Author Note:
Eris: Consider it done - I just posted the new chapter here! Your review inspired me to work through "Zootopia: SpecieSwitch" Chapter J7 and got it posted. You have my thanks for your small morale boost.
Credit:
* Zootopia characters belong to Disney
* Sonic characters belong to SEGA/Sonic Team
* Phoenix Wright being mentioned at end of the chapter belong to NAMEO
Somewhere in the dark, I found something cold and solid with my left paw then I pushed it away and the light came in the room I was in. The door, which I described as 'something cold and solid', swung open as I stepped into the alley. I looked at my left then to my right, seeing a long road in each direction. I had little to no clue of my current whereabout or why I was here.
"Ah," I had made up my mind, turning to my left and walking that way.
While I walked down the alley, I remembered being carried back to Precinct One, if I knew the route well, by Tailsko after she was robotized. The only different between her and the robot cheetahs that Carrots and Sonic fought was that my love didn't even attempt to attack or hurt me at all. I suddenly felt the water in my mouth, which made me smack my lips together. Just as I desired to have a drink, it appeared at right time, so that meant I was still alive and well right now, but my consciousness was somewhere else... like a dream similar to the situation I was in yesterday. I approached the point where the path split into two - the first path was at the left while the second one continued straight. I stopped where the path split, then I glanced up slightly, trying to figure the location in Zootopia I- my consciousness was. I remembered that I had doubted that this place wasn't the center of Zootopia last time. My forehead grew hotter, which signaled me that my head was overworked, so I gave up on trying to put the puzzle together, closing my eyes as I stepped forward. I went to the right path - the straight path. I opened my eyes as my mind shifted onto the different subject; why did I return to this location instead of being at Precinct One.
"I wonder why this dream puts me in different location each time I conk out," I mumbled, trying to figure out why I was in this situation.
I combed through my brain and found no answers to that question, "Furball!"
I lifted my head and put my attention on the wall as I approached it, nearly bonking my forehead on it. This wall was a message that ended the long, straight path of the alley. I had a funny feeling that it told me to turn left and continue from there. I sighed with my eyelids closed halfway as I turned to left and resumed walking. I blinked as the light from the end of the alley came to me. However, I could see a door on the building to my left with a panel with a strange cryptic design on it. All I could tell about the design was that it pointed at the open door. The green light came from the room beyond the door. That light drew my attention into the room. I went inside and saw an altar with a gemstone on top of it. For some reason, the inside of the room was bigger than its outside. I stepped up the mini-stairs and took a closer look on the gemstone - this gemstone was an emerald... well, a green emerald, actually. That was what Sonic and Tailsko were looking for. I turned to the only door and dashed outside. Once I was outside, I turned to the panel with the encrypted design, which changed into a boxing glove with two pointy knuckles that pointed any curious eyes to the doorframe.
"Aha, that's it. Now where should this place be...?" I mumbled, turned then jogged toward the end of the alley.
Once I exited the alley, the bright light nearly blinded me. It was good thing that this was all in my head as the color of city and blue sky came to my sight. I learned that there were no zootopians or vehicles presented, beside myself. I glanced to my left, finding nothing. I glanced to my right, finding a green sign on the grey pole. I quickly scanned the sign as my sight blurred, forcing myself to blink to clear my view. I was now seeing the white... ceiling? I also had my body wrapped up with... something. My right arm was outside of that 'something' and was already arranged with the I.V. drip stand. Two things that made me understand that I was in hospital; the white ceiling and the I.V. drip stand. This place was definitely not Precinct One. I slightly lifted my head then looked down to my right and saw Tailsko getting up from a chair. Her appearance was the same as when she had found me on the street and then carried me through various streets. She walked to me and I groaned as I lifted my right arm, gesturing her to go outside. My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn't make any sounds. However, Tailsko figured what I said and nodded in understanding. She turned to the door and left the room. I dropped my arm onto the gurney and reverted my head to its former position. As soon as I let myself go, I opened my eyes, finding myself back on the street - this time, it was filled with the zootopians.
"Hmm," I wondered, blinking twice.
