WingedKatt here. Like the first 2 chapters, I've updated this one and smoothed out some of the grammar and added a few more details. Enjoy it.
After being wheeled into the room by a nurse, Judy was told a doctor would see her as soon as one was available. That was an hour and ten minutes ago. Rubbing her paws up and down her face in an effort to stay awake, she muttered, "What is taking them so long? And where is Nick?" She hadn't even seen a nurse to ask about him.
Another 15 minutes ticked by and she was going stir-crazy. It had taken 20 minutes in the ambulance to get here (the EMTs didn't see a need to speed since she wasn't a critical case) and she'd already been sitting here for an hour and twenty-five minutes (yes, she'd been counting) and she couldn't stand the inactivity any longer. At least if Nick were here, she would have someone to talk to. And with Nick being Nick, she was sure to laugh at something he said.
Glancing around the room again, she finally spied the nurses' call button. Of course, it would be on the other side of the wolf-sized bed. Being careful of her leg, she rolled over on her hands and knees and crawled to the button. Reaching over to press it, the door opened, and a slender roe deer nurse walked in.
"Oh," the nurse said, seeing Judy with her arm stretched out and her fingers on the red call button.
Judy suddenly felt like a kit with her paw caught in the cookie jar, causing her ears to flush a slightly darker shade of pink. Dropping her paw, she sat back and turned around, so she was sitting properly. "Um, hello."
"Well, hello, there, I'm Kimberly. It looks like I came here just in time." She smiled sweetly at Judy and asked, "So what can I do for you?"
"Well, I was just wondering when I'd be able to see a doctor. I just need a few stitches and don't want to sit here all night."
"Oh. Yes. That's why I'm here. All the doctors are seeing other patients and won't be available for another hour or more."
Judy's jaw dropped and despair crossed her face. "What!? Why so long?"
"There was a large traffic accident about 40 minutes ago and it has all the doctors tied up with multiple critical cases."
"There aren't any doctors available to see me? I'm sure it won't take more than 10 minutes."
Kimberly hesitated a moment, then thought it couldn't hurt to ask. "Due to the savage attacks, we've been pairing prey doctors with prey patients, but if you don't mind seeing a predator doc . . . tor . . ." Kimberly's voice trailed off seeing Judy's expression of shock. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up. She was a bunny after all. They seemed more fearful of predators than most prey mammals.
"There's a predator doctor who can see me!?" Judy exclaimed, excitement now brightening her expression. "Yes, yes, get him! Right away!"
Kimberly was shocked by the bunny's sudden excitement and it took her brain several moments to process it. Finally, she asked cautiously, "You're sure you're okay with a predator seeing you?"
"Yes, yes," Judy said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "My best friend is a predator, so I have no problems with them. I mean, come on, I'm more likely to get stepped on by an elephant or a rhino than attacked by a predator. And a predator doctor is just as competent as a prey doctor." Judy was beaming now. Her chance to escape the hospital would soon be at hand. Now all she had to do was figure out where her sly fox had gotten off to.
Kimberly shared her smile. Although the little bunny's logical mind and fearless attitude towards predators surprised her, it warmed her heart to see it. Many of her closest friends here at the hospital were predators, and it dampened her spirits to see some of the other prey nurses and technicians shying away out of fear of one of them going savage. With a wide grin, she answered, "If that's how you feel, then I'll get Dr. Pardsen right away."
Watching the friendly nurse turn away, Judy spoke up, "While you're out, can you check the waiting room and see if my friend is there? His name is Nick. Nick Wilde."
Looking back, Kimberly nodded with a bright smile. "Sure thing, sweetie. Anything else you need?"
"I could use some water. My throat's pretty dry."
Nodding, Kimberly said, "I'll be right back with that."
Watching her go, Judy leaned back on her paws while waiting for Nick, her water, and the doc—in that order. She didn't wait long before the door swung open and Nick bolted into the room.
"Carrots!" Before Judy could do more than sit up, Nick was there, wrapping her up in a tight hug and lifting her off the bed. Ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs (they were bruised after all), Nick enveloped her in a crushing hug. Carrots was all that mattered to him right now, and feeling her in his arms again released a lot of the pent-up stress he'd built up at the long wait. He was sure something had gone wrong.
