This chapter is also available as an audio drama on YouTube!
youtu. be/ryXRwoTEUBY?list=PLIVs1D93vz38riF4nqo5uTmGpoU1yWeko
Stu Hopps was the first at the scene of accident, closely followed by Judy. Joshua was limping but kept up with Bonnie Hopps, both chasing after Judy down the hill. It all happened within a few seconds and the scene was a mess. With infinite ease Stu lunged at Amie, who was lying in the midst of the wagons debris. Judy breathed a sigh of relief when she captured the situation and Amie was in good health, albeit scared. Joshua and Bonnie were joining Stu and Bonnie took Amie in her arms, hugging her firm to herself.
Stu blurted to Judy: "Are you satisfied now? Your escapades nearly …. nearly … injured your little sister!"
Judy was getting furious all over again. "You are really going to blame me for this?! Joshua…"
"At least I have still my sanity and not sharing the bed with a fox!"
"Guys…" Bonnie tried to settle the situation again but was simply ignored.
"Oh, put a cork in it, Josh!"
"Judith! That's the last straw!" her father was raising his voice again. "No strong language on my property!"
Judy snorted an evil laugh that made all the others flinch. Finally, Bonnie mumbled something and started to walk back to the house, Amie in her arms.
"You have absolute no right to call us off about strong language after all", Judy spitted the words. She was really angry about her brother and her parents, especially her father. They don't even know Nick and prejudged him the second they learned they were in love.
Eventually the small and quiet voice of Amie, already a few meters away with her mother, got her best attention: "I am okay, mom. But what about Nicky? He might have a boo-boo".
Her father and brother were still chatting to her about something, but Judy didn't listen anymore. Within a second she sprinted beside her mother. "What is it with Nicky, Amie?"
"He made a funny but scary noise".
Her mother intervened "She is just somewhat bewildered, don't listen…"
Judy quietened her mother with an authoritarian gesture and talked with certainty but calmly to Amie. "What noise did he make? Did he say something to you?"
"No, he made it when he poked me".
Stu was starting to rant again. "You hear that? He pushed your sister around and scared her!"
"Dad! That's enough!" Judy was twitchy and suddenly had a bad feeling. "Did Nicky annoy you, Amie?" Judy asked, again calm.
Her sister shook her head. "No, he was funny! But then pa was angry with me. I don't know why".
"The fox…!" Stu began, but one look from Judy and he became silent at once.
Judy was all in cop-mode now. There was an accident, some witnesses and nervous participants. Her job was to ease the situation and get a witness report from a small and probably scared kit. "What happened then after pa was got angry?" Judy talked soothingly to Amie, who was now sitting on Bonnies shoulder.
"There was this loud noise, I was scared. And then Nicky poked me and I fell onto the grass where pa picked me up right after", Amie reported with pride, sensing that she was telling something very important to her big sister. It took Judy a few seconds until all the gears in her brain were latching in the right place. Her ears dropped at once and the thought horrified her. 'Nick'.
An icy claw reached for her heart the very second she turned around and rushed back to the tree where the wagon crashed, knocking Joshua and her dad over in the process. Judy scanned the bigger debris around the tree until she found a red-brown bushy tail beneath some trays. She yelped and fall to her knees, pushing the trays away. Nick was in a bad condition. There was blood seeping from a wound at his head and stomach, one arm distorted in a morbid direction.
"Cheese and crackers! Nick! Please…" her voice cracked and she took his paw and stroked his cheek but the fox didn't react. Judy tried to concentrate her sense of hearing, but she could not listen to his heartbeat. Her own sobbing and her palpitating heart overlapped everything else.
"He's finally dead?" it was Joshua's voice again from behind, but Judy did not listen to him. Her mother stood there in shock, masking Amie's eyes, and her dad was kneeling down beside Judy.
"Is he…?" he started and wanted to feel Nick's pulse at his neck, but Judy beat him nearly shouting.
"Don't! Touch! Him!" Judy leaned protectively above him and sobbed helplessly. "Call Doctor Greenwood! Now!" she cried above her shoulder to no one special, then stroked Nick's face softly. "Nick! Hang in there! Don't leave me this way, you dumb fox".
