Chapter 15 Summary
Judy wakes up, takes a shower, and has an excellent breakfast with Hugo. Afterwards, they go clothes shopping - every male's favorite task. Along the way, they struggle with how they are reacting to each other. Afterwards, they go to lunch, and he takes her to visit Fennick.
Current Day: Wednesday morning in Snowy Hills
Judy woke to the smell of simmering oat porridge and baking apples drifting through the living room. The light streaming in from the large window meant that the sun was already high in the morning sky. She blearily sat up, and stretched. And scratched. And sniffed. Sweet cheese and crackers! She was rank. She needed a shower. Funny, that thought hadn't really occurred to me in three years. She slide off the couch, and wandered toward the source of those wonderful scents, into the kitchen.
"Buenos dias, conejita! How are you?" Hugo inquired of her.
"Hungry… Soooo hungry," she moaned. She slide up to the stove to stare longingly at the bubbling pots that he stirred with the wooden spoon he held in his paw.
"Ah, well, breakfast should be done in about 10 minutes. If you can't wait, I do have the apple core left over if you want something to nibble on."
"Actually, can I take a shower? Please?" She looked at him almost desperately. It had been such a really, really, long time since she had enjoyed a hot shower.
"Certainly, go right ahead, you know where the bathroom is. I put your body wash and other toiletries back there on the sink." He pointed down the hall at the door, and then turned back to the stove to stir the porridge before it burned.
She walked back to the bathroom and closed the door. She was going to enjoy this, even as her tummy grumbled in counter-protest. She ran the water to her liking, stripped off her pink sweats, and stepped into the shower. Luckily, he wasn't that much taller than her, just a head or so higher, so the controls and shower head were at an easy height for her frame.
As the hot water coursed over her fur, she twitched and shuddered, almost like she was having an orgasm. Oooo, crackers, this is sooo good, she admitted to herself as she rubbed the hot water slowly through her fur. She couldn't remember the last time she had a shower this good. Wait, when was the last time, anyway? She had been homeless for years, and bathed in the rivers and swamps of the Rain Forest district when she could. But before that? The last time she had showered... had been in Bellwether's casino suite. Her eyes popped open as she scowled at the wall. Well, that sure ruined the mood. Her stomach then chose that moment to declare it's undying desire to be fed, thank you so very much. She hurried along by picking up her body wash, squirted out a daloop, and scrubbed away at the accumulated dirt and grime in her body fur.
She turned off the water, got out, and mostly dried off with one of his towels. She spent a moment trying to puzzle out the controls of the body blower, which was probably set for drying Hugo's longer feline fur, but she wasn't sure. She solved that problem by turning the timer to half and switching it on.
Oh Sweet Cheeses! She had thought she had only missed the hot showers. She had completely forgotten what a body blower felt like, the air enveloping her, surrounding her, holding her, and finally overwhelming her. When it finished up she was left sobbing on the floor. Okay, pull it together Judy. It was just a body blower, she acknowledged, Yeah… But it's been so long….
She wiped off her tears, and shakily tried to stand back up. She could do this, she really could. It really wouldn't do for Hugo to come find her here like this. It would be so embarrassing if he thought she couldn't bath or dress herself, like she was an invalid or a little kit.
She reached over to grab Meredith's duffle bag and fishing through it she pulled out a faded jean jumper, one much like what she would have worn back at the farm when she was a little kit. It stirred up a childhood memory of her dad, Stu, standing in the fields wearing his overalls, leaning on a hoe, while she raced around him, chasing butterflies. It was very happy memory, so unlike the ones she had made more recently.
Daddy … I miss you... I'm sorry…, she apologized to him in her mind as she folded the jumper in her paws.
She knew she was going to have to talk her parents soon. Hugo would insist on it, in his own quiet and polite way. He would never demand it of her as a condition of her care, but instead just gently suggest that she might actually like it. It was how he operated his class at Cliffside, and she really couldn't imagine that he's changed his approach all that much since. But after avoiding them for all that time, she had no idea what to say. The thought of facing them after over a decade of being away while she was lost in the world honestly scared her more than she could could adequately express.
She took a deep breath. That was a problem to be solved later, because now she needed to eat. She stood up, slipped the dress over her head, smoothed out her head fur the best she could, and headed out to the kitchen. She saw him placing dishes on the little table in the kitchen corner, so she waited until he had turned to back around and saw her standing there. She spun a quick little pirouette in front of him, her dress kicking up in a swirl around her, showing off just a little bit. She beamed up at him.