Setting her back down, Nick stepped back with his paws resting on her upper arms as he looked her over. "You're okay, right? Your leg will be fine?"
"Well, I haven't seen the doctor yet, but the pain meds the paramedics gave me are working so my leg doesn't hurt that much."
Nick started to nod, but then his eyes widened and his ears pricked forward. "Wait! You haven't seen a doctor yet? But the sheep at the registration desk said you were seeing the doctor and couldn't have visitors!"
Judy shook her head. "No doctor. I've just been sitting her waiting for the last . . ."—she paused to count up the minutes—"1 hour and 35 minutes." At Nick's surprise, she sheepishly said, "I've literally been counting the minutes until I saw you again."
Chuckling, Nick hugged her again. Boy, did it feel good to hug her! He never imagined hugging anyone could feel so good—and she gladly welcomed it! "It's okay, Fluff, I missed you, too."
Judy sniffled a bit. She did not want to start crying again but having Nick back in her life felt so good. And he was being so sweet to her. And the hugs—that was a surprise. Nick didn't seem to be the touchy-feely type, at least that was impression she got back on the gondola 3 months ago. She was glad he now seemed comfortable with her touches because she gladly welcomed his.
She was used to being huggy with her family, it's something she missed moving to the city, but outside of her family and a few childhood friends, she never really got close to anyone else. Nothing like her sisters. If a buck was even somewhat good-looking, there were a number of her sisters who wouldn't hesitate to walk over and start pawing him and asking to know more about him.
Judy thought they were crazy at the time, but now, with Nick, she was starting to see what they were talking about. Again, that thought from earlier whispered in her mind, I wouldn't mind if he took everything. Her ears flushed a darker pink, and she scolded herself again. Relax, Judy, don't make this awkward. Nick is just being Nick, nothing weird. Just enjoy it. Pushing the errant thought aside, she rubbed her cheek against Nick's chest and sighed in contentment. Yep, definitely enjoying this.
A soft cough from the doorway made them freeze for a moment, then Nick released Judy and stepped back, looking anywhere but at her.
While meeting the nurse's gaze as she stepped up to her, Judy was glad to see the young deer wasn't outraged at her and Nick's show of affection. Instead of accusations, Kimberly was beaming and even seemed happy for them. That was new, considering the prejudice they'd experienced just two hours ago.
"Here's your water, Judy," the nurse spoke brightly, handing a bottle over.
"Thanks." Opening the bottle, Judy took a large swig of it, then recapped it before setting it on the table beside her.
"You have a very special friend here," Kimberly said sweetly, indicating Nick with a nod of her head. "I found him pacing a furrow in the back of the waiting room and he couldn't get to you fast enough."
Judy chuckled as she studied Nick's slightly embarrassed expression. He was scratching the back of his head and looking at the wall. She giggled. "Yes, he's very special. I wouldn't even be alive right now if not for his quick-thinking and determination to stay with me." With a bright smile that showed her buck teeth, she added, "I could never find a better friend than him."
Kimberly chuckled at seeing Nick's embarrassment, then turned back to Judy. "I'll let you two be. I have my rounds to finish, but the doctor will be with you shortly."
"Thanks, Kimberly." As the doe left the room, Judy turned back to Nick. "Hey, Slick. I'm really glad you're here. I was going stir-crazy waiting."
"Well, I'm here now." Stepping back to the bed, Nick climbed up and sat down next to his cute, little friend. Opening the cloth bag, he pulled out the plastic sack hiding their dinner and reached inside to grab one of Judy's wraps. "Your dinner is served, Madam," he said with a slight bow.
Giggling, Judy grabbed the paper-wrapped dinner and immediately opened it. With her stomach growling at the sight and smell of the food, she stuffed it into her mouth and took a big bite out of it. "Mmm, this is so good."
Nick grinned while studying her happy expression for a moment, then reached into the sack and pulled out one of his own wraps. Unwrapping it slowly, he casually asked, "So why didn't you eat this morning?"
