5. Being Cared For

== Judy ==

Wrapped in a blanket, I sat in the open trunk of a police vehicle. I took a careful sip from my glass of hot carrot tea. I swayed my feet back and forth in antiparallel fashion as I watched the firefighters extinguish the last smoldering bits of the wreckage. I remembered being so close to the fire, how the heat sucked away my energy, my strength, my hope of survival. I couldn't fathom what it was like to be facing that every day. Surely, they wore suits to protect themselves, but still. Picking up arms against the our most ancient form of mortal danger, I wouldn't be sure if I would have the guts to do that, with or without a suit. I admired their bravery, also because it had been that courage that had saved my life. That, and Nick of course. If he hadn't been there, the polar bear and I might not have been so lucky. He had knowingly gone straight for the fire, without protective clothing or anything. Maybe he was even more heroic than the firemen I was staring at.

"How're you doing, Carrots?"

I broke free from my gaze and noticed Nick standing next to me.

"I'm fine." I replied.

From the moment we had been put down by the elephant that had carried us to safety, he had merely shown concern for my wellbeing. The very blanket I wore around me had he got for me. Now, he eyed me from ears to toes, concluding that my answer was not enough sufficiently convincing.

"Wait here, I'll get the doc."

"Nick! It's not…"

I exhaled amused as I reckoned I still wasn't able to talk him out of anything, not even if the topic concerned myself. I saw him point at me as he addressed someone from the medical staff, assigned to look after all animals involved in the incident. They had been stationed here after the ambulance raced the polar bear to the hospital. His state had been deteriorating fast. I hoped he would make it. I might not have seen a lot in the smoke, yet I had deduced from the bear's outfit that he had been the driver of the sabotaged limousine. Hopefully he would be able to shed some light on the mammal responsible.

With a lot of drama, fairly recognizable, Nick persuaded a marmot to come and see me. I had no idea what Nick had told him, however it was unlikely that he hadn't exaggerated. The doctor introduced himself as Howard, a physician who worked at the Albert Schweizbear Hospital since twelve years. He requested permission to examine me, already preparing his gear. I had other ideas and refused. With an astonished look he ceased his actions and looked back at Nick. I had no doubt that he had been told some fib about me being near death, diverting his attention from the animals that truly needed medical care. And if there was something I couldn't stand, it was unequal treatment, beneficial or otherwise.

"I told you I'm in perfect shape!" I snapped at Nick.

"Oh really? Then what's that on your arm?" He retorted.

I looked down and noticed a dark blue stain on my arm. I touched it, finding it to be sore and sensitive.

"A bruise…" I admitted, realizing what would be my friend's riposte.

"A-hah! So you're not in perfect shape."

I glared at him. Normally I found it sweet that he was so caring. Now it was just getting on my nerves.

"Madam, is it true that you were within a fifty feet radius of the blast site?" Howard demanded.

"Errr… I think so, yes." I replied, estimating the distance.

"Then your friend was right to bring me here. You may have suffered internal contusions that could exert themselves later on in grave forms. Our protocol obliges anyone who was inside the specified radius during the time of the explosion to undergo an examination by a member of our staff."

"I… I didn't…" I sighed, "fine, but don't make it too long. There are patients who need your attention more than I do."

"I'll be willing to draw such conclusions after I'm done madam."

I saw Nick draw a content smile in the background. Okay, so perhaps he had been in his right to call in the physician, that didn't mean I wasn't mad at him. I was perfectly healthy, there was no need to waste Howard's time. He could put that too far better use than checking me over. Howard pricked me on multiple spots and moved my joints to deduce from my response whether those actions hurt. This was rarely the case. During his ten minutes research, nobody spoke a word. Only the marmot himself grunted a few times. After he was done poking me, he placed his stethoscope on my back. At his request, I inhaled and exhaled deeply, whilst he listened to different areas of my ribcage. Each time the cold metal touched my fur, it was discomforting and unnerving. As was Nick's gaze, by the way. It rested silently on me the whole time. Wasn't there something for him to do? Just as I was going to say something about it, Howard interjected.

"Do you smoke, miss…?"

"Hopps, and no I don't."

"Have you ever smoked?"

"No I have not."

He removed his stethoscope and hung it around his neck again, subsequently checking my eyes with a flashlight.

"Are you suffering from asthma, Pfeiffer's or –"

"No I don't," I interrupted him impatiently, "why is this relevant?"

He clicked out the lamp, exchanged it for a small notebook in his pocket and started writing prior to giving me an answer.

"Because, miss Hopps, although you have not sustained much injuries from the shockwave, I think you may have a few bruised ribs."

"What does that mean?" I wondered, unleashing a dry cough.

"Well, it means coughs like that" He said, pointing at me with the pen ostentatiously, before resuming his scribbling, "as well as shortness of breath and headaches if you perform too much physical activity. I suggest you take it easy for the next week."

He ripped the paper he had been writing on from his notebook and handed it to Nick.

