Broken Bunny Chapter Four, a zootopia fanfic

"Mmm." Judy mumbled as her nose twitched slightly at a pleasant scent that was wafting into the room.

"Wakey wakey." Gazelle quietly said as she poked her head in the door.

"Oh wow, I slept like a rock. How did you sleep Carrots?" Nick asked as he sat up and stretched.

"I actually slept pretty well, and it was all thanks to my fox." Judy answered as she hugged Nick.

"You're so clingy, even for a bunny." Nick chuckled as he patted her back. "How's the hand?" Nick asked as he looked at Judy's paw.

"It hurts, but I'll live." Judy answered with a smile.

"What happened to your hand?" Gazelle asked as she walked over to Judy.

"I freaked out last night, I slammed my hand into the mirror and got cut." Judy explained as she held her paw out to Gazelle.

"Oh Judy." Gazelle replied as she hugged Judy.

"I'm better now, thanks for the hug though." Judy thanked as she hugged Gazelle back.

"You're welcome. Now get up, I made pancakes." Gazelle informed as she walked out of the room.

"You sure you're doing okay today Carrots?" Nick asked as he slowly got out of bed.

"Yeah, right now I'm more sore than anything." Judy answered as she placed a paw on her chest.

"Okay, but if you feel like you need to talk, I'm here." Nick informed with a smile as he placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Thanks Nick. Now come on, I'm really hungry this morning." Judy replied as she hugged Nick, then slowly got out of bed. Nick smiled as he followed her out of the room.

"Good morning." Gazelle greeted as the duo walked into the kitchen, greeted by the scent of blueberry pancakes and the sight of Judy's family spread around the kitchen.

"Good morning." Judy replied as she stretched a little.

"Alright, which one of you are gonna be little heroes and let your big sis sit at the table?" Nick asked as he looked at all the chairs around the table, all of which were occupied by at least three to four small bunnies.

"It's okay, let them stay where they are Nick. They're already comfortable." Judy replied with a smile.

"But you have injuries and should be sitting; besides, you are their elder, and I know my nieces and nephews have good manners. Right kids?" Nick asked as he gave all of the little bunnies a wink.

"Yeah!" They all replied in happy tones, then one of them stood up on their chair.

"I'm a boy, so I'll give up my seat for my sister." One of the bunnies said as he stood up.

"I'll give it up." Another one said as he also stood up.

"So will I." A third bunny said as he stood up.

"I won't." Molly giggled as she nibbled on her pancake.

"Awe, thanks guys. Your big sister is gonna remember this on your birthdays." Judy thanked as all three of them got off their chairs and were immediately hugged by Judy.

"I want that glittery skunko pop you got." One of the bunnies said with a giggle.

"I'll see what I can find." Judy replied as she sat down.

"So how are you feeling today Judy?" Stu asked with a smile.

"Sore, really sore." Judy answered as she picked up her fork.

"Do you want some ibuprofen?" Nick asked with a straight face.

"I think I might need something a bit stronger, my hand is throbbing and my chest feels like it's being repeatedly struck with a bat. Everything kind of hurts right now, why does everything suddenly hurt all at once?" Judy groaned as she rubbed her chest.

"All of the various pain medications you were on wore off quite a while ago, the only thing keeping your pain at bay was the adrenaline you felt while in a state of fear." Gazelle explained as she rubbed Judy's back.

"That makes sense I suppose, but why is almost all of my pain in my chest? I hope I'm not having a heart attack." Judy asked as she looked at Nick.

"I doubt it, it's more likely than not that the bone in your chest is broken. Remember Judy, you were struck by a piece of metal that was traveling around seven-hundred miles per hour when it hit you. Vest or not, that's gonna leave a mark and then some." Nick answered as he took a bite of his pancakes. "Not to mention the fact that you needed several chest compressions at one point, so that only caused further damage to that chest bone." Nick added with a sad expression.

"Wow, I never thought of it like that. Oh my God, I can't believe how close I came to dying, Nick. They always say how your life flashes before your eyes, but the only flash I saw was the muzzle flash of her gun. Uh, I think I'm gonna be sick again." Judy quietly said as she looked down at her hands.

"Try to take a deep breath; the important thing is that you're here, you survived." Nick encouraged in a calm tone.

"Nick's right, what matters is that you're okay, Judy. Everyone's okay." Gazelle replied with a smile.

"But... But that's not true." Judy whispered as she closed and opened her paws a few times.

"Of course it is Judy, you're here, Gazelle and Nick are here, we're all here. So of course we're all okay." Stu replied with a smile.

"No. That's not true dad, not everyone is okay." Judy quietly said with a shaky breath.

"What do you mean Judy, who isn't okay?" Bonnie asked with a confused expression.

"That poor woman isn't okay, I killed her. I shot and killed that woman; she's not okay, and it's my fault." Judy quietly answered with a few tears.

"Judy, you did what you had to do. There was no other way." Nick replied as he stared at Judy.

"There had to be another way, Nick! I just wasn't smart enough to find it, no situation ever has to end with death! But I wasn't smart enough to find a different solution, I just killed her!" Judy yelled as she started to crumble into a panic.

"No you didn't, you tried to talk her down, you followed the hostage training to the letter. She wasn't stable, she shot you with almost no hesitation; and she would've done the same thing to Gazelle if you hadn't stopped her." Nick replied in a stern tone.

"You don't know that Nick." Judy cried in response.

"Yes I do, I know that she couldn't have been talked down; what you did was the only possible solution in that situation." Nick replied as he stared at Judy.

