Nick walked along side Judy as they left the department grounds and stepped onto a sidewalk. As they walked, Judy slowly reached up and grabbed Nick's paw, squeezing it tightly. Nick gently squeezed her paw in return, a silent gesture that he was there for her. "Ah, here we go. Taxi!" Nick yelled as he waved a passing taxi down. The taxi pulled up next to them and Nick opened the rear door. "After you." Nick said with a smile as he gestured Judy into the cab.
"Thank you." Judy quietly said as she got in the cab.
"Good evening madam, sir, where am I taking you folks tonight?" The leopard behind the wheel asked as he tipped his hat to each of them.
"Here please." Nick answered as he handed a small piece of paper to the driver.
"Ah, a very good choice for dinner, sir. I've dropped a lot of folks off there in my time, and the one's I've picked up have always come out beaming with joy." The driver chuckled as he started driving.
"Where are we going Nick?" Judy asked as she looked up at Nick.
"You'll see, just be patient." Nick replied with a smile.
"Fine. I'm too tired to play our little games right now anyways." Judy replied as she closed her eyes and laid her head against Nick's arm. Fifteen minutes passed before the cab came to a stop outside a fancy looking restaurant.
"Here you are folks." The driver informed as he put the cab in park.
"Thank you sir." Nick thanked as he reached for his wallet.
"Don't mention it buddy, and put that thing away, a free ride is the least I can do for the two of you; especially for her." The driver replied as he looked at Judy with a sad expression.
"Thank you sir, but I didn't do anything that special. I was just doing my job that day." Judy quietly said with a sad expression.
"That's not why I'm waving your fee, officer Hopps. I'm doing it because I'm bad at apologizing." The driver replied in a sad tone.
"I don't understand." Judy replied as she stared at the man.
"I'm not surprised that you don't recognize some random jerk like me, you met a lot of them that day. I was one of the monsters that laughed at you when you were trapped in that donut, and I'm sorry, I should've helped you. What I did was wrong, regardless of what experiences I may have had with other officers, I did to you what society did to me for so long. I assumed the worst of you just because you're a police officer, but I should know how wrong that is, especially with how I used to be viewed as a predator." The driver quietly apologized with a sad expression. Judy smiled at the driver as she held her paw out to him.
"I forgive you, and thank you." Judy thanked with a smile.
"Thank you, officer Hopps." The driver thanked as he shook Judy's paw. "Well, you two enjoy your evening. Have a good night." The driver said as Nick opened the door and got out of the cab, offering his paw to Judy as she started sliding out as well. "You two take care, and enjoy your dinner." The driver said as Nick closed the door, then he drove away.
"Alright Carrots, let's get some food in you." Nick said as he approached the restaurant and held the door for Judy.
"Thanks Nick." Judy thanked as she entered the restaurant.
"Welcome to Gigino's, how many are dining in your party tonight?" An ostrich in a tight black dress asked as Nick and Judy approached the hostess counter.
"Two please, reservation's under the name Wilde." Nick answered with a smile.
"Excellent, you can both follow me." The hostess informed as she started leading Nick and Judy to their table.
"My lady." Nick said with a smile as he pulled Judy's chair out for her.
"Thank you." Judy thanked as she sat down and Nick pushed her back in. Nick took a seat across from Judy as the hostess handed each of them a menu.
"Your server will be with you shortly." The hostess informed before walking away.
"Wow, this place is beautiful." Judy said with a smile as she opened her menu, almost gasping when she saw the prices.
"Don't even look at those numbers, Carrots. Your fox is treating tonight." Nick said with a chuckle.
"Nick I can't ask you to treat me to a place this fancy, these prices are ludicrous." Judy whispered as she closed her menu.
"It's a good thing you didn't ask then." Nick replied as he reached over and opened her menu back up. "Trust me Judy, if I couldn't afford it then I wouldn't have taken you here." Nick said with a smile as he looked over his own menu.
"Are you really sure, Nick? Because I don't care where we go, as long as you're with me." Judy replied with a smile.
"I feel the same way Judy, but I felt like you deserved a nice night after everything you've been through recently. So relax, order whatever you want, and just enjoy the night." Nick said as he placed his paw over Judy's.
"Thank you Nick, I don't deserve such a nice man in my life." Judy said with a smile as she rolled her paw so she could hold Nick's.
"Well I don't deserve such an amazing woman either, but yet here you are, my cute little bunny." Nick giggled.
"Good evening, my name is Sam and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I bring you an appetizer or something other than water to drink?" An otter informed and asked with a smile as she walked over to the table.
"I think I'll have a glass of carrot juice please." Judy answered with a small smile.
"Okay, and for you sir?" Sam asked as she wrote down Judy's drink.
"I'll take a grasshopper martini please, shaken, not stirred." Nick answered with a smile.
"Coming right up." Sam replied as she walked away.
"So Carrots, do you have an appetizer in mind?" Nick asked with a smile.
"Would it be okay if we got the garlic cheese bread please?" Judy asked with a small smile.
"You read my mind." Nick replied with a chuckle.
"Thank you so much for this Nick, I had no idea how badly I needed a quiet night like this." Judy quietly thanked with a small smile.
"It's my pleasure Judy, I'm just glad to see a smile on your face again." Nick replied with a smile of his own.
"Has it really been that long?" Judy asked with a giggle.
"For someone like you, yes, It's been a long time Judy." Nick answered as Sam came back with their drinks.
"Alright, I have a glass of carrot juice for the lady, and a shaken, not stirred, grasshopper martini for the gentleman. Can I get you two anything else right away, or are we still looking over those menus?" Sam asked with a smile as she set their drinks in front of them.
"Yes, we would like an appetizer of the garlic cheese bread please." Nick answered with a smile.
"Excellent choice, that's one of our most popular appetizers. I'll get that in while you two decide on your meals." Sam replied as she walked away.
"I think I'm going to get the super veggie salad with shredded carrots and Italian dressing for my meal." Judy said with a smile as she set her menu aside.
"You and your veggies." Nick giggled as he looked at the menu one more time. "I think I'll get the grilled bug patty with sautéed onions and a barbecue whiskey glaze." Nick informed as he closed his menu.
"Oh, fancy." Judy said with a smile.
"I try, Carotts, I really do." Nick replied with a playfully snobby expression, causing Judy to chuckle.
"Thank you for this, it means a lot to me Nick." Judy quietly thanked with a soft smile.
"Don't mention it Judy, I'm just glad to see you happy again." Nick replied as he placed his paw over Judy's.
"I know I've been a pain lately. I've been crabby and clingy, hard to understand; sometimes all I want to do is be held by you, and other times I'm throwing books and telling you to go away. I'm sorry I've been such an emotional storm lately, I'm just not coping well. I'm always so scared now, and I can hardly sleep anymore. I feel so broken, Nick." Judy quietly cried.
"That's okay Judy, what you're going through isn't something that's just gonna heal overnight. But no matter how long it takes, whether it be weeks or years, I'll be right by your side. We're partners Judy, we don't run when the other one is struggling. I'll stand by you no matter how emotional or angry you might get, just like you'd stand by me." Nick replied in a soft and caring tone. Judy couldn't help the tears that started to form in her eyes, she didn't want to make a scene, but every atom of her being was screaming to just throw herself into Nick's arms and hug him as hard as she could.
"I wanna hug you, but I don't wanna embarrass us or make a scene." Judy chuckled as she wiped a few tears away.
"Who cares what anyone else says. If my bunny needs a hug then my bunny gets a hug." Nick replied as he stood up and walked over to Judy, then he picked her up and hugged her so tightly that her back made a few popping sounds. "Oh, sorry! I hope I didn't just hurt you." Nick apologized as he set Judy down.
"Are you kidding, my back hasn't felt this good since before I ended up in that donut. Oh thank God, I've had a horrible kink in my lower back for the past three days. Thank you so much Nick." Judy thanked as she stretched a little bit.
"You're welcome. Why didn't you say something?" Nick asked as he sat back down.
"Because I'm a dumb and awkward bunny." Judy answered with a giggle.
"Well, I can't argue with that." Nick replied with his typical grin.
"Okay, one order of garlic cheese bread; be careful, it's still pretty warm." Sam informed as she carried a tray with the garlic cheese bread over to the table.
"Wow, thank you. It looks delicious." Judy thanked as she took a deep inhale of the heavenly aroma wafting from the bread.
"Have you folks decided on your meals for tonight?" Sam asked as she set a plate in front of each of them.
"After you." Nick said as he gestured to Judy.
"Oh, thank you. I would like the super veggie salad with shredded carrots and Italian dressing please." Judy informed as she handed her menu to Sam.
"Sounds great, and what can I get for you sir?" Sam asked as she looked at Nick.
"I would like the grilled bug patty, cooked medium rare, with sautéed onions and a barbecue whiskey glaze please." Nick answered as he handed his menu to Sam.
