4. Chapter 4: No Hiding the Truth
(Nick's POV)
He should be thankful that he got any sleep at all, but all the hours of restlessness just left him questioning why he bothered. The recent case was the main reason he was restless and up all night. Too many questions left unanswered, left his brain ticking over. Hopefully, there would be some answers today to put his mind and body at rest. Maybe he was overthinking it. Things had been comparatively dull since the Night Howler incident, so while it may sound crass break-ins and robbery wasn't really that engaging any more. Maybe he was dreaming of an interesting case. It felt great to help those that had been affected, but it was going through the motions now. Judy wouldn't ever say it, but she agreed. She started her career with the largest case the city had ever seen. It was only natural.
He'd been wide awake for answers since 5 am or at least the tired enough to feel awake. Nick had spent that time going through that phone he'd swiped, reading through messages and browsing through everything that it had. Nick felt bad doing it. It was a massive invasion of privacy either way, active investigation or no. There was also the issue that if anyone found out, he could lose his badge. It didn't feel worth it, but here he was feeling more like a fraud than usual.
The messages were fairly basic as well, just chatting about going out, what is dinner going to be and is there any work for Friday. Basic stuff. The only significant piece of evidence that Nick had found was a conversation that was maybe 12 hours old about going to see a movie with an unrecognisable title. But even that wasn't going to crack the case wide open. 'It feels like this guy is from a whole other world. Close friends and family, but no-one looking for him.'
Judy was pounding on the door. Nick had lost track of time again pouring over the phone and all it had, leaving him to dash about to throw his uniform on as quick as possible. Swiping his uniform tie off the dresser, he ran out to the front door where the knocking had stopped to be replaced by the clicking sound of the door unlocking. Getting the jump on her, he swings the door open with Judy on the other side, holding her keys outwards.
"Carrots! What brings you here at this time of day?" Nick asks with fake surprise while trying to do his tie up in the least obvious way possible. "Couldn't get enough of me, well that's nice, but we're going to be late for work." he then slides past her, shutting and locking the door. Judy just gaped and stuttered before giving up on whatever she was planning to say.
"Whoa, you look worse than I feel" she looked like she'd gotten no sleep. Guess it wasn't just him that had it rough. She had a half-lidded eyes and darker grey bags resting under her eyes with none of the usual energy he knew and loved.
"I just look like this," she replied, rubbing her eyes. "Look, we need to go. Bogo called this morning. That fox from last night is awake in the hospital and they have put us on the case."
"You don't sound very excited about it."
"I'm just tired, Nick alright," she said while marching down the hall with Nick jogging to catch up alongside her. "I didn't head home after I dropped you off."
"Oh you didn't?"
"I went back to the station to look over any information there might be on him. And you know what I found? Nothing, this guy is a complete unknown," she said with frustration and exasperation in equal parts. Judy followed it up with determination. "But if he is now awake, then we can finally get some answers."
"Hey Judy?" she looked over, still tired but with a determined glimmer in her eyes. "I'll drive. Maybe try to get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."
She shook her head as they made it to the car. "I'll be fine." Judy entered the driver's seat, and they were off.
(Quentin's POV)
The bright artificial light was the first thing that Quentin noticed. 'Again with the lights'. He missed it when it was dark. 'Wait, why is it so bright?' What did he remember? Blood. Fast and thick pouring out of his head and on his hand after talking to...? 'Judy and Nick from the Zootopia film, right how could he forget'. He opened his eyes fully this time, fingers crossed it was home or the hospital. Seeing the sterile floors and thin blankets, he was immediately hopeful. 'Alright, looking good. Just need skin, not fur... aaaand.' Looking down at his hands set Quentin off, groaning. Just his luck, still covered in white fur. 'What did I do to deserve this'.
Quentin reached back to his head to find that someone covered him in bandages instead of blood, much to his relief. An enormous step up from yesterday, but the injury was still giving him grief. Surveying the room, it seemed like any other hospital room: a bed, chair, any equipment they need and a small table. The room was, however, private. Minor miracles. Quentin took a moment to consider getting up and walking around to get a feel for things or slipping out of the hospital. 'Nah, that would be stupid. I don't know where I am and I have nothing. Bad call.' The big issue now was what to do now, how to get home, and what to do about the IV in his arm. 'Ok to hell with everything else. I need this needle out now.' With disgust and anxiety, he set his mind on talking to the doctor about getting the IV removed. He just had to be patient, sure he could rip them out, but having watched enough medical dramas and movies, that would be a bad idea.
