Chapter 12

Nick woke up to the sound of the door being opened. Nick opened his eyes and saw a nurse bringing breakfast. When she lifted the dome off the food, Nick suddenly remembered his starving stomach. Nick picked up his fork and ate the omelet in less than five minutes. While he was eating his fruit salad side dish, Bogo came in. "Good morning, Wilde. I hope I'm not interrupting," Bogo said. "Nope, of course not, Chief. What'd you want to say?" Nick said in between bites. "How'd you know I wanted to tell you something?" Bogo said. "Chief. I've been with your team for about a year now, and you came to visit me anywhere only to tell me something about work. What is it?" Bogo looked nervous. He took a deep breath. "Nick, I want you to remain calm. I've come to tell you that the lion who had you was nowhere to be found, and neither was any of his team." Nick's anger started to boil. He clenched his fist and had his jaw set, but stopped clenching his jaw when it started to hurt. "And, your family was there with you and Jefferson. Your sister and Jefferson are fine. They are just down the hallway." Nick could see where this was going his fist started to relax and tears started to well up. "Your parents didn't make it. They had been poisoned and there was nothing the paramedics could've done for them. Their last words to the paramedics was, 'Tell the kids, we're proud of them.' I figured you would want to know that. The service would be next week." Nick couldn't hold it back any longer. He put his head in his paws and sobbed. "I'll be leaving. I see you need time alone," Bogo said as he left the room. Nick rolled onto his side, but it hurt too much, so he went back to how he was. Nick pushed the rolling tray with his breakfast away. Nick sobbed more and more. "At least Judy wasn't hurt," Nick thought. The nurse came in with a wheelchair. "Ready to go see your sister and friend?" asked the nurse. Nick nodded a little as the nurse helped him get into the wheelchair. She pushed him out the door and down the hall. He was brought to a door that said beside it, "Worth, Viki." Nick was anxious to see Viki. The nurse opened the door and Nick saw Viki sitting on the bed. She had an oxygen tube in her nose and she looked asleep. Nick was looking at her face closely. "What happened?" asked Nick. "She had a punctured lung, but she'll be fine in a few weeks. Nick watched as the nurse woke Viki up. Viki looked at Nick and her face lit up. "Oh, Nick. I'm glad you're ok!" Viki said. Nick smiled. "I'm glad that you're ok!" said Nick. Nick laid his left paw on Viki's stomach, and held Viki's left paw with his right. When Viki reached over to touch hold Nick's left paw, she looked surprised. Nick laughed a little and lifted his left hand where Viki could see it. Viki gasped. "Nick, I'm so sorry!" "It's fine. I'll adapt." Nick smiled at Viki, and she smiled back. "You're strong, Viki. You'll be fine," Nick said. "You too," Viki said. The nurse wheeled Nick out the door and down the hall again to another door. This one said, "Jefferson, James." Nick wondered what happened to him. Nick was wheeled inside and saw James sitting up on his bed, reading a book. "James!" Nick said as he saw him. "Nick! How are you doing?" "Fine, I guess. Just missing a few things," Nick said as he held up his left hand. James looked relieved. "At least you didn't lose as much as I did," James said as he lifted the blanket off. James had his right leg amputated at the knee. Nick gasped. Then he smiled, then looked sad. "I think I still lost more than you," Nick said. James looked sad. "I'm sorry about what happened. Bogo told me. I don't think he's told your sister yet." Nick looked down. "Take me back. I'm tired," Nick said to the nurse. "Hey! Get well, ok?" James said as Nick left. "I will. You too!" Nick said. Nick was taken back to his room and the nurse helped him back into bed. Nick fell asleep and dreamed of Judy.

