Real Life Is Messy pt. II

XxX

Monday morning, bright and early, life regained a semblance of normal at the shop. Preparations were underway for the 23rd annual 'Zootopia Open' which was to be held on the upcoming weekend. Everyone who's anyone in the custom car world will be at the show and swap meet, and Nick and the entire crew of 'Wilde Times Classic Muscle Cars' will be ready and waiting.

"Ok" started Nick "like I said before, we're going to take the Midnight Blue '67 GTO, the Candy Apple Red '49 Merc with the suicide doors, and the Candy Blue and Artic White '57 Nomad to the show. Plus, since Duane did such a fantastic job on the '56 Crown Vic, we'll be taking that as well. I think he really nailed it changing the paint from hot rod red and white to pearl white with an opaque red overlay.'
'Here's how we'll get the cars and ourselves to the show. I'll drive the GTO, Midnight, you'll drive the '49 Merc, Snow, you'll drive the Nomad and Squeak will drive the Crown Vic. Everyone bring clothes to dress accordingly. Midnight, I think a red blazer with white slacks will work for you, while I'll be in a dark blue suit.'
'Snow I think that sexy metallic blue split skirt outfit that you wore the night you dumped me will do" as Judy looked incredulously at Sky who simply rolled her eyes "and Squeak, I know that you have a very nice red outfit that'll go nicely with the Crown Vic, thanks to Skye."

"Skye, what the hell?" asked Judy shooting the vixen a look of incredibility.

"What? I never told Nick anything about what we got that day. Nick, help me out here…."

"Relax, both of you. Skye, did you happen to forget who gets the statements when you buy stuff with my cards or on my credit? And guess who signed the ticket…."

"Well shit!" exclaimed Skye.

"Not to change the subject, but just how are we supposed to get home if we sell all four cars?" asked Judy.

"No problem, mom is going to be driving the shop van. There's plenty of room for all of us in it if we sell 'em all. Everyone can dress up when we get to the show, then when we sell a car we can change out of our outfits into something more comfortable if they want to, so be sure to pack something comfortable for the trip there and back home."

The day of the show, not only did Nick's cars dominate the awards earning Best Paint, Best of Show, and Fan's Choice awards, but all four cars were sold in record time. Plus, all four of the cars actually sold for well above the asking price due to an intense bidding war among the buyers, bringing in the shop a very nice profit. That is until Nick managed to spend around a third of the profits on three cars to replace the ones sold. Although none of the three cars actually ran, the cost versus the potential profits was well within reasonable limits. The cars were a '63 Corvette split window coupe with a 427 and a 4-speed manual transmission, a '70 Challenger RT with a 426 Hemi, also with a 4-speed manual trans, and an actual steel bodied '32 five window deuce coupe with an authentic flathead V-8. Nick called Lefty at the shop and had all three of his rollback haulers sent to the show site to pick up the 'new' project cars.

The only drama during the show was the unwanted attention that Skye and Judy got. There were several lookie-loos, potential customers and regular customers that flirted with the two, so Nick and Midnight had to step in and discourage several of them, especially a couple of very drunk rabbit bucks who were hitting up on Judy and seemed to be totally ignoring the scent marking and wedding ring.

Returning to the shop at the end of the day, Nick hands out the assignments for the new project cars to Midnight and Skye. "Ok, here's what I want done … Midnight, you and Charlie start on the Challenger. Complete tear down, all the way to the sub-frame which I want powder coated. Send the motor to the guys at 'MoPars R Us' for a complete rebuild. I want the brakes upgraded to 4-wheel disc and the rear suspension to a 4-link. Paint is up in the air but it's NOT gonna be the factory 'Plum Crazy'. Get with Duane to figure a killer paint color.'
'Have Martin and Carol start on the deuce coupe. I want the frame rails box reinforced and I want them to shelve the flathead motor and find a good Chevy 327 small block for it. Powder coat the frame, four-wheel disc brakes, chrome the dropped front axle and banana yellow paint. I've got a feeling that someone is looking for an 'Zootopian Graffiti' deuce coupe.'
'Skye, you get Sneezy to help you start on the 'Vette. Again, complete teardown, but I want it restored to factory including the paint. Somehow the baby blue metallic fits the car. I want the motor sent to 'Year One' for a factory stock rebuild if possible, whatever it takes to make the motor right.'
'Judy, I know what you're thinking … for now you can still work on the Cobra if you want. With your 'condition' you won't be actually working on the car for much longer, but you can still be a sort of project manager. You'll still be involved in the project, you just won't be able to any actual physical work on the car. I know it sucks, but that's way it's gonna have to be."