He grinned back at her, "Me gusta mucho ese vestida, señorita encantadora*!" (*I really like that dress, young lady!)
She really was doing better already, Hugo thought. True, her fur was a bit clumpy even after the shower and really needed grooming, and she still looked very thin, but there was a sparkle in her eye and a bit of spring in her step now.
Judy had no idea what he just said, but she did like the way he was smiling at her. He gestured to the kitchen nook table, "Hungry?" he asked her. She nodded.
She hopped up to the chair he held out for her, and picked up her spoon as he served her a helping of oat porridge in cashew milk, with a baked apple stuffed with buckwheat in a small plate next to her bowl. She dug in with gusto. Far, far better than garbage and weeds, she thought.
He picked up a tea pot and poured two cups of what looked and smelled like chamomile tea for both of them. Pulling out his own seat, he sat down at his plate and started snacking on what looked like long pieces of fried okra. "What's that?" She point to his food with her spoon.
"Toasted grasshoppers, a traditional breakfast from my youth," he replied.
She held out her paw to him expectantly. He twitched an ear, but gave her one. Rabbits don't usually like animal protein, so he was curious to see what she thought of it. She bit into it, and chewed thoughtfully. "I like them better toasted!" She declared.
"Oh, you've had them before?"
"Yeah, a couple of times. You can't be too picky as to where your next meal is coming from sometimes, and insects can be a good source of protein. Just not roaches. They're icky. Anyway, grasshoppers are tasty enough, but I can't eat too many or my stomach will get upset"
"Okay," he said and handed her another one. He watched as she finished chewing on the second grasshopper. "Alright. Well, we are in no hurry, but when you finish your breakfast, we do have some errands to run this morning."
"Errands? We got groceries already, didn't we?" She was puzzled.
"Well, I was thinking that you might like some clothes that fit more your sense of style? Or are you currently content with pre-teen hand-me-downs from my neighbors?" He cocked an ear at her.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, clothes would be great. Yes, please." Her ears lifted back up, and she smiled a shy little smile for him.
"I asked Meredith where she would shop for a bunny in Tundra Town, and she said that she wouldn't recommend anything in TT. Instead, she suggested we go down to Acorn Heights instead. Apparently there are a couple of shops there that her kits really like." Hugo explained as they drove down the Downtown Beltway. "I know exactly zero about Zootopian fashions, so I took her at her word."
"I think you dress very nicely," Judy pointed out to him, as she gestured to his black sports coat and slacks ensemble. "Very stylish!"
"This? This is what Leah suggest that I wear for meeting with patients."
"Who is Leah?" Judy asked, a little bit confused. Is Leah his girlfriend? Was she going to be upset that Judy was staying at his place? That's just what she would need right now, some jealous feline thinking she was trying to muscle into their territory.
"Leah? Ah, Doctor Leah Muskat is Doctor Emmanuel Muskat's wife. We three have been partners in our own neuro-medical office for about seven years now. He does the neurosurgery, she handles the psychiatry patients, and I address the more generalized neurology needs. And when he does surgery, I'm usually in there with him. He likes to have a second set of trained eyes looking in when he is working on some mammal's brain, as brain surgery can be very unforgiving of mistakes. As a result of that, I've become something of an expert in dealing with brain trauma, both pre and post op." Hugo modestly explained.
"Ewwww," Judy made a face. "I couldn't ever do surgery, much less on brains."
"Yes, it's not for everyone, even other doctors. It can be very trying physically and emotionally for the medical professionals who practice it on daily basis."
"Yeah… Anyway, back to your sense of fashion. Why all black?" Judy was quite done with discussing that other subject. The less she thought about her brain and what might be wrong with it, the better.
"Ah, Leah says that it is the color of authority and it also helps minimizes my body's bulk, making me appear both knowledgeable and less threatening at the same time. She is the expert on these things, so I take her at her word." Hugo offhandedly observed. "Ah! Here is our exit." He pulled the SUV off the beltway and down the off-ramp.
"Meredith recommends this first shop for daily wear stuff, like jeans or work out clothes. The second shop is more of a consignment shop with a much more eclectic selection." Hugo explained as they pulled into a little strip mall's parking lot. His SUV's center console announced that they have arrived, which was thoroughly redundant considering the large logo painted on the shop window in front of them, "Flopsy Fashions" emblazoned over a stylized rabbit.