Judy walked out of the hospital elevator and walked to the reception desk. "I'm here to take Mr. Wilde home," Judy said to the lioness. "Yes. Please have a seat and fill this paperwork out." Judy took the clipboard and walked to the sitting area. As she filled the paper work, she heard a crash and a frustrated remark from one of the rooms. It was Nick's room. Judy had filled out the paperwork and handed it to the lioness and she walked to Nick's door and slowly opened it. Inside, Nick was laying on the floor face down. "I thought you'd never get here, Doc!" Nick said. "What's wrong? Can the big strong fox not get up?" Judy said. Nick grumbled. "Judy, I know what you're about to do. Don-" Nick was cut off by a flash and a click. Judy had taken a selfie with Nick on the floor. Nick grumbled. Just then, the nurse came in and helped Nick up. Judy left so he could get dressed. A few minutes later, Nick came out in a wheelchair being pushed by the nurse. "Hop on, Carrots," Nick said, patting his lap. Judy jumped on and rode with Nick to her car. The nurse helped Nick get into Judy's car, and put the wheelchair in the backseat. Judy drove all the way to Nick's apartment. Judy helped Nick get into his apartment. When Nick got there, he wheeled himself to the bathroom. Judy sat on the couch. She looked under the cushion, and there was the post card she had hid weeks ago. She pulled it out and threw it in the trash. Nick came back and went to the kitchenette. He opened the fridge and pulled out the jug of milk and took a big swig straight from the jug. He put it back and closed the fridge. He opened the cabinet and grabbed a bag of chips. He opened the bag and poured some into a bowl and took in to the living room. He turned the tv on and tuned it to the news channel. There was a report on the events last week. When they were wheeling Nick out, Nick said, "Hey, I know that guy!" Judy laughed when he said that. "...Among the injured was the ZPD's very first fox officer, Nick Wilde, as well as his sister, Viki Wilde-Worth, as well as the ZPD's special forces pilot, a tiger named James Jefferson. We received the report that Wilde has lost two fingers, Worth had a punctured lung, and Jefferson has lost his leg. Wilde was released from Savannah Central Community Hospital less than an hour ago. And-" Nick turned the tv off. He couldn't bear to see any more. Nick covered his eyes. "Are you going to be ok for the day? I have some errands I need to run," Judy said. "Yeah. I'll be fine. You go do what you need to do." Judy kissed Nick and left. Nick leaned back and wheeled over to his laptop. He pushed the chair out of the way and wheeled the wheelchair where that chair was. He opened the laptop and opened up Microsoft Word. He started to write out the eulogy he would give at his parents' funeral. He saved it and opened another file. He wrote out all the things he wanted to say to his parents, but never had the chance. Before he was halfway through, he was sobbing and couldn't finish it. He saved it and closed the editor. He opened MuzzleTime. He typed Finnick's name and it dialed. The screen lit up with Finnick's face. "Hey, man! Haven't seen you in a while? How's the cop thing working out?" Finnick said. "Oh, not bad. It's just..." Finnick was Nick's oldest friend. He could tell Finn anything. "Finn, my parents died last week." Finnick's ears went down. "I'm so sorry to hear that, man. Hey! If it makes you feel better, I'll come to the funeral. Where's it at?" "It's at the Savannah Central Funeral Home. Tomorrow at three." "Ok. I'll be there." "I've got to go. See you next week, Finn." "Bye, Nick." Nick hit end call and shut his laptop. Nick wheeled over to the couch and turned the tv on. He turned his Blu-Ray player on and watched Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back four times in a row. After he watched it for the fourth time, he ate some chips and went to the bedroom and fell asleep. Nick woke up to the sound of some loud noises from the kitchen. Nick got up and onto the wheelchair and wheeled into the kitchen to find Judy in there making him breakfast. "Hey there, sleepy head! Ready for a day of fun?" said Judy with a huge smile on her face as she flipped two pancakes without looking. "How'd you get in here?" asked Nick. Judy laughed. "You forgot to lock the door last night." Nick bumped himself on the head. Oh yeah. "I've got four blueberry pancakes about ready for you." Nick wheeled over to the dining room table. Judy had already moved some furniture around for Nick. The easy chair was pushed back so the wheelchair could be where it was, she put the chair that was by his desk was in the