Chapter Nine: Not At Fault
Everything dies, it is the inevitable, but when someone gets taken from us before their time, it breaks us, it hurts far more than if they were to have lived a long life. However, some are taken from us before their time and dealing with the pain can change who we are in horrible ways if we let it.
Nick waited for the train, and after ten minutes of waiting for the last train, he needed to get on showed up. He got on the train while checking the time on his phone to see it was five thirty PM.
"Crap I have to get back before Judy wakes up," he said to himself while taking his seat on the train.
"Wife not allowed to know you're not at home?" A make voice asked.
Nick looked up and to his surprise sitting across from him a few seats down was the lion he only knew by James.
"James Hey bud, don't worry it isn't anything bad, Judy would just get worried for me after all we have been through the past week," Nick replied happily.
"I understand, I heard about the chief of police. I mean everyone heard about it, I just want to say I'm sorry for your loss," the caring lion replied with a sympathetic voice and smile.
"Thanks, James," Nick said with a kind smile.
The lion's smile faded when he looked down, but it quickly came back stronger when he asked happily, "so when are you and Judy going to be back on the train to work? I've been getting lonely without you two to talk to?"
"Soon James, we just have things to take care of, you know?" Nick replied calmly.
"I understand, I don't know how to react to losing a friend, or worse my wife. I think I would lose it," the lion said with a sympathetic tone.
Nick spoke up and answered calmly, yet with a slight brittleness to his voice, "It's hard to deal with, and you never get used to it, you never go numb."
James noticed Nick was trying to hide his real emotions, which he wasn't letting anyone see that it got to him, so he offered happily, "Nick I know I can't empathize with you and Judy. If you ever want to talk, we can, you still have my number so just hit me up."
"Thanks, James, much appreciated," Nick replied happily.
Nick and James talked some more, but after five minutes the train came to a stop, and Nick had to get off, for it was his stop. He said his goodbye and got off the train, he walked the rest of the way home and hoped that Judy was still asleep.
He opened the door slowly and shanked his way back into his home. Nick made his way to their bedroom and to his relief Judy was still sleeping.
"Thank God," he thought to himself.
Nick walked up to her still curled up under the blanket, with head on the pillow, and her ears still covering the front of her. He smiled in joy knowing he had the greatest animal in the whole world by his side every day and night.
"I'm sorry Carrots, but it's time to wake up from your nap," he whispered faintly. Nick bent down and gave Judy a kiss on the head; then he happily said loud enough to wake her, but quiet enough as to not be annoying, "Carrots. It's me your favorite fox in the whole wide world. Time to wake up from your nap."
Judy moved slight her ears no longer covering her face; she began to stretch as she made a subtle groaning noise just before she opened her eyes and smiled at Nick.
"Hey, beautiful," Nick said with content and a smile.
"Hey gorgeous," she replied as she rubbed her eyes before sitting up and looking at Nick with tired eyes.
"You hungry Carrots, I could make you some steamed carrots," Nick offered with a grin on his face.
Judy smiled and replied with a little, tired tone, "sure, but you have to carry me there."
"Are you just not going to get dressed?" Nick asked.
"I'm too tired to be putting clothes on, so carry me, you've already done it once today what is another matter?" Judy replied happily.
"Fair enough, but I can't say I'm complaining," he agreed with a grin.
Judy threw her arms out to him almost like a little child would, he picked her up and when he did, Judy kissed him before clinging onto his sides with her legs. Nick healed her tightly and walked with her in his arm all the way to the kitchen where he set her down in a chair before giving her another kiss.
Nick opened the fridge and grabbed a bag of fresh carrots, he placed them on the counter, taking eight of them out of the bag. He grabbed a cutting board, a knife, and a peeler for the carrots.
"You want them steamed right?" Nick asked Judy while he began to peel the carrots.
"Please," she replied happily while watching Nick, while she curled up on the chair she was on.
