Judy awoken with her head buried against her fox's fur. She basked in the dreamy afterglow of their unexpected night together in his bed as she cuddled possessively against his tuft, her paws grasping away at the silky gown and the bandages that carried under.
Warm…
She nudged her face deep into his neck, taking a long sweet breath of that scent she could not shake off her mind. She gladly felt the gentle pulses and strained snores he took in with the tip of her nose; it blissfully reminded her of his wellbeing, how he was safe and sound once again next to her.
Everything's okay…
It felt unreal, as if she was still dreaming last night with his sappy head on her lap. She recalled the dream she had; a vivid and mesmerising montage of fond memories from their work, from the lonely yet calming stake-outs to the long but soothing patrol routines she shared with her partner. Her senses were still locked on to Nick, obsessively taking in every little shift and stuttered breath he took.
Her eyes migrated to meet his face which held a constant neutral frown coupled with a half-agape mouth. He snored away peacefully, his every breath followed with the rhythmic rises of his chest. Occasionally however, his eyebrows would start to twitch along with the corners of his lips. Despite the tremendous recovery he had, Judy was sorrowed to realise that he was likely still in pain, judging from the silent shifts on his expression.
Judy held him tight within her arms, though the bunny was conscious about causing him any more discomfort. She wished that she could do more than just accompany him through his days; she wanted to be able to take his pain away, even if it meant that she would have to endure it for him.
"Miss Hopps?" a stark voice called out behind them, immediately snapping her out of the moment.
Judy lurched herself out of the sheets, her paws springing away instinctively from her still sleeping partner as she scrambled to entangle herself from him. Turning her attention to the nurse that stood behind them, Judy's face shifted into a cringing smile, one that did nothing to alleviate her embarrassed look.
"Oh, err… morning?" the shameful bunny responded timidly.
"Sorry to disturb… whatever was going on here but," the deer held back her giggle, "I'm gonna need you to get off the bed for a while," her voice was playful yet polite, a gesture Judy was grateful for.
"Okay, yea, sure…" Judy stuttered as she reluctantly climbed off the side of the cot.
After a quick exchange of smiles, the bunny stood by the nurse as she lightly shook on Nick's shoulder.
"Mr Wilde," she repeated twice, patiently observing her patient while he slowly began to wake.
The familiar feeling of bliss pulled over her thoughts as he awoke. She was always glad to see catch him when he's getting up; her heart fluttered to see those emerald eyes slowly creak their way into the world once more while his mouth smacked away against the bitter morning air.
"Wake up sleepyhead," Judy greeted in a joyous tone, "You're gonna miss out on breakfast."
She shared a chuckle with the nurse as the fox clumsily sat himself up, letting out a yawn before turning his attention to the two.
"Espresso… extra sugar…" Nick joked with a smile, "…and a dozen for Clawhauser,"
"Slick," she returned; content that the fox hadn't changed that much at all.
"…and a vanilla latte," he replied cheekily.
Breaking eye contact, Judy allowed the doe to perform her usual duties on Nick as she slithered back past the curtain rack dividers to grab a chair from the side. Seating herself a short distance away, she watched downheartedly as the nurse worked her hooves on Nick's body, rubbing and massaging each corner carefully before turning him over to do the same.
"Ow…" Nick moaned as she kneaded close to his injured thigh, sending a wave of agonizing pain across his muscles.
He kept his eyes squeezed as he went through the entire massage in a bit more pain than he was used to. Since his recovery from the transplant, Nick was advised with a lower dose of pain medication; a prospect the doctor said would help him in regaining his motion. Despite this, he was still fussy about the annoying pricks and occasional tear that battered his body with the arrangement.
Nonetheless, Nick was more than happy to hear about the improvement of his scars as it meant that there would be less frequent bandage changes that would plague him every so often before. The same couldn't be said about his leg however, the nurse had unravelled it to reveal a shredded volley of darkened stiches that had stained through his gauze.
Judy was sickened to the bone to glance over the image of the wound; coupled with the increased breaths he took and his infrequent hissing, her heart only sank further with each passing second the nurse's damp cloth was stamped firmly against.
It felt like a hot iron was pressed firmly against his skin, forcefully shredding whatever muscle he had left underneath into finer stretches.
"Can't you give him anything to help with the pain?" Judy spoke in an insulted tone, holding in her nerves while she cringed with the fox.
"It's… not… that bad…" he replied with a laughter that was intertwined with a whine.
The nurse gave the cringing fox an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Mr Wilde," she continued, "I can't make any promises but, I'll try to have the doctor prescribe you something stronger."
"That would be great…" he nodded, teeth gritting as she tightened the new gauze over his thigh, "Time for the big one?" he hissed.
The nurse gave an awkward nod.
Nick lay back firmly with his back across the mattress, mentally prepping himself for the bandage treatment. With his gown undone, the large bandage across his abdomen was now visible for Judy to see, an already painful sight that was only about to get even worse.
Cheese and crackers…
Stitches and streak marks of ravaged skin, fur, bruises and scabs riddled his stomach; they stuck against and bound together what looked like a horrid crack that ran across him. The tarnished skin seemed to fold into the scar, slowly churning as the fox inhaled. Like the one on his leg, it was wet with puss and slime that gave it a red-yellowish coat across the pink of his stomach.
"How… do I look?" he turned to the shocked bunny, trying his best to hold up the smirk on his face.
This was the first time Judy had actually witnessed his bare wounds. Previously, the bunny was already disgusted about the thought of them; mere verbal descriptions from nurses she'd asked were enough to send the heart-breaking imagery into her head.
But this was different.
She watched in distress as the doe peeled off the rest of the gauze, leaving the fox a spur of defeated breaths and pants. His face twitched in discomfort, teeth clicking occasionally as he waited for the damned washcloth.
