Nick faded in and out, never knowing where he was. He still felt like he was floating and he heard voices, though he couldn't make out what they said. They all just melded together in a rush of noise, there was light and darkness all around him but he couldn't seem to see. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or shut.

He tried to look around but found he couldn't move; he was trapped in his own body. He tried to think, to figure out where he was but his minded clouded as if he was asleep. Was he asleep? Would he wake up?

Through it all he heard a constant beep, striking through the fog and banging against his head. So he was alive, maybe, that was good. He felt a warmth as if someone was holding him, protecting him. He stayed asleep not knowing how long clutching to the beeping and that warmth. He would wake up; he didn't know when but he would.

And then he did; his eyes slowly fluttered open and he looked around. He was in a white room surrounded by all sorts of lines and tubes darting in and out of him. His throat felt dry and painful and he noticed a tube had been jammed down it as well, in fact his whole snout was covered in a mask that felt like a muzzle. His chest was sore and hurt, it stung when he breathed in and burned as he breathed out. He felt swollen and wished he was dead the moment he woke up.

He was in a hospital he gathered by the room around him and he was not dead. Looking further he noticed a tv hanging on the wall in front of him, it was on but he couldn't tell what it was playing. The room was empty except for a seat that was pushed up close to his bed. In the seat sat a lone bunny, draped over herself and resting against his leg.

Judy, he thought he reached out for her, every movement felt like a thousand needles stabbing into his flesh. His paw slowly moved towards hers and bumped against it, he slowly began to rub her paw with his thumb. Judy's head shot up and she stared at Nick, her eyes visibly swollen from tears. Her face lit up with a smile and she started to yell towards the door, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.

She got up and started towards the door and Nick weakly tried to grab for her, to stop her.

No Judy, he thought as she got up she was all he had and she was leaving. She couldn't leave, everyone else had left not her too. She turned and spoke to him, but again he couldn't hear and ran out the door. Nick sat there and cried, she left him, he loved her and she left him. Why couldn't he ever be good enough.

The world began to go black again and he embraced it, he wanted to die. Without her there was nothing to live for. Then he heard her voice, there were no words but it was her voice. She had come back, he drifted off listening to her.

He woke again but this time it was different. He wasn't muzzled anymore and his chest didn't hurt as much. He looked around and saw he was in the same room, the tv was still playing but Judy was not next to him. He saw her standing by the window on her phone facing away from him. He grinned and wondered if he could try and talk.

"Hi carrots" he said weakly, Judy's ears twitched and she turned towards him. He saw the same face he had seen before as she quickly walked over to him.

"How are you" she said "does it still hurt. Can you remember" she asked all of these nervously. Nick felt tears slowly roll down his face as he slowly raised a paw to her cheek.

"I can hear you" he said smiling as she held his paw in place crying into it. He rubbed her cheek and stared at her smiling teary face, glad to be alive.

He was stuck eating jello for the most part, but at least now he could think. He had been out for three months apparently after being dragged here by a pair of wolves. Nick knew who the wolves were, maybe he should call him and thank him, though he never does anything for no reason. And Woolter was in a coma, it appears he had gotten him pretty good, as the dart had dug into his brain. Nick grinned slightly at that particular piece of news.

Then there was the other news as well, not so nice to hear. Apparently someone had also got word of him and Judy and now it was all over the news. He flipped through the channels and watched it play out.

"We have new word on the nighthowler case" the newscaster said "the officer that received mortal wounds in the apprehension of the drug kingpin a fox by the name of Nicholas Wilde has recently regained consciousness. We go to Leslie Dammel outside the rodentia hospital now, Leslie" the shot cut to a young beaver standing outside a hospital that was surrounded by protesters.

"Thank you Fabienne, and yes according to hospital officials Mr. Wilde regained consciousness yesterday evening at around five o'clock. He's still in intensive care but is expected to make a full recovery".

Fabienne took on a look of slight disgust and said "And it looks like they're still at it". The beaver looked behind her and rolled her eyes.

"Yes and more started showing up about an hour ago" she replied. The leopard newscaster turned back to the camera and smiled.