"Superb choice, that's one of my personal favorites." Sam replied as she took Nick's menu from him. "Is there anything else either of you would like? Any drink refills?" Sam asked in a kind tone.
"No, thank you." Judy replied with a smile.
"Alright, then you two enjoy your appetizer and I'll be back with your meals in a little bit." Sam said as she walked away.
"Wow, that looks delicious." Judy said as she grabbed a piece and placed it on her plate.
"It sure does." Nick replied as he also grabbed a piece. They each silently ate their cheese bread until it was all gone.
"Oh my God, did I really eat half a loaf of bread smothered in cheese?" Judy asked as she looked at the empty plate between her and Nick.
"Well, it was a small loaf, so it was probably more like a quarter loaf." Nick replied with a chuckle.
"Uh, I feel so fat now. But so happy at the same time." Judy giggled as she patted her stomach.
"Well you don't have to worry, you're far from fat. Unless you count your ego." Nick replied with a chuckle.
"Witty fox. Besides, if my ego's fat then yours is obese." Judy chuckled as she stretched a little bit.
"I try to make it diet, but everyone just keeps feeding it." Nick replied with a cheeky smile. Judy couldn't help but laugh a little at that reply.
"This has been a wonderful evening Nick, I feel so much better than I did earlier. Thank you for this." Judy thanked with a soft smile.
"You're welcome Judy, I'm glad to see more of your usual happy self coming out. I've missed her." Nick replied with a smile of his own.
"I have too, Nick." Judy quietly said as she stared into Nick's eyes.
"Alright folks, I have one super veggie salad with shredded carrots and Italian dressing, and one grilled bug patty with sautéed onions and a barbecue whiskey glaze." Sam informed as she carried a tray and tray table over to them, then set it up and passed out their meals.
"Wow, this is the prettiest salad I've ever seen. Thank you so much." Judy thanked as she looked down at her salad.
"You're quite welcome, can I get either of you anything else?" Sam asked as she grabbed the tray and folded the tray table.
"Can I get another carrot juice please?" Judy asked as she held her empty glass up.
"Of course, and would you like another martini sir?" Sam asked as she took Judy's empty glass.
"No thank you, anymore and she'll be dragging me home." Nick answered with a chuckle. "I'll just take a water please." Nick said with a smile as he handed the empty glass to Sam.
"Alright, I'll be back momentarily with those drinks." Sam replied as she walked away.
"Well, bon appétit." Nick said as he picked up his burger, while Judy tossed her salad. Nick took a bite of his burger as Judy continued tossing her sald. "Oh, that's a superb burger. Mm, that's good enough to give Bug Burga a run for its money." Nick said as he took another bite.
"Ha, nice try Nick. No one beats Bug Burga." Judy replied as she took a bite of her salad.
"Oh yeah?" Nick asked as he held the burger out to Judy. "Tell me that after biting it." Nick said with a grin. Judy looked at him for a second before shrugging her shoulders and taking a small bite of the burger.
"Oh wow. Okay, I admit it, that thing is delicious. I almost regret getting a sald now." Judy replied as she quickly licked the sauce from her lips.
"Do you want some more?" Nick asked as he took another bite.
"No thank you Nick, but I'm definitely getting that if we ever come back here." Judy replied as she ate more of her salad.
"Wow, you really are hungry." Nick chuckled as he watched Judy shovel in her salad with a surprising amount of both grace and vigor.
"That's the biggest understatement of the day, if we hadn't gotten the bread before hand, I probably would've ordered a burger as well." Judy replied as she finished her salad.
"If you're still hungry you can get something else." Nick informed as he finished his burger.
"Oh no thank you, I'm pretty good after the bread and salad. Though I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't thinking about a dessert." Judy replied with a small blush.
"I would be ashamed of you if you weren't." Nick replied as he waved to Sam.
"Yes sir?" Sam asked as she walked over to the table.
"Do you have any desserts?" Nick asked in a kind tone.
"Of course sir, we have ice cream, a few different flavors of cake, and my personal favorite, vanilla crème brûlée." Sam answerd with a smile.
"What's that last one?" Nick asked in a curious tone.
"So that one's a custard based dish with a layer of sugar that's been carmalized with a torch, then topped with whipped cream and fruit." Sam explained with a smile. Nick and Judy both looked at each other with grins.
"We'll take two please." They both said simultaneously.
"An excellent choice, that'll be out shortly." Sam informed before walking away.
"Oh Nick, this has been a wonderful evening, I'm so thankful that you took me out to dinner like this. I haven't felt this at ease since before my encounter with Duke, thank you Nick." Judy thanked as she placed her paw over Nick's.
"It was my pleasure Judy, I missed that smile of yours. You just don't look like yourself when you're not smiling." Nick replied as he patted Judy's paw with his free one.
"Nick. There's something I should tell you, something that I've wanted to say for a while. I just... I'm not... Oh, this is so hard for me. Why can't I just say it?" Judy spoke as she tried to find the words.
"Because you're adorably awkward?" Nick asked with a cheeky grin.
"Uuuuuh! That's not helping me." Judy playfully whined as she rolled her head back.
"Whatever it is Judy, as long as it comes from the heart and you mean it, it doesn't matter how you say it. Whatever it is just say it, you've got this Carrots." Nick encouraged as he squeezed Judy's paw a little harder.
"Okay." Judy replied before taking a deep breath. "I want you Nick, I wanna fill you with love and I want you to fill me with love as well!" Judy quickly said with an awkward smile, which quickly turned into a face of shock. Nick just stared at her with a surprised expression for a moment.
"Wow. Okay, I did not expect that. Is that uh... Is that a bunny way of asking for the party to continue after dinner or something?" Nick asked in a confused tone.
"WHAT?! No! That's not what I... Fluff! Why am I so bad at this?!" Judy yelled before lightly slamming her head on the table. Nick just started chuckling as he patted Judy's shoulder.
"It's alright Carrots, you should've heard my first pickup line as a kid. Take another crack at it, I'll try not to laugh too much." Nick replied with a chuckle. Judy took a deep breath before lifting her head from the table.
"Okay. Nick, you're very special too me; and over the last few months since we first met I've come to realize just how special you are too me. You make me smile and laugh, you're always there for me when I need you, even when I'm a pain in your butt. I guess what I'm trying so hard to say is, I really like you Nick; actually, I think I love you." Judy quietly said with a small blush.
"You know what Judy, I love you too. No matter how awkward you are, you'll always be my bunny." Nick replied as he walked over to Judy and hugged her, then placed a small kiss on her cheek. Nick and Judy held each other for a moment before the sound of a sniffle caught their attention.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to walk in on that beautiful moment. I just wanted to bring you your desserts." Sam informed as she took her glasses off and wiped her eyes with a cloth. Nick and Judy stared at her for moment, feeling extremely embarrassed and awkward at having been caught in such an intimate moment together. "I'm sorry, now I've made you both uncomfortable. Don't worry though, I'm a supporter of interspecies relationships. Some folks find it weird, but I don't care." Sam said with a smile, which quickly disappeared. "Well, I just made that much more awkward than it need to be. See Sam, this is why you're still single; and now you're talking to yourself." Sam loudly whispered to herself.
"Don't worry about it, I'm the queen of awkward right now. Besides, a kind young woman like you won't be alone forever, especially if you don't focus on a single species. Focus on being a good mammal, the right partner will find you. Just like mine found me." Judy encouraged as she got up and hugged Sam.
"Awe, you're so sweet, you both are. Thank you officer Hopps, officer Wilde." Sam replied as she hugged Judy back. "Okay, back into work mode. I have two crème brûlées with whipped cream and fruit on top." Sam said with a smile as she let go of Judy, then set a plate in front of each of them.
"Oh wow, that looks incredible. How do they do this?" Nick asked as he tapped his spoon against the solid top of the crème brûlée.
"It's actually really cool. So they sprinkle a single layer of sugar across the custard, then they use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar. That's what makes the solid texture and glass like appearance." Sam explained, as Judy climbed back onto her chair.
"That's really neat to know, I can't wait to taste it." Judy said as she gently stabbed her spoon into her dessert, receiving a satisfying cracking sound as the spoon broke the layer of solid sugar.
"Oh my God, this is absolutely devine. It's got a smooth texture with a nice sweet flavor, mixed with a fruity essence from the pieces of fruit on top. There's even like a sweet smoky-ish flavor from the caramelized sugar. This is the best dessert I've ever tasted." Nick said in a joyful tone as he took another bit.
"Really? I'm glad you enjoy it sir, and how is it for you ma'am?" Sam asked as she looked at Judy.
"Oh my God, this is best dessert I've ever had. I could eat my weight in this thing and have room for more." Judy answered as she continued eating.
"I'm glad you're both enjoying, and I'm sure the chefs will be just as glad to hear it as well. I'll let you both enjoy, and let me know if either of you need anything else." Sam replied with a smile as she walked away.
