I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. With my surgery in may, and a few issues that arose from that, and feeing like crap most of the time. Not to mention the magnificent Mt. Fugi sized granite writers block I suffer from, its a wonder I got this far in this story.
And as always, a HUGE shout out to my editor and friend BlkDragon7 for all of his help with some additional content.
And as per usual I do not own Zootopia, or any characters from within. Save my own OCs which are of my own creation.
xXx
Chapter 16 - A Step in the - Well .. A Step
Friday afternoon,
Judy sat at the dining room table with her laptop going through an abundance of emails, many of which were from other officers wishing her well. As she sat there reading each one, she idly played with the bracelet on her left wrist. It had been a Christmas gift from Nick, and she only took it off when it was time to bathe.
As Judy read, she also responded in kind, giving words of encouragement where needed, and ending each email with 'Now get out there and make the world a better place.' She found it odd on several occasions that she still held to that ideal, given her current circumstance. Even though she could no longer be a part of that ideal, Judy doggedly held to it, and encouraged her fellow officers to keep fighting the good fight in her stead.
As she sat there unconsciously fiddling with her bracelet, an email from Wolford caught her eye. It simply asked if Friday was a good day to visit. This was a bit of code they had worked out regarding his need for her help and not wanting the paper trail in the system. He always sent it from his personal email. Judy clicked respond, typed yes, and then clicked send.
Just as she was about to open the next email, she heard the garage door open and the car pull in. A moment later it reversed, clanking shut, along with the muffled 'whump' of the car door closing, followed by another door on the car opening for a moment and then closing again. As she counted the steps of the mammal she knew had entered the house, the door from the kitchen to the garage opened and then closed. Judy listened as Nick rummaged around in the kitchen for a few minutes, putting a few groceries away. Walking into the dining room Nick saw Judy and flashed her his signature grin, walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a kiss between her ears.
Making his way to his room, Judy could hear fabric rustle as he took off his uniform. Nick had returned to part time duty now that Judy was more self-sufficient. Since they had returned from the holidays at her parents, both she and Nick had made daily use of the home gym. Her arms and upper body had gained much of their former strength in the relatively short time span since then. She was able to make her way around the house with relative ease. They had rearranged some things closer to her level to make things like cooking small meals, and getting something to drink easier. Though, if she admitted it to herself, sandwiches were her primary go-to, because who doesn't love a good sandwich?
Walking back out from his room, Nick's voice brought her back from her musings, "So I thought maybe we could catch a movie tonight before I have to go relieve Antlerson for part of his shift."
"What did you have in mind?" asked Judy.
Well I was thinking Bull and Tods Super-Mega-Good Adventure"
"Hmmmm, perhaps, but I was thinking The Mamdalorian. Season two starts tonight.
"This is the way …"
Wait … Nick, did you just …"
"Yes, yes I did."
"You are such a nerd!"
Nick laughed as he lifted Judy from her wheelchair and plopped down on the couch. A smirk taking over his face. "Nerd, am I? Yes. Yes. Your nerd, am I." Leaning forward he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV as Judy laughed and socked him in the shoulder. Nick giving an obligatory wince and whine about fox abuse. They both knew it didn't hurt anymore, but it was part of their interaction. A comfortable bit that held them both to the other.
Saturday,
Sometime early morning.
Judy slowly opened her eyes as the sun was just barely starting to creep through the sheer drapes that cover her windows as they fluttered in the slight breeze that was coming from the partly open windows. The scent of early morning dew and the smells of spring wafting in on the light breeze as it teased the fur on her ears. Sitting up, Judy looked around. She was in her own bed, the one she slept in every night, but she was clearly in her old room. More to the point, her old room back in Bunnyburrow.
Judy looked around confused, wondering how she got there and a hit of fear threading through her heart. "Nick?" She called out, her voice seeming to almost go nowhere, as if the air itself was eating the sound. A terror truly gripped her heart then. "Nick!?" The fear in her voice was clear to her own ears.