"How would you know anything, Nick?! You weren't there!" Judy screamed as she glared at Nick, but the anger quickly left as she slowly lowered her head and cried softly. "You weren't there." Judy quietly cried to herself. Nick could almost feel his heart shatter at her words, he'd felt so much guilt for not being there when Judy needed him, but to hear her actually say it, those three little words cut him deeper than any blade ever could have. "I felt so alone on that stage, staring her down, all but begging her to surrender peacefully. I was so sure that you'd show up when I needed you most, just like you always do; but you didn't, and I was all alone. I was so scared, I tried to be brave and not let it show, but I could barely keep myself from shaking. I kept looking behind her, thinking you'd be there to do one of your usual and confident walk right up like it's nothing things, and just save the day like you always have. That same dumb grin on your face as you disarmed and cuffed her, but you never came. You never came." Judy quietly cried. The table was silent as everyone stared at Judy, then she slowly got off of her chair and left the room.

"Judy." Nick whispered after she had left the room.

"Nick?" Gazelle asked as she looked at Nick.

"I feel so much guilt about not being there for her, she's my partner and best friend. She's right about everything, I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I never should've let her patrol on her own. Oh Judy, I'm so, so sorry Judy." Nick quietly said with a sniffle.

"Don't take what she said to heart, Nick. She's angry and sad, but deep down she doesn't blame you, she's said it herself on more than one occasion. Just give her some time." Bonnie encouraged as she placed her paw over Nick's.

"Deep down I know that's true, but right now I just feel awful. Whether she means it or not, what she said wasn't a lie, and that's what hurts most of all. What Judy said is true, I wasn't there for her, no one was. Almost the entire force was patrolling that concert, and not one other officer, myself included, was there for her when it really mattered. Just like the incident in Little Rodentia, no one was there for her. I took an oath to protect and serve when I joined the force, and that didn't mean just the public, but my fellow officers as well. I've now broken that oath that twice, we all have." Nick quietly replied as he wiped a few tears away.

"I don't know if what you're feeling is normal or not Nick, but what I do know is that you and Judy were both doing your jobs that day. You were where you were posted, and she was where she was posted; neither of you did anything wrong. Sometimes bad things just happen, and there's nothing we can do about it except try and find the best way through those things. What matters is that you're here for her now, give her time, she'll be asking for your support soon enough." Bonnie encouraged as she hugged Nick.

"I hope you're right Misses Hopps, because I just can't help but blame myself for what she's going through. I should've been the one to take that bullet and put that woman down, not Judy." Nick replied as he hugged Bonnie back. Bonnie silently comforted Nick for a few minutes before she heard the door slam.

"Judy?" Bonnie asked as she looked in the direction of the slamming door.

"Did she just leave?" Stu asked as he stood up. "Judy?!" Stu yelled as he walked towards Judy's room, looking around for her as he did so. Stu came back a moment later with a sad expression on his face. "She's gone." Stu quietly said as he stared at everyone.

"Where did she go?" Gazelle asked as she stared back at Stu.

"I have no idea." Stu answered with tears in his eyes.

Judy was quickly walking through the city, she was wearing a black hoodie, and she'd put the hood up to cover her face and ears. Her paws were in her pockets, and she was staring at the ground as she walked; to everyone seeing her walk past, she looked like someone you'd typically avoid. "So, running away huh?" A voice asked with a cruel chuckle.

"Shut up, just leave me alone." Judy replied as she kept walking, bumping into a few mammals as she did so.

"Don't be rude Judy, after all, it's not nice to talk so harshly towards yourself." The voice said with another chuckle.

"I'm not talking to myself, I'm talking to you. You fluffing psycho!" Judy quietly snapped as she stopped walking and stared at a large restaurant window.

"Are you? Are you really? Or are you the actual psycho here, talking to her reflection like it can actually respond." The voice replied, as the reflection in the window smirked at Judy. The reflection Judy saw wasn't hers though, it was once again the image of the sheep she'd killed at the concert.

"I don't care what you or anyone else says. You're haunting me, and I know it. Get out of my head you monster, why can't you just leave me alone and stay dead?" Judy quietly snapped at the reflection.

"For the same reason your special little fox told you before. You won't let me." The sheep replied with a low and dark laugh.

"Just shut up!" Judy screamed before punching the window, cracking the glass and causing everyone in the area to stop and stare at her.

"Temper, temper, Judy." The sheep said with another cruel laugh before vanishing.

"Hey! What's the matter with you, ya got a problem with juice bars or something?!" An kangaroo shouted as he stormed out of the restaurant.

"I-I'm sorry, I just... I..." Judy stuttered as she tried to find a way to explain herself. "I've gotta go." Judy said before turning and running away.

"What the heck lady?!" The kangaroo shouted as Judy ran off. Judy sprinted into an alley and collapsed to the ground, staring down at her reflection in a puddle.

"Wh-what is wrong with me? I don't understand what's happening to me, this can't just be trauma, right? I have to have some other issue, don't I?!" Judy yelled as she continued staring at her reflection.

"Oh I'm sure. It's probably a massive tumor in your tiny brain, or one too many blows to the head. It's definitely not because you're insane though, it's completely normal to speak to the dead." Her reflection replied with a smile.

"Now even I'm mocking me. I'm loosing it, all because some crazy sheep was too obsessed with Gazelle. Damn that woman, damn her for making me do what I did!" Judy shouted as she started to cry.

"Don't blame me, I didn't make you shoot me twenty times. You did that all on your own, look, I have a hole for each bullet you put in me." The sheep spoke as she replaced Judy's reflection in the puddle. "See, in my heart, my lung, or lungs I should say. You shot both of them at least twice each, that really hurt by the way. I kept trying to breathe, but for some reason I couldn't, it was almost as if someone had popped my lungs. Oh wait, you did pop them, like a balloon. Don't even get me started on my stomach, you put so much lead in my gut that the mammal doing my autopsy is probably still pulling bullets out of it. You ever hear the song by Wierd Al Yackovic about being trigger happy? That song could practically be your bibliography, Judy Hopps, the trigger happy bunny cop. You filled me with so much lead that you could have used me as a pencil instead. I slightly altered an actual set of lyrics by the way, look it up when you're done having your little break down. It's a great song, I used to love it when I was alive. Too bad I'm dead now, why am I dead Judy? Oh I know why, because you shot me." The sheep lectured as she stared back at Judy.

