This was originally longer but I decided to split the chapter. Enjoy.


Judy didn't know how long Jennifer was away. With little else to do, Judy began to speculate on the details of her stay. How will her parents be involved? How will Saul be involved? The wealthy rabbit worried her the most. She knew he would attempt to gain a favorable outcome. Regardless, Judy concluded that her time at the asylum will be anything but pleasant.

By now, the rabbit had become tolerant to the smell and the screams of the place, but the latter still bothered her. Judy initially covered her ears in a vain attempt to block out the noise. Her body trembles had also gone down slightly. She discovered that walking temporarily suppressed those feelings. After calming the body, the rabbit decided now was a good time to try and lie down.

Her mind drifted to Jennifer's comments about the special treatment since she was a former soldier. To satisfy that feeling of unfairness, Judy likened the asylum to just another hospital. Different mammals need different treatments. She herself did not exhibit the typical behaviors of the patients and only got violent when the memories became too much. That uncertainty helped Judy understand why her treatment would be different.

The sound of the door opening broke Judy from her thoughts. She shifted into a sitting position and saw Jennifer standing in the doorway.

The tan rabbit closed the door and approached her. "Comfortable?"

Judy appeared uncertain at the question. "I suppose."

Jennifer stopped a few steps from the bed. "Apologies. This is the best we can do."

Judy shifted to where her legs hung over the bed. "What happens now?"

"You will be first taken to the showers to be cleaned. Then, a doctor will come to perform an evaluation. We will begin treatments once he makes his diagnosis."

Judy nodded. "That sounds simple enough."

Jennifer extended a paw to her. "Come along now. All patients are cleaned at the same time. Rules from above."

The tan rabbit helped Judy to her feet and escorted her to the washroom. The two said nothing while walking, but Judy appreciated Jennifer keeping her away from the unruly patients and caretakers. Before long, Judy found herself in a line of female rabbits as they were guided to the washroom.

In line, Judy stole glances at the patients around her. For some, their eyes appeared to be vacant. Others darted around rapidly. Those who made eye contact showed no reaction. Some looked around as they moved along. Some were shaking and even mumbling to themselves, while others remained quiet. Normally, Judy would be eager to make friends in any new location. But at the asylum, that feeling was absent.

Meanwhile, Jennifer and the other caretakers walked beside the patients to prevent any escape or conflict from them. Unfortunately, whether through their own violation or not, one did and was immediately tackled and subdued by the caretakers. What shocked Judy was seeing the staff taking turns beating the mammal as punishment. The cries from the afflicted rabbit nearly caused Judy to intervene.

She turned to Jennifer and was about to open her mouth when the glare from the tan rabbit halted her. Judy quickly understood the message.

This is not the time to ask.

Judy reluctantly pulled herself away from the beating and continued following the line.

Soon, the group came to a halt at the entrance to a large room. A few caretakers gathered at the front and began selecting a set number of rabbits. Those selected were then taken into the room. Judy understood that only so many rabbits could enter at a time and wondered how the process worked. As the line progressed, Judy could see rabbits emerge from the washroom and noticed them wet, shivering and holding wet clothes.

I guess they don't have enough rags for everyone. Still, the water can't be that cold.

Judy continued to remain silent, going against her desire to ask questions. She would have the opportunity to ask them when she and Jennifer were alone in her room.

Finally, her turn arrived, and she was ushered into the large room with the others in her group. The rabbit could see the caretakers approaching the patients and speaking to them. Judy didn't have time to hear the words before a caretaker approached her.

"Remove your clothes."

The command caught Judy off guard. "What?"

"I said. Remove Your Clothes."

The tone of her voice and remembering the consequences for disobeying were enough for Judy to comply. She reminded herself that the goal was to spend as little time in the asylum as possible. If that meant biting her tongue and taking the abuse from some of the staff, the rabbit would do it.

After removing her clothes, Judy was then ordered to turn around. Standing bare and facing the wall, she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt at decency. The rabbit glanced around, wondering the source of the water since she didn't notice plumbing from the ceiling or the walls. The only holes were on the floor, which Judy understood to be for drainage.

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted when she felt a million knives stabbing her at once, followed by a splash.

SWEET CHEESE AND CRACKERS!

