As always, it felt a bit haphazard, but finally got some more out.
"In health news, the epidemic has been officially declared over, with no new cases in the last twenty days throughout the wider jurisdiction. Internationally, the last of the hot spots are now well contained and health officials expect the last cases there to be resolved by the end of the month. The material costs world wide have been estimated in the billions, but worst have been the -"
Judy sadly turned the news feed off on her 'pad. More than twenty rabbits she knew by name were gone, and nearly the same number had likely permanent cardio-pulmonary damage with bleak prospects. Now all there was to face was aftermath. She tapped the ring on her finger against the 'pad considering what that included.
She watched Nick herd the three little bunnies out from daycare to the car. There was still a tiny dread in seeing those sweet little things, their status as orphans was still on hold, and Judy feared for Nick's sake for any news.
"Look what I found! It was a buy two, get one free sale!" Nick gushed. Each day was a similar joke. The triplets would giggle and laugh, and Judy would grin. Though more for Nick's exuberance. He was so jazzed at being a father. Now all these months on, he had not lost his focus on them. If anything, they had bonded more and more to each other, which only increased his devotion to them.
For a thirty-something long term bachelor fox, not known for his domesticated ways, Nick might well have become the perfect house husband and stay at home father to the three. But that would mean leaving his Sweet Carrots without him as partner. Fortunately, the city offices adjacent to the ZPD precinct had a very good day care center, so Nick could take his lunch or coffee breaks next door for more contact with the three.
She watched Nick strap them into their 'personal crash modules' and, this time, climb up beside her in front. Judy stifled a laugh as she peeked from the rear-view mirror at the rather sophisticated huffs of disapproval from the three; Nick was 'suppose to' sit back with them all the time.
"So, what does bring you up here to ride with the adults?" As she pointed to the back and pantomimed their displeasure.
"Was thinking about things."
"Things?"
"Visiting the 'Burrow things."
Judy made a face.
"Well, it has been a while, and we didn't really have much of a chance to celebrate our thing." Nick rapped his ring against the steering wheel as Judy drove. He looked at her, hopefully.
Judy didn't want to whine, and didn't want to say no, but Nick could tell she was conflicted, and knew why.
"I know you don't want to get the Family too invested in the terror triplets too soon. But your Mom wants to meet them - "
"My Mom!?" Judy was shocked. "When did you?"
Nick gave his Wife such a look. "I've been 'phoning or Furbooking her at least weekly since, I dunno, last Spring? Giving her those little independent updates have been such a comfort to her."
"So the Great Conspiracy was not a one time thing?"
Nick gave her his best smug grin.
Judy had to stop and consider that revelation. Her Mother's calls and letters Had become less fretful that past year, and she seemed to have been oddly more up to date on things.
"Okay." Judy sighed, "I ought to give you a belated thanks for that."
But Nick could tell that Judy still wasn't entirely happy with the prospects. "What's up now or still?"
Judy let slip a little whine. "It shouldn't be a thing, but it is. All of this - " She gestured to the triplets, the car, her ring, "Was, I hate to use the word 'forced', but I didn't get to chose any of it. I mean, sure, getting married was great, but Having to do it right then to qualify as foster parents for them was, ya know - ?"
"Yeah. I know what you mean. Circumstances pile up and you don't have control." Nick reached over to give her a little supportive touch. "And I know how much you need that. I just hope you don't have any regrets in the end? That, regardless how you got there, the results are still what you'd want?"
"Yeah." Judy turned to glance back at the terrible trio. "Even though they're still in limbo, they are the cutest things." Judy looked to her Fox and they both smiled at the joke.
And in that instant, she saw the flicker of motion.
The impact was too abrupt to really process, an explosion of shock and sound, and only then the terrible slow-motion aftermath of flying debris and the car spinning out of control. Then everything stopped and there was a breif, terrible pause, with only the clatter and ping of crushed metal and dying machinery.
Judy pushed the half-deflated airbags away from her to check on - "Nick!" He slumped awkwardly from his lap and shoulder belts, unresponsive, and a smear of blood on the side curtain airbag. "No! No! No!" Judy carefully checked, he was breathing and had a reasonable pulse. She couldn't immediately tell were the blood came from. Then she noticed that the passenger side of the car, the front quarter panel and door, were badly stove in. She wanted to unbuckle Nick, but didn't know how badly he was hurt and didn't want to impart any unnecessary motion to his body.
She had to call this in, and in glancing around for her 'phone, remembered the three kits in the back seat.
The carrier seats looked undisturbed and there was no sign of visible injury in the three, though they were frozen in fear. "Oh glob!" Judy got out of the car and glanced around, a medium sized mini van had broadsided their little compact. The driver was half-seated in his open door, shaking his head, but apparently unhurt. A couple of other vehicles had stopped and their passengers were approaching, hoping to help.
Judy got the three carriers out of the car, and immediately began to nuzzle each in turn to get them out of their fear rigor. Once they responded, she then turned back to Nick. He was still out, but was breathing regularly. She found her 'phone.