Nick smiled back at her, then looked back at what he was he finished peeling the carrots, Nick threw out the skins and placed the skinless vegetables on the cutting board. He cut them up fast, and he put them into a bowl.
"Hope you don't mind, but I'm not waiting for water to boil, so microwaved is what we get," Nick said happily and impatiently.
"That's fine, I'm not waiting either," Judy replied calmly and with a smile, for she understood Nick hating to wait for food to be ready.
Nick placed the large bowl of carrots into the microwave and put a lid over the bowl to keep the steam in when it heated up. He set the timer for four minutes and when it finished, Nick took it out and placed the big bowl on the table in front of Judy. He grabbed two forks, then sat down beside Judy giving her one of them.
"There dig in," Nick said after taking the lid off the bowl.
"Nick, where did you go today?" Judy asked calmly before sticking her fork into a few cut up carrots.
'When did I wake you up?" Nick asked hiding how surprised he was that she knew he left.
"When you moved me and put me under the blanket," she answered while she chewed her food.
"Oh," he mumbled out.
"So where did you go?" Judy asked again, this time with a little more clear voice her mouth not being full of food.
"To see the shrink your dad told me about," he replied with a low tone.
"Well ... what did he say?" Judy asked not worrying about Nick wanting to keep it a secret from her, for she understood why he wanted to.
"H-he uh ... told me to come back on Monday same time as today and it will be a real lesson," Nick replied hesitating to answer her.
"Do you want me to come with you on Monday?" She offered, knowing Nick had trouble discussing his nightmares.
"N-No I think I'll be okay," he said with a faint smile. "Now come one hurry up and eat your food, don't want it to get cold now do we," he said happily suddenly changing the subject.
"Mhm," she mumbled while she ate more food.
The two of them talked Nick trying to avoid any negative conversations, waiting to talk about them after the funeral. They finished their food and Nick put the dirty dishes in the sink; he carried Judy back to their bedroom, but he set her down on her feet on the floor.
"We need to change the blanket," he said remembering the mess he and Judy made wasn't cleaned up.
"Oh yeah," Judy added.
They looked at each other, and for some reason they laughed, neither of them, could figure out what was so funny, but it was.
Nick pulled the blanket off the bed and rolled it up into a ball in his paws; he walked over to the closet in their room, and he dropped the blanket into a laundry basket. Nick grabbed one of the clean sheets that were on the top shelf of the closet, he unfolded it and spread it across the whole bed.
"There, good enough for me," Nick said falling back onto the bed.
"No, it's not," Judy added annoyed by the lacking perfection of the bed.
"Why not?" Nick asked confused as to why it even matter at this point.
"It just does okay," she replied with an annoyed voice. "Get off," she ordered.
"Fine," Nick agreed sitting up and to get off the bed.
Judy began to straighten it flattening it and shoving the end and back corners of the blanket under the mattress.
"There," she said with content once she finished.
"You know we are just going to go under the blanket in a couple of hours right?" Nick pointed out, for she saw no reason in what she did.
"Well get over it," Judy ordered firmly.
"Already am," he replied with a grin right before he kissed Judy on the head.
Now that they had finished eating and changed their blanket, Nick and Judy didn't know what to do with themselves. They wanted to do something, but they had gotten used to always working and havering a lot less free time, so everything they normally did together wasn't enough.
"What do we do now?" Judy asked hoping Nick would have an answer.
Nick smiled at Judy, he walked up to her and brought her close to him, gripping her back pulling her to him.
"Well for starters you could get some clothes on," Nick replied with a quiet voice and a grin on his face.
"Are we going somewhere?" She asked calmly, yet with peeked interest.
"Yes, we are," he added with a more lively tone.
Judy pulled away from him and bent down grabbing her panties from the ground while she asked, "where?"
"Hmm, nowhere particular," he answered while sitting down on the bed behind him while watching his wife put her clothes on.
"Oh a mystery," she replied while pulling up her pants.
"Not really, I thought we would just go for a walk," Nick said calmly.