Maybe it was hours or just minutes, Judy could not tell. Her right paw was pressed against the bleeding on Nick's stomach to try and stop it. She had managed to lay his head onto her thighs, her other paw stroking his face continuously. The rabbit managed to feel his pulse, it was weak and slow. She didn't move or say anything when an older rabbit with black fur and a bit bag knelt opposite against her. Doctor Greenwood had been the family doctor since Judy could remember and the only one right now she would trust to examine Nick. With a gentle but distinct gesture, he took Judy's paw from the abdominal wound. Her fur was soaked with Nick's blood and when she wiped her tears away, her paw left a creepy trail of blood across her face.
"He has lost quite some blood. Why did nobody mention on the phone he is badly injured?" Doctor Greenwood asked angrily with a look of reproach to Bonnie and Stu, who were standing a few meters away. Without waiting for an answer, he pushed a button on his headset, connected to the radio on his belt-mount.
"Doctor on call, requesting an emergency ambulance to the Hopps' Farm for a fox, not addressable, bleeding abdominally and from head wounds and probably has several fractures. Over". Then, looking to Judy. "Are you okay?" She just nodded marginally. The old rabbit pulled quite a lot of pads and gauze bandages from his bag, squeezing them onto Nick's abdominal wound. "Press your paws onto this! Don't hesitate, you have to apply quite some pressure to the wound so the bleeding will stop". Judy sobbed quietly and did as she was told automatically. Greenwood nodded approvingly and examined Nick's other wounds. "You are Judy Hopps, right?" he asked, to keep her busy and from falling into a shock state. She nodded again. The doctor applied a compression bandage to Nick's head that was still resting on Judy's legs. "Can you tell me his name?"
"N…Nick. Nicholas W... Wilde…" she sniveled quietly. In the distance, siren could be heard.
Doctor Greenwood displaced her grip on the abdominal wound. "You know him?"
"My part… partner... police... and boy… boyfriend…" Judy sobbed drenched in tears, holding Nick's face with her paws.
The doctor wanted to answer something, but at that moment the ambulance arrived and stopped with screeching tires. Two paramedics, both deer, jumped out of the car, got a stretcher from the trunk and hurried to Judy, Nick and Greenwood. With expert movements, they lifted Nick onto the stretcher, fixing him with belts. Judy hovered over him the whole time. Even when the old rabbit tried to hold her back when the deer tried to carry Nick to the ambulance, she did not stir from the spot.
"Judy. Judy, listen, please". He held her at her shoulders and turned her towards him. "Judy Hopps!" She finally managed to dispense her sight from Nick and looked at Doctor Greenwood with red, tearstained eyes. The blood smears on her face giving her an alarming appearance. "I have to drive with Nick, there is not enough room in the car for you, too, I am really sorry". He shook her again as she wanted to cut loose from his grip. "Judy! Listen, please. There is nothing you can do right now, and I am worried that you are going to fall into shock".
He waved to her parents, who were still standing a few meters away in silence. Bonnie walked towards him, giving Stu a gesture to keep back with a strange look on her face. Doctor Greenwood was not sure what exactly happened, but Judy talking about his patient as a boyfriend and the current reservation of her parents gave him an idea.
"Mrs. Hopps, would you please help Judy to clean-up?" And when Judy wanted to cut loose again, he added: "I want to see her right afterwards in the hospital for a complete check-up". Bonnie nodded. Judy's mother wanted to say that Judy was not involved in the accident, but the determined look on Greenwood's face made it clear that there was no room for discussion. Eventually it was only a pretense, but this was not the right time and place to talk about Judy's relationship. The Doctor nodded, too, and rushed into the waiting ambulance. The siren howled again and they disappeared within seconds.
Bonnie Hopps put a paw on Judy's shoulder, the latter still looking stock-still on her blood-soaked paws. Judy shook her mothers' paw off.
"My dear…" her mother started, but Judy walked off to their house.
"Judy…" her father started when she passed him, but she just ignored him.
It hurt her chest to be so harsh to her parents, but right now she wasn't able to talk to them about what happened or about Nick. What hurt even more than ignoring her parents was the thought of Nick now. She saw her surroundings through a mist. A few of her siblings were approaching her, but froze when they saw her bloodied fur. It did not matter to her. She rushed through the front door, past Joshua and his family, went into the guest room and grabbed her and Nick's backpack. There was also a full-length mirror right beside the door; Judy stared at it and her mirror image, then it all came crashing down about her ears. She fell onto her knees, burying her face into her paws and weeping untenably.