Oh shit, oh shit! Judy's brain went into overdrive, as she realized they were actually here. I thought we were going to a thrift store! This place looks expensive! I've got, what, $6.75 in my shorts? She unbuckled herself, and turned to look on the floor the back seat. Her shorts weren't there anymore. He had cleaned up his car, of course. She sat back down with an anxious expression on her muzzle.
He noticed her looking back there. "What are you looking for?"
"My shorts. I had my money in my shorts. Did you throw them out?"
"No, the only thing I threw out was the blouse, since it was all ripped up anyway. I washed the jacket and the shorts, and they are hanging up in the laundry room. I didn't think you needed them. As for the money, I only found a few dollars and some change in the pockets. Was that all you had?"
"Yes! I can't afford this place!"
"I wouldn't think so. No, this is Meredith's treat. I'm covering your room and board as well as your medical needs, they're covering the other rabbit specific stuff. She's on day shift at her maternity wing for the rest of the week, so she couldn't be here, but this was her idea. Their kits all live out of state, so they don't have any family locally to spoil. Since Dale's taken a liking to you, Meredith figures he won't object if they spring for a new wardrobe for you. This is their homecoming gift to you." Hugo turned back to gesture at the store. "She figures that you need at least a week of the bunny basics: underwear, blouses, pants, and a parka."
Tears started to well up in Judy's eyes, and she scrambled out of her seat. Hugo looked back from the store window in time to see a blinded bunny launch herself into his chest. "Oof," he said as the wind was knocked out him. His arms came up almost reflexively, his paws settling on her hips as she sobbed into his chest. It's good thing I didn't put on the tie, he thought, it would be soaking right now.
She whispered, "Thank you, thank you," in between the sobs.
"Hey, it is actually Meredith and Dale you should thank for this, not me. I'm just the driver."
"Yeah, maybe. But you're here now, and I'm still grateful to you too. Thank you." She reached into his jacket, trying to wrap her arms around his torso so that she could hug him, but she only got about half way. It's like trying to hug a tree trunk, she thought, amazed at the amount of muscle that he hid under the jacket.
"You are most welcome," as he slid his wide paws up her back to hug her in return.
It was at that moment that Judy was struck by a particular and fascinating insight. Here she was in his lap, feeling completely safe and well cared for. She was warm, well fed, and relaxed. She didn't feel trapped or abandoned, so her anxiety was absolutely silent. She was being held by the strong muscular arms and wide paws of a powerful predator, which was one of her absolute favorite fetishes, both professionally and personally. It was just like Monday night, where she had also been sitting astride his lap, except now it was without the delirium of hypothermia. And just like Monday night, she realized that she's not wearing any underwear under her dress.
Crap! I forgot to see if Meredith had put any in the bag! She had been going commando for so long, as a homeless bunny, that she completely forgot to put on any this morning. Underwear was really useless when a mammal was homeless, just one more thing to get filthy, so she habitually went without.
Except now, with her emotional state heightened and the fact that she really liked this male, her brain took all of that into account and kicked her libido into high gear.
High gear, hell, it's in turbocharged overdrive, she realized. Oh God!
A colder and more professionally detached part of her brain observed, ***That'll be $200 for the full package. Or is she gonna give him a discount for good behavior?*** Another more enthusiastic thought chimed in with, ***Discount, Hell! It's been 3 years since she last had that field plowed! Let's hitch up that tractor!***
We're in public, he's my doctor, he's a lot older than me, she tried to yell back, and don't forget that he's a cat! She didn't do cats!
***Who Cares!*** Her libido responded. Uh oh…
Hugo held her gently as she sobbed into his chest, stroking her back with one paw and holding her head with the other. She needed to get this out, and he was glad that she trusted him enough show him this. She could be so tightly wound, even for a rabbit, that it was amazing her spring didn't snap more often. She was starting to calm down, so he figure that a minute or two more, and she'll be ready to go shopping.
As he stroked her, he became away of a particular scent, rich and earthy, that she was giving off and the meaning of it he wasn't particularly familiar with. While he certainly the nose of a predator, his feline sense of smell had only one-third the sensitivity of that of a canine's, so his expertise lay more with observing body language and social clues than those transmitted by scent.
