Disclaimer; I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters.
Edited by BrutusDeagon; Thank You.
Disclaimer; I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters
The Broken Mould; Mortal Sins
Blue October; Hate Me
Mr. Big tilted his head as he took a deep breath looking at the fox in front of him. "You wanted to see me Sir?" Nicholas asked as his paws stayed clasped together in front of him while he squared his shoulders. The shrew tipped his head forward as he rested into his chair and looked back at the large bear behind him before he motioned to the white furred giant. The locked grimacing face flipped his ears back as he took a step from behind the desk and handed Nicholas a wooden box. Mr. Big watched as the fox held his face blank and opened it to find a pistol within and an address and name scrawled across it before he tipped his head slightly and turned to leave the room. The large polar bear and shrew shook their heads before Mr. Big watched him slip out the door and covered his eyes with a paw. "Is not good Sir," Boris said as he looked down at the tiny mammal in front of him.
Mr. Big grunted as he shifted in his seat "Let us see if he follows through with this and we will know for sure if he really has lost himself."
The bear stepped around the desk as he lowered himself slightly "You intend to keep him?" he asked as he stood back up.
The small shrew rubbed his chin as he looked out the frosted window "I intend to find out what has happened to the male I have known for nearly ten years Boris. I have had more complaints about his behavior in the last two days than in the several years he has worked for me. I have never seen him so despondent or callous. It is as if he has lost all the emotion he once had and for the life of me I cannot understand why he has become so cold."
The bear shrugged and shook his head "I don't understand why you are going to such lengths if he does not care."
Mr. Big chuckled morosely as he sat up in his chair. "I have a feeling you will Boris, soon I think."
Several hours passed without incident when the silver fox returned looking as if he had never left. The cold exterior of the shell he had built around himself sent an emotionless chill through the room as he reentered and calmly paced to the front of the desk. Bowing slightly he leaned over and kissed the small shrews ring before placing the wooden box on the table and stepping back away from the desk again. Mr. Big grunted again as he looked the fox over and placed his chin on the fingers he had lifted as he rested his elbow on the arm of his chair. Nicholas stood at attention with his paws behind his back as Mr. Big picked up his phone and the fox watched as he typed in a message and waited as the shrew read over one that was sent back to him. Nicholas' eyes never wavered from the tiny mammal as he lifted his head and one brow rose as he tilted his head while looking at the fox again and placing his phone back into his pocket.
A nod and Nicholas yelped as he was snatched off the floor and suspended in mid air by the polar bear who was standing behind him at the entrance to the room. Mr. Big and Boris both lifted their brows as he snarled at Raymond who curled his lips towards the smaller mammal before the shrew raised a palm and shook his head. Nicholas grit his teeth and glared at the bear before he turned his icy eyes to the small mammal seated on top of the large desk in front of him. Mr. Big drummed his fingers on his chair as he shook his head and took a deep breath before he sighed. The fox in front of him was baring his teeth and glaring at the shrew along with all three of the polar bears around the room. A wave of his paw and the rug was thrown out of the way and trap door lifted to the cold waters running beneath the home of the arctic mammals that lived above it. The fox sent a heated glare towards the small mammal after he had hissed out the words "Ice him," just before he let his shoulders fell and let himself hang loosely from the bear who was currently holding him.
As he was lowered over the ice pit and level with the tiny shrew. Mr. Big held a paw up again and shook his head. "This is what you want Nicholas?" he asked the fox in front of him and the fox scowled before he turned his eyes away and crossed his arms over his chest. A nod of his head and Kevin recovered the pit just before Raymond dropped a scowling fox back on the floor in front of the desk and shrew. "I am not a patient mammal Nicholas." Mr. Big said as he looked at the fox and Nicholas kept his eyes narrowed and a frown in place as he looked at the small mob boss in front of him. "However I owe you a great deal and I see this as an opportunity to perhaps pay back a debt I feel should not go without warrant." The fox tilted his head and raised a brow as he folded his arms over his chest still frowning. Boris, Kevin and Raymond were looking on curiously as Mr. Big finally sighed and rubbed his temples. "When my wife died birthing our son I had a heavy heart Nicholas. I also held a great deal of contempt towards a very small infant who I somehow felt was the reason I lost her. It was through the wise words of a friendly fox that I realized what I was doing and also why my daughter seemed to hate her brother. The same words that fox said to me are the same words I told my daughter, and though it did not happen overnight both our views changed and kept us from blaming him and helped us move forward without her. Do you remember what those words were Nicholas?"