"On that note tune-in in an hour when we will have an exclusive interview with Mr. Thomas Peck director of the species purity project and organizer of that protest out there".

Nick changed the channel, he checked the clock, it was nine o'clock in the morning. He looked at the door, Judy who had finally gone to get herself something to eat had yet to return. He looked back to the screen which now showed a small mink reporter interviewing the protesters outside.

"Why are you here" the reporter said to a screaming koala.

"I'm here to defend decency" the koala replied.

"Defending decency by protesting an officer shot in the line of duty" the reporter asked.

"I hope he dies" a bear yelled over the koala's shoulder. The scene quickly cut out to a table at which sat four young minks with a sign over them flashing the "mink report".

"There you have it folks, a police officer gunned down in the line of duty and people are literally saying he should have died because of who he has sex with" one of the minks said.

"I don't get what they're problem is" another added "what you think you have a shot, you jealous or something; I mean so what if they're dating".

"Well to be honest I'm kinda upset about the whole thing" another added and others started to interrupt him "Now hear me out" he said "I mean she's pretty hot and if she's dating this fox then like you said I don't have a shot". A picture of Judy was brought up on the screen followed by the minks at the table laughing.

"But seriously" the first one said "this mammal could have died putting away a very dangerous criminal and all these people can think about is who he's having sex with. I mean that is ridiculous" the minks nodded.

Another mink spoke up "Yeah I mean predators and prey have lived together peacefully, for the most part, for thousands of years but as soon as a couple of them want to try out a relationship it's somehow unholy".

The minks continued to talk as Nick spaced out. He changed the channel.

"Hero's or sexual perverts" he changed the channel. Judy walked in and Nick looked over at her.

"We appear to be on all the news" he said and she rolled her eyes.

"They're a bunch of sick, self-centered" Nick giggled at her tiny outburst. He was too high on painkillers to care at this point.

Judy walked over to her seat and sat down crossing her legs and death staring the tv. Nick reached across and rubbed her leg, getting her attention.

"I love you, thank you for waiting for me" he groggily said through the painkillers.

She took his paw in hers and looked into his eyes.

"I love you too" she said and carefully leaned forward to plant a kiss on his snout.

They sat together and watched the news as people demonized and defended them, they just held each other's paws.

They watched as the ZNN brought on Thomas Peck a funny looking badger for an interview.

Fabienne welcomed him and he returned the greeting, he was calling in by video from what appeared to be a very spacious office.

"So Mr. Peck the romantic relationship between these two police officers, by what would you classify it" Fabienne asked.

"Well I wouldn't classify it as romantic" Peck laughed.

"What is it then" the leopard asked.

"Well let's be honest. It's a sexual relationship, it's not about romance it's about sex." He said waving his paws.

Fabienne pursed her lips before responding curtly. "Well Ms. Hopps has sat by Mr. Wilde's bedside for the last three months while he was unconscious, is that just about sex".

Peck shifted in his seat "I mean; they can be friends but they can't love each other. It's simply not natural animals are not capable of loving another species, and I find it completely unprofessional of the ZPD to keep these officers on".

"So the ZPD should fire these officers" the newscaster asked.

"Yes" Peck replied simply.

"These two officers that just crack one of the biggest cases in their history and a year ago cracked the biggest one, the Bellwether conspiracy, which I'm pretty sure you benefited from being a badger" Fabienne asked raising her eyebrow "They should be fired".

"Yes. What they are doing is wrong and immoral it's as simple as that and honestly should be illegal the fact that it isn't shows how debauched our society has become" Peck replied. The interview went on and Nick and Judy watched as a mammal they never met spit so much hate at them.

"Thank you Mr. Peck but that is all the time we have, we appreciate you coming on" the leopard finally said.

"Oh it's no problem" the badger replied. After Peck was cut from the air Fabienne looked at the camera.

"Well that was Thomas Peck founder of the species purity project on the affair between rabbit and fox officers Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde. We'll be back after this break, this has been ZNN serving Zootopia where anyone can be anything, except apparently in love".