[A/N] Here is a short little piece that I thought everyone might like while I work on the next part. It takes place after the warehouse raid and before the scene in Judy's apartment. This is kind of a literary experiment so please let me know what you think.
- Savage Interlude -
Stretching his long forepaws, the red fox stood to begin his day in a strange, new den. The den was large and spacious, with lots of room to stretch out or even run around. Large rocks and several oddly shaped plants were scattered about the cavernous shelter while two huge boulders dominated the far wall. Strange, blue vines, that tinkled when he brushed against them, hung from the ceiling between the boulders, and he could hear the sound of water dripping from somewhere out of sight. The roof was high enough to fit a full grown bear so he might have to keep an eye out for larger predators. Even though he could not find any way in or out of this strange cave, he wouldn't feel completely safe until he had marked it as his own.
The tod had already staked a claim on this new den, but it wasn't a very strong claim. He had rubbed his scent around the cave as best as he could, but something prevented him from giving the place a good soaking. Some kind of pale vine, or stretchy plant had tangled around his waist to cover the lower half of his body and no matter how he bit or chewed at it, the binds would not come loose. So he was left with only rubbing his mark around this strange grotto.
He strolled up to a collection of sticks that had managed to find its way into this cave and gave them a good sniff. The sticks must have been here a long time because a soft coating of moss covered some of them. It was an oddly warm moss and he thought it might be comfortable to sit on, but he had to finish marking his claim before he could rest. His scent on the pile was still fairly weak, but daily reinforcements would help strengthen his claim.
Rubbing the side of his muzzle along one of the upright sticks that uncomfortably reminded him of legs, he stepped forward and pushed the side of his head along the length of the shiny and smooth surface. Pausing midstep, he ground his cheeks up and down the wood giving it a good dose of his scent. Stepping forward again, he rubbed his shoulder and part of his torso along the pile for good measure.
With his claim reinforced on the strange pile of sticks, he moved to the other objects in this unusual cave. There were a few more strange sticks with the same odd moss along with a variety of cold and very shiny rocks. Some of the rocks scattered about the den were hollow and had tall plants growing out of them. From previous experience, the fox knew that none of the plants tasted very good so he left them alone for now. The rest of the den received similar scent markings as the fox circled the area.
After completing a second circuit to make sure the shelter was properly secured, he padded to what could roughly be called the center of the cave and laid down for a quick nap. He wasn't exactly tired, but he would need to conserve his energy for finding food once the sun went down.
He had just laid his chin on top of his folded paws when a strange creature intruded into his lair. While this gray and blue animal was small, it stood on its hind paws making it appear larger than the fox. It's tall, black-tipped ears also did little to reduce the intruder's threatening appearance.
Held in the bizarre new creature's forepaws, were some colorful plants that seemed to be growing out of a very odd looking rock. The creature was also making strange, almost comforting noises as it took several steps towards him.
The tod was anything but comforted by the trespasser or the sounds it made. When baring his teeth and growling did not halt the creature's approach, he stood and arched his back while his tail lashed back and forth and his ears splayed out from the sides of his head. The other creature paused at his display but it continued to make soft noises for several moments before taking another slow step forward.
This was his den and he was willing to fight this odd looking animal to keep it. His tail ceased it's angry swishing and the fox let out a sharp bark, "Mine!"
Swiftly jumping back from him, the strange invader dropped the rock it held, with the bundle bright plants, to the hard floor where they landed with a loud clatter.
He barked again, lunging viciously towards the intruder, "Go away!" The creature quickly turned tail and fled from whence it came.
The sight of the intruder's white, fluffy tail as it fled, brought a tiny glimmer of an odd feeling from somewhere in the dark depths of his mind. He should know what this new feeling was, but an inky blackness quickly smothered the memory dragging it into the abyss where it was soon forgotten.
Once the stranger was gone, he walked over to where it had stood and sniffed at the thing it had carried. On the floor was a small pile of colorful plants and bits of broken rocks laying in a puddle of fresh water.