"Wow, you're really going to town on that thing." Nick chuckled as he watched Judy all but lick the now empty bowl.
"I'm sorry, I must look so uncivilized right now. It's just so delicious though, plus I've been craving sweets like crazy. Maybe that's why I've been so bitter lately, I haven't had enough sweets." Judy chuckled as she set her now spotless bowl aside.
"Better be careful Carrots, keep that up and you'll start looking like Clawhauser." Nick said with a smirk.
"Would you still love me if I did?" Judy asked with a grin.
"Now what kind of question is that, I'd love you if you were the size of an elephant." Nick answered with a smile.
"Thanks Nick, I love you too." Judy replied as she placed her paw over Nick's.
"You want mine, I'm pretty full?" Nick asked as he pushed his bowl towards Judy.
"No thank you." Judy replied as she looked down at the bowl, then back at Nick, who just raised an eyebrow at her. "Is it that obvious?" Judy asked with a nervous expression.
"Well let's put it this way, even someone as dumb as Duke could've figured it out." Nick replied with a grin.
"Alright I confess, I'm a sweetoholic right now. Thanks Nick." Judy thanked as she started eating what was left of Nick's dessert.
"You're welcome Judy." Nick replied with a smile as he watched her eat. Judy finished the dessert and set the bowl aside.
"Oh my God Nick, why did you let me do that?" Judy asked as she rubbed her stomach a little.
"Because I wasn't gonna eat it, and we obviously can't bring it with us. It would melt." Nick answered with a small smirk.
"You probably just want me to get fat." Judy giggled in reply.
"Guilty as charged officer, you'd best slap the cuffs on me right now." Nick replied as he held his paws out, making Judy laugh.
"This was such an amazing night Nick, I feel so at peace right now. I haven't felt this good in ages, thank you for this, Nick." Judy thanked as she closed her eyes and let out a content sigh.
"You're welcome Judy." Nick replied as he leaned back in his chair as well.
"Would you mind if I ran to the restroom real quick?" Judy asked as she sat up.
"Those rich flavors already tearing through you?" Nick asked with a grin.
"Like a super laser. I'll be right back." Judy answered as she quickly walked away.
"Man, and she said I was gross." Nick chuckled to himself. Judy used the restroom then started washing her paws.
"Fun night?" Someone asked in a sarcastic and teasing tone.
"Shut up, I'm not letting you ruin this evening for me. Go back to hell where you belong, you psycho." Judy replied as she turned the sink off and looked in the mirror, staring at the haunting image of the dead sheep once again.
"Better a psycho than a cold blooded killer." The sheep replied with a grin.
"Says the woman who shot me, then tried to kill Gazelle immediately afterwards." Judy replied as she turned her back to the mirror and dried her paws.
"Better be careful Judy, I had a lot of friends." The sheep replied with a giggle.
"What are you saying?" Judy asked as she turned around, startled to find that the sheep was gone. "Let it go Judy, let it go." Judy said to herself as she left the restroom.
"Hey Judy. The check's taken care of, so whenever you're ready to go just let me know." Nick informed as Judy walked over to the table and sat next to him, then laid her head against his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright? You're shaking." Nick asked as he gently pulled Judy into a hug.
"I don't wanna talk about it, I just wanna enjoy our evening." Judy quietly replied as she hugged Nick back.
"Are you sure? Talking might help." Nick quietly said as he rubbed Judy's back.
"I don't wanna talk about it right now, I just wanna be with my fox." Judy replied with a sniffle as she cuddled closer to Nick.
"I understand Judy, I'm here if you change your mind though." Nick said with a smile as he hugged Judy.
"Thank you Nick." Judy thanked as she continued to bask in the feeling of her fox against her body.
"You wanna take a walk?" Nick asked in a kind tone.
"Yeah, I'd like that." Judy replied as she lifted her head from Nick's chest.
"Come on Carrots." Nick said with a smile as he gently grabbed Judy's paw, then started walking out of the restaurant with her.
"Have an excellent evening you two." Sam said as she waved goodbye to them.
"You too Sam, and thank you so much for such a lovely evening. You were a great waitress." Judy replied as she waved back, then walked out the door with Nick. "Oh, her tip! I was supposed to tip!" Judy said as she started to turn around.
"Don't worry, I got her covered." Nick replied as he placed his paw on Judy's shoulder and spun her back around.
"Thank you Nick, did she get a good tip? I'll pay you back for it." Judy asked with a smile.
"Are you sure you wanna do that, I tipped really well?" Nick asked with a grin.
"How well is really well?" Judy asked in a nervous tone.
"Well Judy, since you bunnies are so good at multiplying, I'll let you figure it out. The bill was about one-hundred and eighty dollars times forty percent. So what was the tip?" Nick asked as he looked down at Judy.
"That would be seventy-two dollars." Judy quickly answered with a smile.
"That's correct, you win a prize." Nick said with a smile.
"What do I win?" Judy asked with a giggle.
"A beautiful late night stroll through the park with the one and only Nicholas P. Wilde." Nick answered with a grin.
"I couldn't have asked for a better prize. This has been one of the best, no, the best, night of my life; and it's all thanks to you, my wonderful fox." Judy said with a smile, as she jumped up and placed a kiss on Nick's cheek.
"You know what Judy, this has been the best night ever for me too." Nick replied as he scratched Judy's ears, receiving a light moan as she thumped her foot against the sidewalk. "You really like getting your ears scratched, don't you?" Nick asked as he continued scratching Judy's ear.
"Yes, it always makes me feel so happy and safe. Especially when it's you scratching my ears." Judy answered with a giggle.
"You're adorable, did you know that?" Nick asked with a smile as he stopped scratching Judy's ears.
"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do." Judy answered with a small smirk. Nick couldn't help but laugh a little at that reply.
"Best be careful Carrots, you're becoming more and more like me all the time." Nick said with a grin as he lead Judy down a path that weaved through a park.
"Is that a bad thing?" Judy asked with a smile.
"Depends who you ask, I'm sure old buffalo butt wouldn't be too happy having two of me at the office." Nick chuckled as he held Judy's paw.
"I wouldn't either, having to choose between two of you? I wouldn't wanna break the other one's heart." Judy replied as she gently squeezed Nick's paw.
"You're too nice Carrots, but that's what makes you so great." Nick chuckled as they continued walking. They passed a few other mammals as they walked, some of them recognized the two from the news and greeted them before chatting, while others just politely nodded their heads as they silently walked past. To Judy and Nick's joy, no one seemed to care that the two were on an obvious date.
"Wow, the world sure has changed in just a few months." Judy said with a smile as she looked up at Nick.
"It sure has, and I'm glad for it. It's nice to be treated like a normal mammal, I almost don't remember what it was like before this point." Nick replied with a smile, as his mind drifted to the hardships of his past, which had now all but vanished under the weight of the love he received from his favorite bunny. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice Judy's pained yelp.
"Ah!" Judy yelped as she slammed her paw against the side of her neck.
"You okay?" Nick asked with concern as he looked at Judy, who was still clutching the side of her neck.
"Ah. Nnng." Judy groaned as she dropped to all fours.
"Judy, what's wrong?" Nick asked as he knelt by Judy, but Judy just kept groaning as she tightened her paws into fists. A rustle in a nearby bush caught his attention, and as he looked closer, he could see what looked like a faint glint from within the bush.
"Target hit, time to report in." A mammal said to themselves as they flipped the safety on a pistol, then ran out of the bushes.
"Hey, stop!" Nick shouted as he watched someone in all black clothes run off into the park, before disappearing into a patch of woods.
"AAAAAH!" Judy shouted as she hunched her back and dug her fingers into the ground.
"Someone call an ambulance!" Nick shouted as he knelt by Judy. "Judy! Judy look at me, it's gonna be okay! Let me see the wound." Nick instructed as he felt for the spot Judy had been hit. He felt a wet spot around her neck and pulled his fingers back, expecting to find them covered in red blood; insted when he looked at his fingers, all he saw was blue. "Oh no." Nick quietly said as he stared at Judy, who suddenly snapped her head up, staring at him with soulless eyes.
"RAAAAR!" Judy screeched as she leapt at Nick, madly snapping and swinging at him as he held her back.
"Judy! Judy it's me, it's Nick!" Nick shouted as Judy flailed in his grasp, kicking and swatting like crazy.
"What's going on?!" Someone in the slowly growing crowd asked as she looked at another mammal.
"I don't know! One moment these two were casually walking, and the next moment the bunny went crazy and tried to attack the fox!" The second mammal replied as he watched the chaos between Nick and Judy.
"Oh my God, that bunny's gone savage!" Another mammal shouted as he stared at Judy.
"Ya think?!" Nick shouted as he tried to roll Judy to the side and pin her down, but she was much faster, and had better maneuverability than him. She quickly slipped out of his grasp and lunged at the first mammal she saw in the crowd. The mammal leapt to the side, creating an opening in the crowd, one that Judy instantly used to escape through.
