A/N: Man! This was one chapter in the original story and I've dragged it out to four and we're not done yet! Gonna hold a little vote for next chapter. Do you want to find out how Judy's parents go ballistic first, or see a bit of Nick's POV? Let me know in your comments!
Disclaimer: It's peanut butter jelly time! And by peanut butter I mean breaking into the Disney vaults and stealing the rights to Zootopia so I don't have to disclaim anything anymore. And by jelly I mean a delicious kind of preserve that goes well on toast.
Chapter 4 - The ER, where worst means first
I can't believe he just left me here. Trudging through the automatic sliding doors, Judy was grinding her teeth, muttering incoherently under her breath. Drags me to the ER. Acts very concerned about my wellbeing. And then he just leaves!
Crossing the threshold she should have felt overwhelmed by all of the sounds coming from every direction. It was one of the few downsides of having exceptional hearing. Most bunnies tended to have difficulty in large crowds like those in an emergency room with the cries and general restlessness around them. The levels of anxiety radiating from the other mammals nearby mixing with the noise would cause their primitive instincts to fire rapidly. Oddly enough, it was also in these certain settings where a lot of bunnies tended to flourish on the other side of the aisle. Many rabbits were in the medical field often making very good doctors and nurses.
Judy meanwhile was consumed by her musings that it was as if an invisible shield was around her making all of the chaos around her shrink into nonexistence.
And what was that at the end? 'I like carrots.' What does that even mean? He keeps calling me Carrots and he said he tasted carrots on my breath during CPR. So is it me or the food? Ugh! Why do males have to be so infuriating?
"Next!" Jostled from her thoughts, Judy looked ahead to see an impatient impala waving a hoof her way trying to get her attention. She figured that hadn't been the first time that hoof had been flashed her way. Stepping up to the desk Judy climbed on top of the chair provided, allowing her to look the antelope in the eye.
"Hi. Judy Hopps. I was caught in a fire earlier today and I think I may ha-"
"Oh so you're the one." Confused at having been cut-off, she was even more so when the mammal rocked back a bit and fixed her with a stare, a mix of amusement and irritation in his gaze.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Granted." Seeing the doe's face scrunch up even more the impala finally lost it and started chuckling heavily. "I've fielded three calls about you today," he said merrily. It was an interesting tone for an emergency room worker but she figured he probably didn't get to see much joy in his line of work and decided not to bring it up.
"Calls? Three? By who!" she stammered. It was not a common thing to call ahead to an ER, much less about someone other than themselves, but apparently not only had one mammal done it, but three separate ones.
"Let's see…" he pulled a notepad from off to the side of his keyboard and flipped a few pages back. "I've got an EMT named Davis Blooming who says he treated you at the scene and advised you to come here." He looked up and shrugged, not really interested in that one. "That's pretty standard stuff to call ahead on, dealing with smoke inhalation. We've also got a 'Chief Bogo' of the ZPD who said you would be 'coming in immediately and if she doesn't report by eighteen hundred hours' we are supposed to call him so he can extend your leave. Oh," he glanced back down at the paper, "'unpaid' leave."
Judy groaned and looked over at the clock. Only the fact that it was currently five-twenty kept her from sliding from the chair into a puddle of despair. Now not only was her Chief keeping tabs on her, which he had the right to do with the medical requirements, but he was also making her stick to a schedule. Vacation by the day planner. Yay.
"And the third?"
"Oh right. Yeah the third came in just a few minutes ago. Like right after you came in. A…Nick Wilde." Judy's breath caught at the mention of the fox. "Said to say 'Follow the doctor's orders carrots.' Not sure what vegetables have to do with it but I'm not opposed to trying natural remedies for a few things. Anyways you're already checked in and it shouldn't be too long."
After thanking the nurse Judy headed to a seat to wait for her turn. That's it. I give up. I will never understand foxes. Or maybe it's males in general. Tipping her head back and closing her eyes, she ran her paw up and over her forehead, feeling the thin bandage the EMT had placed there. She had been right in thinking her cut was shallow and would not present a problem, however it had still been bleeding and they had decided to keep it from staining her fur.
She had found herself beginning to sink into the chair, her body finally relaxing after all the adrenaline of the day wearing her out, when the feel of a soft tug at her uniform had her opening her eyes. Peering to her left, the sight of a small fox kit brought a smile to her face. "Hey there, little guy."
Wide blue eyes and a broad smile greeted the doe while the very young tod seemed to be practically bouncing on his hindpaws. "You're the bunny that saved us!"
While she hadn't had a lot of time to engrain the children's faces in her memory with the chaos in the burning building, the child recognizing her would have been much easier for him. The soot stained police uniform was an obvious giveaway as well.
"I'm glad to see you are doing well," she managed to say while keeping a coo at the little boy's cuteness to herself. "How is your mom and sister?"
"Sissy is doing okay," he said brightly. "Mommy is-"
"RAPHAEL!"
"Uhh…she's here?" Becoming rather timid, the small vulpine tod offered her a guilty smile and stepped back slightly though still within arms length.
A vixen about a foot and a half taller than the doe came out of the exit door leading to the patient rooms. She was still in her hospital gown and there was a bandage wrapped around her head. She did not seem unsteady which was a good thing and the small girl she had by the paw seemed healthy and happy.
"Raphael what have I told you about running off? And these mammals are here to be helped, not bothered by a ridiculously hyperactive kit. I swear I should never have drank coffee while I was pregnant with you."