Judy ran down the pale blue and sterile hallway as fast as her two small legs could carry her. The hall wasn't very long but she was completely out of breath when she stopped to lean one gray paw against the darkly polished receptionist's desk. She held her mouth open as she quickly swallowed huge gasps of air while the other paw rested on one of her knee pads. Her heart was racing faster than it ever had on any of her daily runs around Central Park. A dizzy feeling crept up her cheeks, blurring her vision and she thought she was about to collapse from exhaustion.
"Are you all right, Officer Hopps?" A large badger casually strolled up to the fiercely panting rabbit. He had a pair of black stripes running down the length of his long, white muzzle and under his wire rimmed glasses. Covering his bristly, black fur on the rest of his body, was a pair of bright green scrubs with maple leaves dyed into the soft cloth making him look like someone's yard in the autumn.
Looking up at the badger, she took another gasp of air and tried to slow her breathing, "I am fine doctor." She pulled away from the dark oak desk that she had been leaning against and brushed her paws down the front of her uniform.
"I'm sorry, but you don't look fine," the doctor stated with a hint of concern. "I would guess from the way your nose is racing and your ears are flushed that you're in a state of panic."
Her ears immediately fell and she tried covering her small, pink nose with a paw, but only ended up coughing and sputtering when her airflow was suddenly cut off. "Really, I am quite all right," she said trying to sound calm, but another deep, shuddering breath betrayed her words.
Motioning with a black, furry paw towards the comfortable chairs in the waiting area he spoke to her like a patient refusing to take their medication, "Why don't we have a seat and talk about what happened with your friend."
Letting the tall badger guide her to the nearest chair, she hopped up on the soft cushion and gulped down another breath with a tiny hiccup. She placed both paws on her knee pads and wiggled her toes while trying to gather her thoughts.
"Your visit with our newest patient didn't last very long?" the doctor asked, taking the seat next to her.
"No. He didn't even recognize me," her long ears laid flat against the back of her head and her eyes began to moisten. "I thought that he would know me since I was there when he was, was," Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks, "when they..." Her voice was cut off in a harsh gasp.
"It's ok, Officer," the badger patted her shoulder softly. "Your friend has been responding quite positively to the treatment so far, but this new serum is very different than the one from the outbreaks last year."
With a slight sniffle, Judy rubbed her nose, "How is that?"
"Well, as you know, the base Night Howler toxin shuts down all higher brain functions as well as causing a great deal of fear and pain in the victim. This causes any mammal who comes into contact with it to go into a fit of rage." The green-dressed doctor tapped several of his clawed fingers like counting off a list of items. "This new serum still cuts off a mammal's cognitive functions, leaving them in a state of primitive base emotions, but without the fear and pain that causes the aggressive rage."
"What does that mean exactly?"
"It means that instead of getting a rampaging monster, you get a primitive, wild animal. An animal not capable of rational thought, but still calm unless provoked."
"Oh, I see," the rabbit said as her ears slowly lifted curiously. "So is Nick still in there somewhere?"
The badger gave her a bright warm smile, "Of course he is. It is just going to take some time to find him. He got hit with a pretty large dose of the toxin and his brain is still trying to reboot, so to speak."
"That sounds awful doctor," Judy said with a sigh.
"Over the years working with all kinds of mental and physical injuries, I have found that it helps having friends and family around who care about the patient." He turned and gave the rabbit a serious look with his brows pressed firmly together, "Would you be willing to return in a couple of days to check up on him, or do I have to write an official prescription?" After a few heartbeats, the serious glare faded into a smile and a wink.
"Of course, doctor." the rabbit declared with determination. "I am not giving up on Nick, even if I have to take him home on a leash."
With a soft chuckle, the doctor patted his knees and stood up. He turned back with one last question, "By the way, how did he like the flowers you brought him?"
Judy's purple eyes looked down at the floor and a frown crossed her muzzle, "Oh, I'm sorry. I kind of dropped the vase when he barked at me. I think it may have broken when it hit the floor."
Shaking his head, the badger replied, "Oh, that's all right. I'll have Ms. Barkley clean it up when she goes in to feed and change him."
