Rozdział 24: Separation

"Hi Judy!

To be honest, I'm not good at writing letters, this way of confessing thoughts has never been my favourite way, but I have quite a short time to get away from here so I'll try to tell everything nicely what I want.

The doctor probably said that I found Jack, the husband who convinced his wife to have the transplant. And yes, it is true. I searched quite hard... I was determined to find him, but it wasn't quite meant to be... admittedly, I wanted you to survive and for the moment to come when you leave the hospital on your own, but the initial intention was quite... different. I don't want to elaborate too much on this subject because the more I go into it, the more I'll get lost and I'm afraid you won't understand and you should...although I don't want that to happen.

On the table you have probably noticed photographs of three figures who will probably not be familiar to you. I don't blame you, you missed a lot of things while you were unconscious... I hope you understand what I mean. I specially left this photograph, let's say it's a little puzzle before you go back to work, cmon, we both know Carrots that you like such puzzles and you won't be able to resist to solve it.

If you want to find out more about them, take the photographs and go to the police station where we worked together. Show these photos for Clawhauser, just please. DON'T SHOW them for Chief BOGO. If you like and respect me, don't do it, and I know you like and respect me. Clawhauser will quickly associate what this is about and where the documents are...although that may be a problem.

As for me, I've realised that I'm not fit to be a policeman. Yes, every day with you on and off the job was great, I couldn't have had more fun to be honest. As I write this letter I can't even remember when I had as much fun as I did with you, when we insulted each other in the police car...

I'm leaving. I'll tell you in advance, don't worry, where I'm going there's a friend of mine waiting for me, a friend I'll stay with until I find something else or just want to. I've been with you in rented accommodation and I know that the conditions there are not the best. I've been thinking about proposing that you live with me for a while now, but I was afraid that you would misread it and our relationship would cool down. Now that we are unlikely to meet again I can officially confirm it: the house is yours. Make yourself at home.

I hope you will remember me. And you were right about one thing: In Zootopia, everyone can be who they want to be.

Regards, Nick Wilde."

When Judy read it, several drops of crystalline tears fell from her eyes. Admittedly there were threads in the letter that she did not yet understand, she could not understand why he was leaving and leaving her. She was deeply moved by his attitude, they had a strong bond with each other, they were the closest of friends who spent their days together. For a few minutes she read random fragments of the letter trying to catch an additional, hidden meaning that could guide her, give some clue that could give something more. She took three photographs in her paws, showing the figures of three men, she still couldn't make out who they were, she knew she had to go to Clawhauser with the portraits. Although she didn't know why Bogo couldn't see it, but she trusted for the fox, she decided not to show these pictures for the commandant.

She took a moment to pay attention to the part where Nick mentioned his leaving and giving the house to Judy. Although Judy knew that her place was not one of the largest, and not the greatest comfort a tenant could find. The flat was quite small, and narrow, and not very cosy, yet the rabbit never complained about living there badly. Now that she had received the house from Nick she felt strange, a little awkward.

"That's why it's all so tidy," thought Judy. The sight of perfect neatness and elegance was not a common sight in a fox, it was virtually impossible to see. She knew from the start that something was up. She knew the fox too well...too well to believe that he cleaned the house like that just for himself. There had to be another factor that caused him to do this. Now she knew that factor was her.

"That would explain everything...why he suddenly stopped visiting me, why he started acting so mysterious. The doctor had mentioned some sort of trip. It's all starting to come together now, but I'm still missing something..." Judy thought. She had already spent maybe a dozen minutes sitting at her desk thinking about what Nick might be planning next. She was curious as to the reason he was leaving.

She was amused by the fact that this situation Nick had called a "case" that would help with a faster recovery for her.

"I've got to go see Clawhauser," Judy acknowledged with finality. She took the three photographs that lay on the desk top, arranged the letter into an envelope, which she then put back where it lay. She had nothing else to take, her remaining clothes were in her flat. She didn't have much time, there was still a chance that Nick hadn't left yet and she might be able to talk to him. After locking up the house, Judy headed towards the police station.

Once outside the police station, Judy stood for a few moments in front of the entrance, delighted to see the building where she works. It had been a long time since she had missed the sight of this place, even though she sometimes came out of it cranky or tired. It was a feeling of nostalgia that came back to her when she saw people working inside the architecture. She looked forward to the moment when she would go inside already at full strength and be able to work on duty as a Hopps officer.

Stepping inside, Judy felt the eyes of the other officers on her, who, seeing the petite figure out of the corner of their eye, focused their attention on her. Her sensitive and alert ears picked up the murmurs that flew down the corridor telling her that Judy had returned from the hospital and was apparently all right.

"Hopps she's back!" Exclaimed one of the police officers, which drew the attention of everyone in the hall. This somewhat panicked Judy, who wanted to talk quietly and calmly to Clawhauser. Unfortunately in this situation she had no choice, when everyone looked at her she smiled and greeted by waving her hand to everyone present. Soon one of the police officers started applauding, this caused a flurry of applause and cheers which made Judy slightly embarrassed and ashamed. Laughing a little she greeted everyone hearing kind words directed in her direction.

"Judy is back?" Clawhauser's voice came from the cop room. Moments later an obese cheetah emerged from the cop room holding a traditional doughnut covered in pink filling. He quickly lowered it when he saw Judy.

"You're back !" Clawhauser shouted. He waved at her, to which Judy waved back, figuring out how she could talk to the cheetah in peace.

"Maybe in the room we can talk," Judy considered. As she approached Clawhauser and tried to take out the pictures of the men her friend grabbed her and held her in a hug for a few dozen seconds before letting her go. His embrace caused Judy to lose her ability to breathe for a few seconds and she had to wait a moment before she could say anything again.