I lifted my hooves to front of my face, seeing the black digits and the autumn red fur on my hooves. I blinked and turned my head to my right, finding a female deer and a male fawn beside me. Despite her calm expression, I could see a concerned gaze behind her mask. Perhaps this action that I had taken over had alerted her.
"May I borrow this guy for a couple of minutes?" I offered, relaxing my arms.
She blinked for a little bit then nodded, permitting me to put 'a couple of minutes' to use. I turned my head to the street sign, where I last seen it in my 'dream' few minutes ago. I nodded once I found that the address matched. I turned back to the female deer and the male fawn. I saw that the fawn held a flashlight. I bent down a little bit, put my hooves on my knees, and smiled.
"May I use the flashlight to check the alley out?" I asked, holding my left hoof in between of me and the fawn.
He blinked then pawed me the flashlight without hesitation. I smiled at the fawn then I straightened my legs and my back. I turned to the alley that 'the deer family' went past, walked there, and turned on the flashlight. Since I was in the prey body, it was difficult for me to see anything in the dark, unlike the dream I had in my canine body. After a couple of jogging steps in the alley, I came to the closed door with a blink panel next to it. I aimed the light at the door so I could see the doorknob and twitched it open with my free hoof. Green light was brought to my eyes. I realized that it was from an emerald like the one I saw in my dream. I nodded and swung the door wide open then I reached for the blank marker from my... er, possession's suit pocket. I popped the cap using the digits of my hoof that held the flashlight. I started to doodle the design of the boxing glove with two pointy knuckles that pointed at the doorframe. Once I finished doodling the panel, I stepped back and popped the cap back on after feeling the flashlight with my opposite digit. The design that I put on the panel looked exactly like one in my dream. My ear twitched and the breeze came from my right and I turned to that direction, swinging the light down. I saw Sonic standing there with his fists on his hips.
"Ah, Sonic. You did order one Green Emerald, right?" I said, throwing my free hoof in the air, above my head. Before he could respond, I continued with the flashlight pointing at the open door, "Your order has arrived. It's at your right, docked inside. Please take it, no signature required."
He pursed his mouth, "I see that he called the informant in. I will 'take it' as you offered."
His silhouette showed me that he turned to my left and walked toward the door where the flashlight was pointing. I smiled in satisfaction as I started walking back to the street, keeping the light on the road. Once I reached the end of alley, I turned the flashlight off and turned to my right. I returned to the female deer and the male fawn then bent down a little bit, put my free hoof on my knee and held the flashlight to him.
"Here you go. Thank you for letting me borrow the flashlight," I said.
He took it back as I heard rubber skid beside 'the deer family'. I straightened my legs and back, then turned to Sonic and saw him holding the emerald in his left paw.
"Hmm... take care," he said, jiggling the emerald.
I nodded with a smile. He vanished like the breath that evaporates in the air after someone exhales in the cold. I turned my head to the female deer and smiled at her.
"Looks like my time is up. Please take care of this guy, will'ya?" I said, turning to her.
Her expression remained the same, but the concern that she hid was gone. I exhaled lightly then closed my eyes. My body became heavier, telling me that I was now in my canine body at the hospital. The feeling of tingling I had was gone, which meant that I must have been injected with a little bit of anesthetic that helped to calm my nerves. I opened my eyes, saw the white ceiling again, and started to get up. Tailsko, who waited beside the gurney, immediately stood up and assisted me to sit up on the right side of the gurney.
"Sonic's on his way back with the emerald as we speak," I said, reaching for the I.V. drip stand with my right paw.
Tailsko nodded, cupping my left arm with her right paw to support me, "Congratulation on giving him a specific location. Here's your cup of water - you are going to need it."
She lifted the cup to me, and I took it with my free paw. I brought it to my mouth and closed my eyes as I drank the water greedily - my desire to drink the water was getting the better of me, to be honest. Pulling the empty cup from my muzzle, I sighed happily and pawed the cup back to Tailsko, who put it on the side table. I lifted my left paw as she moved toward me and I wrapped my left arm around he neck. She helped me onto my hind-paws. I glanced at her as I felt her cold right forearm pressing on my back then we exchanged a head nod. I stood up and leaned my weight on her then we walked out of the room. I had to drag the I.V. drip stand with me since the I.V. was inserted into my right forearm. Once we got into the hall, we had to stop because we had no clue of where to go next, other than wandering aimless in the hospital. However, Sonic popped up from nowhere in front of us with the Green Emerald in his left paw.