A large rock, sitting halfway along one wall of the den, was covered in a thick coating of white, fluffy moss. Some of the moss had broken loose creating clumps and layers that the red fox could lay on or crawl under until nothing but his bushy, black-tipped tail could be seen poking out.
Today, the fox was curled up on top of the comfortable moss with the tip of his nose buried under his long, brush-like tail. The red and black bristles fluttered as he exhaled and one forepaw reached under his chin in a silent stretch. Four shiny, black claws extended as the little paw reached for the air, and a pair of emerald eyes fluttered open lazily.
Lifting his head the tod let out a long, slow yawn that suddenly snapped shut when a rumbling gurgle emanated from his belly. He could not remember the last time that he had eaten anything. Had it been one or two days now? Everything seemed to blur together in this strange place, and it was so hard to tell time when the sun never seemed to go down all the way at night. A sliver of light always seemed to seep in from one side of the den or the other. His stomach grumbled again interrupting his silent musings.
He started to turn around in a circle on the white layers of moss when the sound of a click caused his ear to twitch. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw that the strange, gray mammal had returned. Today, she stood silently on the other side of the tall cave and seemed to be waiting patiently for something. She had somehow changed the fur color of her lower body to a bright green and he wondered if it might have been a seasonal change.
Something other than her colorings was different about the strange upright animal today, her scent had changed. Even from across the room he could smell the difference, she carried his mark. It wasn't very strong, maybe a week old, but it was definitely there.
Tilting his head from one side then the other, he sniffed at the air. He didn't remember marking her, but she was somehow covered in his scent. The scent wasn't as strong as what was on the rocks and sticks scattered around his new den, but it was more than enough to let him know that the mammal was his. He was curious to know how this strange animal came to carry his mark.
Along with the scent, he felt another familiar tingle when he looked at this creature. It was a warm and fuzzy sensation that brought with it the image of running through a forest of tall trees and the taste of small, round berries. He tried to focus on that feeling, but it vanished when his belly grumbled again loudly.
Her tall ears, which, until that moment, had laid flat behind her head, rose swiftly and she began to make cheerful chirping noises. She hopped and skipped swiftly across the cave to stop beside the mossy rock where he still lay.
The black tips of her tall ears barely reached higher than the white, mossy covering and he thought the sight was quite comical. She managed to climb on top of one of the piles of sticks so that they eventually could see eye to eye.
Once she could see over the edge, she placed a large, flat, rock-like object in front of him. On it, rested another round, hollow rock that held something that smelled a lot like food. Why this creature insisted on carrying around all these hollow rocks with food and colorful plants in them he would never know, but he stood and sniffed at the food approvingly.
Sniffing at her outstretched paw, he gave it a quick lick in thanks, causing her to chitter warmly before he started to quickly devour the fresh food.
After he had only taken two or three bites, the strange, gray female reached for the top of his head. He stood then and snapped at her, "Don't!" She pulled her paw out of the reach of his sharp fangs and lowered her ears while making soft murmuring noises. With a snort, he returned to the meal while she continued to murmur strangely.
When the food was gone and he had licked the hollow rock clean, she lifted the large, flat one with both paws and turned away. He sniffed at her paw before giving it a second lick in thanks that made her chitter again.
She pushed his muzzle away and climbed down off the pile of sticks. Walking across the room the stepped through the cave wall with a light click.
The fox leapt off the moss covered rock and trotted over to where the strange, gray and green mammal had stood only moments before. Confused, he sniffed at the wall that she had just passed through. "How did she do that?" he thought in puzzlement with his head tilting to one side then the other.
A large, brown bear stood in the hallway with both arms folded across her chest and a dangerous glare on her muzzle. She wore a pair of light pink scrubs that were covered with the images of little cubs at play. The cute and comfortable clothes did little to soften her gruff, and slightly terrifying appearance.
Gleefully, Judy giggled at the sheer contradiction that stood before her. The sight of the huge, dour predator in the adorably plush nursing uniform, was too much for the little rabbit and the laughter burst from her tiny lips.