"Jane Russet, I presume?" Judy addressed the vixen, standing and offering her paw to the seemingly stressed out female. The fox eyed it with a hesitant look at seeing a badge on the officer's chest. While never having been mistreated by the police in the past, Jane had heard several stories of friends in situations like this to going well.
"Officer," she said warily. "What can I do for you?" She was a bit perplexed by the fact that the mammal in police blues in front of her was a bunny since she had never heard of a rabbit on the force before.
"Mommy!" the girl who was clutching her mother's paw yanked on her arm to get her attention. "That's the bunny from at the house!" Confusion marred the vixen's expression for a moment.
"Yeah!" chimed in Raphael. "She got us outta the fire! She was so cool, mommy! She was all like 'BAM!' and the window was like 'Spwuh!' And then she picked you up, SHE PICKED YOU UP! You were like ten thousand pounds and this police bunny just carried you like you were a hundred feathers. It was awesome!" The kit, who couldn't have been more than five or six years old began hopping up and down, circling around the three other mammals.
Jane's expression had turned from confusion to wonderment in only a moment. Dropping to her knee, she avoided the still extended paw and clasped the bunny to her, hugging her tight. "Oh my, little bunny. I-I don't have the words! What you did for my children…it's just so unbelievable!"
"It's okay, ma'am. That's what we do at the ZPD. I'm just thankful it all turned out alright." Pulling back and tilting her head curiously, she looked at the bandage still on the vixen's head. "Is everything alright?" she asked, gesturing to her own forehead.
"Oh. Yes it's nothing serious. I'm not sure what it was but something fell and hit me in the head. I suppose that's what…" She stopped with the sudden thought of what would have happened had the officer not heard her children crying for help. She had been unconscious and they all three would have died.
Judy could see the distress threatening to come over the vixen again and decided a distraction would be in order. "I'm surprised they are letting you out this soon."
"What? Oh!" Jane shook her head energetically. "No, we need to go back. We're still being treated for smoke inhalation but Raphael ran out here and I had to chase after him. He's not one to still, as you can see." Judy could indeed since the young tod had not slowed down for even a moment after beginning his hop around the group, still spring his legs viciously.
"Well, I'll let you get back to it then." Bidding the trio goodbye, she watched as they were almost through the doors before something occurred to her. "Oh, Mrs. Russet?"
"Yes dear?" she asked, her demeanor much more positive towards the young doe.
"Did you happen to see what started the fire? It would make it easier to finish the report for the fire department if you had."
"I'm afraid not, Officer Hopps. I was preparing a late snack for my kits and then I remember waking up outside of the apartment on the street." Judy thanked her and let the family get back to their room. They didn't seem to be any worse for the wear which was good and hopefully they stayed that way. Judy had almost settled back into her own seat when her name was called and she followed a nurse through those same doors the Russet's had just gone through.
"Hello Officer Hopps. My name is Beth and I will be taking care of you today." The otter had a very sweet disposition and Judy found it very comforting as she was led into the patient wing. "What brings you in today?"
"Well I was caught in a fire earlier today and I may have breathed in a bit too much smoke. Had a few coughing fits though they seem to come and go." The nurse nodded in understanding.
"It can certainly be annoying, I know. But we should get your lungs looked at. Smoke inhalation can cause serious issues, especially if left untreated." Gesturing Judy into a room, she had her climb up on the bed provided. They were in one of the small mammal rooms which she was grateful for as she was feeling too tired to clamber up the height of a larger bed's elevation. Beth took a seat at the nearby computer and began clacking away at the keys. "Now it says here you have several notes from mammals who recommended you come in. An EMT, the police chief, and a firefighter. Why did it take you so long to come in?"
"Well…" she began to explain but changed her mind partway through, deciding it was best that she keep that private. "It was a personal matter."
"Hm." Judy could tell the otter was curious but part of her job was to treat what needed to be treated and keep the personal things out of it unless they could affect the patient's health. In this case, while the matter had kept her from getting immediate medical attention, it did not fall under 'need to know' hospital policy. "Let's get the cuff on you and get a reading."
Routine doctor appointments were one of Judy's least favorite things. She could stand the exam of her eyes and ears, reflexes, even urinating into a cup, but the blood pressure cuff was one of the issues she had. The constricting feeling caused a slight panic to flash through her but she pushed through it like always, distracting herself by listing out the first one hundred criminal codes she memorized at the academy. She hadn't even realized they put a oxygen leveler on her digit until it was being take off.
"Alright Miss Hopps. Blood pressure looks good so no worries there. Your blood/oxygen ratio is low however. I want to get the doctor in here but for now I'm going to have you wear this," she reached her paw into one of the cabinets and handed Judy a breathing mask. Slipping it over her head, Judy sat while the otter hooked it up to an oxygen tank. "Just breathe normally. The doctor should be in very soon."
Judy thanked the nurse who left to go make the rest of her rounds. The gray rabbit sat alone, thankful for the time to try and get her thoughts together on the pandemonium that had been her morning and afternoon. At least that was the plan until she felt a buzzing sound in her pocket.
Leaving it in the meter maid cart had kept it safe and whole. Not even a scratch marred the screen. A screen that showed the smiling faces of her parents contact photo. Not wanting them to see her in a hospital and especially not with an oxygen mask on, she went to deny the call. Unfortunately, whether it was just that she was tired or simply a mistake, her digit was just a little too low. She watched in horror as the circle filled with the drag and the call screen was filled with two smiling bunnies. The smiles quickly melted to looks of shock and Judy felt her heart plummet.
"Hey look, it's my parents!"