Judy paused her chewing, then slowly finished the bite and swallowed. Looking at her feet, she murmured, "I . . . haven't had much of an appetite since . . . since the press conference. And it got worse once . . . once I returned to Bunnyburrow." Taking a small bite, she muttered, "If my family wasn't around to make . . . I mean . . . remind me to eat, I usually didn't. Nothing sounded good and nothing tasted good."
Nick's ears splayed back against his head. Hearing about Judy's worrying behavior pricked his heart. "And this morning?" he asked softly.
"I woke up around 9, and everyone was already off doing their own thing, so, yeah, no one to remind me to eat." She paused a moment, then said, "Shortly afterwards, my parents convinced me to man the vegetable stand so they could get me out of the house, and I tried snacking on some blueberries while I was there, but they reminded me of you. I tasted them and the hurt look you had on your face at the press conference flashed in my mind." With a shrug of her shoulders, she murmured, "I couldn't eat anything after that."
Nick was devastated. He never imagined she could be so hurt from him leaving her. No one had ever been hurt to lose his friendship before. "I'm sorry for leaving you, Judy." Reaching around her with his arm, he pulled her close in a tight side hug. "I promise to never leave you again."
Judy glanced up with watery eyes and gave him a small smile. "Really? You mean that?"
Lifting his paw briefly from her shoulder, he gave the Ranger Scouts symbol and said, "Scout's honor." Slipping his paw back around her shoulder, he kept her snuggled up against his side. After that, they both dropped into a comfortable silence as they focused on their food. Who knew when the doctor would actually arrive?
As Judy finished off her first wrap, Nick handed her the sack, mumbling, "There's three more in there for you. I figured whatever we don't eat now, we can eat later."
Judy beamed at him then dug another wrap out. While looking through the large plastic sack, she noticed that the paper wrappings for all her veggie wraps were green with lettuce leaves printed all over them, while Nick's wraps were wrapped in orange paper with crickets printed across their surface. She was grateful for the distinction. She was really hungry still and didn't want to grab one of his by mistake.
As Nick dug out his second wrap, he glanced at Judy and asked, "So, do you know why it's taking so long for someone to come in and stitch your leg up?"
"Hm," Judy murmured, then swallowed. "Kimberly said there was a large traffic accident, but if I was a predator, I could have been seen sooner." Judy grumbled this last bit under her breath.
"Why's that?" Nick murmured around a mouthful of food. Unlike most prey mammals he found himself talking to for various reasons (usually to do with a hustle), he was actually interested in what Judy had to say and found the sound of her voice pleasing to his ears. And even if he wasn't interested in the topic she chose to speak on, he would still ask her questions about it just to keep her talking. It had been a long time since he had someone around (besides Finnick) with whom he enjoyed talking to and he wasn't about to pass up this opportunity.
"Apparently the hospital is only sending prey doctors to treat prey patients," Judy complained. "When I pressed Kimberly for any doctor available, she finally asked if I was okay with a predator seeing me." Taking a deep breath, Judy took another big bite out of her veggie wrap. After not eating in over 24 hours, her tastebuds had died and gone to heaven. She couldn't believe how good this was and vowed to pick Nick's brain on all the best places to eat that were in the city. They could be breakfast, lunch, and dinner dates. . . as strictly friends, of course. Focusing back on her food, Judy hoped Nick didn't notice the slight blush in her ears.
Nick snickered at Judy's comment. "I can just picture your excited answer."
"Oh, yes," Judy replied, and was glad that Nick had interrupted her errant thoughts. "If not for my leg, I would have been jumping on the bed."
Nick chuckled again, then raised an eyebrow as Judy started on her third wrap. He didn't comment, though, and let her eat in peace. The doctor finally showed up as she was halfway through the wrap.
"Good evening, Miss Hopps," the tawny-yellow leopard with black rosettes said as he walked into the room. "I'm Dr. Leland Pardsen, and I'll be your physician today." He was gazing down at the chart showing her vitals and notes on her injury that the EMTs had typed up and hadn't noticed his patient wasn't alone. "I see your leg was cut and needs a few stitches." Looking up, his eyes widened to see the bunny and fox snuggled up together while eating.