In this state, Evelin found her a short time later. She was about a year younger than her older sister, but resembled the same fur and eye color. Evelin just had a few dark spots in and around her ears.
"Hey, sis", she squatted beside Judy, putting her arm around her. Nick's partner turned to Evelin and hugged her. "There, there. Let it go, Juju…" she patted her back and held her sister firmly. In the meantime, Bonnie stood in the doorframe and watched them in silence. Evelin gestured for her to leave them alone with an impatient look; Bonnie sighed but left them alone. After a while Judy stopped weeping and sobbed quietly.
"Thanks, Eve. It was … it was all too …"
"Shh… it is okay", Evelin interrupted her and stroked along her ears and head.
"I have … go … to the hospital …" Judy sobbed and wiped her arm over her face.
"First we have to clean you up. You look like you were injured, too, Juju". Evelin straightened up, taking Judy's paw and firmly pulled her up. "Come on, I will help you…"
Judy did not say anything but let Evelin take her with her. She followed her into a bathroom and nearly started to cry again as she saw her mirror image.
"Hey…" Evelin said softly and stood between the mirror and Judy. "Everything will be fine, including your boyfriend. What is his name again?" she asked and conducted Judy to the edge of the bathtub.
"Nick". Judy said worn out and sat down on the edge.
Her sister let hot water run into the sink, took a sponge from the shelf and soaked it in the water. "Come on, give me your paws" Unopposed Judy obeyed and Evelin started to rub some soap with hot water into her fur. The blood had already dried and it took a while to clean her paws and arms up. Then Evelin started to clean her sisters face and ears. "How long have you two been dating?" she asked with a smile to distract her older sister somewhat.
"Since … a week ago… it is serious. But… we have been close… friends for quite … a while". Judy sounded more calm now, but her voice was dull and erratic.
"I think he is cute", Evelin winked and started to scrub Judy dry with a towel. "And you two make a sweet couple. Just give Mom and Dad some time".
"Mhmhh…" Judy mumbled through the towel.
When Evelin finished, she stroked Judy's cheek, still smiling. Her big sister was now settled and finally looked alive again with her clean fur. "Thanks, Eve…" Judy spoke quietly but coherently again. "I have to go now to the…"
Evelin interrupted her. "I will drive you to the hospital with my scooter, okay sis? This is much faster, and more safe in your current state. Do you need to take anything with you?" She shook hands with Judy, who hopped from the bathtub's edge.
"Thanks again, Eve… for everything". Judy hugged her sister firmly and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
"For you always, Juju", Evelin smiled and went ahead.
Evelin set Judy down in the Hospital of Bunnyburrow, handing her the backpack. "Are you sure you are okay? I can go in with you, sis".
Judy shook her head and gave her younger sister a quick hug. "Thank you, you already did enough Eve. I cannot ask any more of you".
"Okay, but I will come back again in a few hours to look after you two. In the meantime, I will have a talk with Mom and Dad. Oh… and Josh – just ignore him, he always was a fuddy-duddy dork". Evelin winked and Judy waved her a short goodbye, then rushed through the revolving door into the clinic.
"No, you don't listen! My partner was hospitalized after an accident about an hour ago! His name is Nicholas Wilde! And I want to see him, now!" Judy's fatigue was gone and replaced by anger.
"I'm afraid, Miss I am not allowed to give out patient data, and as you are clearly not a family member, I really cannot help you. Would you please ease off now, or I'll have to call security".
Judy was at the end of her tether and was now bellowing: "My name is Officer Judy Hopps, I am a member of the Zootopia Police Department, just like Officer Wilde, my partner!"
"Ma'am, could you identify yourself with your badge and ID card?" It was a ram in a security uniform, standing right behind her.
"Oh, of course. When my partner was bleeding to death all I could think of while hurrying here was taking my badge". Judy answered with dripping sarcasm, Nick would be proud of her. 'Nick!' "Just call Doctor Greenwood! He knows me and will vouch for me! Or I will search through the whole hospital on my own!"
"Please calm down, Officer Hobes".
"Hopps!"
"Whatever, you are not a family member and cannot identify yourself. Please leave, peacefully".