"Oh, I love a good stroll," Judy replied ecstatically, as she pulled her shirt over her head.
"You might want to grab a sweater, the wind is picking up out there," Nick suggested, standing up walking towards the door to their bedroom.
"Okay," she replied while following him out the room.
Both of them made their way to the front door where there was a coat rack with a couple sweaters and coats hanging from it. Judy grabbed her purple zip-up sweater, putting it on herself leaving it open; Nick grabbed his black zip-up sweater, he put it on and zipped it up. He opened the door and let Judy leave first, he followed suit closing and locking the door before they left.
Nick and Judy left the apartment building, while they walked for what seemed like forever they talked about anything they could think of that didn't have anything to do with Nick's nightmares and the funeral for the Bogo's.
"I spy with my little eye something red," Nick said with a cheery voice.
Judy scanned the area looking for what Nick meant when she saw a camel with a red shirt walking across the street.
"The camel over there," she said only glancing at the animal while she spoke.
"Damn, okay you're clearly too good at this game, so we need to find something else to play so that I can win," Nick said with a chuckle.
"I don't really feel like playing anything else, in fact, this is getting kind of repetitive. So let's just talk," Judy suggested while grabbing Nick's paw, intertwining her fingers with his.
"Judy," Nick said with a flatter, calmer tone.
"Yeah?" she answered curiously while looking up into Nick's eye, while he looked into hers.
"I love this, I love just walking enjoying each other's company, I loving doing it with you, why are we only now doing this?" Nick asked with a joy filled voice.
"I don't know, but we should do it more often," Judy replied happily.
They soon made their way home, and after a few hours of TV, they got ready for bed. Nick came up with a plan on how to sleep, he would wake up every few hours so he couldn't remember dreaming or even dream at all, the only problem was doing it without Judy finding out. He didn't want to tell her because he didn't want to get her hopes up about his nightmares.
"Judy I-I think tonight I should sleep on the couch," Nick suggested with hesitation.
"Nick, why should you sleep on the sofa?" She asked with worry that he was planning on staying up all night.
"I don't want to wake you up because trust me I'm going to have a nightmare, and when I do, at least you don't get woken up by me," Nick replied calmly.
"What if it's one of the more severe ones, you're going to be wanting me to be there," Judy added with worry for her husband.
"Then I'll come to you, I'm just going to be in the living room," he insisted.
Judy moved closer to him, she looked into his eyes and said with a concerned voice, "Nick I'll be all right; you need to sleep. I know you're scared of your dreams, but that is why I will be here to calm you when you wake up, just sleep in here."
"I-I have a plan to stop the dreams," Nick said admitting why he wanted to sleep in the living room. "I was going to set the alarm for a few hours and have it wake me up to stop me from remembering my dreams, if not stopping them all together," he added with disappointment in himself or not telling Judy.
"H-How did you come up with this?" She asked with peeked interest.
"I came up with it this afternoon after we came home and after we had done it I fell asleep, I woke up a couple of hours later, and I didn't have a dream or at least didn't remember it," Nick replied happily knowing his could potentially stop the nightmares.
"Why didn't you want me to know about this? You know I would support your decision," Judy questioned.
"I know, and I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to worry," Nick replied with a calm tone, but with self-disappointment.
Judy hugged Nick, then she reached up to his head and pulled it down so she could kiss him.
"Then let's do it, let's stop these nightmares once and for all," she happily said and with encouragement in her tone.
"Thank you," Nick added kissing her back.
The hugged and held each other for a few minutes before getting undressed. Nick placed his phone on the night table after setting the alarm for two and a half hours later; he would also wait around ten minutes before going back to sleep.
Nick got into bed beside Judy tried to fall asleep, and after twenty minutes he did, Judy fell asleep after him, for she had slept for four hours earlier that day.
"Judy run!" Nick exclaimed in terror.
They both began to run as fast as their feet would allow, the huge rhino that was chasing them down had already killed six other animals, and they were next.
