What is Normal?

by fwelty

Nick's first day on the force , being partnered with Judy. They both proceed to stop the street racer , where something catches Nick's attention and the consequences seem to unravel the beginning of a bigger mystery, one that Judy and Nick may not be able to solve on their own. Will they be able to solve it before it is too late?

6. Safe' return

WARNING: This episode will contain more graphic imagery , you have been warned , reader discretion is advised.

After Finnick left, Judy went back to doing what she was doing before, training Nick ,to avoid unwanted events. She wanted to make sure that Nick would listen to her when it is safe so that when it isn't , it won't hit the fan, because you can never have enough contingency plans. She wanted to start easy , since she took some of Nick's food and could've used it as a reward. She was stern but generous. What happened now was she ran away to the other corner of the room and when Nick was following , she commanded the crawling vulpine . "Sit". The fox paused for a second then sat down on the cold floor, his uniform was still in a surprisingly good condition and no-one dared to take it off , except Judy but her arm was in a sling so she physically couldn't. Judy was proud , not only of herself but also of 'Nick' or at least this version of him. Nick was showing clear progress and breaking through communication barriers in ways that was explained to be physically impossible in his current state. What they didn't take into consideration was Judy's determination and need of doing something. At this rate , she could try and convince the chief to let her work with Nick as Nick will be trained and able to apprehend criminals. Something she needed to teach though was to grab with his teeth without the use of murder. A strong grip but no strong bite. So far he seemed to be listening mainly for the reward of food. Speaking of the food, every time Judy remembered she held it , she had to fight the sickening feeling within her. The simple thought of flesh in her hand no matter how processed it is or what the source is. Fish or bugs , it still disgusted her. Just as she gave the food to the meal to her unexpected roommate, a nurse entered. 'Perfect time to test his restraint.' Due to how close the two were to the door , Nick started running to attack the poor deer. Just as he was going to strike and possibly maul the 'threat' before him , a powerful command was heard from behind him. "Sit!" As he has learned now, he stopped himself and sat down right in front of the deer who was frozen in fear. She fainted for a short while and Nick turned around , looking at the rabbit behind him and tilting his head right. She smiled reassuringly and delicately walked over to the sitting mammal and hugged him. She sweetly said "You are doing such a good job. Keep it up." The fox smiled at her statement most likely due to the tone of her voice and not the words.

Judy closed the door as Nick was sniffing the sleeping deer that was supposed to just check on the condition of the duo. Judy turned around to seeing him about to take a huge bite out of her stomach. "No, Bad". Nick sat down and looked down in shame, then looked back up to have the mammal he is protecting staring disapprovingly, making him feel more shame. Just then , the deer nurse woke up and started to get up. Nick heard this and smelled a change in the air. He looked up and instantly took an aggressive stance bearing all his teeth out on display. Judy ran to stop him and used her command again. The fox quickly complied and the nurse noticed this , completely shocking her. She stood there silently and then looked at Judy seemingly trying to speak but failing to do so. "Don't worry , he listens well. But now that we are on the topic, would it be possible to have an open field to ourselves and or a few dummies for him to pounce on so I can teach him to apprehend but not … no-" Judy started shaking as the memory returned. The deer instantly went to comfort her but stopped as the savage bodyguard started growling. "Don't worry about me, it's in the past."

"You need help, mental help, you are clearly suffering from the memory. Just you are, well determined so you are somewhat hiding it. Stop. Stop hiding it, if it hurts then let it heal , don't let it fester inside you . I'll get a therapist for you. You need help."

"I don't need a shrink, I'm fine really. Don't tell me what I need and what I don't need. I think I know what I should do."

"Very well, I came to check that everything is in order. That he didn't escape and that you are still in one piece."

"Thank you." Pain was clear in her voice but she didn't want to admit it.

The nurse left and Judy sat on her bed. Nick followed her and licked her reassuringly. Judy turned and smiled , distracting herself from the memory that just hurt her. She hugged the the russet mammal next to her and smiled at him. She gently whispered into the foxes ear "It's okay, I'm fine, I promise." A few minutes later a different nurse came, a pig. She knocked on the door and asked "Hello, are you both there?"

"Yes , me and Nick are here" The bunny replied.

"Okay, there is a visitor for Mister Wilde but she says she wants to meet you as well."

At this point, Judy was confused, who could it be. Nick didn't have many friends, he only had Finnick and that was more a business partner. "Let them in."

A russet vixen elderly fox entered the room. A bit of fear and panic was visibly plastered on her face but she managed to keep it together. "Nicky? Is that you?" Both officers ,although not both in a sober mindset, turned to look at the visitor. To Judy's surprise, the fox wasn't defensive. The vixen took no notice of the rabbit and calmly walked towards Nick. "Oh, Nicholas." a sombre voice mumbled quietly enough that no-one should've heard it but both have, the rabbit due to her ears and the fox due to his 'biochemical enhancements'.