Recalling the awfulness from earlier, Judy immediately sprang back to the bedside, registering a surprised look from both of the mammals.
"Hey, I'm still here for you," she whispered as she leaned over to rub her paws on his cheeks.
She felt the adrenaline pumped rhythm of his heartbeat as she crawled her arms around him, wrapping his head within her embrace. She felt him melt into her, his breaths slowly regaining its calm as he nudged his muzzle into her elbow.
"Large breath," the deer called sympathetically as she held the towel over his stomach, "I'll make this as swift as possible."
What followed was an excruciatingly long, one minute wrestle as the nurse began her duties. Nick screamed semi-silently into Judy's hug while he battled against the blaze that burned throughout his torso. His partner did her best to calm him with encouraging words and rubs while maintaining her composure as well.
"You're doing fine slick," she hiccupped, "She's almost done."
Nick sucked in and out violently as his head shook tremulously. He gulped in the bitterness that clawed inside him, forcing himself to focus on his partner's warmth and soothing voice instead of the consuming pain.
"Almost done," the nurse reported as she lifted a new bandage across his stomach, carefully laying it around his shaking torso.
Judy held his paw close to hers, watching in relief as Nick slowly regained his calm.
"About those meds…" he lifted a finger, wincing his expressions while the nurse worked on securing the gauze.
"I'll make sure you get those right away," she replied ruefully, fixing up the gown over his bandages, "Sorry about… all that,"
Packing up her items from before, the nurse promptly shuffled out, leaving the two partners to themselves once again.
Judy shifted close to her partner, their fingers still intertwined together. Nick turned to her, she bore an occupied look; the tip of her nose was jumpy and her cheeks were all fluffed up. He knew it meant something was bugging her, and he could also read the question in her head.
"What's up fluff," he prompted, his cheerful voice getting the attention of his partner almost instantaneously.
"Nothing," Judy smiled back coyly, slowly returning to her phased state.
Nick frowned. He sensed the reluctance in her voice, it was clear that she had chosen not to engage.
They had come a long way as partners, and awkwardness had never been a problem for them. Lately however, Judy had become more conservative and careful around conversations with him. Though he knew where it came from; she did not want to tear down the relationship they have built together, something he too was fearful since the emotional hiccup that caused his seizure. Nonetheless, Nick didn't like that she couldn't trust herself with him.
While they were closer than ever, she felt distant.
Nick sighed, turning his head to the bunny's once more, "Judy," he began in a deeper tone catching her attention, "About last night…"
Judy gave him a saddened look, "You don't have to talk about it if-"
"You deserve the right to ask," he interrupted.
She shifted into a blank surprised look.
"That's what partner's do right?" he chuckled, "Heck, I think we're beyond that point already, plus you're snugged up to my tail,"
She blushed. "I just-"
"I trust you."
Judy was speechless. Those words resonated deep within her mind, a gesture that reminded her about how lucky she was to have Nick as her partner, in more ways than one. She was ashamed that she'd been avoiding a few things when they talked. Though it might have spared them a few emotions, it felt dishonest; after all, that's what they have each other for.
She pressed her face into his shoulder, "Thanks," she mumbled.
Nick smiled, "Are you crying?" he teased as he nudged the top of her head with his muzzle.
"No," she cried out in annoyance, the bunny staring back at the fox in a petty rage.
They shared a silent moment together, gazing into each other's eyes with different emotions. Nick shifted himself upwards, steadily seating himself to a more comfortable position.
"So," Judy handed him a glass of water from the nightstand, "What happened, last night?"
The fox took in the water with a grateful gulp, wiping the dampness out of his fur before handing half of it back to his partner.
"I had a nightmare," he confessed in a secure and flat tone.
Judy nodded, keeping her attention on his downed expressions as she took a sip.
He sucked in a breath, "I was there again, in the factory," he sighed, "Everything was dark and cloudy,"
She placed a hand on his paw.
"I couldn't find you." He ended in a tired voice.
She patted him on the back of his paw, prompting him to glance over to her, "I'm here for you remember,"
They shared a short-lived smile, before Nick frowned back, "They happen almost every other night. The nightmares."
Judy gave a concerned look.
She was discouraged to hear his confession. It had never occurred to her that the mental stress from the incident had affected him to this extent, where even sleeping was a difficult ordeal for him.
"Have you told Violet?" she asked.
"She says it'll only get better," he answered shyly, "Hope she's right,"
In a weird way Judy was almost angry at her sister for not telling her about his conditions, but yet she couldn't blame her; it was Nick's choice to keep things private after all. And yet despite that, there he was, spilling his trust into her.
She climbed back to his side, reaching her paws over to his muzzle in a loving cusp. Nick stared his dejected eyes into her wishful ones, gleaming warm fuzzy hope into his heart.
"Thanks, for last night," he whispered, the fox finally turning a smile, "For being there,"
Judy shot him a brightened look, "And you bet I'll do it again until you get better,"
They shared another chuckle.
"So, what's for breakfast?" he smirked.
Violet marched down the corridors, making her way through the hospital with a prideful gait. She carried a cup of complementary break room coffee in one hand and in the other, a hefty plastic file. Waltzing through the reception tables and medical stations, the bunny reminisced the nostalgic times when she used to work there. She high heartedly took the same route she used to take to the doctors' offices, a section she undoubtedly frequented in her career in Zootopia General.
An elevator ride and a couple doors later, Violet found herself on the door to Dr Capra's office. The door remained ajar, it allowed her to view the neat interior of his room, where he sat occupied behind his desk.
"Dr Capra?" the bunny called as she knocked on his doorframe, catching the attention of the goat.