Eventually, the massive beast overtook them, he grabbed Judy and threw her over thirty feet right into a wall.
"Judy!" Nick screamed in absolute fear and anger.
The rhino had already taken eight bullets without flinching, so Nick grabbed his gun and the one that dropped off of Judy when she was thrown. He aimed for the head and shot every bullet out of both guns while yelling in anger. Nick shot sixteen bullets into him, most of them hitting the rhino's chest, but the last one got him in the eye, it ripped through his skull splattering blood all over the road, the rhino fell causing the ground to shake under Nick's feet.
"Judy," Nick exclaimed in fear, he ran towards her seeing her on the ground.
Her arm was broken, crushed by the force of hitting the wall, her legs were both crushed, for they hit the wall first. Judy had a huge gash going down the side of her head, and it was gushing out blood.
"Judy n-no stay with me, I'll get help," Nick cried out in fear for her life.
Nick went running off to get help, but he felt his arm being touched, Judy had grabbed him with her good arm, she coughed, and blood came out of her mouth splattering onto herself and Nick's paw.
"S-S-Stay, I-I'm not g-going to make it," Judy blurted out in agonizing pain.
Nick knew she was going to die, but he didn't want to believe it for a second.
"I promise I'll stay," he said with so much despair in his eyes he began to have tears fall from them. Nick dropped to his knees and said with tears covering his face, "I love you so much, so so much!
"I-I ...," Judy coughed, and her last breath was released with blood spilling over her lips and into her and the ground.
Her heart stopped, giving its last beat and the remaining life faded away into nothingness, her grip on Nick's paw slowly weakened until she had no grip left and her paw slipped out of Nick's.
"J-Ju-," Nick said with a soft, yet broken tone as he started to weep with endless tears falling from his face.
He picked up her lifeless body and held her, rocking back and forth, sobbing continuously, he cried so hard that he couldn't breathe.
Next thing Nick knew he woke up jumping out of bed, his body trembling, his face showed his dismay, and his body covered in so much sweat, it looked as if he had jumped into a lake.
Judy woke up in a daze, baffled by the sudden noise and movement, but she quickly came to realize what had happened.
Nick had fallen onto the floor; he curled up on the ground as he trembled in fear and confusion.
"Judy ...," he cried out. "J-Judy, I-I ... I'm scared," he trembled out.
Judy jumped from the bed and fell to her knees in front of Nick Nick who was filled with fear. Judy gently placed her paws on both sides of his face; she subtly wiped tears from his face while looking at him with great sympathy.
"Shh ... it's going to be okay," Judy said calmly.
She put her paws under his arms and helped hi sit up, as he did Judy felt something that was wet and sticky. She moved her paw into the light shining in from the window and saw her paw was covered in blood.
"Oh god," she whispered in shock. Judy spoke calmly while trying to keep Nick calm, "Nick look at me, Nick I need you to get up."
He nodded in agreement, and he stood up with Judy, who then led him out of their room into the kitchen leaving a trail of blood behind them. Judy turned on the lights had Nick sit down on a chair and had him hold a cloth on his bleeding ear while she got the First Aid kit.
"No don't go, please don't leave me," Nick begged while gripping Judy's paw.
Judy looked Nick in the eyes and replied calmly, "honey I'm not going anywhere, II just need to get the First Aid kit okay, I'll only be a few seconds.
"O-Okay ...," Nick replied still sounding and looking disoriented and petrified while he continued to tremble.
Judy quickly ran to the front entrance and grabbed the First Aid kit, she brought it back and placed it on the table opening it and grabbing the gauze from it.
"Judy I-I'm sorry," Nick said with a brittle tone.
"Nick there is nothing you need to be sorry about, you have done nothing wrong and don't you dare start blaming yourself," Judy implored looking him in the eyes while having sympathy for him.
Judy began to unravel the bandaging around Nick's ear until it came off and it was exposed. Nick groaned in pain as the end of the bandage fell off.
