Ch. 7: Missing
Nick and Judy lay on the fox's hospital bed, staring up at the hand held mirror in Nick's paw, examining the brand new bandage on his cheek.
"It makes my face look fat," he complained. Suzy was curled into a ball under the fox's neck. She had had her check up and was deemed just fine, but the little sugar glider had not left Nick's side since the department and still clutched that little rattle between her paws. Judy couldn't blame her of that; it was the only piece of home she had left which was tragic considering she was only an infant.
The rabbit scoffed at her boyfriend's words, "No it doesn't. You look fine."
"Think it'll scar?" Nick asked, running his fingers over the bandage.
"I don't know," Judy answered honestly. "Maybe?"
"I hope so," Nick grinned, "I'd look so sexy with a war wound."
Judy rolled her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against his, "You're already handsome enough, slick." She chuckled quietly, "I just realize…we match."
"If you mean we're a match made in heaven I already knew that," the fox joked, placing the mirror on the bedside table.
"No, I mean I got clawed once too." She sat up and brushed the fur on her cheek the wrong way so Nick could see the faint scars Gideon Grey had left on her years ago. It was something she had gotten over years ago, but silly her she should've known better than to show it to Nick.
He sat up so suddenly that Suzy fell onto his lap with an indignant squeak; he reached his paws out and trapped Judy's face. She was silent as he studied her scars but really didn't like the look in his eyes.
"This was years ago," she tried to assure. "It's no big deal."
"Who did this to you, Carrots?" Nick asked his voice low with a growl.
"Nick," she insisted, "Don't make a big deal out of this. It was nothing."
"Don't lie to me, Carrots," he replied sternly.
Judy let out a helpless sigh, knowing he wouldn't let this go even if the hospital caught fire. "Gideon Grey. But we were kids and-" her sentence stopped short as Nick released her and placed Suzy on his shoulder before he jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Judy demanded, racing after him.
"To Bunnyburrow," he replied as he marched down the hall.
Judy walked at his side, "For what?"
"I have to go kick Gideon Grey's tail."
"Wait, no, no, no," Judy jumped in front of the fox, making him stop. "Nick, it's no big deal, really. He apologized; I wouldn't have showed you if I knew you were going to act like this."
"I can't believe I shook his paw," Nick suddenly snapped, staring at said paw in disgust. Suzy jumped off his shoulder to land on his palm, shaking her rattle like crazy.
Before Judy could say more running footsteps had her turning around to see a couple of doctors and nurses running down a hall, to the rabbit's surprise Mayor Lionheart was right behind them, looking just as panicked.
She raced over just in time to nearly trip over Percy who had been following after the mayor.
"Judy!" he gasped in surprise, looking her over. Nick arrived at her side and the rabbit flinched when he saw Nick's bandage. "Are you two okay?"
"We're fine, just a little scratched up," Nick answered, then looked after the departing mammals. "They're certainly in a hurry. Any problems, Perry?"
"Is that goat okay?" Judy asked. They had brought him here to be cured, Judy hoping he could have some information to tell as she was almost positive this savage goat had been a distraction so Suzy could be kidnapped.
Percy stared at her with wide, surprised eyes, "You don't know?"
Nick and Judy shook their heads, anxiety rising.
"The Night Howlers antidote is gone."
The rabbit jumped when the mayor called his name and he hurried down the hall after him, Judy and Nick keeping pace with the assistant mayor.
"What do you mean the antidote's gone?" Judy demanded. "Weren't a lot of vials made during the outbreak?"
"Yes, but the ones remaining were stolen," Percy answered. "Chief Bogo has some mammals checking the security cameras but-"
"Wait don't they have the antidote written down or something?" Nick demanded.
"That's just it," Percy looked up at the fox, "They had all the antidote's information in their computer database but someone deleted all of it. And the only mammal who knew it by heart was Eleanor Sugar."
Judy and Nick looked at each other.
"By any chance," Nick began, "Bellwether hasn't escaped prison has she?"