"Stop it! Just stop it! Leave me alone!" Judy cried as she shut her eyes.

"Awe, poor Judy. Are you gonna cry?" The sheep asked with a smile.

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up!" Judy screamed as she clutched the sides of her head, the noises of the city around her suddenly faded, replaced solely by the wicked laughter of sheep haunting her. "AAAAAAH!" Judy screamed at the top of her lungs, before clutching her chest and hyperventilating. Despite being so far out of sight down the alley, Judy's scream attracted the attention of more than a few mammals.

"Is everything alright down there?" A woman's voice echoed down the alley. When there was no response the woman decided to investigate, followed by several other mammals. "Oh my God. Someone call an ambulance, I think this woman's having a heart attack!" The woman shouted as she quickly knelt by Judy.

"I feel like I've seen this woman before." Another woman said as she stared at Judy.

"Yeah you're right, she looks really familiar." A third mammal replied as she stared at Judy.

"Oh my God, it's the donut cop!" The first woman replied as she stared at Judy.

"You're kidding, you mean the one from all those Zoo-Tube videos?" A fourth mammal asked as he looked at the woman, then back at Judy.

"Yeah, it's definitely her. Didn't she just get shot at Gazelle's concert the other day?" The third mammal asked as she looked down at Judy.

"Yes, so stop screwing around and call for help." The woman kneeling by Judy ordered as she gently grabbed her paw.

"Alright alright, don't get your fur in a knot." The other woman replied as she pulled her phone out.

"Officer, can you hear me?" The man asked as he stared at Judy.

"G-get her out. Get her out of my head. Please! She won't stop torturing me! Please, make her go away!" Judy cried as she continued to panic.

"This isn't a heart attack." The man suddenly said as he looked up at the woman with the phone.

"How would you know, you some kind of doctor or something?" The first woman asked as in a confused tone.

"No, but my brother's ex-military. I've seen this before, he was like this at times after he came back home. Some kind of traumatic episode, he'd talk to people that weren't there or talk about seeing things that weren't real. He had really bad P.T.S.D for the first year or so after coming home. I think that's what's going on with her, some kind of trauma related panick attack." The man explained in a sad tone.

"Is there anyway we can help her?" The third woman asked as she stared at Judy.

"What was her name again, Julie? Or something like that?" The second woman asked as she looked at the other mammals.

"Judy, that's her name. Judy." The man corrected in a calm tone.

"Judy. Judy can you hear me?" The first woman asked as she stared into Judy's eyes.

"I'm not a murderer! I'm not! I didn't wanna do it, I didn't want to! What did I do?! I killed her, I killed her and now she won't leave me alone!" Judy yelled through her tears.

"What do you mean she won't leave you alone, who won't leave you alone?" The second woman asked in a confused tone.

"Her! That crazy sheep, she's everywhere! I can't get away from her, no matter how far I try and run, she's always right there! I just want her to go away!" Judy shouted in a panicked tone.

"What do we do here?" The third woman asked as she looked to the man for guidance.

"I don't know, I only know what's wrong with her, I don't know how to help though. I couldn't even help my own brother, he had to see a specialist for almost a year before he really started to seem like himself again." The man answered as he stared at Judy with a sad expression.

"Don't most police and fire departments have someone that specializes in that kind of stuff?" The first woman asked as she looked at the man.

"I don't know, I don't really know anything about what she's going through or how to help her. I only know what I saw from my brother, but every case is different. I would suggest calling the police and letting them know that she's here, I'm sure someone's worried about her right now." The man suggested as he looked at the woman.

"I'll call the police and let them know, you guys keep an eye on her." The second woman informed before she stood up and walked away. The woman walked out of the alley and pulled her phone out, then she zoogled the number for the closest police station, which happened to be precinct one.

"Clawhauser, have you heard anything from Nick or Gazelle yet today? Everyone's curious about how Hopps is doing." Bogo asked as he walked over to Clawhauser.

"I haven't heard anything yet today, sir." Clawhauser answered in a sad tone.

"Let me know if you do." Bogo instructed as the phone on Clawhauser's desk started to ring.

"Of course chief." Clawhauser replied before answering the phone. "Z.P.D precinct one, how can I help you today?" Clawhauser asked in a polite and professional tone. "What? Where?!" Clawhauser asked into the phone, his professional demeanor quickly crumbling into one of concern. "Alright, we'll send someone immediately. Thank you ma'am." Clawhauser spoke before hanging up. "Chief!" Clawhauser yelled towards Bogo, who had already started walking away.

"What is it Clawhauser?" Bogo asked as he turned around and walked back over to Clawhauser.

"I have to go, someone just called and said they found Judy in an alley somewhere, apparently she was freaking out." Clawhauser informed as he got up from his desk.

"I'll drive." Bogo replied as he quickly started leading Clawhauser towards the garage. "Did they say anything else?" Bogo asked as he got in the first patrol car he saw.

"No, just that she was in some kind of distress and that she was freaking out." Clawhauser answered as he got in the vehicle.

"Freaking out? What do they mean by that?" Bogo asked as he started the vehicle and pulled out of the garage.

"I'm not sure sir, that's just what they said." Clawhauser answered with a sad expression.

"I guess we'll find out once we get there." Bogo replied as he continued driving.

"Chief, I just received a citizen complaint about someone vandalizing their business. The victim says a female rabbit punched and cracked the window of their store, location is near the shopping district just within the boundaries of presinct one's jurisdiction. Over." A woman spoke through the radio.

"That's one heck of a coincidence." Clawhauser said as he looked at Bogo.

"There's no such thing, Clawhauser." Bogo replied before grabbing the radio. "Dispatch, contact officer Wilde and have him come to that location immediately. Over." Bogo instructed in a firm tone.

