The experience was a very unsettling string of events for him. What felt like lucid moments, in the beginning mostly pain and noise with flashes of an otter in a ridiculously sized helmet, and then the sound of a drill. It might have been a short time between that and three mammals talking around him. Through out this was the dull pain in his back and head. As he began to actually process what was going on, he felt like he was floating but the nagging need to cough was starting to aggravate him. Slowly he opened his eyes, even the dull lighting in the room was offensive to his eyes and increased the headache he felt.
The image he did see through partially opened eyes was a tube coming out of his muzzle, tubes running to his arms from IV bags above him, and numerous wires coming from under the blankets that covered him. Any attempt to call out was interrupted by the damned tube in his muzzle. Rolling onto his side was the worst idea as he managed to get off the bed with a loud thump, as well as ripping the breathing tube from the machine it was attached to, thankfully he was still able to breath without the machine. Apparently however his movement had made another machine rather angry at him as the beeping it had been making in soft regular pattern, had changed to a constant more irritating sound.
Back at the nursing station when the monitor flatlines Meredith was in motion the instant the alarm went off. "Call the code." She yelled at one of the Nurses as she ran for room one, on entering however her head tilted to the side at the empty bed. "What the hell." Coming around to the side of the bed she couldn't see to find the skunk on the ground, ET tube hanging from his muzzle, the bandages on his arms and legs starting to show blood where he tore stitches, and clutching his head.
Clicking her tongue in her muzzle as she shook her head. "Allright, lets get you back into bed." Walking over he glared up at her as she approached. "You want to stay on the ground?" She reached down and slowly helped him up and back into bed. "First things first, that tube needs to come out."
He was impressed by her strength, helping him into bed, as well as the paw she now kept on him to keep him still. He didn't quite understand what she was saying but he understood the intent so for now he stayed still as his head started to clear some of the fog that was still clouding his mind. He noticed another mammal come, a female pig in purple scrubs, and tensed causing the fox female beside him to wave at her. "Ok … ok, we can do this with just you and me. But you need to calm down." His eyes moving back to the fox with long ears that caused him pause. She spoke to him as she moved about the room grabbing items from drawers and doing something behind him before coming back into view. The pig never leaving view but outside of the door the entire time.
As his mind started to catch up as well, he noticed that she wasn't speaking German, looking around a little bit he knew he was in a hospital. After a few more preparations she moved over in front of him and using one, now gloved paw, to hold the tube. "Ok big breath and hold." When he didn't do what she had told him she said it again this time making a motion with her free paw to breath in and then she puffed her cheeks to tell him to hold it. He nodded and breathed in deep, wincing in a little bit of pain in his side but held the breath as she pulled on the tube. It was a weird feeling, causing him to cough and even almost gag as the tube slid up his throat and out of his muzzle.
Meredith was watching him closely for a little bit of time before she started to reconnect the electrodes that were attached to his chest and watching the screen above him. While she watched he moved his paw and grabbed her wrist. "Was ist passiert" He said in a horse and low voice. "Wo bin ich". As he asked those questions his muzzle showed a sign of worry.
"I'm sorry I don't understand." She put her other paw over his.
"En English?" Seeing her eyes light up he continued the best he could with a thick accent. "Where .. am … I?" Damn his head felt like he was in a fishbowl.
"You are in Zootopia General, you were found on the side of the river." Feeling his grip on her wrist tighten a bit, almost uncomfortably which was impressive for a mammal in his condition.
"Who … " closing his eyes for a moment the words coming slowly.
"I'm doctor Meredith Wilde." Trying to guess what he was asking but tilting her head to the side when he shook his head and tapped his chest.
"Who .. am I?" This caused some surprise in the fox's expression.
"Look, you were in a nasty accident, so let's not worry about that right now ok." She spoke soothingly. He couldn't help but find her voice calming. "For now, you probably ripped out some of those stitches when you tried to escape your bed." Smiling showing a rather unique mixture of features he didn't expect on a fox. Removing his paw from her wrist gently she walked back over to the drawers in the room and pulled out a plastic covered tray and then walked back over to his side, pulling a chair with her and shelf on wheels.
When she reached up above him to turn on one of the three high intensity lights to focus downward, he couldn't help but review her. She certainly had the build and fur color of a fox, but when the blue shirt she wore rode up he noticed she had grey belly fur. Her tail was bushy like a fox but perhaps a bit shorter, her ears were longer but still orange with black tips. He must have been looking for to long because when he finally looked at her eyes again, she was staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Her footpad tapping the ground in a rapid somewhat agitated motion.
"You might as well ask." She had been looked at like that before. A bit of judgment within the curiosity. Her features not quite adding up to the initial thought of fox.
"Does not matter." Turning to look up at the ceiling. Part of him wanted to ask, the curiosity getting to him but he still refused to ask.
"Emm probably a good choice." Sitting on the wheeled stool she removed the bandage on his arm and clicking her tongue as she shook her head. "Four stitches here." Opening up the tray's plastic and picking up a small prepared syringe and gripped his wrist firmly. "Little bit of numbing agent." She was shocked however when he grabbed that paw.
