Chapter Nine – Memories and Wrath
3102 Sven Court – Tundra Town
"I am arriving on scene now, sir. Yes, commissioner, I understand." Chief Higgins spoke as he glanced out toward the multitude of uniformed officers. "Stop the car here." Higgins call out, turning to his driver. "It's still too early to say, commissioner. I'll keep you updated as I get more information." Opening the passenger door and quickly stepping out, Higgins, still holding his cell phone, within a matter of seconds quickly found himself suddenly being swarmed by new reporters. Through the magnitude of flashes and yells coming from the group of reporters, Chief Higgins struggled as he closed the passenger side door before turning and gazing at the scene in front of him.
"Chief Higgins, do you know what the condition of Officer Wilde is at this time?"
"Chief Higgins, has law and order collapsed in the city? Should the public be worried?"
"Will someone get these damn reporters out of here?" Higgins shouted suddenly at the top of his lungs, causing two of the reporters to fall back slightly in fear. Turning to two officers close by him, Higgins call out to them, "Get them back, now!" Grabbing one of the officer's hand held radio from his hip, Higgins pressed forward through the crowd before raising it to his mouth, pressing the mic down. "All officers, this is Chief Higgins, I do not, I repeat…do not…want anyone talking to the press until further notice. I want all lead officers on scene to report to me immediately." Lowering the hand held radio and dropping it to the ground, Higgins' eyes suddenly fell on a mass of blood surrounded by surgical wrappings and gear, strewn all over the thick snow. Stopping dead in his tracks, he simply just stood there, unable to look away. Feeling his phone suddenly vibrate in his other hand, he quickly lowered his head as he stared down at the number on flashing on the screen. Quickly answering it he spoke with a sense of urgency in his tone, "Rhinowitz, tell me you and Wolford have Judy and the kits."
Standing in what appeared to be a hospital room, Nick turned, as he felt his eyes begin to come into focus, scanning around what appeared to be an empty room. Not knowing how or when he had arrived, Nick found himself standing and staring out of an open window. Slowly taking a step forward, Nick, unable to fully grasp what he was actually seeing, felt a cold autumn breeze rush inward through the window. Watching the wind slowly move along the grass field, his gaze slowly moved toward an aged dogwood tree sitting on a hill in the distance.
"Nick, will you stay here with me, until I fall asleep…please?" A low voice suddenly echoed behind Nick, causing him to turn around quickly.
The room, which seconds before was completely empty, Nick now found a hospital bed and what appeared to a younger aged Judy lying across it. Slowly beginning to raise her head, Judy looked in Nick's direction. Nick, unable to utter a single word, simply stood there unable to believe what he was really seeing in front of them. Nick, his mind racing for answers, noticed something move out from of the corner of his of his left eye. Already on the edge of falling, he felt himself collapse as he took a step backwards and stumbled to the ground. Nick, gazing up from the floor, watched as his younger self began to walk casually up to the hospital bed where the young Judy still lay.
"But I'm…Where?" Nick called out in carrying voice, unheard by the two other figures. Mumbling incoherent words as he rose quickly to his feet, his body now shaking, Nick slowly walked toward his younger self and Judy. Looking around the room once again Nick felt as if what he was seeing was impossible. The younger form of Judy, wearing a dirtied pair of blue jeans and her old pink flannel shirt, lowered her head back down on the bed pillow. Her right pants leg, Nick noticing quickly, was rolled up to her knee, showing her long bare grey leg, wrapped up in a bandage. Both Nicks watched as Judy carefully began to stretch the leg out, her short toes expanding out slightly as she slowly lowered it once more onto the mattress.
