Chapter One Hundred and Three
Fields Officer
The soft beeps and hisses leaving them behind, Nicholas Wilde made his way back to the main corridors of the hospital, following in the footsteps of the hare who walked just ahead and keeping his attention carefully fixed upon the figure upon the bed which Flo pushed just ahead of her.
"When... will she regain consciousness?"
"Nick, please," Flo repeated for an annoyed time, "results of her CT aside, she still needs immediate medical attention. I'll answer your questions once she's back in her room." The fox nodded, realization dawning on him that he could be making himself useful, rather than standing around asking questions, so he hurried his pace to join Flo's side, lending his own weight into pushing the Judy-baring medical bed.
"You do amazing work, Nurse. I can't ever thank you enough for the time and care you've taken to look after Hopps while she's been down."
A smile twitched upon the Flo. "Thank you, Officer Wilde. From what I've heard of you, you appear to be a satisfactorily able law enforcer."
"Oh, a great compliment I'm sure."
"I don't follow the news much, but from what little I've heard, and what I've seen of the two of you since coming here, I'd say you two would have been an undesirable authority to come across for any delinquents." The conversation fell silent then, with enough suddenness for even Flo to realize something was amiss. "Something of issue?" she prompted with her focused attention.
"Past tense. 'Would have been'."
"I... am sorry, Mister Wilde, I didn't intend to— it was a slip of..." Taking her paws from the rail of Judy's medical bed, the nurse stopped and put her paw upon the fox's wrist. She slowed him to a stop in the white corridor, the other nurses continuing to transfer Judy back to her room.
"You told me there were no major complications," Nick said in subtle accusation, his voice strained, guessing the nature of why Flo had stopped him. "You said she was gonna have a pretty much full recovery."
"And she will. Physically. In time."
"And mentally?"
"Psychology, Mister Wilde, is an altogether different field of science."
"But... you're saying what, she's gonna want to give up police work?"
"Possible. She will almost certainly associate police work with the attack."
"She'll get over it though, right? Like she gets over everything, with her bravery and her strength and her sense of justice and duty."
"I cannot answer that question."
"Sure. Sure, sorry." The hare watched the fox's reaction, his ears flattening against his head, his shoulders slumping, his tail raising and then thumping down on the floor behind him.
Flo adjusted her black-rimmed glasses as she considered the denotations of her observations, judging that a few more words of advice would go a long way to affirming his resolve. "But... and while I'm anything but a psychologist, from what I've observed of Officer Hopps, she is an extraordinarily strong-willed person. My fears for her psychological welfare are minimal."
"So, psychological aside, Nurse, what do you make of her physical recovery? Her CT scan?"
"No significant changes in the wellbeing of her skull fracture."
"And there's no further consigns that've come up? No extra complications her fall caused?"
"No, Nick. As you supposed to me, it appears Judy fell upon her shoulder first, and rolled onto her back. There have been no complications to her cranial fracture, and no long-term damage to her spinal fracture."
"Thank... thank g—"
"It's still very severe, Mister Wilde. It may not be threatening, but the unnecessary strain put upon her muscles, upon her recovering muscles, is still very damaging. The trauma has opened up wounds all across her body. The other nurses are working to clean and stich now; once I'm done talking over it with you, I'll join them."
"Then... then go, Nurse. Please, go help Judy."
Flo motioned as though to do as the fox had asked, but she paused and looked back at him. His eyes didn't look right. She took a step back in his direction and spoke to him, softly, "You don't look well. How do you feel?"
"Yeah, just... you know, it's not wonderful what's happened."
"Aside from that. Any headaches? Feelings of cramp?"
"A little. But, don't worry about me, Flo, I'm fine. Go help Judy, she needs you more than I do."
An understanding smile upon her lips, the hare nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Nick. Sit down and try to eat something though, okay?"
Stepping back from the fox, Flo took her leave to the one-bed medical room where Judy had spent most of the day. Sighing, the fox stared forlornly upon the solid surface of the door. One day... and it already felt like six months. He sighed again, his shoulders rising and falling as he leaned against the door frame. An ear flicked. His nostrils twitched.
"Fields," he guessed, turning to the lynx approaching him from the side. "You found your way up here then?" He tried to keep a lightness and touch of humor to his voice, but knew that the grief and anxiety he was suffering was plain on his face, even with all the years he'd invested lying about his emotions to people.
"Hey, Wh— Officer Wilde. I have... em— I have your radio."
The fox put out a paw to take the device the lynx proffered towards him. It took a second for her to let go. Drawing his paw back slowly, the fox removed his current radio and began to attach the replacement. "How..." She nodded at the door. "How is Judy?"
"Not quite in the mood for company just now."
"I... I'm not asking, for... just... know what, never mind."
An ear pricking, the fox tilted his head. "You okay, Fields?"
"I... should go." The lynx suddenly gave leave, abandoning a confused fox with spiked curiosity, which made him skip after her to the adjustment with her pace. "Hey, Fields, what happened? Geez, you were talkative enough in the car on the ride over— what's caused this?"
