Clawing, scratching and crying out in fear, Nick sank his claws into the soft earth as his body slowly was teased upon by the fickle mistress of gravity. His lower body dangling precariously from the lip of a titanic precipice, his claws scrambling to find purchase on the stone and earth that comprised the harrowing drop below him, his cries echoed forth unto the bleak shadows that ensconced him, he felt his body failing as his muscles grew tired, a staggering pain echoing up from his wounded torso. He glances upwards frantically, head swiveling to and fro as he desperately seeks something, anything that would assist his ascent, upon his lips a prayer.
With a flick of his wrist he contracts something stout and firm, the texture rough and gnarled, snapping out with his paw he takes hold of the object, realizing a withered and aged old root bore him safety. With a stark shift, he moves rapidly to heft himself upward, fully completing his ascent to the flat bout of stone that now resided below him, his heart furiously pounding in his chest,, as he lays motionless upon his back, staring silently upwards at the inky shroud that veiled the skies above him, he grunts and rolls aside, aiming to rise wearily, his keen ears pivoting about as they sought any sound or indication that would lead to the unearthing of his location. He pauses, a crawling shiver rolling up his spine, a gentle movement would echo from far below, the liquid rush of heaving and foaming streams of the sea, colliding with a resounding boom against the cliffside. He would pause, hands coming to the sides of his face as he glances about, the uneasy familiarity of this abyssal situation striking his primal cord.
"No, No No! This can't be happening again! No, it's not real it can't be, I have left, I was gone! It's over don't you hear me? I-I'm clean I swear!" He glances around frantically, as the gently rolling crush of the waves below him beyond the principes sheer, he shifts forth, moving away from the cliff's edge, this time no long in composition of himself, he was driven by fear, his body seizing upon the chance to flee, he moved briskly into the murky shadows. The heaving wall of choking noxious shadows and smoke would reel back, akin a curtain as he sprinted forth from the cliff, he had been here before.. "No No, this is just like it was back in the warehouse! Why is this happening? Hello?! Anyone! Please… I just… I just need.." He staggers feet catching on overturned stones and tufts of grass, his body heaving in pain as his wounds flared sharply upon his stomach and chest, he collapses. His frame crashing down into the cool and damp embrace of field grass, the moist dewdrops upon the folds of green gently peppered him and soaked his fore.
Nick heaves, rearing back his fist, he drives it unto the earth, hammering away upon this wretched and abominable place. His body choked up, as he strove to keep his face, feeling empty, powerless in this void and expanse of shrouded shade. His fears gnawing upon him, goading and mocking him, his own mind conjuring forth the unspeakable his frame may wrought upon the waking world as he remains trapped within this wretched hive of broken stone and ill fields. He strives to contain his emotions, his facade cracking under the pressure of this carade, his mind and body growing tired and weary as he lay within the cool field that resides about him. "What's the point… Huh? You're as good as gone, I didn't ask for any of this… Never in my life did I dream I'd lose hold of my mind as I've done so now… Have I truly, truly gone mad?" He shifts glancing upwards, imploring the empty shadows and heaving miasma about him. Yet forth with no answer was given, nor explanation gained, the shades and shadows keeping their mystery.
Nick shifts curling slightly as he places his hands upon his head, shaking it to and fro, his endurance brokering unto its end, before the faintest of sounds, drew him back unto the reality in which he was plagued. Faintly, beyond the veil and shroud of murky shadows, the faintest groan issued forth, Nick would rise slowly to his side. His ears turning to attempt to hear the sound once more, and once more it did issue. It was a heavy sound, closer to the creak and groan of strained timbers, with such a sound nearby, Nick would move forth, sinking his claws into the earth below as he drags himself forth, torso aflame as he dragged himself from his place forward. His face contorted in strain as he makes his way forward body imploring him to cease but he would hear forth none of its protest. With several long reaching grasps and ponderous hefting of his frame, he finally reached forth, the groaning above him in some capacity.
Wearily he glances upward, clawed hand reaching forth to make contact with the object, his nails and fingertips finding a splinter ridden timber, as his hand trails down the object, it's texture grows smooth, he blinks sharply, pushing himself up with a cry, til he was upon his knees, reaching forth as he leaned heavily upon the wooden structure. With tired eyes he cast his sight upward to find a squat and heavy sign, completely unimpressive in design and construction. It's composition was merely several flat boards hammered crudely together. As his vision clears so too does the harrowing miasma that blights his vision, the clarity reaching him as he spies swashes of faded colors upon the surface of the construction. He winces and leans back, cracking a bleary grin as he laughs, slapping his paws upon his face as he shakes his head to and fro, voice brokering from a bellowing laugh to a strangled cry.