Nick, his mind suddenly remembering once again turned to himself then back to Judy. "I remember this…but" Nick said suddenly, turning to look at his younger self, wearing khaki pants, green Hawaiian shirt and tie. "But how can I be…"
"This is a ZNN breaking news alert!" A deep male voice suddenly called out. Nick, turning toward a flat screen now hanging along one of the room's walls, watched as a female tiger suddenly appeared. "For those of you just joining us this evening, we have been following this breaking news story since late this afternoon. ZPD officers responding to an urgent call from the Natural History Museum have arrested Mayor Dawn Bellwether. We are still getting more information on this developing story as it continues to unfold." The female new reporter spoke as she continued to gaze out from the screen. "Minutes ago we just heard live from City Hall as a public relations representative spoke to reports immediately following an emergency city council meeting. Council members, in a unanimous vote, have at this hour stripped Mayor Dawn Bellwether officially of all governing powers since her arrest hours ago by the ZPD. Assistant Mayor, Arron Swiner has at this time been given full authority by the city council as the acting mayor. " Quickly turning to a different camera, the female tiger continued to speak. "The exact cause of Mayor Bellwether's arrest by the ZPD is still unknown. Eyewitnesses at the scene and sources close to the ZPD have confirmed to this new agency that former ZPD officer Judy Hopps…" A photo of Judy wearing her uniform suddenly popped up on the screen. "…was reportedly injured at the scene where Mayor Bellwether was arrested along with three security rams. Former ZPD officer Judy Hopps, many of our viewers will remember, helped break the stalled missing mammal investigation a month ago…"
"I just…I just feel like I need someone to hold me for a while." Judy continued, slightly drowsy from the medication the nurse had given her for her leg, reaching behind her and pressing a paw down behind her on the bed.
"Alright carrots, but only until you fall asleep ok, then I'll let you alone to rest." The younger Nick replied as he slowly began to raise himself onto the bed, crawling alongside her. Taking hold of her gently in his arms, Nick watched as his younger self's tail slowly wrapped around Judy's small body. Nick, standing there, felt a sense of sadness beginning to overtake him as he continued to witness this event in front of him. Lowering his head, Nick remembered that moment, recalling the wonderful feeling of Judy's soft paws slowly grasped on to him for the first time. Raising his head back up, Nick watched as Judy's body snuggled up against him, her head now resting on soft fur of his tail. Turning to his younger self once more, Nick watched as he smiled at her and exhaustion from that day's events quickly began to overtake him. "I still remember how sweet she smelled that day, after all these years with her." Nick told himself, still watching the two figures lying there on the bed. "After everything that happened that day, the scent coming off of her was so wonderful, a blend of sweet honey and blueberries." Nick spoke softly as his paws slowly grasped the bed railing, remembering that smell. Lowering his head, Nick quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his paw as he heard his younger self whisper, "Night carrots."
"Pulse is failing!" A male antelope EMT suddenly cried out to the driver up front. "How far out are we?" The antelope called out again. "Ten minutes, maybe less!" the unknown driver called toward the back. "He's going into shock!" the EMT suddenly shouted, quickly noticing Nick's body suddenly start to convulse. "Get us there now!" the EMT shouted as he suddenly grasped on to Nick's body before he felt the body suddenly go limp. All of a sudden, an alarm, emitting a high pitch tone caused the EMT to turn toward a monitor hanging along the interior of the ambulance. "No pulse, charging AED!"
"Dispatch, Rescue 4." The drive suddenly could be heard calling out, from the drivers cab. "Requesting immediate emergency medical team on arrival at Zootopia General, Priority 3, Code Blue."
Closing his eyes, Nick let go of the hospital bed as he suddenly felt himself drop to the floor. Feeling the tears he was desperately trying to hold back fall along his cheeks, Nick felt as if a cold breeze began to engulf him. Opening his eyes, Nick, gasping as he struggled to breathe, found himself suddenly sitting in an autumn field. The sun was shining on his back as it began its decent into the horizon and Nick just continued to stare out into the vast field. Crying out desperately and lowering himself to the ground, he frantically grasped fistfuls of the tall wild grass tightly into each of his paws. Nick, feeling as if his heart ripped in two, ripped from the ground the grass still held in his paws as he leaned back, screaming. Letting go of the grass held tightly in his grip, his paws falling to his sides, Nick dropped his head as tears began to flow endlessly.
"Nicholas!" Nick, his ears suddenly flexing above his head, raised his head as once more the cold autumn breeze began to circle around him. "Nicholas." A familiar female voice called out again as it was carried through the wind. Nick, mumbling wordlessly, turned his head in each direction as he searched desperately along the empty open field. "Where are you?" Nick yelled out, desperately looking for the mammal calling to him as his tears continued to fall.
Noticing an aged dogwood tree in the near distance Nick, as he began to rise slightly up, noticed a slight dark shape suddenly move slowly along the trunk of the tree. Quickly rushing toward it Nick, becoming breathless as he climbed the slight elevation along the hill, stopped as he approached the top of hill. Nick, his heart beating rapidly, watched as its light pink pedals slowly swaying gently to the autumn breeze. Approaching it, its thin dipping limbs dancing uninterrupted to the rhythm of the wind, Nick felt a sense of calming began to fill within him.
