkled eyebrow, in his classic look of disapproval. Their body's may have changed but their spirit shall remain the same.
"Maybe…"
"Carrots…"
"Yes," she sighed in defeat. Nick sighed a ragged breath, and set the spoon down on the table. This had been before he was confined to the bed. Judy watched him in despair.
"I just really want you to get better,"
"I know. And that's why I'll eat it,"
"I know you don't like it but please just try it I promise it- wait, you will?!"
"Yes, I will you dumb bunny. For your fluffy little sake," he croaked, smiling at Judy. Her face lit up as if it were Christmas, like she was young again.
"Thank you so much, Nick!" she cried hugging him gently. The old fox chuckled, and hugged back.
"I am the one who actually needs it, y'know Carrots,"
Judy laughed a little, as she blinked the memory away. Nick was lying down in front of her, barely awake. The bunny gave a little start at the reality of the situation, and eyes welled up with tears. She bit down on her lip to prevent a sob coming out of her mouth.
Something deep down told her there wasn't much longer, and even though all her conscience tried to deny it, she knew deep in her heart it was time.
"Oh, you dumb fox," she murmured, bending down to sit on his bed. Nick's eyes slowly opened, half lidded, just like when he did his trademark smirk. Judy wanted to cry so bad, but kept her cool so that she could be brave for Nick. After all, it was his life.
"Don't cry, Carrots. I know it is painful, but don't worry about me, I'll be fine," he whispered, and shakily reached out to hold her paw.
Judy bravely clutched it, and felt it shaking. He was scared, the poor fox.
"I'll try," she croaked out, and then the thing that had bugged her from the time he was released from hospital finally came out.
"Nick, please answer me truthfully. Why don't you seem to care you're dying?" Judy winced slightly at how personal that sounded, but at the question, Nick's eyes softened, and he seemed to relax slightly.
"Ah, I've been waiting for you to ask. Thankfully the ol' sly bunny isn't gone, eh?" he chuckled, but it turned into a cough. Judy's ears fell back, as Nick regained his composure and continued.
"Well, I am actually sad that my time has come to an end, but it isn't because I don't care that I act this way. I act this way because I feel I have lived my life to the fullest. Done things I never dared to dream, seen things I've never dared to dream. I have met many wonderful animals, and gone and solved many an amazing case. I have helped so many animals that I could have ever scammed or con, and I have had the most amazing life I could have, in a whole,"
"But that isn't even half of what I mean," he said, and beckoned Judy over to his muzzle. The bunny happily obliged, and waited with her ear to his mouth.
"The thing that had made my life incredible was meeting you," Judy started, and looked down at the sincere fox. He was smiling sadly up at her, but even though Judy thought he had said his piece, there was more.
"Meeting you has spilt and turned my life upside down. In a good way,"
"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have helped all those people, done those good deeds, seen things, met people and gone to many places. I have partaken in all those cases, and helped all those animals, because of when I first met you,"
"You have changed my life, Judy Hopps, and for that I am grateful. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be so calm, I would be a struggling idiot, asking and pleading for more time to live, more time to do things, just a little more time,"
"But I'm not. And never will be, because of you,"
"So you ask me, why am I so calm? It is because of you that I have lived my life to its maximum, ad that is why I can die peacefully. All because of a sly bunny," Nick concluded, squeezing Judy's paw tightly, as the rabbit started to cry.
"Oh, Nick, you have no idea how much you have changed my life! You have taught me so many things, and if it wasn't for you I would never be the cop I turned out to be! You have been the greatest friend any animal could ever have, and I just can't bear to see you go! I just can't!" she sobbed into his shirt, and Nick looked down at her with fond eyes.
"I know. So how about we make it easier, with a little hustle to pull off so it will be an easier road, ok?" Nick wheezed out, as an idea came to him.
"Ok…"
"Alright, let's start with the first time we met," Judy looked up with him, eyes full of wonder as she realized the plan. The doe quickly nodded, and sat up as she wiped tears from her eyes.
"Well, I remember how you were trying to frame me for all those things, and instead ended up falling for my little hustle with Finnick," Nick chuckled, as he pictured a younger version of themselves, out in a little ice-cream store, trying to get a Jumbo-Pop for little Finnick.