Unimpressed but the rabbit's mirth, Ms. Barkley grunted and held out a large paw. Judy placed the dinner tray she carried on top of the enormous appendage. Once it sat on top of the bear's paw, the tray, that was huge for the rabbit, seemed tiny next to the giant nurse.
"He licked the bowl clean I see," the nurse stated flatly as she looked down at the small tray. Shifting her gaze to the small, gray rabbit, with the green, tropical shirt that was five sizes too large for her, "You are a very strange mammal."
Curious, Judy tilted her head to the left and lowered her eyebrows, "How so?" Her ears seemed to bounce slightly with each movement of her head.
The bear shook her head and replied, "I have never met any prey that could watch a predator devour a whole bowl of fresh meat without running and screaming in terror." Before Judy could reply, the nurse turned on her paws and strolled away with the dinner tray gently held in paw.
"But he is my friend," Judy called back at the walking contradiction known as Nurse Barkley. Mumbling to herself as the bear turned a corner, "I don't care what he eats, he is still my best friend."
Judy let out a sigh and pushed the nurse's dark words from her mind as she hopped down the plain, light-blue hall back towards the waiting area. When she arrived, she walked up to a middle aged, gray and white, timber wolf who wore a dark blue ZPD uniform.
"Hey, Wolfard," she greeted with her small paw extended towards him in a fist.
Officer Wolfard promptly bumped her tiny fist with his much larger one, "Hopps."
Shifting from paw to paw, the rabbit seemed to bounce in place, "You didn't have to stand out here the whole time Wolfard. They have lots of wolf sized chairs here." She waved her paw in the direction of several of the larger chairs in the waiting area.
"It wasn't that long," the wolf asserted. "Besides I'm not on break so if I get a call, well you know," he motioned to the same line of chairs with a shrug.
"Oh I know, but you don't have to be so stiff all the time."
Pointing at the rabbit's oversized, green shirt, Wolfard changed the subject, "So did my idea work?"
Tugging at the loose, green cloth, Judy replied, "Yes, it worked like a charm. I think he recognized the scent and seemed to treat me like another fox." She had spent the night wrapped in Nick's sheets and had thrown one of his shirt's on over her regular clothes, causing Wolfard to gag and complain the whole time he drove her to the hospital. It was his idea this time so she only chuckled at the hyperosmic wolf's discomfort.
"He actually licked my paw when I gave him the food," the rabbit said with a cheerful bounce and a smile on her lips. The smile quickly darkened and her ears drooped as she continued, "But when I tried to pet him he just snapped at me. I guess he still doesn't remember me." Her hind paw began to thump furiously as her emotions took the wheel and drove and the words flew from her muzzle, "This is really frustrating. I just want to hold him and kiss him and remind him that he is still my boyfriend ..."
Ignoring the steadily increasing speed of Judy's speech, Wolfard cut her off, "Overpaw or underpaw?"
Judy's hyperspeech came to a sudden screeching halt and her paw hit the floor with a solid slap. Her ears flew forward and she tilted her head back to glare up at the much taller mammal, "What!?"
Seeing the older officer's calm demeanor and reassuring nod, slowed the rabbit's racing heart and tangled emotions. Taking a deep breath, she folded her paws and asked him to clarify, "What exactly does that mean?"
With little change in his outward calm, the wolf explained, "When you reached to pet him did you do it overpaw?" He held his large paw, palm down, about a foot above and slightly behind the rabbit's head causing her to lean back and strain her eyes uncomfortably to look up at his paw. It only took half a rabbit's heartbeat before she stepped back from his outstretched paw.
"Or underpaw?" Wolfard then lowered his paw until it was level with her chest and turned it to with the palm facing up. She looked comfortably down at the paw that was larger than her head. Stepping forward she reached out to grasp it with both paws. When she spotted a long scar that cut across the middle of the largest pad, she unintentionally began to run a sharp claw along its length.
Pulling his paw away from the rabbit's soft grap, he returned to his original question, "So how did you reach to pet him?"
