The phone rang twice and Nick heard a grunting then a very groggy half-hearted "Hello?"
"Finnick?" Nick questioned
"Nick? man what are you doing callin me?" The pair of foxes decided that since Nick was a cop, he could only call in an emergency.
"I need you to get me to the Delta Echo Alpha Tango Hotel" Nick said in a low voice.
"Woah..." Fennick began catiously "Are you sure about this man?"
"Yeah" Nick said looking down at Judy "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"Is it just you?"
"No, Judy too."
"Where are you?"
"Sahara Medical. Recovery room 9 and there are reporters outside the hospital" Nick said looking out the window "So we need to make this look good,"
"Come on man, Dont i always?" Finnick said smugly "I will be there in half an hour"
Nick hung up the phone and looked out into the hall. he flagged down Claira who happen to be passing by.
"May I help you?" She asked politely
"I need a pen and some paper" Nick requested. he watched the small otter leave and return with the pen and pages, then she turned to leave "Can you wait a minute then deliver these for me?" Nick asked as he quickly wrote out three notes, one to Bogo, one to Dr. White, and one to Mr. Big. "Take Mr. Big his first, it is a matter of life and death" Nick said dramatically as he handed the notes to Claira. she looked at him for a moment then left the room running down the hall.
"Judy?" He said shaking the rabbit awake "Wake up sweetheart."
Judy turned over proping herself up on her elbows. "Did we talk to the cheif?"
"Yea, we did." Nick smiled at her innocent beauty.
Fennick knocked on the door frame and walked in carrying two duffle bags. "Hey man," he said then he looked at Judy "Hey Judy,"
"Hi Fennick, what are you doing here?" Judy asked with a smile.
"You didn't tell her yet?" Fennick asked shutting the door so it was just barely open, suprised that nick called him without talking to her first.
"You got here too soon," Nick replied closing the blinds to the windows near him "I was about to tell her."
"tell me what?" she asked as fennick passed Nick a small metal flask and closed the blinds on the other side of the room.
"Judy there isn't time to explain now, i just need to know if you trust me?" Nick asked taking her paws in his. she didn't answer at first.
She looked into his bright emerald eyes "With my life." she said with great certainty.
"Good," he said holding the falsk out to her "Because i'm going to need to borrow it."
"What?" she pushed away the small container.
"Judy, i can't explain it right now, but i just need you to know everything is going to be ok." Nick said holding the flask out to her again "Here, Drink this."
"What's in it?" she said taking it and eyeing it suspiciously
"Just carrot juice" Fennick said sliding one of the duffles under a nearby chair and unzipping the other one. "You are going to need your strength for this." Judy took a drink from it and passed out immediatly. "oh yeah it also has a hint of ketamine in it" fennick added with a laugh as he passed Nick a bottle of red velvet shake syrup from the local Buger King and put on a pair of rubber gloves.
Nick tore judys hospital gown while Fennick put fake blood splatter on the walls. Fennick took Judy's paw and put some of the syrup on it. He used it to 'scratch' Nick and then he squirted nick in the 'scratch' for added effect.
Nick put syrup on his paws and 'clawed' Judy gently making sure not to draw any real blood. then he put a little on his teeth and 'bit' judy's arm and neck. when he was satisfied, he looked at fennic and smiled.
"Thanks Fennick, I owe you one." he said taking a drink from the flask of carrot juice and ketamine. "Yuck, this stuff tastes terrible" Nick said laying his nose down on judy's abdomen
Finnick added a little more blood for good measure, then he stepped back and admired his handy work. he collected the syrup bottles and the flask and put them back in the duffle he got them from. he took one last look at the unlikely couple. he never thought nick would ever go this far for a cop, especially a rabbit cop. he turned and pulled the door open and took a deep breath.
"HOLY HOWLER MONKEYS! SOMEBODY GET IN HERE QUICK! I THINK THEY KILLED EACHOTHER!" he screamed. there was a mob of reporters and nurses that flooded into the room causing enough distraction for Fennick to slip out unnoticed. he passed by Cheif Bogo and Dr. White running to the staged crime scene. they stood in shock for a moment staring at the massacre before them. Bogo was the first to react when he saw a camera flash.