Nicholas lowered his eyes as his face fell into sorrow and the small shrew nodded his head. "She lives in her children and gave her life to bring another into this world. Do not forget to see her each time you look into the eyes of your children and remember her each day through what they will teach you. Honor her by loving them, because they are part of her and that is how she lives on. You do not need to forget, you need to remember. We live for our children and all we do is for their future. Though the only thing I clearly remember telling my daughter was that my son was part of her mother, it seemed to be enough for a small child." Nicholas lowered his head as he fought the emotions bubbling under his skin and the bears in the room gawked at him. The small shrew sighed again as he looked at the fox in front of him before he motioned again. Kevin sat a chair behind the fox before he landed a heavy paw on his shoulder. Nicholas hissed in pain and his knees almost folded while Mr. Big stuck a paw over his mouth and cringed. The fox sat down and buried his face into his palms. "I have kept you from making a very Big mistake today. The gun you had held nothing but blanks filled with soft paint pellets."
Nicholas looked up from his palms and his eyes met the blue of the mammal sitting in front of him. A soft expression laid on the hardened criminals face as the foxes eyes swelled and his lips trembled as Mr. Big smiled at him. "What has changed in such a short time Nicholas, that you would be willing to take a life, and give up your own? I cannot see any reason you would so willingly leave your mate or your sons." he asked and watched as the fox in front of him fall apart. A wave of his paws had the bears leaving the room as he leaned forward in his chair. "Nicholas, nothing is worth leaving your family for. You may be an employee here, but you are also a friend and part of this family. I cannot help you if you do not want help and will leave it if that is what you wish. But I cannot keep you here with the complaints from the customers and the recent change in your demeanor has left me with little choice in the matter. I do not ask others for anything. I am asking you as a friend, is there something I can do to help you?"
The shrew waited patiently as the fox calmed himself and sat up in his chair. A heartbroken mammal spilled the entire story of all that had happened in the last few months and the tale had the small shrew fighting to keep a dead face until he had finished the story. Mr. Big rubbed his chin in thought before he shook his head. "You have not seen your mate since you left home?" he asked and watched as the fox shook his head. Mr. Big lowered his brow making sure the anger was showing through as he glared at the fox. "Then you are a coward Nicholas. How can you make this decision for her? You are not brave enough to tell her the truth and let her decide on her own future? You would instead leave her without an answer and no knowledge of what you intend to do? Just leave it all hanging in the air and your children to wonder what happened to you?" he spat as his gums pulled over his teeth showing the sharp fangs in his mouth as Nicholas looked at him open mouthed. Mr. Big scowled as he sat up in his chair and pointed a finger at the fox.
"There is a saying Nicholas, one that is most insulting, but somewhat true to mammals my size. Are you a male or are you a mouse? This came about because in times past our species was known for running when things got hard or larger mammals threatened us. It is easy to be crushed under the weight of those who are larger and more powerful, or be caught in the weight of facing the truth in the world. It is not something I thought I would ever see someone like you do. I have seen how you have stood up for what you believe in and refused to break your own values. And yet you sit here now doing what you have fought against for the entire time I have known you. This thing with the councils you say has caused so much strife in you. Have you even once considered that if you are the King, no one can force you to do anything? No one can force another mammal to live a certain way or take on responsibilities they do not want. All you have to do is say- NO. You are the one who accepted this position from your mate. As for this other mistake you have made, do not hide behind your own guilt and make your mate and children suffer due to your own shame. If she does not forgive you then you at least owe her an explanation. Let her have her anger if that is all she can find from it. It is better than leaving her feeling responsible for you leaving them."
Nicholas turned his eyes from the sea blue mirrors that were looking into him. The glare from the icy pools and the truth of his words had his head hanging. The pit in his chest seemed to grow deeper sending him into another realm of darkness he didn't know was possible. His eyes fell to the floor and closed in a deeper shame that was swallowing all the fear of facing her and left him shaking his head. He rested his eyes into one of his palms as he spoke "I don't know how to tell her Sir, I can't do this in front of my sons. They have seen enough from me already. I don't want them to see anymore."
Mr. Big raised a brow before he grunted. "Have Kevin come back in Nicholas," he said and the fox walked with his tail hanging low before he opened the door and motioned for the bear to come back. Kevin came in and tilted his head looking at the silver fox in his disheveled state. The sleeves of his white shirt had been rolled up past his elbows and his suit jacket lay over the back of the chair he had been sitting in. His fur was streaked and his eyes were puffy and the bear flicked an ear at him before he turned his attention to the shrew sitting on the desk. "Kevin, take Raymond and fetch Mrs. Wilde. Bring her here, and make sure her sons are watched while she is absent. You can stay with them or take them somewhere until we are finished here." The bear curled one side of his lips when he looked back at Nicholas who turned his eyes away before the bear stomped out of the room…
Mel opened the door and looked up wide eyed at the towering mammal in front of her. Nick and Finnick along with Jimmy and Johnny had come up behind her looking out the door as her head tilted back. "Mr. Big requests the presence of Mrs. Wilde to be seen by Mr. Wilde at his manor." The bear kept his paws folded and stood in a professional stance at the door that was too small for him to enter.