"Ah," he started, noticing my fragile appearance, then he offered, "should I use this to heal you up?"
I shook my head, "I can take the pain for now. Where's Carrots though? Is she injured? If she is, then please use that opportunity to heal her instead."
"Hmm. Sure thing. Come, follow me," the hedgehog said, turning to my right and walking slowly.
I glanced at Tailsko as she responded, "That must be where Judy was transferred to. Let's go."
I nodded in agreement then we followed Sonic through the hall. After two long minutes of walking through the hall with a couple of turns, we arrived right outside Carrots' patient room. I huffed and instructed Tailsko to move to the chairs that were bolted to the wall beside the patient room. I sat down on one of those chairs.
"Look like I have to stop taking my 'bed vacation' pattern," I mumbled, unwinding my arm from Tailsko's neck.
She nodded, understanding how hard the 'bed vacation' was. I watched her walk around the I.V. drip stand then to the patient room where Sonic was at this minute. I blinked as my head turned to my knees and took a deep breath while I looked at my police uniform, only the right sleeve rolled up for the I.V.. Not even a second later, I felt the I.V. drip stand jerking, alerting me. I blinked as I felt two heads coming onto my sides, one on each side. I lifted my head to see what caused the jerking and found that it was one of those nurses in the hospital. They're otters - the female otters. With the nurses coming to me, I let the I.V. drip stand go. At the same time, I pulled my arms back, two larger otters pressed against my ribcage under my armpits, comforting me with their kindness.
"Whoa, look here, you sneaky..." I said, smiling and wrapping my arms around their necks.
Suddenly, the 'bed vacation' feeling that I had vanished as the large otter nurses rubbed my shoulders lightly and carefully. I glanced at the smaller otters as they checked on the I.V. drip stand. I was impressed that one of them straddled on the other's shoulders to reach the plastic bag on the drip stand. I felt the otter muzzle rubbing on my left shoulder, turned my head to the large otter nurse and wondered at their presence around me.
"Why are you all coming out of your way to treat me like this? What about the other patients? I inquired.
The nurse that rubbed my left shoulder responded, "My name is Susie Otterton. I am sure you realized that I am related to the florist that got infected with the Night howler. That was the big case where you and Officer Hopps were involved. You both did us a favor by exposing that hideous lamb as the mastermind of the whole savage strike. And now, I thought it would be good to return a favor for putting that incident to a stop."
I blinked then nodded once I had the picture of what went on- Ack! The nurses and I flinched at a loud crash in the patient room where Carrots stayed. One of the smaller otter nurses, who checked the I.V. drip stand, got on the floor and ran to the door. However, once we heard the response from Tailsko, that nurse halted on a dime.
"Nice going, Judy. Send him to 'crashing' into the crash cart when he needs one."
I nodded in understanding, "Sound like Carrots gave Sonic some jaw fixings. That was enough for me to know that they are fine."
"Whew," the word rang four times from the nurses.
I blinked as the smaller otter nurse, who ran to the patient room earlier, came to me. She glanced at me with a pair of calm, blue eyes.
"Since Susie introduced herself to you, it would be air for the rest of us to introduce ourselves to you too. I am Lindsay Water-Dam, a cousin to Susie. And may I sit on your lap to take the needle out of your arm?" she asked.
I nodded, "Nice to meet you, Lindsay. And you may as I felt relaxed right now. The anesthetic did the trick."
I rotated my right paw, hooking up the rube with my opposite digit then lifted my right arm the large otter nurse's head. While I did that, Lindsay climbed onto my lap then 'sat' on my right thigh, put her front to my right arm. I brought my free arm to her and she proceeded to puck the needle out of my arm. Once she removed it, the large otter wrapped her paws around my arm where the needle had been. I glanced at the large otter nurse, realizing that she shifted in her seat so she could reach my forearm easily.
"Tacey Tamper," she spoke she lived up to her name.