"EVERYBODY OUT!" He bellowed angrily scaring the nurses away"OUT NOW!" He and tried to control the situation, but the damage had already been done and they were being bombarded with questions.
"Claira! call security!" Dr. White yelled.
soon the reporters were escourted out of the hospital, leaving the pair alone to stare at the macabre scene. Dr. White could have sworn she heard polar bear sensation Jane siberry singing calling all angels.
"How could this happen?" Cheif Bogo said looking at his officers get wheeled out and taken to the morgue. Dr. White put a comforting arm around his shoulders and led him out to the nurses station where claira was waiting for them.
"Um, Doctor?"
"Yes Claira?"
"Mr. Wilde told me to give these to you, he told me to give Mr. Big his first." Claira was on the verge of tears "He said it was a matter of life and death"
"It's alright claira," Dr white said taking the two notes and handing Bogo the one addressed to him. she quickly opened and read her note. she picked up the phone and called the morgue.
"Hello?" came the old voice of the tanuki ME.
"Dr. Azeban, This is Dr. White. Don't start the autopsy on the fox and rabbit just yet. Collect any evidence and clean them up, but don't cut them open." she said with urgency
"Dr. White? is there something i need to know about?" he asked
"Just don't cut." she said then she hung up. she picked up the phone again and dialed an outside number.
"Judy! where are you? your mother and i have been worried sick about you!" Stu hopps yelled through the phone causing to pull the reciever away for a brief moment.
"Mr. Hopps, I'm afraid i have some grave news, are you sitting down?" she said.
Cheif Bogo looked up from his note, that just said 'Sorry Cheif,' after reading it multiple times. he listened as Dr. White explained the circumstances of Judy's 'death' to Mr. Hopps. he noticed her calmness and found it rather confusing. Dr. White Hung up the phone and Bogo followed her back to the staged crime scene, where he watched her grab the duffle bag hidden under a chair. she turned around and was met with his tall muscular figure.
"What's going on?" he asked sternly, searching her eyes for the truth. she pushed past him and rushed down the hall with the bag.
"Claira call autopsy, tell Dr. azeban, he has a meeting with Dr. Gaja in 5 minutes" she yelled over her shoulder "You may not want to follow me, Mr. Bogo." Dr. White said pulling 2 needles and bottle of liquid medicine from a cabinet then going down the stairs.
"Why not?" Bogo said following her "You are a material witness in 2 cases, i need to keep an eye on you. incase you decide to leave town"
"I have a family reunion this weekend, and I will not miss it again this year," she said as she entered autopsy.
"Then I will just have to go with you!" Bogo said with frustration in his voice.
"We're still calling eachother Doctor and Mister and you want to meet my family already?" she walked over to the examination tables where Nick and Judy lay with both clean fur and a sheet covering them.
"You know what I meant!" the buffalo bellowed at her
"Do I?" she took a needle and, after filling it with some of the medication, she injected into Nicks arm. "We're moving along pretty fast don't you think?"
Nick took in a deep breath and looked at Dr. White "Thanks Doc." he said sitting up and taking the duffle bag from her.
Bogo stood in shock for half a second. "Wilde! what is the meaning of this?"
"Keep your voice down!" Dr. White said as she took the other needle and injected Judy "Do you want us to get caught?"
"What are they gonna do?" nick said putting on a plaid blue button up and pair of blue jeans. "Call the police?"
"That's not funny" Dr. white said helping the still groggy Judy sit up. "I could lose my job for this, i hope you know."
"Sorry doc," Nick said tossing her a yellow sundress for Judy to wear "I really apreciate you sticking your neck out like this."
"What is going on?" bogo asked again, sternly.
"It's called a hustle, sweet heart." Dr. White said helping judy get off the examination table. "and not a bad one either, but i'm curious, what did you use for the blood?"
"Red velvet shake syrup from Buger King" nick caught Judy as she wobbled toward him. the drugs had obviously not worn off yet. he threw the duffle over his shoulder and picked up judy who wraped her arms around his neck. "I think i have everything"
"Hang on a minute." Dr. White said searching the evidence table. she found a jar and tossed it to Nick "It needs cleaned but it should be fine." Nick caught the jar and pocketed it
"Where are you going?" Cheif bogo demanded.