The she wolf looked back to see Nick and Finnick looking at each other before they rushed out the door. "Is Dad OK? Is he coming back? Is he still mad?"
Both bears looked at each other uneasily as they were bombarded with questions from the tiny kits in front of them. "He is fine," Raymond said as he attempted to smile "He wants to talk to your mother alone."
Mel stepped out of the door as her sons watched her shoo the two small kits back inside. "I can watch them if she can go," the she wolf said as she smiled at the two large bears.
"Can go?" Kevin asked and her ears dipped back before she looked at the four young boys watching her from inside the door.
"Jimmy? Can you take your brother and Nick and Finnick to get some ice cream and see mamma Verda?" she asked and her son nodded as Nick and Finnicks ears tipped back. The she wolf turned and bent her knees in front of all of them as she reached up and put her paw on the smallest foxes shoulder.
"They need some time alone to talk. I know you miss your Dad but they have to talk about some things and I need to help your mother get ready, OK?" she asked as Nick and Finnick both sighed and nodded their heads. "Johnny, go get some money out of my purse." The wolf pup left for a moment before he returned and she watched them all walk down the street. Nick and Finnick kept looking back before they turned the corner out of sight. Kevin and Raymond were looking down at her when she let her shoulders relax into a heavy sigh. "She hasn't been doing well since he left. I can't get her out of bed and she won't eat. I hope that telling her he wants to see her is enough to get her up. It will take me some time though," she said apologetically as both bears looked at each other shaking their heads.
"We will wait," Kevin said as they strolled back to the limo parked in front of the house.
Mel came back out half an hour later with a smaller figure covered in a long cloak with a hood that hid her face from the world. The large bears gave each other wary glances as the she wolf seemed to be holding the smaller female up as she walked. "I think I should stay with the kits and you should stay with her," Kevin said as he pointed at the females in front of him. Mel looked up and then back to Rose who was leaning into her side before she reluctantly agreed. Raymond dropped Kevin off at the ice cream shop and watched as the bear walked into the store and started having a curt conversation with the elephant cow who was sitting with the kits and cubs in front of the large window. He pulled away from the curb and glanced into his mirror back at the she wolf who was rubbing her paw on the shoulder of the small figure cuddled into her side. He pulled up into the driveway waiting for the chain to be removed before he pulled in and parked the large vehicle. A moment later he was opening the back door for two small females who made their way down the hallway and into the cold office of a small shrew.
Mr. Big sat up in his chair as the she wolf led Rose into the room tilting his head to one side as he looked at Raymond who shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I sent for a fox and I have a wolf at my door." Mr. Big said as he looked at her, the females ears flicked and she frowned at him as he chuckled. "It is not often I meet someone who so boldly shows their contempt towards me young lady. May I know your name?" Mr. Big asked and Mel stood up straighter as she faced the smaller mammal.
"My name is Melchior Lunar, Sir," she said as she kept an arm around Rose.
Mr. Big lifted a brow as he scratched his chin. "Lunar," he said as he folded his paws over his chest "Are you sure it isn't LaLuna?" he asked and chuckled as her brow went down and she bore her teeth at him.
His paw went up when the bear behind her took a step towards her preparing to defend the small mammal seated on the desk. "Secrets are my business Mrs. Lunar, Nicholas should be back in a moment. He said he needed to…" Mr. Big looked around for a second before he turned back to her again and looked at the smaller covered figure she was holding. "Collect his wits," he said as she let go of her face and tipped her head towards him.
Nicholas stepped back through the door with Boris following behind him. The large bear took a stance behind the desk as usual and Nicholas froze after taking a few steps into the room. Mel was looking at him funny causing his ears to dip back when he returned his gaze to the female at her side. "Rose?" he asked as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. White paws lifted from the folds of the fabric pushing the hood away from her face and it fell onto her shoulders as green eyes locked with gold. His face twisted seeing the fur around her face stained dark and the hollow circles that lay under her eyes had him dipping his head. "I," was all he managed to choke out before she rushed him throwing her arms around his neck. It took less than a second for him to curl his arms around her. Every thought it his mind revolved around taking in her scent and holding her because it may be the last time he ever did as tears ran down his muzzle dripping from his nose.
