Chapter Sixty-Four
The Pride Before the Fall

"Alright everybody, settle down. I said settle down!" Stood before the amassed officers of the ZPD, Bogo chuckled as the officers made for their seats, still calling out excitedly to one another, with a few paper airplanes even being thrown between them.

"Settle down, I say," he yelled, beating his fist down upon his lectern, while hiding his smile behind a furious glower, and stopping the noise and kerfuffling instantly. "Let's get through this debriefing quickly and efficiently, so we can move on to other, more enjoyable matters." The officers before him settled down in their seats — Judy Hopps shuffling herself slightly closer to Nick. They glanced to one another with a smile, but quickly turned their attention back to their chief, as he continued to talk through the reading of his notes.

"Now, let's not get too bogged down with the details and findings of the investigation. We'll leave that for later. For now, let's just say it was a great success. All known criminals have been taken into custody, including the foremammle and their boss. And we've found a good deal of paperwork, which Clawhauser is currently examining. With a little luck, it'll tell us the location of some of the other Hives.

"The crate of drugs and weapons, first discovered by Officer Hopps, has been fully retrieved. Said drugs and munitions are already on their way to be destroyed. The only things we have to worry from tonight are a couple of injuries. One of the workers of Erkin had an 'accident' and ended up in a pretty bad way. But as long as he doesn't sue us, who cares? And Officer Wolfard sustained marginal injuries from a bullet wound."

"So, it's official," he added, looking up from his notes and leaning on his lectern, "Wolfard is now one of the 'old crowd', and I hope you all remember to welcome him with top-level goading the next time we reconvene." The senior officers chuckling in the back of the room, Bogo returned to his notes. "On a more minor point, it has been reported by a preliminary sweep of our forensics team that—"

The door swung slowly open, and everyone snapped to look at who that was. A large officer was stood in the doorway, his gaze unmoving as it swept across them. Setting his notes carefully down, Chief Bogo cleared his throat and stepped ahead. He came to a stop in line with the newcomer, idling before all of his officers. He nodded towards the figure at the door and greeted, "McHorn."

"Chief," the rhino said in return, the doors swinging shut behind him.

The silence lingered. Hopps and Wilde returned their eyes to the front of the room, staring blankly at the wall — not daring to look at either McHorn or Bogo. At length, Bogo broke the silence, "I hear you have a grievance against two of my officers."

"Yes, Sir."

"Care to discuss it in my office?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very well. Head there now. I'll be there shortl—"

"Permission to take the floor, Sir." Bogo said nothing but watched McHorn carefully for a long moment. He glanced down to Hopps and Wilde, who were still staring blankly into the wall, and then turned back up to the rhino. His head inclined to a nod and his body stepped aside. McHorn marched proudly between the rows of silent tables, stopping when he reached the front of the room, where Bogo had been standing. He turned and faced the front; all the while Bogo was watching him, carefully.

The tight expression of the rhino turned downwards towards the fox and the rabbit, who were trying to avoid his gaze, and he cleared his throat authoritatively towards them. "Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde: your attention, please." The two complied, their expressions unsure and their eyes flicking to Bogo and back, as McHorn unwaveringly bore at their direction. He stepped closer, positioning himself directly at the feet Nick and Judy's table.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since you kicked me out of the briefing, Officer Hopps," he said, sternly. "And I have come to the conclusion: I may have been out of order in my behavior. My intention in raising my concern was only to safeguard our fellow officers and the security of Zootopia, by ensuring only those, with the required training and experience, are put in charge of conducting its operations… Though, I fear, my outburst may have come off sounding more speciest and prejudicial than I had intended."

"You are still only junior officers," he continued through his pause of thoughts. "You do possess an almost impeccable record and have already saved the city by foiling the Bellwether Incident. However, command is a different matter entirely, and it was simply my opinion that, despite a few lucky brakes and some top-level detective work early on in your career, it does not change the fact you have had noleadership or organizational training whatsoever." Adjusting his sleeve collar, McHorn cleared his throat and took a long breath.

"My opinion in this matter still stands... though, I admit, an apology is in order for my conduct. Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde..." standing bold upright and eyes ahead, the rhino raised a hoof in a perfect salute... "I offer you my most sincere apologies for my aforementioned conduct and any possible insubordination thereupon. I do not expect to be instantly forgiven. I only hope you can at least see my point of view."