"i'm following orders, you said to go someplace where noone could find us" nick said casually "I hear Hell is a little humid this time of year, so i thought we'd give heaven a try."
"What am i supposed to do about the 200 plus rabbits on their way to pick up her dead body" Cheif bogo asked refering to Judy and blocking Nicks way to the door.
"That's not my problem cheif, contact when the case is over," Nick weaved around the large water buffalo "or if you need a miricle to solve it"
"Cheif," Dr white stepped in "it may be better for them to go, the news will have the pictures up by 6 oclock tonight, and it may be better to play along with the story just until the case is over."
"How are you ok with this?" Bogo asked Incredulously
"Because i'm in the business of saving live." the panther said turning away "I thought you were too."
Nick didn't wait to hear them finish arguing as he carried judy up the stairs and out the service entrance to a long white limo with the licence plate 29THD03. Nick put Judy accross one of the seats then pulled a burn phone from the pocket of the duffle.
"Where would you like to go?" the driver asked. It was Manchas.
"any where but here." Nick replied
"You got it," the Jaguar said pulling away from the building.
Nick watched as they passed the enterence where he saw Cheif Bogo and Dr. White adressing the reporters. the phone in his hand buzzed and he answered it.
"Hey Fennick," he said
"Man we are good," Fennick said with excitement, "If you're near a television turn it on!"
Nick turned on the travel tv at the back of the vehicle
"It is a sad day for both predators and pray alike as news of the massacre at sahara medical leaves many to mourn the loss of ZPD's finest." Said Fabienne Rawrley the snow leopard news anchor "The first of their species on the force, Nicolas Piberius Wilde and Judy Hopps were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours before they were brought to the hospital where someone snuck in and shot them both with the night howler serum."
"The hospital staff, alerted by a blood curdling scream, got to the room to find Zootopias heros lying in a pool of their own blood." Peter Moosebridge said with great sorrow in his voice. "Let's go check in with David at the hospital where Chief Bogo is about to give an official statement"
the screen blinked over to the scene Nick had just seen from the window
"Things are very woeful here at Sahara Medical As Chief Bogo struggles to begin" the koala said turning his attention to the cape buffalo
"The words Predator and prey meant nothing to these fine officers until after someone hit them with that damn Night Howler serum" Bogo began"The ZPD will not rest until the offending animal is brought to justice."
"Will there be a memorial service for the fallen officers?" David asked
"as is customary in the department, The ZPD has aranged the memorial service for both Hopps and Wilde, at no cost to either of their families. it will take place Friday at 3pm" Bogo said on the screen
"i owe you one Fennick" Nick said turning off the tv.
"Darn right you do! and you can start by keepin CottonTail safe! i didn't risk my rep for you to screw it up. Let me know when you come back to life" fennick hung up and Nick threw the burn phone out the window.
"Mr. Wilde," Manchas said from the front of the long vehicle "I have to go check in with Mr. Big, have you decided where you want to go?"
"Just take us there" Nick said watching the sun set beneath the west end of Zootopia. He pulled the jar from his pocket and took a few tissues from the box in the corner by the fancy engraved glasses. he emptied Judy's engagement ring from the jar and cleaned it then put it on her finger. the ride was silent and they pulled into Mr. Big's mansion 45 minutes later. Nick picked up the duffle and tossed it over his shoulder then picked up the sleeping Judy who once again put her arms around his neck. He was escorted to a bedroom in the east wing of the grand house by a polar bear named Francine Gruffmyer. she was Kevin and Raymonds Great Grandmother and had been Grandmama's best friend.
"I'll be back in the morning to check on you and bring you breakfast." she said as she left the room and headed downstairs.
"Thank you Ma'am" Nick said and he put Judy up on the bed and pulled the covers over her shivering form. he put the duffle bag down and decided that he could tell Judy what was going on in the morning. he went to the other side of the bed and got under the covers, pulling Judy close. it didn't take long for him to drift off into sleep.