It must be the scent that a happy bunny gives off, he decided. He had never smelled it from another rabbit before, except for her. Most of the rabbits he dealt with were rarely pleased to see him, so they never smelled like this. Also, scents didn't travel as well in the cold air of Tundra Town, so he rarely smelled rabbits, especially any who smelled like that, there.
He couldn't be more right and more wrong at the same time.
"Judy...Judy? Are you ready to go shopping now?" Hugo bent his head down to look at her.
She just nodded her head, and looked over at her seat, like she was trying figure out how to gracefully slide back over. Trying be efficient, Hugo just popped his door open and lifted her off his lap with both paws, setting her down on the parking lot pavement. She gave him the most particular look when he did that, and then turned to walk to the store doors.
Mierda , he thought, I am going to have to remember stop doing that. Plainly she appreciates her independence, and doesn't like being paw-handled by him. He knew that he was starting to have a problem with the way he behaved around Judy, mostly in that he was reverting to a family care-taker role with her. His mixed species family was a very touch orientated family, more so than most of the cats he had observed, and they primarily expressed affection for each other via strong touch and grooming tongue baths.
He had fortunately managed to avoid giving her any tongue baths so far, as he had no idea what a rabbit might think of that. It would be hard to convince her that it wasn't a sexual act, but rather an affectionate and care giving act that felines like to do with each other.
She had looked so mangy and matted that first night that it took all he had not to gather her into his arms and start grooming her. He didn't want her to have a heart attack, waking up to a predator like himself holding her down with his paws and running his tongue all over her body. That would not do!
And this morning, when she had come out of the shower? He had so wanted to take her head in both his paws and smooth out her clumpy head fur with his tongue. It was good thing he had his paws full cooking, otherwise they would probably have been flexing. He didn't want her to think he wanted to eat her.
No, he was going to have to be very careful around her.
He got out and closed the SUV door behind him, locking it and walking into the store after Judy.
He found her over by the coats section, looking at parkas. He slid up beside he and asked the truly important question.
"What size are you?"
"What?" She looked up at him confusion, and then she glanced back down before looking at the parka sleeve she held in her paw. "Um.. Small to medium adult rabbit. It depends..."
Small to Medium? Well, they weren't in the right section for that. Maybe she just liked the style of coat she was looking at. He moved down the rack to see if he could find her one like it in her size.
She watched him walk away out of the corner of her eye. She was still a bit mortified by her reaction in the car. Not the fact that she was finding him attractive, not that in the least. She had slept with mammals with far less going for them then he did, both professionally and personally. No, what she had been surprised by was how fast it had came on.
In her experience, the only reason it came on this fast with somebody she barely knew was if there was some form of artificial help, like those horrible aphrodisiac injections that Dawn used to give her. But that awful bitch of a ewe was stone cold dead three years now, so unless something she gave Judy then was still affecting her biology, she shouldn't be responding like this.
It couldn't be the IVs she had. That was just been a glucose and vitamin pack, and besides which that had happened yesterday. It must be something that had happened to her in the past three years.
Hugo walked up to her, with three parkas in his paws. "Here, try these on. See which one you like."
"Um.. none of them, actually." She shook her head.
"Really? They're just like the one you been examining since you came it." Hugo pointed out.
She looked at the sleeve in front of her in confusion, "Oh… Sorry. I haven't been into a place this nice in a long time. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all." she confessed.
"Okay, I didn't mean to push you. I'll put them back."
"I'll help," She held out her paw, "here, give me one."
He handed her a coat, and she reexamined it. Nope, it was hideous, so she hung it back up. She reached past two more, and found one in a rich navy blue which she pulled of the rack to try on. It resembled the coats that ZPD SWAT wore in Tundra Town. Ah, much more my style, she thought, and it fits!
"This one works," taking it back off and handing it to Hugo.
"Are you sure?" She hadn't tried on all of the ones on the rack in her size. Wasn't that what females did when they shopped? Well, at least his mother did it that way. Grandma tended to sew her own clothes, and his last girlfriend never took him clothes shopping, so he had to admit his sample size was pretty small.
She nodded and moved off to the blouses, leaving him to put the rest of the parkas he had pulled out away. He picked up the one she had picked and dwaddled after her at the speed most males used while clothes shopping with their females: slow.