"Hello ma'am , may I ask who you are?"

"Sorry , where are my manners, Officer Hopps." There was vitriol in her voice when stating Judy's name. "My name is Charlotte Wilde."

Judy heard 'Wilde' and instantly jumped up to shake her hand. "Hello Mrs. Wilde , it's a pleasure to finally meet you. It's a shame that it isn't under better circumstances."

Charlotte reciprocated the gesture. "Mmm, I agree with the last statement." She instantly turns her attention to her son. "How is he?"

Judy sighed when hearing the question. After a second hesitation, she released the clumping words from her throat "I-I don't really know, he is just really attached to me. To no surprise you are the first and only visitor that he didn't try to maim an.. and ..." Her voice started being shaky , she started flashing back to when Nick saved her just after being infected. "and.. k-k-kill." Charlotte started to notice the pain in the bunny's voice and turned to look at her.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Talk to me if you have to." Concern was laid thick in Charlotte's voice, she omitted the fact that she is a therapist. In her years in the industries, she learned that saying that or reminding it seems to make the 'client' close up and not want to discuss their issues. She crouched down and tried to be at an equal eye-level to the distraught bunny. "I wouldn't want my son's partner to be distracted on the beat." She looked at the rabbit ,now looking at the the elderly fox. The vixen saw Judy holding back tears. She paused then continued. "Just let them out. Open the flood gates. This is a safe environment." The lagomorph started sobbing and tears started rolling down her cheeks. This caused the fox to be slightly agitated and start moving towards the pair. His teeth started showing and he barked at the older vixen. Charlotte smiled and stepped back. Her radiant smile reassured the rabbit but Nick walked between them and licked off the tears and rubbed his face against Judy's.

Charlotte's body language suggested that she was okay with what was happening. "You two are so sweet together. But I know you will say you're not a couple , looking at your posture , I believe you. You two may need each other more than you think."

Judy started to blush after hearing that statement. Nick backed off as he smelled a change in Judy's emotion. Charlotte started to chuckle then looked at the crawling mammal between them. Her demeanour changed rapidly. She slowly walked towards her son and tried to hug him. Nick flinched at first but then leaned his head on his mother's shoulder and closed his eyes. Even though , he seemed to not recognise his own mother, he still felt like it was safe. He was content at that moment. She quietly whispered "I'm so sorry , Nicky. I want to help you but I don't know how to. I know you are stronger than this. Please come back to me." Tears started welling up. Judy stepped back to let the foxes bond and have their moment. After all family was important for Judy. After a few silent minutes, the two foxes parted. Judy smiled at them, clearing her mind of what she was thinking about.

"I'm sorry if this is hard to answer but where is Nick's father?"

"I don't know, he disappeared at some point when Nick was about six. We don't know what happened to him. He could be dead or he could be alive and well but just left us out of his memory."

"I see. I would not be able to understand what it feels like but for what it means I'm sorry for that."

"Don't be, I have accepted the event."

Just as Charlotte finished saying that, Dr. Growly rushed into the room, showing no care for the mammals inside. "I have news about " He noticed the elder vixen in the room. "Sorry but I have to ask for legal reasons, are you the legal parent?" As he was asking , Judy grabbed Nick's collar stopping him from charging.

"Yes, I am his mother."

"Good, good, I'm glad you are here. Back to what I was saying, as you both know, he is affected by the drug Midnicampum holicithias or as you would know it 'Nighthowler'. Also as you see, he is not a simple minded feral mammal but a defensive bodyguard to Officer Judy Hopps. He seems to be subconsciously linked and only , if what my assistant says is true, listens to what Officer Hopps says. That is peculiar as he should have regressed extremely. Continuing, we have finally finished analysing the tissue samples from yesterday, well not fully but we have some information about his 'condition'. The issue is that this can be somewhat permanent. "

Both the females in the room asked instantly "What do you mean permanent?"

James sighed. "What we have noticed is that his DNA has actually restructured to adapt to the changes caused by the drug. This cannot be reverted easily and if it was it could have excruciating effects to him. However the silver lining is his cells split and replicate faster, so he can heal from his injuries faster. His muscles are much more powerful and more endurant so he is faster , stronger and more stamina. As you are aware, Miss Hopps, he has a faster reaction time. Finally his blood is thicker, letting it resist attacks but also carrying more oxygen and other chemicals that are required for the body. This also lets him clog up open wounds faster. Looking at the muscle tissue and the blood sample, his heart is much more powerful, so he probably also is able to take in more oxygen through breathing. His body is basically built to hunt and fight other mammals."

"Thank you for explaining that ,James. Is there a possible cure?"

"Sorry Miss Hopps, but we will need to further research him. The issue is that he is affected more by his own body and his emotional state or at least that is the theory. We do not know and will work further to try and solve this problem."

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome Mrs. Wilde. Now I will be taking my leave now to deal with this and other patients. Goodbye and good luck."

The other two respond likewise and then James leaves.

