An intense pounding in Judy's head disturbed her from her slumber. It was a familiar sensation, but at least it wasn't as unbearable like last time. Only now she had no clue as to what was causing it, but either way she was awake now—barely. She groaned and lifted her head from the tilted position it was in. It just now occurred to her that she had fallen asleep in the kitchen, sitting on the floor with Nick laying next to her, his chin still propped on her lap.
She sighed, slightly disappointed that the events of last night were real and that it wasn't just a strange dream she had. Now she had to figure out how she was going to handle all of this. She had to keep Nick's state of mind a secret, no one could know about what happened. But how was she supposed to explain his absence at work? They were cops, calling in sick at the last minute wasn't acceptable. She'd have to come up with some sort of lie to tell Chief Bogo, and a damn good one if she didn't want him to get suspicious.
As well as covering for him at work, she was also left to figure out how to obtain an antidote for Night Howlers. Sure, doctors found a cure not too long ago, but it wasn't a countertop medicine that could be purchased at a local pharmacy. It was only available at hospitals, strictly reserved for "savage" patients if there were any.
Judy's eyes focused on the sleeping fox at her side, once again stroking his fur just to feel how soft it was. Her movements didn't wake him, but she noticed his ear flick slightly whenever she brushed her fingers near it. She formed a small smile, but it wasn't long-lasting, since her mind soon traveled elsewhere.
How was she supposed to take care of him until she could figure out what to do? Usually Nick was the one who took care of her, surprisingly enough. Whenever she was low on money, he would buy her groceries and would always refuse her offers to pay him back. When she was under the weather, he would make her soup and provide her with proper medicine. When she was lonely, he would keep her company. When she was sad, he was there to make her laugh. He stood up for her, he helped her, he looked out for her. Whenever she needed him, he was there. Always.
This was beyond anything either of them knew how to deal with. However, if they were in opposite places, Nick would do whatever it took to help her. So she had to do the same for him, no matter the cost.
First, she'd have to deal with the sudden nausea she began to feel after a minute of sitting in silence. She covered her mouth, carefully scooting away from Nick so his head would rest against the floor, then made a run for it toward the bathroom.
Her attempts to not awaken the fox were unsuccessful, though. The sound of her running away and vomiting from afar alerted him, which of course woke him up and sent him on a search to find her. He followed the sounds into the bathroom and was relieved to find Judy, but seeing her in distress didn't make him feel successful.
Nick frowned and walked over to her as she continued to puke into the toilet. She hardly noticed him at first, but she knew he was there. She was too focused on the sickening sensation overwhelming her body, mostly her stomach. Why was she still throwing up so much? For the past couple days she often found herself running to the bathroom to let out a spew. It might've been food poisoning or some kind of stomach bug.
"I should really see a doctor about this." She mumbled to herself, holding her head as she slouched against the bathtub. The amount of times she felt nauseas was becoming a concern to her and if she didn't feel better soon, she'd have to go to urgent care.
But that was a problem for later. Right now her main priority was Nick.
The fox frowned sympathetically and stepped closer to her, placing his chin on her knees. She could tell he wanted to help her, but there wasn't much he could do, especially not now. Judy gave him a weak smile and rubbed her paw up on his head. "I guess you're gonna have to stay home by yourself today."
She didn't feel comfortable about that, considering Nick's behavior was unpredictable at the moment and during her absence he could easily tear up her whole apartment. Plus, she had neighbors and if they heard any ruckus, it would just cause alarm. And that's the last thing Judy needed to happen.
"What am I supposed to do?" She asked quietly. Nick tilted his head, still having trouble understanding what she was saying. But at least he was able to detect her emotions, and he knew something was troubling her.
She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling in thought, "The right thing to do would be to turn you in, but I can't do that! But if I don't, I'd be endangering the city. But if I tell anyone what happened, they'll probably put a muzzle on you, and I can't let that happen."
As she was rambling, a particular spoken word suddenly caught Nick's attention. Muzzle. He didn't know how but he understood what that meant, and it stirred up an unpleasant feeling inside. He didn't remember why, but the thought of having a restraint over his mouth made him unbelievably uncomfortable and afraid.
His ears lowered and he backed away, staring at the floor with a nervous frown. What if it was true? Was he going to be muzzled if someone else found him like this?
Judy looked over at him upon hearing a couple whimpers. Her eyes went wide as she felt a rush of guilt wave over. Even in this state, she knew better than to use that word around him. She knew he had a traumatic experience with muzzles—which was the main reason why she knew she couldn't report him to the authorities.
She quickly got on her knees and scooted closer to the terrified fox. "Hey, hey. It's okay, Nick. Nothing's gonna happen. You're alright, you're safe." She said calmly, attempting to ease him from his anxiety. But he was hardly looking at her, he was too lost in his mind. It was strange to see him like this, so panicked and fearful.
Nice going, Hopps. She mentally scolded herself. She gently held his face, trying to make him look at her. "Nick, listen to me. I promise I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?"
But no amount of reassurance seemed to help. Nick pulled himself out of her touch and moved to the corner of the bathroom, sitting as far away from her as possible with his head turned away. Judy frowned as the guilt from before increased dramatically. Clearly she couldn't calm him down right now, and he just needed a minute to himself.
Well, there was no point in sitting there doing nothing. She was already behind her morning routine as it was and if she didn't start soon, she would be late for work, and then she'd never hear the end of it from the chief. She sighed and picked herself up off the floor, slowly leaving the bathroom to get ready.
It took longer than usual to put on her uniform and fix her appearance due to the unexplained exhaustion she felt. Maybe it was because she had a lot on her plate and she wasn't in the mood to deal with any of it. But she didn't have much of a choice. When she was finally ready to leave, she popped a breath mint into her mouth and grabbed her keys, making her way out into the living room.
The sounds of her keys jingling together must've been what caught Nick's ear. She barely made it to the door before she heard his paws walking on the title floor behind her. She had honestly assumed he wouldn't notice her leaving, but apparently his moment of anxiousness was done.
Judy turned around, seeing the fox stare at her confused, questioning where she was going. "I'm sorry, Nick, but I have to go to work." She said, reluctantly. She saw his face drop at that, like he knew already that she was going to be gone for a while. "Don't worry, I'll be back later. And I'll bring you some food on the way home, okay?"
She gently scratched his cheek, then began to walk away. But Nick wouldn't have this. He couldn't let her leave and be away for who knows how long! What if she got hurt and he wasn't there to help her? He whimpered before swiftly running around her and stopping right in front of the door, blocking her path so she wouldn't have a way out.
Judy was taken aback, but her surprise turned into irritation in a matter of seconds. "Nick, seriously. I have to go. Like, now." She said, attempting to walk around him. But he just continued to stand in her way, whimpering to beg for her not to go.
"Nick, stop it." She said in a firm tone to let him know she was serious. "I promise I'll be back, but you have to let me go now, okay?"
Seeing as how reasoning with him wasn't working, she decided to try the harder way. She ducked under his legs and quickly crawled under his body, approaching the door right away. Nick huffed and turned around, his worry increasing as she opened the door. Although she had to squeeze her way through it's opening, since she didn't want him having a chance to escape.
"I'll be back soon, I promise." She said, still keeping her face in his view even as she was outside. "Try not to mess up the apartment. Please."
And with that, she shut the door, leaving Nick all by himself. He remained where he was, just staring at the door with a pleading expression. He secretly hoped Judy would return right away, so he stayed put in his spot in anticipation for her arrival, occasionally scratching the door to see if he could open it.