"Judy!" Nick yelled as he reached for Judy, watching as she ran off into the distance. "No." Nick quietly said as he watched her disappear.
"Oh my God, are you alright sir?" An elephant asked as he knelt by Nick.
"No! No I'm not, my partner just ran off! I have to call Bogo and get a perimeter set up before she gets too far or hurts anyone." Nick groaned as he got to his feet, clutching a large gash on his left arm.
"Oh my goodness, sir you're bleeding, really bad." A beaver said as she watched blood run down Nick's arm and drip to the ground.
"I'll live. I have to call Bogo and establish a perimeter, if Judy gets too far she could end up hurting herself or others." Nick replied as he whipped out his phone.
"I miss you too my lovely little super star." Clawhauser giggled as he talked on the phone. "I love you more." Clawhauser said with a giggle.
"Clawhauser, are you on the department phone with your girlfriend again?!" Bogo shouted from his office.
"Of course not chief!" Clawhasuer yelled back before covering the mouth piece of the phone. "I'm in trouble, I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, my little Gazelly welly." Clawhauser whispered before hanging up.
"Clawhauser." Bogo said as he walked over to Clawhauser's desk.
"Am I in trouble chief?" Clawhauser asked with a nervous smile. Bogo just groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The phone started ringing again and Clawhauser quickly answered it. "Z.P.D, how can we help you tonight?" Clawhauser asked in a polite tone. Clawhauser's happy expression quickly vanished as he listened to the caller.
"Clawhauser?" Bogo asked as Clawhauser gently hung up the phone.
"That was Nick." Clawhauser quietly said as he looked up at Bogo.
"Oh great, now what happened?" Bogo asked as he let out an annoyed sigh.
"It's Judy, she... She's gone savage." Clawhauser quietly said as he stared at Bogo.
"Savage? Hopps?" Bogo asked in a surprised tone, but he burst out laughing a moment later. "That has got to be Wilde's worst prank yet, of all the ridiculous stories he could've made up, that was his best one? Oh that's just sad." Bogo replied as his laughter slowly faded into a chuckle.
"Chief!" Fangmeyer yelled as he ran over to Bogo.
"What is it Famgmeyer?" Bogo asked as he turned around to face him.
"There are calls coming in from all over the shopping district, apparently there's a savage rabbit on the loose. They're tearing through anyone and anything in their path." Fangmeyer informed as he handed a note to Bogo.
"I don't believe it. Wilde was telling the truth." Bogo quietly said as he looked at Clawhauser. He crumpled the note a moment later and threw it in the trash. "I want every available officer sent there immediately, and I want a two mile perimeter established around the area! Clawhauser, call the lab and have them send up several antidote rounds for the tranq gun, then call the hospital and tell them to prep a room." Bogo ordered as he rushed towards the garage.
"On it chief." Clawhauser replied as he picked up the phone. Bogo got in a transport vehicle with several other officers, then they sped out of the garage towards the location the calls were coming from. After a few minutes they came to a stop near the park's entrance, where they found Nick sitting on the bumper of an ambulance as a goat looked him over.
"I said I'm fine, I have to go after Judy." Nick said as he swatted the medic's hoof away.
"Wilde." Bogo said as he rushed over to Nick.
"Chief, thank goodness. Please, tell me that someone found Judy." Nick said as he stared at Bogo.
"I'm sorry, but she's moving fast. We're setting up a large perimeter, but we haven't caught her yet." Bogo informed as he placed a hoof on Nick's shoulder.
"I don't even know what happened. Everything was going so well, she was so happy tonight. Then we went for a walk and she went nuts. We must've been being watched or something, that's the only way anyone could've known where we were going after dinner." Nick said in a sad tone.
"We'll find her, but I need you to tell me as much as you can remember." Bogo instructed in a kind but firm tone.
"Okay. After we left I took her straight to dinner, we took a cab and the driver was really nice, he even apologized to Judy about not helping her during her little donut incident. He dropped us off at Gigino's and we were seated, the waitress was extremely kind, and the atmosphere was calm, I didn't notice anyone or anything suspicious. We ate, paid, then left to take a walk. We walked through the park for maybe ten minutes before Judy slapped her paw over her neck. I noticed something glistening in the bush, then someone in all black clothes ran out of them a moment later. I didn't even see what species they were, my attention was drawn to Judy when I heard her scream. She was hunched over and digging her fingers into the dirt. By the time I'd realized what had happened it was too late, she attacked me and took off. I have no idea where she went." Nick explained as he started to cry. "I just wanted to give her a nice evening, she's suffered so much lately. All I wanted was to see her smile again, now who knows where she could be. Oh Judy." Nick cried as he held his head in his paws. Bogo sat down next to Nick and placed an arm over his shoulders.
"It'll be alright Wilde, we'll find her and get her an antidote." Bogo encouraged with a straight face.
"How? It's not like I can just open an app and..." Nick started to say, until a realization came to him.
"What is it?" Bogo asked in a curious tone.
"Judy and I always keep our location services on when we're at work, that way we can track each other's locations if we get separated. We never turned our department issued phones off after we left because we did it in such a rush! As long as her phone has battery and she hasn't lost it, I can still track her! Why didn't I think of this earlier?!" Nick shouted as he grabbed his phone and opened the locator app. "Ha! It's working, she's north bound heading towards Tundra Town! Come on!" Nick yelled as he ran over to the first empty police car he saw.
"I'll drive, you navigate." Bogo ordered as he ran after Nick. As Nick and Bogo tracked Judy through the city, she was running a muck, leaving pandemonium in her wake.
"Help! Somebody help, this rabbit's gone nuts!" A rhinoceros shouted as Judy climbed up his chest, growling and slashing at him as she did.
"Hold still!" A coyote instructed as he aimed a hose at Judy, then sprayed her with it. Judy flailed in surprise as she let go of the rhino and fell to the ground, where she quickly shook the water from her fur before running off into the night.
"Th-thanks." The rhinoceros said with a breath as he looked up at the coyote.
"Anytime neighbor." The coyote replied as he sat down next to the rhinoceros.
"You're not gonna believe this, but I think that was the donut cop." The rhinoceros said as he wiped some water from his face.
"Wow, I guess she's the type to hold a grudge." The coyote replied as he patted the rhinoceros's shoulder.
"AAAAH! What is wrong with this rabbit?! Get out of my garbage!" Someone shouted from a few houses down. The sound of something large and metallic could be heard hitting the ground, followed by the sound of a few bottles rolling around. "I'm calling the cops!" The woman yelled as she watched Judy run off.
"Are you alright ma'am?" The coyote asked as the woman walked to the end of her driveway.
"No I'm not alright, some crazy rabbit just knocked over my garbage bin." The woman answered as she looked over at the two mammals.
"At least she didn't attack you, she was climbing on me, clawing and biting as she did." The rhinoceros said as he pointed at his torn up shirt.
"That's horrible. Are the injuries bad?" The woman asked as she pulled out her cellphone.
"No, it barely even scraped my hide." The rhinoceros replied with a straight face.
"I'm glad you're both okay, now I'm calling the police." The woman informed as she dialed nine one one.
"I feel sorry for the next mammal that runs into that rabbit." The rhinoceros said as he started to calm down a little.
"I feel sorry for that poor rabbit." The coyote said in a sad tone.
"Why? She attacked me." The rhinoceros asked as he looked at the coyote.
"Because I don't think she's in control, I saw some blue poweder or ink on her neck before I sprayed her. I think she was shot with nighthowler." The coyote replied in a sad tone.
"You're kidding? I thought that stuff only affected predators." The rhinoceros replied in a shocked tone.
"No, it affects everyone. Predators just happened to be the primary target during the first nighthowler incident." The woman informed in a sad tone.
"How do you know?" The rhinoceros asked in a curious tone.
"I work for the company that developed the cure, the toxin works by using some kind of inhibitor or blocker. It prevents higher levels of thinking, while simultaneously increasing aggression and behaviors that were common amongst our less evolved ancestors." The woman explained with a sad sigh.
"What kind of monster would even develop something like that, let alone use it?" The coyote asked in a sad tone.
"Someone who wants to watch the world burn." The woman answered as she looked up at the stars. The attention of all three mammals was quickly drawn to the flashing red and blue lights approaching them.
"Are you all alright?" Bogo asked as he leaned his head out the window.
"Yeah, some crazy rabbit just attacked me though. Thank God for good neighbors." The rhinoceros answered as he looked at the coyote.
"How long ago?" Nick asked in a calm tone.
"Maybe five minutes. They went that way." The woman answered as she pointed down the road.
"Thank you, and I apologize for her behavior, it's not her fault though." Nick quietly said in a sad tone.
"We figured. Well go get her before she hurts anyone else, and be gentle with her. I don't remember her name, but I think she's been through enough already." The coyote replied in a sad tone.