After James left, Judy let go of Nick and asked Charlotte about Nick. "How does he like to be petted , I rub the top of his head but he seems to be slightly agitated by it."

"There's your issue, instead of the top, rub under the chin.. It will calm him down , why do you pet him?"

"I don't know , it just feels right to do so when he 'behaves'."

Charlotte chuckles "So you have him on a somewhat tight leash. You should know , I want to know how you did that."

"Stern control and rewards. However, apparently he only understands me sooo"

"So he still wouldn't listen to me."

"He is your son."

A nurse entered and asked for Judy to follow. She decided to go and try to use this to test Nick's limits. As she reached the door she turned to Nick and instructed him "Stay!" . Nick sat down and saw Judy smile. His mother walked up to him and rubbed under his chin.

Judy went through the corridor and asked what was happening.

"Your arm is healthy enough to remove the sling. I apologise but Dr. Growly is unavailable right now so I shall proceed with the change."

"I see, thank the heavens for that, my arm is starting to go limp."

"We are here." She points to a door then opens it. Inside is a bed and a chair. The bed has a light connected to it even though the room is already well illuminated. There is also a tray next to the bed with bandages and a scalpel. Judy walks over to the bed and sat down on it. The nurse untied the sling then removed the old bandages that restricted movement. She checked where the injury was and saw that it was almost fully dried up and healed but it was still dangerous to the bunny's health. It could split and get infected. "Please take care of your shoulder as if you stress it out , it can permanently hurt you, which could even lead to a career change for you."

"I get it, be careful with my left arm."

"Yes please do but if something does happen ,return here as soon as possible."

"Understood."

The deer started cleaning the bunny's injury then applied the new bandages. After they were applied, Judy felt much freer and more mobile. The arm sling was finally removed. Her arm could finally move around and not be stuck around her neck. "Finally , I don't have to wear that."

"Yes, I also have a second bit of news, due to the nature of Officer Wilde's condition, you are to allowed to leave when Dr. Growly returns and you both sign the release form. It will be a confirmation of understanding to take care of him. Due to his condition he cannot sign the documents but as his mother is here, her signature may be required but she seems to be understanding by what I have heard."

"Yes, I completely agree with that."

Just at that moment, a russet fox broke the door. The door literally broke out of its hinges and moved while positioned vertically a few metres before slamming onto the ground. This scared both mammals in the room. The nurse jumped out of her chair and fled to the wall behind her , to try and get as far away from the enraged beast that just breached into the room. He barked viciously and sprinted towards the rabbit that just stood up. "Woah Nick , it's all okay." She declared , throwing her hands in front of herself to try and calm the beast down.

From behind, huffing was heard until Charlotte appeared. "He is very energetic. Shame I don't have access to that boundless energy." She heaved , trying to absorb all the oxygen around her. "Sorry, I couldn't keep him still."

"It's fine, I'm surprised he waited that long for me. You don't have anything to apologise for. Actually since you are here, would it be okay if I were to ask you to sign something tomorrow?"

"Err.. what would it be?"

"Nick is permitted to leave a-"

"Oh he is?"

"Yes as long as he is with me."

"Oh, OH, I need to sign consent to permit that since I don't think he can hold a pen or pencil."

"Yeah pretty much."

"I can do that."

The conversation pretty much distracted the two mammals but Nick started slowly moving towards the nurse who was still in the corner of the room. "Please help!"

Judy turns around and notices Nick about to do something irreversible, mentally facepalming herself. "Niiiick, what are you doing?"The fox turns around and stares defiantly at Judy. "Maybe just come back here to me, she won't hurt me then." Although the words weren't understood, the gestures ,that were made, were. The fox reluctantly turned around and returned to Judy. She turned to the nurse "Sorry, I forgot."

"It's okay, I'm fine... I think."

Nick snaps his head towards the direction of the door, while sniffing. During this time, Judy gets a message on her phone.

'Big' . Reading who it was, her face went pale, she was worried that something was wrong, that there was serious danger. The message itself made the worry worse. 'Hello, I appreciate that you are busy right now, however I believe you should know that some of my helpers are coming over to deal with an infestation."

Judy instantly looked up, and instantly told everyone "We have an issue." Every conscious mammal looked at Judy ,asking for clarification. "Some unwanted guests are coming and a 'friend' sent a few friends to help us out."

Just as she said that a suited possum entered the room alongside a nurse. "Hello , this is a visitor, says he is a friend of yours." She looked at the door. "Maybe , on second thought we should wait until you are in the normal room."

Judy looked at the mongoose for a few seconds and cautiously replied "Thanks, I'll speak to him. It'll be fine here."

Mrs. Wilde chimed in "Besides the door there is no better."

"Oh, that is unfortunate." She turns to the possum. "Well here they are ,sir."

"Thank you."

Judy quietly whispered to Charlotte "Mrs. Wilde , you may want to leave. This could get messy." Charlotte nodded and turned to the nurse in the corner and brought her paw up to signify to the nurse to follow her.