"It's ok, I understand" remarks Judy somewhat despondently "It's not at all what I want, but all things considered I guess it's for the best."

As the next several weeks went by, Judy reluctantly admitted (to herself at least) that the doctor and Nick had been right. She was in no shape physically to keep working on the cars, even though she tried her hardest. No matter how she pushed herself, it just wasn't possible. She ended up having to take more and more time running to the bathroom dealing with morning sickness and wondering why it was called morning sickness when she was sick fully half of the day.

When Judy talked to her mom, expressing her concerns about being sick so much of the time, Bonnie told her that although she hadn't been sick as much with her first litters, she explained (like the doctor had) that it might have something to do with the fact that the kits were of mixed species. Since the accelerated growth was already a factor, Judy had to agree that this was a reasonable explanation.

Then, one afternoon just after lunch, Nick got an unexpected call over the intercom while he was talking to Midnight and Duane about the paint color choices for the Challenger….

"NICK, COME TO THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY, NICK TO THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!"

When Nick hurriedly entered the office, he noticed Judy curled up in a ball on one of the office chairs crying. "What's the matter Judy?" that's when he noticed that Judy's pants were showing traces of blood along the groin area.

"I-I don't know, th-that's the problem" she managed to choke out through the tears "Jo-Josh has already called 911, there's an am-ambulance on-on the way."

"I called mom and you mom too" added Josh.

" I just st-started cramping up re-real bad then I st-started to bleed, I-I don't know what's hap-happen-ning…" wailed Judy.

Just then, Laverne burst into the office "I was just down the street a few blocks when Josh called and … what's wr … oh my god, Judy…'
'Nick you have got to get her to the hospital NOW"

"There's an ambulance on the way … in fact I hear it pulling up now" interrupted Nick "I'm going with her to the hospital, you bring Skye and follow us with your car. At the very least we'll be needing a ride home, at worst we'll both be staying until we can get this figured out. I'm not leaving her until I know what the problem is…"

As the EMT's load Judy into the ambulance Laverne tells Nick "I think I know what Judy's trouble is, but I'd really have a qualified doctor let you know for sure. Have you called Judy's obstetrician yet?"

"Actually, no I-I hadn't even thought about it. Would you or Skye call her please, I'm not really sure how I'd handle talking to anyone right now…"

Of course, I'll make sure it happens. I'll meet you there, once everything calms down a bit."

During the roughly twenty-minute ride to Zootopia General Hospital, Judy was given a mild sedative too help her calm down and rest. During the trip, the lead tech got Judy's information from Nick … insurance information, age, date of birth, allergies and such. The female reindeer asked Judy about her pains, what and when she had eaten last, if she was pregnant, and how far along she was.

Arriving at the ER entrance at Zootopia General, Judy was rushed into a private exam room, where an IV line was started. Nick was very upset when he was quickly ushered out of the exam room by a very insistent and capable badger who turned out to be a male nurse. While impatiently waiting for some word from a doctor, Laverne and Skye rushed into the waiting area, immediately wanting to know what was happening.

"I literally have no idea" was all Nick could say. "They've been in there around fifteen minutes and no one has gone in or out since we got here.

"I talked to Bonnie as we left the shop" Laverne informed Nick "she and Stu are on their way and should get here in a couple of hours at the most."

"How in the world are they going to get here that quickly?" asked Nick.

"Well, it seems like one of Judy's siblings sort of hijacked a helicopter and is bringing them straight to the hospital" remarked Laverne.

"WHAT?" was all an astonished Nick could say.

"Nick, give it a rest already" said Laverne. "Bonnie told me that one of Judy's sisters has a shuttle service and offered to bring her folks here because of the situation, I thought you of all animals would know that… Look, I know this is all very upsetting, but really Nick…"

"Yea, well, knowing Bonnie, I wouldn't put something like that past her at a time like this."

After just a few more minutes, Judy is wheeled out of the exam room.

"Mister Wilde?" asks doctor Berenstain, a smallish brown bear.