"What do you mean?" Bogo asked as he looked at the coyote.
"I don't remember her name, but I'm almost certain that she was the donut cop. You know, the one from the Zoo-Tube video." The coyote explained in a calm tone.
"Her name is Judy, Judy Hopps; and yes, she was the officer in that video." Nick answered in a sad tone. "Thank you citizens, do you want us to call you an ambulance or anything sir?" Nick asked as he looked at the rhinoceros.
"No, she didn't even get through my hide. I'll be fine officer." The rhinoceros answered with a straight face.
"Very well. Have a good evening." Nick replied as Bogo rolled up the window, then started driving away.
"I'm proud of you Nick, I know that wasn't easy for you. Hearing everyone talk about Hopps's accident like that, I mean." Bogo complimented as he continued driving.
"You know me chief, rule number one, never let them see that they get to you." Nick replied as he stared out the window. As Nick and Bogo continued driving, Judy was approaching the border to Tundra Town.
"You know she's cold." A snow lepord chuckled, as he watched Judy scurry through a patch of snow that was almost as tall as her.
"Tony, could you put those binoculars down for five minutes and pay attention to the kids please?" Another snow leopard asked as she helped one of her kids back onto their feet after falling on the ice.
"Yeah dad, you promised to teach us how to skate." One of the cubs said as she stumbled over to her father.
"You're right, daddy's sorry. Come on, let's get you going." Tony replied as he put his paws under his daughter's arms and skated her over to her mother.
"Thanks Tony." The female leopard thanked as she held another cub up.
"Anytime Shannon." Tony replied with a smile. "Alright, now you two hold daddy's paw, then just move your feet a bit. Almost like you're walking, except instead of taking steps, it's like you're shuffling across the ice with a few long pushes of your feet. Just like this." Tony instructed as he skated around the rink with his children.
"Look daddy, I'm doing it." The female cub giggled as she let go of her dad's paw, carefully skating around on her own.
"There you go, nice job Leah." Tony complimented as he continued skating with his son.
"Be careful of the wall." Shannon warned as Leah started to drift towards the wall that separated the ice rink from various tables and chairs on the other side.
"Woah!" Leah yelled as she lightly bumped into the wall, catching herself on it before she could fall. "I'm okay!" Leah informed as she tried to steady herself. As she got into a fully standing position however, she let out a piercing scream.
"Leah!" Shannon yelled as she and Tony both looked at Leah, just in time to see a grey blur leap over the wall and slam down on the ice.
"Leah!" Tony yelled as he dashed over to Leah, grabbing her and skating towards the center of the ice.
"Tony what is that thing?" Shannon asked as she pointed at a mass of grey fluff.
"It's a bunny." Tony replied as he watched the strange bunny try and stand on the ice.
"Mommy mommy, it's the donut cop!" The second kid yelled as he pointed at Judy.
"No way Andy, that bunny's mean." Leah replied as she clung to her father's coat.
"It's definitely the donut cop, only the donut cop has eyes that pretty." Andy replied as he pointed at Judy's bright purple eyes.
"Son, I think you and I need to have a talk at some point; but for now let's just get away from her. Donut cop or not, she's crazy. Come on." Tony instructed as he and Shannon skated their kids to the opposite edge of the rink, where they each lifted a kid over the wall, then hoisted themselves over it.
"RAAAR!" Judy snarled as she tried to run after them, only to slip and slide in the opposite direction.
"What the heck's gotten into her?" Tony quietly asked as he watched Judy try and move on the ice.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's gone savage." Shannon replied in a frightened tone.
"That's just crazy dear, everyone knows that prey species can't go savage. Right?" Tony replied as he looked at his wife.
"Tell that to her." Shannon replied as she watched Judy continue to slide on the ice.
"You're a mean bunny! You tried to hurt me and daddy!" Leah yelled as she took her skate off, then chucked it at Judy. The skate grazed Judy's side, leaving a deep gash in it, one that quickly started to bleed.
"Leah! Why would you do that, you hurt her?!" Shannon yelled as ahe looked down at her daughter.
"Because she was mean and tried to hurt daddy." Leah answered with a sniffle.
"Sweetie it's not her fault, someone probably poisoned her with that icky nighthowler stuff. She's not trying to hurt anyone on purpose. Oh baby." Shannon quietly explained as she hugged Leah.
"I'm sorry mama." Leah cried as she hugged her mother.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Shannon replied as she hugged Leah a little tighter.
"Shannon we need to move." Tony said as he picked Andy up.
"Why, what's..." Shannon started to ask, stopping to gasp as she watched Judy use the skate like an ice axe, dragging herself towards the wall. "How can she do that, I thought the drug made that kind of problem solving and level of thinking impossible?" Shannon asked as Judy continued dragging herself towards the wall.
"Maybe it's a new strain, or maybe it hasn't taken full affect yet. Either way, we're leaving before she gets off the ice. Come on." Tony replied as he lead his family away. Judy continued dragging herself to the edge of the rink before finding an open door that lead off the ice.
"S-s-stop." Judy quietly said as she pulled half of her body off the ice.
"Did she just speak?" Shannon asked as she stopped and looked back at Judy.
"Take Andy." Tony instructed as he handed his son to Shannon, then cautiously approached Judy.
"Be careful dear." Shannon quietly said as she watched her husband approach Judy.
"Did you say something?" Tony asked as he stopped a few feet away from Judy.
"I said...s-stop." Judy wheezed as she looked up at Tony.
"What happened to you, why did you attack my family and I?" Tony asked as he looked down at Judy.
"I attacked you?" Judy asked in a horrified tone.
"Yes, you attacked us. Why?" Tony asked as he crouched down so he could look at Judy's face.
"I don't know. I don't even know where I am, the last thing I remember was going for a walk in a park. I was with my partner Nick, then I just... I don't know. I'm scared, and I'm so cold. Why? I don't understand where I am or what's going on. My side hurts, it hurts so much. Why does it hurt so much?!" Judy cried as she placed a paw on her side, feeling something warm and gooey as she did. "Oh my God, am I bleeding?! Why am I bleeding?! What is happening right now?! Please help me, I don't know what's going on! I want my fox! I wanna go home! Nick, where are you?!" Judy cried as she laid her head in the snow. Tony just stared at her as he processed everything he'd just heard. "Nick, please, help me." Judy quietly said as she passed out.
"Oh my God. Oh that poor woman." Shannon quietly said as she turned her children away from Judy.
"She's still alive, I think she just passed out." Tony informed as he felt for Judy's pulse, finding it weak but present.
"What do we do, the closest hospital is almost a half hour away? I don't know if she can make it that long." Shannon quietly asked as she looked at her husband.
"What about him, he has a private doctor?" Tony asked as he looked back at Shannon.
"Are you insane? Do you really wanna risk your life asking for a criminal's help? She's a cop, and he's a mobster. He'll probably have her killed." Shannon replied in a shocked tone.
"If she doesn't get help she'll die anyways. I saw his daughter earlier, hopefully she's still here." Tony informed as he picked Judy up, trying his best to keep pressure on her wound. Tony looked around before spotting two large polar bears in black suits standing by a table. "Okay Tony, time to be brave." Tony said to himself as he started walking towards the bears.
"Can we help you sir?" One of the bears asked as he looked down at Tony.
"Sir, please, I know I ask a lot of you, but could you please take this woman to see the doctor? She won't survive the trip to the main city." Tony asked as he held Judy out to the bear.
"Not our problem, now scram before you get hurt as well." The bear replied in a cold and uncaring tone.
"Oh my, is someone hurt? What happened?" A squeaky high pitched voice asked from behind the bear.
"Just some rabbit having a bad day, ma'am." The bear answered as he looked back at a small shrew on the table.
"Now now, my baby's godmother is a rabbit. I'd hate it if something happened to one of her relatives." The voice replied as the bear stepped aside so the shrew could see Tony.
"My apologies ma'am." The bear replied as he gestured Tony forward.
"Please ma'am, I beg that you help this woman. She is gravely injured." Tony quietly said as he held Judy up to the shrew, who spit out her drink the second she saw who he was holding.
"Judy! Oh my God! What happened to her?!" The shrew asked as one of the bears took Judy from Tony.
"We don't know, she was acting in a very savage way. Growling and snapping at everyone around her, then my daughter got scared and threw a skate at her. She snapped out of whatever it was a moment or two later." Tony explained in a sad tone.
"Don't worry, daddy has a really good doctor that will help her." The shrew replied with a smile.
"Thank you ma'am, and please forgive my daughter. She didn't mean to hurt this poor woman." Tony apologized as he looked down at Judy.
"It's okay, us daughters have to protect our daddys, just like they protect us." The shrew replied with a smile. "Now you go back to your family, Judy's in good paws with us." The shrew instructed as she held her paw up. One of the bears picked her up and carried her towards a large black limousine, with another bear carrying Judy right behind them.
