Bogo didn't remember much of the last time he'd woken up in the Intensive Care Unit. The only thing he remembered of that time was the pain, dulled by the drugs flowing through the IV in his arm, coming from the spot on his torso where that elephant's tusk had pierced him. Both his sister and the doctors told him that he had been very lucky, not only to be alive but that there were unlikely to be any long-term complications that could affect his ability to serve. Other than the mild PTSD of course, but with the right counseling even the flashbacks became nothing more than a rare and irritating occurrence.

Tonight was like déjà vu to the Cape buffalo, other than the location of the pain. Now it was coming from the left side of his neck. Bogo suddenly remembered what had caused that pain in the first place, and the rush of rage was enough to push him back to full consciousness.

The room was almost exactly as he had remembered, only the equipment surrounding him was slightly different. The corridor visible through the window blinds was also different, almost empty other than the two officers and Chief Trunchbull. The beeping of his heart monitor, on the other hand, was exactly the same.

"Captain!" Sergeant Higgins' massive face slid into Bogo's line of sight, small eyes wide with relief. "Captain, how're you doing?"

Bogo felt something cool brush his face as he turned his head, presumably the tubes attached to his nose. The monitor beeped faster. "Cunninghorn… that… that fuck… that fuckhead…"

Higgins grimaced with similar anger. "We know. The doctor told us. We've got an APB on him now. He'll pay for this, we'll make sure of that."

Bogo's anger abated with the knowledge that one way or another, Cunninghorn wouldn't get away with what he'd done, but hatred lingered in his gut. He would later lament the officers who had perished because of Cunninghorn's betrayal, some of whom he'd known since joining Precinct One. Bogo would make sure that rhino was nailed to the wall for this. Swinton wouldn't be able to protect him this time. In fact, she'd probably happily step aside.

His arm felt like a barbell as he reached up touch his neck. A dressing had been wrapped all the way around, tight like a collar.

"You probably shouldn't touch it." Higgins said. "Before you ask, you were only out for about eighteen hours, if that. The doc said it was a pretty straightforward surgery. They closed up the jugular and then closed up your hide with a few sutures. The scar probably won't even be that bad once your hair grows back."

Bogo closed his eyes, trying to remember what else had happened that night. It came in bits and pieces. Cunninghorn with his sharp knife. The chair blocking the bathroom door. Bogo pointing his gun at the wolf in the trench coat. The dead officer on the floor. Sedor attacking the door to the other penthouse. The cry of horror in the few seconds before Bogo passed out in a pool of his own blood.

Bogo's heart rate beeped faster than ever as he turned his head back toward Higgins. "Benjamin… where…"

Higgin's features softened. "He's fine. Commissioner Elba's having him moved to another safe house now."

Bogo would have collapsed into his bed if he hadn't already been lying in it. His voice wasn't as weak when he asked his next question. "Where was he? I couldn't find him in the penthouse."

"He was hiding in the other penthouse from Sedor and Ghostface." Higgins said.

"Who's Ghostface?" Bogo didn't remember seeing any Ghostface no matter how hard he tried.

"Sedor's accomplice. That's the one who shut the wolf in the bathroom. Yeah, the fox didn't lie about the wolf after all. Who would've thought? The accomplice was wearing a Ghostface mask and had a knife. Clawhauser said he managed to get a gun off of Officer Branson's body and scare them off." Higgins scratched his massive snout. "Or so he's told us."

Despite Higgin's warning, Bogo touched his neck again. Cunninghorn had cut him across his jugular. Six years ago he'd pursued a convicted killer across the Nocturnal District; when he finally caught up to the convict, he'd put a switchblade to his own throat and died in minutes. Bogo had barely been able to radio for an ambulance before the poor bastard bit it.

"How did they find me so quickly?" He asked. He had to know. The nearest unit had been ten minutes away. They never should have reached him in time.

Higgins shifted uncomfortably. "Ok, this is where it gets a little embarrassing. You see, most of us thought you were being played for a sucker. We'd all seen the 'super nice guy' act being played before, it seemed to good to be true. But when we got to the scene, an ambulance was right behind. Said they'd received a call about an officer with a slit throat. We escorted the paramedics up to the penthouse and we found that cheetah right next to you, applying direct pressure. Long story short, I owe you an apology. We all do."

"Jesus Christ." Bogo breathed as his mind summarized what Higgins had been meekly trying to say. Benjamin Clawhauser had saved his life.

Bogo lay there for a moment, his heart monitor beeping in his ears, almost overwhelmed by the blend of emotions welling up inside him. There was shock, gratitude, and a sense of fulfillment that his decision to defend that feline from the hypocrites of the ZPD had proved itself as the right one.

Then Higgins broke the silence. "You were right about him, Captain, and you were right about Cunninghorn. We don't know how many other cops are in on this, but the commissioner's not taking any more chances. Not even Chief Trunchbull knows where Clawhauser is now, but if you talk to the commissioner, he might let you in on it."