corner, and the other chair from the dining room table was on top of that one. "Thanks for redecorating, Carrots," Nick said. "Anything to help you, Nicky!" Judy said from the kitchen. Judy soon brought four steaming hot pancakes covered in syrup to Nick and set them down in front of him. Nick licked his lips. He blew on the pancakes to cool them down. Nick picked up a fork and started eating. Nick hadn't eaten much the last few days since finding out his parents died, but he was starving now. When Nick remembered his parents, he remembered the service was today. Nick frowned. "What's wrong? Did an eggshell get in the pancakes?" asked Judy. "No. It's that I remembered that my parents' funeral is today." Judy leaned over and hugged him. "Don't worry, Nick. You'll heal. Both physically, and spiritually." "Maybe, but there are always going to be scars," Nick said as he lifted his left paw up. Judy went to the couch. Nick started eating the pancakes again. Judy came back with a small box in her paws. Nick didn't really look at it, but he just kept eating. "Here," Judy said, setting the box next to Nick's plate. Nick opened the box and inside was a police special watch with a custom leather strap. The strap had a heart with N+J in the middle engraved on it. "Thank you, Judy," Nick said as he put it on. "This means a lot to me." Judy smiled and kissed Nick. Nick wheeled over to the bedroom and shut the door. A few minutes later, Nick put his head out the door. "Uh, Carrots? I can't get dressed." Judy suddenly remembered that Nick had been wearing the same clothes she dropped him off in. He probably slept in them. "Coming," Judy said as she walked into the room. Nick was standing on his left leg with a crutch under his right armpit and he was holding his right leg up. Judy unbuttoned Nick's shirt and pulled it open. He was practically wearing a shirt of bandages underneath! Judy helped him pull the shirt off his arms because his arms were still stiff. Judy then helped him take his pants off. He had bandages all over his right thigh, and it looked very uncomfortable. "I think I can change my boxers myself," Nick said. Judy left the room until Nick said she could come back in. She then picked out a shirt and pants for him and helped him put them on. "The doctor said to replace the bandages every night before bed, and to take a shower before the new ones are put on," Judy said. Nick nodded. Nick sat on his bed, while Judy sat next to him. "Judy?" "Yes?" "I've been thinking, and you know how you like to think ahead, and I don't?" "Yes." "Well, I was thinking, and, IF we got married, would we have to adopt?" Judy stared at him blankly. "Actually, Nick, I was thinking the same thing the day we left my parents." Nick felt a little relieved that this wasn't really awkward. "I looked it up, and yes, if we wanted kids, we would have to adopt," Judy said. Nick didn't know exactly how to comprehend that. Nick laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Judy lay down carefully on Nick's chest, not wanting to cause him pain. Nick stroked Judy's head and ears. Judy liked it when he did that. Nick got up and onto his wheelchair and wheeled to the door. "Where are you going?" asked Judy. "I want some fresh air before we leave," replied Nick. Judy followed him out the door, down the elevator, and out into the street. Nick started rolling toward the park. Judy walked along beside him. Nick loved taking walks with Judy. Nick went all over Savannah Central, just wheeling himself around, but Judy started getting tired. Nick saw his favorite ice cream shop down the street. "Let's go! I'll race you!" Nick said as he sped up toward the shop. Judy sighed and chased him. Nick won the race, but Judy was very close behind. "Let's go inside," Nick said as he hit the handicap automatic door button. He wheeled inside and saw it wasn't as crowded as usual. Nick ordered blueberry ice cream, and Judy got carrot ice cream. They took their treats to a table. Judy pulled one chair away from the table for Nick. Nick set the cup down and started to eat it. Judy sat across from him and ate her ice cream too. "Selfie!" Judy yelled as she held her phone behind her and turned around to face it and snapped a picture. Nick had his spoon in his mouth when she took it. "I look like a fool, Carrots! Delete it!" Nick was pleading. "No way. That's going on my home page on Instipaw. Nick rolled his eyes. When they finished, Nick started to head back to his apartment. When they got there, Nick needed to be changed again, and Judy drove Nick to her apartment so she could change. Judy drove Nick to the funeral home two hours before it would start.