"I'm glad to see you too Clawhauser. But I have a request, can we talk in private?" Judy asked. Clawhauser nodded with a motion of her head, they both headed to the utility room where they were alone.

"What do you want to talk about Judy? You've missed a lot during this time, everyone has missed you..." Clawhauser sighed. He sat down at the table waiting for Judy to answer something. The girl pulled photographs of the three men from her pocket, placed them on the table in front of the cheetah's face allowing him to look at them.

"Do you recognize them?" Judy asked. Clawhauser calmly looked at the three photographs, at first looking as if he didn't very much associate the faces. His face grew agitated as he began to realise that they were photographs of James Jack and Dominic, the people who had taken the bank robbery in which Judy had suffered.

"Where did you get these?" Clawhauser asked.

"Do you know them ? Please tell me it's important to me."

"This is James Dominic and Jack. They robbed a bank, you got a bullet from one of them...how did you get this ? The file burned..."

"What do you mean the file burned?"

"Normally! One night when Nick came to see me it turned out that the file was gone! Strange, because once he took them from me before, everything was fine."

"He took them from you? When was that?"

"About three weeks ago. He was on leave then, after you went into hospital, and since then he's been behaving at least suspiciously..."

"Have you seen him recently?"

"From where? He resigned a week ago, gave up his badge."

"How did he leave?!"

"He didn't want to say why, he mentioned that he wanted to follow a different path..." Replied Clawhauser. After receiving the information, Judy already knew everything. She could solve the puzzle, everything already fit and matched.

"He's probably waiting for a train," replied Judy thoughtfully. With a quick movement, she took the pictures of the men, then sprinted out of the room she and the cheetah were in.

"Judy, wait! Where did you get those pictures?" Shouted Clawhauser, but Judy wasn't listening. Time was chasing her.

The train station was not far from the police station. It was a few blocks away, about 15 minutes on foot, but if you were lucky and had a green light at the crossing, you could get there in about 10 minutes by running. Judy tried to get there as quickly as possible by running as fast as she could. It wasn't quite recommended for her condition, she was still in pain but she tried not to worry about it, she wanted to talk to Nick. She was sure he planned to leave by train, it was the only sensible option. Everything was starting to fit together, the question remained why did she want to do this?

After about 12 minutes Judy ran onto the station platform where people were standing waiting for the train. There was quite a crowd, so Judy had to squeeze through the others to find the fox. The task wasn't that easy, it was quite low and she couldn't see in advance if Nick was there. Pushing past the others the rabbit looked around her looking for a distinctive tail to catch Judy's attention.

Soon her search was complete when she saw a medium sized fox standing closest to the tracks. He held two large blue suitcases in his hands. He was dressed in beige shorts and a Hawaiian t-shirt.

"Nick!" Exclaimed Judy overjoyed to see the fox. Nick removed his glasses from his eyes, then turned around behind him. A pitying smile immediately appeared on his face when he saw the rabbit.

"Judy, great to see you! The doctor was right though, everything went as it should" Nick sighed in relief. He tucked his glasses into his breast pocket and bent down towards the rabbit to make eye contact. He missed that look, the delicate, relaxing look.

"Why are you leaving? Why do you want to do this?" Judy asked. For now, she decided not to ask about the men's pictures although she really wanted to know more about it.

"I guess you read my letter. My job has already been done here. I no longer have anything to look for here in Zootopia...I didn't write that I wanted to do that. It's just that there are changes needed in my life, I want to start over"

"I think they are the cause of these changes? Who are they?" Asked Judy, pulling from her pocket three photographs that were lying on his desk. Nick looked at them carefully, then laughed.

"Yeah, let's say. They were robbing a bank when you know you got a bullet in the liver...I decided I'd get them and get my revenge, but as time went on I didn't know if that was a good idea myself..."

"Clawhauser mentioned that you took files from that case and they disappeared. What happened to them?"

"I soon caught up with Jack, it turned out he had robbed a bank because he needed the money for his daughter's operation, who had died. I made a deal with him."

"You made a deal?" Judy repeated. Nick nodded calmly with a movement of his head. Judy knew that look. It was full of pity and relief, she could see how stressful these highs were, she knew he was afraid to confess the truth.

"I made a deal with him. His daughter's liver was suitable for transplant. I made a deal with him that if they did a transplant from his daughter I would clear them," Nick confessed. What Judy heard moved her deeply. She hadn't expected Nick to be able to make such a move. His attitude took her by surprise; she didn't know what to say in that situation. Although Nick's gaze was full of pity, as time passed his expression grew less confident and he lowered his head.

"You destroyed a career in policing...for me?" Judy asked.

"Well, you gave me that chance, so I wanted to thank you in some 's just say I gave you a second life," Nick replied. He laughed correcting his grip on the suitcases. Judy walked over to him and gave him a gentle hug. Fox felt strange at this moment, it had been a long time since he could remember someone hugging him but, unbeknownst to him, he liked the feeling.

Soon the green and blue train that Nick was supposed to be leaving on arrived. Judy let go of his embrace pushing away delicately from him.

"Well, and will you at least tell me where you're going ?"

"Sunshine City. I have a friend there, I'll be staying with him, so you don't have to worry about that. You probably saw in the letter that I'm leaving the house to you, at least it will be tidy," replied Nick ironically. Even in this situation he had a sense of humour.

"I'll miss you..."

"Me too, but well...sometimes you have to" replied Nick seriously. They both stared at each other not knowing what to say. Both of them were not happy with the way things were going, neither of them wanted to part, but there was no other option. It was quite an embarrassing moment for them, one they wished they hadn't been in. At this time the train doors opened and passengers began to board the train. It was that time again.

"Thank you for everything Judy" said Nick before he boarded the train and took his seat.