McHorn remained unmoving and silent, a statue frozen in a salute. Judy's gaze peeled to Bogo, hoping he would nod, shake his head or offer any kind of signal as to what she should do. No such luck. Bogo was leaving her fully to her own decision, her own judgment. This was a test, she knew. She fought for the right answer, but... did Bogo want to see her leniency and trust in her fellow officers? Or did he want to see if she had it in her to apply discipline when the moment required? The rabbit shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was being an idiot. Of course she couldn't act differently simply because she thought Bogo wanted her to. She had to act how she would if she was in command. She had to be herself.

"Officer McHorn," Judy decided, her voice only slightly strained. "I thank you for the eloquence of your apology and the, ehm... bluntness, with which you stated your opinion. On reflection, I also feel I could have acted differently to prevent your— I mean, you know what happened, so…"

Pulling herself taller on her chair, Judy re-affirmed herself. "Your behavior leaves a lot to be desired. A senior officer such as yourself should, in my opinion, have been far more professional in voicing the concerns than you were— But... I am grateful, also, that you have stepped forward and apologized like this. Though I feel that... Bogo willing... some kind of action may need to be taken… just to make sure we can trust each other and work together safely from now on… I would be happy to accept your apology."

McHorn's salute relaxed, with a sighed breath and a lowered gaze, to the standing rabbit before him. "Thank you, Officer Hopps. I appreciate it." At the back of the room, a white polar bear started to clap her paws. Snarlov's clapping caught on quickly and soon every officer was applauding the outcome — a more-or-less affable outcome for everyone, from what could have been a very nasty and problematic confrontation.

Bogo stepped closer to McHorn, his speech muted to the others by their clappings and called-out well-wishings. "McHorn," he muttered, "forget about my office for now. You know where the drinks are?"

"Well, yes, Sir."

"Good, go bring them in." McHorn turned and made to leave the room — glancing to Nick and Judy's relieved expressions and nodding to them with a small, though not unmissed, nod of respect. The two smaller officers smiled back at him, turning back to one another as he stepped past them and exited through the way he had come. "Alright, everyone," Bogo called out over the general chatter, which had followed McHorn's appearance, "just one more thing before we can move on. After the celebration, I will be continuing with my interrogation of the fennec fox, Frank, who was in charge at Erkin."

"You're performing the interrogation personally?" Rhinowitz chuckled, "I'd hate to see how that fox looks when you're through with him."

"Hey," Bogo replied, his voice sarcastically smooth, "I'm just an old softy really. I don't shout or get angry. I just offer comforting words and Angel cakes, until they decide to tell me what they know."

"Aw, come of it," the rhino called back, "you're the toughest damn interrogator here. I've never met anyone who could stand up against you for more than half an hour."

Bogo chuckled, darkly, and turned back to his notes. "Finally," he continued without addressing the last comment, "I will need to have a brief word with Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde. Not at the same time." Beside her, Judy heard Nick's intake of breath at the prospect — or perhaps just the idea he was going to have to free Finnick, either before or while Bogo was interrogating him. Either way, reaching between them, Hopps pushed her paw into Nick's and squeezed it, reassuringly.

"I think that concludes the debriefing," Bogo finalized, giving his notes one final glance-over. "So, without any unnecessary delay—" The doors at the back of the room swung open, and McHorn paced in, holding crates of beer under both arms. "Let the carousing begin!"

The resultant cheer filled the room, as the crates of alcohol were dropped down upon the back table and pulled open by the large rhino. The officers erupted from their seats and made their way towards the back, chatting and joking with one another, with the knowledge of this being a reward for a good job well done. At the front table, Judy turned to Nick in quizzical surprise, to which he shrugged back. "Guess this is just how things go after a raid," he said over the noise.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea if we have any," Hopps more like told herself. "We should keep our heads clear, considering the 'job' you're gonna—" Nick shushed her to be silent, spotting Bogo pinning a wary eye towards them. The fox forced himself not to show any outward signs of unease or guilt, and managed to instill his signature smile as the tall buffalo came close towards them.

Bogo kept his gaze firmly upon Nick, as he stepped closer, but then turned to Judy with the words of, "Hopps, a word."

Judy took a hitch of air, "At once, Sir."

The Chief nodded his head towards the door at the front of the room. "My ready room," he bid with steps towards it, "now."

"Sir, is Nick— can Wilde come with me?"

"No." The door to Bogo's ready room shut, the chief of police on the other side.

Judy glanced over to Nick with a disappointed expression, but her ears pricked up as an idea suddenly came. "I... I could distract Bogo," she said in a hush. "You cloud slip out, and—"

"There's no time for that, Carrots," he whispered. "Besides, everyone's gonna notice I've left. Go on. I'd say you have about five seconds to get in there before Bogo comes back to drag you in."