Judy blinked and stuttered for a second like she had just woken from a quick nap, "Oh, ah, um. It was overpaw I think." She remembered how it felt to have the large predators paw hovering above her head, "I see now why he barked and tried to bite me."
"I don't know about foxes, but in wolf society, petting or patting the top of a stranger's head like this," he quickly turned his paw over and patted Judy between the ears causing her to quickly step back from the embrace. "For wolves it is strongly frowned upon and considered offensive. Maybe foxes are different, but I doubt it based on how you describe his reaction."
Thoughtfully, Judy folded her paws together, "I had never really thought about it before. Rabbit parents often pet their children that way. Even uncles or close friends will pat a child's head as a sign of affection, but I never knew it was taboo for wolves or canids."
"Well it's not like we go around announcing it to the world." He held a closed paw near his muzzle and began speaking like a news reporter with a higher pitched voice, "This just in, wolves don't like to have other mammals touch their heads ..."
Judy snorted and let out a loud laugh at Wolfard's terrible impression of Fabienne Growley.
The reynard kept two green eyes focused on the fluffy, gray rabbit while he buried his nose into the bowl in front of him. His gleaming, sharp fangs sliced into the tender strips of grilled meat before tearing them into smaller pieces. He hardly bothered to chew as the hot, delicious food slid across his tongue and down his throat. But no matter how he chomped and bit, those emerald green gems were trapped by her deep, purple pools.
She had brought the meal just like she had the other day, but today he had let her climb up onto the bed where she sat watching him in return. And like before she continued to make those strange noises while he ate.
It felt strange that his rabbit had to bring his food. Was he unable to hunt? Was he hurt? He didn't feel hurt. His body seemed to work properly and had no trouble running around his den or jumping up on the bed. So why was he unable to hunt for his own food?
In the back of his mind, he knew the answer, he was unable to leave this place. There was no exit that he could find, and the stone floor was too hard to dig through. As he slowly chewed the next strip of meat a thought rose to the surface. It was a very unfox like thought and it disturbed him greatly. Was he a captive? Was he, "Her," prisoner?
Lifting his muzzle from the half empty bowl, he looked at the mammal sitting next to him and tilted his head. She still puzzled him greatly. While she continued to walk upright on her hind paws, she also insisted on making those strange noises almost continuously, and her scent left him with many more questions than answers. She was definitely not a vixen, yet she carried his mark. Everything about this strange bunny left him very confused, but also made his tail wag.
He tilted his head the other direction trying to figure out this strange creature and she took the moment to reach out a paw and scratched his chin. The feeling of her sharp claws scritching under his jaw felt so good that he let out a small whine of pleasure. As if it had a mind of its own, his tail swished back and forth while his hind paw thumped on the bed.
Suddenly the pleasant sensation stopped and the rabbit's paw shot towards the bowl of food. He stood up on his four paws and watched her quickly lift one of the dripping strips and wave it in front of his nose.
Tail swishing, he barked and snapped at the food, "Give." She quickly pulled it out of reach of his sharp fangs before throwing it across the room. He watched the strip of food sail across the cave and landed on the floor with a wet splat. Turning back to her, he swished his tail and barked at her again, "Play?"
Her own bark gave him all the encouragement he needed, "Go get it." He leapt from the bed and raced across the floor to slide to a stop where the meat had landed. His claws slipped on the cold stone and he skidded past it sitting on his rump. Flipping around, he gently picked up the food between his long jaws and raced back to the rabbit.
Back on the bed, he carefully placed the jucy strip on the tray in front of her and then gave her tiny nose a quick lick. When she only looked at it oddly, he pushed it towards her with his nose. The color then drained from her muzzle and she covered it with a paw as she shook her head.
Was she rejecting his gift? She brings him delicious food and then refuses to eat it, what kind of creature was this? He nudged the offering again and barked at her, "Eat it!" She started to shake her head again, but he growled at her angrily.