Judy barely managed to avoid squeaking, but some patients weren't so lucky. After the shock wore off, the gray rabbit finally noticed her fur wet and began shivering. While Judy managed to stop her teeth from chattering, it still left her hyperventilating. She then felt herself be dragged away and barely registered her clothes unceremoniously tossed at her.

Her body still shivered as she hastily put her clothes back on. The uncomfortable feelings from the clothes making contact with the wet fur were overridden by the cold. Now clothed, wet, and cold, Judy was ushered out of the room and escorted back to her room. With her mind elsewhere, Judy couldn't check if Jennifer was accompanying her.

Once in her bedroom, Judy collapsed onto the chair and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up. She almost chose the bed but had the wherewithal to realize that was a bad idea.

Okay, Judy. This is nothing new to you. How many days did you spend in the trench without a bath? How many days did you spend freezing in the snow?

Her mental encouragement was interrupted by the door opening again. Judy slowly turned to find Jennifer entering the room with a towel in her paws. Smiling, the tan rabbit set the towel on the bed and removed Judy's wet clothes. Jennifer then straightened out the towel and wrapped it around the gray rabbit.

"T-thank y-you."

"You're welcome." She remained close to her.

Judy looked up worryingly at her. "A-are the baths always t-this cold?"

Jennifer's smile disappeared. "Not for the better patients."

Judy took a moment to let out a shivering breath. "What do you mean?"

"They have the money."

The answer caused Judy to lower her head. "O-oh…" She should have known better. But the rabbit quickly moved onto another topic, and she began to warm up, bringing her much relief. "Why are you being nice to me? Being rough with the patients seems to be the norm."

Jennifer's smile returned. This time more compassionate. "Mammals in here will already have a difficult time during their stay. I joined this place to help them recover from their afflictions. So something like coming to speak," She paused to pat Judy on the back. "Or giving them a towel. I know it will give comfort that one mammal is determined to take good care of them."

Jennifer's words brought Judy to tears, and she had to cover her face with the towel. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart."

The tan rabbit again placed a comforting paw on her back. "Again. You're welcome. And just to let you know. Not every staff here is the same as the ones you saw beating the mammal earlier."

Judy nodded, taking comfort in the small fact. She then asked another pertinent question. "How are the meals here?"

"One in the morning and one in the evening. Patients are fed hay and water unless otherwise. You missed the morning meal, so it won't be until much later for the afternoon one."

Judy shrugged slightly. "Not the worst thing I had to eat, and I can wait."

"From the war?" Jennifer presumed.

The grey rabbit nodded.

"And don't be caught outside your room at night. The staff is vigilant in preventing mammals from escaping or breaking in."

"Thank you."

The conversation was interrupted by the door opening again, and both does turn to see a white male rabbit in a coat entering.

"Hello there. You must be the new patient," He approached Judy and Jennifer. "My name is Doctor Raymond Wright. I am overseeing your treatment and examination. I see you have already got yourself acquainted with Miss Jennifer Tannen."

Judy smiled at the caretaker. "Very well. How will this work?"

"First. I'm going to perform an interview, followed by a physical examination. Out of decency, Miss Tannen will conduct the examination. I have my manners."

Judy nodded. "That's good."

"Okay. Let's begin with the interview."

Raymond brought the chair over and sat in front of Judy with a chalkboard in his paws while Jennifer stood beside her.

"Please state your name and former rank." Raymond began.

"Judith Laverne Hopps. Second Lieutenant. 8th army."

The white rabbit wrote on the chalkboard. "When were you discharged from the military?"

"I was honorably discharged in January of 1915."

"And when did you start experiencing these memories?"

"Not long after I returned home. They began as nightmares. I would wake up screaming and shaking."

"How much worse did it get?"

Judy paused for a moment as she braced herself. "Certain actions or objects would bring those memories back. Seeing the headlines on the newspaper, a vehicle making that loud boom, hearing mammals in pain while crying for help."

Raymond could see her behavior from suppressing the pain. "This caused you to become unstable. Is that correct?"

Judy took a deep breath. "Yes."

"What do you see in these memories? Are they all the same?"

Judy took a much longer pause as she tried to describe her dreams without revealing Nick's species. "Just…a friend dying every time."

