Chapter Four,
He Doesn't Care
Around and around the second hand on the clock went, seemingly infinitely repeating the hour before lunch time. Watching it were two pairs of eyes. One would look to the clock while the other focused on work and they switched roles often. The bunny's feet dangled from the high standing chair. The fox's feathery tail twitched and swayed. Before them was the seemingly never ending, ever flowing current of forms, folders, and files.
So the two officers sat waiting and grimacing until finally the destined hand reached the awaited hour.
"Hey Carrots. Lunch time."
"Well it's about time," said the rabbit cop.
"Is today your lunch or mine?"
The bunny spun in her chair and considered for a moment.
"Hmm I think it's mine. There should be something in the fridge, though I've forgotten what it is." The thought of forgetfulness returned her mind to a distant conversation. Her partner wheeled his own chair around and faced her.
"You've got to be kidding me with this rhyming" exclaimed Nick dramatically. Judy's thoughts were somewhere else as her foot shoved off the desk, sending her chair spinning to and fro.
"Yeah Nick, that's great."
He rolled his eyes and hopped off his chair. "Come on, Hippty-Hopps, let's use the free time while we got it."
The bunny got up and followed the fox, as they walked through the police office. There was a time when every pair of cop eyes would have watched the two shortest officers in the district. Now and again a pair would steal a glance, but these looks were filled with respect instead of sympathy. The pair walked into the empty break room. It was arranged in a simple manner, with tables and chairs filling most of the space. They were surrounded by various appliances and machines which lined the walls.
Nick plopped down in a chair and pulled out his phone as Judy went to the refrigerator. The door made a whoosh noise as the cold air rushed out, covering the little bunny's fur in frost.
"Ugh." She shivered. "Has Kodlak been messing with the refrigerator temperature again?" She reluctantly reached in and grabbed a small white box with her name on it. "Don't tell me. . ." She slowly raised the lid to reveal a handful of carrots. Mist slowly rose from the food, gently waving in front of the disappointed bunny's nostrils.
"Yep. Frozen Solid."
With a great heave and sigh she tossed the depressing box into a trash can and walked over to her partner. There wasn't much noise in the room, except for the low hum of the machines. A low scratching sound echoed off the walls as she pulled up a chair opposite him. Drawing together a deep breath, she gathered herself and plunged forward in a typical manner.
"Nick, what's the deal with your family."
The fox didn't react at first. Judy watched the cell phone screen reflected in his green eyes. Finally with a great sigh he placed the phone face down on the table and looked at his partner.
"This… Really isn't something I want to discuss right now."
She opened up her paws and put them on the table. "Now seems as good a time as any."
Nick saw the inevitability in her expression, though it wasn't something he particularly liked at the moment. He began speaking after a slight hesitation.
"My family, excluding my mother, has not been good to me."
"And that's why they make you upset?" Clearly, the bunny was not going to relent about this.
"I'm not upset. . . But I don't care about them." Stubbornness exuded from him.
Judy's eyes gleamed with a combination of frustration and eagerness. "But why?" She pressed.
"That's not something. . ." he looked to the ground "that you need to know, Carrots." There was a defensive edge to his voice as he turned his head back up to face her.
The bunny's foot gradually rumbled more and more against the floor with her mounting vexation. She was beginning to burst with unfounded excitement. "But-but I don't understand how you can treat them like that! They're your family!"
"Judy," his face was tight and his voice irritated. "You don't know what it's like to grow up with a single parent. You don't know what it's like, as a kid… To be alone."
His eyebrows twitched in disgust even as his mouth began to quiver with the taste of sorrow. He huffed a breath to recover himself. "Foxy never came to me when I needed him. When I needed a fa-. . . A friend." He sighed.
Perhaps she had pushed him too far; but now she knew. The rabbit's ears were flat against the back of her head as she responded. "Nick… You're right. I can't relate. I can't understand. But I can help. I'm here."
"I know Carrots. And I'm glad for it, believe me." The edges of his cheeks turned up ever so slightly. Judy noticed out of the corner of her eye his tail swaying in the air behind him.
"That's good… Because it sounds like you have a lot of pent up anger."
"I'm not angry anymore. I just don't care. Before I met you… I didn't care about anything."
A slight smile touched her lips. "Well I'm still working on that."
His expression turned serious. Now it was the fox's turn. "Judy. Now probably isn't the best time."
"No it probably isn't." She said with a hint of concern.
"I would like to ask you out. But I know there's something holding you back."
Nick was rather surprised that she stayed in her seat, but he didn't show it. She must have known it was coming. She responded with her face masked in a manner akin to her partner.
"I've got to talk to my parents."
"That's not really the reason, is it?"
"No. I don't think I can trust a sly fox like you."
His eyebrows rocketed upwards.
"Oh I'm just kidding. I really don't think I could enter a relationship with anyone without my parents consent."
"Ah, the excuses just keep piling up, don't they?" Nick threw his paws up in exaggerated frustration. Judy studied his face for a moment before replying.