"Is she gonna be okay daddy?" Leah asked as she looked up at her father.
"Yes honey, she's gonna be okay." Tony answered as he picked his daughter up, watching as the limousine drove away. The drive was silent, one of the polar bears was holding Judy and applying pressure to her still bleeding wound, while another one drove up a long winding road towards a large mansion.
"Is she gonna be okay?" The shrew asked as she looked at Judy.
"I don't know ma'am, I don't have the knowledge to understand the severity of her wound." The bear that was holding Judy answered.
"It looks really bad, it's so deep and bloody." The shrew whispered as she reached for Judy.
"Nick. Nick." Judy quietly said with a small and wheezy breath.
"Don't worry Judy, daddy's doctor will take care of you." The shrew whispered as she placed a tiny paw on Judy's.
"My fox." Judy quietly said before passing out completely. The limousine came to a stop and another polar bear that was standing near the mansion's entrance opened the passenger door.
"Quickly, tell the doctor to come to the main room." The shrew instructed as she got out of the vehicle, followed by the bear that was holding Judy.
"Miss Frubelina has requested the doctor to the main room." The bear spoke into a device on his wrist as he followed the shrew inside.
"Fru... Fru Fru." Judy mumbled as she tried to lift her head up.
"Judy? Judy are you awake?" The shrew asked as she looked at Judy.
"Nick. Where's... Wh-where's Nick?" Judy asked in a groggy tone, as she slowly looked around. Everything was blurry though, and her head was throbbing. She had to close her eyes to keep from feeling nauseous.
"I don't know, you were at the ice rink alone." Fru Fru answered in a sad tone.
"Ice rink?" Judy asked, before she clutched her side as a wave of pain shot through it. "Ah. My side, what happened?" Judy asked as she pressed against her side, which she suddenly realized was much furrier than she remembered.
"I don't know, a nice man brought you to us. He said that you were acting strangely and had scared his daughter, she threw a skate at you when you frightened her." Fru Fru answered in a sad tone.
"I don't remember any of it, the last thing I remember before waking up on the ice was walking through the park with Nick. Everything in between those two points are blank. I'm so scared Fru Fru, I want my fox." Judy quietly cried as she squeezed the fur that was pressed against her side. "Whoever's pressing on my wound, thank you." Judy quietly thanked with a sniffle. The sound of a door creaking open grabbed Judy's attention, and a gigantic polar bear walked into the room with is paws cupped together. The bear approached Judy before lowering his paws, then opening them to reveal a shrew wearing a black tuxedo with a red bow, who was sitting in a tiny chair.
"Daddy, thank goodness you're here. Look what happened to Judy." Fru Fru said as she gestured to Judy. The shrew leaned forward in his chair to get a closer look at Judy.
"Judy, my beautiful Goddaughter, what has happened to you?" The shrew asked in a calm tone.
"I don't know, I can't remember any of it. Please Mr. Big, I want to see Nick." Judy cried as she stared at the shrew.
"You heard the lady, call him." Mr. Big ordered as he looked at one of the bears in the room. The bear bowed his head before leaving the room.
"Doctor, please take care of my Goddaughter." Mr. Big instructed as he looked at a wildebeest in a lab coat.
"Of course sir." The wildebeest replied as he walked over to Judy.
"This might sound speciest, but you remind me of my chief." Judy said with a smile as the bear holding her gently laid her on a table.
"It's the horns I bet, I get that sometimes." The doctor replied with a smile as he started looking at Judy's wound. "This is a very deep wound. I'll have to clean it with a saline solution and apply some clotting powder to help slow the bleeding. I apologize for this, but it will likely hurt. A lot." The doctor informed as he pulled some tools and a syringe of clear liquid out of a small black bag.
"Better that than dying." Judy replied as she grabbed the first paw she could find, which ended up being one of the polar bear's paws.
"Here comes the disinfectant." The doctor informed, as he squirted a large amount of the saline solution on the wound.
"AAAH! Oh fluff! Fluff! Fluff! Fluff! I hate you so much right now!" Judy screamed as she thrashed in pain.
"It's okay, the pain won't last." The doctor calmly informed as he set the saline aside.
"Are you kidding me?! You haven't even put the powder on yet you moron!" Judy screamed as she slammed her fist on the table. Everyone stared at Judy with surprise, it wasn't like her to behave so rudely, even when in pain. "I...I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from. Please forgive me." Judy quietly said in a sad tone.
"It's alright, pain makes us act in ways we normally wouldn't." The doctor replied as he gently dabbed at Judy's wound with a cotten ball.
"Call it a cop's intuition, but something tells me that pain has nothing to do with what I just... Ow! Damn it! Do you even know what you're doing?!" Judy suddenly screamed in a furious tone.
"Doctor, please take a blood sample. Something else is going on, my Goddaughter never swears like that." Mr. Big instructed in a calm tone.
"Of course sir." The doctor replied as he pulled a small syringe from his bag, then pushed it into Judy's arm. Judy winced as the needle pierced her flesh, then the syringe was slowly filled with blood. "Here, please label this with a piece of tape from my bag." The doctor instructed as he removed the tube from the syringe and screwed a cap on it, then handed it to one of the bears. The bear nodded before writing Judy's name on a piece of tape and wrapping it around the tube.
"Will you just clean and wrap this fluffing injury, please?! For the love of God, just shut up and do your job!" Judy yelled with an angry breath. The doctor ignored Judy's rude behavior and finished treating her injury.
"Judy, my child, why so much anger?" Mister Big asked in a calm tone.
"I... I don't know, I can't control it. Maybe it has something to do with that strain of nighthowler I was hit with. Maybe the savagery is temporary, but there are other long lasting symptoms such as my current aggression." Judy suggested as she took a calming breath.
"It's definitely possible, mammal made drugs such as nighthowler can have unexpected side effects, especially when created outside of proper F.D.A guidelines." The doctor explained in a calm tone.
"Thank goodness I was the only target. I have to let the Z.P.D know, we have to shut this down before they target more mammals." Judy quietly said as the doctor finished stitching her up.
"Okay, you're all stitched and wrapped up, just try not to move around too much for the first few days. You could tear the stitches. Keep an eye out for infection since this isn't technically a sterile environment, I'll give you a prescription for some antibiotics just to be safe." The doctor informed as he made a note for himself.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry I was a less than pleasant patient. I didn't mean to be such a butt." Judy apologized with a smile.
"I know it wasn't intentional, but I accept your apology and wish you a fast recovery." The doctor replied before leaving the room.
"Ah. Could've at least given me some damn pain killers, doctor do little good over there." Judy grumbled to herself before suddenly shaking her head back and forth. "I did it again, why is this happening to me? I don't wanna be a jerk to everyone." Judy asked herself in a sad tone.
"Judy!" Nick shouted as he burst into the room, followed by a polar bear.
"Weeeell, look who finally showed up! It's about damn time Nick, I've been scared shitless for the past hour or two, and where have you been?! Trottin' around with old buffalo butt with your thumbs up your asses!" Judy shouted as she glared at Nick.
"What the heck is going on here, Judy would never talk to anyone like that? Especially not me." Nick asked as he looked at Mister Big.
"Judy suggested that it may have something to do with the new nighthowler strain, so my doctor took a blood sample for your department to analyze." Mister Big answered as he looked at one of the bears, who presented the vial of blood to Nick.
"Thank you." Nick thanked as he took the vial, then pulled a bag from his pocket and placed the vial inside before sealing it.
"Nick, take me home. I just wanna go home! Don't take me to the station, or the hospital, or any other dumb place you could possibly bring me! Just take me home!" Judy shouted as she rubbed her temples. "I'm sorry Nick, I don't mean to be so nasty. I can't control this, I don't understand. Why the hell am I still sitting here in this place, Nick?! What part of take me home don't you understand?!" Judy shouted as she glared at Nick.
"Strange, it's like some sort of multi personality disorder. I wonder if this is the result of the drug being pushed out of her system?" Nick thought out loud as he studied Judy.
"No, it's probably just that time of the month again. No shit it has to do with the drug!" Judy replied in a sarcastic tone before snapping at Nick.
"Please excuse us sir." Nick quietly said as he bowed his head to Mr. Big, then walked over to Judy and picked her up.
"I'm so sorry Nick, I feel awful about being so mean to everybody." Judy quietly said as she hugged Nick.
"I know Judy, it's not your fault. I don't think this is going to last, it'll probably go away eventually." Nick replied as he carried Judy out of the room.
"Well whoopdee fluffing do! I just assumed I'd be part asshole forever, but it's good to know that the only permanent asshole I'll have is the one I was born with!" Judy yelled in a huff.
"Ya know, it is really weird to hear you swear. I've never heard you say an actual swear word before, it's always something about cheese and crackers with you. Or fluff, you like that one a lot too." Nick said with a smile as he continued carrying Judy towards the exit.