"Alright, Nick, I'll— I'll see you—"

"Hopps! Now!"

"Coming, Sir!" Judy blurted to the buffalo behind the door, jumping down from her chair and hurrying towards him.

...

The inside of Bogo's ready room was darker than it was in the bullpen, and the sound of merrymaking was muted by the wall between them. The softness and quietness was soothing to the chief of police, who leaned back against the coolness of the wall, while waiting for Hopps to appear. He sighed, distantly — it had been a very long day, and Bogo was more than exhausted. He hardly had the strength to shout, and yet he had done so anyway.

"Any other person my age would be at home in bed by this time," he muttered to himself, bitterly. "But no, not me. I have to stay up another hour until my officers bugger off back home. And then probably another hour after that to talk to that Frank fellow. Then I'll have to talk through with Nick about Jack, and that'll probably take all night. Then I'll be back here again Friday morning and— oh, god, I need a holiday."

Raising a hoof, Bogo buried his face into it, holding his eyes tight as though trying to catch a few seconds of sleep in this upright, standing position. The door began swinging open, and the Chief hurriedly returned to a natural state. He faced Judy, who was peeking timidly in through the doorframe. "Sir, I'm erm... can I come in?"

Bogo chuckled, sitting down and gesturing for Hopps to do the same across from him. "There's no need to worry, Hopps. This shouldn't take long." Nodding, Judy shut the door behind her and came into the room, sitting where Bogo was pointing.

"Officer Hopps," he began, purposefully, "despite all the action and developments during, and following the raid on Erkin Electrics, I haven't forgotten about the fatality in your apartment. I am aware this will have caused some emotional distress; likewise, it has not slipped my mind that you will be requiring a safe location to inhabit, while you search for a new abode."

"Oh, I ehm — I have a feeling Wilde just may be able to offer me a bed for a few—"

"Therefore, I have been in touch with the pertinent people, and I have made available to you a safehouse in a secure location in the southwest side of Precinct One."

"Oh, Sir, that really was kind of you but it won't be... wait," she stuttered, her speech drifting to a stop when the Chief's words registered in her head. "Where?"

Bogo smirked in amusement. "That's right, Hopps," he said smoothly, "the 'posh' part of the city."

Judy squinted. "The ZPD has a safehouse in the 'posh' part of Precinct One?"

Bogo shrugged. "A statehouse needs to be in a secure location, Hopps. And it just so happens that the most 'secure' parts of the city tend to be those in the more upper-class areas." Visions of pleasure flashed into Judy's mind. Visions of her and Nick spending the weekend together in what was basically a five-star, self-catering hotel. Nick's apartment was nice — wonderful, compared with Hopps' own one-room apartment — but gosh, the houses over in that side of the city were just something else entirely. Tonight they had planned to share a bed together and take things all the way 'physically'... so how much more special would it be to do it with Nick in a luxurious bedroom, with an exquisite view of the setting sun and in a wonderfully gigantic bed with a feather mattress…

Judy tried, and failed, to keep the excitement out of her voice as she quickened, "Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much, I'll take you up on your offer. It sounds great!"

"Good, I'll have Clawhauser give you the keys and address on your way out. Now, get back in there and join in the festivities. Have a drink. That's an order! You don't have to be the model officer all the time, you know."

"Well thanks, Sir, but I— I really have to get going, actually. I, ughm... I just have to go. I'm tired and— and Nick and I have a day-out planned for tomorrow."

"Arh, yes. The two of you have the weekend off, do you not?"

"Yes, Sir, we do— I mean, unless you need Nick to make up for that unpaid overtime he owes you… you know, for letting the two of us take half of Monday off?"

The Chief's brow furrowed for a moment until his memory kicked in. "Oh, that. I'd forgotten about that overtime." Bogo thought for a moment, gazing off into nothing. Then, he simply sighed. "Tell Wilde he can forget about making up those hours. He's done enough over the past few days to make up for all that."

"Wow. Really, Sir? Thanks."

Pulling a sheet over, Bogo started scribbling notes on a piece of paper. "He's a slacker, Hopps. But when the moment comes, I need everyone working at their best at the moment when it really matters. Wilde pulls harder and longer than almost anyone else on the force."

"Well... if you're planning to let Nick's overtime slide, then... what actually do you want to speak with him for?"

"That will be all, Hopps," he concluded without room for complaint, while not moving an eye from his papers. Judy's prior expression of unease returning slightly, she stood, saluted Bogo smartly, climbed down from her chair and made her way from the room.

