Judy felt her teeth clamped down firmly inside her mouth as she stood in the doorway. Her arms folded; paws both touching the opposite arm. She had an anxious look on her face as her weight shifted to lean on the door frame.
Inside the room Judy was looking into, laying on a small bed, was a squirrel. His eyes were shut tightly, and each twitch or murmur he made caused Judy's facial features to weaken.
Nick came up behind Judy; the rabbit's left ear twitching as she heard him approach.
"He asleep?" Nick asked quietly.
"Think so," Judy whispered back with a soft sigh.
"You gonna come to bed?" Nick stretched.
"Maybe in a little," Judy mumbled.
Nick paused, squeezing one of Judy's shoulders gently. Judy looked back at him, a look of quiet upset on her face.
"Judy... you're not going to will his fever away, you know," Nick said warmly, "though, if that was possible, it'd definitely be gone by now."
"I know, Nick..." Judy turned from the room and softly shut the door. "I'm just worried."
"We've been diligent," Nick said, walking over to the couch with her. Judy stopped to collapse backwards onto the couch, and Nick sat down lightly beside her. "He's gotten his medicine and gotten checked up. Doctor says the fever will break soon. Nothing to worry about."
"I know..." Judy droned. "I know. But he's so... so little."
"So are you, from a certain point of view," Nick smiled. "But you're a fighter, and so is he."
"It's different, Nick," Judy's brow furrowed. She laid her paws down on her lap, paw up. "He's been through so much."
"He has," Nick nodded. "And that's why-"
"You know Karma, Nick?" Judy narrowed one eye and turned to the fox. "The canid goddess?"
"I'm... aware of her," Nick's head tilted to the side.
"Can you, I dunno, reach her by prayer?" Judy's tone was between annoyed and earnest. She held a thumb and finger to her ear in an old "phone" shape. "Ask her why that poor little squirrel needs to have it so hard?"
"Er," Nick winced, "Judy, I know you were brought up in a fairly religious household, but I don't- I don't believe whatever great spirit animals might exist up there have a plan for every single mammal."
"It'd be better with someone to blame," Judy muttered, folding her arms; the fingers of one paw tapped her arm in muted aggravation.
"C'mere," Nick said, wrapping an arm around Judy and drawing her into his lap, her back to his front. "Everyone gets sick. I have, and I'm sure even my wonder-bun has. What was it like in your burrow when you got sick? Your mom took care of you?"
"Not always," Judy shrugged her shoulders. When Nick made a confused "uh?", Judy elaborated: "I mean, if it wasn't her, it was one of my older sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins... you know, whoever."
"Hm, quite a support group," Nick chuckled. "For most of my life it was just me and Mom."
Judy cozied back against Nick and felt his arms wrap around her. "Was that hard?"
"Sometimes," Nick nodded. "I probably could have made it easier if I'd behaved better. But the important point is that she was there for me."
Judy nodded, sighing.
"So all we gotta do," Nick punctuated the "we" by tapping Judy's nose with his forefinger's pad, "is be there for him."
"Is that all?" Judy grunted. "Feels like I could be doing more."
"Well, that's who you are, anyway," Nick chuckled. "I know if you could, you'd shrink down to minuscule size and punch out his infection, one microbe at a time."
"It's an idea," Judy smirked.
Nick chuckled a little more, petting over her ears. "Besides that, no. I think you make a wonderful mother."
"Really?" Judy turned around in Nick's lap and looked up at him with her big eyes. "Do I?"
"You think you don't?" Nick looked perplexed. "You're so concerned about Larry and his well-being." Nick shook his head. "You're just what he needs."
Judy smiled wistfully. "But you... he started calling you 'Dad' so easily."
Nick shrugged dismissively with a half-smile. "I'm the fun one. To be honest, with how much he likes to climb all over me, I'm surprised he called me 'Dad' and not 'tree'."
"Ha," Judy matched Nicks smile and ran her paws down Nick's arm fur. "What kind of tree, a redwood?"
"Oof, there's a callback," Nick rolled his eyes.
Judy's eyes swiveled down before finding Nick's again. "He act- he actually called me 'Mom' a few days ago, before he got sick."
"Did he now?" Nick smiled genuinely, his eyes half-lidded.
"Whew, yeah," Judy started randomly gesticulating with her hands. "It was like... I'd- y'know, I'd imagined the possibility, but it still kind of completely blindsided me. My throat got all tight and it was all I could do not to cry."
"And I was what... getting groceries?" Nick tried to use the ceiling to recall. "Definitely got the raw deal there."
"If you had been here, I probably would have cried," Judy rolled her eyes. "That would have ruined everything. 'Dad, why does Judy cry if I call her Mom'?"
"I won't lie," Nick scratched at his neck. "First time he called me 'Dad', I got a little choked up too. Fortunately, we were watching a sad movie together at the time."
"Convenient," Judy smirked devilishly.
"You deserve it, Judy," Nick pet over the gray bunny's head. Her face read confusion. "That lofty 'mom' mantle."
"Oh, psh," Judy smiled weakly, her eyes darting around.
"You do," Nick smiled broader. "You're an amazing female. I know you'll be there for Larry no matter what, and that's what makes you a great mother."
"Kh..." Judy breathed out, meeting Nick's gaze with a tittering giggle. "You big dummy. Have I told you how wonderful you are lately?"
"I mean, I kind of assumed that when you married me," Nick said smoothly. Judy responded by straightening up in his lap and giving him a firm, defiant kiss.
Nick smirked at the affectionate bunny's gaze.
"You ready for bed now?" Nick asked blithely. "Or do you want to try to defeat Larry's illness with your mind again?"
"Is that all this was?" Judy sucked her teeth, shaking her head. "A ploy to get me to calm down?"
"My dear, I do everything on purpose," Nick placed a paw delicately on his chest.
"Like avoid filing your taxes," Judy launched off of Nick and started heading for their bedroom.
"Okay, you got me there," Nick rolled his eyes, slapping his lap and getting up to follow her. "But if I had, you wouldn't have been able to 'get' me back then."
"So what do you call that, smart guy?" Judy gave him a playfully scornful look, turning her head behind her.
"Probably Serendipity," Nick shrugged extravagantly.
"Serendipity- the bunny...? Nick," Judy rolled her eyes.
"Oh what, you don't believe in her?" Nick asked in faux disbelief.
"Listen, you," Judy thrust her left hand backward and reached for Nick's own so they could feel each other's wedding rings. "I'm lucky enough on my own."
"No argument there," Nick nodded his agreement sagely, entering their bedroom with his wife.