"Good morning Hope! Did your night go well?"
"Yeah, it was pretty uneventful. We're going to visit Ken, right?"
"I was about to tell you that. Yeah, we're going to leave at ten. Is that fine?"
"Sure, I see no problem with it. Okay, I need to ready up then. Laters."
"See ya."
*click*
Leina hung up the phone as he prepared his belongings for the trip to the hospital. Wesley was out to buy himself a new set of clothes so it was only Leina alone in the room. They had showered prior; Leina was wearing a new attire that consisted of a cyan shirt under a plaid red sleeveless hoodie and dark-grey trousers.
The door opened as soon as he finished up his preparations and Wesley entered the room with a new look. He was wearing a black and yellow striped shirt with his usual turquoise jacket tied around his waist and a pair of black jeans. Leina looked at him in awe before shrugging off that caused Wesley to raise an eyebrow. He then proceeded to take his satchel and filled it with a variety of stuff that Leina didn't bother to look at.
Leina had turned the TV on and it was showing the news channel. It was about the recent events where the Nighthowler smuggling group was recaptured by the ZPD two days ago. He didn't find it interesting so he switched the channel after channels, trying to find one that most suited him.
While Leina was minding his own business, Wesley's phone suddenly rang as he was wearing his satchel that took Leina's attention too. Startled, he took out the phone with a slight shake before reading the caller's name. Surprisingly, it was from Sophia.
"Hello, Wesley? It's me, Sophia. I'm sorry I left so soon last night, but I really had something important to attend. How's Ken? Is he okay?"
"Oh, hi Sophia. Ken's doing fine. In fact, he's going to be released today so we're going to pick him up at the hospital this morning."
"I see. In that case, can I join? I have something important to tell you guys that I need to get it out from my system."
"Something important? What do you mean?"
"I'll explain it once we're there, okay? And speaking of which, can you tell me where the hospital is?"
"Oh, um, it's around Acorn Heights. The name is Pawson's General Clinic."
"Okay, got it. I'll see you there then. Goodbye."
"Wait-"
*click*
Sophia had already hung up before he could continue his words. He sighed and put his phone away.
"So Sophia's coming?"
"Yeah. She also said that she has something 'important' to tell us. She never said what that is, though, but I'm pretty curious, to be honest."
"Something important, huh? I wonder what… But either way, we should probably go now, it's almost time."
"You're right. Alright then, let's head out."
They took a final glance at the room before exiting and locking the door behind them.
"Alright, I think that's all." Hope mumbled after finishing his preparations. He was wearing a gray tee with brown baggy pants. He wasn't particularly conspicuous as he doesn't like being the center of people's attention. His phone suddenly rang right after opening the room's door. Annoyed, he read who the caller was. It was from Nick, surprisingly.
"Huh? Where did he get my number from?" He was reluctant to answer but he did eventually.
"Hello?"
"Mornin' Hope! How are you doing?"
"Um, I'm fine…? What is it? I'm in a hurry."
"I take it you're heading out to see Ken? In that case, let me and Judy drive you there since we want to visit Ken as well."
"Thanks for the offer, but I can go by myself."
"I insist. It's for your safety as well. Besides, it'll be faster than walking or catching the bus!"
He gave a sigh, "Alright, fine. I'll wait for you outside my apartment."
"Excellent. I'll see you later!"
*click*
He put his phone away with a defeated expression and left the room in a hurry, not forgetting to lock it. He greeted the mammals along the way and he finally exited the building. He searched for a nearby bench and sat on it while trying to wait for the others to come and pick him up.
He took out his phone and looked at the time; it was a little past ten. He sighed, thinking that he'd be late if he's not there soon. He wondered when will the two cops come too. He tried to pick his earphones but he noticed that the police cruiser was already in sight. The vehicle stopped in front of him and the window rolled down, showing a fox and a rabbit inside.
"That was fast…were you already near this area?" He blinked.
"Heh, you can say that." Nick smirked.
"Hop on in, we can talk on the way." Judy said.
Hope nodded and went inside the trunk, sitting on one side of the seats with the usual wire mesh separating the front and the back. They then took off into the opposite direction.
"So how was your night? Did something weird happen?" Nick asked without turning back.
"Not really. I went straight to bed after Judy dropped me home. What about you, Judy? Did you see something unusual on the way back?"
"Nope. Thank goodness for that, I don't know what I'd do if I meet those creatures." She subtly shuddered.
"That's good…" His voice trailed off.
"Hmm? Is something on your mind?"
"Nothing, I just don't feel like talking…"
"…if you say so. Just tell us if something's wrong."
"Okay."
Hope then proceeded to sink into the seat he was on while the two continued to converse with each other. They were talking about various things with constant banters from the two, but mostly from Nick. Although Hope replied any remarks from them, he didn't really pay much attention. He was thinking about Ken, but mainly about the piece of note he found yesterday. Its contents were so out of place that it made him speechless, not to mention the case the note was stuck on had disappeared somewhere while he was passed out. He thought Ken might know something about it so he planned to tell him once they're together.