"I'm Nick Wilde" answers Nick.

Looking somewhat shocked, the doctor addressed the group "Umm, may I ask who these mammals are and their relationship to the patient?"

"I'm Judy's husband, and this is my mother and a good friend. Judy's parents are on their way and should be here soon, probably within the hour. What can you tell me about my wife? Anything you can tell me, you can tell them…"

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, but your wife has suffered a miscarriage. Both of the fetuses were lost, and your wife has lost a fair amount of blood that we'll need to replace. We're taking her to a special area where we'll will need to do an emergency D&C procedure, although you will have to consent to the procedure since your wife is still under anesthesia and I would prefer not having to wait until she recovers enough to give the consent herself. I'm not going to go into detail about the procedure at this time, I need to attend to your wife. You can either speak to one of the nurses or ask your mother or mother-in-law about the procedure, I'm sure they'll be sure be able to fill you in.'
'After the procedure, your wife will be moved to recovery for a short while, and then to a private room on the third floor. You can wait in the third-floor waiting area if you like, or the nurse will give you her room number and you can wait there. The procedure should only take fifteen to twenty minutes, and recovery should only be an hour or so after that. After the procedure, I'll need to speak privately with you and your wife about … some ... very delicate matters."

With that the doctor turned to attend to Judy and left the three-vulpine standing in shock.

"Nick" began Skye "why don't you and your mom go wait in Judy's room, I'll stay here and wait for Bonnie and Stu. When they get here I'll bring them up, just text me the room number… Nick, I'm SO sorry…Judy's going to be devastated…"

As Nick and Laverne wait for Judy to be brought in from recovery, they're joined by Bonnie, Stu and Skye.

"Nick" begins Bonnie "Have you heard anything yet?"

"Just that Judy has suffered a miscarriage, according to the doctor, she should be out of recovery soon. We should know something more before lo…"

Just then, Judy is wheeled into the room, mostly awake but still slightly groggy due to the anesthesia.

As the families gather around Judy, they are interrupted by Dr. Berenstain. "I hate to interrupt this gathering, but I really need to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Wilde alone for a bit. If everyone else could please gather in the waiting area until we're finished it would be greatly appreciated."

After everyone has left Judy's room and Judy has recovered enough to be in possession of her senses, Dr. Berenstain begins "I understand that this has been a very traumatic experience for you both, most of all for you Judy. But there are a few things that I really need to discuss before I can release you from the hospital.'
'To begin with, I know that you are both aware that Judy has suffered a miscarriage. In all, Judy, you lost two fetuses, fraternal twins. One was a fox like female and the other was a rabbit like male. I understand that this is really very soon to be bringing this up, but I need to know what you want done with the fetuses. Some mammals want to bury them with other family members and others just want the fetuses disposed of. I mean no disrespect, but I need a decision from you as soon as possible so the hosp…"

"No disrespect? NO DISRESPECT?" shouts Judy "these are… were MY … our kits. We will NOT have them disposed of like-like some sort of-of unwanted garbage!"

"No one is suggesting that at all Judy, and you of all mammals should know that!"

All heads turn to the door and notice that Judy's doctor, Dr. Clawson has entered the room.

"Dr. Berenstain, I'll take over from here, thank you.'
'Judy, let me explain a few things to you that I thought you would have probably already known, with your mother having so many kits. To start with, 10-25% of first pregnancy's end in miscarriage and up to 35% in stillbirth. This fact alone should tell you why most prey animals have so many kits in each litter. Literally at least one in each litter is expected to be lost through still birth or entire litters lost in miscarriage.'
'I don't think I need to tell you that the fact that you were able to conceive at all is a major miracle in itself. While interspecies pregnancies seem to be on the rise overall, it usually occurs in like species, such as rabbits and hares and differing genus of say foxes or canines in general. To my knowledge, there's literally only one other pred/prey conception that has resulted in a live birth."

"Yes" said Nick "that would be the Dewclaws, we're close friends with them. And yes, we realize that the situations are reversed, with Kell actually the one who was pregnant. That's one reason we were so hopeful when Judy actually became pregnant. Are we doomed to have this repeat itself and need to adopt, or is there some actual hope we can cling to that we can actually have biological kits of our own?"