"Chief, be advised, officer Wilde is not on duty at the moment. Records have him on family leave. Over." The woman informed in a calm tone.

"I'm aware of that, but I believe the suspect in question may be officer Hopps, Wilde has a better chance at getting through to her. Over." Bogo explained. There was a long and eerie silence in the car before the woman on the other end of the radio replied.

"Acknowledged, officer Wilde's been contacted and is en-route to the location; he'll be a good twenty minutes though. Both of you be careful, additional calls are coming in and reporting that officer Hopps's actions are becoming more erratic. Over." The woman warned in a firm tone.

"What do you think that means, chief?" Clawhauser asked with a worried expression.

"Nothing good, let's hope she isn't armed. Hopps is surprisingly good at hand to hand combat for someone so small and light, if she's in a panic then it'll be hard enough to restrain her if it comes to that, it'd be far worse if she were armed." Bogo answered in a slightly nervous tone.

"Oh Judy." Clawhauser whispered as he looked out the window. As the two continued driving to the scene, Judy's panicked state was only worsening.

"Judy, please listen to us. We're just trying to help." A deer calmy spoke as she tried to approach Judy, who after several other mammals had crowded around her, had scrambled underneath a dumpster in the alley.

"Get away from me, all of you! Just stay away from me!" Judy screamed as she moved further back until she bumped the brick wall the dumpster was pushed against.

"Maybe we should giver her some space, I think having too many mamals here is just making it worse for her." One of the original mammals suggested as she looked under the dumpster at Judy.

"She has a point, even the most docile of mammals have been known to attack when backed into a corner like this." Another citizen replied as he crouched down and looked at Judy.

"Do you really think she'd attack any of us?" The deer asked with some surprise as she stared at the man.

"Do you really wanna risk finding out?" The man asked in reply. The deer sighed before stepping back from the dumpster, followed by the rest of the crowd.

"It's okay, Judy, no one here wants to hurt you." The man calmly spoke as he backed up, while continuing to look at Judy. Judy was breathing heavily as she stared back at everyone with saucer sized eyes. Despite giving her some extra space, Judy was still terrified and unwilling to come out of her hiding spot.

"I hope those police officers get her soon, she needs a familiar face." The deer quietly said in a sad tone.

"Wh-where's my fox? Where's my fox?! Nick! Nick help me! Where are you?! Why aren't you here, you said you'd be here for me?! Why aren't you here Nick?! Why aren't you here?!" Judy cried as she continued to panic beneath the dumpster. Judy's outburst startled everyone, but before anyone could ask any questions a police car pulled up to alley.

"Officer!" One of the citizens yelled as he waved at the vehicle.

"Is she here?" Bogo asked as he and Clawhauser stepped out of the car.

"Yes officer, she's under the dumpster. The poor woman's terrified." The citizen answered as he lead Bogo and Clawhauser over to Judy.

"Hopps?" Bogo asked as he laid on the pavement and looked under the dumpster.

"Get away!" Judy screamed as she tried to scramble further under the dumpster, but she was already pressed against the wall.

"It's alright Hopps, everything's going to be fine." Bogo encouraged as he continued to stare at Judy.

"Don't come any closer to me! I'm warning you!" Judy screamed in a panic.

"Judy, don't you recognize us?" Clawhauser asked as he laid down and looked under the dumpster from the side.

"I said get away from me!" Judy screamed before desperately scrambling to find something to defend herself with.

"Judy it's me, Clawhauser. Don't you recognize me?" Clawhauser asked in a sad tone.

"I said get away!" Judy shouted before grabbing a rock and hurling it at Clawhauser.

"Ah!" Clawhauser yelled as the rock hit him in the nose.

"Clawhauser, are you alright?!" Bogo asked as he sat up and looked at Clawhauser.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Clawhauser replied as he rubbed his nose. "This is bad chief, you know I've been at the station almost as long as you have, and I've seen officers distressed like this after a shooting; but I've never seen any of them in a state like what Hopps is in." Clawhauser quietly said in a sad tone.

"We've never had an officer like Hopps on our force before, she's always been very compassionate, too much so for her own good at times. Most officers came into this job with slightly thicker fur, Hopps has never been one to ignore her emotions though. It's what makes her such a good officer, but it's a double edged blade. The shooting hit her hard, I'm no psychologist, but I wouldn't be surprised if what she had to do caused some kind of internal conflict. Poor Hopps may not even know who she is anymore." Bogo explained as he looked back under the dumpster at Judy.

"How do we help her then?" Clawhauser asked in a sad tone.

"I don't know if we can, she needs help from someone more qualified. The department has a trauma counselor on sight, the problem is going to be calming Hopps down enough to be able to safely get her to the station for help." Bogo replied as he continued staring at Judy.

"I'll give Nick a call and see how much longer he's gonna be." Clawhauser said as he reached for his phone, but he stopped when he noticed mammals in the crowd starting to jump slightly.

"Sorry. Excuse me, pardon me, coming through." Someone spoke as they pushed through the crowd.

"Thank goodness, I was just about to call you. What took you so long?" Clawhauser asked as he stared at Nick, who'd just broken through the crowd.

"Took me so long? You try getting halfway across town on a bus in fifteen minutes, especially when everyone's mad that you flashed your badge and told the driver to come straight here." Nick replied as he looked back at a bus, which was slowly pulling away.

"At least you're here. Now hurry up, Hopps needs you." Bogo informed as he moved aside so Nick could look under the dumpster.

"Hey Judy, what's going on?" Nick asked as he laid down and looked at Judy.

"N-Nick?" Judy asked as she slowly looked at Nick.

"I'm here Carrots, I'm right here. Tell me what's going on." Nick spoke in a calm tone as he gently reached his paw towards Judy.

"Sh-she's in my head, Nick. I killed her, but she's still alive in my head. Torturing me, every day and night. I... I can't take it anymore. I-I keep seeing her, Nick. She speaks to me, and she says such horrible things. Nick! I'm so scared that I feel sick from it! I feel so alone Nick! I feel so alone and lost! I just want it all to stop! Please Nick, please help me!" Judy cried as she held her arms out to Nick.