The vixen in his arms was threatening to squeeze the breath out of him when she froze. Her whole body went stiff as she sucked in a deep breath and his head fell as she pulled away looking at him. His head dipped closer to his chest as those emerald eyes cracked, just before she grabbed the front of his shirt tearing the buttons off and pulled it low enough that his chest was exposed and the shirt stopped at his elbows. His arms fell limp as his face twisted into a grimace when she looked over his body. Long scratches ran down his chest, neck and arms and deep puncture marks showed through the fur of his shoulder. He heard a feeble gasp laced with some kind of whimper from the she wolf and looked to see her covering her muzzle with her paws before she closed her eyes and turned around. Rose stood in front of him huffing as her eyes swelled and the burning sensation of her claws streaking across his cheek didn't hurt nearly as much as watching her shatter in front of him. He sucked in a deep breath as his lips curled into a cringe that had his teeth showing through the agony he felt taking over his chest after his head had shot to one side when she slapped him, raking her claws through his fur and leaving deep scratches along one side of his muzzle.
He opened his eyes and looked back at her fighting the swelling of his tongue and watched as tears flowed down her face as she took a step away from him "Rose…."
She shook her head at him as her brows lowered in sorrow. "How could you?" her paws were furious and striking with each word she signed and he let his own emotions take over again as his tears fell freely.
"Please Rose, I was drunk. I haven't seen her since and I don't remember-" A furious growl echoed through the room cutting him off and Mr. Big raised a paw at both the bears who had stood up straighter after he turned his own head looking away from something even he had a hard time watching.
"And that makes it alright?! You just left her after you left us?! Who is she? Foxes don't do this John! Who is she?!" Rose asked as her paws trembled and slammed each word out at him. He shook his head as his jaw trembled and his paws went to his chest as he cringed. Each breath he took started to send a wave of pain through him and his chest started aching like a weight was pressing against his ribs. A deep stabbing pain shot through his chest as he clutched at his fur and his face twisted as he fell to his knees. "Rose… I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…
Mel stood facing away from the two foxes in front of a large bear who was also keeping his head turned from the disaster playing out in the room when she took a deep breath and lifted her head. She turned to see Roses nose twitching as Nicholas fell to the floor and the vixens eyes widened as she dropped to her knees beside him. "CALL AN AMBULANCE!" Mel screamed as she rushed to the foxes. Mr. Big looked over his desk and motioned towards Boris who dialed the number before he told Raymond to fetch Mrs. Grizzwald. The dwarf grizzly was hired as a nanny to care for his children after his wife had passed and was also at the top of her field in the medical community for emergency services. A costly expense for the small shrew, but well worth the price he paid to maintain the health of both his children, as his son had been born premature and had problems with his lungs and asthma attacks. As Nicholas curled into a ball struggling to catch his breath with the pain bursting through his chest Rose was panicking seeing him in so much pain.
The scent, the scent she had noticed about him after she had wrapped her arms around him was partially due to the healing wounds of the scratches and bite he had, but it was something more. Some kind of illness that had something to do with his blood. In her anger she had not recognized it and Mel had noticed it first calling for help as the others in the room thought he may have just been having some kind of emotional breakdown. The small brown bear knelt next to Nicholas as Rose kept her eyes on the cringing tod who was struggling to breathe through grit teeth and clinched eyes. His fists stayed locked over his chest and his tail was curled around his legs that had bent under his chin. The brown female who wasn't much larger than Rose fought to move his limbs due to the tight ball his muscles had curled him into as he growled in pain. "He's having a heart attack," the young grizzly said as she kept her palm under his arm above his chest. "Give me that bag Boris." Rose was shaking her head as the bear told them all to step away. The vixen refused to move and the bear rolled her eyes as Nicholas grit his teeth hissing while she tried to get him to focus on her and rammed a needle into his thigh.
In a moment of absolute truth every other thing in Roses mind faded except the thought of really losing him. Not to another female, not to the pressure or stress that may have driven him away. Not to the ravages of old age or time, or the simple fact that he was off somewhere else trying to put himself back together and make sense of everything, but losing him forever. To spend the rest of her life knowing he was truly gone. That she would never see his face again, never see him smile, never see how he got frustrated and giggle at the way he teased her or had problems dealing with the way things piled up and took over once in a while. Never to see him playing with his sons again or feel him singing as he played the guitar around the fire pit in their yard, never to feel him curl around her in his sleep just so he would know she was there. And Rose came together when he looked up with pain filled eyes that were filled with so much regret and sorrow that all she could do was hiccup a few times as he tried to tell her he was sorry again. She did the only thing she could to tell him how she felt and cradled his head in her lap as she ran her muzzle down his face and neck marking him. Letting him know she was his and feeling him shutter just before he grit his teeth in a harsh whine that rocked through her core before he went limp and collapsed. She was pulled away from the silver fox by one of the polar bears screaming before she was pressed inside the arms of the she wolf who had accompanied her to the Big mansion. Mr. Big turned his head as he watched the small bear pumping the fox's chest and listened to the vixen sobbing along with the she wolf who was holding her…
Rose sat like a statue in the seat she was placed in after they had told her she couldn't ride in the ambulance to the hospital with him. The little bear had never stopped working on him when the ambulance pulled up and she had stayed on top of his chest as they loaded him into the back of the larger vehicle. The sight of his limp body and his head falling to one side after they had stuffed a tube down his throat and were pushing air in and out of his lungs left her mind frozen in the same place. I lost my mate. I lost my Nicholas. "Boris, tell Grammamma we are going to the hospital. I have already sent for the best cardiologist in Zootopia to meet Nicholas. Another nanny from the agency is coming to help her if she needs it, though she is more likely to run her off after she gets here."