Judy put a paw over her mouth as she finished her bite, then covered the other half of her veggie wrap with the paper and put it back in the sack.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Dr. Pardsen asked.
Nick and Judy glanced at each other, then shook their heads. "Nope," Nick said, "Just chasing our hunger away." Picking up the sack, Nick hopped off the bed and sat in one of the visitor's chairs situated by the window.
The leopard nodded, then grabbed the wheeled doctor's chair as he stepped up to his patient. Leland had been surprised to hear a bunny was willing to let a predator see her, but after witnessing how close she was to a fox—her ancient enemy—he no longer felt surprised. Sharp teeth and claws obviously didn't scare her. "Okay, let's see that wound, shall we?"
Setting his clipboard down, Dr. Pardsen carefully unwrapped the bandage on her leg and looked it over. The EMTs had already shaved the fur around the jagged wound, making his job much easier. Using a sharp claw to carefully poke and prod the torn flesh to better see the full extent of the damage, he then looked up and met the bunny's sharp, expectant gaze. This would take some getting used to—a fearless bunny. "The EMTs did a good job of cleaning it, and I think it just needs some stitches."
At Judy's nod, Dr. Pardsen stood up and grabbed a curved needle and surgical thread. "Ready," he asked as he sat back down. Judy nodded again and the leopard got right to work. Once the stitching was done, he took out some antibiotic spray and sprayed the wound, then asked, "Do you have family that you can stay with or is . . . ," he turned to Nick with a questioning look.
"That would be me," Nick stated as a matter of fact. "Judy's family is all in Bunnyburrow, so I get the honors of nursing her back to health."
Judy beamed at him. She didn't think he would have a problem helping her out, but it was nice she didn't have to ask.
"Good, then you'll need to help Miss Hopps change the bandages. They'll need changed about once a day, but when you change them, let them breath for about thirty minutes before rewrapping the leg." At a nod from both, Dr. Pardsen handed the small can of spray to Judy and continued his explanation. "Keep your leg elevated as much as possible, and no walking for a week, and then very light movement the week after. The third week, you can start walking normally, but limit any strenuous activities. You can start lightly jogging and other activities at the start of the fourth week, but only for short periods of time. If you don't give it time to heal properly, the scarring will be worse and could hamper your leg's movement, which could result in a permanent limp."
Judy grimaced. Sitting still for a week will be torture but being stuck with a limp would be even worse. With a heavy sigh, she nodded to the doctor.
"Good. I'll prescribe you some pain medication, but I don't think you need any antibiotics. If the wound becomes red and inflamed, or starts smelling bad," Leland looked at Nick, "then come back right away and we'll prescribe you some." They both nodded again, and Dr. Pardsen then said, "I think that's it. Come back in six days and we'll see about removing the stitches."
Picking up his clip board, Dr. Pardsen made a few notes, then turned to Judy. "The nurse will be back in a few minutes with your discharge papers and a printout of your visit, instructions for the care and cleaning of your wound, as well as the date and time of your next appointment." Looking between the two, he asked, "Do you have any questions for me before I leave?" When they both shook their heads no, he stood up. "Then once the nurse gives you your paperwork, you'll be free to go. Just be sure to stop at the checkout counter on your way out."
Nick and Judy watched him leave the room, then Nick stood up and walked back to the bed, wishing Kimberly and Dr. Pardsen had been around when he was younger. Things might have turned out differently had they been. Pushing the 'what ifs' aside, he climbed up next to Judy and asked, "So what now?"
"What do mean?" Judy asked curiously while worrying about her leg. She didn't like the idea of being off her leg for a week. Sitting around doing nothing all day was pure torture (minus the time she was too depressed to do anything). Now that she was with Nick, she couldn't stand the idea of being idle.
With a flick of his dark ear and swish of his long, fluffy tail, Nick asked, "Well, do you have a place to stay?"
Judy's amethyst eyes widened. "That . . . I mean . . . no." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "I left Bunnyburrow with only the clothes on my back. It's a good thing I didn't get pulled over, because my wallet and driver's license are still sitting on my desk back home."
"Wait, you don't even have your wallet?" Nick cried as his ears folded back.