"Oh, you were so sneaky! I wasted fifteen bucks for that pop, mister!" Judy laughed along with her friend, as the moon rose out and over their window.
"Ah, for a good cause, ma'am, for a good cause. You couldn't refuse to go in and save the day, eh?"
"Oh, excuse moi, it was being a good neighbour,"
"Yeah, okay horsey,"
"Horsey….? Nick what is that?"
"Neiiigh-bour," the fox chuckled, as Judy's face lit up at his joke. She slowly shook her head, as Nick laughed at her expression.
"The humour ain't gone,"
"And it never will be," So the two friends stayed like that, reciting all of their adventures throughout their lives with each other, sitting there under the new moonlight. They stayed there, until it was only Judy who was reciting all of those long lost tales, until Nick's eyes were half closed, until the two friends knew it was the end of their face to face friendship. But in both their hearts they knew Nick was right, and that their friendship wouldn't die, it was just going to be a while since they see each other again.
"And remember the look on Bellweather's face when she saw the hustle! It was so great to remember, a great day it was," Judy sighed, and looked down at her sleeping friend. His eyes opened a crack, as he looked at Judy with all of his friendship love.
"Thanks for the life, Carrots. I'll miss you, you dumb bunny you," he whispered, and then he was gone. Judy took a shuddering breath, as she placed his still paw down on the bed next to him. And then, she started to cry, heart wrenching sobs escaped her mouth as she covered her eyes with her paws, leaning over and crying over her once best friend. She couldn't stop, as the thought he was truly gone raked her mind like a rusted shovel. He was gone, and was never coming back to this world. No more adventures, no more crimes solved, no more villains uncovered, no more victims saved. No more ice-cream days.
No more friendship.
And the bunny's worst fear was that she would forget. She would forget everything they had done and accomplished, she would forget all the villains they had uncovered, she would just forget. She didn't want to forget Nick, she didn't want to forget all of his jokes, his smirk, his pranks, he personality.
She just didn't want to forget.
And she didn't want to forget the sound of his voice, or his laugh.
It was a earth breaking thought that she might forget him, as he lay there on his death bed, ice still as if he had been frozen by Mr Big. If only he were to be alive.
Judy looked up from her stream of tears, to the sound of a voice. A awfully familiar voice. It was Nick's voice.
But how? He was… gone. How could there be his voice? There it was again.
"Alright, let's start with the first time we met,"
What? But that was from the start of their conversation, how could?
"Well, I remember how you were trying to frame me for all those things, and instead ended up falling for my little hustle with Finnick," there was a familiar chuckle, as Judy's ears perked up at the sound. The bunny sniffed, as she searched around the room for the source of the sound. Her eyes scanned, as she finally found the source of the voice.
It was in Nick's paw.
But how? Judy thought, and the answer met her as she slowly and gently opened it, to reveal.
Her carrot pen.
Judy gasped, and brought her paws to her mouth. A strangled sob escaped her, as the carrot pen continued to play. She looked up at Nick's seemingly sleeping, peaceful face, and another round of tears came.
"Oh, you were so sneaky! I wasted fifteen bucks for that pop, mister!"
Judy kept on crying, as the moon rose up higher into the sky. It was nearly midnight, but Judy didn't care. She would stay there as long as she could, right next to her best friend, crying and crying, never stopping, as she listened to all the memories the two had recited. It would never stop, and soon Judy would convert it to an mp3 file, so that she would never forget his voice.
"Oh, you sly fox, Nick! I'll miss you, and I promise I won't let the world forget you, I won't let the ZPD forget you, I won't let your kids forget you,"
"And I promise with all my heart, that I will never forget you,"
Ok, so I am SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! I just really felt like writing angst, and so you know what happens when I feel angsty. I get angsty, and a I get REALLY angsty.
So, this was inspired by Zara Larsson's 'Never Forget You', and I suggest you go listen, it is a very beautiful song, and I listened to it when I was writing, so it is fitting.
And lastly, this is dedicated to my grandpa, who died of lung cancer. Some of the events that happened in this one-shot actually happened with my grandpa, so this is for him.
He is greatly missed, and I hope you liked this one-shot.
So until next time, this is the possum hybrid signing out. Carrots!