With her paw shaking, she lifted the still dripping piece of grilled meat towards her muzzle. The other paw covered her tiny pink nose and she closed her eyes. She slowly placed the food on the end of her tongue and closed her mouth. He watched her chew it very slowly as her muzzle took on a pale shade of green. She almost choked twice before she eventually swallowed with a cute little grunt.
When she was finally finished, he gave her muzzle a wet lick of his long tongue and he saw the insides of her ears turn a bright shade of pink. With a warm chitter she grabbed his muzzle with both paws and pressed her nose to his for what felt like a day and a half. She finally let him go with a breathless sigh.
After he finished the rest of his meal, the strange rabbit once again grabbed the tray, jumped off the bed and magically walked through the walls. He quickly jumped to his paws and followed her. Watching, he saw her walk up to a peculiar depression in the wall and create a hole in it that stretched all the way from the floor to the ceiling.
Stepping through the tall hole that she had created, he was right on her heels. He had finally found the way out of this strange den and raced through the portal. Half a step through the opening, he ran into a great, pink and brown monster that glared down at him menacingly.
Nurse Barkley slammed the door shut before the feral fox could make his escape. She glared down at Judy without a glimmer of emotion and took the small dinner tray from her tiny, gray paws.
"I see that the two of you are getting along pretty well," the bear said in a deep voice that almost sounded like a grunt.
"He is still my boyfriend," the rabbit declared with both paws on her hips. Without waiting for the larger mammal's reply, she raced down the hall to a large can that held a thin, plastic liner and literally stuck her entire head inside the tall cylinder.
Ms. Barkley watched the rabbit's strange behavior curiously, but when the smaller mammal started to stick a clawed finger down her throat she rushed over to her aid. "What are you doing?" she cried, picking Judy up by the collar.
Hanging by the larger mammal's clawed paw, the rabbit continued to try to empty her stomach. Between forced gagging noises, she explained, "He made me eat some of his food."
Chuckling, the bear set Judy back down, "Is that all? A little piece of cooked fish isn't going to hurt you little bunny. Your prey digestive system can handle a few large doses of protein every once in a while." She looked back at the door and put her free paw to her chin, "And how exactly did he make you eat some of his food?" The bowl on the dinner tray was licked completely clean, just like every other time she had fed the fox. He always ate every last bite, and never shared with anyone. "Or is he starting to speak yet?"
Waving her paws and shaking her head, Judy replied, "No, no nothing so distinct." She pulled down one of her ears and began to fidget with the black fur on the tip, "He just put this piece of meat in front of me and barked when I wouldnt eat it."
A badger in a long white coat turned the corner and joined the conversation, "So his cognition is beginning to return."
Judy noded, "I think he is starting to recognize, or at least remember me."
"He has also made three escape attempts so far this week," added the tall, brown bear in the pink scrubs.
"Recognition of friends, sharing his food and escape planning shows that he is definitely on the road to recovery," the badger smiled softly. "However, like a toddler, he is still unable to form any coherent words."
Looking up at the gruff nurse he calmly said, "Ms. Barkley, I would like to reduce all of Mr. Wilde's medications by 50 percent for the next few days and see how he responds."
"Yes doctor," the bear replied with a nod.
The badger then placed both black-clawed paws into the pockets of his long coat and continued walking down the hallway.
The rabbit was back. Today, she was sitting in one of the large chairs on the other side of the room. She was wearing a bright blue shirt with a pair of dark leggings and she also had something red tied around one ear. In her paws she held several sheets of paper while she continued to make those strange noises.
The fox could almost make out the sounds. This rabbit, and her insistent noises were somehow important to him. It was like the babble somehow carried a meaning that was just out of his reach. A thick wall of fog sat in a dark corner of his mind taunting him. If he could only reach past the fog, it would all become clear.
There was a specific sound that belonged to this rabbit as well, and the sound brought with it the image of a long, orange, root vegetable. Once again he tried to reach through the fog but his mind seemed to burn painfully as he neared that dark, misty corner.
He eventually gave up trying to understand the rabbit and decided to just enjoy her presence. Stepping off the bed, he strolled to her side and sniffed at her dangling hind paws as they swung slowly through the air. The noises she made paused for a second before she chittered and kicked at him.