"Oh, so my vocabulary's too basic for you? Okay, here's a new one. Fuck you fox face!" Judy yelled as she slumped her head over Nick's shoulder.
"I'm telling the chief on you." Nick replied with a cheeky grin as he walked out the door.
"You can both bite my fluffy ass." Judy grumbled as she shook her tail.
"Do I even want to know?" Bogo asked as Nick carried Judy outside.
"Probably, that is kind of your job after all, buffalo brain!" Judy snapped as she looked at Bogo.
"Excuse me, officer Hopps?" Bogo asked as he glared at Judy.
"Please sir, don't hold it against her. It's this new strain of nighthowler, the savagery wears off over time, but for some reason she's still very aggressive and rude. Mister Big's doctor took some blood samples, I have them in my pocket so they can be analyzed in the lab." Nick informed as he took out the vial of blood.
"Put some snow in that bag to slow any deterioration of the sample. Sometimes pathogens will start to die off once outside of the ideal conditions the inside of the body provides. Keeping it cold can preserve the pathogens longer." Bogo instructed in a firm tone.
"Yes sir." Nick replied as he opened his door and scooped some snow into the bag, then resealed it.
"Buckle up everyone." Bogo ordered as he put his seatbelt on.
"Why should I? I think I'd rather go through the windshield than be in here with your nasty buffalo breath, or his obnoxious personality issues!" Judy yelled as she angrily put her seatbelt on.
"This is gonna be a long drive." Bogo said with a sigh as he started driving.
"Well it doesn't have to be, just don't drive like a sloth!" Judy replied as she crossed her arms in a huff.
"Actually, most of them drive pretty fast. Ninety percent of speeding tickets go to sloths." Nick informed with a smile.
"Oh my God, you're such a nerd! Did you quote that from the traffic cop's official handbook?!" Judy shouted back.
"Yes, yes I did. Right here, page twenty four of the sixth edition of the traffic cop's guide book." Nick answered as he held up a small blue book with a badge on it.
"Wilde, please don't antagonize the angry bunny." Bogo said as he continued driving.
"I'm sorry chief, it's just too easy though." Nick replied with a chuckle.
"Screw you, asshole!" Judy yelled back.
"Not until you're back to your old self." Nick replied with a smirk. Judy made a loud gagging sound before replying.
"I'd sooner hump the barrel end of a loaded twelve gauge than get it on with you, fox face!" Judy shouted in fury.
"So I'm guessing no second date after tonight?" Nick asked with a smirk.
"We went on a date?!" Judy shouted in shock. Judy continued ranting and raving for the next ten minutes, until the vehicle came to a stop outside the station.
"Alright, let's get these samples to the lab so they can hopefully create an antidote for... That." Bogo said as he looked at Judy, who had whipped the door open so hard that it nearly hit the car next to it.
"Oh thank God! Fresh air, I can actually smell something other than your terrible buffalo breath! Holly crap that was the longest damn ride ever, that whole car smells like ass!" Judy yelled as she jumped out of the car.
"This is gonna be interesting." Nick said as he and Bogo started walking inside, followed by a very annoyed Judy.
"Nick, Judy! Thank goodness you're both okay, how's she doing?" Clawhauser asked as the trio entered the station.
"You poor bastard, don't they ever give you a day off?! I can't believe you're fat ass is still here!" Judy yelled as she stared at Clawhauser.
"Judy?" Clawhauser asked with an extremely hurt expression.
"Please Clawhauser, don't take it personally. We're pretty sure that this is a side effect of the new nighthowler strain." Nick explained as he patted Clawhauser's shoulder.
"Pretty sure?! Am I usually this much of a bitch to everyone?! Shut up Nick!" Judy yelled as she glared at Nick.
"Thank you for helping me prove my point." Nick replied with a smirk.
"Thank goodness, I was worried that Judy was mad at me or something." Clawhauser said with a relieved sigh.
"My God, how many donuts can one guy possibly hide in his fat rolls?! I can see three donuts from all the way down here! There's a sprinkle one with pink icing on the left side, then there's a chocolate one on the right, and between those is a glazed one!" Judy yelled as she stared at Clawhauser.
"Don't listen to her, she's just being mean." Nick said as he made a shooing motion at Judy.
"Don't ruin my fun jackass! I wanted to see how long old fatty catty would dig through his folds before being heartbroken about not finding anything!" Judy snapped as she kicked Nick.
"Ow! Okay, that's it. Down to the lab with you, mean Judy is no longer tolerable." Nick said as he picked Judy up.
"How dare you handle me like this! Put me you down you stupid fox! I'm warning you, I have fox spray and I know how to use it!" Judy yelled as she flailed in Nick's grasp.
"Judy, you got rid of that months ago." Nick replied as he carried Judy onto the elevator.
"I should've gotten rid of you months ago, you arrogant prick! Put me down right now!" Judy yelled as she flailed against Nick's grasp.
"Oh I hope this strain is easy to cure, I can't handle much more of this." Nick grumbled as he pushed a button, then watched the doors close.
"Should we have let them go alone?" Clawhauser asked as he looked at Bogo.
"Do you wanna go and find out how many more times she can insult you before she's cured?" Bogo asked as he gave Clawhauser a knowing look.
"Point taken chief." Clawhauser replied as he ate another donut. The elevator doors opened and Nick stepped through them with an exasperated sigh, carrying a kicking and screaming Judy over his shoulder as he did so.
"Officer Wilde, is everything alright? What's going on with officer Hopps?" A lynx in a lab coat asked as Nicked carried Judy over to her.
"Please ma'am, analyze this sample and find a cure. I can't take this anymore." Nick quietly said as he handed the blood sample to the lynx.
"What am I looking for?" The lynx asked as she took the vial and walked it over to a small machine that looked a little like a rice cooker with a disc built into it. The disc contained several small holes around its perimeter that perfectly fit test tubes.
"Anything out of the ordinary, she was hit by a new batch of nighthowler. When it first took affect she went completely savage, just like with the original drug, but unlike the original the savagery wore off after a while." Nick explained as he continued holding Judy, who was constantly squirming in his grasp.
"I suspect there's more though." The lynx replied as she looked at Judy.
"Ya think so?! Moron!" Judy shouted as she whipped her head back and glared at the lynx.
"The savagery is gone, but for some reason she's still extremely aggressive and rude." Nick replied as he set Judy on a table.
"Like your mom! Ha ha!" Judy yelled as she laid down on the table.
"I see, I'll get to work on an analysis right away. You're a real trooper Wilde; not many mammals would've been able to put up with an attitude like hers for long, even if it wasn't her fault." The lynx said with a smile as she placed the tube in the machine and started it.
"She's my partner, I'll always be there for her." Nick replied as he looked at Judy.
"That was the sappiest shit I've ever heard! You're such a little sissy, Nick!" Judy yelled as she started texting someone on her phone. Nick's phone started ringing a moment later.
"Excuse me." Nick said to the lynx as he pulled his phone out and answered it. "Hello?" Nick asked in a calm tone.
"Is it true?" Stu's voice quietly asked through the phone.
"Is what true, Mister Hopps?" Nick asked as he sat down by Judy, who eagerly listened in on the conversation.
"Don't play stupid with me Nick?! Is what Judy said true?!" Stu yelled back in an angry tone.
"What did she tell you? Because I'm completely lost right now." Nick asked as he looked at Judy, who was smirking like a stereotypical movie villain.
"Did you sleep with my daughter?!" Stu suddenly shouted, loud enough that everyone could hear it, despite the fact that Nick didn't even have him on speaker phone.
"No sir, all I did was take her to dinner to help her relax after a stressful day." Nick calmly answered.
"Well that's not what she told me! Do you want me to read you the text I just got?!" Stu yelled with fury.
"I would prefer not, because due to her current state I'm sure it was quite nasty." Nick replied as he looked at Judy, who was barely stifling a laugh.
"What do you mean by her current state? What happened?" Stu asked, still with a bit of anger in his voice.
"Judy and I went for a walk through the park after dinner, and during our walk someone shot her with a new type of nighthowler. She got extremely aggressive just like with the original drug, but the aggression wore off and was replaced by just a really nasty attitude. She's been extremely rude to everyone we've come into contact with, including the chief and even Clawhauser." Nick explained in a sad tone.
"Can I talk to her?" Stu asked in a calm tone.
"I wouldn't recommend it, but okay." Nick said as he handed the phone to Judy.
"What's wrong dad, didn't like my joke?" Judy asked with a giggle.
"No, I didn't." Stu answered in an annoyed tone.
"Awe, boohoo. Such an emotional bunny, should I fetch you a baba and blankie?" Judy asked with a laugh.
"At least you're in safe paws with Nick." Stu replied with a sigh.
"Yo mama's in safe paws with Nick." Judy said with a laugh.
"Goodnight Judy." Stu quietly replied before hanging up.
"That jackass hung up on me!" Judy yelled before angrily stuffing the phone into her pocket.