The answer intrigued Raymond. "You failed to save the mammal while fighting?"

Another pause. "Something like that."

Another scribble. "Were you close to this mammal?"

"Very." She answered with no hesitation.

The doctor noted her response. "Aside from being close to the mammal, it seems you feel immense guilt over this individual's death since you were the commanding officer. But I have to ask. Why that mammal in particular, and why not the others under your command?"

Judy bit her lip as she tried to come up with another answer and not reveal her romantic ties with Nick. But as the silence dragged on, she knew she couldn't continue remaining silent. So, the rabbit went with a default answer. "I don't know."

The room was quiet for a moment while Raymond processed the answer. Judy hoped it would be enough, and Jennifer hoped they could proceed.

"Hmm," Raymond said. "I believe we have enough information. Now for the physical examination. I will step outside while Miss Tannen conducts the process. Miss Tannen."

Jennifer nodded while Raymond stepped out of the room.

"Judy. I need you to remove your clothes while I do this. I promise I will not do anything indecent."

Judy nodded and reluctantly removed the towel and her clothes. She stood naked in the room and remained silent while Jennifer performed the examination. The tan rabbit apologized for any uncomfortable reaction she caused to Judy, but the latter was forgiving. The grey rabbit closed her eyes and let the caretaker do her thing, not letting the situation bother her. Soon, the touches stopped, and Judy opened her eyes to see Jennifer smiling.

"All done. Besides the scars from battle, you seem to be in good physical health. I will inform Dr. Wright of the results. Get some rest now."

"Thank you."

Jennifer took her leave, and Judy dried herself with the towel further before dressing herself. After tossing the towel onto the chair, the rabbit dragged her feet to the bed and flopped onto it unceremoniously. The fact that it was still only the first day of her stay made her want to cry. But she had to remain strong if she wanted to be released.

Judy spent her time in the room between walking around, lying in bed, and staring out the window. It was the third that would bring some interest amid the lull. Her room gave a view of the courtyard where Judy could see the various staff and patients mull about. The rabbit wondered when or if she would have the opportunity to visit the courtyard during the stay. That would depend on what the doctors decide for the treatments. Perhaps if she continued the good behavior, maybe she could ask Jennifer if she could go outside and get fresh air.

The door opening turned Judy away from the window. The gray rabbit saw Jennifer entering with a tray in her paws.

"Time for dinner."

Judy moved the chair closer to where it could serve as a table. Jennifer placed the tray down, and Judy saw the contents: a bundle of hay and a cup of water.

"Thank you."

"Leave the tray by the door, and I'll come by later to pick it up."

Judy nodded and began to indulge the hay. It was dry as expected and passable for a meal. The rabbit made quick work of it and polished off the water. She wiped her mouth with the dress sleeve before setting the cup onto the tray and moving the items next to the door for pick up.

By then, the sun had set, and darkness filled the room. Judy needed no further sign and made herself comfortable on the rickety bed. Whatever was going to happen tomorrow, Judy wanted to give herself plenty of rest to face the trials ahead. Using the routine she learned, the rabbit managed to fall asleep within minutes. She remained undisturbed even when Jennifer came by later to pick up the cup and tray.

The tan rabbit smiled and quietly let the gray rabbit slumber in relative peace.


A few days later,

Judy paced around her room while awaiting a visit from Dr. Wright and Jennifer. After the interview and examination, she was left alone with the exception of Jennifer delivering meals and escorting her to the washroom. Despite intending to protect the patients and herself should she get violent, Judy started to get irritated from the isolation and the patients' screams. She hoped the situation would never reach the point where she would join the mammals screaming.

The door opening drew her attention to the mammal entering, and she smiled at seeing Jennifer.

"Good morning, Judy." The tan rabbit smiled.

"Good morning, Jennifer. How are things?"

"Very well. Thank you for asking."

"Is this only another examination, or does Dr. Wright want to do a treatment?"

"Both. You will see once we arrive at the room."

The answer intrigued Judy. "Okay."

She stood and presented herself still while Jennifer performed the daily examination.

"You appear to be in good physical health," She circled before standing in front of Judy. "How are your trembles?"

Judy lowered her head slightly. "They still occur."

Jenifer nodded. "I will make a mental note. Come along now."

