Chapter 12 Bedrest Interrupted by a Buffalo
Nick eyed his wheelchair the whole ride back to the apartment. "I'm gonna look so pitiful in this thing."
Judy groaned hearing this for the hundredth time today. "I know, you have made it abundantly clear, and if you keep it up I'm gonna make you look even more pitiful."
Nick's ears perked up at the chance for banter, since it was one of the few things you couldn't inhibit with a bullet wound.
"My, my, fluff, I'll have you know that is grounds for domestic abuse charges."
Judy looked in the rear view mirror, "You have to be able to file the charges in the first place."
Nick made a show of mock fear, "Oh no, who would do such a thing to a poor, helpless fox?"
Judy laughed, "Nick, you are far from helpless, now stop brooding, we're home."
Nick hadn't even noticed that they were in the parking complex. Nick exited the van with all the grace and posture of a sack of potatoes, falling on his face as the pain in his stomach caused his legs to buckle.
"Nick, I told you to wait for me to help you."
Nick twisted his face into an overly dramatic grump. "Great, now both my dignity AND my face are shattered."
Judy giggled at the comment, "Well your face has taken quite the beating these past few weeks."
Nick thought about how he had been punched, hit with a crowbar, and even how some of Stu's home defense rounds grazed him.
"You're right, but in the end it was my gut that took the biggest punishment."
The bunny hummed and nodded in agreement as she wheeled Nick down the hallway to their apartment. Nick fished through his bag of personal items that the hospital gave to him, eventually finding the key to the apartment.
"Would you do the honors?"
Judy rolled her eyes and opened the door, but they weren't alone, as Clawhauser was sitting on the sofa with a giddy expression on his face.
"How…What…But…You…EXPLAIN!"
Nick's voice startled the cheetah, but only momentarily, as he quickly started his happy explanation.
"You see, the chief asked me to be your personal caretaker, as to keep Hopps from overworking herself, and I got into your apartment with the spare Bogo had made for me."
The cheetah flashed a toothy grin as he produced his key, which had a Gazelle decal.
"Alright, I can accept that, but there are ground rules." Nick's expression showed that he was completely serious, and the cheetah sat up looking alert. "One, you pay for your share of the food; two, no loud music as we have neighbors; Three, always knock before you enter the bedroom upstairs."
Judy's face reddened at the last rule.
"So, who confessed first?" The cheetah looked like he was going to burst with excitement.
Nick blushed and spoke up, "T-that would be m-me."
Clawhauser squealed with delight, "Oooh the chief will not like this, I am a few thousand dollars richer."
Nick's jaw fell open, "You had a betting pool on us?"
The cheetah looked at Nick quizzically, "Yeah, we have a pool for all the officers we think have feelings for each other. We bet on who confesses first."
Nick looked mischievously at the cheetah, "Are there any other ongoing pools?"
The cheetah made a show of zipping his lips.
Nick laughed, "I'll get them from you, one way or the other."
Judy was still in shock over the portly cheetah being in their house, but was pulled out of it when Nick pulled her in and gave her a deep kiss, causing Clawhauser to squeal and clap like a giddy school cub.
"N-Nick why'd you do that?"
Nick stroked her ears, "Well, it was the only way I could think of to bring you back from la-la land."
Judy flicked Nick's nose, "That's punishment for being such a perv."
Nick and Judy hammered out the details of Clawhauser's stay, eventually agreeing that he would leave once Nick was taken off of bed rest.
A few days passed, Nick still stranded on his island of memory foam, when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in, the door is unlocked."
Nick's eyes widened when he saw the chief step into his apartment.
"Wilde, you just can't keep yourself out of trouble can you?"
Nick gulped, "To what trouble are you referring, sir?"
The buffalo scowled, "First you ask to get out of your police duties, then you get my best officer pregnant, and now you're on bed rest from a bullet wound." The chief sighed, "This was supposed to be a week-long, recovery leave for you to recover from your friend's passing, but now my two best officers are out of commission for a few months at the VERY least."