The bear gave out a morose chuckle before he looked back and Mr. Big moved his head with him to look at the vixen who sat stone still with her eyes staring blankly into nothing across the room. The shrew sighed as the moment of his own wife's death flashed across his mind and he shook his head as he motioned for the she wolf to join him. "Mrs. Lunar, can you accompany Mrs. Wilde to the hospital? I have arranged for Kevin to stay with your sons until your husband arrives." He asked and the she wolf pursed her lips nervously before she nodded her head. "There is a car waiting for you outside. I will be along shortly." He watched as Mel led the vixen out to the car and shook his head at how she was blindly following the she wolf into the vehicle. "I have never seen two mammals so lost in each other," he sighed as he was lifted into the palm of a large paw. The bear cocked his head to one side and back quickly as he gave the shrew an odd glance. Mr. Big chuckled sadly as he lowered his head. "I loved her with all I had Boris, but when I lost her I threw myself into my work and tried to forget. Nicholas and his mate seem unable to function properly without each other. I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes."
The large male grunted as he got into the back of the limo and motioned for Raymond to drive and as they watched the scenery fly by, his head lifted as the bear stated the simple word "Foxes". Mr. Big looked up at him questioningly and he tipped his head towards the smaller predator. "Foxes mate for life. Only other species that bonds so closely that is similar is rabbits. Cannot live when they lose mate." the bear said and Mr. Big rubbed his temples as his head began to throb.
The glare from the overhead lights in the waiting room was causing the headache he already had to nag on his nerves when the doors from the operating room finally opened. A very tired looking surgeon with black and white stripes covering his body was pulling a mask off his face and threw it into a marked box for medical waste before he rubbed his temples and turned to face all the expectant eyes on him. Mr. Big sat up higher as Boris lifted him in the chair he was sitting on to be eye level with the zebra now standing in front of him. His head tipped back with a scrunched lip that had the horse like mammal fighting not to roll his eyes and scoff after the shrew looked at his paws. "I believe you are the reason I am here are you not Mr. Big?" the surgeon asked and the shrew nodded as he lifted one brow. The zebra stuck his paws up in the air wiggling his fingers in plain sight as he sent the small shrew a cocky smile. "My species has evolved with three toes inside our hooves, yet somehow those damnable hooves stayed in place keeping most of my kind from entering the medical field. I told my parents when I was young I wished I didn't have them and they worked their hooves to the bone to get enough money for me to have them removed so I could have these lovely fingers exposed. And I make damn sure to make them proud using them. Dr. Argyle at your service," he said and Mr. Big chuckled as he tipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Now, who is it exactly that I am speaking with about my patient?" he asked as he looked at all the faces in the room. Mr. Big, along with everyone else turned to Rose who was now looking at the striped mammal with her paws held together as if she were praying. The zebra nodded as he stepped into the waiting area and took a seat next to the vixen, giving her a speculative glance as he noticed her white fur. He turned back to the small shrew shaking his head. "She is his wife? Is she deaf?" he asked and saw them all nod as he ran a paw over his face.
"Yes but she can read lips Dr. Argyle, as long as she can see your face clearly," the she wolf sitting next to her said and he turned back to the vixen smiling wider as she watched his face.
"Oh I just love meeting well educated mammals," he replied and Rose hiccupped as he shook her paw. His face tightened slightly before he folded one leg over the other and blew out a breath that had her biting her lip. "I am not really sure how to explain this without being blunt," he said as he gave her a cautious look and she raised her eyes as she were screaming for him to get it over with. He scratched the back of his head before it looked like he was trying to fit his lips onto one side of his mouth.