Judy shook her head, her thoughts racing over how bad this was becoming. If there was one savage mammal odds are there were more, and they had no way to cure them.
They made it to the doctors and nurses and the mayor who were waiting for Percy at a door, and Judy knew behind that door was the savage goat.
"How about Suzy and I go check the camera?" Nick asked.
Judy nodded, not wanting the baby to be around the goat, "Go ahead, I'll come get you when we leave."
The fox turned and walked off, Judy followed Percy into the room.
Viscous bleating greeted them, the goat tied to a pole in the middle of the room and Judy was reminded of Emmit Otterton. The goat was staring at the other mammals with hostility in his eyes, looking ready to charge.
"Who is he?" Judy asked Percy.
"Marvin Beardby," one of the doctors, a badger, answered her. "He's jobless and has been caught for petty shop lifting."
"Does he have any relatives?" Judy asked.
"One," the badger replied, "A brother by the name of Billy. He lives out in Tundra Town."
"Billy Beardby?" Judy echoed in disbelief, "Isn't he the creator of the iPaw?"
"Quite, and he's made other technology as well, he's an impressive inventor."
"Why don't you go talk to him, Officer Hopps?" Lionheart suggested, "See if we can figure anything else out that might tell us who injected him."
"And maybe that's the mammal that kidnapped Eleanor," Percy added.
Judy nodded, they needed to find Eleanor. Without her nothing Judy found out about Marvin would help. She told the mammals a quick goodbye before heading out the door, casting one last look at Marvin Beardby as she did so; the goat's dark eyes watched her until the door closed shut.
.
"It looks like just a glitch," Nick said, standing by Officer Wilfred the wolf as they examined the security cameras. Specifically the one that overlooked the room where the antidote was kept, Nick could see the vials clearly in a small fridge, but then the screen would turn to static for only a few seconds and then fix, but then the vials were gone.
"But it isn't," the wolf growled, staring at the picture as if they missed something. "Isn't it just like the security cameras at the Hill?"
Nick nodded, "But that one turned off completely into static, they were more professional about this one, quicker too."
Wilfred looked to Nick, "Are you nervous?"
"About what?" Nick asked.
"Remember what happened last time night howlers were used?"
He'd never forget. "This was a prey though, and the mammals that tired to kidnap Suzy were definitely predators. I think we're safe." But a part of Nick wasn't so sure, and that part was very scared.
"I'm going to send this footage to the precinct," Wilfred told him, "See if anyone else can do something with it."
"Nick?" Judy stepped into the room, smiling when she saw the fox. But that smile quickly turned into a frown, "Where's Suzy?"
Nick whirled around to show off his tail, and the little sugar glider sitting on it. He waved his tail slightly and Suzy giggled at the movement before jumping into Judy's awaiting arms.
"So are you two taking care of her now or…" Wilfred trailed off.
"Not officially," Judy said, hugging the sugar glider. "But she's just as safe with us as anywhere else, safer even."
Nick walked over and scratched Suzy under the chin, the baby smiling appreciatively.
"You guys look cute together," Wilfred said, "Like a family."
"That reminds me," Judy spoke up, looking as if she was gliding over the wolf's statement. "Nick and I dating must have surprised a good bit of the precinct."
Wilfred laughed but quickly stopped when he saw they weren't laughing with them, "Oh, I assumed someone told you."
Nick cocked an eyebrow, "Told us what?"
"The betting pool," he answered then made an awkward face, "We were all kind of…making bets about when you two would start dating."
Judy's jaw dropped and Nick face-pawed. "Let me guess," the fox said. "Clawhauser was part of it."
"Oh it was his idea," Wilfred said. "Not that I'm complaining. I got a hundred and fifty bucks because of you two. And I'll go ahead and let you know, we have officially started a when they'll tie the knot betting pool." He leaned in and playfully elbowed Nick, "Do me a favor and wait until next year to pop the question will ya, bud?"
"And with that we're leaving," Nick replied, his fur on end as he pushed Judy out the door. "Good night, Willy."
The wolf grinned and waved good bye as he broke into song, "Can you feel the love tonight?"