Things felt so wrong. There would be questions, no doubt about it, presenting him with options. Does he tell the truth? They'd probably think he was crazy and get sent to the psych ward. Lie? Create a whole new him based on a lie. It was a ridiculous idea, but somehow stood above others as the best option. Either he is a liar or another wackjob. Neither were good. 'Here's hoping the loony bin isn't too bad'. Bracing himself, he pressed the call nurse button and waited.
It took about an hour for Judy and Nick to turn up and breach the silence, with the doctor finally in tow. Dr Hyde. Quentin had tried asking the nurse questions, but they all insisted on waiting for the doctor to be present before they did anything, much to his frustration. 'It's my health so only my presence should matter but no'. They all filed in and closed the door. Serious time. Looking over at the police duo, he saw Nick from last night, hands in pocket and Judy looking... exhausted.
"Are you ok there, Officer?" Quentin asks Judy, waking her up a little.
"Oooo must be bad if the guy in the traumatic head injury is asking you that Carrots," Nick quips with a grin. 'At least it's not that serious of an interview so far. Things could be worse.' Judy just sighed.
The doctor was the one to jump in after that by clearing his throat. "Anyway, onto business," he says loudly before looking over and addressing Quentin after looking through the clipboard. "You are a very lucky mammal."
"Uh huh, sure. Doesn't feel that way."
Dr Hyde hesitated for a moment before he continued. "Do you understand the severity of the injury you sustained?"
"It wasn't good." 'I was bleeding out of my head. It seemed pretty severe.'
"The injury you had yesterday should not to sugar-coat it, have left you dead," you could hear a pin drop in that moment. Undeterred, the doctor continues "Most people that come in with that sort of injury are already dead on scene, so if you believe in a god you should probably say your thanks. But since you are alive, we will have to take scans, but we have cleaned the gash on your head and closed it with staples, then covering it with bandages and gauze."
"Hold on," Quentin knew that he wasn't going to get along with this doctor with this level of bluntness. "You just said I should be dead fucking care to elaborate."
"The injury that you sustained would have killed an elephant and I don't think I need to explain the consequences for a smaller mammal," said Dr Hyde, seeming frustratingly unenthused.
'I died and was on the brink of doing it again. I am really in a different place as a different person. Oh, fuck me.'
The room, however, was waiting for a response and at the moment all Quentin could get out was, "Oh."
"Oh?" Judy and Nick exclaimed in unison.
"Well, since you seem alright for the moment I will leave you be," the doctor said, turning to leave. "I'll remove the IV now."
The doctor then left the room, leaving only Quentin and the seemingly unsurprised duo across the room not having to compose themself for long before each got out a notebook.
Judy coughed politely and then started up, "Morning, I am Officer Judy Hopps and this is my partner Officer Nick Wilde." 'Yeah, I know you already.'
Playing his role, he fires back a polite, "Morning, I'm Quentin Keener."
"So with that out of the way, as I'm sure you can tell, we have some questions to ask you. First things first and most important, we need to know how you got injured and if someone attacked you," Judy asks.
'Oh boy, already onto a hard question. Guess I'm lying to the police. What a terrible idea.' The truth wouldn't work, anyway. 'I slipped in the shower and that's why you found me in a desert themed park in the night with a lethal head injury. There is no convincing way to say that'
"I don't know." Seemed a solid enough bet.
"You don't have any idea how you almost died?" Nick asks.
"I was hit pretty hard, you know."
"Right." They both jot down some notes. Quentin knew this was going to be difficult and wasn't the most convincing, but if he could avoid complex answers, maybe he could get through this little interrogation.
"Do you know where you were?"
"No, just that it was a desert themed park".
"What about the city? Do you know what city you are in?"
This one was tricky to answer. If he says no, then they pry more with questions, but if yes, then why does he not know what part of the city he was in or they could ask specific questions. Quentin wasn't exactly familiar with the place outside of the name alone and the movie. "No".
"Where are you from?"
'Uh oh' he'd walked right into that one. "A small town up north. Has maybe 1,000 people and is stupidly remote." 'Damn, I was supposed to keep it simple.'
Judy was there, still noting things down, whereas Nick said nothing, just staring skeptically at Quentin, no longer taking any notes. 'Oh, he knows. Wait, of course he knows he was a street hustler or con artist. I'm a fucking idiot. Of course he'd know this is a lie.'