"Dr Hopps, you're here early," he gestured her to take one of the seats in front of him.
Plopping the file in her paw next to the vacant space on the table top, Violet scanned through the sheets of reports arranged beside it, before picking out one that caught her attention.
"Hope you don't mind," she started whilst placing her coffee down on one of the coasters, "He's my patient too,"
"A little peer review wouldn't hurt," he picked up where he left off, signing off a few leftover papers that sat beneath his hooves.
Critical Care Patient Discharge Summary – Nicholas P. Wilde
After adjusting the purple frame of her glasses, Violet began reading the report, skimming through the majority of the details that she'd already expected. The bunny hovered her eyes over the conclusive section that caught her attention.
"That's your estimate?" she asked in a surprised tone, running a finger across his remarks on the report, "That seems kinda-"
"Optimistic?" he replied, slightly amused, "Perhaps it is. But having seen what the fox had been through, and how quickly he was able to recover since the surgery, I wouldn't be surprised if I underestimated that prediction as well."
Violet shifted her lips.
"Not many mammals had odds as low as his, even less that managed to pull through critical condition," he explained, "Maybe it's luck, or maybe he's plain stubborn, but what I know for sure is that he's past the final hurdle."
She nodded.
"On that note, right now I'm looking to discharge your sister in less than a week's time, seeing how she'd shifted the schedule," Capra continued.
The bunny was glad to hear the news, though she wasn't exactly shocked by the update. The force-of-nature had been pushing her rehabilitation since she was deemed fit to walk. However, taking a mental step back to review Dr Capra's description of Nick and his developments, she had her doubts; despite his drastic physical recovery, he still had a few tacky issues she needed to bring up.
"Dr Capra?"
A deep, steady voice arose from the doorway, followed by a sturdy knock on the wooden doorframe, drawing both attentions of the two mammals in the room.
Chief Bogo stood calmly just outside the office, his large frame towering almost everything but the ceiling in the room. He wore a stern look, one that came out as expressionless compared to his semi-relaxed shoulders.
"Good morning, chief," the goat greeted, pleasantly waving for the buffalo to enter.
Violet felt a sense of awe as he made his way towards them, slightly nerved by his physical size.
"Morning," he returned, his tone baritone yet gentle as he approached the desk, "I assume you are Dr Hopps?" he offered a hoof to the smaller mammal.
"That's quite the assumption," Violet climbed up top of her chair to reach a paw over to shake his hoof, "Nice to meet you chief,"
His hands were rugged, dwarfing her paws with its massive size. This was the first ever time she had met the police chief personally; she had only heard stories from Judy, Nick and the few other officers she had the chance to meet. After exchanging their welcomes, the buffalo took a seat on the large chair that was provided for him.
"Is this the summary?" the buffalo pointed towards a larger copy of the file she'd just read.
He pulled out a pair of glasses from his shirt pocket, glancing over the details in a silent manner.
"The kidney transplant is a success with no symptoms of rejection so far. Final screenings have shown no presence of any cranial haemorrhaging." the doctor explained, "All his gunshot wounds has improved and the entry wounds have almost fully healed. The wound on his lung has fully healed, though the effects of the trauma may only be assessed during rehabilitation."
"And when will rehabilitation be possible?" Bogo asked.
"Best case scenario, a week from now. It all depends on how easy he regains movement," he followed, "Right now he's still bed bound, but I'd give him a few days before he starts using the wheelchair more freely."
He nodded. The buffalo looked content, his calmed eyes showing relief, though his expressions remained as tough as before.
"I'll need you to sign this one," Capra slid a filled in form towards the chief, along with a pen. "Regarding Hopps, I have some good news."
The doctor took the immediate attention of the other two mammals, both sharing their concern and curiosity.
"At the moment, I'm looking to move up her discharge date," he smiled as he pulled out another set of medical reports from his drawer, "Seeing how she has 'adjusted the schedule' with her relentless methods of self-rehabilitation, I'd say she would be ready leave in a week or two."
Violet smiled. Though she'd expected the news regarding her sister, she was glad that it came about so soon. Chief Bogo wore the same look of content, though it was held back slightly by a few more questions he had in mind.
"Seems both of them have been recovering well," the bull stated, "How about the psychological assessment?" he turned to her.
Her mood shifted under his sight, her worries from earlier resurfacing with a frown on her face.
"Wilde is…" she began in a sunken voice, "…unfit at the moment."
Bogo retained his neutral, unmoved frown, the same one he wore when he entered the room.
"He has post-traumatic stress disorder," she continued as she brought the copy of the papers she wrote up to the buffalo, "He has trouble sleeping," she shifted her tone as she turned to him, "His symptoms include sleep paralysis, psychosis and episodic parasomnia,"
She turned to Dr Capra, the goat's previously encouraged mood slowly fading with a sigh as he looked through the analysis she wrote.
"That last one meant he has night terrors," she continued. Flipping through the notes, she began, "Personality wise, he did go through a few periods of depression, although that is normal in bedbound patients. Analysis shows that the seizure he had before was caused by a panic attack, which tells me that he had developed an anxiety problem."
As she ended her explanation, the room folded back into gloom, an atmosphere that reflected the faces of the mammals present.
"As far as our therapy sessions go, I'm confident that he's still going to come out as the Nick you know, but it will take some time chief," Violet spoke.
"I understand," he replied.
Bogo nodded as he dug is hooves through the lines written in the paper, the police chief discouraged to hear about his officer. He remained composed, his mug fixed yet it shed a crack of disappointment from the edges of his lips.
"Regarding my sister, I can get her psychological assessment done once she's finished her rehabilitation," she cracked a smile out of politeness.
"Very well, is there anything else I need to know?" he stated.