"Nicholas." The female voice called out once again. Turning around and gazing out along the wide open field, feeling the sun's warm rays as if piercing him, Nick felt himself slowly lower himself down along the grassy hill. Watching the setting sun slowly descend, the aged dogwood behind him, Nick closed his eyes as he raised his face into the air, breathing in the fresh air.
Zootopia General Hospital
"Let's move, get him out of there!" A middle age dark haired badger yelled as two ER nurses rushed toward the rear ambulance doors. The rear doors suddenly bursting open, the antelope EMT immediately stuck his head out of the door. "Male fox, gunshot wound to the lower chest, heavy trauma and internal bleeding, possible lung collapse." He started to call out as the team removed Nick from the rear cab. "Patent went into cardiac arrest, was able to restart the heart." The EMT called out as a second medical team swarmed the vehicle. "Patent's bpm is currently 86 beats per minutes."
"Alright everyone, get him inside, move!" A middle aged badger called out, grabbing a hold of the medical gurney as the team rushed Nick through a set of sliding doors. "Get him to OR 3 immediately! Heather!" The badger yelled, quickly grabbing onto one of the nurses. "Call downstairs to the blood bank. Tell them in I need platelets and plasma sent up to OR 3 surgical prep, now. Also tell them they will be receiving a priority 1 blood sample from me in next few minutes. I need it matched and at least three pints of that blood sent up."
"Security, to main entrance." A male voice suddenly called out over the loud speaker. "Security, to main entrance!"
"Leo, be careful." Nick, hearing the familiar voice of Judy, suddenly opened his eyes as he turned his head turned to the sound of her voice. Sitting alone on a solitary park bench, Nick watched as a small red fox kit, laughing happily, chased after a small soccer ball.
"I never get tired of watching them play, Nicholas. Not even after all these years, watching them grow up so strong and happy." A female voice spoke to Nick suddenly on his right side.
"M…Mom?" Nick replied in complete shock, suddenly noticing his mother sitting next to him. "Mom…you're…but then…"
"Nicholas, calm down." Marie replied, placing a paw gently on her son's shoulders before moving it to his head as she leaned toward him, kissing him.
"Is this…are you really here?" Nick asked, turning quickly to the grassy area where his other self and Judy sat on a blanket then back to his mother. Turning once again to the family lying on the ground, Nick watched from afar as he saw his daughter Marie, little and lying on the blanket on her back, as Judy played with her.
Laughing slightly, Marie turned to watch her grandkit continue to run about with his ball. "I remember Judy asking me something to that, years ago." Marie answered as she watched Leo miss the soccer ball and fall to the ground. "She told me how much she needed to be with you." Turning her head back to Nick, Marie's smile slowly began to fade. "Nick, look at me." Nick, turning his eyes away from Judy and little Marie, faced his mother as he heard her suddenly tell him, "You're not ready."
"What…what do you mean?" Nick replied as he continued to stare back at to his mother. "For what?"
"This." Marie waved a paw around in the air. "It's not time yet for you, Nicholas." Marie, raising herself and Nick to his feet, embraced him. "Listen to me." Letting go of her son, Marie raised both her paws to his face. "When you see your father, tell him how much I miss him." Marie embraced Nick one final time, kissing his cheek before placing her paw once again on it. "I love you, Nicholas. I love all of you so much."
"But…" Nick replied as he noticed his mother begin to fade from him. "I…" breathing quickly in short breaths, he felt a sudden pain burst in his chest. Nick, his vision suddenly turning completely dark, felt a sudden rush course through his body, as if his chest was suddenly being pulled down.
"Commander Wilde…Commander Wilde, will you be taking over this investigation?"
"Mrs. Wilde, do you know what the condition of your husbands is at this time?"
"Enough!" A thunderous voice suddenly called out as Judy, Leo and Marie struggled through the midst of news cameras as they quickly crossed the threshold leading into the ER. Office Wolford, flashing his two inch canines at the mass of news reporters, suddenly let out a massive growl as he backed in across the threshold himself. His arms held out wide, he turned his head swiftly around and quickly caught sight of three hospital security personnel advancing toward him. Wolford, catching hold of a rather short news reporter suddenly as they rushed forward, he angrily heaved them back into the crowd before yelling at the security officers, "You three, get over here, now!" "Yes sir", one of the security personnel replied shaking slightly as he and his fellow security members approached Wolford.