Nick started asking his own questions. "So can you explain the fake money that you had as it isn't like the city currency."
"It's local currency," Quentin replied hurriedly adding, "from back home".
"You didn't think to get the regional currency." Quentin went to rebut that statement, but was quickly cut off. "It's strange that such as small town would have its own currency, don't you think?"
"It's very detached from the rest of the world. It was this or trading goods," Quentin curtly replied. Quentin was silently cursing, knowing that not only would there be more questions, but he was being super obvious. Judy opened her mouth to ask a follow up question but got cut off by Nick slapping his notebook shut and saying his thanks for Quentin's time guiding Judy out before she could say a word.
With them both out of the room, he sighed. This was not the end of this. More questions would come, and there weren't many to begin with. 'Just got to keep up the shitty charade for a bit longer for what it's worth'. Quentin just hoped it wouldn't be for too long.
(Nick's POV)
"He had to be the worst liar that I've ever met and I've met plenty," were the first words out of Nick's muzzle after the door closed. It was almost comical really hearing what Quentin had to say. Up north in a remote town with its own currency and everything else, the works. But why lie so obviously about what still could be an attempted murder situation?
"Even worse than you," Judy replied, leaning against the wall sleepily, "Even I noticed and *yawn* I'm not at my best."
"First of all, ouch Carrots I'm hurt. Secondly, my point exactly. He's hiding something, but why? He could've died. Why hide whatever happened?"
Judy shrugged. "Well, we should probably head back in and ask more questions."
A lightbulb went off in Nick's head. It would be easier to try to trip him up without a sleepy bunny, only asking the regulation questions instead of actually grilling him on the inconsistencies of frankly ridiculous answers. Judy, as expected, was up for another interrogation, but honestly, she's too dedicated to not be a part of it. Then again, she won't exactly be the biggest help.
"Ooooor, you could not do that."
"Wha- why!"
"You haven't slept for nearly 24 hours? You shouldn't be doing anything that sleep deprived."
"I still have a job to do."
"Yeah, but you'll make mistakes. You don't want to let someone go because you're too tired or miss an important detail, because as a great as I am, I'm not a one-man band. This though I can handle, though, get some sleep."
Nick could see the rapid change of her expression as she tried to reason her options out: stay and do the job but not well or do less but do it better. But nothing made her more conflicted than the idea of doing worse at her job.
Judy sighed, relenting, "Fine, you win. I'll take a break. Happy?"
"Very," as Judy started walking dejectedly down the hall, "Judy!" Nick called down the hall, causing her to turn back, "Look after yourself, I'll keep you posted."
It felt bad cutting her out of the investigation and he'd have to make it up to her later but he had to remind himself that it was for the greater good, as much as she wanted to keep going it would help no-one much less herself.
Nick took a little time to plan out how to go about this without being too harsh while still getting enough information or, best-case scenario, a full confession to reveal the full proper story. With a game plan in mind, Nick knocked the door out of politeness, stepping in quickly before there was an answer. There was the white fox looking noticeably more on edge than before.
Quentin was the one to broach the silence with, "Hey."
"Hey Quentin, I hope it's not too much to ask but I have a few more questions that I need to ask about what happened as what you've said has left a lot of missing information which can help us wrap this all up," Nick said with a friendly unaware facade.
"Right, well, I hope I can help then."
"Me too, so let's recap the questions me and my partner asked earlier. Just nod if it's right," Quentin nodded in affirmation. "Great, so you said you don't remember how you got your injury, correct?" Quentin nodded but shuffled about in the bed while doing so. 'So you do know, but why aren't you saying'.
"You also said that you don't know where you woke up," that's a truth, "You don't know what city you're in," also a truth, but not entirely.
Nick snapped his notepad close and put it back into his pocket and leaned forward on the chair at the foot of the bed, "So you live in a remote town down north with a tiny population that has no given name but also produces its own unique currency for its oh 1,000 residents. Also, when coming to Zootopia, you didn't consider getting any of the city currency. A substantial force also injured you and then left for dead." Quentin's ears flattened against the top of his head now, "you see the problem we have here."
"Yeah I do," Quentin looked openly worried and uncomfortable sat there but Nick knew to keep up the pressure to get any answers with how forthcoming Quentin had been so far. Time to pull out the trump card.