"Please" pleads a very sorrowful Judy "please give us some hope. Some kind of real hope that we can have some actual kits of our own. While I realize that adoption is an option, I really don't think I could go through something like this again and keep my sanity."

"Actually" begins doctor Clawson "I know of someone who would be very much interested in your unique situation. Her name is Doctor Dr. Robin Cotton, a specialist in gene splicing and DNA manipulation. If you would permit me, I'll get in touch with her as soon as I can."

"Yes, please" intones Nick "whatever it takes, we'd be more than happy to speak with anyone who could give us a chance at our own kits" who notices Judy nod in agreement.

"With that being said, I do need to bring up the very delicate subject that Doctor Berenstain touched on earlier. Judy, you need to decide how to handle your unborn kits. I know it's difficult to think about so soon, but a decision needs to be made, and the sooner the better. If I might make a suggestion or two, there are several reasonable options for you. Burial in a family cemetery is probably most common, but in this case perhaps cremation would be best. That way, the ashes could be interred in both family cemetery's, rather that agonize over which family should have them or split the twins up.'
'While we're on that subject, would you care to know anything about your unborn kits?"

"Yes, please, we would" responds Judy softly.

"Well to begin with, you know that you were carrying twins, one male one female. The female is more foxlike"

"Rose Marie" interrupts Judy softly, with tears forming in her eyes.

"While the male is bunnylike".

"Aaron Neville" says a somber Nick.

"Those are the names you wish on the certificates?" asks doctor Clawson.

"Yes" they respond in unison.

"And the last names?"

Nick and Judy looked at each other and Judy responded "Wilde-Hopps if you don't mind."

"We'll talk the arrangements over with our parents and let you know as soon as we can make a decision, thank you very much for your help and the kind suggestion" says Nick.

"Right then, I'll leave you to spend some time with your families for now. As soon as I get in touch with Doctor Cotton, I'll let you know when to be expecting a call or visit from her. I'll stop and check in on you later Judy. You should be able to leave the hospital today, but no strenuous exercise for at least a week, and no sex for at least two weeks to a month ok? You can leave today if you want, but I would suggest that you spend the night in case there are any complications with the D&C procedure. It's not likely but has happened on occasion, I'll leave that decision up to you. Just tell the nurse at the nurse's station what your decision is please. Also, I'll leave a prescription for the proper birth control for you to pick up at the pharmacy when you leave so we won't have you going through this again."

As doctor Clawson exits the room, Nick and Judy's families and Skye enter.

"Judy" begins Bonnie.

"I-I'm ok mom … actually, no I'm not, and I know that. I'm just … lost. Do you understand?"

"Judy, you have got to know you're not alone in this right?"

"I know, but … how does a mammal deal with something like this? It seems like my entire world has suddenly come crashing down. Like there's nothing left to live for…"

"Guys" interrupts Skye briefly "would you mind give us girls some alone time with Judy please. I think a bit of intervention is needed and you two would just be … umm … kind of in the way?"

"Yea, sure" responds Nick. "Just text me when you're through, alright?"

"Sure thing, now, off with ya."

As the door closes, Bonnie starts the conversation.

"Listen Judy, I know things are bad right now, but let's get a few things out in the open … how many kits did you lose?"

"… Two. Twins. Doctor Clawson said there were two. A girl that was kind of fox like and a boy that was bunnylike. Nick and I decided that their names would be Rose Marie Wilde-Hopps and Aaron Neville Wilde-Hopps."

"And?"

"Doctor Clawson has a suggestion that I think Nick and I agree on. We want to cremate the twins, and bury half of the ashes at Bunnyburrow with my littermates, and half with the Wilde's. It seems only fitting, since Nick lost a twin sister in stillbirth. That is, if it's ok with you Laverne." The last part about Nick's sister was missed by Bonne.

"Sweetheart, nothing could be more right. I'd be proud to have the twins with Johnathan and Nicholle."

"Judy…?"

"…God mom, it hurts … so much…"

"I know sweetie. The pain never really goes away, you just learn to deal with it."

"How?"

"Emotional support from therapists and support groups, but from family mostly. We all handle it differently Judy. And what you might not realize, Nick needs the support too. Don't forget, he lost the kits as well. I'm sure he and Stu are having a bit of a talk, just as we are. He may not have carried the twins, but he feels the loss as deeply as you do."