Wolford, turning his head toward Marie and Leo as both of them clutched Judy, watched as they stood at a front nurse's desk counter. As a loud two tone beep suddenly began to chime, filling the near empty room, Wolford, catching sight of a wall mounted television screen, felt his heart begin race as his eyes watched as words started to blink across the screen. There, in bold black lettering, Nick's name suddenly appeared into the que, "N. Wilde, OR3 Surgery Prep.", followed underneath by words "Status: Critical" in sharp red lettering.
Ruskoff & Yole – 330 East Roscoe, Zootopia
"You failed in the task I ask from you, Gregson." A grey and white artic wolf spoke, his face currently hidden by the room's low lighting. "Was my order not heard correctly?"
"Yes sir, it was." Gregson, a dark grey timber wolf replied, shaking nervously as he sat in front of a lavish wooden desk. "But my line of sight, I had to…was not…"
"Shut…up." The artic wolf suddenly spoke, his tone malicious and slow, as he continued to stare at the timber wolf. "Now because you failed to complete the task, he will be no doubt by now untouchable to me." Getting up from the chair he was sitting in, the artic wolf slowly crossed the length of the lavish desk toward the now squirming timber wolf.
"Mr. Ruskoff, I swear I can fix this, please." Gregson spoke, his voice cracking slightly.
"No, Gregson." Ruskoff spoke slowly, moving out of the darkness as he came to a stop just in front of Gregson. Ruskoff, leaning up against his desk, now sat down along the desk's edge. "You see, your inabilities now have put me in a very difficult position, my friend. Look at me when I am talking to you!" Ruskoff shouted suddenly as he watched Gregson lower his head. "Now, how do you think my dear baby sister will act when I go and tell her about your mistake? How can I truly tell her, a few days before she is to be released, that he is still alive?"
"I…I do not know…Mr. Ruskoff. But you can assure her that…that I will…" Gregson started to speak. Ruskoff, suddenly withdrawing a gun from behind his back, fired a single shot, killing Gregson instantly, his body collapsing onto the floor.
Lowering his gun slowly, Ruskoff, looking down at Gregson's dead body, felt as a sense of satisfaction fill within him. Walking back around to his chair and opening a bottom side drawer, he gently deposited the gun into it before raising his head violently up. "Jason!" Ruskoff shouted, turning to a light haired tundra wolf. "Get that piece of trash out of my sight before it stains my floor!" Closing the desk drawer quickly, Ruskoff grabbed a dark suit jacket from the back of the chair, quickly slipped it on. Adjusting the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and stepping over the lifeless timber wolf's body he raised a paw up to his neck as he adjusted his tie. Grabbing Jason by the shoulder as Jason leaned down to remove the dead timber wolf's body, Ruskoff pierced his claws into his flesh. "Why has that worthless, murdering buffalo not been brought to me yet, Jason?
"He's disappeared, sir." Jason replied uneasily, dropping to one knee as pain began to circle in his body. "He has not been back at his house for almost a month now. No one has seen or talked to him."
"Find him!" Ruskoff shouted, grabbing at Jason's shoulder even tighter before letting go of him quickly. "I want him brought here to me…alive!" Ruskoff, tilting his head and cracking it, took a step back from Jason, who suddenly began to shake, breathing rapidly. Buttoning his jacket, Ruskoff turned toward a small picture frame sitting all alone on a small round table. His mind now racing with uncontrollable rage, Ruskoff flexed his paws as he walked toward it and picked it up. Brushing small amounts of dust off the photo, he simply stared at it for a moment. The aged photo of himself as an older pup showed him standing in the middle between two younger looking female wolfs. All three of them, smiling back happily at the mammals taking the picture. Turning his head to face Jason once again he spoke with added furry as he let of a low growl. "I want him, Jason…I want him right here!" He pointed to the spot where he stood as his paw shook with rage. "I want that cape buffalo…on his knees…looking into my eyes. I want him to beg like a little pup before I kill him, just as he did to my half-sister, Natalya." Setting the picture frame back down on the small table, Ruskoff turned toward a red wolf, standing quietly near the office door. Throwing a set of keys at him, Ruskoff shouted at him, "Have my car outside in five minutes!"