Judy glanced up to meet his wide, emerald eyes, then dropped her own back to the floor. "Since moving back to Bunnyburrow, I haven't really needed it. If I went to town, it was because my siblings dragged me there, and then they paid for everything."
Nick rubbed his paws up and down his face for a minute, then sighed and looked back over at Judy. She spoke before he could, though.
"I guess I could try and get back into my old apartment, Judy murmured. "The land lady knows me, and I doubt anyone has rented the room yet."
"What? Why? Where's your old apartment?" Nick asked while trying to come to terms with the fact Carrots not only hadn't eaten since last night, but had driven all the way to Zootopia with no wallet and no driver's license. And here she had been complaining about his taxes while she blatantly broke the law by driving across county lines (not just across town) with no license!
"At the Grand Pangolin Apartment building," Judy muttered as her ears drooped. She really wasn't looking forward to going back to that rickety old place with her loud neighbors and the cold communal showers.
"The Grand . . ." Nick murmured as his gaze flicked toward the ceiling in thought. The name was familiar and—! His wide-eyed gaze dropped back to Judy's. "Wait, does a cranky armadillo own the place? And does it have shoebox rooms with paper-thin walls that gives you absolutely no privacy?"
"Yeah, how did you—" Judy started to say, then paused to exclaim, "Wait, don't tell me you used live there?" What would the odds be that she and Nick had lived in the same apartment building?
"No, no, not me, Sweetheart, that would be Finnick," Nick answered with a shake of his paws. "He rented an apartment there about 10 years ago. He didn't mind the place at first. In fact, he lived there several years."
"So what happened?" Judy asked curiously while wondering if Finnick was the fox in the elephant suit.
"The Orix-Antlerson brothers are what happened," Nick answered in annoyance as his ears canted sideways. "They moved into the apartment next to his and wouldn't ever shut up!"
"Wait, you mean Bucky and Pronk?" Judy asked in surprise as her ears perked forward.
"Yeah, that's them." Looking down at her, Nick's eyes suddenly widened, and he held his paw up in the stop motion. "Wait, your apartment is next to theirs? Which side? Left or right?"
"The left."
"That's Finnick's old room!" Nick explained as his tail started wagging.
"No way! What are the odds!?" Giggling Judy leaned up against Nick's warm side.
"Tell me," Nick asked, "was the bed still up against the left wall and the desk on the right?"
"Yeah," Judy answered. With a tilt of her head, she asked, "Why?"
"Well, if you were to move the bed," Nick explained, "you'd find this large red stain on the floor near the head of the bed."
"What!?" Judy exclaimed as her nose and tail started twitching. "Don't tell me it's a blood stain?"
"Of course not!" Nick cried. "Finnick dropped a pawpsicle on the floor there after the Orix-Antlerson brothers came home and started yelling at him to turn his tv down. They had moved in earlier that day while Finnick was out, so he hadn't yet experienced the 'Bucky and Pronk' show. Being used to the peace and quiet, he wasn't prepared for the yelling—especially when he'd been engrossed in a movie while eating a pawpsicle. Having not heard them come in, their yelling startled him and he dropped the pawpsicle. After a very heated yelling match, Finnick stormed out and by the time he came back, the sweet, icy treat had turned into a sticky, syrupy mess. We couldn't get the stain out, so we rearranged the future. It wasn't long afterwards that Finnick bought his van and he's been living in it ever since."
"Bucky and Pronk are the reason Finnick lives in a van!?" Judy was sure now, that the small fox with Nick was Finnick, seeing as they both owned a van.
"Yep. After his experience with them, Finnick said he'll never rent again. If he doesn't like the neighbors or the weather, he can just turn the key and move to a better location." Nick had a wide smile on his face as he walked down memory lane.
Judy laughed and lightly slugged Nick in the arm again. "That's funny! Who knew we had a shared history together?"
"Who knew?" Nick was looking at her with a warm smile, but she'd already turned her gaze towards the opposite side of the room where a large floral picture was hanging on the wall.
With her nose still slightly twitching, Judy said, "If I called Darma up and explained my situation, she might let me back into the apartment. I'm sure no one else would be willing to put up Bucky and Pronk."