Judy had found her size section in the blouses, and was duly unimpressed with the fashions expressed there. A whole lot of dull sameness, like so much of rabbit culture. How depressing. She had found a good parka, so why did the blouses suck? Maybe because you were supposed to hide in a parka, but stand out with a blouse? I suppose if I had grown up in Bunny Burrow instead of in a mental institution, I'd want to fit in. But the institutional sameness makes them look like a uniform, like a Cliffside uniform, and that just rubs me wrong. She admitted to herself.
Oh, wait, here's one. She found herself looking a little black half- halter top fringed with lac e along the bottom. Ooo that's pretty, she thought. Will Hugo like it? It gives lots of paw access to the belly….
Oh boy, yeah, her libido still hadn't died down, not if she was thinking like that. Just like that, a sales-doe chose that perfect moment to pop in and offer to help. Caught flat footed, Judy tried to be polite and shoo her away with the standard "I'm just browsing" comment when the sales-doe's eyes went wide, and she apologized for interrupting before scampering off.
Judy was confused for a moment before she heard the clink of a clothes hanger behind her. It was just Hugo, hanging up the parka on the blouse rack. She turned to watch the sales-doe beat a hasty retreat while looking back over her shoulder at them. Judy grinned evilly – that's one way to get rid of pesky sales-mammals. Taking that as a sign to get the halter top, she handed it to him and announced that they were moving over to the teenage section, as this section was all for rabbits her mom's age. Hugo just twitched an ear at this proclamation.
She guided him over to the teenage section. Luckily, since she was so skinny, she could wear most of the teenage selections, in both the male and female styles. Tee-shirts with teenage heart-throbs, screaming metal mice, or transforming robot trucks, they were all there. Much better! She sort through the tee-shirts, and picked out a selection of them to try on. Handing them to Hugo, she dragged him over to the bottoms section.
Sorting through the jeans and setting aside the ones she liked, she discarded the more fashionable choices. She wasn't going to have Hugo pay more for the pre-ripped ones. Live on the street for any length of time, and very quickly clothes without holes become the rare commodity. If she wanted them ripped, which was stupid by the way, she would do it herself. So, out of what she had pulled out, what did she really need: maybe three pairs of jeans, and three pairs of shorts? ***She didn't want to be greedy, cause Meredith's generosity might run out, and if she had to go back to the street, she only wanted to take what she could carry.***
ARGH! Stupid bunny brain…, Judy yelled back at her anxiety, Stop it, we already agreed we were gonna stay here. ***Until he kicks us out*** DOUBLE ARGH! She beat her head ineffectually against the racks of pants, causing them to sway back and forth on the pole, until a broad paw reached in and caught her forehead.
"Hey, hey. What going on, conejita?" Hugo gently held her head. It didn't look like a seizure, but he wasn't taking any chances. She had been acting today like she hadn't almost died of hypothermia 36 hours ago, and maybe in his efforts make the situation appear as normal as possible he was in turn pushing her too hard. She couldn't talk to him if she was convulsing.
She stopped, and without moving her head, turned her eye up to look at him, "Doc, if I tell you, promise me that you won't kick me out? I don't want to go back to the street, I really don't."
"I'm not going to kick you out, I promise. I want you to stay, please. Now, what has you so worked up you would beat your head against pants?" he removed his paw to gesture at the rack.
"Even if it's really horrible?" She turned to face him, but stared at his feet.
***She couldn't tell him her secret now, could she, but maybe she could sound him out, see what his promises were really worth?***
Diosa, she looks just like a wayward bunny kit right now. He got down on one knee, and lifted her chin with one paw so that she could look him right in the eye. "I remember meeting you when you were serving an indeterminate sentence for first degree murder in a maximum security mental institution, and even then I knew you were worth saving. You still are, as far as I am concerned. So, tell me, what has you beating you head against these poor jeans? Can't you see they are distressed enough already?" He pointed to the pre-ripped jeans.
She snorted a bit of a laugh at his bad pun, but it and the promise he gave her lifted her spirits just enough for her to take the next step. She took a deep breath, and let her anxiety come spilling out her mouth.
"I have really bad anxiety almost all the time, and sometimes it can even morph into full on panic attacks. And I know I've got some abandonment issues, some of it still left over from my years at Cliffside. I'm terrified you're gonna get tired of me, or find out how bad I am, and kick me out." She trailed off after managing to babble all that out.
She looked into his eyes, looking for the condemnation she had always feared, but all she saw was a gentle concern for her and a desire to know more. It almost broke her down right then and there.
He pulled her into his arms again and gently squeezed her. "Never."'
"Promise?" She spoke into his shoulder.