Jennifer escorted Judy out of the room and to where Dr. Wright would administer the first treatment. On the way, Judy wondered what it would be. Regretfully, the rabbit never conducted more research on the treatments. Then again, she had hoped it would not come to that point. The only treatment she was aware of was the electric shock treatment. Stu once brought up the method, but Bonnie quickly dismissed letting their daughter suffer such treatment.

It wouldn't surprise her if Dr. Wright deemed the treatment necessary. Judy kept her eyes forward to avoid drawing herself to the patients' behaviors and caretakers' treatments. But that train of thought did lead to an idea. Perhaps after being released, Judy could return to the asylum as a caretaker, but only if being a police officer became too much for her family and friends at the station. As Jennifer mentioned, the smallest action can make a difference.

Soon, the two rabbits arrived at a room and entered. The room was large in comparison to Judy's bedroom. Inside, the gray rabbit saw a long chair and a peculiar device resting on a table nearby. The device had various switches and bulbs. There were also more tables, curtains, and carts scattered about. Dr. Wright sat at a desk a few steps away from the setup and appeared to be working when Judy and Jennifer entered.

The white rabbit looked up from his work and smiled when seeing them.

"You arrived! Wonderful! Miss Tannen, please prepare the apparatus for Miss Hopps."

"Yes, Doctor."

Judy said nothing as she was led to the chair by Jennifer and sat down. The gray rabbit watched as the tan rabbit began attaching straps to various points on Judy's body. The caretaker finally finished the task with a strap on Judy's head. The grey rabbit could feel what she assumed was pins protruding through the straps and making contact with her body. Dr. Wright then approached the two, specifically to Judy.

"Now Miss Hopps. Since you are a former soldier, I believe it is best that you receive treatment pertaining to that occupation. Under normal circumstances, you would be facing disciplinary action, but since your commanding officer released you amicably, you will not receive any shaming or physical reeducation. However, I do wish to employ the method of pain."

Judy's ears perked, and her nose twitched. "P-pain?"

"Yes. I believe that trying to hide the pain will only make things worse. As evident by your actions. So, you will receive an electric shock that should help release that pain. According to the interview and physical examination, your main causes are the memories and body tremors. Thus, electric current will be applied on various points of your body and your head."

Judy nervously gulped. "How can you be so sure?"

"I reached out to some colleagues who are doctors in the army. They assure me that the methods are successful."

The gray rabbit thought otherwise but was not in the position to object. "If you say so."

"You will receive a few rounds of electric shock therapy, and then we will evaluate you in the coming days for any signs."

Judy broached the question that bothered her the most. "What happens if the treatment is a success or failure?"

"If it's a success, you will continue to receive it. If a failure, I shall move on to other methods."

Suddenly and surprisingly, the electric shock treatment did not appear to be the worst thing to Judy. "Other…methods?"

"Again, they will depend on the results from this treatment. Is Miss Hopps ready, Miss Tannen?"

"Yes, Doctor." The tan rabbit said.

"Good. Now, lay back and be still, Miss Hopps. This will only be for a moment." Dr. Wright joined Jennifer by the device.

Despite his words, Judy felt otherwise. Her ears picked up the sound of Jennifer turning on the device and the resulting humming noise. The speed at which she worked led Judy to believe that Jennifer had experience providing this treatment. The mammals remained silent, and only the humming from the device and the clock ticking filled the room. The seconds began to pass, and Judy wondered why nothing was happening.

"Begin."

Before any further thoughts could emerge, Judy's body suddenly became stiff as she felt herself squeezed from every direction. She gritted her teeth, and her ears went up and remained stiff. The rabbit closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Soon, pain started to emerge, and Judy gritted her teeth harder, trying to avoid letting out even a squeak. But that didn't stop her body from shaking and the grunts that escaped from her mouth.

Judy didn't know how long the electricity had been running, but she was starting to lose control of herself. Just as she opened her mouth and went to yell, the pain and stiffness went away. The rabbit felt her body go limp and was breathing heavily in the aftermath. She finally managed to open her eyes and saw Raymond standing beside and looming over her. Out of view, Jennifer stood with a disgusted look on her face.

"How are you feeling, Miss Hopps?"

Judy managed to give an irritated look at the doctor. "Do I have to answer that?"