Nick scowled and his ears flicked back in irritation. "Uh, no. You are not going back to that shoebox joke of a room. As your best friend, I won't allow it."
Judy's gaze flicked back up to his and her nose started twitching faster. "Do you have a better idea, then?"
"Of course," Nick said while giving her a heartwarming smile. "You, Sweetheart,"—he booped her nose with his clawed finger—"are coming home with me. I won't let you stay anywhere else." Judy's wide, buck-toothed smile melted his heart. Oh, Nick, what are you doing? She has you wrapped around her little finger!
Leaning closer to him, Judy poked his chest with her dull claw, her eyes shining like amethyst pools. With a teasing voice, she asked, "So, you're going to drag this poor, injured bunny back to your den, are you?"
"Well, I am a fox. And that's what we do, isn't it? Drag our weak, defenseless prey back to our den to devour at our leisure." Lifting his paws and with claws fully extended, Nick wriggled his fingers at her and growled softly, then snapped his teeth.
Judy giggled, even as her ears dropped flat against her back to hide their bright-red color at the thought of Nick devouring her. She hoped the redness of her cheeks didn't show too badly through her fur. Stop being a dumb bunny. He didn't mean it that way. Don't read too much into it! "Do you mean, that, Nick? I can stay with you?" she asked instead.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Darlin'." With a real, sincere smile curving his muzzle up, Nick reached over and rubbed the fur between her ears.
She slugged him again, then wrapped her arms around his chest. "Thanks, Slick. You don't know how much that means to me."
Putting one arm around her, Nick then ran his other paw down her ears. He couldn't believe how soft they were. Judy froze with his paw halfway down her silky, grey ears making him freeze in turn. "Is it not allowed to touch a bunny's ears?" He was worried this was a slight on bunnies, just like touching his tail was to foxes.
Judy took a deep breath and said, "Only family and really close friends are allowed to touch a bunny's ears."
"Oh," Nick murmured softly as his ears flicked back. He started to remove his paw, but Judy stopped him with her next words.
"It's okay," she said. Rubbing her face against his chest for a moment, she then rested her cheek against him and sighed happily. "If it's you, I don't mind."
"Are you sure?" Nick questioned. "I don't want to do anything disrespectful."
A broad smile curved Judy's muzzle. "Mm, I'm sure. I like it when you touch my ears. It feels nice."
"If you say so." Smiling warmly down at the bunny, Nick continued caressing her ears. He could feel the tension leave her body as he continued petting her, from the base of her ears down to their black tips, then starting over again. Judy hummed in contentment and his grin widened. He never imagined such a simple act could be so relaxing—or addicting. He could do this all day and never get tired of it.
Judy was nearly asleep when Kimberly walked back into the room with Judy's paperwork. "Here you go, Ju—" Seeing their intimate position, Kimberly paused. "Am I interrupting something."
"Nope," Nick replied as Judy sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Just passing the time until we can leave."
"Well, here's your discharge papers, Judy," Kimberly said. "You're free to go."
"Thanks, Kimberly," Judy murmured, then yawned. She was so tired, and Nick's petting had relaxed her to point she felt like a puddle of melted wax. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. It'd been years, for sure.
As Nick took the papers from her, Kimberly couldn't help but think how cute they looked together. She had heard that rabbits were pretty picky about who touched their ears, which made her think they might be more than just friends. And the way she fell asleep in Nick's arms—Judy must trust the fox immensely. Seeing it gave her warm fuzzies and made her think of a certain, tawny, spotted doctor.
Leland was her best friend here at the hospital, and they usually took their breaks and ate their meals together. She wondered on more than one occasion if there was something more between them, but wasn't sure how it would work out, with her being prey and him a predator. But watching this cute bunny and sly fox together, it gave her hope that perhaps her and Leland could make a relationship work. With courage in her heart and a spring in her step, Kimberly left the cute couple to themselves.
WingedKatt again. For my new readers, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. For my returning readers, I hope the chapter flowed better. For the next chapter, Judy will require Nick's assistance before they can escape the hospital and then Judy will learn some interesting things about Nick on the way to his place.
I hope you all have a great week. If you have any thoughts or comments, let me know. Take care and be safe.