With a snort, he lifted his head to reach over the chair and placed his chin in her lap. She kicked her legs again slightly as his fur brushed against her.
She set the papers down on the small table next to the chair and began scratching his ears. He felt a great deal of contentment and joy whenever this rabbit was near. His tail swished lazily as she rubbed the fur at the base of his ear, then ran her claws up the inside of the other one and plucked at the black tips.
This vaguely familiar activity brought back a flood of distant memories. He remembered petting her own ears in a similar manner, and that she had slid from his arms to land on the floor. Another memory quickly replaced the first where they were sailing through the air in a dark forest and he had to stand down a huge buffalo. Finally the image that floated across his mind was so intense he could not tell if it was a dream or an actual memory. It was the picture of his rabbit wearing a beautiful, blue dress that sparkled like it held all the stars in the night sky. That last memory would stick with him for the rest of his days.
One paw still rubbing around his ears, the rabbit lifted the sheets of paper again and returned to her babbling. This time the noises she made were soothing and comfortable. He closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Walking past the doctor's office, Judy saw him casually standing in the doorway with his paws resting in his pockets. Once again he was dressed in a long white coat that did little to cover his bright green scrubs.
"Hello, Doctor," she greeted warmly. In the weeks that she had been coming down here to visit Nick, she had never learned the tall badger's name. He never wore any nametag and all the nurses referred to him by his title, so he was just, "The Doctor" to her.
As she passed, he stepped into stride alongside her and began to speak excitedly, "Reading to him on your last visit seems to have helped a great deal."
Stopping, she turned to him curiously, "Oh? How is that?"
The doctor continued for a few more steps before he realised that the rabbit had stopped walking. He turned, looking back at her with his paws enthusiastically emphasizing his every word, "He has been a lot more active and observant since your last visit, and he hasn't tried to make any more escape attempts."
Judy quickly caught up to the badger with a few short hops, "Really. What does that mean?"
"We think he is beginning to understand his situation."
"What situation are we talking about exactly?" the rabbit asked, her arms folded across her chest and her ears raised fiercely.
Stuttering at the hostile looking rabbit, the tall badger tried to better explain his last statement, "That he has been sick, and needs medical care of course."
"Oh, yes, sorry," Judy's ears dropped as she apologized. "I have been out of sorts today. Bogo has kept me extra busy this week so I haven't been able to come visit as often as I would like to. I am still a bit on edge and I know that everyone here is doing their best to help my partner."
"That's just it, Judy," the badger waved one paw in the air. "All we have done here is administer the antidote and keep him clean and fed. As his friend and partner you can help his mind to recover and remember who he once was. That's what I wanted to tell you."
Her ears raised again and her nose began to twitch in curiosity, "Go on doctor."
"I'd like you to keep reading to him. Whatever books you can bring," the paw he had been waving previously slowly returned to scratch at his chin and adjust his glasses. "Do you happen to have any books from his childhood or school years? Those might help him remember his past."
Shaking her head in response, her slowly ears fell again, "No. All I have at my place are rabbit stories and police training textbooks. Unfortunately I have never met any of his family or know how to get a hold of them."
"I see," the badger nodded, "and it seems like he listed you as his emergency contact as well."
Smiling, Judy lifted a thick, leather-bound novel, "Never fear doctor, I brought Nick a good story this time. I borrowed it from the library. It's a very old story about a desert fox who dreams of being a prince so I think he will like it."
Nodding, the doctor turned to leave with a wave, "Yes I know the story. It should be more than fine, just remember to keep reading and spending time with him." Before he stepped back into his office, the badger turned back to the rabbit, "Oh and Ms. Hopps, please don't fall asleep in there again this time."
Holding a small paw over her muzzle, Judy tried to hide the giggles as she replied, "Of course doctor." Turning the corner, she headed down the hall towards her destination.
It had been several days since she had last seen her fox and even though he still walked on all fours and couldn't speak, she was still very excited to see him again. This silent, feral version of her boyfriend still brought her joy when he looked into her eyes or licked her nose. The way he waited at the door for her to arrive and turned in happy little circles wagging his tail excitedly, made her giggle and smile every time.