"Officer Down! Off duty two vehicle accident! Need immediate medical for Wilde!" Then Judy had to stop and collect herself, those first words had been shrieked in near hysteria. She then continued in a more conventional fashion to report location and possible condition of all involved. She called out to a couple beasts who were seeing to the other driver. They indicated that he seemed okay, just shook up.
As she waited for emergency services to arrive, she looked out at the crash scene and realized what had happened. She groaned and banged her head on the remains of her car. In the moment's distraction with the triplets and Nick, she'd run a stop sign to a fairly blind intersection. The other driver wouldn't have had a chance to stop with her bolting in front of him.
Such an idiot mistake, doubly so as she was an otherwise excellent driver, always alert, always ever so contentious. This was going to be so bad on so many levels.
It only took a couple more minutes for the first EMT vehicle to arrive, along with a couple ZPD cruisers.
One of the Med Techs came up to her. "You okay Ma'am?" And wanted to check her for typical impact strain injuries. Judy waved him off.
"I'm ZPD and I'm fine. Check on the Fox. Thirty-four years old and in very good health. He's been unconscious since the accident, about three, four minutes ago?"
Getting Nick out of the wreak and secured on a back board, just to be safe was a bit of challenge, the Med Techs were too big to get into the compartment from the driver's side and had to tear off the crushed passenger side door in order to ease him out. The smear of blood appeared to have been from hopefully minor head and nose and mouth wounds. As she explained his posture immediately before the crash, an awkward position relative to his lap and shoulder belts, they suspected he might have neck and spine issues, but the hospital was the proper place to confirm that.
As one Med Tech got Nick ready for transport, one of the others took a quick peek at the triplets. Thankfully they were mostly subdued by all the action, confused by all the unfamiliarity of the situation.
Then a ZPD officer came up. As this was second shift for a different precinct, he didn't recognize Judy. "Ma'am, there was an officer down call to this?"
Judy groaned and pulled out her badge, "Judy Hopps, first precinct. It's Officer Wilde who's down." She pointed at Nick being loaded in the aid car. "And this," She waved at the overall scene, "Was an off duty officer involved vehicle accident. Basically my fault."
While the officer, Dewitt, a bear, had an initial glimmer of recognition at her name, his face clouded at her admission. "This is going to look awfully bad." He made a suggestive eyebrow rise.
At that, Judy regained her full focus. "You Will Dutifully Record and Report my statement, Partolmammal Dewitt." She near whispered, though more a hiss, her fury at his implication all too obvious. She had heard that some officers were willing to bend the rules to accommodate or cover for their fellows, but to suggest she would - .
He nodded stiffly and pulled out a preliminary report form for her to fill out. He then went through the formal notifications and procedures she needed to go through, not only as a basic accident report, but also as a police conduct investigation. Very coolly professional.
"Thank you, Officer." Judy finished much more politely.
He nodded and backed off.
One of the Med Techs who had seen to Nick returned to let her know they were ready to go.
"Yeah, I'm his wife and they are his kids. We'll be going in with him."
The Leopard only cocked an ear just a bit at that and helped get the triplets aboard.
Judy sat across from her Fox. He was on oxygen, and the monitors showed that he was not in major crisis, though persistent unconsciousness was not a good thing.
Then she began to brainstorm what was needed to do next. Whatever it took regarding Nick, of course. Then insurance, crash investigation, performance review, mountains of paperwork.
One of the triplets, Bonny, whimpered.
"Oh glob! You guys!" She'd completely forgotten them. She picked up Bonny to see if she needed anything. And in that moment, she was reminded at one other little detail that colored her reaction to the three. Whenever she approached them, they'd initially react in happy recognition, Judy looked superficially like their mother, then after a querious sniff, reacted with a bit of disappointment.
Bonny was okay, just needed attention. Of course, seeing her having gotten some the other two now clamored for some too.
At this point, Nick would make some bad joke.
"Bonny," Judy gravely address the tiny kit, "This is the kind of thing you're going to have to expect with that silly Fox." She held her up to see his still form, "He'll do anything to get out of taking care of his chores."
Bonny perked up immediately upon seeing her Fox. "Nick! Wanna Nick!" She demanded, then, her nose quivering, she suddenly began crying. And not the simple fussy demanding kind, but the full on grief/pain wail. Which, of course, set off the other two.
It took only a second to realize why, and the Med Techs and Judy all responded in unison. "The blood!"
Nick had only a little spatter and smear of blood on him, but the triplets were only now picking up on it. One of the Med Techs began opening windows while the other brought out a can of Mask-all and began spraying it around.
"Ooh, that's loud enough to wake the dead." Came a faint croak from under the oxygen mask.
"Nick!" Judy lunged forward to his side, then had to pause, the Med Tech saw her situation and took Bonny. The Kit looked in fascinated awe at the big leopard, "Benny?" She'd met Clauhauser before, perhaps this was a variation?
"I'm so, so sorry!" Judy gripped her Fox's paw in hers.