The fox continued sniffing but now started walking towards the possum. Specifically, his left pocket. Something was there and he knew it. Just as the nurses left with Charlotte , Nick tried to grab the 'thing' that was bothering him. His attempt failed as the possum grabbed it first and pulled out a suppressed M93 Giraffica. He pointed the sidearm at Judy and pulled the trigger. The shots missed because as Nick failed to grab it , he instead bit into the possum's hip and leg. The possum screamed but overall seemed unaffected. He kicked the rabid fox away and then tried to shoot Nick. This time Judy ran and kicked the possum into the wall that laid in the corridor. Just as this happened a second suited mammal shown up, a mongoose. He had something on his fist, something metal. He punched Judy in the hip, forcing her to flinch and jump away. She then planted her feet on the wall and bounced off ,kicking the mongoose in the chest. The possum got up and was about to send a right hook but Nick leapt at the possum, knocking the possum off balance.

The fighting causes the two to split up. Nick forced the possum to flee right whereas Judy had to dodge left. This however didn't stop Nick from staying close enough to help at a seconds notice.

Left Side

Judy ducked under a left hook and jumped back to create some space between the two. Her left arm was weaker but her right arm was still perfectly functional. Her speed could make up for the other disadvantages she possessed. She sprinted at the mongoose and when the mongoose threw a punch with his brass knuckles on. She leaned back and thrusted her foot into the stomach of the mongoose. The mongoose flinched slightly but also used his left paw to grab the does foot. She struggled for a second then saw the mongoose's right paw raise. At that moment , she jumped up and twisted , which caused her right foot to strike the mongoose in the cheek. This also let her foot slip out of the hold. She pushed of the body and landed on her feet. The mongoose wiped his cheek then darted towards the rabbit. She jumped back slightly to angle her body forward then launched off the cold hard floor to the wall on her right and jumped off of that to hit the mongoose's flank. He felt a sharp stinging sensation as her foot connected with his hip. He once again took the hit and turned to face his opponent. He pushed her against the wall with his left hand then punched her stomach with his right. His face was still showed no emotion but something told her that, that hit caused a hint of pleasure for the mongoose. The rabbit groaned but powered on. She grabbed the fist and jumped off of the floor to dislocate the elbow joint. What the mongoose attempted to do but failed was achieved by the rabbit. The mongoose's right arm went limp. As it did , he committed to a roundhouse kick ,which hit Judy in the ribs. Judy fell to the floor and clutched her left side. She was in pain but could still fight. Judy sighed and feigned defeat. She wanted to wait for the right moment and surprise the mongoose with a double leg kick. However ,this didn't occur as the fox dealing with the other suited assailant , rushed in and clawed the entire back of the mongoose. Then he charged head first into the mongoose ,causing him to topple. Although unexpected this gave Judy a serious advantage. As the mongoose fell forward, he was kicked by two firm rabbit feet in the chest. He felt winded at that moment and struggled to breathe. Judy then looked up to see what Nick was doing, he returned to fighting the possum , who was on his last legs. Judy then turned back to the mongoose ,still catching his breath. The mongoose started easing into a more regular breathing pattern but then everything went black for him as a rabbit foot was firmly thrusted against his head. His eyes shut and his head rolled towards the ground. After that his entire body collapsed to the floor. Judy instantly checked his pulse to see if he was alive.

Right Side

Nick jumped into the possum still brandishing his pistol. The pistol was held by a strong grip thus when the possum was dropped to the ground, he didn't drop it. The possum rolled backwards with Nick still on him then kicked him off. Nick landed on his back but almost instantly clambered onto his feet. He growled at the possum , who didn't react to the 'acts of intimidation'. "You can drop the act and fight me properly." Nick didn't change his behaviour but instead let his claws out. "Or not. I thought this was the pe-" Nick launched himself rapidly at the possum , his claws being held out first. The possum jumped back to try and avoid it then fired his gun. Three shots were fired, two of them missed but the second bullet hit the fox's paw. He endured the pain and still carried on with his frontal assault. His unharmed paw clawed the wrist of the possum, forcing him to release his gun after all this time. "Son of a-" Nick was about to scratch the possum again but he was ready this time. He kicked the jaw of the fox , causing the fox to fall to his side. The possum stood up clutching his bleeding wrist. It was now a ticking time bomb of his life. He ripped a piece of his sleeve of and used it as a tourniquet. Just as he tied it, the relentless russet fox bit the other leg of the possum. The possum dropped to the floor. Just as he did, Nick smelled a change in the air. He turned around to look at the source and saw Judy about to be pummelled by the mongoose. He charged at the mongoose and let his claws loose on him. After that, Nick took a step back then headbutted the mongoose. As that happened, the fox heard a slight clicking sound from behind him. The gun was empty, the fool didn't load it fully. Although the fox didn't think that , he knew it wasn't safe. He rushed back at the possum, who was currently reloading his weapon. The fox grabbed the gun in his mouth and pulled it away. The possum was stunned for a few seconds. He broke out of the dazed state by the fox clawing his cheek. The possum fell to the floor and then pulled out his knife. As he laid on the floor, Nick walked over on all fours and growled . Just as the possum was going to strike, the vulpine pounced and his jaw gripped the possum's throat. The possum's eyes made contact with Nick's right eye. There was rage , bloodthirst but also confusion seen in the eye of the fox. The jaws snapped and the possum struggled to breathe. Blood poured into his trachea then sputtered out as the possum tried to use his lungs for oxygen. Tears started swelling up in the possum's eyes as pain consumed his being. Nick then moved down the body to the stomach and started eating into that. Although he was fed, he wasn't given living meat and this gave him a taste that he desired even though this isn't a mammal he should be eating. He didn't care there was a sort of pleasure in the feasting. The possum finally died, he felt every bite into him yet accepted his fate. Nick devoured his flesh. After that ,Nick lipped his lips to clean the blood from his jaw then pushed the body over , having a slight understanding that the rabbit he was protecting didn't like seeing that.