"You must have hit your ear off the ground when you fell out of bed," she said calmly trying to keep Nick talking to help him think about anything else other than his nightmares.
Judy got up and went over the cabinet that had all the clots, one of which she grabbed and wet with warm water and another one that was dry. She started to clean the blood away from Nick's ear and face until she could clearly see the part of his ear that he still had. Judy found where the blood was coming from on his ear, so she cut a piece of gauze from the roll, she folded it into a square which she lightly pressed against the open part of the wound.
After five or so minutes, Judy managed to stop the bleeding, then she cut more gauze and thick bandage from the rolls that she then wrapped around the exposed wound. Once she finished Judy washed her paws and put the First Aid kit away making sure all the tools that came with it were there.
"Thank you Carrots," Nick said with a subtle smile, no longer being confused and petrified as he was ten minutes earlier.
Judy sat down beside Nick, and she said with a worried voice, "Nick I don't know about this plan of yours, I don't want you to keep waking up multiple times in the night completely scared and unsure of what is reality and what's not."
"Judy I just need to adjust how long I'm asleep," Nick insisted.
"No you don't get it, Nick, no one can control when they begin to dream, this isn't going to work, I-I'm sorry I thought this would work, but it's not going to," she replied with disappointment.
Nick looked at Judy shocked, but he knew she was right, he just wished she wasn't.
Placed his paw on Judy's shoulder and rubbed it light while he said calmly, "don't be sorry Judy, this is all on me, and you're right this isn't going to work, but there has to be something I can do."
"I don't know Nick, but we will find something okay," Judy replied pulling Nick into a hug.
Nick hugged Judy back holding her as long as he could. Nick believed Judy would help him find a way to stop the dreams, he trusted her with his life he knows she will save him.
After ten minutes Nick and Judy went back to their room, Nick turned off the alarm which would have gone off in another five minutes. He turned off the other ones knowing they weren't going to work. Nick didn't want to go back to sleep. All he wanted was to be with Judy, he wanted to hold her in his arms until the morning came. That is what Judy let Nick do, she let him hold her she didn't mind, he was her husband after all, and giving each other comfort when it was needed was part of being married.
As the sun slowly rose Nick and Judy sat in bed with both their paws intertwined, Judy sat in Nick's lap keeping herself close to him for warmth and for Nick to feel she was safe.
"We need to get something to eat, we have to go to the funeral today," Nick said softly, but with sincerity in his tone.
"Yeah ...," Judy replied not wanting to think about the funeral.
"Come on," Nick whispered s he let go of Judy, and she got out of his lap.
Nick stood up, and Judy followed, they went into the kitchen and got cereal. They both quickly ate their food before Nick got a cloth and a sponge so he could clean his blood off the floor in their room and the trail that led to the kitchen. He cleaned it up then dried the wet area, once he finished he and Judy took a shower together. It was normal for them to do this together, it made it easier to clean their backs because they could help one another, and well who doesn't want to take a shower with their spouse?
Nick followed Judy into the bedroom where they got undressed and grabbed a couple of towels, they went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The bandaging Judy used on nicks ear was waterproof so Nick could take a shower without it getting soaked and the hot water wouldn't hurt him.
After the shower, the two of them brushed their fur and used the body dryer to dry their fur before they both took a grooming brush to their fur before they both got dressed in their ceremonial uniforms.
"I hate wearing this thing, it's way too tight I can't even tie my tie done because it's so tight," Nick said with annoyance while trying to tie his tie around his neck.
Judy jumped up onto the bed, and Nick turned around for her to help him.
"Well let's hope we don't have to wear them again for a very long time," Judy said while she helped him with his tie.
Judy finished up Nick's tie, and Nick said in agreement, "agreed. Thanks."
Judy kissed Nick, then she jumped off the bed, and Nick followed her out of their room.
"You want some coffee?" Judy asked while she made her way to the kitchen.