"It's okay Judy, I've got you." Nick whispered as he gently grabbed her, then pulled her out from under the dumpster and held her. "Shhh, it's okay. I'm here Judy, I'm here." Nick whispered as he gently swayed Judy in his arms.

"I... I need help Nick, I need help!" Judy cried as she buried her face in the crook of Nick's neck.

"It's okay Judy, we'll find you the help that you need. It's gonna be alright." Nick quietly replied as he held Judy tightly against his chest.

"We should bring her back to the station, the psychiatrist there is really friendly and helpful." Clawhauser suggested as he knelt down by Judy. Judy gasped the moment she caught sight of Clawhauser's face.

"Oh my God, what happened to your nose Ben?" Judy asked as she stared at the dried blood on Clawhauser's nose.

"Oh this? It's nothing, I tripped on the curb on my way into the alley. I'm fine though." Clawhauser lied with a smile.

"Are you sure? It looks really painful." Judy replied as she continued to stare at Clawhauser's bruised nose.

"It's nothing, it probably looks worse than it feels. Now come on, let's get you the help you need." Clawhauser replied as he gently took Judy from Nick. "I hope you don't mind me carrying you like this." Clawhauser said as he carried Judy towards the patrol car he and Bogo had shown up in.

"Not at all. I feel safe right now, safe and warm." Judy replied as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Clawhauser's neck.

"Don't be trying to steal my partner from me now, I'll fight you for her if I have to." Nick said as he walked alongside Clawhauser.

"Jealous fox." Judy giggled as she snuggled closer to Clawhauser.

"Alright, let's get back to the station, then I want you to go straight to the councilor's office, Hopps. The sooner you start to work through this the better." Bogo instructed as he lead everyone to the car.

"Yes sir." Judy quietly replied as she tightened her grip on Clawhauser.

"So, you gonna give me back my partner yet?" Nick asked with a smirk as they all got in the car.

"If that's what she wants." Clawhauser replied as he looked down at Judy, who smiled and nodded. "Alright, there you go Nick." Clawhauser giggled as he handed Judy to Nick.

"My fox." Judy quietly said as she snuggled against Nick.

"My emotional bunny. Don't worry Judy, it'll get better." Nick whispered as he gently scratched Judy's ears.

"I hope so Nick, but right now I feel like it'll never get better." Judy quietly replied with a sniffle.

"It always feels like that in the beginning; asking for help is the first and hardest step Judy, and you've already done that. It can only get easier from here, but it's still going to be a lot of work to heal. You're no stranger to hard work though, so you've got this." Nick encouraged as he hugged Judy.

"Thanks Nick, I can always count on you for support." Judy thanked as she started to fall asleep.

"Sleep well Judy." Nick whispered as he looked out the window. The drive to the station was quiet apart from a few frightened whimpers from Judy as she slept, but Nick just rubbed her back and whispered to her in order to help her calm down; and before he'd even realized it the car had come to a stop.

"Alright Wilde, let's get Hopps into the counselor's office, then I want you to take her home once her session is over with." Bogo instructed as he turned the car off.

"Yes sir." Nick replied as he quietly unbuckled himself, then he opened the door and carried Judy out of the vehicle and into the station.

"Hey Nick. Awe, she looks so cute." Fangmeyer chuckled as Nick carried Judy past him.

"Better not let her hear you say that, you know how bunnies are when other mammals call 'em cute." Nick replied with a giggle.

"It's a good thing she's out like a light then. How is she, it sounded like she had a real breakdown out there?" Fangmeyer asked with a sad expression.

"That's an understatement, poor Judy can hardly tell reality from visions anymore. That shooting really messed her up, I hope the counselor can help her at least a little bit." Nick replied as he gently hugged Judy.

"I'm sure Doctor Orttise can help her, she's very wise and experienced in trauma counseling." Fangmeyer encoruaged as he patted Nick's shoulder.

"I would hope so, she is a hudred and thirty years old after all. All that life experience has to ammount to something." Nick replied as he carried Judy towards a long hallway that lead to the rear of the station. Nick approached a basic wooden door at the end of the hallway and knocked in it.

"Come in." A soft and friendly voice instructed.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you Doctor Orttise, but do you have some time?" Nick asked as he walked into the room.

"Of course officer Wilde, what can I do for you?" Doctor Orttise asked with a smile.

"Actually, I'm here for her." Nick informed as he laid Judy on a couch across from the door.

"Ah, officer Hopps. I was wondering how much longer it'd be before I saw her in here." Doctor Orttise replied as she looked at Judy.

"Too long, unfortunately. Her family and I have tried to help her, but we don't know what to do. She ran off this morning and was eventually found by some citizens, she was in a state of panic when they found her. It was so bad that I think she attacked Clawhauser, he's such a kind mammal though that he wouldn't even admit it, he said he just tripped." Nick explained in a sad tone.

"Really? That's surprising to hear, her condition must be worse than the rumors suggested." Doctor Orttise replied as she looked at Judy.

"It's pretty bad, she has regular nightmares and flashbacks. She's shattered two mirrors and cracked a display window in the just the last few days, she's convinced that crazy sheep is talking to her." Nick informed as he looked down at Judy, who was starting to stir in her slumber.

"What you're describing sounds like a severe case of P.T.S.D, but Hopps is strong, she'll find a way to work through it; and she won't be alone." Doctor Orttise replied as she smiled at Nick.

"Never." Nick said with a smile as he rubbed Judy's head.

"Mmm. I don't wanna get up yet, I wanna cuddle with my fox." Judy mumbled as she rolled over.

"Well, I'll let you and her talk. If she needs me though, just have her call me. I'll be out by the bullpen." Nick informed as he quietly left the room.