"Hopps?" Capra turned to Violet, the bunny paused, but she ultimately shook her head, discarding her thoughts, "That is all at the moment."
Scooping up the papers he received into a briefcase, the police chief stood and left his seat, heading to the exit as he tipped his head to the two doctors.
Violet sat in the solace aftermath of the debriefing; her attention focused on the buffalo's body language. If Finnick was a brick before, Bogo was a steel ingot. She couldn't tell if he was disappointed, angry or sad when she gave her summary. He was a leader after all; she knew that well experienced ones normally wouldn't let their emotions affect the decisions they make, or the mood of their officers.
The nurse arrived shortly after to assist Nick in his morning routine; prompting Judy to do the same, a luxury the fox undoubtedly envied her for. He missed the warmth from a good long shower, the joy from procrastinating in front of a mirror as he brushed his teeth, and the ultimate private comfort of a toilet. He had all of those taken away from his inability to move around independently. Instead he was treated with a washcloth rub down and a quick dental hygiene session by spitting into a metal bucket on the side of his bed.
Elaborating on the awkwardness of the arrangement, Nick had to relieve himself into a bed pan that the nurse slotted underneath him, a task he found seemingly tricky to accomplish despite her thoughtfulness to leave him behind the curtains. But at least he didn't have to wear a diaper like the first few days when he was semi-conscious. With the pain medication subsided as low as ever he was nervous to reclaim his ability to feel what went on underneath; he could make out the slight pressure and discomfort from the catheter tube he relied on since his admittance. It was also a sight he'd make an effort to ignore whenever the nurses would take off his gown.
Breakfast came shortly after Judy returned from the bathroom, the bunny looking as fresh as she could be. Their meals were brought in by another nurse with a catering truck, along with a new bag of fluids and pain medication for the fox. After fixing up his medication and their food trays upon the bed trays, the deer left with a note of thanks from the two mammals.
What a way to start the day…
He was greeted with the standard post-surgery diet he grew to hate even more, almost yearning to return to when bland seafood chowder was still on the menu. Instead, he was stuck with the basic, colourless oatmeal, an unsalted salad and a tall glass of odourless protein shake.
"I think you got my tray," Nick joked as he leaned into the assortment of mediocre food items on the table, sluggishly lifting up the plastic cutlery off their tissues.
Judy on the other hand, was content with what she received; a bowl of greens and cherry tomatoes, a slice of cornbread and a juice packet.
"Come and get it then slick," she chuckled, popping half a tomato into her mouth as she turned to taunt him.
"Now that's just mean fluff," Nick returned, bobbing his head in annoyance, scooping up a spoonful of the sad soup into his face, "Could you at least spare a fox some of that dressing?"
Judy shifted him a playful smile as she tossed her salad with her fork, "And what will I get in return?" she teased.
Nick swallowed, licking the remaining flakes off his spoon, "How about my Pawflix account for a day," he reached over to his phone, shaking it mischievously to her annoyance.
Judy sighed, the bunny cracking an irritated smirk as she climbed off her bed, "Scoot over."
The fox repositioned himself slowly, giving the bunny a proud look of pride while she collected her tray over to his side of the room.
"But we're not watching on that busted screen of yours," she joked as she plopped her things onto Nick's bed tray before pulling out her own device from one of her pocket.
Judy climbed onto the heated spot left behind by the fox, making herself comfortable as she seated onto his stack of pillows. He complied by helping reposition their meals on the bed tray, not before shamelessly stealing one of the fruits off hers.
"Deal's a deal," he chewed contently on the juicy pulp of the tomato.
Nick helped himself to her phone, swiping away at the lockscreen as if it was his own.
"Wait how'd…" asked the alerted bunny as he effortlessly gained access to the device.
"Carrots, I've been sitting next to you every working day since the past year," he replied snarkishly, "And the last four digits of your phone number isn't the best choice for a passcode."
"You slimy fox," she gave him a gentle smack on the shoulder, yielding a small annoyed response from him.
Retrieving the phone, Judy was surprised to catch the notification of a message from her sister.
Heads up
You got visitors
"Visitors?" Nick asked, the fox reading off the same screen, "Is it another bunny reunion?" he commented as he took a fork full of his partner's salad into his cheeks.
Judy sent a reply, her face scrunching in confusion as she raised an eyebrow. "Either way, I'm just gonna skip the awkwardness," she rolled out the side of her bed and back onto her feet.
"I still get your salad right?" he smiled as he began peeling the plastic film that was wrapped over his beverage.
"We'll have to revise the terms of that later," she dragged the visitor's chair over to the bedside.
A brief moment later, the vigilant fox was able to make out the muffled thuds parading footsteps as they approached their ward, "I think I have a good idea who's coming through that door," the energised fox began, their excitement only increasing with the soothing sound of quiet chatter that stemmed from the corridor outside.
Then came the polite knocks that seemed to have hushed out their visitor's voices.
"Wilde to dispatch," Nick projected his voice loud and gallantly as the door started to creak open.
"Copy that Nick," Clawhauser returned with a heightened tone; the cheetah being the first to enter with a joyous look beyond any glee that he could muster.
The two partners instinctively returned the look, the uplifting sensation filling up their faces with genuine smiles for their fellow officers.
Almost half of Precinct One flooded the room, the parade of familiar mammals marching in blithely with overjoyed and outward expressions that matched their own. Judy and Nick were greeted by the cheers and giggles from the crowd, which filled the room with the rowdy yet nostalgic atmosphere of the bullpen back in ZPD.
"We've got your backup right here," Wolford replied, the officers laughing along to his comment.
It was exhilarating.
Judy couldn't help but step out into the squad of larger mammals as they approached, before finding her arms wrapped firmly against the warm paw the cheetah offered.