"Sweet cheese and crackers…" Judy cursed and wanted to walk past the ram, who caught her at her shoulder. That was really too much for the rabbit and with a brisk move she ducked down, shooing around the security guard and jumped right into his back with her hind legs. That took the ram totally flatfooted and off his feet.
"Miss Hopps…!" Doctor Greenwood was coming with quick steps down the hall. Judy looked up in his direction and let the ram go, whose arm she was bending behind his back.
"Doctor Greenwood! Finally! How is Nick?" Judy's voice was relieved and pleading. "Is he okay?"
The medic made a pacifying gesture to the ram, who was picking himself up, chuntering something and walking away. Then the old rabbit turned to the nurse at the reception. "We just got the medical file of Mister Wilde transmitted by the Zootopia-Plainsboro Hospital. I just entered his hospitalizing data into the system. Miss Hopps is recorded as his Emergency Contact, please issue her an unlimited visitor pass for life partners". He winked to Judy with a quick smile while the nurse entered the data and printed a badge for Judy.
"Thank you for your support, Doctor Greenwood", Judy said while they both walked down an aisle to the ICU. "Although it's a pity you had to lie for me. Such churlishness is not my normal behavior, you know".
"It is okay, Judy. I really understand that you are upset. But I haven't lied". The medic smiled softly when he noticed Judy's inquiring look. "You really are his recorded emergency contact. You did not know that? Perhaps I pushed too hard when saying you two are life partners".
"No…" was everything Judy could say. They had to specify an emergency contact when joining the force; and Judy had specified her parents, of course. She had no idea that Nick chose her. After a few more steps, she asked again. "How is Nick?" she repeated her first question to him.
"We had to perform surgery to stop the abdominal bleeding. We also had to splint his right leg and left arm. He may also have a concussion. We cannot say as he has not yet woken up from the anesthesia". Doctor Greenwood put a paw on a door handle and stopped. "Are you prepared? It looks much worse than it really is, but I think he will recover completely".
Judy nodded slowly and gulped. The old rabbit opened the door and they both stepped in. She covered her mouth with a paw when she saw Nick. He lay in an oversized hospital bed, connected to a heart monitor and an infusion pump; around his head was a big bandage. The heart monitor was beeping slowly and frequently, and this time Judy could also hear his heartbeat at the same time with her ears. She hurried to his side and embraced his paw in hers.
"I will give you some time alone and will come back in about an hour for some further examinations". Doctor Greenwood said quietly and closed the door behind him.
Judy sat beside Nicks bed, stroking his paw and cheek for the whole day. He did not wake up, but was in a stable condition. A nurse tried to convince Judy a few times to go home and have some rest, but she refused to leave every time. It was after midnight; the bunny had rested her head against Nick's body, her arms carefully embracing his torso. She dozed off from time to time, the slow heartbeat of the fox was soothing to her, thinking about the last few hours.
Evelin brought her some fresh fruits from the farm earlier that day, and a bouquet of self-picked flowers for Nick; together with a hand drawn card from Amie, showing a stick figure fox and a lot of bunnies around him. In her scrawly handwriting she wrote 'Get well soon, Nicky!' with a heart. Evelin also brought her a message from her parents, but Judy refused to hear it. 'Not yet. It is too early and I am too angry; Nick needs my full attention right now', she said to her younger sibling. Evelin understood and did not pile on the pressure.
'Why has he not woken up yet? The anesthesia should have worren quite some time ago!' Judy had asked Doctor Greenwood a few hours ago on his late visit. He explained to her that the wounds could be tricky and they did not want to wake him up with drugs so his body could recover. Being patient had to be the only thing that Judy was really bad at.
Chief Bogo had called her, alarmed by the request of Nick's medical records. All requests about active ZPD officers were automatically reported to the department. Judy explained that an accident happened, leaving out the argument with her family. She also took a few days off, making it clear that she could not leave Nick alone in Bunnyburrow and his state was not stable enough for transportation to Zootopia right now. Bogo made her promise to give him an update as soon as possible and forwarded the best wishes of all her colleagues for a swift recovery.
Finally, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, Judy was overpowered by exhaustion: She crawled into the bed beside Nick, putting his non-fractured arm around her body and her own arm around his chest. It was good to feel Nick's warm body beside hers and after she kissed him on his cheek, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Many thanks to Sean Dalglish for his review and proofreading this chapter! (Mar 2017)