"That's right" added Laverne "Remember, Nick just found out about his sister, so it's hitting him harder that it might most fathers who've lost kits, harder than you might believe".

"Wait" interrupts Bonnie "Nick had a sister? I never knew that Nick had a sister!"

"Yes" says Laverne "Nick had a twin sister that was stillborn, a twin. He only found out a few weeks ago, so this has got to be hitting him hard as well."

After leaving Judy's room, Stu asks "Nick, is there someplace quiet around here that we can talk?"

"… Yea, I think there's a chapel on the ground floor, why?"

"Well. I've got a pretty good idea what the girls are talking about, and I think we need to have a talk ourselves."

"Really, and what would that be about?"

"Look Nick, I know you're not stupid, so don't act like it. I know you're hurting because Judy lost the kits, it's only natural. I know, because I've been down that road as well."

"Yea, Judy told me she was the only kit to survive her litter."

"Do you really think that those were the only kits we lost?"

"…. No, I guess not."

"And you'd guess right. We've lost a total of thirty-seven kits in all over the years Nick. Stillbirth, miscarriage, accidents and sickness. It never gets any easier, and the hurt is always there."

"So, how do you deal with it Stu? How do you cope with losing so many kits? I can't imagine how you would begin to deal with the loss of that many kits."

"Well, the first time, when we lost Judy's littermates, I went out and got blind-assed drunk. It didn't help, just gave me a really mean three-day hangover, I don't recommend that by the way.'
'In the meantime, Bonnie had issues as well, depression actually. I made it worse by my not being there for her when I should have been, I damned near lost her ... You need to be there for Judy son'
'Yea, I said son" noting the astonished look on Nick's face "I couldn't ask for a better son of my own the way you've taken care of Judy. I might have had reservations when she first started working for you, but you've proven that all you really care about is my daughter, species be damned."

"Stu I …"

"I'm not quite finished just yet. Let me speak my mind first please, then you can have your say. I want you to tell me what you know about the kits, how many, boys or girls, names, everything. I know it sucks big time right now, but trust an old bunny, in the long run it'll help."

Taking a deep breath, Nick begins "… Ok …. We know that there were two kits, twins, a boy and a girl. We were told the girl was sort of foxlike and the boy was bunnylike. We named them Rose Marie Wilde-Hopps and Aaron Neville Wilde-Hopps. I think we decided to have them cremated and would share the ashes, half would be buried with Judy's littermates and half with my sister here in Zootopia."

"Wait, you had a sister?"

"Yea, I just found out a few weeks ago. When I proposed officially and got Judy her ring, we went and visited with my mom. That's when mom pretty much forced me to look at her baby book. Her name was Nicholle Patricia, she was my twin sister and she was stillborn. If I hadn't been so damned hard headed and visited my dad at the cemetery years ago like my mom asked me to I would have known a lot sooner. It's been a lot to deal with all of a sudden… first finding out about Trish, now losing the kits…'
'What am I going to do Stu? I promised Judy I'd take care of her, that I wouldn't let anything bad ever happen to her again? I broke my promise…."

"Bullshit!"

"W-what?"

"You heard me, I said bullshit. Tell me, just exactly how do you figure you broke your promise? There isn't a thing on earth that you could have done to prevent this from happening. I told you before, I've been through the exact same thing and I meant it. Things like this happen all of the time to regular folks, let alone to a pair like you two."

"But I promised…"

"Nick you made a promise that was impossible to keep, you've got to get over that already."

"Easier said than done Stu."

"I know, but for Judy's sake you've got to try, ok?"

"Yea, ok…"

Just then, Nick's cell phone pinged ….

"That's from Skye, I guess the girls are ready for us … thanks Stu, I might just be able to make it through all of this now."

As Nick and Stu enter Judy's room "Mom, can you guys give Nick and I a bit of privacy for a few minutes please? We have a few things to discuss …"

Giving her daughter a quick hug Bonnie agrees "Sure thing we all need to be going anyway, now that we know that you're going to be more or less ok, at least for the time being."

"Skye, thanks for being such a good friend through all of this …"

"No problem sis, just get better. We'll see you at the shop soon, right?"

As Judy looks at Nick and sees a 'do what you think is right' look "I think it'll be best if I took a week or so off, with needing to plan the funerals and such, you know…."