"Um, Judy, that's my phone." Nick said as he looked at Judy.
"Awe, does little Nicky want his phone back? Go on, take it back." Judy replied as she stuck her hip out to Nick.
"I'll get it later." Nick said with a sigh as he looked at the lynx, who was typing away on a computer.
"What's that supposed to mean?! Am I not good enough for you? You didn't seem to mind touching me earlier, with your lips all over mine. Mwa! Mwa!" Judy replied as she made several exaggerated kissing faces.
"How's the analysis coming?" Nick asked as he peeked over the lynx's shoulder to see the computer screen.
"Almost done, it shouldn't be more than a few minutes." The lynx answered as she watched a progress bar and several numbers shift on the screen.
"Hey! Don't ignore me you douchebag!" Judy yelled from behind Nick.
"We couldn't if we tried." Nick replied as he continued staring at the computer screen.
"Alright, it's all done. Now let's see what we're... Dear God." The lynx quietly said as the drug's ingredients and their amounts appeared on her screen.
"Uh, I'm no chemist, but if I'm remembering correctly from my illicit substance class, that formula is dangerously similar to most amphetamine compunds." Nick said as he stared at the screen.
"You're absolutely correct, it's no wonder officer Hopps's behavior is so aggressive and agitated right now. The standard nighthowler toxin causes a primitive rage in its victim, this new batch however, doesn't just cause a primitive rage. The addition of the amphetamine compound multiplies that rage, but it can also cause hallucinations and paranoia. It also explains why officer Hopps is still very rude and aggressive, despite the fact that the savagery seems to have worn off." The lynx explained as she scrolled through the compund, looking at its various interconnected structures and bonds.
"Well we know what it is at least, but the real question is can we create an antidote for it; and if so, can we do it before this little experiment becomes an all out attack?" Nick asked in a calm tone.
"We can definitely create an antidote now that we know what it is, but you're right to ask if we can do it in time. It could take a while to make even a single antidote for officer Hopps, let alone enough for a large scale atttack." The lynx replied as she turned around and looked at Judy.
"What the hell are you looking at, spots?" Judy asked as she glared at the lynx.
"I'll move as fast as I can. You should let Bogo know what's going on, take this report up to him please." The lynx instructed as she printed off some papers, then handed them to Nick.
"I'm on it." Nick replied as he started walking.
"Oh, and please take her with you. I can't work with her around." The lynx instructed as she looked at Judy, who just made a face at her.
"If I must. Come on Judy." Nick said as he started walking towards the elevator.
"Make me." Judy replied with a smirk.
"If you insist." Nick said as he grabbed Judy and threw her over his shoulder.
"Hey! Put me down! I am not some stuffed toy to be fox handled! Put me down you damn fox! I'll sue you into the ground for this! Do you hear me, into the ground!" Judy shouted as the elevator doors closed.
"Oh poor Nick, that man deserves a medal for putting up with all that." The lynx said to herself as she continued her work.
"Get your filthy paws off of me! I'll tear you to pieces for this! Are you even listening to me?! Your dumbass probably can't even understand me, can you?! You'll be hearing from my lawyer!" Judy continued yelling as the elevator doors opened.
"No improvement on her condition I see." Bogo said as Nick carried Judy off the elevator.
"I wouldn't say that, she hasn't used the F word in a few minutes." Nick replied as he continued holding Judy.
"Fuck you, fox!" Judy shouted as she pounded her fists against his back.
"Never mind." Nick said as he handed the report to Bogo.
"Is this her lab report?" Bogo asked as he flipped through the report.
"Yeah, and it's not good. We need to get a task force on this A-SAP. If this is what a test looks like, I don't even wanna know what the finished product will do." Nick replied as she set Judy down.
"Finally! I can't believe the nerve you have, handling me like that. I'm suing!" Judy yelled before turning on her heels and stomping away.
"I agree. I'll make some calls and start putting some things together, in the meantime keep an eye on Hopps. I want detailed records of how long this behavior lasts, as well as when it first started." Bogo ordered as he looked at Judy, who was trying to cram a bill into a vending machine.
"Any chance I can get a pass on that last part, chief? I can't handle much more of this." Nick asked in a sad tone.
"Suck it up Wilde, you've been through worse." Bogo replied as he turned to leave.
"Sir I'm serious. I am so exhausted right now, do you have any idea how draining it is to hear the person you care the most about in life constantly talk down to you? I know it's not her fault, but that doesn't change the fact that it hurts to hear! The worst part is that I can't even help her, and she doesn't want me around. I want to give her space, and I honestly need some too. I'm sorry chief, but I can't handle anymore tonight." Nick quietly said as he hung his head in shame. Bogo walked over to Nick and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
"You're really at your limit, aren't you Wilde?" Bogo asked in a kind tone.
"Yes sir." Nick answered with a sniffle.
"Go rest, we've got this." Bogo instructed with a smile.
"Thank you sir. Thank you so much." Nick quietly thanked as he hugged Bogo.
"Pennington." Bogo said as he looked at an elephant officer.
"Yes sir?" The elephant asked as she looked back at Bogo.
"You're on bunny watch, don't let her leave the station, keep a record of her behavior and it's longevity, and above all else, don't let her get to you." Bogo ordered as he looked at Judy, who was violently kicking the vending machine that wouldn't take her now crinkled bill.
"I'm on it." The officer replied as she started walking towards Judy.
"Francine." Nick quietly said as she walked past him.
"Yeah Nick?" Francine asked as she stopped and looked at Nick.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry for what you're about to endure. Please don't hold it against her though, it's not her fault." Nick quietly said before following Bogo.
"You worthless piece of shit!" Judy screamed as she threw another hard kick at the vending machine, causing it to rock back and forth.
"Stop kicking the machine Judy, I'll get it to work." Francine said as she walked over to the machine, then took Judy's bill and gently inserted it into the machine.
"You crap machine, it's because I'm a bunny, isn't it?!" Judy yelled as she violently pressed two buttons, making a candy bar fall out.
"How in the world did Nick do this for all that time?" Francine quietly asked herself as Judy grabbed her candy bar and stormed off.
"Because the poor bastard thinks he's got a shot!" Judy yelled with a laugh. "That poor dumb fox thought I actually cared about him! I can't believe he's actually that stupid!" Judy continued laughing as she tore her candy bar open.
"Yep, this is gonna be a long night." Francine said to herself as she sat down at her desk.
"I wonder if I can make the fat ass behind the front desk run a lap for this chocolate bar?" Judy said to herself as she looked towards Clawhauser's desk.
"Don't even think about it, Judy." Francine replied as she stared at Judy.
"Too late! See ya trunk head!" Judy said as she ran off.
"Clawhauser, she's on her way towards you!" Francine warned as she quickly started following Judy.
"Thank's for the warning!" Clawhauser yelled back as Judy ran up to his desk.
"Hey tubby, you want some chocolate? Catch me and it's yours!" Judy laughed before bolting out the front door.
"Not good! Judy wait!" Clawhauser shouted as he ran after Judy, followed by Francine and a few other officers.
"You'll never take me alive coppers!" Judy yelled as she continued running down the sidewalk.
"Judy stop!" Francine yelled as she charged after Judy.
"Never! I'm a free bunny, and nobody's gonna..." Judy stopped mid sentence as she suddenly face planted onto the sidewalk.
"Hopps!" Fangmeyer yelled as he ran over to Judy, followed by everyone else.
"Is she alright?" Francine asked she knelt by Judy.
"Is she snoring?" Another officer asked as he looked down at Judy.
"Talk about crashing. That was instantaneous." Another officer replied as she stared at Judy.
"Ch-check to...to make sure that she's breathing." Clawhauser instructed when he finally caught up. Fangmeyer gently checked for Judy's pulse, finding it present and steady.
"Her pulse is good and she's not snoring so much anymore. I think she actually just dropped over asleep." Fangmeyer informed as he picked Judy up.
"That's a welcomed sight. Come on, let's get her back inside and let the chief know." Francince instructed as she started leading everyone back towards the station.
"Come on Clawhauser!" Fangmeyer yelled as he looked back at Clawhauser.
"I'm coming, just gotta...catch my breath." Clawhauser replied as he slowly followed everyone else. As the officers went back into the station, a lone mammal was sitting on a bench across the street, smoking a cigarette as they sent a single text. All it read was six hours.
"That's far better than your estimates. Okay, we have a deal." A mammal cloaked by the shadows said as they shook a large paw.
"Good. Just remember, the bunny's mine." A second mammal replied with a sinister grin.
"Of course, as well as half of the profits. Those were your demands, correct?" The first mammal asked in a deep voice.
"Yes, and that's all I want. Half of the profits from the cure, and the joy of slaughtering the bunny." The second mammal answered as they stood up and walked away. "Get your affairs in order Judy, because I'm coming for you." The mammal said to themselves with a maniacal laugh.