"I don't want... don't make me say."
Just as she reached to open the door to the staircase, Nick's paw clamped upon the handle and shoved the door closed, which brought his body close to hers. She turned to look upon him. "Fields," he said, unphased by their closeness, "as a superior officer of the ZPD, I'm asking you to tell me."
"I..." almost wilting, the lynx's gaze fell. "I met Officer Hopps' mother, on the way in. She said that you'd... assaulted her son. Knocked him out."
"Well, uh," Nick tip-toed nervously in his words with a glance to see if there was anyone around them. "Come on, how about we walk over here?" Touching a paw on her shoulder, the fox started leading the lynx down the corridor and back to Judy's door. "Look, there... there was an 'event' between Billy and me. And... yeah, maybe he did end up knocked out. But it was only in self-defense, Fields. He hit me first."
"So she was right? A civilian, you took down a civilian in a hospi—"
"It doesn't matter where or who. You get attacked, you defend yourself."
"But it's Hopps' mother's son— it's Officer Hopps' brother!"
"And? You should research old case files more, Auxiliary."
Slowly, the lynx bit upon her lip. "Auxiliary," she repeated, resentment heavy in her voice. "I'm trying, Officer Wilde, I am trying my very best to do the right thing. You're just... Bonnie was right," she shot, turning from his emerald gaze, "you are different in person."
The fox squinted. "Different? What're you talking about?"
"I have followed you, Officer Wilde. You've inspired me, you do inspire me. Whenever a report you've written became publically available, I'd read it. Every time you've made a public appearance on the news, I've watched it. Every pho— hm-hmn... uh, every newspaper I've found a photo of you inside, I've cut it out, put it into a book back home," she giggled in a cute manner, still faced away from the fox. "I've... I've got you on my wall. A four foot poster, hung beside my bed."
Clearing her throat, Fields judged it time to face the fox, and she finally did so with carefulness in her dark browns. "So... what I'm saying is, I'm kinda a fan of yours. But, now... now I meet you, it's like... a broken illusion. I always found you just so charming and warm and passionate and dedicated, I... and now..."
"Hey, uhm," Nick tried to say something, yet his voice was quiet and faltering... "Fields, what... what's your name?"
She squinted. "Fields, you know that."
"No, I mean your, uh..."
"Grace."
"Grace Fields?"
"Yeah."
"Well... listen, Grace, I... uhm..." The fox trailed off to silence, his eyes closing as though the light of the bright white around him was doing him harm. Grace waited at the fox, watching as he swayed hesitantly before her.
"Officer Wilde?"
"I'm, uh... sorry, I... I was saying that, even while I can't exactly say I'm— that I'm used to... this kind of..."
"Obsession."
"I... wasn't going to say—"
"I'm not obsessed, I just... I just really respect all the work that you do, all that you stand for and prove."
"Okay. It's okay, Grace, I'm surprised, not sure how to react, but... I'm not 'horrified'. Just... I just want you to know, if I've broken any illusions, I'm sorry. Don't give up on your hopes and dreams on my account; don't stop fighting, you've got too much fire to let it just die out. Change starts with... huh," he chuckled, realizing his accidental quotation... "Change starts with you, starts with all of us. If you look around, don't like the way the world looks, then don't wait for someone else to make it better. Don't rely on just some dumb fox to make it all better. You've got it in you, the potential, to... " Nick lost his wording, due to the sight of closed eyes on the lynx's relaxed face.
"There it is," she sighed the weight away. "I'm sorry I doubted you."
"I... sorry?"
"Doubted your charm, your wisdom. Officer Hopps' mother put some... bad ideas about you, in my head." She sighed, this time without the lightness, and leaned against the wall. "I'm so sorry, Wilde. I've been way too harsh. Your partner's in there, getting medical treatment for an attempted... well, you're under a lot of stress. It's not your fault, I shouldn't have blamed your attitude on—"
"Hey, don't try take all the credit. I was a snarky jerk to you for the first half of our journey."
"You just wanted to get back to Officer Hopps, Wilde. I understand. I can only imagine what it must feel like, just wanting desperately to get back to someone as close to you as Officer Hopps must be, to protect them, especially after something like that wolf happening to her. I guess it's just my luck the one time I meet you. The last thing on your mind is wasting time with some auxiliary."
The fox stared silently at Grace with curiosity and intent musings. He winced, unexpectedly, and raised a paw to his brow. Grace quickly peeled away from the wall and urged, "Officer Wilde?"
"What do you want?" he growled at her through the fingers of his paw.
"What?"
"Why are you here? Why are you talking to me?"
"I... Wilde, what happo—"
"Answer my questions, Fields."
"Why am I here? Bogo sent me, sent me to give you a new radio, yours is bust!"
"And why you're talking to me?"
"I told you, Ni— Wilde, I told you I'm just have a lot of respect for what you do. You're the new face of foxes all over the country. Together, you and Hopps have gone a long way to prove that anyone really can be anything. That took me to heart in a big way. I've been thinking of nothing but joining the ZPD and being a part of that— and getting to work alongside passionate and dedicated memmle and fememmle, just like you two— every day."