"Sure," Nick replied happily.
Judy walked over to the pot of coffee she had made some time earlier, she grabbed to mugs and lured the coffee into them. She passed Nick the coffee, and they gulped it. They left the cups in the sink before they left their apartment and headed to the side parking where their patrol vehicle was left for just over a week. Nick unlocked the doors with the automatic button on the keys, he got into the driver side and put the key into the ignition twisting it turning on the car. Judy got in on the passenger side, and she buckled herself in before Nick put the car into drive and pulled away from the parking lot and headed for the road.
They drove through the city making their way to the funeral home with a cemetery beside it where the Bogo's bodies would be buried. It was just outside the city by half a kilometer, it would be a great final resting place, for them.
Nick pulled up into the parking lot which was already filled with dozens of vehicles.
"Looks like there's going to be a lot of animals here," Nick said to Judy glancing at him to notice how nervous she was. "Judy, are you okay?" He asked placing his paw on her shoulder.
"What if they blame us, what if they say it's our fault?" She asked nervously.
"Listen no one is going to say it's our fault because it's not, okay," Nick replied calmly with a subtle smile of reassurance.
Nick pulled Judy over and hugged her before releasing her, they both got out and walked over to the funeral home. Nick walked up with Judy close behind him; he pushed open the door to see around forty animals all standing and sitting in the chairs, they were all talking about the memories they had with the Bogos
"You see no one here is ready to blame anyone other than the wolf who, caused this," Nick said with a smile of assurance. "Come on let's go talk to Ben, I'm sure he wants to talk," Nick insisted with a calmer tone one filled with more seriousness.
"Y-You go speak to him I need to use the bathroom," Judy said still sounding as if she was about to burst out crying.
"Okay I'll be with Ben most likely," he replied walking away from his wife.
Judy had lied, she didn't need to use the restroom, she wanted to go and see the chief's body without Nick, she felt the need to do it alone. She walked through the crowd of animals making her way up to the front where there was two caskets side by side. There were slept up to them for smaller animals who wanted to see them one last time. Judy nervously climbed up the steps until she could see the bodies.
All the wounds from the bullets and the autopsy incisions were cleaned up and hidden as best as the mortician could, and the two were put into their best clothes Thelonious was in his ceremonial uniform, while his wife Janet was in a very expensive red dress.
Tears began to fall from Judy's face, and one fell from her face and fell onto the chief's uniform.
She wiped her eyes and said calmly and quietly, "I'm sorry, this is all my fault, everything is my fault." Judy pulled her badge off of her uniform she placed it on the edge of the casket before she whispered out, "I let you down chief, I don't deserve this badge, me having it is only causing pain."
Judy walked down the steps and towards the front door; Nick noticed her and ran after her. He caught up to her outside stopping her from walking away by putting his paw on her shoulder.
"Judy, are you okay?" Nick asked with worry.
"I don't care what I've said in the past what you're saying, this is my fault," Judy said turning around to look at Nick with tears dripping from her eyes.
"W-What, it's not your fault," Nick replied with shock and empathy for her.
"Everything that's happened this week that's still happening is my fault. I shouldn't have let you be the one with the gun; I should have had it. I should've have known you were too scared of losing me, but I let you have the only gun," Judy said with self-hatred.
"No Judy that was because of these fucking nightmares, that isn't your fault," Nick replied with sympathy, yet anger.
"Don't you get it! They are my fault; I'm a cop, and you're fucking petrified of losing me to a criminal. What about the dream you had at the hospital? That proves to me I made the mistake of letting you have the gun. I'm the reason for the Nightmares, and that is why I quit," Judy replied with a brittle uneasy voice.
"You what?" Nick said with complete surprise.
Judy looked down then back up at Nick who, was right in front of him and she answered calmly, "I quit Nick, this is for the best for everyone, the is the best for you."
"Oh god .. Judy," he said with sympathy and empathy in his voice.