"Oh my gosh Judy, your ear looks really bad," he began in a hasty rant as she pulled away, "I'm sure it'll get better though."
The bunny responded with a confused yet polite smile, hiding her annoyance as Nick gave a chuckle.
"Don't think that's how scars work buddy," Fangmeyer hissed, the tiger nudging him with his elbow.
Realising his mistake, the embarrassed officer promptly covered his mouth in a gasp, "I'm so sorry," Clawhauser repeated, "What I meant was… In that case… I should stop talking,"
Judy laughed at his loss of words, the bunny knowing fully what her friend didn't mean anything bitter at the start.
"I think it looks badass," Delgato returned, the lion turning his face to meet a few nods from the surrounding officers.
Nick smiled, "That's exactly what I said."
The crowd began laughing with her, Clawhauser finally able to forgive himself after a friendly pat from the bunny.
"Hey Wilde, you don't look too bad yourself," said the tiger. "Last time I checked, your face was still dried up from all those meds,"
The room turned to the fox, "Thanks Stripey," he teased, "Kinda wish I still had them. At least I still have the bottle Grizz," the fox directed a finger to the chuckling polar bear.
"I'm surprised they let you have some," Grizzoli returned.
"Oops," he gave a sarcastic blurt, "Allegedly, Hopps had a shot as well,"
Judy blushed at his comment, "And I still kinda wished they kept that tube in your mouth,"
They shared another laugh.
"Can't believe they found a way to shut you up for a day," Wolford whistled cheekily. "It was getting quite boring without Bogo losing his mind over your yapping,"
"Honestly, I really miss having you guys around," the cheetah responded.
"Would save me the hassle of paperwork," the wolf replied.
"And the extra patrol hours," the tiger giggled.
"And parking duty," the lion ended the sentence, causing the room to erupt in another fit of laughs.
Nick was happy to hear that everyone was as casual as he remembered; a taste of the normality he thought he had lost. He wholeheartedly enjoyed himself as they bickered about who got the heavier workload, the extra spicy gossip surrounding a few of their absent buddies and the addition of a few suits from the bureau that was dragged into the mess.
"There were bunch of lawyers too," the wolf explained, "Apparently bullets weren't the only thing Rackman was packing,"
"The press is pretty hectic too," the tiger commented, "They've been giving the chief something to headache about other than the ZBI invasion,"
Judy nodded, the bunny recalling how hectic it felt to be swarmed with all those cameras, microphones and blitz-fire questions.
"Speaking of which," he continued, panning a smirk to Nick, "Of course, everyone seems to want a piece of you,"
Nick couldn't help but raise a smile.
"Oh my goodness Nick," Clawhauser interrupted, his eyes lighting up from giddy excitement, "Everyone's talking about your little stunt. And I mean everyone. The force, the suits, the media… oh wow, the media…" he trailed off with a dreamy set of eyes, "That makes you famous right?"
"I mean, I've never had my name show up for a week straight in the papers before," Grzizoli replied.
"I need to start reading the news again," he smirked, exchanging looks with her proud partner, and the other officers that shared his happiness.
"Celebrity status aside," Delgato cut in, "Your little stunt made the case impossible to overlook, since everyone's talking about it. There's no way for Rackman to slip out of the public eye now."
The mammals nodded in agreement.
"Which also means more work for us," Wolford began, "Don't sweat it though, all the sting operations so far were like Christmas morning," he continued in a merry tone, "Smooth sailing too. It's like Wilde took out all the bad luck for us."
Nick was astonished, and from the looks of it, his partner was too. For the past few weeks of his time off, he'd forgotten the hardship they've all faced together as brothers and sisters on the force. It was a boost of morale to hear about their contributions to finish what they've set off together, and their new found dedication to avenge him in a way.
"We're gonna fit as much evidence as we can up that racoon's ass," the wolf ended.
The fox chuckled, "Glad you still have your enthusiasm."
"Oh shoot," Fangmeyer checked his watch, before patting the back of his partner, "Morning shift's over, better get back before the chief catches us in here."
"Where is Bogo anyway?" Judy questioned casually.
"He left to see the doctor when we got here," Clawhauser replied.
"What, do you miss him already?" the snarky wolf commented.
Nick shifted a smirk, "Actually I kinda do. It's been a while since I saw his angry eyebrows."
"Likewise," the bunny followed, giving her partner a cheeky wince and smile.
"Oh my god Nick can we get a picture together?" the cheetah uttered impatiently as the thought suddenly reappeared in his head.
"Only if you get my good side," the fox pointed jokily scratching the bandage on his head.
"Share the moment would ya," Fangmeyer directed to the cheetah that scrambled for his phone, "Let's get one big picture together,"
Judy chuckled in joy as the room rallied in excitement at his suggestion. The mammals started to cluster around Nick's bed, pushing about chairs and tables in order to squeeze in all seven of them in one scene. Wolford and Fangmeyer clambered over the right side of the bed as Grizolli and Delgato flanked the left, the bear almost towering over curtain holders.
"Get in there Judy!" Clawhauser uttered as he realised how dwarfed the bunny was next to the larger mammals.
"I think it would be better if you moved over to Wilde," the lion suggested.
"This seat's vacant," Nick patted to his left, giving her a charming smirk.
Judy gave her friend a smile, before she chased herself back onto the mattress with a little help from the lion. She swallowed her joy as she felt the tender aura from her partner once more, the fox now leaning against her back.
"Ben, are we good?" the bunny asked the cheetah.
Clawhauser's eyes darted back and forth from the screen he held, his mouth stemming into a delighted arc, "You guys look so cute together!" his voice melted into a happy whine.
The bunny blushed instantly at his comment, her face fluttered to the applauding cheers that grew around her.
