Warning, yes I changed the damn title of the story again. I know it's probably frusterating, but I couldn't seem to get a title that could help readers know what they are getting into, and 'An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away' is ridiculously vague, even if the description clears things up, this is a pretty small update, but starts the next day off with our protagonists.
I quickly shot open my eyes as knocking burst into my ears. Nick was below me on the couch, which reminded me of our conversation last night. I quickly but carefully rolled to the floor, running over to the door on instinct.
"Judy? What are you doing here at this time in the morning?" Alex chuckled, looking down at me. It was only then that I thought it would have been a better idea to wake Nick up, luckily I was still in my casual clothes, rather than anything that would indicate I was sleeping. I studied Alex closely, no bags under his eyes, his uniform looked as if it was prepared for a general, as if it was hand washed a thousand times. His fur was groomed so well you'd think he was getting married.
"I let myself in to wake Nick, but he's still sound asleep." I said, hiding how nervous I was as best as possible. Alex seemed to consider this and nodded slowly.
"Yeah," He dragged on, turning to look out to the street for a moment. "Anyways, we got a big lead on Dr. Harris, wake the fox, will you?" He said, gently moving me back with his paws so he could enter the door. "Ahh, I'll never understand why he chooses to sleep on the couch." The wolf stratched his head, looking at the sleeping Nick on the couch.
"I called off today." I interviened. I wasn't lying, but it was partly because I wanted to enjoy time with Nick today not doing work related things, and partly because I was scared. Dr. Harris and his army of whatever mammals he has at his disposal was what I wanted to find and catch, but at the same time didn't. They wouldn't go down without a fight, and someone could get seriously hurt, as if that hasn't happened already.
"Too late Judy, this has to happen today." Alex said very sternly. I flinched in surprise at the anger and tone of his voice.
"Why?" I walked over to the fox sleeping on the couch, not quite ready to wake him, but rather just stare at him.
"I've waited too long to be a hero." Alex said loud enough to make Nick squirm a bit. I shushed him with one finger against me lips.
"You are a hero, you saved Nick's life." I chuckled nervously, to me it seemed like either Alex was insane or having a mid life crisis, maybe both?
"I also ruined it." Alex growled, making me look away. "Nick's body is killing him, the sooner we find Dr. Harris, the better it will be for him and us." He said much quieter, realizing that of all mammals, he doesn't want to tell Nick that news. Sure it'd make Nick side with him in the argument, but it'd also make him go crazy.
"Are you okay?" I asked slowly. Nick had told me about the syringe he injected himself with, when we were at the ZPD yesterday. He didn't give me many details, as he didn't even have much himself, but he told me to not tell Alex I told him. "Nick told me about the syringe." I cross my paws together, holding my shoulders up in fear that Nick would be mad at me.
"Better than ever!" Alex echoed, smiling wide and stretching his arms out wider. "My brain has been whirling in pain since last night!" He yelled, making Nick groan from behind me. "My dying mother no longer has my salary to pay for her medical bills, and I can't help but count the amount of hairs on the face of anyone I talk to, or the carpet on the floor! Maybe it's the smell of what you ate for diner last night! Here I was thinking I could control it!" He stepped closer, throwing a finger up at me. Alex stumbled over his own leg, catching himself on the coat rack, but fell to the floor, leaving the rack wobbling.
"Take a deep breath." I instructed, taking to his side. "You're going to be fine." I reassured, realizing I had two mental patients to take care of now, as Nick was rubbing his eyes.
"You ate pizza last night." He panted. I sighed and rubbed his shoulder caringly.
"Yes I did." I laughed, hoping it'd make him feel better. Alex began taking deep breaths through his nose.
"Who else is here?" He jumped to his feet, looking down the hall. If he could smell what I ate for diner, I'm sure he could smell another mammal in the house. Who else could be here?
"Finnick, you remember him Judy. I told him he could stay here for a bit since he got kicked out of his place." Nick walked over with a smile.
"When we heading to the ZPD?" Nick asked, making Alex smile.
"I told you I called off last night." I groaned at Nick.
"Well, as much as we could use a break, the longer we put this off, the worse." Nick rubbed the back of head.
"As right as you are, I'd still choose our sanity." I drooped my shoulders, looking up at the both of them.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you woke up Finnick." I said to Alex as Nick walked towards the kitchen.
"I've never met this Finnick character, does he happen to be a fennec fox?" Alex asked out of curiousity. Surely he already knew since he could smell him, or at least I thought.
"Yes, couldn't you tell by smell?" I scratched my chin, ready to join Nick in the kitchen for whatever he was making. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all.
"Well you see, I've never met a fennec fox, I just thought so because a pair of parents took a 'play on words' joke too far." Alex said with a smile. This wolf went from falling to the floor chanting about the world's sins to him, then to smiling and joking within less than a minute. He never fails to surprise me, the incident in the hospital came to mind, but I pushed it away quickly.
"I'm making pancakes!" Nick yelled from across the hall, not attempting to be quiet in anyway shape or form.
"Will you shut up!" I heard a deep voice explode from down the hall to the left, I faintly remembered it, only hearing Finnick talk once before this, and that was months ago. Alex and I together entered the kitchen, seeing Nick standing next to the stove, an apron tied around his back.