"No. No yet." Bogo said. He wanted to see Benjamin again, but he had no idea how he would thank the kid for everything he'd done. Knowing that he was out of City Hall's reach was enough, for now. "Where's Kathy?"

Higgins stood up. "I'll go get her."
"Get the doc too, while you're at it." Bogo reminded him,

Higgins saluted. "On it. In the meantime, do try and stay awake."

Kathryn arrived a few minutes later, carrying the stoic temperament befitting a Bogo, but Bogo knew that she was anything but stoic. She watched silently as the doctor, a horse, examined her younger brother and estimated that they would need to perform several tests to make sure no organ damage had been inflicted by the tremendous loss of blood, upon which she sniffed and wiped her eyes with the cloth for her glasses. When the doctor left, she threw her arms around her brother and sobbed into his ear. She thanked God her brother was alive, cursed Cunninghorn for what he'd done, and asked if it was possible to get five minutes in a room with the rhino upon his arrest.

"No." Bogo said.

"Four minutes?" Kathryn asked.

"No." Bogo repeated with growing amusement.

"One?"

"No."

Kathryn released him and sat down, her brown eyes tinged with red. "Guess I'll have to settle for watching him go down in court. Dr. McCanan said you'll in here for a few more days. Is there anything I can get you?"

"My stuff." Bogo said. "The stuff I was carrying. Where is it?"

"The hospital keeps belongings in storage for safekeeping if the patient is in no condition to handle them. Why, is there something you want?"

"My coat. Get it cleaned if you can. I like that coat."

Kathryn chuckled. "I'll see what I can do."

After that, the next several days became a mix of boredom, anxiety and eagerness to hear the news of Cunninghorn's arrest. At first, the uncertainty of whatever complications had been caused by his near-exsanguination had kept him confined to his bed, with only the regular updates from his sister and coworkers to keep his mind off the coming results. Kathryn's updates consisted of her work at the Tundratown General Hospital, which had become utterly grueling with the influx of victims of the criminal civil war, her only reprieve being the gorgeous new Orthopedic Surgeon working on her ward. Bogo's only response to her rambling had been to ask what Orthopedic meant.

Once the results came back and confirmed that other than another scar for his collection, no other damage had been done to his body, Bogo's thoughts turned their full focus to outside matters. While Kathryn's updates consisted of her personal life, McHorn and Higgins' updates consisted of what was going on at Precinct One since Higgins returned to active duty.

Like the dirty coward he was, Cunninghorn had taken all the valuables from his house and disappeared, and there had been no sign of him since. The press conference that took place the day after Bogo woke up in the ICU announced that they believed that the rhino's treacherous actions were connected to the gang war; while Bogo still did not trust City Hall's innocence in the affair, he was open to the possibility that Cunninghorn had been on Koslov's payroll along. Of course, Dawn Bellwether could always be counted upon to twist the incident in her favor.

The morning after the conference, the Meadowlands Gazette unleashed its latest headline, 'CUNNINGHORN CONNECTED TO CITY HALL CORRUPTION,' along with a mountain of reports of brutality, coercion and general misconduct that erupted to the surface like a newborn volcano, all allegedly buried by the same swine that had him promoted to Commander of Precinct One's T.U.S.K. Unit. Swinton and ZNN had sharply responded with insinuations that Bellwether had either acquired the reports illegally or outright falsified them, prompting an investigation that was still ongoing. Even worse, Internal Affairs had started an investigation of their own, to make sure that such a scandal never happened again. When Judy Hopps told him of the shitstorm stirring up at Precinct One, it was the first time since his hospitalization that Bogo felt glad that he was stuck in a hospital.

Judy's updates consisted solely of her search for the sniper that escaped from the Arctic House Shootout. Much like Cunninghorn, 'Mark II' had completely disappeared after the Penthouse invasion, but unlike Cunninghorn the media had neglected to mention he'd even existed. The bunny had taken said neglect poorly to say the least and responded by doubling her efforts to capture the sniper, to the point that she even worked off duty. Bogo had spent Judy's visits trying to convince her to stop, but he'd been unable to put his heart into it. Reminding her of the importance of working as a team had been a moot point, as Higgins and McHorn were too dedicated to hunting down Cunninghorn to help her. Then there was the fact that a part of Bogo, in spite of his lingering concerns of a rabbit on the force working alone, wanted her to keep going, not just for his and Benjamin's sake, but for Wilde's as well. Wilde had been the only predator to recover from turning savage. He'd told them the wolf had shot him with some kind of serum. If that had been true as well, then there was something far more insidious to the savage attacks than mere biology. They had to find him and get answers before the ram or the wolf tracked him down and silenced him for good.