She missed the old Nick, with his sharp wit and snarky comments, but she was determined to make the most of their situation and enjoyed the time they spent together, even if his mind was lost. Judy was not a quitter and she was not about to give up on her boyfriend, even if he was stuck like this forever.
Today would not be any different, she thought, as she turned the knob on the giant, recovery room door. She would show that infernal fox just how much he meant to her and no amount of Night Howler serum was going to get in her way. Not today. Not ever.
The door clicked shut behind her and she glanced around the empty room. No fox waited for her as she walked through the door. No half-naked, red fur hid behind the curtains ready to pounce when she entered the room, and no long, wet tongue licked her nose when she petted him behind the ears.
"Nick?" she called as the fear rose in her throat. "Are you here?" Stepping cautiously into the room, she glanced around, trying to find a hint of orange or black fur, "I brought you a new book about the 12 Arabian Foxes."
As the word "Foxes," left her lips, she heard a flushing sound behind her. Turning around, she saw a tall red fox standing on both of his hind paws. He was wearing a long pair of gray slacks and was struggling with the zipper. When he finally managed to zip up his pants he looked up and saw Judy. Tilting his head, he gave her a curious look and slyly said, "Hey, Carrots. Have you seen my shirt?"
A loud thump and a slap could be heard as the large book hit the tile floor. The rabbit suddenly leapt into the air directly at the fox who only had a fraction of a second to catch the flying bunny before she knocked him off his feet and planted a thousand kisses on his muzzle.
[A/N] I am actually spending quite a bit more time flushing out part two before I start writing the first chapter than I did for part one. With part one I had a vague idea of writing a Zootopia fan fic where Nick and Judy fall in love. While it is plainly obvious to everyone else the couple is completely blind to their own feelings for each other. They are also partners on the ZPD so of course there has to be a mix of crime and mystery intertwined through the romance. The crimes and mystery in part one was originally just an after thought and not a fully formed concept. In fact, the ending was a huge struggle to work out from the mess that came before. It was my original plan to have the goat, Dr. Walia be the one to shoot Nick, and it was supposed to be in the sewers, but all of that changed while I was writing their first real date scene last summer. I mostly blame this on poor planning on my part, I really should have spent more time flushing out the villains. An no Jesse was not the mastermind or boss behind everything, and I feel like Walia got caught too easily for an action story. This is why I am spending much more time flushing out part two first before I actually start posting any more chapters.
I also wanted to let everyone know that part two will not be posted as a separate story but added onto this one. I feel that it helps keep the continuity of the story since the next chapter will pick up in the fall of the same year. Part one takes place after Nick graduates the academy at the end of spring and the next part will take place in the fall. We skip the hottest parts of the summer while Nick is recovering from the Nigh Howler Serum.
As I mentioned in the author notes above, this was a bit of an experiment for me. The progressive style, where we go from feral mammal to walking and talking Nick came from Flowers For Algernon. I remember it from my college literature class and I thought it would be a good way to show what Nick is going through here. Everything in the hospital room is strange an confusing, but as his mind slowly returns he begins to understand what it going on around him. At first I was planning on leaving out Judy's parts on the other side of the door, but my beta reader strongly suggested that having Judy's point of helps give a clearer picture of what is going on here. On the plus side, I would not have thought of putting Savage Nick in diapers until I wrote the part where the doctor tells Judy that the nurse will clean up the broken vase when she goes into to fed and change him. LOL
Ironically, as I was getting ready to upload this piece, I ended up having to go to the hospital myself. I had just finished editing the second draft the night before, when I woke up in a great deal of pain. Long story short, I had to have a kidney stone removed, and spent three days (two nights) in the hospital. It was not a pleasant experience at all and I really don't recommend it as a vacation spot. Even though I got the time off for work I had to spend PTO because I'm all out of sick leave. :P (As a nod to VarriableMammal I am wondering if either Karma or Serendipity had a paw in this ...)