His phone suddenly vibrated that snapped him out of his thoughts. He checked the phone and saw a new text message from Wesley.
"we're waiting at the hospital. where are you?"
"I'm on the way there. Nick and Judy tagged along too so we might be a little late."
"ah ok. well we'll see you soon, i guess."
"Yeah, see ya." He put his phone away with an uncertain expression.
"Hey, Leina and Wesley are already at the hospital. We should hurry."
"Oh, they came there by themselves? We could've given them a ride."
"Well if I had known you'd come to get me earlier the I'd already told them that you're coming to pick them up. But since you called me so suddenly…yeah, you get the point."
"…touché." He blinked. Hope merely gave him a wink.
"They're taking too long…where are they?" Leina was walking back and forth inside the lobby of the hospital in angst. He wasn't particularly happy.
"Leina, calm down and just sit. They'll be here in time." Wesley tried to calm his senses but it wasn't working. He checked the time on his phone and it was already 10:30 AM. They were clearly going to arrive late.
"Gah! I can't wait any longer! You can wait for the others, but I'm going on ahead." Leina irritably walked off deeper into the crowd.
"Wait! Goddammit, Leina!" He quickly followed him from behind without risking to be separated from the flocks of mammals in there. They eventually met up again at the elevator.
"Don't...run off like that..." Wesley was catching his breath.
"Sorry, but I really need to see Ken." The elevator came and they both went inside before pressing the button for the third floor.
"I know, but slow down a bit! It's not like he could go anywhere. Besides, what will the others say if they found out that we weren't in the lobby waiting for them?"
"I'm sure they'll understand. They're taking too long anyways." He said indifferently.
"Still..." He sighed, "Well, no use arguing about that now."
The elevator finally stopped and they stepped out from it before searching for Ken's room.
"What's his number again?"
"Room 311, remember?"
"Oh yeah. It's over...here." Wesley went to the west side of the corridor and found the exact room.
"Nice job. Alright, here goes." Leina knocked on the door.
"Come in! It's unlocked!" The voice inside was unusually cheery. Leina's face lit up as he opened the door excitedly, revealing Ken sitting on a bed while playing with his phone.
"Ken!" Leina closed in on him but Wesley was taking his time.
"Leina! And Wesley too! I was waiting for you guys. Where are the others?"
"They're still on the way. How are you feeling?"
"Could be much better." He chuckled, "The doctor said I'll be fine as long as I don't do any demanding physical activities that could make me tired fast. But it's not like I'd do any of that in this condition."
Wesley had gotten near Ken and was examining the wound on his leg that was wrapped with bandages, "How's your leg? Can you still walk normally?"
"Um...that's a bit blunt, don't you think? But yeah, I tried to walk earlier and I can do it just fine, though a bit wobbly. It doesn't hurt that much now, but painful enough to make me wince if it gets into an impact or something. You get my point."
"I see. Well I hope it gets better." He smiled that struck Ken as odd as he normally doesn't do this. At least from what he's seen from him.
"So when will you be released, Ken?" Leina asked from the sides. But just as Ken was about to answer the door opened and the same badger from last night entered while holding a clipboard in one of her paws.
"Oh look, the doc's here." Ken put away his phone while the others stood silently beside Ken's bed.
"My, I didn't expect people to come this early." She said as she was writing on the clipboard, "I'm just taking some final notes before releasing Mr. Miller here." She wrote for a while before putting the clipboard away, "Okay, you're all set. But before you go, take this." She produced a small blue-colored plastic bag with assortments of pills inside and gave it to Ken.
"What are these?"
"Antibiotics and painkillers, the usual stuff." She said casually.
"Huh. Thanks, doctor." He stored it in his pocket, "So…I suppose I can go with my friends now?"
"Of course! Now be very careful when stepping out from the bed, okay?"
Ken nodded and began placing his feet to the ground slowly and carefully. He then finally stood up with the help of the others. He followed the badger to the door by himself to test his walking capabilities; he could walk normally albeit at a slower pace. But it didn't mind him at all nor his friends. They then finally left the room.
The cruiser stopped in the parking lot in front of the hospital. Three mammals stepped out of the vehicle and saw the towering building. Hope took out his phone to check the time; it was 10:30 PM. They were obviously late, but he kept it to himself.
"C'mon, let's go!" Hope run off towards the entrance of the hospital, leaving the two behind.
"Wait up!" Judy tried to stop him but it was too late.
"No use doing that, Carrots. Let's just follow him." Nick said and she just nodded.
Hope opened the double doors hurriedly but careful enough not to hit any mammals on the other side. He scouted around the lobby, trying to search for his friend among the crowd that he was supposed to meet. But he couldn't find them so he walked forward to get a better vantage point. He still couldn't find them, but he found someone else that surprised him, to say the least.
"Sophia! You're here!" She was sitting on one of the benches.
"Oh! Hey, Hope!" He sat beside her, "Look, I'm sorry for yesterday. I had something important in my mind that's been bugging me a lot so I had to leave."