"I promise," he assured her.
He gently pushed her way, but held on to both her shoulders with his paws. He gestured around the shop with his chin, "I want to hear more from you on this, but I don't think this is place to have this discussion, do you?"
Judy wiped her tears away, "No shit!" This was what, the third time I've cried today? It's got to be a record. You Bunnies, so emotional…
He nodded and continued, "I would suggest that we complete our shopping and then discuss this in more detail later this afternoon. Would you be amenable to this course of action?"
He was so formal when he was in doctor mode, except that she had never encountered a doc who hugs you while talking like that, so this was all Hugo, she knew. She nodded, "Okay."
"Good." He gestured at the clothes racks, "Is there anything else we need to get from here besides what you have already picked out?"
"Just the pants, and some underwear. I think I can get that myself." She wasn't sure she wanted him to help her pick her panties out. There was no telling what puns he might try to use to lighten the mood, nor how her libido, which still hadn't settled down yet, might take them.
Hugo just nodded. "Alright. I think I shall stand up now. The poor sales staff is probably running around right now thinking I'm eating you."
***Out!***
SNERK! Judy bit down hard on that laugh, and it came out her nose. Damn it Judy! She had just warned herself about that, and now it appeared that he didn't even need to make puns for her libido to go haring off with whatever he just said.
As he stood up he asked her, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. It was just that visual, it, it kinda got away from me." She grinned up at him.
"Okay, then… I'll just take the rest of this stuff over to the dressing room." He walked off.
She grabbed her pant choices, and what looked like some black combat pants to try on as well. As she head over to the fitting room to meet him, she passed by the underwear section. Looking over the selection, she was sorely tempted to try some of the more frilly kind, but eventually just settled on taking a pack of boxer briefs. They could double as sleeping ware as well as yoga workout wear. She promise her libido that she would be back later to look at the nicer stuff, but with a female in tow. Not Hugo. Any mammal but Hugo, for that matter. She'd probably self combust if he was standing next to her while she picked something sexy out.
Good Gravy, it's like I'm fifteen again. What the Hell? Why was she so reserved around him?
They stopped at the other store, and true to Meredith's description, it was rather more eclectic in it's selection. Judy did find a wonderful old trench coat that was covered in patches that had been stitched on by paw. Some mammal had spent a lot of time and love on that coat, and Judy just had to honor that. They also offered brand new heavy duty combat spats for rabbits, and she got a black pair to help protect her feet.
As they were checking out, she asked Hugo if she could get one last thing. He looked at where she pointed, and nodded. It was a little thing, really, almost ornamental, but it would complete her look, she knew.
For lunch, he drove them over to an all-you-can eat salad bar and told her to eat her fill. Which she did, setting three plates in front of herself to just his one, and they munched away in silence. She only managed 2 and half plates, but who's counting, she triumphantly crowed to herself. As he got up to get coffee for them, she reflected on how much her life had changed in just two days. A week ago, she was eating spoiled melons out of dumpsters behind neighborhood grocery stores and chasing roaches out of her bedding. Damn it, she was getting introspective again. Next would come the waterworks, as Dad liked to call them.
Clink. Hugo set the coffee down in front of her, and sat down in his chair. He pulled out his phone, scowled at the screen, and then set it down on the table. He picked up his coffee, and blew on it to cool it. Sensing the mood had just gotten serious, she mirrored his actions.
Pointing to his phone, "I just got a text from my partner Emmanuel, who would like me to come in and consult on a trauma case he just worked on. Seems he is treating a male goat who decided to have an argument with a concrete column, and the column won the debate, decisively."
"Okay?" She acknowledge this. Goats could be great company when they were peaceful, but get them riled up and they would charge anything that they saw as a threat.
"Anyway, Emmanuel has just finished putting a shunt in the goats skull, and he would like me to come in to take a second look. He says they found something weird, and they don't understand what it means."
"You have to go in, don't you?" Judy gathered that to be what he really meant.
"Yes, and there is a complication." He pointed at her.
"Me?" What was wrong with her that he couldn't have her with him? Wait, he was going to a hospital, right? She didn't want to go to a hospital!
"Not you, conijta, it's your pneumonia that is at issue. This is a critical trauma ward I have to go to, and they guard jealously against infections, especially for brain trauma patients. If you go with me, you would have to either stay in the SUV or in the emergency waiting room. I don't image either would appeal to you, not after what you told me in the shop."
