The next morning was about what Judy expected, though she hadn't been overtly injured in the crash, she had a lot of strained muscles, aggravated by emotional stress and tension. She powered her way through first thing in the morning with the triplets, a pawful of painkillers didn't help enough, but things still needed to be done. As they demolished their breakfast, she checked her 'phone.
The message queue stopped at 250, only because the service had maxed out. She checked the first few, concerned friends and family asking about the situation and offering thoughts and prayers. She composed a general answer, briefly describing the situation as she knew it at the moment and did a reply all. That should do for the moment. She needed to go to the bathroom. She'd start a proper list of all the things she would need to be doing over the next several days, and began to mentally sort out some priorities.
A brief moment to let her body relax and do its thing. And in the moment, she incautiously loosened the desperately tight hold she'd had on herself and the floodgates of all her pent-up emotions burst. She cried, screamed, howled, and finally found herself whimpering on the floor, clutching at herself in exhausted pain. It was as though all the awful of the last months had finally escaped her. She still hurt, physically; perhaps it was just a little hyperventilation, a light-headedness, but also a sense of relief, of a burden let loose. But so tired.
Putting herself back together a bit, and there was the 'phone. She could never ignore a 'phone call. It was her Mother.
"Hi Mom." Judy croaked. She kept the 'phone to voice only.
"Judy - " It didn't take special Mom Powers for the Elder Doe to tell that her Daughter was not right. "How badly off are you?"
"I'll survive." She looked around; saw the three looking back at her, wary and quiet.
"Judith Lavern, please. I saw your messages, yesterday and this morning. You are not all right. How can you be with all that's happened? And hiding doesn't help."
"Yes, Mother." So tired. Too tired to argue. She turned on the camera function. Bonny's gasp made the little ones flinch.
"I'm coming in to help."
"Mom, nooo." Judy whined. She could manage, she could always manage. Nick was only going to be in hospital- oh glob, she had to see how he was doing. And the three would need attention. And she needed to get a rental car for the immediate future. Mary started to whimper.
"Judy." Bonny's tone changed, and it brought Judy's attention back. "I need to come see you - for my sake as well." While Judy must have looked a fright, she noticed the drawn look, the weight loss, the tired eyes of her erstwhile indefatigable Mother.
"Mom? What?"
"I need to get out of the warren for a while. The crisis is over, but we're still up to our necks in the aftermath." Judy knew that the Hopps compound had been a rallying point for the wider clan, and Bonny had been at the center of it all. The Matriarch had handled the worst of it, the personal tragedies and the practical logistics with her usual aplomb.
But once the acute crisis passed, there were the soul-crushing chronic leftovers, kin crippled and compromised by the disease, some needing intense day-to-day care. She had any number of the family to help, but she was still very much in the middle of it all. "For both our sakes, helping you with your situation will be a vacation in comparison for me. And I get to see you, Nick, even if he's in hospital, again, and the kits, finally."
"Okay." Judy conceded, no, surrendered. She was just too tired.
Bonny recognized that. "You won't have to do anything. I'll be driving in; figure having a car handy will save you some immediate hassles. I'll call when I'm on my way, likely get in tonight, okay?"
"Thanks."
Judy considered her 'phone. While she might otherwise welcome a visit from her mother or anyone of her family, she always resisted the necessity of asking for help. She was always the self-reliant one, the strong and independent one. But she also grudgingly acknowledged that this time she had wider responsibilities. Self-sacrifice was one thing, but there were others now who depended on her. She trudged over to Mary to see what was wrong.
The little thing reached up, imploring for a cuddle, "Want Nick." The other two gave her a look. Judy sat down among them and scooped them all into her lap. This time they snuggled right in, no hesitation.
"Yeah, we all want Nick." And she tapped in the contact for the hospital. No joy, Mr. Wilde was still very much asleep, though a perfectly healthy nocturnal beast's desire to sleep in, especially after traumatic injury. She left a message for him to call when he did wake.
"Well, Nick is being a lazy bones, so no Nick for now." Which was greeted with a collective pout. "And I'm still pretty dead on my feet at the moment. I I'm going to take a nap."
Despite her discomfort, she was able to get up still holding all three, though marveled how her Mother or any other Doe with kits could do such a thing. These little brutes were getting heavy. She plodded back to the bedroom and plopped the three on the bed, then curled up around them, spooning them as Nick would have spooned her. Though the three would otherwise be a bit restive, they seemed comforted, their noses picking up on Nick's left over scent.