"You also have a unique-looking phone," Nick said while pulling the aforementioned phone out of his uniform pocket to the surprised state of Quentin. "Is this another locally manufactured item from the no-name town you're from?" More worry. "Don't suppose I could look through it, could I?"
That statement elicited a response from Quentin. "What! No! Why?"
"Remember, this is a potentially attempted murder case, so I could always get a warrant for the cyber forensics team to look through it anyway. There could be important evidence on here. It's for the interest of public safety, you see. Wouldn't it look good for you to cooperate? People might think you're hiding something otherwise." That would be the final blow. Nick grinned slyly.
"I- what you can't just- no!"
"Well, I suppose I need to head back to the team to get a warrant so the cyber team can look at it."
"I- Fine alright fine. The pin is 2004, happy?"
Quentin's expression of guilt was replaced with confusion and sadness, wiping the grin off Nick's face. 'Now, where did that look come from?' He already knew the passcode, and he'd looked through it. Everything seemed regular enough. What was on there that made him so sad, so quick?
"Can I look through it first? Please?"
That wasn't the tone of someone who was in a good place. Maybe he'd pushed too far. 'Should have kept Judy here, she wouldn't have gone this far,' he thought. "Here," Quentin had already given up. There wasn't much more reason to push it any further at this point, so against protocol, he handed over the phone. More anguish appeared on Quentin's features, with pinpricks of tears forming around his eyes as he swiped along the screen.
"Are you ok?" was the best Nick could come up with after such a rapid turn in the situation.
"No, not really."
Silence resettled over the room, prompting Nick to message Judy to tell her he was done now and he'd meet up with her now. Getting up, Nick saw no response to his movement, with Quentin now transfixed and not willing to worsen the situation anymore. He slipped out of the room instead, moving to talk with Judy in the hospital cafe.
(Quentin POV)
This was bad, really, really bad. Nick got him, Nick got him real good. There was no way that this was going to work out well for him now and was beginning to panic. The closure of the door had snapped him from the sad trance that he'd fallen into looking over his photos. Thank God for the photos. They were the only thing he had left. Maybe 12 or so hours just wasn't enough to get to grips with a whole new world. Go figure. Quentin can only wager how long that Judy and Nick will be gone and what will come of the situation.
'I just lied to the police. TWICE. And they know. They fucking know. Where do I go from here? Running will make me look guilty and the lies just aren't working. Do I double down? No, that won't work, not even the basic lies worked. All that's left is the truth. But how the hell do I explain that? "Oh, hey I was what is called a human, you're film characters, and I died and came here. By the way, I'm not totally nuts," that'd go down well.'
There had to be some way. The issue that cropped up was his awareness of the film, meaning that he knows too much about the city and everything else but not enough, which would be odd for an outsider or a resident. 'Holy fuck the movie!' Quentin considered bolting out of bed right there and jumping for joy. 'I know things about the movie no-one but them should. Things that weren't revealed to the public or are only in the police report.' Judy seemed far more likely to be suspicious and take it poorly, assuming a breach in data or spying just generally being less receptive. She's also a public figure, so more about her would be public knowledge soooo. It'd have to be Nick. Nick already thinks things are massively weird about his story but is private enough and not a public figure, so he'd have a hard time trying to understand why he knows things. Push, come to shove, there were the Junior Ranger Scouts that could be his last play that no-on would know as gross as it would feel.
Quentin had a plan that he felt was actually workable for once, as it's not a panic decision. Quentin, however, did his due diligence to find lighter evidence to prove his point, which all lied in the photos and conversations. There were all the unfamiliar locations that, at least he hoped, Zootopia or otherwise, wouldn't have anything similar to. All of this should be impactful enough to avoid dredging up essentially a stranger's tragic past as an end to a means.
A new area to consider was 'If I avoid jail time and the psych ward, then what?' The joy deflated. 'Then what?' So simple and so destructive. He didn't have anywhere to go at the end of this, aside from the streets or a homeless shelter. 'Then what? I have nothing, I am a no-one legally and I don't know where I am.' That sorted it. He had to. The truth had to come out. Maybe they could help him. It was just a waiting game now.
It took a while for them to come back and honestly, Quentin was more than thankful for the opportunity to iron out both his plan and the story. About an hour of going over and over his "proof" the police pair returned coffee in hand with Dr Hyde in tow.