"Not really, no." She grabbed an ear and nervously began to tug on it.
"And I don't have enough time to run you all the way home and back. So I would like to offer an alternative, if you will, one that may or may not appeal to you."
"I'm listening." She stopped tugging on her ear.
"After Swinton kicked me out of Cliffside, my boss at the ZMHW office sent me over to the Youth Diversions Center to help a new youth counselor set up his outreach program for homeless youth, which is still running strong after ten years now. He's been a long time friend of mine as a result and I trust him. I would hope that you would be able to trust him in turn. He goes by the name of Counselor Zerda, Fe…."
She excitedly interrupted him, "Fennick? Finnick!", almost dropping her coffee on her lap in the process.
"Yes, that's his name, Fennick Zerda. I trust you have heard of him?"
"Yeaaah… I've heard of him, out on the streets. I hear his bark is worse than his bite!" She almost giggled that last bit out.
"Yes, that sounds exactly like Fennick. Would you be willing to stay with him while I visit with my partner and we examine our argumentative goat?"
Turning serious, Judy pondered his request. She had avoided almost everybody in her former life, perhaps out a sense that she was protecting them, but now, three years after Dawn Bellwether's death, she had no idea who she was protecting: them or her? It's not like Fennick would even know who she was before hand. Nobody knew, not her parents, not Hugo, not even Nick. Oh, Nick. It would finally allow her to ask somebody about Nick, somebody who knew him well, and wouldn't think the request strange coming from an ordinary street rabbit. Nobody would ever understand why she still though of him as 'her fox', but she could still love him, even if she could never be with him again. Yeah, she could visit with Fennick. But not dressed like this.
"Okay, but I'll have to change first."
"Um, okay, may I ask why?" Hugo was confused. He thought she looked very cute in that dress.
"I got no street cred in this dress! If I'm gonna meet Fennick Zerda, I gotta have street cred! Otherwise he won't take me seriously!" She waggled a claw at him, and chugged down the last of her coffee.
Hugo could only stare at the rabbit before him. Had she been a gang member before, before she started living on the street? Had he missed something? But before he could answer those thoughts, or even finish his own coffee, she had bounded from the table.
"Come on! Let's go!" She urged his aging carcass away from his comfortable chair and pointed him toward the door.
Okay, this was new. He had be sure that she would have raised quite a few more objections to this diversionary trip, but if she was this eager to go he wasn't going to stop her. If she wants to meet Fennick, than Fennick she can meet!
After arriving at the Youth Center, she had kicked him out of the SUV while she changed. Why, he didn't understand; he had already seen her completely naked twice. He couldn't imagine that she had changed all that much in just two days. But when he tried to point this out to her, she just shrieked at him. Something about 'ruining her mojo', so he just shut the door behind him.
He was a gifted neurologist, and could handily diagnosis and treat a mammal's brain that was malfunctioning due to sever trauma. What he couldn't understand was WHY a female's brain would work the way it did, especially when he was trying to reason with them.
He had tried asking his Abuela why this was at some point, but she had been no help at all. She just cackled until she fell over. It was the last time he ever asked for her help with females.
The door behind opened, and Judy stepped out onto the parking lot pavement. She shoved her paws in her pants pocket and asked him, "What do you think?"
He stopped for a moment to marvel at the transformation from sunny farm rabbit to dark street rabbit. Okay, he admitted to himself, this outfit does look like it belongs on the street. Even more so, it looks like it belongs on her.
"It suits you." She had put on the halter top along with the combat pants, combat spats, and the trench coat. She completed the look by adding the military Id tag choker. It made her look care worn, world weary, and wise all at the same time. It most definitely suited her.
She beamed at him, and stepping up she socked him in the arm, "Told ya!"
"Was that a punch?" He asked her.
"Was a punch? I just hit you as hard as I could!" She was indignant! How dare he mock her efforts!
"Oh? Okay, I guess so." He carefully allowed.
"What! You guess?" She wound up, and without thinking it completely through, she punched him in the stomach. Owwwwww… Did she just break her paw? It was like punching a rock.
"Do I need to take you to the hospital now?" He mildly asked her.
"Nooooooo. I'm fine!" Biting her words through clenched teeth, she wiggled her paw. Not broken, just very sore. Okay, Judy, don't do that again! "Let's just go meet Fennick, okay?"
"Yes, let's." Hugo grinned down at the feisty rabbit.