Throwing the covers off herself, she took a step over to the window, threw the curtains open. She however didn't notice what was beyond that portal to the outside world initially as she was staring down at herself and the fact that she was standing on her own. Then looking up, the astonishment and confusion of being able to stand was instantly replaced with absolute terror. Beyond the window was not the view of the east barn and her old practice course, but the gray fog she remembered still from her time in a coma.
Stepping back from the window as aboslute terror gripped her heart and her veins felt like they were suddenly filled with ice. Judy ran into her bed and sat. Her voice, small and terrified. "Nick? No… No, no, no, no… Please no." Closing her eyes she tried to shake off the terror. "Come on, Judy. Wake up. This is just a nightmare."
A voice came out of the fog like before. Nick's voice, along with Madge. "What's the verdict, doc? I know you said you couldn't be sure until the swelling went down, and what's with the whole weird signals you were talking about?"
"I'm not sure, Nick. Her neural response is so fast, I've only seen it in a few species of the smaller felines, those with truly exceptional natural agility, and Red foxes, of all species, for the same reason. These signals almost seem like a carrier signal, like you would see with a radio or computer connection. The slightest change to that signal allows for signals to the rest of her body to be sent faster then nerves would normally be able to transmit. It's similar to something I've seen in a few families of red foxes, like your family. It's why I wanted to run those tests on you. I just wish her parents would allow me to do the genetic profiling."
"I'll talk to them again. Let them know that it will help her treatment. However, all that about foxes and felines doesn't really answer the question."
"It does, and doesn't. It means that any unit we build to bridge the damage will have to be much more complex, but…"
Judy screamed as the sound from the fog was canceled in her ears as a searing pain erupted from her lower back. Falling back on the bed, she continued to Scream. "NICK!! HELP ME! NICK, PLEASE! IT HURTS!!!" Further terror gripping her as she watched her legs shrivel and curl up almost like the legs of the witch towards the beginning of The Wizard of Fuz."
Judy's eyes popped open, the sensation of her ears being petted and the lack of pain washing over her. Nick's voice in her ears helping to calm her heart. "Judy. I've got you. It's just a dream. You're okay. It is just a dream. Come back to me."
Gripping Nick's chest fur and breathing in his scent. Judy gasped, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. "Nick? Oh gods… Nick."
Sobbing into his fur.
Ignoring the pain from Judy's tight grip on his fur, Nick continued to pet her ears. "I've got you Judy, I've got you."
After several minutes, Judy finally calmed down enough to release Nick from her near death-grip and pulled him into just a simple, if powerful hug. Her upper-body strength had gone up significantly since she couldn't do more than work her legs flexibility to ensure they didn't become stiff. Pulling away from Nick, she looked down and though the light was dim from just the nightlight, she did always have better night vision than any other rabbit she knew.
"Nick… Where are your shorts?"
Looking down at himself, Nick's ears folded flat to his head as his tail quickly wrapped around his waist. "Uhm… You were screaming… Like someone was murdering you. Worse than in the pit at the Museum. I … Uhm … I didn't grab shorts as I ran in here."
Sporting a smirk worthy of Nick himself, Judy glanced down slowly, then back up. "So… You sleep naked? I always knew your familiarity with the Oasis wasn't just professional." Using air quotes with her paws around professional.
Chuckling nervously, Nick couldn't meet her eyes. "I can neither confirm, nor deny, any membership, lifetime or otherwise, I may or may not have had to said establishment. You will need a warrant or subpoena if you wish me to say more, and then I will be taking the 5th. (For non-US readers, this is a reference to the 5th amendment to the US constitution which enshrines a right to refuse to answer questions that may incriminate yourself. Such refusal is not allowed to be used against you in criminal cases, but can actually be used when sued civilly.) I, uh… I should go put some shorts on. Do you need anything, or are you going to be okay?"
Judy grinned smugly. "Not to worry, Nick." Reaching up and patting him on the cheek. "It's too dark in here for me to actually see more than just that you are missing a certain item of clothing." Her grin falling into a shy smile. "I'm okay, but… Would you mind holding me until I can fall back asleep?" Noticing that it was only just after three in the morning.