"Yea, it's ok, I get it. Do you want me to stick around a bit and give you a ride home or what?"

"No" taking a quick look at Nick "I think I'll take the doctor's advice and spend the night. I've taken enough stupid chances lately."

Noticing a stern look from Nick, Judy continues "Look, I know that everyone is telling me that there isn't anything that I did to cause the loss of out kits. I still can't help but think that if I would've just listened the first time, none of this would have happened. I have to work this out myself, ok?"

"Judy, this isn't a 'self-help' kind of deal, ok"? insisted Bonnie. "I speak from experience. I've lost enough kits over the years to know a thing or two and…"

"Ok mom, enough already" said Judy, raising her voice "I get it ok? If I think I need help I'll ask."

After everyone leaves but Nick "Nick, what are we gonna do? I have no idea how to go about taking care of the kits, making arrangements …"

In a soft voice, which Judy would have missed except for her excellent hearing "I'll take care of the kits and handle the arrangements … I-I don't want to put you through any more stress than need be."

"Nick … I …"

"It's ok … You've been through enough heartache these past few months … please … let me take care of this. I'll coordinate the funerals with mom and your folks."

"But Nick …"

"Look Judy, let me ask you … do you think you could handle going down to the morgue and claim the kits without totally breaking down … again?"

"….. No, I don't think so. Can you?"

"Probably not, but we're the only ones that can claim them. Plus, I know a few mammals that I … we can trust to do what we need to have done and do it right. They can pick the kits up and let us know when they're … ready … for us to pick them up. Believe it or not, this is as difficult for me as it is for you. Granted, I never had the honor of carrying them, but they were my future as well as yours.'
'You get some rest, I'll take care of the kits, call the funeral home and call our parents. Unless you have any objections, I think that our parents and maybe Skye is all we need for the funerals. The last thing we need is a bunch of mammals making things more difficult than they already are."

"…. Nick, I trust you to do the right things for our kits. And I also think that you're right about having just our parents, and about including Skye. She's been a big help through everything since we've met, so I wouldn't feel right not including her. You go on, I'll rest and you can let me know about everything when you get back.
'I love you Nick, more than you can ever imagine …."

"I love you too, I'll be back soon" as he kisses Judy lightly between her ears.

As Nick exits Judy's room and heads for the morgue to claim their kits, he makes a call to a mammal he knows.

"Hello Herman? This is Nick Wilde. Yea, I know, it's been a while. Listen I need a really big favor … my wife and I just lost our kits and … no, it's ok. Yea, she lost them to a miscarriage and we need to use your services for cremation. Two small kits, and we need them to be cremated together, but we want the ashes to be put in two separate urns. I know it's unusual, but they're going to go to two separate cemeteries.'
'Names? Oh, yea … Rose Marie Wilde-Hopps and Aaron Neville Wilde-Hopps. And Herman, please, give me the best stuff that ya got…'
'I'll set it up with Zootopia General so you can pick them up. Let me know when you're finished so we can schedule the funerals, then I'll pick the kits up. No, you don't need to do anything else, I'll make all of the arrangements and transport the kits myself, ok?'
'Whaddaya mean no charge? I'm not asking for a … You never charge for kits like this? Well, if that's your final word then …. thanks."

As the day of the funerals arrive, it was overcast and generally miserable, just enough so to match the mood of the attendees.

At the Wilde family plot, the service small urn containing half of the twins' ashes was placed in a small vault beside Nick's marker.

The only mammals in attendance were Nick and Judy, their parents and Judy's brothers Josh and Duane, Shirley and Skye.

Delivering the invocation was one of Judy's uncles Thomas, who was one of Bonnie's brothers. Bonnie insisted that her brother, who was an ordained minister perform the memorial service mainly to at least slightly atone for causing Judy so much grief when she was first hired by Nick.

From there, the procession drove to Bunnyburrow where the other small urn was placed with Judy's siblings, with Thomas again delivering the memorial.

After the service, everyone was mentally exhausted so a quick meal was had, although Nick noticed that Judy never really ate anything, just picking at her food and pushing it around the plate. Then everyone retired for the night.

The next morning, while the burrow was beginning to bustle in it's daily routine, Nick couldn't manage to get Judy to get up for breakfast.