"No, n no more p pain medication. Can't … think." He wanted to clear his head, he wanted to remember what happened.
"Mr Forrest, I have to restich this, and you have severe burns to your back and have a severe concussion. I hardly think … Mr Forrest?" His eyes had zoned out and she watched him closely before his eyes refocused on her.
When she mentioned his name, he remembered something. A male skunk, his father, tall and strong wearing a blue uniform. A female skunk, his mother, beautiful spotted fur in a red dress. Then he remembered the trembling, a building crumbling around him. Almost absent mindedly he spoke. "Leon" His eyes flicked back to her with a small smile. "I am Leon."
Nodding her head. "Ok Leon, for now, no more of this." Sliding her paw out of his grip she puts the syringe back down. "But if your back becomes too uncomfortable, I'll put something more in your IV deal?" When she got a nod from him, she went to work, removing the damaged sutures and replacing them. Then rebandaging the spot and moving to the next. They talked about little things, more she talked, and Leon just listened. That was until as she walks talking to him he suddenly stiffened. "Leon?" She looked up from the bandage she was just finishing and followed his eyes to the door.
Apparently one of the nurses had notified the ZPD that the patient had woken up because her parents were standing on the doorway. Fresh uniforms on this time, gold badges, duty belts, her father's sunglasses. Noticing that had her checking her watch, her shift was almost over.
Leon looked at the pair and then to the doctor whom had been caring for him for the last hour then back to the pair. "Ahh .. gemischte rasse" He shifted and winced when she tied off the bandage a little rougher the tone of his language making it sound derogatory even if that was not his meaning. "You're parents?"
Nick walked forward ahead of Judy to his daughter's side. "The parents she was supposed to call when you woke up." Placing a paw on her shoulder. "You're quite the mystery Mr Forest."
Judy hoped up on a chair to stand a little taller next to the bed. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Leon looked at Meredith then back at the officers. "I don't remember much. I can barely remember my name." Nervously looking between Nick on his right and Judy now on his left. Then back to Meredith when he looked at his doctor, he felt safer. The look back to his doctor however had his ears pick up on a slight sound from his right, the partial lifting of Nick's lips to just see the whites of his teeth. "I … " putting up his paws and wincing in pain as the motion stretched the burns on his back. His heart rate increased as well, a memory of the policy where he lived being quick to violence.
"Dad, none of that. If you work him up too much I will have to ask you both to leave. He is still my patient." Moving over to Leon's IV she had already set up a syringe of pain medication and even as he protested, she pushed a little into the line. His reaction was quick as the pain he was in dulled. He was thankful as was obvious when he looked at her, both for not giving to much but also for the medication itself.
Choosing to look at the bunny instead of the fox he immediately connected the warmth in those eyes with her daughter's. "All I remember fight now is an alarm going off." As he spoke Judy took out a notepad and carrot pen and started taking notes. "There was … an explosion I think … I had to jump … then the burning on my back, and then the river." The last was said as he remembered it. "It was so cold. I'm pretty sure I was hit by something falling on top of me after I went into the river because I remember the pain, and then nothing else."
"Thank you Mr Forest. If you remember anything else, please get ahold of us." Pulling a business card from her breast pocket.
Leon took the card, Judith L Wilde Det. , written on it. "I will detective." Looking over to Meredith before glancing back at her father who was giving him a very protective look.
"Lets go Nick, he probably needs to rest."
"Coming carrots." Giving the skunk one last look before turning to leave and following Judy out.
Once they were likely out of the building Leon spoke up. "Your father is … what is the word … intensiver"
Meredith chuckled. "He is a bit protective of his oldest daughter is all." Glancing over at him as she stuffed her paws into her lab coat's pockets. "You sir need to get some rest. They will be moving you upstairs to recovery soon." Yawning. "And it's the end of my shift."
"Will .. I see you again?" Leon asked, finding he would like to talk to her more.
"Tell you what, you promise no more escaping from your bed and I'll visit you upstairs during my next shift. When I can. But only if you don't give the nurses up there a hard time." Meredith smiled. "Deal?"
"Deal, and yawned a large tired yawn."
"Rest Mr Forrest."
"Yes Mam, Miss Wilde Mam." A cheeky tone to his voice
"Doctor Wilde." Looking over her shoulder as she left she thought she caught his eyes glancing a little lower on her. So she swished her tail on her way out. "Rest!" Chuckling as she walked down the hall to fill out her end of shift paperwork, given the Morning ER doc an update on the goings on over the evening, and then tiredly heading back to her apartment.
Her drive home was uneventful, pulling into the parking garage and making her way up to her loft apartment. She did her typical routine of a workout, making herself some breakfast, and then relaxing for a little bit before heading to bed. A small part of her looking forward to her next shift. The mystery of that patient had her mind peaked, and a stray thought of him being in rather good shape fluttered through her mind like a butterfly gently gliding from one flower to another.