Thunder roared through the sky, the rain fell shortly after. The icy, November rain soaked into his red fur. The lights flickered off the vehicles surrounding him; so much in fact that he thought he would puke. He felt a mammal cover him in something, a blanket maybe. He wasn't too worried about it. The only thing, the only one, he was worried about was her.
It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It was supposed to be an in-and-out mission. It was just a little domestic disturbance call. How did it all come down to this? Why did it have to be her… Everything had happened so fast. He was still at a loss for words. He could not wrap his brain around what happened. He could only focus on one thing and one thing only; the way she looked at him.
Those petrified, violet eyes. So full of fear and longing for safety. It made him feel so guilty that he was so focused on her eyes that he can barely remember her falling to the bitter asphalt below. His body reacted before he did and before he knew it, he was by her side.
Blinking his eyes, Nick looked around his settings once more. He could see Chief Bogo talking with Fangmeyer, who was allotted with him and Judy for the assignment that was given tonight. Nick could only assume that the tiger was telling Bogo about what had happened. Another flash of lightening raced to the end of the horizon, thunder rumbled suit.
The memories flared again. Nick could still feel the blood glistening on his paws. Oh God, it was everywhere. His screams echoed throughout the abandoned alleyway. He remembered how he held her lifeless form in his arms, how he cradled her until Fangmeyer stumbled upon them. It was all a blur from that point forward.
Nothing was clear anymore. The large figure advancing towards him wasn't much clearer either.
"Wilde," it spoke. "You're coming with me."
Nick found himself sitting in a deathly silent room with many other officers at the infirmary. They all had come up to the fox to give him their sorry's and prayers. He had paid attention to none of them. The fox just ruminated in his dismal memories. Nick stared at the double-doors leading into the Critical Care Unit. His sensitive ears picked up the quietest of conversations, but none about Judy.
The fox sat in that seat for hours.
Listening.
Waiting.
Praying that someone would come to him with some sort of news on the condition of his partner. His confidant. His friend. Hoping that a miracle could keep his friend alive and well.
The next morning, his pleas were answered. A doctor, a rather handsome lynx, approached Nick in the waiting room.
"Excuse me. Are you Nick Wilde?" The lynx spoke in the most serious of tones. Nick could only nod at his question, already at a loss for words. Thoughts were already swirling in his head. What if she's dead? Oh her parents are going to kill me. They probably think I'm such protective nut-job because I'm a predator. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
The cat ushered Nick past the double-doors, through a jungle of hardware and staff members, then finally to a small room fit for a rabbit.
Nick basked in the sight of his friend. Judy was hooked up to all sorts of wires and tubes. He watched her chest rise and fall with the help of the life support machine. He recognized a few other things like the I.V. and the heart monitor. The breathing machine was something else he could distinguish out of all the other gadgets surrounding Judy. The fox read the screen to himself. Two breaths per minute. That's just on her own. Jesus, Judy…
"We were successful at removing the bullet from her stomach." The doctor's sudden voice startled Nick. "I am afraid that she has lost quite a bit of blood at the scene of the shooting before she got to us. At this point, it's only a matter of hoping to see if Miss Judy can overcome this horrendous predicament." Nick could feel his fur standing on end.
What? That's it? That's all you can tell me? You're a doctor and you can't even tell me if Judy is going to make it through this? I waited all that time… And… She's not going to make it…
The tears were forming in his eyes.
The lynx spoke again. "Also, it has come to my attention that Miss Judy's parents haven't even been notified," Nick simply nodded then the doctor continued. "I will go and alert them now so they can come to see her if this her final day…"
And with that, Nick heard the doctor leave the room. He was enveloped in silence again. All he could hear was the sounds of the machines keeping the wounded rabbit alive. They reverberated around the room and left Nick to his thoughts.
"I'm sure going to miss you, Judith," Nick finally spoke after being mute for so many hours. "I wish you could hear me call you cute. Because you are. You are the cutest little bunny I've ever laid my eyes upon. You should enter a beauty pageant. No. A cutie pageant." He cracked a smile at the thought of Judy playfully swatting his arm like she always did.
No reaction from her, as Nick had predicted.
"Yeah, that last comment would have made me cringe too. But don't worry. I can keep those coming for weeks and you know it too. You'd better be prepared for 'em, you cutie patootie."
Still nothing but the wheezing of the breathing machine and beep from the heart monitor. He sighed.
"I don't want this to be the last time I get to do this… I wouldn't be able to keep this up… Not without you here. And what am I supposed to do about work? I can't be a part of the ZPD. Not without you… Not without… N-n…" The tears came rolling down his flustered cheeks, followed by a choked sob.
Just thinking about life without Judy ate him up inside. He didn't want to see her in a casket. He didn't want to watch her parents bury her. He didn't want her to not know that he loved her... With every fiber of his being.
Nick felt so many different emotions all at once. His poor brain was racking up on the overwhelming thoughts scattered about his mind. Suddenly, he just felt like leaving.
He wanted to his apartment and cry in his bed. Alone. Where no one could hear his pitiful sobs. Even if Judy was unconscious, he still didn't want to break down in front of her; especially not in her condition. He checked his phone for the time. It's 8:28. Only one minute left for visiting hours. They'll make me leave anyways…
In a defeated state of mind, Nick finally succumbed to his fatigue and angst. He took one final look at his friend. Afraid to step over the maze of wires and tubes to do it, Nick blew Judy a kiss.
"I'll see you later, Jude the Dude…" With that, the fox left the room.
If only he had taken another look at the breathing machine before leaving, Nick would have seen that the readings displayed that Judy was giving 11 breaths per minute on her own…