"Abundance? Abundance?! Who is…. I just… No." He shakes his head to and fro, trying to shake his mind clear as he stares forth again intently, trying to fight back a few welling tears that threatened to roll down his pained expression. Once more he stared and once more the sign bore it's writing, upon its front it bore a myriad of washed out colors, yet plain as day upon it's surface in titanic font was written "Abundance! We don't find any cleaner catch but here!" Nick mouthed the words, speaking them aloud, as he repeats the slogan, his neurons firing sharply as he blinks, placing his hands upon his head "What does it mean! Was…am I caught in a fever dream and still getting commercialized? Is this your thought of a sick joke? Huh?!" He glances around shouting hoarsely as he leans back upon all four limbs, using his forearm to brush his face, attempting to fight off the pain that roiled within him. His ears twitch, he senses the air pressure about him, something was moving about him. He glances upwards, casting his glance about as he shifts "No… No! Go away, I don't want this…" Upon the corner of his vision a distinctive blur of color moves among the miasma, a reaching hand moving forth from the ebbing shadows, it's form shrouded in the inky fog that danced about, the muted ting of a dark flaxen arm loomed forth, unnaturally long fingers reaching forth as they clearly make an attempt to coax hold of Nick's shoulder, his eyes clasping shut as he consigns himself to the far simpler state of oblivion.
"Nick!" A slight voice echos forth, radiating from up yonder, beyond the signs that reside before him, the flaxen limb bringing itself to an unsteady stop.
Nick turns his head slowly upwards, cracking his eyebrows as he glances to and fro, something striking him as familiar with the voice. It's tone, sometimes harsh and cruel but ever gentle and affectionate in it's presentation, something about such a voice… something.
He harshly draws his eyes open, moving to push himself with a agonizing heave to his feet, he knew that voice. "Judy?! Judy!" He cried out as he moves staggering forth, narrowly sidestepping the sign as he moves forth, feeling direction of the call growing closer and closer with each weary step forth he took. However with a stilted cry of dismay, Nick cascades forth, crashing down into the fields of grass as he feels a titanic weight bore down upon, the weight of gravity harshly pulling him down as he collides with the earth, a radiating pain rolling up his snout as he makes full impact, his body quivering sharply as he feels several crossing wounds upon his torso reopen harshly. He lays there motionlessly upon the field, feeling his energy, his warmth heat, and very life blood ebbing from his torso, leaking forth unto the cool vampiric soul of the earth below.
A harsh yank to his right shoulder would jolt him, his eyes flashing open in the bright light of the sun's rays, he winces head panning to his left and right as he mumbles incoherently, his vision slowly adjusts to the sudden influx of light, feeling a pressure upon his chest and the dull pains that followed. Above him rested Judy a look of worry on her face, hands running bright scarlet with rivulets of blood, a look of panic on her face, as she tries to shake him once more, leaning forth as she speaks up sharply "Nick! Nick! What did you do! You're bleeding! You idiot your bandages are off!" She rapidly moves, hands darting nimbly to and fro across his chest, fresh gauze moving in white blurs as she tosses aside ragged and soaked old pads. She was frantic, bloodlets flying with each dabbing motion and bit of pressure she exerted, her lovely face smattered in crimson droplets as she worked rapidly to stem the bleeding.
Nick blinks slowly, his body somewhat cold, a bit numb from the loss of blood, causes him to speak blearily "Huh? I…I didn't mean… Judy… Listen to me.." He shifts head sagging back onto the pillow as she frantically works to stem his wounds and rebind them, her face set into a gaze of unwavering focus, her first aid training kicking in full throttle as she works tirelessly with what he only could suppose was their first aid packs from their cruiser. She seemed to ignore his words, causing him to furrow his brow as he mustered his strength and spoke up. "Judy...Abundance what does it mean?" He shifts speaking up with a wheeze as she starts to get a handle on his wounds, rapidly rebinding and swapping out spent cloth for fresh gauze.
Judy sharply speaks in a barking tone, the barest hint of worry causing her voice to falter in the ever slightest way. "Nick! Shutup! Shut your mouth and let me focus! You /idiot/, some part of me screamed that this was a bad idea in discharging you, we need to get you to the hospital… I..I think I stemmed the bleeding but, I-I am not fully certified in my medical courses" She shifts worriedly picking up the bloodied gauze as she moves it aside, a steady trickle of blood ebbing from the spent pads pattering wetly in cascading crimson droplets upon the coffee table at her side. She shifts and places her hands on her head "What got into you Nick, how did this happen again?! She sharply glances up amethyst eyes undulated with welling tears that raced down her cheeks, her hands clasped upon his forearm "You are going to be the death of me you stupid fox! I thought my heart was going to come sailing out of my chest when I found you like this… Look I need to call an ambulance, they should-"
Nick shifts, leaning forth with a surprising burst of energy, weakly gripping her upper arm as he peers unto her countenance, a wide eyed look of fear written upon his face, a look completely alien to Judy upon her steadfast partners own frazzled features. "No… No, No medics, no ambulances no more going back there… Judy listen to me I know it's going to sound crazy, but... What does the word Abundance bear to mind when you speak it…I-It's got something to do with catching.." He shifts, moving upright as the bindings upon his chest hold close, drawing another ragged wheeze from his chest, before he slides forth attempting to sit upright on the couches edge, weakly supporting himself with his right hand.