"I'm really not hungry Nick, just leave me alone for a bit please. I'll be up in a bit, just have mom save me something to eat, ok?"

"… Ok, but if you're not up by noon, I'll have to drag your furry but out of bed and feed you myself if I have to..."

"Nick, just leave me the fuck alone for a while ok?" she shouted. "I just lost our kits, and I don't want to be bothered…."

"Fine, but I meant what I said about you being up by noon. You can't just not eat and you can't wallow in self-pity, it's not healthy…"

He got no answer but the sound of Judy crying. As he gently closed the door, he knew he had to tell Bonnie and his mom at least about Judy's frame of mind, as worried as he could be.

Entering the kitchen, Bonnie immediately noticed that Judy wasn't with Nick "Nick, where's Judy?"

"She said she wasn't hungry and wouldn't come out of the room. Then she yelled that she didn't want to be bothered because she had just lost the kits. Look, I understand that we lost the kits and she's upset, but this can't be healthy."

With very worried expressions, Bonnie and Laverne looked at each other and knew that something had to be done and done soon.

"I'm going to call Doc Hudson and get him here as soon as he can get here" said Bonnie.
"Hello, Doc, this is Bonnie Hopps, I need you to get here as fast as you can. Yes, it's an emergency, whatever you're doing, drop it and get here, I think it's going to be a matter of life and death.'
'He should be here about ten minutes or so, in the meantime, we need to go and try to get Judy out of bed. Skye, when he gets here, bring him to Nick and Judy's room right away please."

While waiting for Doc Hudson, Laverne and Bonnie enter Judy's room.

"Judy…" began Bonnie.

"Go away mom, I just really want to be alone right now."

"Judy, I know what you're going through and…."

"Bullshit mom, how can you possibly know how I'm feeling?"

"Listen to me young lady, I've lost kits through stillbirth and miscarriage. I've buried kits killed in accidents and through disease, so don't presume to lecture me on losing kits. It hurts every time you lose a kit, I won't lie. But you can't keep this up or you're going to end up killing yourself."

"Would that be such a bad thing? Really?" Judy said softly "I can't have kits with Nick, maybe not with anyone. What is life about if I disappoint everyone like that?"

"What the hell are you talking about, disappointing everyone? If you can't have kits naturally, you can always adopt. There are a lot of kits out there that would love to have you for a mother. Kits that need someone like you for a mother. But you have to want to live to have kits Judy, be they yours and Nicks or adopted."

"Pardon me, am I interrupting?" came a strong male voice from just outside the room.

Doc Hudson, a large male hare, Bunnyburrow's resident physician had just arrived and had been escorted to Judy's room by Skye.

"Doc, please come in. We need you give Judy a quick once over, something's definitely off with her."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"She just recently lost her first litter of kits through miscarr…"

"Mom, will you just…"

"As I was saying, she just miscarried and now she won't eat, hasn't spoken much, is almost totally withdrawn, and won't leave the room, plus she's had several panic attacks recently. I'm worried about her…"

As Judy withdraws from the conversation, doc Hudson asks Bonnie, Laverne and Skye to leave so he can talk with Judy and give a quick look over.

"Judy, please let me give you a quick looksee. I just want to check your vitals, heartbeat, blood pressure and such."

As Judy just stares into empty space doc takes her blood pressure which is greatly elevated and then checks her heartbeat which is highly elevated as well, at well over 210 beats per minute.

"Bonnie, come in here quick" hollers doc Hudson as Judy collapses onto the bed "I can only guess right now since I'm not a trained psychologist, but I think Judy is suffering from acute depression, we've got to do something to get her heartrate down and do it quickly …."

"I'll go get Nick, maybe he can help, cuddling with him seems to calm her."

"Do it and do it fast…"

As Bonnie returns a few minutes later with Nick in tow, everyone hears panic in doc's voice "We're losing her…"

XxX

!Please check out the cover pic, it will only be up for this chapter!

AN: I will NOT elaborate on the D&C procedure, Google it if you really think you need to know, although I would suggest NOT!
AN2: Dr. Robin Cotton is an
actual DNA researcher
AN3: A rabbit's normal heartrate is 120-150 bpm."
AN4: All statistics quoted to are actual stats.

FEAR NOT, THERE IS FLUFF AHEAD!

Special shout-out to USA Patriot for the glowing review of chapter 13.