Nick was stunned. There was no other way to put it. He thought that the gray ball of energy, that was Judy Hopps, was just doing this throw away, unimportant case to do a dare or maybe a small promotion from meter maid to a desk clerk. Not lose her job! "I should do something" Nick thought "oh, and what are you gonna do, jump on that huge buffalo."
"Your badge" said the Cape buffalo holding out his hoof to receive the badge.
"Do something!! You can take him." But Nick just goggled Judy as she handed her badge to the chief and the buffalo pocketed it.
"Collect your items and leave the ZPD by tomorrow, at noon" and with that the collection of elephants, tigers, and buffalo turned around and left the two small mammals on the sky tram.
Why didn't I do anything! Nick walked up too Judy, who hadn't moved since Bogo left, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you okay" seriously, she just lost her dream job after a horrible jaguar chase, that almost got them killed, fell off the sky tram, got found by Bogo, and then had to hand in her badge in a humiliating scene.
"No! I'm not okay! I just lost my job that I strived for since I was nine. Gideon, my parents, and you were right, a stupid dumb bunny can't be a cop." Hopps lashed out at him with more force than he would have expected.
Nick reeled back from the harsh words as much as the jab. She had dreamed of being a cop since she was nine and her parents and some mammal named Gideon hadn't even believed in her and even worse, he had told her she would never be a cop (when the entire time she was a cop). "I'm sorry, carrots"
"You don't need to apologize" Judy sighed, she looked at Nick and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Here's your pen" she said suddenly and relieved her pen to him "I'm not a cop anymore and I have no grudge against you"
Nick for the umpteenth time that night was at a loss for words. All he could do was look at Judy then the pen in his hand and back up at Judy.
"I need to go" she said "need to go and pack up my office and figure out what I'm going to do" she gave him a weak smile then abruptly ran past him to the gondola.
Nick finally came to his senses and turned around to see Judy already boarding the next gondola. "Carrots, wait" she didn't turn around and continued to board the metal box. Nick started to run after her, but it was taking off with Judy. He tried one last time to call to her but to no avail.
Nick stood there for a while just staring at the spot in the trees where Judy had left him. Why had her leaving him been such a big deal. She was an annoying idealistic bunny cop everything he didn't like in a nutshell, and yet something about her losing her dream than leaving him just felt like horrible crushing déjà vu.
Suddenly he was back at the junior ranger meeting when the porcupine had muzzled him, and he escaped outside. The absolute cruelty and bigotry were unmistakable in both scenarios. But this time he could have helped her. The chief was being unfair and obviously just wanted her gone.
"But what could you have done, fight the buffalo, told him to put them up" Nick scoffed aloud turning around and heading for the main road.
As he trudged along, Nick pulled out his carrot-phone and brought up his contacts. He scrolled down the small list of favorites until landing on the image of a small fennec fox with large shades and holding up a piece sing.
"Hey, Fin" Nick said dejectedly
"What happened" said a gruff voice, obviously picking up the tone.
"I need you to pick me up, I'm in the rainforest district, on the north end, by the gondolas".
"Right, be there in a bit, chow"
Nick ended the call, and looked up, he had arrived at the main road although he couldn't remember when he had gotten there. Nick sat down on the wet, and cold, sidewalk remembering how Judy's face had looked. He imagined it looked a lot like his when he was kicked out of the rangers. Why hadn't he done anything.