"What? Nick?" Judy asked in a groggy tone, as she opened her eyes and looked around.

"Hello officer Hopps." Doctor Orttise greeted in a kind tone.

"How do you know my name, and where am I?" Judy asked in a nervous tone.

"Forgive me, I should introduce myself. My name is Doctor Tangi Orttise, and I'm the station councilor. You're currently in my office at Z.P.D precinct one." Doctor Orttise explained in a kind tone.

"Where's Nick?" Judy asked as she looked back at the door.

"He went back to the bullpen, but why don't we talk about you. It sounds like you're having a difficult day, officer Hopps. Care to talk about it?" Doctor Orttise asked as she grabbed a notepad and pen.

"Not without Nick. I want my fox! I want Nick!" Judy yelled as her breathing got faster and more panicked. Doctor Orttise observed Judy for a few seconds before taking a few notes, then she calmly stood and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. Doctor Orttise walked into the bullpen, where she found Nick typing away at his computer. "Officer Wilde, may I borrow you for a moment?" Doctor Orttise asked as she walked over to Nick.

"Of course, is Judy okay?" Nick asked as he spun around in his chair to face her.

"She won't open up without you in the room, though I suspect it's just because she woke up in an unfamiliar environment. I believe that once she sees you she'll calm down and we can actually get our session started." Doctor Orttise explained with a straight face.

"Of course, whatever I can do to help." Nick replied as he stood up, then he slowly followed Doctor Orttise to her office.

"Alright officer Hopps, I brought officer Wilde just like you wanted." Doctor Orttise informed as she and Nick walked into the room.

"Nick!" Judy yelled as she ran to Nick and leapt into his arms.

"Hey, hey, it's okay Carrots. I was just at my desk, you're okay." Nick encouraged as he hugged Judy.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm being really clingy right now; but I can't help it Nick! I'm so scared and confused right now. You're the only one I feel even somewhat safe around! Please don't leave me again Nick!" Judy cried as she clung to Nick.

"Come on now Judy, I know that's not true. You're just scared right now, but it'll get better. That's why you're here, to talk and get better." Nick encouraged as he gently set Judy on the couch.

"Yeah ,I guess so." Judy replied with a sniffle as she wiped her nose with her sleeve.

"Here, it's unbecoming of the city's hero to wipe snot on her sleeve." Nick chuckled as he pulled a tissue from a box that was on a table next to the couch.

"I'm sorry, that was pretty gross." Judy replied as she took the tissue and blew her nose.

"There, now that's the Judy I know. Clean and mostly propper." Nick chuckled as he rubbed Judy's head. "Now you relax and talk about whatever it is that you need to talk about, I'll be at my desk if you need me again." Nick said with a smile as he started walking away.

"Wait, you're not staying?" Judy asked as she watched Nick open the door.

"This is between you and Doctor Orttise, I'll be here if you need me, but this ultimately something that you have to work through. I can't hold your paw through it, but like I said, I'm here if you need me." Nick replied as he left.

"I don't understand. How can he be here for me if he literally just walked out on me?" Judy quietly asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"I think what he means is that what's going to happen in this session is between you and I, but at the same time he'll be there once you're done here. I honestly have to agree, it's preferable that it just be you and I, at least in the beginning." Doctor Orttise explained as she grabbed her notepad and pen.

"Alright, if that's what you think is best. So what happens now, I mean how do I start?" Judy asked as she stared at Doctor Orttise.

"Well, why don't we start from the beginning. Why are you here? What made you want to see me?" Doctor Orttise asked in a calm tone.

"I don't know, it was probably what happened earlier today. I blew up at my friends and parents this morning, then I left and just started walking." Judy explained in a sad tone.

"Where were you going, if I may ask?" Doctro Orttise asked as she took some notes.

"Nowhere specific, I just started walking, probably just hoping to calm down or something. I don't really know, it didn't matter anyways though, because she had to go and open her stupid mouth again." Judy answered, her tone slowly growing angry as she dug her fingers into the armrest of the couch.

"Who opened their mouth?" Doctor Orttise asked as she looked at Judy with a curious expression.

"Her! That damn psycho! That crazy sheep from the concert! She's always in my head, and my dreams! I see her constantly, even when I'm awake I can't get a break from her! She wouldn't shut up today, and I finally lost it. I cracked the window of some poor mammal's juice bar by accident. I didn't mean to do it, but she was just staring at me and mocking me! I couldn't take it anymore!" Judy yelled as she clenched her paws into fists.

"So you hear and see the woman you killed? How often does she appear to you?" Doctor Orttise asked in a soft tone.

"Everyday, normally more than once. I typically see her in reflective surfaces, but sometimes I see her at night when I'm trying to sleep. She stands at the end of my bed, sporting that same crazed look. All of the bullet holes in her body glow an off orange color for some reason. I see blood dripping from the holes, and it's smeared or splattered on her face as well. I can never tell if I'm dreaming or if I'm awake. The line between reality and my dreams just keeps getting fainter and fainter with each passing day. I feel crazy, but everyone keeps telling me that I'm not; Nick said that what I'm experiencing is common for trauma victims like myself. He said that he used to see things like that after his mom was killed in an accident." Judy quietly spoke before looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything about Nick. It's not my place to talk about his past like that." Judy apologized in a sad tone.

"Maybe not, but he made a good point. What you described is quite common in mammals who have been through trauma, even mammals involved in car accidents can experience flashbacks and hallucinations; and you were involved in a shooting where you were forced to take someone's life. It's an extremely common occurrence for mammals in your position to have flashbacks and visions, many other officers I've spoken with who have been in your shoes also experienced aspects of what you're going through. It's normal." Doctor Orttise explained in a soft tone.

"How long does it last?" Judy asked with a sniffle.

"It varies from case to case. The first step to moving past what happened though is to accept that it did, as well as that you can't change what happened. Once you've done that, the next step is one of the hardest, and that's forgiving yourself for having to do it." Doctor Orttise explained as she stared at Judy.