"For the moment it looks like something that'll heal in time, but should her state appear to worsen, you call me immediately on this number and if I'm for any reason unavailable, the one I wrote below, understood?"

Nick nodded and gave his promise, carefully folding the piece of paper and stashing it in his wallet.

"Wait, shouldn't you be giving that to me?" I asked confused.

Howard glanced at me sternly.

"If it had been up to your judgement, miss Hopps, you wouldn't even have submitted to an examination in the first place. You may have underestimated it once, I will not stake your life on whether or not you will do so again. Besides, this fox told me you're his most important friend. I trust he'll monitor your welfare with care."

The doctor shook my hand and Nick's and returned to the other patients. My gut feeling propagandized that I disliked him, yet I was hundred percent sure that Howard cared for every patient he had, no matter how stubborn they are. I also knew he was right to act so austere. I had failed to estimate the severity of my injuries and if it hadn't been for Nick's stubbornness, I would've continued without batting an eye. At least now I learnt I had to pay more attention to my own health, were it, not in the friendliest of manners.

"See, I told you that you needed medical attention." Nick taunted victoriously.

"Yea, sometimes you're not as dumb a fox as you would have me believe." I teased back.

He smiled at the sky, sticking his paws into his pockets.

"What can I say, It's amazing to have me as a friend."

"Yea…"

Suddenly, I remembered something the doctor had said.

"… almost as amazing as myself."

"What do you mean?" He asked frowning.

I leant slightly backwards, tilting my head and looked him straight into the eyes.

"Well, I am 'your most important friend' after all." I said cheekily.

I saw the look of perplexity on his face as he undoubtedly retraced the conversations we had had. Then it dawned on him that Howard had unwittingly given me this valuable info and he got an adorable blush on his cheeks. I knew that a physician would never make something like that up. Nick had probably told him, not even realizing it at the time, to get the marmot to visit me. Of course, I didn't know whether Howard's words were an exact quotation or a free interpretation, but what I did know, was that Nick didn't like it that I had heard them. My giggling brightened the red color of his face.

"I-err… Oh hey, here comes Chief Bogo." He evaded.

I looked up, surprised that it was not a lie to change the subject. The muscled ox was making his towards us through the firemen, physicians, patients and other cops. He easily stood out in the crowd due to his navy blue shirt with matching trousers and black leather belt, his huge posture and his usual grim expression. I poised to get up for my superior, though he gestured me that such courtesies weren't needed.

"Relax, Hopps, I'm only here to see how you're doing. Nothing serious I hope?"

"I'm just fi–"

*Uh-hum*

Nick cleared his throat, making Bogo look from me, to him and back to me.

"Okay, okay." I corrected myself annoyed "I feel fine, but according to the doctor I may have bruised some of my ribs. He told me to avoid too much physical effort."

"Sounds reasonable. And you?"

"Not a scratch. I wasn't around when the bomb went off."

"Bomb?" Bogo and I questioned.

"Yea, the firefighters reported signs of residue from a car bomb. It appears the limo was rigged for destruction."

That news gave me a fright. That meant someone was loose in Zootopia with a mind to kill. Luckily they failed. This time at least. Nick continued by telling us that before the driver was taken away by the ambulance, he had assured us there had been no-one inside the car by the time it went up in flames. This had also been confirmed by the firemen a little while later. Nick had immediately asked them whether they were perhaps able to identify the type of explosive, yet for that answer we had to wait for our colleagues from the crime lab at precinct three.

"So it is my belief that either the attempt has failed or the aim was to blow it up without casualties." Nick concluded proudly.

I had followed his reasoning with interest. I had seen it right all those weeks ago when I had said he would be an excellent cop. He had conducted outstanding work. Or so it seemed.

"Or the driver himself was the target." Bogo added.

Nick's smile vanished. He visible reproached himself for having missed that angle. Bogo slapped him on the back hard, making the fox almost lose his balance.

"Don't look so sad, Wilde. For a first, you've done a good job at gathering crucial information."

He rubbed his neck and repaid the chief's jovial act with a painful smile. I read from his body language however, that he had much rather thought of this last possibility as well. Just as me, he had shown himself as being somewhat of a perfectionist. I gently tapped his arm too support my boss's positive influx.

"Yea, Nick. Nicely done."

"Alright then." Bogo concluded, "If either of you sees to it that someone is posted at the polar bear's room in the hospital, I guess I have everything I came here for."

Nick nodded and drew out his phone to make the required call to make that happen. Bogo had only done a few steps when he remembered something.

"Oh, and Hopps!"

"Yes chief!"

"Be careful next time. The precinct doesn't like to see its officers get hurt."

"Got it." I saluted.

He gave me a friendly nod and turned around, making his way back to his car, which he had parked just outside the perimeter of the crime scene. I couldn't suppress a grin as I saw him reprimand one of the younger officers for slacking. Precinct, my tail. It had been he who had been worried about me, else he'd never had come her in person. He might act all tough, surly and hot-headed on the outside, I knew that secretly, Bogo was actually a really nice guy.