He ran back to Judy, who wanted to go to get help but didn't want to risk the mongoose fleeing. "Nick, can I trust you to stop the mongoose without killing him?" Nick didn't respond but he sat down. Judy took that as a yes. She then ran to the nearest wall phone or nurse and explained the events that occurred . After a couple minutes of running, she found a nurse and told her to get help for what has happened. When she came back, she saw Nick sniffing the inside of the mongoose's mouth. Something was distracting and disturbing the fox, best to investigate it. Judy searched the inside of the mouth and found a cyanide pill. "Woah, they are willing to just end it all to avoid interrogation. That is dedication." She smiled at Nick and raised her thumb to suggest that he did a good job. She searched the pockets and found an Eight-pronged star in his pocket. 'It was them', the law of nature were they called. If others can fight better than them, this can be a very tough road.' Judy calmed down as she saw the mongoose waking up and other nurses and doctors approaching. Nick taken a defensive stance but Judy instantly told him to sit , to which he complied.

As they taken the mongoose to a medical room ,strapped to a bed, Judy thought about the other fighter, the gunman. That's when Judy noticed the blood pool around the motionless carcass. A piece of carrion for the predator to satisfy his urges. Judy knew what happened but refused to check it out. Instead , she got her phone and called the only person she could think of : The chief , Bogo.

The phone rung out the first time, saying that the mammal in question is in a call but when she tried again, the chief picked up. "Chief , we have another situation."

"It's okay, I'll send some officers over to check out the crimescene."

"Just explain that Nick had some 'fun' with one of the what I guess are low-level assassins."

"I understand and that message will be conveyed clearly to the officers that will check it out."

Bogo hung up without even saying goodbye, but that wasn't unusual. Nick laid down next to Judy as she made the phone call. They both waited until some other officers came. The officers that arrived were the two that brought them here : Wolford and Mchorn. Judy saw them, placed her hand on the fox's back and called them over.

"Hey, Hopps, how's it going?"

"Not well, two mammals were sent to kill me and Nick."

Mchorn responded, "Yeah, that does seem to damper the mood."

Wolford elbowed the rhino , who then just rolled his eyes. As he did that, he noticed the second body, He quietly mumbled "Oh no." It was so quiet Judy didn't even hear it but surprisingly, Nick did, his hearing was proving to be on another level. "Max" The rhino raised his voice and asked "Hey , Gabriel, you saw this?" The rhino turned the body over.

"Henry, Bogo did warn us that 'Nick' enjoyed a 'lovely' meal in the confrontation that occurred."

McHorn tried to stop himself from vomiting. He couldn't bare to witness that corpse any longer.

"Henry, if you want you can move on, I'll check him."

"You sure?"

As this was happening, Judy was approaching to the uniformed police duo. "Is it that bad?"

"You don't wanna see it. I can barely hold it in and I'm meant to be a predator."

"That shows you are civilised, no? So what does it matter that you are a predator?"

"Good point but answer my question first: Did you lot go downstairs?"

"No why?"

"There are other bodies, the bodies are all deceased either due to poisoning or murder. All suited."

"I didn't kill anyone and you saw what Nick did."

"Good point, wait you fought someone , right?"

"Yeah, he is strapped in that room, you can bring him for interrogation."

"Thanks, makes this job much easier."

The rhino walked into the room and then left with a bed on which a mongoose was laying. He struggled and fought with the straps that bound him but ultimately to no avail. Mchorn left with the only living suspect. As he left, Wolford spoke. "Hey , Hopps, take good care of Wilde, he clearly needs it, I'm gonna go talk to Mchorn, something is not right with him."