"Aww, now you got her all worked up," the sly fox responded as he shared her awkward delight.
Judy's face morphed into a pinched smile.
"…not that I'm implying anything…" the cheetah quipped as he took notice of her vexatious expression.
She gathered herself, giving up the fruitless combat against the moment. "Fine, maybe we do," she tilted her head sideways, her fur now brushing against Nick's ears.
She could feel her partner's heartbeat springing in contrast to his laid back exterior, it acted as a boost of confidence to face the laughter and cheery giggles from the crowd.
"Thank you Benji," she replied semi-unamused, "Now can we get this over with? I wouldn't want Nick to skip breakfast, otherwise he'll get all grumpy."
"Okay, okay, let me just squeeze right in," he pushed his way around with his phone far in the air before ending up on the foot of the cot, "Big smiles everyone!"
After a quick montage of ebullient posing and pats on each other's shoulders, the crew left briefly to resume their shifts. Most mammals of course, Clawhauser lingered around for a couple minutes; the extroverted cheetah still had a few chapters of celebrity gossip he wanted to share. Though Nick was secretly more interested in tolerating the mush on his tray, Judy encouraged her talkative buddy to spill his thoughts on Gazelle and her new album. She felt cherry, like she was back at the offices, burning off her break hours by torturing her partner with the insistent oversharing from the receptionist.
However, it did pique Nick's interest as Clawhauser pointed out the sorrow excuse of nutrients for hospital food, leading them to rant on about actual food as he reminisced the pie he had for his partner's birthday.
His visit ended with a growl from his stomach, a reminder for him to return to the station. "I'm gonna grab brunch with the boys," the cheetah admitted, "See you guys around,"
With a wave of goodbye and a quip from Nick, the cheetah exited the room.
Chief Bogo strolled out of the elevator carriage, the focused bull clutching onto a briefcase on one hand, and on the other, a small piece of paper in between his digits. He stepped through the corridors, before turning a corner into a familiar face.
"Chief?" greeted the surprised cheetah as they bumped shoulders.
"Clawhauser," the buffalo nodded.
"You should've came earlier," he continued jovially, "You just missed the boys, they had to leave for their shifts,"
"And if I recall correctly, you have only 5 minutes until yours," his tone rustled.
"Oh um, right..." he stuttered with an embarrassed look.
Chief Bogo gestured the officer to stay, "How are they?" he asked in an honest tone.
Clawhauser thought for a split second, before he cracked a bubbly smile, "Judy's as cheerful as before, and Nick certainly looks better than before," he dragged on, "Ooh, and they're a couple…?"
The larger mammal raised an eyebrow.
Noting the perplexed look upon his boss' face, the cheetah retracted his words, "A couple of… happy mammals," he giggled it off, "Yeah, they both look and sound fine."
Bogo gave him an unamused look.
"I better get going now," Clawhauser shuffled off and away from the conversation, "See you back in the station Chief,"
Turning back to his priorities, the buffalo made his way deeper into the hallway, before finally reaching the room number he had recorded on a small piece of paper. Pushing the door inwards, he was greeted with the sight of his two recovering officers; Nick was seated on his bed, the fox rambling on a topic to Judy, who sat on one of the chairs close to his side.
The buffalo shifted a smile to himself as he met their faces.
"Morning, Chief," Judy was the first one to greet him, the bunny instinctively getting out of her chair to her feet.
"Hopps," he responded with his neutral expression as he gestured her to sit, "Wilde," he walked towards them.
"I would do the same if I could," Nick replied, turning to the bashful bunny, "Must be an instinctive thing,"
The larger mammal kept his steady look, "Good to see you haven't changed Wilde," he stood over them, dropping his briefcase on the bed tray that was pushed aside.
"Same goes for you," the fox returned with a cheeky wave, "Did you miss us yet?"
Nick smiled as Bogo huffed, "Not particularly," he turned to the bunny, "Though it is my job to make sure you're both recovering."
"So did you got lost finding us?" he chuckled, "And a few minutes ago I thought you were a no show."
He grunted.
"I heard the department's getting hectic," Judy spoke, "With the ZBI involved and all, I thought you would've caught a break."
The buffalo started to unpack a few items from his case, "Unfortunately, there are agendas the police force are still in charge off. Speaking of which…"
He pulled out a laptop from one of the compartments, the device just barely larger than the size of his hoof, yet perfectly sized for a smaller mammal like the two in front of him.
"There are a few items I need from the both of you," he handed the computer over to her, "I'm sure you can handle a few pages of paperwork?"
Judy unfolded the company laptop. "What do you need?" she asked bluntly, the bunny typing in the credentials she was way too familiar with.
"Looks like Hopps here is eager to get back to working," Nick commented, "If it's okay with you, I think I'll stick to supervising Officer Cottontail. Plus, I see you only brought one."
Ignoring the fox, Bogo started, "Hopps, I need you to review some of these statements before they're archived," he handed her a separate file, "And I'm going to need a full report regarding the night of the incident."
Judy looked through the case file she was all so familiar with, the one that detailed the sting operation that night. It was a scrapbook of photos, profiles and transcripts that even included Nick's remark on how fluffy her tail was when they climbed through the vent.
Cheese and crackers.
She cringed to herself.
"I'll make the amendments necessary," she nodded, before tucking the papers back into the file.
"Wilde," the chief called to the fox, who was almost caught off guard, "I need you to work with Hopps on the report," his voice softened.
The room fell silent for a bit as Nick took his eyes off the file on his partner's lap.
"Yeah, absolutely," he stuttered, "Got it chief."