Chief Trunchbull had paid two visits, the first time to needlessly apologize for provoking Cunninghorn into attempted murder, and the second to warn Bogo that two mammals from IA would be coming to ask him a few questions. Come they did, and Bogo pulled no punches telling them that they should have dealt with Cunninghorn a long time ago. Not one visitor told him the news he most desperately wanted to hear, the whereabouts of Benjamin Clawhauser, until Commissioner Morgan Elba came to seem him one week into his hospital stay.

"You?" Bogo said in disbelief upon being told who was currently responsible for the cheetah's safety. "That's… unorthodox."

Elba nodded, both hooves atop his cane as he sat on the bench across from Bogo in the hospital's smallest garden. "Chief Trunchbull used that exact same word when I told him. Look, the plain fact is that our designated safe houses are no longer safe, not until we find out how those assassins discovered Clawhauser's location. As of now he is residing in a place even not even Trunchbull knows about."

"Where?" Bogo leaned forward eagerly. "If it wasn't for him I would have bled to death long before backup arrived. I'm the last mammal in this city who would want to hurt him, sir."

"Believe me, I know." Elba said with a small smile. "But we can't take any chances this time. I think you and I both know that there is a larger game afoot. Clawhauser is a loose end, and his friend Wilde is even looser. I suspect the only reason no-one has made an attempt on his life yet is because they don't know where he is."

"But you do, sir." Bogo replied. "Isn't there a way to contact him at least? A letter, nothing that could be hacked?"

"I'm afraid not. Any form of contact is too risky." Elba said.

"Commissioner, I want to talk to him."

"Captain, now is not the time to be stubborn."

Bogo clenched his fists around the cool metal arms of the bench. He thought of Cunninghorn's betrayal and Swinton's lies. "I haven't heard a word from Benjamin since the night I was almost killed. No-one has heard a word from him. Except for you. How do I know he's really okay?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elba asked, frowning.

Bogo didn't know if it was gut instinct or paranoia that had him on edge, but his gaze was cold stone as he spoke. "For all we know, Cunninghorn may not have been the only dirty cop on the force. He did everything he could to get that cheetah in his clutches, and now that he's been exposed, here you are, holding him somewhere where not even the ZPD can find him."

Elba blinked, realizing Bogo's point. "Captain Bogo, I can understand your suspicion but he is safe."

"How do I know that if you won't let me see or talk to him?" Bogo asked. "How do I know he is safe with you?"

Elba sighed and rubbed his temple. Bogo watched him silently, waiting to see if he'd won the argument. Elba's response was blunt and quiet. "You want proof."

"Yes. I owe it to him to make sure he's safe." Bogo said. "I can't make sure unless I see for myself."

"It's not that simple." Elba said.

"If you won't prove to me that he's safe, then I'll find out for myself." Bogo stiffened slightly as he said this, well aware of the insubordination he was committing. He fell silent again, awaiting Elba's answer.

Elba tilted his head back to release another sigh. "You and Officer Hopps are not so different, you know."

"I'm starting to realize that, sir." Bogo said warily. "But I care about him, sir. Do you know what it's like to have someone you care about and have no idea where they are, or if they're even still alive?"

Elba shut his eyes tight for a good while. "Far more than you could ever fathom, Captain Bogo."

Having not expected such an answer, Bogo felt guilt so strong it made his neck ache. "Who?"

Elba spoke softly. "Someone you wouldn't know. I met her during the final days of the Roarcadia Incident. Before the meltdown."

Bogo clasped his hooves together. "I'm sorry, sir."

Elba put his weight on his cane and stood up. "It's a longer story that your story with Clawhauser, but since you are one of the few mammals in this city who actually seems to give a damn about him, then perhaps I can arrange a video chat."

That was more than Bogo could have hoped for. "Thank you, sir."

"It will have to be in private. After you are discharged. Afterward, his status must be kept in absolute secrecy. Do you understand?"

Bogo nodded. "Completely, sir."

Elba reached over his cane and patted Bogo's shoulder. "Get well soon, Captain. With luck you'll be out of here before the big debate next week."

"Debate?" Bogo asked, and then grimaced. "Oh, that debate."

"Oh, do chin up." Elba said with a chuckle. "It's one thing to be political rivals, but the feud between those two is bound to make this a debate to remember. My next door neighbor's even bought popcorn."

"People today are so easily entertained." Bogo said dryly.

"Chief Trunchbull was right about you. You don't amuse easily." Elba's ears swayed slightly as the wind began to pick up. "It's time I got back to dealing with that debacle in Tundratown."

"You do have a plan, don't you?" Bogo asked doubtfully. It wasn't Elba he doubted, but the members of City Hall he was almost certainly working with.

"As a matter of fact, we do." Elba said. "We're going to find Sedor Valentino and prove that Mr. Big was not behind his abduction. His disappearance led to the beginning of this war, but bringing him back could encourage the gangs to declare a truce."

"You hope." Bogo stated.

Elba nodded. "We hope."