"Yeah ,you do that Wolford. I got Nick under control." Both of them smiled as Nick continued to just lay on his stomach , peaceful and tranquil. The timber wolf left to catch up with his partner. Judy smiled reassuringly to the mammal laying to her right. She felt safe next to him. However curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the dead carcass and looked at the body.

"Sweet cheese and crackers. That is horrible." Judy scanned over all the injuries that were present: a slit wrist, a chomped throat and a completely devoured stomach. The only reason Judy kept it all in was because she saw it before. Weirdly to her, it wasn't as bad anymore, it was still a horrible sight but maybe she was building up a tolerance very quickly.

After 30 minutes, Dr Growly showed up. He walked up to Judy semi-cautiously. "Hey, I came as soon as I heard that something happened." He crouched down to be a similar height to the bunny. He noticed what the rabbit was looking at. "That's not a pleasant sight. Look at me, it's okay. Listen I wanted to tell you that , you can sign the required release forms now."

"What about Mrs. Wilde?"

"She already signed it, she was stuck in the hospital until everything calmed down. She just left , I think. Unless she didn't."

Conveniently , just as that was said, from around the corner, the elder vixen has appeared . "Speak of the devil." James muttered just loud enough to be heard by the rabbit next to him. Judy looked at him suspiciously. "What ,you never heard that idiom?"

"No, I didn't." She confidently said as if it was the right answer to a quiz question.

"Wow, you were sheltered in bunny burrow. No wonder you left for the city."

Charlotte ran over to the three mammals, she paid no mid to the doctor as she knew that he just came in. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, me and Nick are fine. Nick is probably a bit more than fine to be quite frank."

"What do you mean?"

"This." Judy stepped away ,revealing the deceased mammal that was hidden behind her.

"Tha- That " Charlotte ran off to the nearest toilet and started vomiting violently. She couldn't handle the sight of the body that laid before her. The bloodied guts that laid bare for all to witness on the wrong side of the possum's skin , instantly disgusted the fox. After a minute , she returned feeling a bit groggy and empty. "I'll regret asking this but what happened to him?"

"To make it easier for you ,I'll use one word: Nick."

Charlotte seemed to have her entire perspective shift. She was completely shocked and refused to believe that her son would do such an act. What she didn't take into account was that that wasn't her son. It was a completely different mammal due to the issues that he has endured. "But, he would never harm a mammal like that. He wouldn't , right? I have taught him right from wrong, … right? I'm not a bad parent, am I?" Her voice was frantic and she was panicking.

"Mrs. Wilde, I assure you , he didn't act like that because of your parenting." James would've continued but Judy cut him off.

"Yeah, he only did that because he is under the influence of 'Nighthowler'."

"I'm sorry, you're both right. I-I'm just overreacting."

"Ma'am , I would suggest you leave the premise to calm down. Standing here next to the body will cause more issues for you and there isn't many other places for you to go in the building, considering the police."

"Yes, I agree." She turned to Judy "Here's my number, if you ever need help , don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you." Charlotte turned around and left, clutching her now empty stomach.

James turned back to Judy. "Well, you might need her help. You are supposed to take care of him like a new born kit."

"I don't follow what you are trying to insinuate here."

"Do you think you will be able to wash him?"

The realisation finally dawned on Judy. "Oh, OH , OH NO. I didn't think about that." Her face quickly had fear and panic plastering its shell. Nick noticed this and instantly wanted to attack the doctor. Judy quickly snapped back to reality and comforted the fox, calming him down and preventing another grizzly demise from occurring, although Nick clearly wasn't opposed to it.

The doctor finally noticed the paw of the fox. "It's injured , how did this happen?"

"I don't know maybe he was shot."

"SHOT? How would he have been shot?"

"The possum had a gun." Both turned to the body. "Clearly it didn't help him."

"No it did not."

"Can I ask, how do you hold it in?"

"Remember my previous career? I saw things that were on par or worse than this. I had to try and save such unfortunate mammals. I saw many different mammals from rabbits, yes there were rabbits, to rhinos and bears. But that's enough about my past. Let's talk about your future. And I mean your foreseeable future. Do you have any food that he could eat?"

"N-no? I mean he can eat plants and meat right? If so I have some meals he can eat but I will go and buy some protein for him."

"Good, good. Now more personal, do you think you will be able to handle watching him eat such foods?"

"Yes, mmm." Judy seemed really unsure when answering the question.

"It's okay if you say no, just need to make sure."

"I think I can, since I can look at this."

"Don't compare those two things. On many regards , yes this is worse but it's one thing seeing a still dead body and another seeing a mammal eat something that could've been alive and something you wouldn't be able to handle."

"Then I'll just have to adjust."

"That is some determination you have there, many would wish to have half of what you have. Trust me, you'll need it if you want to proceed with your current plans. Finally , career, will you be working?"

"Not right now but I think in a few days or next week I will be planning on returning."

"Very well then I will make a few calls to your boss to explain the situation, you will need a new partner."