"We all miss Nick. But you'll be getting to see gran-gran Bonny tonight." And in saying that she felt a renewed twinge. The three's status was still uncertain. She was provisionally their foster mother, but that could still change at any moment, and there was still a reluctance to get too emotionally invested. Though at the moment, she found herself finding a small comfort in the three little fluffs pressed up against her.
Ack, a 'phone call! Judy must have dozed off.
"Ollo?"
"Hey, Judymylove." It was Nick! "Just letting you know I'm still among the living." Seeing her disheveled appearance in bed, "You okay there?"
"Just a bit sore and tired. The beasts miss you." And she showed Nick's image to them. The three clamored at the 'phone, each demanding to be acknowledged. After a bit of that, Judy reclaimed the device. "My Mom is coming in tonight to help with things."
"Judy?" Nick's tone turned grave.
"It's not that bad, and Mom could use the break too. Things back at the 'Burrow have been kind of fierce."
"I know." Nick had had his own on going conversations with Bonny and likely knew as much or more about what was happening with the family. "Well, the docs here say they want to keep me under observation for another day or so. Want to make sure my lack of a brain didn't get too rattled. Since I only just woke up, I haven't been inundated with well-wishers from the department, yet. Who would have thunk it? But before I do, if you can manage it, it'd be nice..."
"Oh gosh yes!" Judy looked at the clock, it was just after noon. "Oh my -! I really slept in too. Was up early then took a 'little' nap." She rolled her head and shoulders, "Yeah, I'm feeling much better now. See you in just a bit." That was only half-true, she still hurt as much as ever, but she finally felt rested and much less tense.
"Okay you guys! We're going to see Nick, but you got to get cleaned up."
The three could get a bit fussy getting cleaned and dressed for an excursion, but the prospect of seeing the Great Floof that was Nick had them motivated. Then on to the metro for the trip across town. Though young, the three were very good about sticking together and next to Judy on the walk to the station, and then staying close in the car.
Then the wolf sat down across the aisle from them. Mary gave Judy a pleading look while Bonny and John struggled to restrain themselves from rushing over to get at the great grey wonder of a tail.
"No, you guys. Be polite. You can't go grabbing anyone's tail." Judy admonished, half to let the wolf know that she was aware of the kits' interest and perhaps warn him of the potential risk. Then more directly, "Their Foster Father's brush is their favorite thing in the world to cuddle with."
The Wolf cocked his head and his nose twitched. "A fox? Really?" He puzzled over that for a moment, then a realization. "Oh. The Disease?"
"'Fraid so." Judy sighed.
The Wolf made a sympathetic face, but shifted himself to keep his brush out of bunny range. "My cubs would have a fit if they found I'd been unfaithful."
Judy had to laugh at that and it became infectious to the Wolf and a few other mammals in the car who could not but overhear the exchange. Then all too soon, they were at their stop.
And there was Chief Bogo in the hospital lobby.
"Hopps. Glad to see you up and about. And the kits alright?" While the famously stoic Buffalo did have a more compassionate side, the circumstances of the moment made it awkward, so he remained a bit aloof, at least in tone.
"Thank you, Sir. Yes, they made it through without a scratch. And I'm - okay. I got the first round of documentation via Email from Clauhauser and ought to have it done and back to you by tonight."
"No rush on that. Better to get it right than quick. Depending on Wilde's prognosis, I'll be giving you a week after he gets discharged to make appropriate arrangements."
Judy was shocked by that. "Sir!? I understood that he isn't that badly hurt?"
Bogo made a face. "He doesn't seem to be. But policy says that after any kind of neurological injury, regardless of how minor, he'll need at least a couple weeks, perhaps as much as a month, before he can be cleared for duty."
"I - I understand." Judy lied. Angrily. But she needed to maintain an even strength, in front of her superior as well as the three now nervous kits.
"And what about me?"
"Were you drunk? On drugs? On a device?" Bogo was unreadable.
"No! Of course not."
"So why did you blow through a stop sign at a blind intersection?"
Judy cringed, "I was momentarily distracted." She glanced down at the three to imply why.
"With the visual clutter around the sign, you might have needed three to five seconds to see it before it was too late."
"That long." Judy considered. She was still looking at Nick when she saw the minivan, not aware that she was already in the intersection. "Yeah."