Chief Bogo looked unsatisfied, his facial expressions remaining unchanged. Judy turned over to face her partner, giving him an equally worried look. They both knew what was going on inside of the fox's head. His face showed blatant disinterest and a hint of sorrow, the same look he wore whenever he was confronted, and he himself knew he was about to lose.
Before Judy could make a move, Bogo broke the silence, "Listen to me Wilde," he began, "I am aware of the situation you are going through. There is no need to be ashamed or insecure about this."
Judy turned to the chief, the bunny heart warmed by the earnest way he spoke.
Catching Nick's attention, he continued, "However, the higher-ups require a report of what happened back then, and I'm afraid you're the only one who can do that."
"I understand-" Nick opened.
"I know it's not fair to ask you to do this at the moment," he interrupted, "If by any means you can't, just know that this isn't necessarily an order."
The fox gazed over to the bunny; her eyes giving him an encouraging acknowledgement that helped alleviate the anxiety that crept up behind the thin wall he built.
Mustering the confidence, the fox began, "I'll try my best chief," his tone was unique this time; it chimed a mix of modesty and enthusiasm.
It was what the buffalo needed to hear from the trustworthy fox he missed having under his command.
"Don't forget to consult your therapist if you need to," he continued, "Or your partner," he shifted his focus to the optimistic bunny, "Though I'm sure you both have that sorted out already," he cracked a microscopic smile.
Wait…
Judy gave Chief Bogo the same look she gave Clawhauser earlier, a look of confusion, anxiousness and mostly embarrassment.
"Personally, I don't care," he stated candidly, "You can deal with that with mammal resources later."
That's one less mammal to worry about.
The bunny sighed in relief.
"Guess Clawhauser can't keep his thoughts to himself," Nick chuckled as they gazed flirtatiously at each other.
"Although I expect both of you to uphold workplace professionalism," the buffalo ended.
To Chief Bogo, his two officers' forming relationship was not exactly unexpected; he was their supervisor after all, and no one knew their buddy-system-dynamic more than himself. While he was indifferent about workplace relationships, he was refreshed to know that they were doing far better than what he expected coming out of the doctor's office, deducing that their flowering relationship played a role for that.
After exchanging the smallest of small-talks the two parties had ever juggled with, the chief left them with his brand of goodbyes, mostly consisting of generic and methodical remarks, yet they both knew it was the most sincere they could get from the older mammal.
"And remember the reports," he cleared his throat at the end, "I wish you both the best."
"Thank you chief," she nodded.
"Thanks, chief." Nick replied simultaneously.
The afterhours rolled in as quickly as the day went.
The two mammals had just finished their dinners with a side of 'rabbit television'; a show Judy referred to as a dragged out family drama and comedy she forced the fox to sit through.
"Is this what you always watch?" the fox yawned, giving his back a quick stretch, before retracting from the sharp pain that stubbed him.
Judy cleared out the table of its messy trays and plastic cups, returning the desk to the corner of the room.
"It's more of a tradition at this point," she plopped herself back next to his bed, "I still have 3 seasons to go."
"I swear you bunnies gotta expand your genres," Nick teased, "And I thought you were the action-drama type. Considering the career choice…"
"When I was like 10 maybe," she replied jovially, "But afterwards it just became harder to queue up for cable privileges, and of course, no one would let an innocent little bunny in on the grittier channels."
"Well then, I'm picking the shows next time," he chuckled, shifting his face towards hers, "As much as I want to find out who's the carrot thief in like 6 episodes, I think I would be a much more enjoying watch with some heavy accented mobsters involved."
"Honestly, I never pegged you as a crime drama type," she raised her voice, "Con artist turned cop, yet there's stuff on those that are more interesting?"
He laughed, "Fair point. But admittedly I have gotten a few good ideas from some movies."
"Anyways," Judy interrupted, the bunny's tone now focused and stern, "Speaking of crime, I got a report I need to finish."
The fox gave a sarcastic disappointed whine, "And I thought medical leave counts as vacation."
Nick twiddled his claws as his partner typed away, the blue light from the screen illuminating the determined eyes she wore. He procrastinated in the soothing sound of her working paws, reflecting on the eventful day as Judy clicked and tapped in the background.
It was nice.
It was refreshing.
The day had been a sweet change of pace compared to the draggy hours of yesterday, the dreadful days of the weeks before, and a certain far cry from the excruciating eon that he first woke up to. Time seemed to zoom pass whenever Judy was in the same room with him. Judy lifted his boredom; she made even the most stagnant of moments uplifting, if not bearable just for a few seconds.
He was thankful to be here with her, and even more grateful to have her feeling the same.
And to think it almost never happened.
That they survived.
"So, how about that?" Judy's voice ended as quickly as he caught her sentence.
Nick bounced back into the moment, the fox snapping his head over to meet the gaze of his partner.
"Sorry, wasn't listening," he replied honestly, rubbing the back of his neck.
She gave him a friendly pout, though it didn't seem to faze the fox at all.
"I said it's your turn."
The puzzled fox stared at his partner, "My turn to…"
"The report, Wilde," she tapped her finger on the top of the laptop screen, "Remember?"
Damn.
The realisation hit him. It was like he was selectively ignoring his assignment. His stomach churned as Chief Bogo's request replayed in his head, to return to the one slice from the never-ending nightmare he tried to forget.
"Unless, you're not okay with that…"
He felt her warm touch colliding against his bare paw. Judy gave him a worried look, begging him to reply to her on what was going on inside his head.
Personally, the fox didn't know what he was going through. Was he scared? Was he angry? Was he even awake? Even if he wanted to tell her, he wasn't even sure how to put it.
"Nick," she repeated, her call finally catching his attention, "You're stressed."
He was.
"Breathe Nick," the bunny stood up over him, "You're not breathing…"
He wasn't.
He was hyperventilating. He was getting dizzy as well.