"Nah , this will clearly be an improvement if anything." Judy remarked sarcastically. James chuckled at the statement. Then her eyes opened wide. "Sweet cheese and crackers, he is already influencing me." James laughed a bit more when he heard that but not enough to seem offensive. Judy's ears reddened as she felt a bit ashamed.

"With that, I think you can leave as soon as you sign this document... here." Growly pulls out a pen and a formally written document. Judy takes it and signs the only dotted line that doesn't have a signature on it yet. "And that will be all. I would recommend heading straight home, don't take public transport, although it will be faster for you if you don't have a vehicle, there are other people on board and you won't be distracted by motion. If possible call a Zoober or ask a friend for a ride."

Judy knew she lived practically right around the corner so she didn't even want to bother with transportation but she knew that those couple minutes outside could be extremely dangerous to everyone but her. She wanted to get some clothes and some food, actual food in her stomach and then go to Nick's place. Although he never told her, she found out herself. She collected her belongings and the belongings of her partner. Maybe the transportation idea wasn't that bad after all. Judy sighed as she taken Nick's badge , belt ,taser ,baton and tranquilliser gun. The sigh was partly because it reminded her that Nick needed help and wasn't himself but it was also partly because she had quite a few things to carry now. As she was leaving, a nurse noticed and wanted to help but the fox beside her started growling and she ran off.

"This will be a horrible walk home." Judy left the building ,wearing her own things and putting the fox's belongings in a plastic bag. She walked down the road and had many side glances and cold stares pointed at them. There were even some murmurs that both picked up on and Judy did not like them.

"Is that a savage?"

"Why would they let a savage roam the streets?"

"Think they are together?"

"Someone should call the actual police."

"Disgusting inters."

"You can never trust a fox."

"Yeah, he's probably faking."

Judy started feeling offended ,not for her, but for her friend, who was stereotyped and couldn't even defend himself. She was so tempted to let him go, to show them how much he is faking. The only reason she didn't was because she knew she would regret it and she would tarnish the badge she fought so hard to earn. She decided to speed up to reach her own house without lashing out to the general populous. As they walked more and more comments were heard, some were of concern but others were still of the derogatory nature that proceeded to follow from the previous pedestrians.

Finally she reached her apartment, here she let the fox in then locked the door, for what it was worth.

"Hey you're back." was heard through the wall.

"Yeah I am " Judy responded "But I will be leaving soon again."

"Is it because of that fox, oh what was his name, you know your police partner?"

"Basically the gist of it ." She looked at the fox "He needs some help right now, he is having it a bit difficult."

"Okay, hope he gets better."

"You didn't need to say that."

"It's the nice thing to do."

"Oh shut up."

"No you shut up."

Normally this would be humorous but the noise agitated the fox, and it was clear he was starting to get a little annoyed. His crimson teeth started to show, as if to declare to the world that he is willing to do what it takes. She packed some clothes and proceeded to eat any food that she had. But that was a fatal assumption. She forgot she was meant to go to the grocery store the day the incident happened.'Ugh of course this happens to me'. She closes her small fridge and proceeds to send out a zoober request, with a warning. "Be careful, dangerous mammal boarding."

After 20 minutes, a car finally and Judy got the text. She picked up her two bags, just to make sure that if she is staying there quite long she will be ready for such eventuality. She walked downstairs with Nick, who was still on all four paws. The cab driver saw them and approached to help. It was a hippo. Nick started to show his teeth but Judy proceeded to rub his chin. This instantly calmed down the dangerous mammal."Hello, Judy Hopps?"

"Yes that would be me."

"And this is your +1?"

"Yes, this is my +1. He is also quite dangerous as you can tell."

The hippo taken one bag and opened the back of his cab. There he placed the bag he taken and gestured for Judy to do the same. Judy placed her bag inside and walked over to one of the doors. She opened the door and let the fox jump in. After the fox leapt in , the hippo and bunny sat down inside at the same time. "So where to?"

Judy proceeded to list her destination. "22 Velocilane."

"And off we go. Now don't mind me but I am a bit curious."

"That's … fine, as long as it doesn't go too far."

"I will try. Can I ask what is wrong with your friend there?"

"Oh, he has been hit by a 'Nighthowler' pellet but reacted differently so he isn't savage but will kill other mammals."

"So why do you stay with him?"

"Oh, because he protects me and is extremely clingy right now."

"Hmm, how did this happen?"

"Sorry , I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation for legal reasons."

"I understand. It's okay." The hippo tried to lighten the mood by then turning into a more playful tone. "It's fine, I just won't be able to sleep tonight so thanks for that."

"Oh that's great, I'll be available in the future just call me." Judy responded equally as playfully and smiled afterwards.

"We are here now. This is always awkward but that will cost 15 zoollars." Judy pulled out her wallet as she heard that and gave a 20 zoollar bill.