"We found several substances in your Husbands blood. There is nothing wrong with his heart." Rose sat up smiling until she saw him lower his eyes looking at her regretfully. "The problem is what is in his blood. If he had gone anywhere else they would have just assumed this was a blocked artery and a heart attack. That is not the case."He took hold of one of her paws and spoke very slowly as he kept an eye on all the mammals around him. "In most circumstances these chemicals would cause different reactions. Combined it is very acute. The first is called medicampodylithiatrum, it's derived from a small purple flower. It has the effect of intensifying chemical reactions in the bloodstream and can also enhance the effects of substances like alcohol and several different types of drugs. It causes an almost euphoric sensation and a release of endorphins and dopamine from the brain."
Rose shifted her eyes to the small shrew who was frowning. "Are you saying he was drugged?" Mr. Big asked as his lip curled up.
The zebra shrugged "Well, I don't know if he was drugged, he may have taken it voluntarily." The surgeon jerked slightly as Rose growled at him and he put up his paws when she yanked hers from him.
"I don't know. I'm just telling you what I do know. But it is a very likely possibility with the other chemicals I found." Rose backed off and took a deep breath motioning for him to continue. "Alright. The second 'drug' in his system isn't really a drug. The only reason I noticed it is because I spent some time overseas doing some internships and it caught me off guard seeing it here so I had to have it checked to make sure I was right. It's a short string of amino acids called TYx2-6. It looks a little silvery in the blood. I noticed it when we removed one of the clots from his chest. He has enough of it in his system for a mammal three times his size and I can't imagine how much pain he must have been in if it was also presented with the venom that it usually accompanies, this one I don't believe he got voluntarily. I couldn't find any indication that he had been bitten by the spider on his body, and there is really only one way it could have gotten into his blood stream, through a direct open wound or contact with his tongue."
Rose scrunched her face and shook her head. The surgeon sighed as he began to pull his collar nervously "There is a spider in Brazil that if it bites you causes an extreme rise in blood pressure and pain throughout the entire body. It also has another unusual effect on….males." Rose let her face fall into a deep fretting frown as she shook her head. She threw her paws up turning away as he started to explain and Mr. Big was gritting his teeth while the she wolf had her jaw hanging open. He let go of that topic and treaded into the next after he tapped the vixens shoulder getting her attention again as she fought tears.
"The third is much more common. A simple stimulant, but one that also has a somewhat radical effect if it is combined with the others protein found in his system. Another plant derivative, a small white flower called Hollycynthucrycis. It causes the mind to essentially turn itself off and revert back to a primal state that leaves the mammal in a primitive mind set. The very few things that would be at the front of the mind would be food, water, and mating. If you consider this element from the spider venom it probably cancelled out the food and water. These plant chemicals combined would also trigger the adrenal glands and would have made him extremely aggressive and territorial towards anyone other than a submissive female for a short time and are causing the problems he is currently having. These toxins are essentially causing his blood platelets to stick together because the proteins from the plants are clinging to the blood cells and using these acids as a piggy back off sorts. The kidneys are designed to clean a mammals blood as it circulates through the body."
"His kidneys aren't recognizing these elements as dangerous because alone they are mostly harmless and short acting or they simply can't remove them from his blood. This amino acid is essentially acting like a glue causing them to cling together. The x2-6 molecules in the amino acid aren't allowing the proteins to break down but cancelled out the effects of the adrenal gland and aggression without the other two active amino acid elements. The two elements of the amino acid T and Y have been broken down and along with the blood pressure rise they enhance testosterone. It would have kept him… almost feeling like a boxer getting ready to enter the ring. I am still uncertain as to why the plant proteins aren't still affecting his state of mind and why these amino acids are still present, I've never seen one break down without the others after an antidote was given for the spiders venom, they should have been broken down relatively quickly. But because it is still in his blood, without the whole strand they are no longer causing the original effects they had, and the three remaining elements combined aren't allowing any of them to leave his system."
Rose looked back to Mr. Big who was curling his lips as he fumed in the paw of the bear who had bit his tongue and folded his ears back. "Is he going to live?" the shrew asked.
The zebra shook his head as Rose hiccupped a few times. "I wish it were that simple. But I can't give you a positive answer to that question. Even the blood thinners we have put him on aren't helping very much. Not all of his blood cells are contaminated but it is enough that we would just have to keep going in and removing the clots. If his heart doesn't stop from a clotted artery it is likely the surgeries alone and stress from that may be too much for his body. It is difficult to explain, but blood cells travel together and don't effect each other much as they travel together until they are pressed through the ventricles that lead into the heart to be reentered into the bloodstream or re-oxygenated by the lungs. There is also a risk of him having problems breathing if a clot were to form in his lungs but it's not as likely. We have put him in a chemically induced coma because of the pain he is in and have shunts running to keep the blood flow to his brain clear so he won't have a stroke, but without having his blood cleaned and a transfusion I don't know how much longer he will be able to pull through and if he does he may be permanently damaged. The possible treatment that could cure this would be extremely costly, and there is no guarantee it would work. You need to consider your options carefully Mrs. Wilde. You can see him in a few hours."