"Of course," Bogo added out of nowhere as Judy's paw touched upon the doorhandle, "one last thing I need to talk to you and Wilde for, is about this 'promotion' I promised you." Judy turned back with a look of near wonder, and Bogo finally glanced up with a slight smirk. "But as you say, it's late, and you need your rest. We'll talk about that more on Monday."

…

Saint Bernard's Hospital, like every other clinic in the modern world, was made up of corridors after corridors of wide, white corridors with tall doors and posters of medical advice on the walls that were populated by waterless-paw-sanitizers. Waiting rooms were stocked with magazines, newspapers and children toys to help distract the occupants of the rooms from the thoughts that either them or their loved ones were in need of medical attention. And finally were the large, well-lit operating stations, with imposing beds and overhanging, adjustable lights that had rows of shining, stainless steel tools of operation.

A van pulled into the hospital car park. A group of people with a stretcher stood waiting, as the EMT van pulled up beside them and stopped. The backside lowered into a ramp to the ground, and the paramedics rushed inside, emerging a moment later with the motionless and bloody form of a badger carried between them.

All was quiet as they rushed off towards the main building. Then, emerging from the van, a white-coated hare stepped outside, pulling her collar up against the chill wind as she overlooked the retreating paramedics. Flo turned back towards the van. "This way, please, Mister Wolfard." A second later, the gray and white-patched wolf stepped out of the back of the van, watching as the paramedics and stretcher disappeared inside. He had shoehorned himself out of his raid armor, and was only left with the trousers and shirt he had had beneath it, as well as a warm fleece he had picked up before they had left.

The wolf hurried up beside the hare. "This way's the Accident and Emergency entrance," she said. "We'll have to walk around to the main entrance. Come on." Without glancing back, Flo paced away across the tarmac road, parallel to the side of the hospital. She folded her collar and small lapels tighter over her exposed neck, because her lab coat, though long, wasn't designed for keeping the elements away. Wolfard watched the hare as she paced before him. Another shiver of cold ran through her, made visible by the twitching of a number of muscles through her body. The inside of the van had been well-heated, but there was a definite chill in the air outside.

Looking down at himself and thinking for half a moment, Wolfard reached for the zip of his thick fleece. Nurse Flo continued silently ahead of the wolf. She heard him unzipping his fleece, of course, but was too busy thinking, over all the patients she would have to check up on before calling it a night, to give it much thought. That was, until a sudden additional weight appeared on her shoulders, and the cold breeze, which had cut straight through her, lost strength. The hare froze, looking down at the oversized fleece draped over her... and the pair of large, heavy paws resting on her shoulders. "What're you doing?"

"I'm, heh... giving you my jacket?"

"You're touching me." Heat building around his face, the wolf hurriedly pulled his paws away. Flo started walking once again, her pace slower and appropriate for Wolfard to journey almost beside her, rather than three paces behind.

"I... I can take it back if you're uncomfortable with me, huh—"

She half-turned to him, her expression neutral. "Well, have you fleas?"

"Eh— no! No, of course not."

"Very well then," she concluded, trying not to sound too ungrateful, or too grateful, at the same time. "Trusting your personal hygiene is not overly unclean, and taking into account the difference in the thicknesses of fur, then I suppose logic dictates I should be grateful for this act."

"Well, gee," the wolf drew in befuddlement and a rub upon his forehead, "no need to go all mushy on me. It's nice just to be, heh... thanked?"

"'Thanks' would be an accurate synonym, yes."

"Well then, you're welc—"

Flo grimaced. "Is this a dog biscuit in your pocket?"

"Ughm, I think so, yes."

"These things are so bad for you! Do you have any idea how much sugar they pump into these? Plus, they can get caught up in the teeth, work their way into the gum and cause all sorts of long-term problems there."

The wolf started to laugh, but his amusement drained through the doubt. "You... you're not joking, are you?"

She stopped and turned. "I am a medical professional, Mister Wolfard. I do not joke about health." The tall hare glared sternly into the wolf's eyes for a moment; before, she shifted and made her way towards the hospital entrance. "Come along, Wolfard," she said, placing a paw on his arm and encouraging him to walk beside her.

Flo kept her paw on his arm, because it was frosty, and she needed to get him inside quickly so they could both warm-up... That was the excuse she made herself for doing it.

For Wolfard, it was strange. He licked his lips and pushed his mind to work, but apparently it was giving him cognitive errors.

There was this new hotness around him, which went against all reason as he had removed his fleece, and the wind was ferociously trying to stifle him…

Author's notes:

Hesitance jumps around your mind,

Grooms decision thus chosen blind.

Your thoughts most succulent of snack,

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