Judy reached her arm around his chest, forcefully pulling her partner into each other's embrace.
Breathe…
"Please calm down," Judy quivered, keeping her head close to his shoulder, "Hey, I'm here okay,"
Breathe…
Seconds later, clarity took over.
His panic attack went as quick as it came, though he only realised it once he could sense his partner after. The fox was now staring down onto the bundle of grey fur on his chest. Judy kept her focus on his rapid heartbeat, pondering back to meet his blank gaze.
She swallowed her frets, "Are you gonna be fine?" the bunny gave him an encouraging look.
Nick took a deep breath, the fox dipping his head down, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Judy," he replied profusely, "I don't know what happened… I…"
"Remember what Chief said?" she cut him off, "Take as much time as you need Nick. Don't stress too hard about it. Please."
They sat in silence for a minute, the two leaning their heads on each other's shoulders.
Time.
Was that what he needed?
Would it change in a week? A month?
He was forced to wait once more, to stay where he felt the safest; away from his thoughts. But again, deep down the fox knew it wasn't going to change a thing. Whatever horrors that he avoided that day was just cumulating for the night, a disturbing predicament he realised the night before.
"You wanna call it a night?" Judy broke the still air. She pulled away from his reach, climbing over to reach for the power off switch on the laptop. "I'll tell Vi to drop in tomorrow,"
"Wait," he shot a reply, "Let's do it."
Judy's ears perked up at his request. She transfixed a concerned gaze on her partner as she read the stoic expression he wore.
"Are you sure?" she gave a stern reply.
Truthfully, Judy was unsure herself. She was concerned, worried and rightfully so; she did not want to see her partner go through more pain than he had suffered through.
But on the other hand,
"Yes. I'm sure. One-hundred percent."
Something had changed within him, and in a weird way, Judy felt like she was looking in a mirror. He was adamant and determined.
"Fine," she gave a hesitant nod.
She knew there was no use trying to change his mind; the only thing she could do was to hope, and to be there with him emotionally all the way until the end.
Judy reached over to the nightstand, recovering her notepad and her signature carrot pen before settling next to his side. "Ready when you are Wilde."
He sucked in a breath, giving a clear smile of confirmation to his partner. "Where do I start…" his voice trailed from a stemming enthusiasm.
She clicked on the record button, a wordless signal the fox received.
"2200 hours, Officer Hopps and I just breached through the south wall vent of the building," Nick began professionally, his tone collected and steady.
Sentences and minutes into his speech, Nick slowly lost the confidence he so meticulously began with.
"The wolf fired the first shot. It hit Officer Hopps on her ear. She… Hopps fell over,"
His voice slurred as he continued.
"…after I radioed for support, the second shot came, then the third," he swallowed, "I lost count afterwards,"
A sense of unease radiated from his words. Judy waited patiently as he paused to gather his next few thoughts. They both knew what followed.
"She was struck by a bullet. It sounded like a ricochet," he explained in quick, short sentences, as if he was avoiding slowing down, "Hopps was hit in her side. She was… she…"
Judy twitched in discomfort.
"Officer Hopps was down," his tone was strained, "She was bleeding... She was bleeding a lot... She was gasping for air… She was… she couldn't breathe…"
She could picture it as well.
"I needed to… help,"
She remembered how unreal it felt, to have her surroundings fade in and out. She tasted blood. It was in her mouth, her nose and it filled up her lungs.
"I pulled out my pistol. Fired a few shots in the air…"
She saw him scramble towards her afterwards, clambering to her assistance.
"I flipped her over… otherwise she couldn't…" he swallowed a sigh, "I placed my paws on her wound. She kept… I couldn't stop the bleeding. There was so much… my paws were red… Judy was… dying…"
Judy started tearing up at his last remarks.
"…she… she didn't respond to me… I…"
Nick broke down.
It felt painful for him to keep going, and Judy knew that as well.
He kept his paws on his face, massaging the tips of his fingers that overlaid his snout. He sniffed, and instinctively tried his best to supress it within his palms.
Judy wanted to cry with him; the bunny sorrowfully resisting its urge. Hearing the events unfold again from her partner's troubled perspective and the way it deconstructed him, she could only recall the harrowing distress that struck him in his dreams last night, and the shakiness when he tried to explain it to her again.
She had to be strong. If not for herself, she had to do it for him.
"Nick, look at me," Judy commanded in a brick solid tone, "Please."
After several attempts at getting him to turn to her, the bunny reached her paws over to the bottom of his muzzle, trailing the quivering fox's head into her direction.
The bunny stepped out of her seat, brushing out the wrinkles in her hospital gown that draped where she stood. She proceeded to lift up the underside of the dress, a motion that caught her partner's attention. She exposed her grey frizzled fur to the room, before stopping at the scar located on the start of her torso.
Her scar poked through the fur that surrounded it; the fibres clung onto the perimeter of the patch of skin. It stood out like an unfinished weld, one that would likely last forever, like the one she had on her ear.
A speechless Nick took in the view, pondering at what she wanted him to see. Before he could even reply with a face or an emotion, Judy took his vacant paw, guiding it carefully towards herself. She stuck his paw firm, enveloping the scar entirely underneath his gentle fingers. She wanted him to feel it; to understand.
"It's not bleeding Nick," she whispered.
With her digits, she encouraged him to explore it further.
"Does it hurt…" he responded, the fox tentatively caressed the uneven tactile sensation she allowed him to feel.
She smiled weakly at his comment, "Not as much as before now."
Judy felt the tingle that followed each of his motions, like a bittersweet tickle that once felt like needles that prodded her before his paw landed.
His eyes migrated to connect with hers, presenting her with a look of calming faithfulness.
"You're beautiful."