"Just take your seat here!" Nick instructed as he ran back into the kitchen with another wooden chair, placing it on the other side of the tiny table, which originally bared one chair. It was then that I got a chance to read Nick's apron, it said 'Diss the Rook', and in red, blood imitating letters 'DON'T' was written above it.
"Since when do you cook?" I accused, knowing full well that Nick avoided preparing any food whenever he could, anything from as simple as pancakes to a steak diner. Nick continued running around the kitchen, pulling orange juice from the fridge, syrup from the cabinents below the counter, plates from above, cups, forks, knives, and butter! I was pretty impressed by his level of not being lazy.
"I wanted to do something nice for you guys, feels good I guess." He sighed, holding a smile as he flipped the pancakes.
"Oh Nick, you're always nice." I said as sarcastically as possible, smiling as he chuckled over at the stove.
"Which mentally unstable hosptial patient told you that?" Nick said sternly, turning around with a pancake still on his spatula. Alex and I couldn't help but laugh in return. As he flipped one final pancake, Nick tossed the syrup into the microwave, slid our forks in front of us, along with a stick of butter contained in glass.
"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" Alex began chanting, and I soon joined in, the both of us agressively staring down Nick as he plopped pancakes onto two plates.
"Your buttery goodness is served, your highnesses." Nick bowed as he placed our plates in front of us. Alex seems pleased, but raised an eyebrow as Nick rose back to his feet. The syrup was already poured on by our servant.
"Are we going to work?" He asked Nick, making me roll my eyes.
"Only if you finish your pancakes." Nick said with glee. I cut a small bite of them off and placed them into my mouth. Who wouldn't finish these?! Alex didn't begin eating the pancakes, he sat there and stared down at them.
"Nothing." The wolf responded. I knew it was nothing, but I didn't want to be nosy and make him angry.
"Nothing is something, you can tell us anything you want, imagine that we are part of your conscience or something." Nick reassured him, patting him on the back as he made his way to the fridge.
"I saw my father last night." Alex flinched at his own words. I never knew much about Alex now that I thought about, the only thing I knew about his life was that he was a cop, and we were his friends. It was kind of sad, since we're such close friends now.
"Do you guys not get along?" Nick said before guzzling on an entire gallon of milk. Alex rested his head on his paws, placing his elbows on the table top.
"No, just that it's not very common to see dead people." Alex croaked, his paws sliding up to his face, rather than his chin.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Nick apologized with a sympathetic tone, walking over to Alex with milk staining the fur around his lips, which made it ever so slightly more difficult to take him seriously.
"It's fine, it's just that I didn't a ghost or anything." Alex explained, making me very curious. I knew he wasn't going to pull something like 'He was a zombie!' but I knew something strange was due. "I was at my brother's house, and I zoned out or something, I started seeing past events of my life, but they were so real, a few I was actually standing there, watching myself." Alex looked past me into space, sounding as if he was talking to himself.
"To the mental asylum you go!" Nick coughed into a fist. In return I delivered a swift punch to his stomach. "Oww, okay, okay, I'm sorry." He backed up in defense.
"Maybe I'll tell you the rest some other time, we have buttery goodness to eat and a job to do." Alex lightened up. Once again, he seems fine just now, but only a moment ago he looked like he was about to cry. Was he just trying to act cheery in order to keep up off his case?
"That's the spirit!" Nick tossed the empty gallon of milk in the trash. You would think Nick was pregnant, if he wasn't a guy of course. I was still frusterated about going to work after calling off, it was very rare of me to call off, and I really wanted to enjoy it, but if Nick was going, then it'd be mostly pointless.
"Hey Alex I wanted to ask you, when did you get the time to prepare that?" I asked, motioning to his uniform. Alex looked down at it and smiled.
"A few hours ago." He said with pride. I looked over at the microwave, it was barely seven in the morning. "I wasn't tired." He answered my question before I even had a chance to ask it, let alone think it. Nick was now guzzling down a carton of orange juice, each gulp blantantly obvious as his throat bobbed up and down. My attention turned back to Alex, who's bright green eyes looked across the table at me.
"We'll catch him Alex." I assured him, regardless of what he was thinking about. He really wanted to be a hero, didn't he? He was already one in my mind, but that's doesn't do any good. "You'll catch him." I got up and placed both of our plates on the counter. Alex nodded with courage and stood up, patting off his suit, probably making sure there is no dust on it.
"Let's go." Alex said smoothly, and began walking towards the front door.
"Wait!" I turned my head and saw Nick sputter a bit of orange juice out as he slammed the empty carton into the trash. "I'm not ready!" He ran into his bedroom and closed the door. Alex and I stood silently near the front door, the moment ruined.
"I don't wanna see that!" I heard Finnick yell from behind the wooden door, making Alex and I quietly chuckle to ourselves.
"Sorry, duty calls!" Nick responded, a bang coming from inside.
"Get out!" Finnick yelled as Nick burst into the hallway, still buttoning his pants. Alex and I were still both snickering as he fiddled with the zipper.
"Okay, it was funny, I get it." Nick rolled his eyes as we left the house, slamming the door behind us.
Author's Note
While short, I figured I'd give it to yah. I also updated the cover art, which I drew myself in photoshop, which is why I had to make a chapter to go with it. Anyways, I'd like to play a game, leave a review telling me what your favorite chapter is and why!
See you hopefully soon.