"I will take that as a yes."

Judy rested her head against the chair. "Then does that mean we are finished?"

"Oh no, I'm afraid not. You see. We only stop so that we don't accidentally kill you."

I wonder how many mammals died for you to find that out.

"The procedures call for letting the body rest for a few minutes before resuming the treatment."

Judy was still taking deep breaths. "You never mentioned…how long this treatment…is supposed to last?"

"Not too long. I am aware that the body can only take so much current before things start to fail. I will let you know when we are finished."

This time, Judy let out a whimper.

"Rest assured. Your body will soon be numb to some of the current, allowing the rest to do its job." Raymond then looked at Jennifer.

"Again."

The tan rabbit disdainfully flipped the switch, and Judy's body became stiff again.


The session lasted only for thirty minutes, yet those minutes were agonizing to both Judy and Jennifer. Because it was Judy's first time for the treatment, her body was too weak to move on her own accord. Thus, Jennifer had to put her in a wheelchair and transport the rabbit back to her room.

If ever asked, Jennifer would say that she detests the electric shock therapy. No matter how many times she administered the shocks, she hated seeing mammals in pain.

The two finally arrived at Judy's room, and Jennifer quickly closed the door behind them before assisting a wobbling and whimpering Judy onto the bed.

The grey rabbit winced and whimpered as she was set on her back. "It hurts! It hurts everywhere!"

"I'm sorry, Judy." Jennifer took a step back.

"Who thought this was a good idea as a treatment?"

"Dr. Wright did say it was for soldiers." She knew it was a poor attempt at comfort, but the tan rabbit had to try something.

"I call malarkey!"

"If it's any consolation, it will be another week before Dr. Wright will do more treatments, whether it's more electric shocks or something else."

The pain seemed to have lessened, leading Judy to speak in a lower volume. "I appreciate your encouragement, but I know it will not get any better from here."

Jennifer could only sigh and watch Judy writhe in pain. "Do you need anything? If not, I'll leave you alone now."

Judy groaned. "Water."

"I shall return."

For once, Judy was grateful for the isolation. Any movement only flared the pain. She tried to get her mind elsewhere, but her body refused to focus on anything else. Thus, the rabbit remained as still as possible and let the pain run its course.

Her ears eventually picked up the door opening, but she didn't move from her current position.

"I got you water, Judy." Jennifer said.

Judy could also hear what seemed to be a pitcher and glass being set down.

"It will be here when you need it."

"T-thank you."

"You're welcome."

Jennifer could only watch with sympathy as Judy remained facing away. With nothing else to do, the tan rabbit turned around and closed the door to Judy's room before returning to her other patients.


Late July 1915,

Judy sat in the wheelchair at the table in the room where she had been receiving the electric shock treatment. It had been over three weeks since the first one, and her body ached everywhere. While the rabbit had developed a tolerant level of pain, some still lingered, and her body ached from any movement. Judy sat with her arms wrapped around and her ears drooping before Dr. Wright. Jennifer stood next to her as a precaution.

Raymond looked at the rabbit in the wheelchair before him. "Miss Hopps. I am sure you are assuming that I have brought you here for another treatment."

Judy only gave a grunt and a glare.

The white rabbit appeared unfazed. "Well rest assured. We will not be doing that today."

The answer was enough to soften Judy's glare.

"I will be conducting an evaluation on the treatments by asking a series of questions. I will then provide an assessment for future treatments. Do you understand everything so far?"

Judy weakly nodded.

"Good. Let us begin." He raised a sheet of paper. "First question. Are you sleeping well?"

"No…"

The white rabbit never took his eyes off the paper. "Can you explain why?"

Judy took a deep breath. "My body hurts from the treatment. I only fall asleep due to exhaustion."

Raymond scribbled some notes. "Next question. One of the symptoms you exhibited was body trembles. Since the treatment began, have you experienced any more trembles?"

"No…"

The white rabbit looked up from the paper and had a smile on his face. "Good. It appears that the ailment has been resolved." Raymond returned to the list of questions. "Now, onto the second ailment, do you still have nightmares from the war?"

"Yes."

"And has that also been affecting your sleep?"

"Yes."

"How often do you wake up from these nightmares at night?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering. "Thankfully, only once during the night."