Nick nodded with an embarrassed smile. "Sure. Let me just go get those shorts." Standing, his tail still wrapped around himself.
Giving Nick a freshly devious grin. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."
Nick blinked and his ears snapped forward before folding back again. "I… No, I'll get them. It wouldn't be appropriate." He then turned and hurried from the room, smirk level on full, and definitely not missed by Judy. She knew the fox too well, and knew when he wasn't finishing a sentence. She smiled to herself at also being able to get to him and have him so flustered.
A few moments later, no more than forty-five seconds, Nick was back and climbing onto her bed. Stretching out, he gently pulled her over and she snuggled into him, sighing as his strong arms wrapped around her and her heart rate finally returned to normal. The fear that had still been thrumming through her system extinguished by how safe she felt in his arms. A single tear slipping from her eye as sleep reclaimed her mind. A single tear as she questioned again her worthiness of him, his care and love for her, and how she felt she was holding him back from the happiness he could have if he wasn't tied down to her because of her injury.
xXx
Judy woke to her own internal clock several hours later. Alone. She felt herself begin to panic mildly as she reached out for Nick, who was most definitely no longer in her bed. The panic diminished as her ears picked up the soft clink of dishes being set on the table, and her nose picked up the delicious smells of "Saturday morning waffles." She mumbled to herself taking a deep relaxing breath and letting it out slowly, she pulled herself into her wheelchair, and wheeled into the bathroom for her morning constitutional.
Finishing that, she wheeled back to her room, got dressed, and then made her way to the dining room. Saturday was one of the few days that Nick cooked, as it was really his only true day off. And Nick being the mammal his mama raised him to be, he did his best to help Judy. In reality she did most of the cooking the rest of the week, and made him lunch every morning during the week. Really he felt it was the least he could do. Nick didn't have to work, as well off as they now were due to the incident that rendered Judy unable to walk and Nick with several scars, both physical and emotional.
xXx
The evening of the incident. Any TV in the hospital, and throughout Zootopia and beyond tuned to the nightly news, including Bunnyborrow.
The camera focused on a very well dressed and primped snow leopard. "Good Evening. This is ZNN Nightly news. I'm Fabine Growly."
Switching views, the view shifts to a large moose in a suit. "And I'm Peter Moosebridge. Our top story tonight. Tragedy on Z95. A major accident took place on the Z95 today leaving one dead and two severely injured. According to ZPD sources and reports from citizens on the scene, the incident involved an intoxicated driver. Although we do not know yet the species of the driver that was killed. We do know that the other two mammals that were injured were none other than the ZPDs first Rabbit and Fox Officers. Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde."
A short video plays of Nick, clearly distraught and with a thousand yard stare as he watches crews work on the wrecked cruiser. The angle placed the body of the cruiser between the camera and whatever the crews were doing.
Peter continued. "Although the ZPD is being very tight muzzled on the incident, we do know that the driver that was killed was traveling well in excess of the speed limit, was under the influence, and did not attempt to stop. Sources within the ZPD do state that despite a rough start, both Officers Wilde and Hopps are loved by their fellow officers and this tragedy has hit them all hard. The driver that struck them appears to have hit them directly in the rear door. This caused the specially customized cruiser for the two smaller officers to flip multiple times."
The camera switched back to Fabine. "That's correct, Peter. This sadly puts Zootopia's hero cops are out of action. Eyewitnesses state that Officer Wilde was thrown from the car, while Officer Hopps was only partially ejected resulting in her being crushed by the cruiser. The ZPD is not releasing details, referencing it as being an ongoing investigation and the privacy of their officers. However, ZNN sources confirm that Officer Hopps is in critical condition with worry that she may not survive, and that Officer Wilde was only walking due to shock. The full extent of their injuries is not known, although citizen video of Officer Wilde attempting to lift the cruiser from his partner has been provided. That video has been determined to be too graphic for inclusion. We at ZNN wish both Officers a quick recovery."