Rose sat with trembling paws as the paper he had handed her shook in her grasp after he had given her an understanding smile and slowly walked away. Mel looked up from beside her with tears in her eyes as she met the eyes of her own mate who seemed lost between rage and sorrow as he stood behind the bear holding the tiny shrew. Mr. Big was looking around thoughtfully and he shook his head and motioned for Boris to move them to a more private location. As the bear stepped into another empty room a small sharp toothed mouth was growling as the large mammal sat down giving him a moment to collect his thoughts. "Boris, do you know how Polar bears and shrews came to work together?" he asked and the large bear shook his head as the shrew reflected his thoughts. "Hundreds of years ago, long before Zootopia ever existed, many types of councils were formed. Those mammals who created the councils had some of the oddest ideas. But ultimately wanted to make sure that all the species that were included were safe from any kind of threat and were not left out. They paired some of the strangest of us together. Some you would think would just as soon kill each other than work together, others just wouldn't be thought of in the same settings."
Boris tilted a brow as he cocked his head. Mr. Big rested his jaw in his palm. "Cheetahs and mice, hyenas and antelope, tigers and wolves, polar bears and shrews. It all happened by accident. One family started all of it, well two families I should say. The elderly mother of a group of young rabbits passed away and a fox -of all creatures took those kits under his wing-so to speak. It started an idea that we could all get along no matter what species we were. Of course I think this is all just a pretty story," the shrew looked off for a moment before he waved a paw in the air. "But, the truth is, Zootopia was founded partially on the ideas from hundreds of years ago because of a legend that is now told as a bedtime story. What little actual facts survived are few and far between. Many of these species no longer work together and even the natives of this land were cooperating more than we do today to some extent. But if I can see hope in a fox who should not have had any. I can't help but think there may be some for my own children. The fact that a fox was also the cause of his current condition and someone could get so close to one who is so close to my own family, makes me question that." The tiny shrew looked back at the bear with a cold anger as he clenched his jaw and grit his teeth "Only an animal would do something like this to someone else. I want her found."
Boris stepped back out into the hallway where they both watched Rose handing the Zebra a sheet of paper. They watched as the zebra gave her a sad smile before he led her into an open doorway. Mr. Big stood on the edge of the window looking through the glass at the fox lying in a dimly lit room. Rose cautiously walked towards the bed and slowly reached out taking one of his paws in hers as his chest rose and fell. His paws were re-bandaged and all the cuts and scratches had been cleaned and taped. She watched as the line on the machine kept a steady beat and the bag from the tube inside the glass cylinder would lift and fall each time he took a breath. She carefully sat next to him holding his paw as she looked at the bandages covering his chest and the exposed skin where his fur had been shaved away. Tubes ran from his mouth and wires were hooked to his chest with several lines going into and out of his body. She sucked in a breath seeing the lines running from his head into his chest that were taped to his face.
Mr. Big lowered his eyes and his jaw clinched as he watched the vixen run one of her fingers over his muzzle around the tube and mask attached to his jaw. The way she moved so carefully as she dipped her muzzle into his neck made it obvious she was trying to keep her own emotions from carrying her away as her chest shuttered. He turned to see the large polar bear beside him look down from the glass with a frown. "The wolves have gone home to take care of all their young ones. Raymond took Mrs. Grizzwald back to the manor and Kevin is waiting to drive us back."
Mr. Big nodded his head as he stepped into the paw of the massive bear. "There is nothing more we can do here and she has made it clear she will not leave him. She has already made up her mind on the course of action she wishes to take. I have already spoken to Dr. Argyle, he will receive the best services available. All we can do now is wait….and hope. They have postponed any further actions until the blood thinners are out of his system."
…The door to the large office opened and the shrew lifted his head as the mammal in front of him bowed slightly. A lifted paw had a tiny ring kissed as she stood back up and held her ears back in submission as the little shrew grunted. "What have you found out about this situation?" he asked and she flicked her ears nervously causing him to shake his head.
"I am sorry Sir, we have had several mammals looking into this and not even our contacts in the ZPD could give us a lot of information. There was a patrol who spotted some unusual activity in the outlands and it was the first lead on where he actually was. The fire that consumed the building he had been in was set, but it is unclear what accelerant was used. They know it was an accelerant due to the high temperature of the fire, but the temperature also destroyed anything that could have been in the building. The only thing they pulled from the scene were a few cigarette butts from around the building and they were damaged to badly to pull any evidence from." She said with an apologetic voice.