"Forgive myself? How could I ever forgive myself for what I did?! I killed that woman, I shot her dead! I wouldn't have had to kill her if I just would've tried harder! But instead I panicked and emptied my gun into her! She didn't have to die; but she did, all because I failed to do my job the right way!" Judy screamed before breaking down in tears.

"I read the report Judy, and I also watched the video of the shooting. What you did was justified, and everyone in the top brass agrees with your actions. You did your job exactly to the letter. You attempted to communicate and deescalate, and you even tried to show her understanding and compassion. That suspect was mentally unstable, she wouldn't have surrendered. You did the only thing you could've done, Judy." Doctor Orttise explained in a calm tone.

"UUUUH! I am so tired of hearing everyone say that! Don't you mammals realize that doesn't help me at all?! I don't give a fluff if what I did was justified or not, I killed that woman! Me! I became a cop to help mammals, to make the world a better place. I didn't work my tail off to go around playing God and killing mamals! I worked my tail off so that I could prevent those kinds of tragedies, not cause them." Judy cried as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in them. Doctor Orttise was quiet for a moment, pondering what she could say next. Years of studying and learning about the inner workings of the mind and how trauma affected it, all cultavated into one ever expanding sum of knowledge on the subject, left her with a nearly endless arsenal of strategies to connect with her patients.

"So you wanted to help mammals?" Doctor Orttise suddenly asked as she stared at Judy.

"Yes. Ever since I was a kid, being a police officer and helping others was my only dream. But who am I helping? My first day on the job was a disaster, I was a joke to everyone in this department. Nothing more than a literal diversity hire, and they made sure that I knew it." Judy replied with a sniffle.

"You helped this entire city, Judy. Despite being handed the smallest case file in the history of this department, you cracked the biggest case this city's ever seen; and you did it in two days, with virtually no department recourses. You helped more mammals than you can comprehend. So what if you were a diversity hire, it's not why you're here that matters, it's what you've done since getting here that matters. How many innocent predators would be locked up right now if it hadn't been for your work? Think about your partner, where would he be right now if it hadn't been for you?" Doctor Orttise asked with a smile.

"Nick's smart, he would've found his path. I don't know about the rest, but right now I don't care. All I know is that if I hadn't been here then that woman wouldn't be dead right now, and I wouldn't be suffering from this terrible pain in my heart." Judy quietly replied as she wiped some of her tears away.

"I suppose you're right, but you'd be suffering from a different pain instead; all of Zootopia would be suffering from that pain as well." Doctor Orttise replied with a smile.

"What are you talking about? What pain would the entirety of the city be suffering from without me?" Judy asked in a confused tone.

"Right now, all you're thinking about is who you killed; but you also need to think about who you saved. You took a bullet for Gazelle, and then you stopped that woman before she could kill her. What do you think would've happened to this city if Gazelle had died that day? She's more than just your average idol, whether you're a fan or not, it's undeniable that she's an inspiration to many, as well as a truly compassionate woman who's made great change in this society. I'm not sure if she told you or not, but all of the proceeds that she raised at that concert went to a charity that helps the families of injured and fallen first responders. Between the money from just the tickets, plus outside donations, she raised over a million dollars for that charity; and every penny of it went straight to the charity." Doctor Orttise explained with a smile. Judy was stunned to hear that, Gazelle hadn't said anything about the concert being anything charity related, she only knew that it was held in her honor.

"I... I don't know what to say, that's incredible. She never told me." Judy quietly said as she stared at Doctor Orttise.

"She likely never had a chance, but the reason there was so much raised had nothing to do with her or the size of the concert. The reason so much was rasied was because of you, Judy." Doctor Orttise informed with a smile.

"Me? But how?! What do I have to do with any of it?" Judy asked in a shocked tone.

"What happened at the concert was live streamed on Zoo-Tube, what you went through, as well as what you had to do, changed a lot of mammal's perspective on the world. Many anti police groups and activist groups saw first hand how dangerous your job was. They saw how hard you tried to talk to that woman, how desperate you were to find a nonviolent solution, only to be shot for your attempts at being mammalian towards that woman. The donations practically rained in after that." Doctor Orttise explained with a small smile. "I know that you regret doing what you did, regardless of whether or not you had any other choice; but the sacrifice you made that day helped save more than just Gazelle and members of the audience. What you did, as awful as it may have been, helped in starting to bridge an ever growing gap between the citizens and the police. It also raised money to help other mammals who are in your same shoes. I know that probably doesn't help much to hear, but I thought that it was important that you know that what you did wasn't wrong; and far less mammals will hold it against not just you, but other officers who have had to do the same thing." Doctor Orttise explained with a small smile. "Alright officer Hopps, I think that's good for today, unless you have anything else that you'd like to discuss." Doctor Orttise informed as she closed her notebook.

"I uh... No, thank you." Judy quietly replied with a sniffle.

"Alright then, I'll see you again next week. If you need to talk sooner or you're in a crisis, just call the station. If I'm not in then one of the other councilors will see you, they're all very nice and helpful." Doctor Orttise informed as she slowly stood up.

"Thank you." Judy quietly thanked as she held her paw out to Doctor Orttise.

"It was my pleasure, officer Hopps." Doctor Orttise replied as she shook Judy's paw. Judy smiled before leaving the room and walking to the bullpen, where she found Nick sitting at his desk.

"Hey Carrots, how are you doing?" Nick asked as Judy walked over to him.

"I'm exhausted." Judy replied as she climbed onto Nick's lap and hugged him.

"I believe it, but I bet you feel just a little bit better now. Don't you?" Nick asked as he wrapped his arm around Judy.

"Maybe a little." Judy replied as she snuggled closer to Nick.

"Would you two like the rest of us to give you the room?" Bogo's voice suddenly asked from behind them.

"Wow, really chief? That's so thoughtful and kind of all of you. Thank you." Nick replied with a cheeky grin.