Our ears flinched at a gasp in the patient room. That gasp belonged to Tailsko, who I suspected, had witnessed the unexpected turning point in that room. I glanced at my right forearm as I felt the warmth coming from Tacey's paws.
"Well, seeing that you're awake and all healed, let's go and play some catch up with us, the foxes," Tailsko spoke then exited the room.
I blinked as the grip on my right forearm lessened then Tacey's paws left, "Bleeding stopped. You'll be fine."
"Why, thank you," I nodded, smiling at Tacey.
By the time I finished nodding my head, Tailsko was standing next to Lindsay and another smaller otter nurse. The sea mammalians grabbed the I.V. drip stand and left. I realized that Lindsay had left my lap without my knowing it. Tailsko turned to me once Lindsay and her workmate disappeared from my sight.
"Are you feeling alright to return to the base, despite your 'bed vacation' as you called it?" the vixen inquired.
I pointed my nose at her then nodded again, "Yes, just as long as I get well rested. It's my brain that my ZPD team needs, not my physical strength."
I watched Tailsko stand there, not moving at all. I felt Tacey's paws on my forearm and my paw, holding my right arm in a position where the blood flowed better. Regardless, I allowed her to do so because it was part of her job. Susie was relax on my left side, keeping her tongue still to not ruin the peaceful atmosphere. After a minute of silence passed, I saw the vixen's red eyes blinking, almost as if she made up her mind and was starting to move again.
"Alright. You two," she nodded at the nurses then glanced at them before she continued, "Help him until we get to the cruiser outside the front doors. I believe that Nick has a right to leave the hospital since he's a patient and his police skills are required to further assist the case. I have already informed Chief Bogo on his cPhone to prepare a pick-up. So, we should get ready for his arrival."
I turned to Tacey, who pulled her paws from my right arm, and I lifted my arm. Tacey and I rearranged positions side-by-side. With me hugging the nurses' necks and their arms snaking behind my back, we stood up and they pulled their weight holding me up - given the fact that they're large than normal. Tailsko started walking toward the lobby then the nurses turned in that direction and followed her slowly. The first whoopie for walking slow was that my legs were right next to the nurses' as well as the second whoopie that I was still exhausted from my morning route and still recovering from the anesthetic.
"So, them again? The nurses, I mean..." my vixen partner said, starting the conversation to keep us from bored out of our minds.
I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to figure on what she meant. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw one of the smaller otter nurses pop from a hiding spot and holding her left paw in the air with her index digit pointing at the ceiling. I was sure that wasn't Lindsay due to her eye color being different from Lindsay's - Lindsay had blue eyes while this one had brown eyes.
"First of all, my name is Lisa. Short for Bellisa Garden-Sea. So on with what your friend said, since your departure to your patient room, we were the ones who treated you with her help giving you some water. Before you woke up, we left to do other work. But now, we are back, comforting you from your recently stress. And now we are assisting you through the hall," the fourth nurse explained, helping me catch up with what Tailsko was talking about.
I nodded, getting the whole picture now. I cleared my throat and answered Tailsko's question as I patted on Susie's shoulder, "This gal told me that the florist was infested with the Night howlers during the case you knew so well. Carrots and I cleaned and closed that case, which impacted the nurses here. They are grateful to me for saving their cousin. Therefore, they wished to repay me a favor for bringing him back to normal."
We stopped walking as my words sank in to my partner. She tilted her head forward, letting the weight grasp in her head. Suddenly, she lifted her head and resumed her slow walking. The nurses and I followed behind.
"Ah, that explains their showing their kindness to you. I am not complaining about the position that you are in. You are their hero," the vixen said.
I smiled, "Appreciated that you give them a chance. Once I get back on my hind-paws, the only girl I hug will be you, always and forever."
"Better remember those words once you are back at full health, Mr. Wilde. And here's the desk with the register," Tailsko said, slightly turning her head to the table came to our sight. She continued, "Better sign your name, otherwise, Chief Bogo will ram us back in here using his vehicle and leave us with a debt of massive damage."