"uhm - What happened?" Nick was still trying to grasp where he was and what was happening around him.
"I ran a stop sign and we got broadsided." Judy felt herself loosing it, "Nick, I almost - " And she broke to whimper in grief and shame.
Nick looked first to his poor Bunny then to the Med Tech holding Bonny. "Everyone alright?"
"Yeah, the little ones seem fine, just upset." The big cat tried to look up beat, and held Bonny up. "You're a bit bashed, indeterminate injuries. Been unconscious for a little while too."
Nick gave him a thankful nod and then refocused on his Sweet Carrots. "You're all in one piece, so don't worry." Then simply murmured to her in a soothing tone while stroking her ears as best he could while still plugged into the support equipment.
The Med Techs exchanged looks. They'd seen all manner of tragedies with family members and knew it best to simply be invisible. Seeing the still fussy kits, the Leopard handed off Bonny to his partner, a warthog. He then pulled up Mary and John who both gave him the 'are you Benji' reaction as well.
The trip to the Hospital is mercifully short and there is the expected flurry of activity of getting Nick in-processed. Judy switched back to officer mode long enough to get the paperwork done, then was torn between staying by her Fox's side or attending to the triplets. But seeing that Nick was well in hand and that the triplets, Mary in particular at the moment, were becoming a fussy pawful for one of the ER nurses, she made her choice.
Judy half-wished there were some of her fellow officers from the precinct on hand. But the incident had been de-escalated to just an officer-involved accident and the word had not gone out to her now off-shift comrades. And just as well, as she felt mortified in her lapse that had caused all this.
And an added twinge, in all her time in the city, she really didn't have any friends beyond her working acquaintances, or any family close by to be readily available when needed.
"You guys are going to be the death of me." She sighed as Bonny ran down the hall, again, while Mary and John squabbled over a fire truck toy they found glob knows where. At least Nick was okay. Well, as okay as a mild concussion and a lot of muscle strains were concerned. While he was currently in no pain, all the drugs saw to that, the Doctor warned that he'd be fiercely sore for the next few days. And it would be some weeks until he was back to normal after physical therapy.
And that meant Judy was going to have to play mother for the triplets for the time being. With day care, she could still see to her duties, though she expected she was going to have to go through some rather nasty administrative hurdles with the crash investigation. That couldn't help but get ugly. At least there was no press involved. Or at least she hoped so. Fairly minor vehicle accident and all.
She round up the threesome, funny, though there were only three, it seemed like they could multiply her attention demand. Then a last check in with Nick. He was now asleep, thankfully without a mass of plumbing, but there were nevertheless all manner of wiring, and all that promised that he was just fine. She carefully gave him a little peck on the muzzle and held up each of the kits to assure them that he was still there.
Then back home. Oh, turnips! What was left of the car was in police impound. Getting a taxi with multiple baby carriers was possible, but would take some time to get it dispatched. They had taken the metro before and the walk to the station would do Judy some good.
And surprise. There was Clauhauser waiting for her at the entrance of the hospital.
"Glad I found you. Heard about the accident and only now got back over." He gushed as he scooped up the three, much to their collective glee. "Nick's okay?"
Judy smiled. "You likely already know he is. Mostly shook up and likely going to spend the next couple here, just to be sure." She regarded him warmly. "How'd you know to find me here and now?"
"Secret Society of Dispatchers." He grinned.
The erstwhile effusive Cheetah was carefully quiet on the drive home until he finally offered. "You'll need some time to get things sorted out before you report in. I can get some of the paperwork started for you, get it on-line for you to fill out and stuff."
Judy began, "Thanks, but I ought to be able to be back first -" Then was cut off.
"Judy!" Clauhauser gave the Bunny a rather atypically stern expression, "You just got through a major crash. You're not physically injured, but there is going to be some emotional shock from that alone, and you just put your Fox in Hospital." He gave her pleading glance; she needed to acknowledge how substantial the impact really was. "And you're going to have to deal with The Three by yourself. Give yourself at least a day."
The one blessing of all the day's activity was that the trio were very tired by the end of it and were very much ready for bed after a belated and abbreviated diner. Thankfully, they were too tired to fuss about Nick not being there. Judy herself winced a bit at Nick's absence herself, but with the kits asleep, she finally had an opportunity to relax and recoup just a bit.
Clauhauser was right, of course. Judy began to list all the things she was likely going to have to deal with over the next days. Belatedly, she realized she hadn't contacted her family. Too late in the evening to actually call them, she sent a long Email message, hopefully answering enough question to not have them worry too much.
Finally, she had to call it a night herself. She'd slept alone before a time or two since they had become a couple, but not since they married, and she really missed her big red bed-warmer. His scent was a small comfort, but that reassuring warm mass, that presence, was oh so missing. She was a bit worried that she'd be too hyped and unable to settle down for sleep. There was that whiskey that might help, but she thought better than that, and mercifully did doze off without help. Her last thoughts were that the worst was over and only the pain in the tail details needed to be dealt with on the morrow.