"Er, that's alright. I don't really mind since I figured it's not normal for a person to be wandering with people they just met."
"That's not why I left, though…"
"Haha, I know." He scratched his head, "Anyways though, have you seen Leina and Wesley? I was supposed to meet with them here but I couldn't find them anywhere."
"That's the same case as me. I just arrived here recently and was supposed to meet them in this lobby as well."
"Well, they might've gone ahead of us since we're awfully late." He said while he took out his phone to check the time.
"Hmm? Who is this?" Nick's voice spoke out from behind the two. They turned around while feeling a bit startled by the sudden voice.
"Oh, thank God, you're here. I thought you were someone else." Hope sighed, "Her name's Sophia, me and the others met her last night."
"Oh? I wonder what that means…" His usual smirk was forming.
"Nick, cut it off." Judy elbowed her.
"Ow! Jeez, Carrots. Can't you be a bit gentler with me? I swear I'm like a punching bag to you." He frowned.
"But you're my punching bag." She hugged his arm but he only gave a shrug.
"…what was that? Anyways, Sophia, do you mind introducing yourself?"
"Um...yeah, no problem."
She introduced herself along on how she met the others. She explained how Ken saved her from the shadow's assault and their escape that soon led to a chase again. She also told them how she got dragged into an underground tunnel or subway; she couldn't really tell. In the end, Ken had saved her and the others from danger.
"Ah. I see. Well, my name's Judy Hopps, and this here is my partner, Nick Wilde. Nice to meet you, Sophia!"
"Likewise. I can't believe you're friends with members of the police, Hope." She remarked.
"They're actually Ken's friends. I met them shortly after I met Ken."
"Oh. But still, that's pretty impressive."
"Hey, hey, we're normal persons too, you know." Nick scoffed at them jokingly. They all laughed over the casual banter.
While they were still conversing to each other, the others were in the elevator, slowly descending from the third floor. It rang and the door opened, revealing the typical crowded lobby.
"They're pretty late, aren't they?" Ken half-asked them.
"They're definitely late." Leina confirmed his statement.
"Hey, just let it go." Wesley walked forward a bit before noticing the others grouping up on a certain location, "Wait, they're over there!" He pointed at them and the two followed the direction he was pointing.
"Well. About time they showed up." Leina scoffed that made Ken giggle.
"Okay, let's greet them then." Ken said happily before heading to the direction they were on.
"Wha- Ken!?" Hope immediately took notice of the incoming company.
"Hehe, hi Hope. And wow, you guys are all here."
"Of course! This is you we're talking about." Judy giggled.
"Wait, are you sure you're fine to get out this early?" Hope asked worryingly.
"Uhuh. I just needed some stitches on my wound to prevent further bleeding."
"Well, the important thing is that you're fine. You saved our hides back then, after all." Sophia smiled.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Nick asked out of the blue.
"Uhm, I'll probably stay in my apartment. Kind of an obvious answer, don't you think?"
"Heh, I'm just testing you, kid." His usual smirk returned.
"Alright then… Oh, I almost forgot. Here's your cardigan, Hope. The hospital had already washed it so it's squeaky clean now." Ken gave back the plastic-wrapped cardigan to him that he took from the doctor while on the way down.
"Oh…" He slowly took it before removing the plastic and wearing it. It smelled fragrant and nice, which made him happy inside. "…thanks. I expected it to be thrown away but here it is, with no trace of blood whatsoever." He smiled.
"Thank the laundry department for that. I didn't do anything to it, haha." He scratched his head.
"That still doesn't explain why you arrived late." Leina started questioning them.
"Yeah…about that, Nick and Judy decided to pick me up and drive together, which I had no prior information. And that's pretty much it."
"I guess we were pretty late. Still, no biggie." Nick said casually.
"I already told him that but you won't believe how stubborn he is." Wesley shook his head.
"Hey! It's their fault for coming here late!"
"And? Does that help our case at all?"
"Um…"
"Exactly. It's only a trivial matter." He sighed.
"Stop it you two. We understand how he feels, but it's not really good to be fed up over this. So let's just drop this whole conversation." Judy interrupted them, "Anyways, we have work to do over at the precinct so I'm going to drive you all to your own houses."
"Actually, I think I'm going to be with Ken today. So just drop me along with them at Ken's apartment." Hope spoke up.
"Wait, I'll come with you guys. I still haven't said what I wanted to tell." Sophia added.
"Well. So all of you are going to Ken's place. Okay." Judy blinked.
"Yeah…pretty much."
"Okay then, let's go."
They left the lobby and headed to Judy's cruiser in the parking lot. The remaining five sat in the trunk of the car and they finally drove off into the main road.
They have a long day ahead of them.
Remember how I said this chapter is going to be full of plots? Well, after seeing the current amount of words, I don't think I can fill all of that into this single chapter before getting tired from all the proofreading if I actually typed them here. So I decided to put them in the next chapter, you can count me on it. Anyways, as always, I will see you in the next chapter. Good night!