Nick perked up, "Actually sir, once I am off of bed rest, the doctor said I can resume light work at headquarters, as it would double as physical therapy."
The buffalo looked pleased to hear this, "Very well Wilde, BUT I don't want you pushing yourself too much, bullet wounds take time to heal, and even your sheer willpower can't make time move any faster."
Nick looked forlorn as he knew the chief was right because all the straining and focusing would more than likely burst a blood vessel than make time move faster.
"Chief, can I please at least have some of the odder crimes in the paperwork? I can't possibly last three weeks on simple public intoxication reports."
Chief Bogo snorted, "I'll see what there is, but no promises Wilde."
Nick looked at the chief, as his face clearly showed he had more to say, "Come on chief, what is it?"
The chief grumbled his response.
"Chief, you are hiding something."
The buffalo sighed, knowing he'd eventually have to tell him anyways. "The new mayor wants to present you a commendation."
Nick groaned, as the new mayor only stood for re-election. "He only wants the god damned fox vote!"
Chief Bogo countered, "I know, but both you and the department need the good publicity, as we are still getting hate mail from your instatement."
Nick's face showed genuine disbelief, "It's already been a year and a half."
The chief looked at the ground, "I know, but if we do this, I am sure that this will slow down to a trickle and eventually fizzle out of existence."
Nick thought it over for a minute, "Chief, what exactly did I do to warrant this kind of behavior? I mean, it's not like the large scale take downs we usually do."
The buffalo laughed hardily, "You were protecting your pregnant girlfriend, who just so happens to be Judy Hopps, from an armed, drunken assailant, and you nearly gave your life doing so, and if that doesn't warrant even the slightest bit of praise, then I don't know what does."
Nick hadn't thought of it that way, as he was simply worried about losing the two most precious things in his life. In all reality, he thought he was going to be reprimanded for taking such a selfish risk.
"Chief, I want to thank you, we would be in a tight spot if you hadn't taken the bill, I mean look at it, I would have to sell my soul for this kind of coin."
The chief looked over his shoulder, "The publicity you will bring in will pay for all of that."
With that, the cape buffalo left Nick to his sheeted and pillowed island of helplessness.
A few weeks later, Nick was given permission to leave his bed, but he was slow to move around the house.
"I guess this is how it'll be when I am an old fart, shuffling to eat bland cereal for breakfast as I am hunched over and on several billion medications."
Judy laughed, "We'd be an adorable old couple, but I want to be the kind that sits outside on the front porch, and we hold hands as we lazily rock back and forth in our dusty, old rocking chairs."
Nick's ears perked up at the mention of a rocking chair, "Hey carrots, I'm gonna make a call, I'll be back in a minute."
Nick phoned his mother, and minutes later Finnick brought an item inside. "Nick this better be important, or I'm gonna bite your god damn face off."
Nick hushed the small fox and explained himself. "Well Nick, I didn't know you had a mushy romantic side, you aren't going soft are you?"
Nick smirked, "Still craftier than your hopeless ass."
The little fox scoffed, "Call me when your woman gives your balls back, and we might just go drinking."
Nick shut the door behind the fox, muttering an insult, but getting, "I HEARD THAT," due to Finnick's large ears.
"Nick, What's that?" Judy gestured towards the dusty moving cloth that was draped over something.
"Well, our conversation earlier got me thinking, and I want you to have this." Nick pulled the blanket and grimaced at the pain in his gut as he did it, but it was worth it to him, just to see Judy's look when he revealed the dusty old rocking chair that his mother used when he was a kit.
"It was my mom's when I was a kit, and I asked her if I could give it to you, and well she wouldn't stop saying yes and mentioning how cute you are."
Judy's eyes started to well up, "Oh Nick, I love it."
Nick took his rabbit into his arms, "And I love you."