He went to hug her, but Judy quickly pushed him away after a few seconds and said with a more calm voice, "Nick I just need to be alone right now ... I'll see you at home, please don't follow me."
Judy walked away from him, and he just watched in complete shock over what just happened. Nick fell to his knees and just stayed there watching her leave. After ten or so minutes went by Nick got up and headed back into the home and walked up to the front of the large room with the caskets. He went to sit down when he saw Judy's badge sitting on the edge of one of the caskets, Nick Stood back up and walked over to them. He walked up the steps he grabbed the badge and looked down at the two bodies.
"Rest in peace Bogos," Nick whispered to them before going back to his seat.
Soon everyone began to take their seats and once they were all seated the speaking started. Anyone close to the Bogos was allowed to share even some that didn't know them personally. First, clawhauser went up and cried out his speech, then a bunch of animals Nick barely knew walked up and said a few things. The last to go was Eric Short, he talked about memories he had with them and a few cases they cracked together, but then he finished, and Nick felt the need to say something.
Nick stood up and walked up to the front and got in front of the microphone, he adjusted it and spoke calmly into it, "hello, not a lot of you know who, I am, and I don't know a lot of you. It's clear to me, however, that we all knew Thelonious and Janet. Thelonious was my wife and I's boss, but he was a friend too, and I tell you this, this city wouldn't have survived as much as it has over the years if it wasn't for him. I can't say I knew Janet too well, but I do know he cared enough for her to break every protocol we have at the ZPD to try and save her. I know they loved one another, and I know they were destined to be together to the very end of their lives. Yes, what happened what tragic and should have never happened, but every time I think about them, I think about how they spent their last moments of life together and that they both saw the others face before they were killed. Rest in peace Thelonious and Janet Bogo."
Nick walked away and back to his chair.
A few more minutes went by; then they decided to move the funeral along. Eight of the larger animals that worked at the ZPD carried the coffins out of the building and to the place where they were to be buried. They lowered the caskets into the ground and then the eight animals that lowered the coffins picked up their rifles and shot them a few times just like any other funeral of a cop or soldier. The holes were filled with dirt, and everyone began to leave some stayed longer, but they soon left until the only two there was Nick and Eric.
"There is someone out there who is involved with this, I found records at the prison that Jason was in that say someone under an assumed name visited him regularly. I went to check the security footage, but it had all been erased, none of them know how it was done, but it confirms that there is something more going on here," Eric said calmly to Nick while they stood in front of the graves with blank faces Nick making eye contact.
"What am I supposed to do about it? Judy just quit, and I'm not a detective, I'm doing this job on my own," Nick questioned calmly.
"Judy, left, she quit?" Eric said slightly surprised that she would do such a thing.
"She thinks this is all her fault, that all the things we have been through happened because she is a cop and that quitting is the only way to make things right," Nick replied with a stale tone.
"Then I guess you're the only one I need to get a new badge for," Eric said turning his head to Nick.
"What?" Nick replied looking to Eric.
"look the truth is the ZPD doesn't have enough manpower, we don't have enough detectives to investigate the crimes we have every day in Zootopia. I need someone to look into this, but I don't have anyone and I can't trust anyone other than you and Judy when it comes to this. Jason was a cop, that begs the question, what if the animal we are looking for is a cop? We need to keep this quiet," he said with a calm tone.
"Don't I need to take some test to prove I'm good enough to be a detective?" Nick asked with peaked interest.
"Normally yes, but I don't have time for that, I've seen your investigative skills, you alone are better at solving crime over half the detectives in the precinct. Hell Judy is better than anyone in the whole city, but clearly she's in a dark place right now, however, when she changes her mind, Judy has a spot as a detective alongside you," he said with a subtle change in tone to a happier one.
"Does this mean I'm no longer suspended?" Nick asked with a grin.
"Yes actually it does, I need you to get on this as soon as possible," he replied with a calm tone.
"Wait for a second, since when did you have the power to do this?" Nick asked suddenly realizing what Eric was doing is something only the chief of police or higher could do.