Switching back to Peter. "That is right, Fabine. Our hopes go out that their injuries are not as severe as some reporting suggests. This leads us into our second story this evening where we go to Jacob Hairsworth on an analysis of DWI incidents over the past year and ZPD efforts to reduce such accidents that can have such devastating results like the one today. Proving that, no matter who you are, the uncaring or unthinking actions of others can impact any of our lives."
xXx
About four months after the accident an article in the Zootopia Times blew the lid off a previously quiet investigation taking place within the ZPD, creating a huge outcry from the public. It turns out that Bogo had been suspicious of the accident and some of the things that took place. Nick had been thrown clear due to a failure of his seatbelt. Judy being partially ejected, and the fact that none of the embedded safety features worked. This included things like the airbags not deploying, which would have prevented Judy from being partially ejected, as well as the automatic crash reporting system not reporting the crash. Bogo himself kicked in the front of the cruiser, as a test at one point, and the system that should have reported that something had happened, continued to report that the vehicle was perfectly fine.
According to the article, every single safety system in their cruiser failed to work as it was supposed to. The automatic crash reporting system did not report the crash, and while the initial accident report that was put out claimed that this was due to the radio being damaged. Bogo, it seemed, didn't buy that, given that Nick was able to radio in the accident, and that took place via the cruiser's radio. Both Nick and Judy's radios it turns out were too small on their own, and therefore were designed to link to the cruiser's more powerful unit.
There was speculation that the cruiser had been sabotaged, or at least the safety systems. That, or that safety recalls had been ignored, placing the occupants at risk. Bringing into question the ZPDs dedication to the safety of its officers, and specifically its smallest. Questions were raised, asking if maybe they were just too small and the original ban on smaller mammals in the ZPD should be reinstated. Others suggested that it was enemies they had made on the force, or just because they were small mammals. Still others speculated that it was Bellwether reaching out from her cell in order to try and exact revenge on those who ended her reign of terror.
The speculation on what happened and why, and the conspiracy theories got only wilder and more outlandish and insane from there. There were those that blamed Nick for not trying harder, despite the full video being released online and showing that at least a few injuries he experienced were not from the accident, but his attempts to free his partner. There were a few that blamed it on aliens, and that as they had with Bellwether and the NightHowler conspiracy, Nick and Judy were about to reveal a pending alien invasion. Another suggested that they were going to reveal that Bellwether and all sheep were part of an alien cudspiracy, and that they were not mammals at all, but alien invaders. At least one of the tabloids claimed that it was in fact the Zootopian ape going after them to prevent them finally revealing its existence to the public.
It got ugly, and less than two years after the accident there were dozens of arrests and prosecutions. This included mammals in city hall, several ZPD officers and mechanics, forensics techs lost their jobs and one would spend several years in jail. ZPD IT had three mammals go to prison, one for attempted mammalcide for reprogramming some of the systems of the cruiser.
It in the end turned out to be a corruption within, that targeted the ZPDs smallest officers, both because they were seen as easy targets, and the larger mammals that were part of it had never gotten past the fact that Nick and Judy were actually capable of doing the job.
xXx
Despite it all, and money being of little concern, Nick worked because he wanted to. Being a ZPD officer had become so ingrained over the period of time that he had been Zootopia's first fox officer, he really didn't know what he would do if he wasn't an officer anymore.
There had also been a discussion, (argument?), that he and Judy had had when he was cleared to go back to work. He wanted to stay there full time, and she argued that, being the first fox on the force, he had an obligation. The lot of foxes in the city was steadily improving as mammals were willing to give them a chance to do right and foxes, led by his example, were willing to try. It wasn't fast, and there still were not any other foxes on the force as officers, but several had been hired in the tech, dispatch, and forensics departments. Which finally led him to concede. Once she was able to care for herself during the day, he would go back to work, part-time. Although he required she have a panic button on her at all times that would ping him, then Fin if it wasn't acknowledged within fifteen minutes. He even got Bogo to agree that, if triggered, Nick would be allowed full lights and sirens to get back to the house.