I blinked as either Lindsay or Lisa ran up to the desk, grabbing the clipboard there then bringing it to me. Susie, Tacey, and I stopped walking, then I pulled my right arm off Tacey's shoulders so I could grab the pen and write my mammalian information on the patient form. I stole a glance at the smaller otter, who was Lisa because of her brown eyes. Once I covered the list, I returned the pen to her then I lifted my arm over Tacey's head and rested it on her shoulders. Lisa ran back to the desk and returned the clipboard to where she had hauled it from.
"Alright, now with that out of the way, let's go outside. Chief Bogo has arrived as we speak," the vixen said, turning our attention to the front doors.
I smiled as my assisting nurses reattempted their movement to the front doors, then we all walked toward the doors. Tailsko opened one of the front doors while the smaller otters opened another. Susie and Tacey continued their walking with me lumping past the unoccupied nurses and the vixen. Ah, there was the police cruiser parked just few paws away. My partner raced to the back door and opened it wide. She jumped in first then, once I was close enough, I climbed in the cruiser after her. My arms left the otters' necks then I used them to pull myself up onto the seat cushion. I turned to the backside of the passenger seat and sat on the seat cushion.
Once I was settled in my sitting position, I turned to the nurses, waving at them, "Thank you so much for your help. Please treat other patients in the same way you treated me today."
They nodded in agreement as I reached the door dangle and pulled the door shut once the nurses were out of the range of the swinging door. Letting the door handle go, I laid my back on the cushion behind me then clicked the seat belt in. I furrowed my eyebrows together as the cruiser started to move forth. What about Carrots and Sonic? I turned my head to Tailsko with my right eyebrow raised.
"What about Carrots and Sonic, since they were physically injured in their recently fight?" I inquired, referring to the 'jaw fixing' incident.
I could see her eyes blinking then she shook her head slightly. She answered, "Ah, they're fine - as you said, Judy jabbed Sonic in the jaw. That hardly hurt him. They can take care of their own travel. I am sure they're already at Precinct One."
"Ah, good. That strike she made must been a Punch of Love or something," I nodded, returning my head to its original position and letting my eyebrow relax.
The ride went for a minute in silence. It only broke when my partner blinked then turned her head to me, setting her sight on me.
"Oh, and speak of the strike. Please refrain from serve the spicy osechi to Judy. It was her request to make a chance before we were attacked," she said, assuring me to change my way of making the jokes.
I furrowed my eyebrows and glanced at her, "I see. What changed her lately- did I make the osechi so spicy that it became a bad taste to her?"
"Not quite. It's more of she needs to chill off from all the spices. So, it's time for you to keep those spices from reach her. I will be glad to take those boxes of osechi - I am the mammalian to eat them up," she added, giving out the dry humor
I nodded, easing my face, "Ah, alright. I will be sure to make a better meal next time she comes to visit my little cafe. Hmm... ah, what to put in the bowl?"
"Let's try make a sweet dessert, simple and easy," Tailsko suggested.
I blinked, "Ah... the Carrot Cheesecake... Not a bad thought."
Before we could continue the conversation, Chief Bogo growled behind the steering wheel. He responded as he turned the cruiser onto the next road, "Enough with your kitchen talk. You're making me hungry just listening to you howl."
"Ah, my bad. We will finish that in the kitchen, if there is one in Precinct One," I responded, smiling shyly.
And the silence returned to the cruiser for the rest of the travel. The majority of the time I spent staring at the backside of the passenger seat. That felt comfortable after the crazy morning and it was boosted by the nurses that cuddled me after I woke up. Once we arrived at Precinct One, I took the belt off then opened the door on my right, seeing Tailsko stand there ready to help me out. I swore that she was still able to move faster, even if she was robotized. I smiled as I moved to the edge of the seat cushion then wrapped my right arm around her neck and she pulled me out of the cruiser. Her left arm hugged the backside of my midsection. She swung me to my left really hard that I felt my weight leave me. I heard the door shut at same time she stopped turning around. I wheezed a little bit then started to walk with her.
"Hey, genius, go easy on the momentum back there. I almost got throw back to my dreamland," I reminded her once my mind was straight.
Her red eyes turned to me, "Ha! At least that got you to talk. That help you to keep operating."