"Last week you told me the Mayor would want me to replace Bogo, well you were right, I'm the new chief of police," he replied calmly.
"This is going to take some getting used to," Nick said not surprised at all that Eric was promoted.
"Believe me it's harder for me than it is for you," he replied with a slight smile. Eric looked at his watch and added, "well we should get going, I have some things to do, and I'm sure Judy wants to be with you by now. Bye Nick."
Eric started to walk away, then Nick spoke up, "Short, that's detective Wilde to you."
Eric laughed and continued walking away eventually reaching his car, getting in and driving away.
Nick stood in front of the graves for another ten minutes before he turned around and walked away.
He drove home with silence; he parked the car in the same spot as before he and Judy left, Nick stopped the car and got out locking the doors behind him. He went into the apartment complex and walked up the stairs to his and Judy's floor; Nick went to put his key in the door, but it was already unlocked, so he turned the handle opening the door. He looked around all the lights were off; he walked throughout the apartment, and Judy was nowhere to be seen.
Nick didn't worry too much; he knew she was probably out for a run or something. However, when she didn't come home for nearly three hours and the sun had set bringing on the darkness of night; Nick knew there was something wrong. So, he grabbed his ZPD jacket slipping it on over his uniform that he had yet to take off and he left to search for her.
He searched every street around their building and streets further passed that until he ran into a bar.
"She wouldn't be in there, Judy doesn't drink," Nick thought to himself. "Unless ...," he quietly said to himself.
Nick crossed the street and walked up to the bar; he peeked in through the window when he noticed her in the far corner booth. He walked into the bar and went straight to where Judy was sitting.
She had a bottle of whiskey on the table and a shot glass in her paw.
"Judy, what are you doing? You don't drink," Nick asked with worry.
Judy looked up at him, and she smiled while saying, "oh ... honey hey. You want some, I-I think it's like forty percent."
"Oh god you're drunk aren't you?" Nick asked with slightly less worry than before.
"What! I-I'm not drunk ... I've had like ...," Judy slurred out.
"Come on Judy, let's go," Nick said calmly extending his paw to her.
"Oh how kind of your ... w-where are we going?" Judy asked taking his paw.
Nick pulled her up, but when he did she almost fell, and he caught her before she fell.
"We are going home," Nick replied calmly.
"Oh, w-will there be you there?" She asked happily, burping right after.
"What ... uh, yes, of course, I will be," Nick replied slightly confused by how she was speaking.
"Awesome!" She exclaimed overjoyed for something that was normal for them.
Nick picked up Judy and walked with her in his arms; he knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself up while walking home. Judy kept on saying strange things that made no sense. Nick brought Judy into their apartment; he brought her to their bathroom so she could puke into the toilet. Nick sat with her the whole time to make sure she was okay and after she had stopped he helped clean her from the throw up that got onto her. He then took her to their bed and helped her get out of her uniform and into the bed.
Nick gave Judy a quick kiss on the forehead before he said calmly, "sleep well, my love."
"Nick," Judy spoke up suddenly.
"Yeah hon," Nick said calmly with a smile.
"I'm sorry for getting so mad today. I-I just want to help you, a-and ...," Judy said hesitantly.
"Shh, it's okay Judy, I'm not mad at you, we will talk about this later, but for now just get some sleep okay," Nick replied happily.
"I love you, Nick," Judy said with pleased.
"I love you too Carrots, sleep well," he replied giving Judy a kiss on the cheek.
Nick turned off the light and shut the door to the bedroom, he took off his uniform in the living room and lied down on the couch in just his underwear. He didn't go to sleep in the bedroom with Judy, for if he had another nightmare, he didn't want to wake her from the sleep she most definitely needed.
Hey, so that happened ...
Why hello there, how ya' doing? great good that's always good, well I'm happy you read this chapter if you left a review for me to read I'd be well even happier.
Until next time