"You... ghm. You were asking, you were mentioning how it was just bad luck you met me on a bad day. That implies you should meet me on a good day. That's manipulative behavior, that's you trying to get contact information, maybe even an address."
"Wh— how?"
"'It's such a shame I couldn't meet you on a better day, AKA: 'give me your phone number and let's meet up'."
Fields gawked. "It, wh... I was— I was just saying it as... as it is! You don't need to give me your phone number, and I don't need to know where you live. You're an officer of the ZPD, that's all I need to respect you, to trust you."
"And how do I know I can trust you?"
"You... Wilde, it's Officer Hopps, her condition, the stress, it's—"
"I have perfect control over my emotions," he snapped.
"Then why are you doubting me? I'm an officer too!"
"Auxiliary."
"And?" she retorted, her voice rising. "Auxiliary officers may not get vetted like the official force do, but th—"
"You don't need vetting," Nick snarled, his paw rubbing the growing ache in his brow, "you're practically a cub!"
"Then what's the issue?!"
"Why has Bogo let a cub get into—"
"Because I'm dedicated!"
"What's driving you? What's behind your motivate—"
"You two!" A white-coated figure shouted to them with the compacted power and self-assurance of a tidal wave. "You want to argue, you get out of the hospital."
"F-Flo, I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry, Nurse. We got out of paw. Tired, and stressed and just... I'm just riled, all the time, by everything, right now." Sighing slowly, the fox got to look back at the lynx, regarding her apologetically for a long, quiet moment. "Guess I owe you an apology too. Guess you were right. Guess... Hopps' condition really has had more of an effect on me than even I've realized. I don't know what that was. Just... me doubting myself, more than doubting you, I think."
"Don't... I don't... you can make it up to me?"
The fox snorted. "Let me guess. My address? My phone number?"
"You could... let me call you Nick?"
The fox's sharp sarcasm melted into amusement. "I guess that works too."
"So, what now... Nick?"
"Gonna stay here, keep watch over Judy. You?"
"I'm not sure. Bogo told me to just follow orders; your orders mean as much as everyone else's. Anything I can do for you?" Nick followed an answer of decline in the instant he had been asked such by Grace, but then he tapped his claw against his chin and found a task that could fit her time.
"Actually... yeah. You said Bonnie, Judy's mom, was walking out the building just as you came in."
"Yes?"
"Was there a... young buck with her?"
"Not that I noticed."
"Huh. If he was there, you would've noticed him. He's a very noticeable person. Did she mention where she was going?"
"I... don't think so. She turned right, down to the street."
"Up for a little detective work?" The fox didn't need a fraction of his years of body-language experience to easily guess the lynx's interest.
"Monitor Officer Hopps' mother?"
"Bonnie Hopps, yeah. Off the records, just a personal curiosity. No need to mention it to anyone else," he added, winking. "You know what I'm saying?"
"For you alone, Nick," she accepted, sending him a mimicking wink in response.
Small amounts of joy entered Nick's initials and insides. "It's gonna be good fun once you get out of the academy. I think Judy's gonna like you."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Enough with the 'Sir', I work for a living. Now, get off with ya, you've got a tail to follow."
"Thank you, Nick, and thank you for a chance to do some real police work!" Grace turned and started hurrying back down the staircase, glancing over her shoulder as she reached the door, a brow raising as the fox called out.
"Hey, Grace... sorry again. Didn't mean to rip into you like that."
"It'll take more than just that, Officer Nick, for me to lose my faith that you're a good person." The door swung open to the lynx's pull; then closed soundly shut again behind her, leaving the fox looking with a bemused smile upon his features, his head tilted as he tried to figure out the mindscape of the ZPD's youngest, newest recruit.
His joviality kept on for a while, but then it just died at the view of that door, the situation redoubling upon his mind. He got in front of it and put a paw up against the cool, solid surface of the white-painted barrier. Edging it open a careful inch, his watchful jade looked in upon the shapes of the nurses inside, as they stood around the silver-blue figure lying beneath the white sheets. He couldn't see her, just flashes of gray and crimson, and the sounds of quiet conversing between the medical staff. He heard mention of stitches and disinfectant among their low talking, and turned away.
He shut the door, softly, tenderly, like he'd hold his lover's life in his paws. Drawing a long breath, the fox's eyes closed as he tried to steady himself. He raised a paw to his head, the lights burning holes into the back of his eyes. He felt his stomach churning like acid in his chest, his mind fogged like he was choking. His eyes tightened, his awareness of the world faded and the white lights turned black.
In the corridor outside Judy Hopps' medical room, Nicholas Wilde collapsed to the floor.
Important Information
- I have important news about the future of Paw in Paw.
- Before, when I was living at home and going to college (as in 'high school' if you're American), writing Paw in Paw was logical for me, as I could improve my writing and be a part of the community. But now I am living away from home, the necessity for my own income comes into play, and the freedom of my time is now invested elsewhere.
- This isn't so much of an ending. More like a beginning of something greater!
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