Judy shifts and raises both of her hands in warning, placing them firmly upon his shoulders, shaking her head "What? Nick, you're speaking nonsense, what do you mean Abundance?! Look this is just a crazy and lingering symptom of your contact with that vial's contents...but you're sick that's all, not crazy, just sick. Look I admit it was my fault for agreeing to remove you early, you can bank on that but I-... Just would you stop moving, please?!" She half shouts at him, attempting to place such an order upon him and to her credit, it does give him pause as she glances at her, face set, she knew such a look it was one of hellbound determination.
"Carrots… Judy listen to me, I… I need to be away from that hospital for now, do you understand me? Something, is going on with my head, and locking me up in a room /won't/ solve it, it clearly hadn't fixed me up until now. Listen, I had… something, a premonition? Some sort of extremely lucid hallucination, whatever term we want to call it, in that… state, the term Abundance and something about catching, is now bouncing around my head, and I've never encountered anything like it... Abundance Judy, What is it? I need to follow this through, this isn't just a random series of coincidences…" He shifts, leaning forward as he grips onto her shoulders, drawing her closer to him as his face shifts to bear a look of desperation "Judy, please… I am, begging you, just help me, I-I don't know whats causing all this garbage, but I know, I feel if I dig deep enough and get to the bottom of this, we can fix this...this isn't like anything else we've busted before, and… I want to stop whatever it was in those containers back in the warehouse, before it gets out on the streets." He mouths, the once sly and cunning countenance he bore was cracking, clearly something was boding ill below the surface. Nick was cracking and he could feel it, deep within something was unhinging him, he'd never break down like this, bleeding and feeble as he implored a rabbit… his rabbit for help in his chaotic and seemingly fragmenting sanity.
She remains still for several moments, glancing away as she places her hand upon her temple and worriedly shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Each moment turning over unto an agonizing minute before she raggedly inhales, hand over her face "Then what? What if we follow this trail and what if you get torn up you idiot? What then, what am I supposed to do.. You said it yourself, we are partners Nick, we stick together through and through… You can't just throw away what we've worked for, you and I..." She shifts and fully comes to rest upon her knees, hands firmly placed over her eyes as she keeps her head downcast, ears drooping low, seemingly unable to bear the sight of Nick's condition. Faintly her shoulders heave, as she conflicts internally, clearly the stress of this entire situation was weighing heavily upon her "Nick,you've got me in a awkward pinch, how can you trust anything your minds putting for, all whilst saying you want to avoid possible treatment… what sort of bind do you think you're locking me into here? What do you want me to do.." She says listlessly, turning up her head to face him, broad tears rolling down her cheeks as she clearly bore a combination of sorrow and anger, her inquiry was left hanging in the open air.
Nick shifts, rising to an upright position, as he moves to encircle her within his embrace, his face solemn and bearing his indelible concern as he speaks softly, lightly patting her shoulder "Judy.. I can't tell you what to do in this situation, but in my time with you, learning of you, I've realized that you will do what you think is right in all things.. I.. Honestly can't tell you what I am planning will work or what all of this means as I cannot even begin to explain it, but I can swear to you, every moment I am free of rotting in an institution straitjacket, It'll be time spent fighting to return to normality, to bring us back to one another…. I can't do that without you Judy, I need your help in this situation, you're the only person that will have my back if things go south. If we can just crack the source of this we can get our tranquility back. You heard it yourself from the Chief, the boys and girls in the lab haven't even come close to cracking what the chemical was made of or even does, and being spoon fed mashed apples whilst hammered under drugs, doesn't sound like a productive way of finding a fix… So if you trust me, we can find a solution to this, I know we can..." He nods and shifts leaning back to lightly brush his thumb across her cheeks, stroking away her tears and in some capacity her uncertainty. His facade slowly returning, as Judy would watch, the same compassionate, sly smirk would drift across his countenance
Judy's nose quivers slightly as she lightly pushes her cheek forth against his thumb, lightly looping her hand over his own, as her ears begin to rise once more, she nods firmly her path resolved, and with a determined grin she quips "You sappy idiot… Alright, then I suppose you should start letting me in on the plan, right?"