I groaned at her countering comment then rubbed on the throbbing vein in my forehead as we walked toward Precinct ONe. Instinctively, I folded my ears backward, shutting out Clawhauser's exciting responses as we walked past his desk. I was sure that Tailsko tuned Benji's noise out at this point, thanks to her being a robotic mammalian. I decided on mending the new recipe of making jokes about Carrots in my mind. Instead of going with spicy version, as Tailsko suggested, I chose to go with sweet and simple. And the white cake was created in my mind, finalizing with the bunch of carrots sticking in it. Aha, perfect! Just as I saw the door to our private meeting room, I lifted my ears then we entered the room. It appeared that Tailsko wasn't entire wrong about Carrots and Sonic - they were already here in the meeting room. I had forgotten that Sonic could travel on the sound of wind - I must be exhausted already. Oh, and I should add in that Carrots was also affected by Sonic's 'Speed Wrap', proving that she could keep up with Sonic and Tailsko. I waved at Carrots with my free paw as she turned her attention from her chair to me. No more than seven pawsteps into the room, the big oaf of chief joined us, tossing the door shut. Great! Once we arrived at the table, Tailsko helped me onto the empty chair next to Carrots then she went to her own that was placed next to Sonic's on the other side of the table.
I turned my head to Carrots once I settled in my seat, "Hey, Carrots. If you need some jokes from me - I will be sure to deliver you some cheesecake instead. I phoned in to switch serving the spicy osechi from you to another customer recently."
"Good," she nodded then looked up to me, "Thanks for taking that meal off my course."
I swore I heard a grunt from my right as I rested my head on the back of my chair and exhaled lightly.
"I am glad that you got the emerald before 'Ro-Butt-Nik' find it," I spoke to Sonic.
Carrots and Sonic nodded in agreement while Tailsko stared at me with her robot-like expression. I blinked and glanced at her as she put her paws on the edge of the table, making a clicking noise along the way.
"Now thats settled. I have a question - If Nick here is a 'BadDonkey Normal', then how did he learn the location of the emerald?" she inquired, drawing our glances to her.
I lifted my right paw into the air then spoke, "Remember that I saw the future during my 'power nap' yesterday? I also saw the end of the battle between us and 'Ro-Butt-Nik' as well as how we get our family ready after that. Well, when I speak of 'BadDonkey Normal', I was referring to that 'Speed Swap' or whatever it called, not to anything you thought I was thrown in."
Halfway through my speech, the vixen pulled back and took her paws from the table in surprise, despite her robotic face. I slowly closed my mouth and exhaled lightly. Sonic crossed his arms and nodded.
"I am impressed that you got in different mammalian, let alone a different class. I am sure you know why I said that," the hedgehog said, grinning.
I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned, "You're saying that I got in the hart or something like that?"
"That's it," Sonic nodded with his eyes closing, keeping the grin on his muzzle.
I let my eyebrow relax, "You think you can doodle up a rough sketch of that hart. I know anyone around Zootopia, living on the street before Carrots twisted my fate, switching me from a street hustler into a cop."
"Certainly," the hedgehog said with his paws in front of him, suddenly making a clipboard and pencil appear from nowhere.
We watched him doodle the rough design of the hart that I had 'borrowed'. It only took him five seconds to get it all down, karma to his super speed. He lifted his head to me then flung the clipboard across the table to my side. The clipboard spun a hundred and eighty degrees before it landed on the flat top. The mammalian on the clipboard was indeed a hart; a male deer. He wore an attorney's tuxedo, down to his hind-hooves. The important part of him were his antlers - instead of growing upward, his bent down behind his head. On each antler, at least four horns grew straight out in the back, similar to Sonic's head spikes, but smaller and straighter.
"Ah, I know this guy too. That's Phoenix Wright. The legendary attorney that bluffs his way around cases," I recognized the mammalian on the sketch paper. I lifted my left paw and put the tips of my digits on my forehead as I started to laugh, closing my eyes and threw my head onto the back of the chair, "Well, that explains why I was able to borrow his body for a couple of minutes. He also has the nickname that Carrots always called me, 'Nick'."
As I laughed, I heard four groans and a hoof slapping on the forehead. For some reason, the hard morning I had just disappeared, all thanks to those changes I had experienced.