"Well let's face it Nick, a fox and a bunny were never going to have the easiest of times. Particularly in this city." The two looked at each other as shared memories passed silently between them. Nick's face became outlined by a hint of worry and he questioned her.
"But you still want to try, don't you?"
She smiled reassuringly. "Of course."
A pair of sharp, inquisitive ears attached to a familiar police wolf approached the two.
"Hey guys whatcha talkin' about"
"Nothing." Said Judy, irritated.
"Oh. Okay"
WolfCop slumped his shoulders and walked away, dejected.
Nick looked down at his partner. "Was that really necessary?"
She sighed. "I guess not. I'm just. On edge."
"So now it's my turn to cheer you up?"
Sensing an opportunity, the bunny played along, drooping her ears. She spoke with a sweet, conniving innocence in her voice.
"There is one thing that might cheer me up." She stared him down with her cutest bunny face. "… Can you tell me about your family?"
He sighed. "Alright."
"Foxy is married to my aunt, Felicity Fox. They have one kid, Ash I think. Well anyways her brother, Craig Silverfox, is extremely sick, so much so that it isn't safe to be in the same house."
Judy thought for a moment. "Can't they afford fox care?"
"No. That's why Felicity called my mother and asked if his son, her brothers son, could stay with me."
"Uh huh… And why didn't you want him to?"
"Because I don't have the time to take care of him." Judy squinted at him for a moment, but his face was solidly composed with no hint of emotion. She pressed on.
"Hmm. What's his name?"
"Kristofferson."
"Well. That's an unusual name for a fox." She said in a stereotypical all foxes are sneaky simple named predators voice.
Nick rolled his eyes. He'd pay her back for it soon enough.
"Is that enough information to sate your thirst?" He asked with eagerness.
"Yes, I think I know just the trick."
The look on her face sent a shiver down his fox-spine. Knowing what was coming next, the vulpine quickly schemed for an escape. Glancing back at his phone and noting the time, he quickly stood up.
"Come on, we need to get back to work." He pointed to a non-existent watch on his wrist.
She glared at him for a moment before also standing up. They walked back to their desks in outward silence, though on the inside there was much to be said. The normal light buzz of mammals working in the background no longer bugged them, so for them it was quite a quiet trip. The second they sat in their chairs, Judy spun hers around and faced the fox.
"I think you need to pay them a visit."
The fox lazily turned around in his own chair. Though no words escaped his mouth, his expression was unmistakably dubious.
"Hear me out. I know you trust me. So believe when I tell you that being on good terms with your family is very important." She wagged one digit of her right paw at him. "More important than your job, even. Don't roll your eyes at me."
"You know Carrots, if it weren't for the fact that I'm older, taller, and smarter than you, I might actually believe you."
It was not hard to see the sarcasm dripping from his smug smile. He spoke carefully.
"I suppose, I can consider a visit. If you auhh…"
Judy's eyes widened as his narrowed.
"Agree to talk to your parents."
"Oh. Uhh…"
Suddenly, the looming shadow of a large mammal passed over the pair. A new, deeper voice interjected over the two.
"Hopps, Wilde, my office."
"Oh, of course sir." Judy scrambled her paws across her desk to appear like she was working. Bogo had already noticed their lack of focus, but he really didn't care. The hulking buffalo turned around and stalked out of sight.
"Come on Nick. Let's go."
It was a short walk over to the chief of police's office. The door was slightly ajar, but Judy still smoothed out her uniform before knocking. Satisfied with herself, she looked over at her partner, who still needed an occasional reminder.
"Nick. Straighten your tie." She whispered.
"Oh. Right."
Two knocks, and then came the grizzled response.
"Come in."
Sensing a happy mood, the two short officers walked into the comparatively large room. For the most part it looked like a typical office, except for the enormous buffalo, who sat with his hooves folded on the desk. He lifted one arm up and gestured to the chair opposite him.
"Have a seat."
Together, they hopped onto the enormous chair, easily fitting both of them. Their ears snapped forward as they looked at the chief. He huffed a deep sigh before addressing his two outstanding officers.
"It's time you two take a vacation. Things have been quiet lately, and you've been working nonstop since that time you both got sick for a week."
The two exchanged a quick side glance which the chief did not fail to notice, but he didn't care. "Anyways," he put on his glasses and examined the sheet in front of him "you are the only two who haven't taken their mandatory two week vacation. Given that you're partners-" another quick glance "-in-law, I'm ordering you both to take the next two weeks off."
"But. . ." Nick wanted to protest but Judy knew it would be futile to resist. Bogo was having none of it; really, he didn't care.
"No buts. Spend some time with your… Families."
"Yes sir," Judy replied, and the chief took off his glasses.
"Dismissed." The two officers rose in synchronization, snapping their right paw to their brows in a crisp salute. Bogo returned the gesture and they about-faced, exiting the office. The door swung closed behind them, and the two looked at each other with the same thought in their minds.
"How did he know?"
"I didn't tell him."
"WolfCop!"
WolfCop called in sick the next day.