"How are you feeling Hopps?" Bogo asked as he looked at Judy, completely ignoring Nick's statement.

"A little better sir." Judy answered with a smile.

"That's good to hear. Now for the bad news." Bogo said with a sad expression.

"What is it chief?" Judy asked in a nervous tone.

"I'm sorry to do this to you Hopps, but you haven't filled out a report of the incident yet. I know I'm asking a lot, but could you do that as long as you're here please?" Bogo asked with a straight face. Judy's ears fell at the thought of having to type up a report on what had happened, but deep down she knew this was coming.

"Uh... Y-yes, chief. I'll get that in right away." Judy quietly answered with a shaky breath.

"Thank you." Bogo thanked as he walked away. Judy took a breath to calm her nerves, then she climbed off of Nick's lap and walked to her desk. She logged in and opened a program to start her report. She was silent for nearly an hour as she slowly typed up her report, and Nick could see the fear and sadness in her eyes as she typed. "Nick?" Judy quietly asked without even looking over her monitor.

"Yeah Judy?" Nick asked in a kind tone.

"Do you... Do you remember how many rounds were exchanged? I don't know why, but I'm just suddenly drawing a blank. I can't remember how many times she or I fired our weapons." Judy quietly asked with a sniffle.

"You said that you emptied your firearm completely, and you carry a Glock, right? Specifically a G19-X?" Nick asked as he looked at Judy.

"Yeah." Judy whispered in reply.

"You keep a full mag plus one chambered?" Nick asked with a straight face. Judy lightly nodded her head yes. "Do you use the extended mags or the standard mags?" Nick asked with the same straight face.

"Extended." Judy quietly answered.

"Then twenty rounds were fired by you, and one by her." Nick answered in a calm tone.

"Thanks." Judy thanked with a sniffle as she continued typing. "Oh Nick, I feel like a monster. I can't believe I shot her so many times, why couldn't I stop pulling the trigger? She was probably dead by the first or second round." Judy quietly cried as she continued typing.

"It's common with self defense shootings. Everyone looks at these shootings in hindsight and gets angry about excessive force and stuff, but what they don't realize is how quickly you can empty a twenty round magazine when you're scared for your life. From the time she shot you to the time you fired your last round, less than fifteen seconds had passed. It wasn't anything you had control over, at least not for those few seconds that you were firing. Your adrenaline kicked in and you were running off of survival instinct." Nick explained with a straight face.

"I hate this, Nick. I don't wanna do this right now." Judy quietly cried as she let her head fall onto her keyboard with a thud.

"It's okay Judy, just save what you have and we'll go home." Nick instructed as he saved his own work and logged out.

"But the chief wants my report, Nick." Judy replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well he can wait. You need rest, they say you're not supposed to answer questions about incidents like this until you get at least three nights of good sleep; and you've hardly gotten any decent sleep since this happened." Nick informed as he walked over to Judy.

"I don't feel good, Nick." Judy said with a sniffle as she picked her head up off her keyboard.

"You probably need to eat, I don't think you've eaten at all today; and it's almost five o'clock. So you've gone almost..." Nick paused as he did the mental math in his head. "Seven or eight hours without eating! No wonder you feel sick right now." Nick said in a shocked tone as he stared at Judy.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Judy quietly replied with a sniffle.

"That's it, save what you have and log out. You need to eat and rest, you can do this another time." Nick instructed as he stared at Judy.

"But Chief Bogo..." Judy started to say, until Nick cut her off.

"Doesn't know that you haven't eaten in over seven hours. You need food and rest, you can finish this another time." Nick said as he leaned over Judy and placed his paw over hers, moving the mouse to save her report and log out of the computer.

"He's gonna be mad at me, Nick." Judy quietly said as she looked at Nick.

"No I won't." Bogo's voice informed from right next to her.

"AH!" Judy screamed as she literally jumped into the air, thankful to be caught by Nick as she started to fall back down.

"Sorry Hopps, I should've announced myself." Bogo apologized as he looked down at Judy.

"Ch-chief. You...scared me sir, what can we do for you sir?" Judy asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"You can go home and rest, and make sure to eat something. That's an order Hopps." Bogo answered as he stared down at Judy.

"But my report..." Judy started to say, until Bogo cut her off.

"Can wait, Nick is right, you need food and rest. Besides, it's not like you're that focused anyways. You can do this tomorrow or in a few days. Now go eat and get some rest, I'll see you and Wilde tomorrow." Bogo replied as he started walking away.

"Yes sir, thank you sir." Judy quietly thanked as she slunked off her chair.

"Come on Carrots, let's get some dinner." Nick said with a smile as he started walking with Judy.

"Okay Nick." Judy replied as she gently grabbed Nick's paw and held it.

"Don't worry Judy, it'll be okay." Nick encouraged as he squeezed Judy's paw.

"I wish I could believe that Nick, but I feel so broken." Judy replied with a sniffle as she and Nick headed for the front door.

"Hey you two, are you going home?" Clawhauser asked as the pair walked past his desk.

"As soon as I get old Carrots here to eat something." Nick answered as he gently placed a paw on Judy's shoulder.

"Well you both have a good night. Oh, and Judy..." Clawhauser said as he looked down at Judy, who slowly looked up at him. "I know it's not easy what you're going through, but we're all here if you need us." Clawhauser encouraged with a smile.

"I know, thanks Ben." Judy replied as she turned and started walking away.

"Take her somewhere nice Nick, shee needs a quiet evening with her fox." Clawhauser said with a smile as he looked at Nick.

"Don't worry Clawhauser, no Bug Burga for her tonight, I have somewhere else in mind." Nick replied with a grin, then he slowly followed Judy out of the station. The drive to the station was quiet apart from a few frightened whimpers from Judy as she slept, but Nick just rubbed her back and whispered to her in order to help her calm down; and before he'd even realized it the car had come to a stop.