"Do the nightmares have a recurring theme?"

Judy bit her lip as said recurring theme and its emotional pain came to mind. The rabbit closed her eyes and sucked in a breath before answering, trying to remain composed. "Yes."

The room became silent after her answer. Raymond continued to write down notes and analyze the information. Judy remained curled up in the wheelchair, trying to distract herself and hope that she could soon return to her room. Meanwhile, Jennifer maintained her professional appearance but wished the doctor could hurry up.

Finally, Raymond set down the papers and looked up at Judy. "Hmm, based on your answers, I believe a change in treatment is needed."

"Do you have something to treat these memories?" A curious tone in Judy's voice.

"Yes, but it will take time since I have to tailor the treatment to you. It should take no more than a week to create one. But should it take longer than expected, wait until Jennifer informs you."

While Judy was glad that she would no longer endure the shock treatments, there was still one concern on her mind. "I have to ask. Is this going to be painful?"

"That depends. Surely, you must understand that this is not a painless process."

Judy resisted the urge to grumble. "Never hurts to ask."

The confident smile returned. "You have nothing to be concerned about, Miss Hopps. The procedures will follow the same as the shock therapy. Lack of either success or progress will result in a change."

The grey rabbit would have rolled her eyes if they didn't hurt to move. "Joy…"

"We are done here for now," Raymond directed attention to Jennifer. "You may take Miss Hopps back to her room, Miss Tanner."

The tan rabbit nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

Jennifer first went to prop the door before returning to Judy and moving her out. She closed the door once she and Judy were outside, and the return trip to the latter's room was silent.

Upon arrival, Jennifer helped Judy onto the bed. The grey rabbit let out some pained grunts from moving, which the tan rabbit apologized for. The caretaker helped Judy drink water before taking a seat next to her.

"Thank you." Judy said before setting the cup down.

Jennifer smiled and nodded. "You're welcome."

There was a brief pause as Judy got comfortable on the bed.

"Normally I try to remain optimistic," Judy began. "But Dr. Wright's words and actions are making it very hard for that to happen."

"It's the nature of the work here," Jennifer said with resignation. "The doctors are more focused on the success than listening to any objections or concerns from the patients."

Judy gave a weak giggle and a smile. "I guess that's why we have caretakers and nurses like yourself."

Jennifer gave her a knowing look. "If the patients are fortunate."

"Right." Judy then carefully shifted on the bed, only wincing once from the pain. "I was wondering. Are soldiers the normal patients for Dr. Wright?"

"Only recently. Before the war, he focused on treating aggressive and violent patients."

"That explains his familiarity with me. Does that mean he works with predator patients as well?"

"To an extent, yes. From what I gathered while working under him, he's seeking the reason for why predators and prey can exhibit similar behaviors despite the differences. As you can tell from the interactions, it's a fascination for him, if not borderline obsessions. Regardless, the mammals who own this place are happy to have found one mammal who is not afraid of predators."

"Somehow, that gives me little hope, and I fought against terrifying predators in the war."

Jennifer leaned in closer with a serious look. "If you want advice, try to work with Dr. Wright with his treatments. I know you are a fighter, Judy, but going against him every step of the way may keep you here longer. Of course, do not just say yes to everything. Dr. Wright is not dumb. I say this only because I care."

The change in behavior and tone alarmed Judy, but after her experience, Jennifer had no reason to lie. "I'll take that under consideration. Thank you."

Jennifer nodded before standing up. "I must return to my duties now."

"Very well. I will see you soon."

The tan rabbit waved Judy goodbye before leaving her alone. She let out a deep breath and curled up in the bed.

Judy did feel grateful that her body no longer shook. She just hated the tradeoff. Knowing the electric shocks would be halted brought her small comfort. It was the treatment for the nightmares, which she hated to admit, concerned her. The only factor she could say for certain was the treatments likely involved pain. But what type of pain? What was Dr. Wright's goal for involving pain in the treatment?

Judy scrunched her face as she tried to shake away those fears. Whatever the white rabbit was planning, she would be ready for it. Once again, Judy repeated Nick's advice in her head.

Never let them see that they get to you.

If Nick could hide his pain for this long, so can I.


Much thanks to the folks at ZAA for their feedback and suggestions.