Bogo scoweled. "There will be paperwork. A formal reprimand. A permanent hit on your driving record. Likely a hike in you insurance." He then sighed. "You could have killed Nick, and worse." Looking down at the three, "And you know it, so I'm not going to belabor any of this. Take care of business and I'll see you when it's all done."
"Thank you, Sir." And that was that. Not at the top of her list of dread, but not as awful as it could have been, and now one less thing to fret over.
Judy and the triplets took the elevator to Nick's floor, where they found Snarlov waiting to go down.
"Ice Bear!" all three cheered. They'd met him before and delighted in the mountain of white. As they were watching the bizarre TV show, 'Three Bare Bears' they though he was connected with the TV Ice Bear.
"Hi, little bunnies! Judy!" Snarlov had an almost paternal affection for Hopps, and delighted to be referred to as "Uncle Shasha" by her to the kits. He knelt down and offered a huge paw to the triplets, each digit nearly as big as each bunny, and they each grabbed one, creating a dusky ring effect. He held out his paw to admire the fuzzy 'jewelry' and wiggled his digits to the delighted squeals of the three.
"They get so big." He marveled, turning to Judy. "You were lucky."
"I know, and I'm so sorry for everyone's sake."
"A thing that can happen. You will be taking care your yourself." Said pointedly. He could tell about her condition.
"My Mother is coming in to help. And it looks like we will both be off duty for a little while."
"Bogo mentioned." He ever so gently peeled the kits off his paw and indicated that he was ready to go. "We are all here for you." as he got on the elevator to go down.
"Bless you." Judy was not all that spiritual, but knew that the silly old bear was and would appreciate the sentiment.
Then on to Nick's room. And another officer, an unfamiliar face.
"Hey, Officer Hopps." Nick's little code for watch out, officialdom around. And the officer, a Wolf, had a clipboard and paperwork with him. "Officer Willard was just going over my version of events with the crash." Said with a sour face.
"Just recording his version of events." The Wolf informed. "And as we're basically done here, I'll take my leave." He nodded to Nick and then Judy and was gone.
"Ugh!" Nick flopped his arms in dismay. "Its like they can't trust the First and Bogo to do an honest investigation. It's not like it's some major crime or anything."
Judy sighed, "Well, on the one hand it happened on the Fourth's turf, so it has to be processed through them. But I can't help but wonder if someone is angling for something on us personally? That we're getting some extraordinary favoritism."
"Yeah, that we've been able to do what we've been doing, ya know, affronting the natural order and all that." Nick tried to not sound bitter at that. That they were now a formal couple was only the latest outrage for some, and only compounded the often-palpable hostility that he had to weather almost daily as a fox, in or out of uniform. "But for right now, let's enjoy our blasphemy. Come here you terrible little beasts!"
The three had held back while the stranger was present and were momentarily restrained in their glee, but that broke with Nick's invitation. They leapt on the bed and swarmed him, clutching at his neck and head to nuzzle and hug him.
Judy held back to let the little ones have her Fox all to themselves for the moment. Seeing the naked joy in him with these kits almost drowned her lingering concern over their status. But only almost. Losing them would all but kill him at this point, and she had to admit to having allowed herself more affection for them than what would be prudent. And in all that, she found herself resenting the cold calculation that she dared not relinquish.
Finally, "Alright, you three, now it's time to share." And she climbed up to give her Fox a little snuggle of her own. Then the five of them settled into a fluffle, each drawing on the proximity of the other for collective comfort.
Of course, it was too good to last, a 'phone call. Nick whispered a little grump, "Carrots, you are such a slave to that electric leash of yours."
Judy grumped back, "I'll remember that the next time you ring me at some awful hour of the night. Besides, it's my Mom." Then to her 'phone, "Hi Mom. What's up?"
"Hello! And you're with Nick. Hi, Nick!"
"Hello Ma'am." For all that they had known each other, Bonny was still very much 'Mrs. Hopps' or 'Ma'am', as Nick could never allow himself too much informality with the matronly Bunny.
"Well, all of you, I'm just calling to let you know that I'm in town already, and if you're still at the hospital, I can meet you there."
"Mom! How, why - ?"
"I was able to get away sooner than I originally planned, so no reason to tarry. Don't worry; I didn't desperately dash out after the call. Just some things fell into place earlier and so here I am."
"Okay, Mom. We'll be here."
"I wonder if she's bringing blueberries?"
Judy huffed, "Silly fox, they won't be in season for months."
Nick considered a dramatic whine, but instead drew his collection of bunnies close, "I'll just have to gobble you all up instead."
And there was much giggling.