"Hello Mr Keener, we've been looking over your reports and speaking to the police. We have some concerns. We are going to hold you for a while longer for observation and a psychological check to make sure there aren't any lasting issues or damage we missed."
'Oh, fuck, they do think I'm some crazy liar. Nick and Judy must be security, they think I'm unstable. Deep breaths. Either this works or I don't see the sun again.' With Quentin's lack of verbal response, they take this as cause to leave, ending up in a line with Nick at the end..
Returning to into reality, Quentin realises its time to kick his plan into gear, "*pst* Hey, Officer Wilde."
Nick turned his head and halted with Quentin mentally high fiving himself. "I really need to talk to you in private, please." Honestly, if he had the potentially unstable patient ask to have a private talk, he would have left. Immediately. But Nick, to Quentin's surprise and celebration, didn't.
"I'm sorry for the lies I really am but... *sigh* this is a difficult situation for me, so please bear with me."
Whether intrigue or something else, Nick whispered something to Judy and let the door close, then sitting back at the end of the bed, "Alright I'm all ears."
"I know it's a bad look, but I need to preface this with this. I'm not crazy." Nick looked immediately sceptical. 'yeah I thought that would happen. I'd feel the same way,' but he didn't move to leave.
"Right, so where do I begin..."
"...so that is why I lied."
It'd been about half an hour since he started and he was out of breath, rattling through all the important parts entire story. The scepticism only got worse as Nick sat there, but Quentin expected that.
"Well," Nick stood up, "that was a fun story. You should write a book." He moved towards the door, "but it is... oh, almost lunch, so I will talk to you after the hospital runs its checks."
'Ok make or break', "WAIT!" Nick looked bored at this point and lazily turned his head, "I can prove it!"
Nick laughed, "You know what, alright Storyteller. What have you got now?"
'If this was entertaining to him, it'd just have to do for now. Nick was still here and there was still a chance, no matter how small.'
Quentin went through his smaller pieces of evidence such as the differing locations and how, if they were so popular, then why hadn't he heard of it? Why were all the apps so different? Why was he talking about things that didn't exist with others for so long and why he bet he didn't exist on any database here? Nick at least was looking less incredulous and more confused over laughing anymore, which seemed like a good sign at least. 'You know I wouldn't be in this mess if I could tell a lie worth a damn.'
"Well, that is a lot to think about and while you make some... points, I still don't buy all this." Nick said almost sheepishly. 'Not enough. Well, it's time for the nuclear option. I hope you forgive me.'
"Alright then, what about the Junior Ranger Scouts?"
Nick paled and turned slowly, his natural visage crumbling. "How do you know about that?"
"As I told you, I'm not from here and it was in the film." 'Please don't look at me like that. I don't like this either.'
"What else do you know?" Nick replied, much sharper than before, standing up from his seat stiff as a board.
"You tried to join the Junior Ranger Scouts, an all prey group, and you were thrilled to join, but instead of an initiation they put a muzzle on you because you were a fox. I'm not lying to you."
The room felt like it had frozen over. It was just a stare down between the two, both equally emotional in their own way, with Quentin's desperation spilling over in his last statement and Nick's unpleasant confrontation with his ugly past.
Nick sighed, expression fading back into a neutral smirk but with scrutinising eyes, "Alright, fine, you're the truth," 'Thank god that's over.' "We'll talk about this later. I willhave more questions." Nick made moves to leave, but Quentin cut him off again. "I'm sorry."
"Sure."
(20/11/22) We bring another chapter to a close. A long one, but hopefully not a complete load of rubbish. I will admit right here and now I am immensely tired right now when editing and uploading this so there may be more issues than usual and I'm sorry.
Thank you once again for reading and especially to the dear guest going by "Unknown" I value the feedback. It is invaluable to the story and I hope I'm making proper changes accordingly. Honestly, doing this whole creative writing thing again has been a lot of fun, but I am out of practice and might struggle to apply feedback effectively. But I am trying.
Usually I'm banging out a couple thousand words on a college assignment so there is probably some essay habits spilling over that I need to get used to separating from this. But it makes a change to have fun doing writing. So thank you very much to anyone who reads this for even turning up and looking at it, as a lot of what I write is a couple rough chapters for a story concept that never gets finished. Having people around is good for motivation, so honestly, you are all contributing as much as I am.
As per usual, any feedback and suggestions are much appreciated. See you another time.
Farewell