Judy maneuvered her chair up to her place at the table, as Nick set a steaming hot stack of waffles in front of her and kissed her between the ears. This had become a daily ritual. A kiss between her ears when Nick left, and one when he got home. That one single declaration of his feelings for her, seemed to be all she needed to get through her day while he was on patrol. Judy poured them both a glass of orange juice, as Nick sat down next to her, and began to smother his waffles in a mound of whipped cream and blueberries, while Judy smothered hers in whipped cream and strawberries. Taking a bite that was almost too big, she smiled around waffles and whipped cream at Nick as he was taking his own bite, causing him to pause, smile, chuckle, then ultimately start laughing as whipped cream dribbled from the corners of Judy's mouth.
With breakfast finished, dishes done, Nick and Judy cuddled on the couch, watching a silly game show while waiting for the good Doctor to arrive with the latest unit, programmed with the most recent scans it took of her nervous system. All in hopes of allowing Judy to one day walk, if not run again. The last two attempts had been, by Judys thinking, utter failures. She broke down crying in frustration and humiliation. Because "lets face it, what good is a bunny that can't run? What good is a broken bunny‽" Judy had fairly screamed by the end of the day. Nick of course held her close and reminded her that even though she couldn't yet walk, she was standing on her own. That had to count for something. Nick also told Judy that even broken bunnies were really good at cuddling. This last statement of course brought forth a wan smile from Judy. She knew he was right. She knew that it was going to take time, and lots of it. But she is of course a bunny and "buns simply don't do patience."
xXx
"Ok Judy the new unit seems to be functioning as predicted. Hold as still as you can, so it can compare the old readings with the new ones, and make adjustments for any discrepancies. I've included a small computer program this time so it can store and update new data on the fly. It should, with a bit of time, give us the ready signal, and well, there it is."
Dr. Badger tapped a few keys on her laptop, then disconnected the new unit hooked to Judys spine. "Ok, same as last time, Nick if you would help Judy down, and support her while she stands as the unit takes those readings as well."
With Nick's help, Judy slid from the stool, standing for a few moments as the unit on her back took readings from her lower body, and then translated them to a usable signal that could then be sent to her brain in a meaningful way. After a minute or so, a soft beep sounded from the unit signaling its readiness for the next task. Judy looked up at Nick with her famous million watt smile as he looked back with a smile of his own and winked. Dr. Badger looked on with a smile of her own.
"Very good. That was the fastest tuning yet. Do you think you're comfortable with standing on your own? I want to see if the unit can allow you to self maintain balance."
"Um … I think so?" said Judy.
"Ok, well,Nick if you would allow Judy to stand by herself, being ready to assist if needed, of course."
Opening his arms from around Judy, Nick waited until he was sure she felt comfortable standing on her own. Judy patted his arm when she was ready, and Nick stood back slightly, ever ready to catch her if she were to go down. Judy stood stock still for just a moment as she felt her body slightly sway slightly, then she suddenly felt her left leg flex ever so slightly as it corrected her balance. She gasped in shock as her paws shot to her mouth and her ears snapped fully upright with an audible "pop.
"Very good Judy. That's exactly what I was hoping to see. Your nervous system self corrected your sway, and it allowed you to stand back upright. That will go a long ways to getting you back on your feet, both figuratively and literally."
Placing her paw on the stool for balance, Judy looked back at Nick with tears of joy welling up in her beautiful amethyst eyes. Nick immediately wrapped her up in a hug, while a single tear of his own joy rolled down his cheek. But it seems that the universe was only willing to give one small miracle that day. Judy progressed in fine fashion with the many small tasks such as wiggling her toes which she could do to some extent, but not without effort, causing her to stick out her tongue in concentration.
After a small break it was time to try taking a step or two.This is precisely when disaster struck. Judy slipped to the floor with Nick's help, who waited a moment for her to gather her balance then stepped back. Judy placed a paw on the stool to help her maintain her balance, and then steeled herself to take a step. As soon as the thought was out there her leg snapped out and kicked the underside of the glass coffee, shattering it to hundreds of long shards, causing a deep gash in the top of her right foot. Thankfully Dr. Badger just happened to have her medical bag with her. Many mammals may say this was a step in the right direction. For Judy it was a step alright, a huge step backwards.