He tapped his finger on his chair and looked back at the bear behind him before he sighed "What else?"
Her shoulders rose as she took a deep breath "The original owner of the building hasn't been seen in more than four years. The bar was catering to different species of canines and because of its location there weren't a great deal of mammals who knew it existed. It was in the outlands desert outside the border of Zootopia and didn't require any licenses for liquor or species equality allowances. The only reason a local fire team went and the ZPD did an investigation was because of the missing mammal report for the original owner and a request form the family, and the fire was threatening to spread due to its heat and the height of the flames."
Mr. Big frowned as he tapped his chin "Most troubling," he said as he turned his chair.
"There is one other thing Sir," she said and he turned back to her with a tipped brow. "There were a group of young foxes there that say they remember the vixen. They even caught her name, but I am positive it wasn't her name," she said and he lifted a brow at her. She sighed as she leaned into one hip and bit her lip. "The young tods were more than happy to tell me about her as she seemed to have 'snubbed' them and after she had apparently insulted them telling them they weren't anything but worthless -want to be's- they were a little more than put off when she took interest in an older fox who seemed uninterested in her. Especially after they told her she would never find anyone who wanted her with the – piss poor attitude- she had. They left the bar after the older fox seemed to change his mind and accepted a drink from her and she rubbed it in their faces while she was sitting with him as they left." Mr. Big groaned as he rubbed his temples.
"They were apparently frequenters of the bar and had more information than I got anywhere else." She said and he waved a paw for her to continue. "The place has been running on the low for years, it was thought to have been shut down and they liked it because it was out of the way and no one bothered them there. They were not residents of Zootopia and went there as they traveled back and forth to work every few days. They said the mammal who ran the place almost never left but was never seen. He was always hidden in the back room and they weren't sure what species he was but the vixen along with a group of hyenas were the only ones who were ever there most of the time with the exception of young wild dog who ran the front of the bar. I have looked around for the hyenas, but they aren't a very cooperative bunch of mammals in the outlands. They aren't technically canines and see themselves as above many other species so they don't like to cooperate much. I've been unable to find any information on the bartender or the mammal that was running the place. It is the name of the vixen that bothers me more than anything else I learned about the place."
"Her name?" Mr. Big asked as he shook his head and lowered his brow as one side of his lip curled in confusion.
She sighed again as she gave him a sorrowful look. "I am a fox Mr. Big. I keep secrets as well as any fox can. You and many others know me as Guirec. It is not my real name, for obvious reasons," she said and the small shrew chuckled as he nodded his head. She bit her lip as she thought about how to proceed and the little mammal in front of her cleared his throat causing her to look back at him.
"I am not asking for your name dear, only an explanation. I hired you for this knowing hearing you were the best and it is all I expect." She nodded her head as she looked out the window.
"Foxes do not use their real names in the fox community. We introduce ourselves with our real names only once in an initial meeting. Then we are called by a name that a family member or the community has chosen for us. It is a way to keep ourselves somewhat- anonymous. We address each other with our proper names in public but if we meet other foxes in the open or around others who may be listening we use these names and no one will ever know who we are talking about."
Mr. Big grinned "Hm, clever," he said and she dipped her head towards him as she smiled.
"These names have a meaning for each of us, and foxes take the meanings of the names very seriously. Guirec means secretive, reliable, and a passionate one who can be trusted," she said as she turned her head.
The shrew chuckled as he nodded his head and she looked back to him with a coy smile. "Most fitting," he said and she nodded her head thankfully as she took a breath.
"The vixen at the bar introduced herself as Campell Thana," she bit her lip again before she shook her head. "Campell means crooked mouth, and Thana means death or gratitude, but the foxes said the hyenas and bartender called her Celeste."
Mr. big looked back to Boris who was frowning "One with a crooked mouth is a liar," the bear said and Mr. Big grunted before he turned back to the vixen in front of him. The vixen nodded as she looked at the bear and then turned her eyes back to the shrew.
"Celeste means Angel. The three names together, the lying angel of gratitude and death. No fox or fox community would give another these names combined. It goes against everything we believe in."
Mr. Big leaned into his chair shaking his head "Boris, send Raymond to keep an eye on the Wilde children and send Kevin back to the hospital, he does not like children and can watch over Nicholas and his mate. If he manages to pull through this I will have the guest house fitted for them until this is sorted out. I am sure Gramamma would love the company." The vixen and bear looked at him with raised brows before he pursed his lips and folded his paws over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "I do not find the intended end for this game amusing in the slightest and I do not like it when mammals play with those I consider family. I have no intentions of letting them get any closer to my family than they already have."
Note; I tried to make all this as plausible as possible in scientific and medical terms. That doesn't mean it's perfect.