"Keep the change, it is honestly better we go quicker." Both parties were happy as the duo exited and collected their belongings and the driver departed. Judy searched Nick's belt ,which was still in a plastic bag, for the house keys. After searching for a bit she found them and opened the door. The fox ran in and instantly felt like he was at home. When Judy entered a strong whiff of fox hit her nostrils. "Woah, that is a strong smell."

Judy checked the fridge and saw food that both of them could eat. But Judy could only eat half of what was there. Damn her prey biology. She grabbed some fish, realised she didn't know how to prepare it and called Charlotte.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Wilde, I wanted to ask for some help."

"Oh and what type of help would it be?"

"Verbal, hopefully. How should I prepare a fish to give to Nick?"

"Right. You wouldn't know how to make such food. Okay, fry or cook?"

"Whichever one is easier."

"Hmm, okay oven cook it is. What you want to do is grab some salt and pepper with some herbs that should be placed near the hob in a sort of wall planted holster."

"Now these I can work with."

"Of course, you can eat them as well."

Judy starts adding some herbs and spices onto the raw fish. She then grabbed the pepper and sprinkled some on with some salt. "Okay, I seasoned the fish, now what?"

"Now, turn the oven on to 180 oC." Judy turns some of the knobs on the oven to get the intended result. "After you did that wait 5 minutes then put the fish on a tray on put the tray inside."

"How long should the fish cook for?"

"About 30 minutes."

"Thank you so much , Mrs. Wilde."

"Any time , sweetie, oh and call me Charlotte."

"Okay Charlotte , once again thank you so much for the help, I will leave to let you do what you were doing before."

"Oh don't worry about it, I was bored at home anyways. Goodbye and tell Nick hi for me."

"Of course I will. Bye."

"Bye." The line went dead. Judy looked back at her fish. "So 5 minutes then chuck it in the oven. Simple enough." Nick smelled the fish and walked towards the source. "Nick it will be ready in half an hour ,don't worry. Oh and your mum says hi." The fox whimpered trying to get some pity but Judy's stance didn't change, she didn't want the fox to get any food related illness. After mirroring the fox to block his path for 5 minutes, she put the fish in the oven. Then she searched the fridge , looking for something for herself. She grabbed a few fruits and had eaten them discretely to not hunger the poor fox staring at the oven. She giggled , seeing the mammal that desperate for a meal.

After 30 minutes, the oven dinged and turned off. Judy knew this meant that the fish was ready. She put on oven gloves and grabbed the tray , on which the fish laid. She carefully removed the fish and placed it on a plate. She brought the fish over to Nick, who now has left to lay down not too far away. "Niiick." He came running as soon as he heard the call. "If only you acted like that normally." she muttered jokingly. Nick noticed the fish in her hands and she thought whether to put the plate on the table but decided against it. 'He would prefer for it to be on the floor' She put the plate down in front of Nick and watched him eat. After eating about half of it, Nick noticed Judy watching and offered his meal to Judy. His nose slid the ceramic plate across the floor. "No, no it's for you, I can't eat it." Nick slid it further, forcing her to have some. 'Argh , screw it what is the worst that can happen?' she picked up a fork and used it to cut a small piece off. She stabbed the small piece with her miniature trident ,and brought it to her mouth. She stared at it for a few seconds starting to have second thoughts but Nick also stared intently until she ate the piece. She sighed at put the fish in her mouth. The taste was unique and actually quite enjoyable. However, something about it put her off, maybe it was the fact that is was protein or the taste had a tinge of something. Nick saw her eat it and noticed her reaction. He slid the plate back and continued to eat it himself . He didn't think that she couldn't eat the food he could.

After he finished , he was worried that Judy was hungry so he sneaked off to the kitchen and somehow opened the fridge without toppling it. He sniffed around for something , until he found blueberries, he adored blueberries even in this state. He taken the box in his mouth his tail swishing behind him now , conveniently hitting the fridge door and closing it. He saw Judy sitting on a chair using her phone and placed the box in front of her. "For … me? Really? Are you sure?" Nick just pushed the box towards her and watched her now. Judy was shocked but she was also hungry. She grabbed a handful of the berries and started popping them in her mouth. After a few minutes, she stopped eating them and left the box alone. Nick, in response, dipped his muzzle into the box and ate the rest of the berries that laid inside. Judy saw this and knew this was still Nick, only he ate berries with such vigour.

A/N: They finally made it out of the hospital and have earned themselves a proper break, they won't be doing much here so next time we see them will be when Judy returns to the police.

The reason this chapter was released earlier than usual was because I had more free time so I had more chance to actually write it.

The issue is that them being hospitalised really slowed them down to a crawl, I really felt restricted here so I unrestricted them and by proxy myself. In other words , if you thought it was moving a bit slow, it should start speeding up a bit.

Of course if next time Judy is returning to the force , what of Nick and who will be Judy's partner, Nick isn't really in the best mind? But overall don't worry, it needs to get worse before it gets better.

Well with all that being said, This is it for today and I'll see you all next time, have a good one 'til then. Bye.