Nick's eyes slowly opened, and they were instantly assaulted by a bright white light. "Uh. Am I dead?" Nick asked as he looked around. "This place seems pretty angelic for hell." Nick said as he looked around some more, his vision slowly clearing up.
"You assume you're going to hell?" A voice asked from his right side.
"After everything I've done in my life, I wouldn't be surprised." Nick replied as he looked towards the voice, seeing Clawhauser and Gazelle sitting next to his bed.
"How are you feeling Nick?" Gazelle asked as she stood up and walked over to Nick.
"Happy to be away from the paparazzi." Nick answered with a chuckle. He suddenly became serious as he looked up at the ceiling. "Please, do either of you know how Judy's doing?" Nick asked in a sad tone.
"Judy? What about Judy?" Gazelle asked with a confused expression.
"What do you mean what about Judy? Did no one tell you what happened?" Nick asked as he sat up a little bit.
"I wasn't told anything. Were you?" Gazelle asked as she looked at Clawhauser.
"Nobody said anything to me about Judy, but now that you mention it, it's strange that she's not in here with you." Clawhauser replied with a sad expression.
"It was bad. The raid went south and we got locked in some kind of reinforced barrier in the lab. Judy went through the vents to rescue the rest of us, but it was a trap. When she made her way back to us she was ambushed by dozens of security guards, all of whom had been paid off by one of the scientists. She barely escaped being ventilated by the guards, but being outnumbered at least two dozen to one, she did something drastic. She injected herself with two entire syringes of the new nighthowler drug, and she tore through every one of those guards like a demon. It was horrible to watch. Despite if she was punched, kicked, or even grazed with bullets, she didn't stop. She just killed and killed and killed, until there were none left. Then she passed out and hadn't woken up since. I don't know if she's awake now or not, but I feel sorry for the poor mammals that have to take care of her. She is going to be nasty when she wakes up." Nick explained in a sad tone.
"Oh my God. That's horrible, I'm so sorry Nick. I wish there was more I could say or do, I truly am so sorry Nick." Gazelle quietly said as she placed her hoof over Nick's paw.
"We're here for you Nick, and for Judy." Clawhauser said as he placed his paw over Gazelle's hoof.
"If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask." Gazelle said with a small smile.
"Honestly, there is one thing. Would one of you be willing to risk checking on her, at least to see if her parents have come to vist, or just to see how she's doing? I would really appreciate that." Nick asked in a sad tone.
"Of course Nick, I'll go check on her real quick." Gazelle replied as she started leaving the room.
"Thank you." Nick thanked as Gazelle left the room.
"Poor Judy, I feel so bad for her, for both of you." Clawhauser said with a sad expression as he looked back at Nick.
"It's okay, I feel bad for Gazelle. If Judy's awake she's gonna be a real B, if you know what I mean." Nick replied with a sad smile.
"I certainly do, I'll never forget her behavior from yesterday. Hearing Judy say those things almost gave me a heart attack." Clawhauser said with a soft chuckle.
"You think that was bad, you should've read the text she sent to her parents about me. Now that was bad, I swear that her dad tried to strangle me through the phone after he called me." Nick replied with a laugh.
"I heard something from Fangmeyer about how disgusting it was, but I didn't really ask for any details." Clawhauser chuckled.
"Be happy you didn't, because it was just awful. Like borderline criminal, it was so bad." Nick laughed. The door creaked open a moment later, and Gazelle walked back into the room with a shell shocked expression plastered on her face.
"I'm guessing she's awake." Nick said with a nervous grin.
"What... What happened to her? That was not Judy! I mean, I absolutely refuse to believe that the woman in that room was Judy Hopps! I didn't even know Judy knew half of those words, let alone how to string them together into such a tapestry of absurdity and foulness! I feel dirty, I literally feel like I need to shower after listening to her. Is that really what the new nighthowler drug does?" Gazelle asked with a horrified expression.
"To her specificly, yes. Though we don't know if that's normal or just a Judy thing, because as far as anyone's reported, she's been the only one hit with it. So we're not sure." Nick answered with a straight face.
"I uh... I'm sorry, but I have a sudden urge to go to a church." Gazelle said as ahe stood up.
"I didn't know you were religious." Clawhauser replied as he looked at Gazelle.
"I'm not, Judy's language was just so atrocious that I've been struck with a sudden urge to spiritually cleanse myself." Gazelle replied before leaving.
"Oh, her poor parents must be having heart attacks right now." Clawhauser said as he looked back at Nick.
"Her parents are here?" Nick asked in a surprised tone.
"Yeah, they got here about an hour before you woke up." Clawhauser answered in a calm tone.
"What about her siblings?" Nick asked with some concern.
"They're all here as well, though I'm not sure where they are." Clawhauser answered with a smile.
"Could you do me a favor and see if Mister and Misses Hopps need someone to watch them please? I really don't like the thought of them seeing Judy in the state she's in." Nick asked with a small smile.
"Sure thing, uncle Nick." Clawhauser replied with a smirk. He was out the door before Nick could say anything else.
"Oh sweet blueberries, this is enough to give a man my age a heart attack." Stu said as he walked out of Judy's room.
"I can actually feel the ulcers growing with every word she says." Bonnie replied as she walked into the room.
"For fuck's sake woman! Can't you at least knock on the damn door?! Good lord! You just bust on in here while I'm trying ta fucking relax, and you're disturbing my fun time!" Judy screamed as she glared at Bonnie.
"Fun time?" Bonnie asked in a nervous tone.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, twenty-four year old rabbit and I've never gotten any before. Well I'm getting my fun one way or another. I hate that fox so much, but damn he's sexy. Fucking sexy ass fox." Judy said with a smirk, as she continued her current activity.
"Oh sweet cheese and crackers, please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing right now." Bonnie replied in a horrified tone.
"You bet your fucking ass I am, now shut up so I can think about that sexy ass fox. Yeah, show mama the goods, fox face." Judy replied with a large grin.
"Oh I'm gonna be sick. Why are you doing this to your mother?" Bonnie asked in a sad tone.
"You're the one who walked in the damn d-oooooh, fuck yeah. Oh that sexy bastard, he's got the engine revvin' at full blast. Damn that hot fox, I hate him so much, but I love him." Judy said as she laid back to catch her breath.
"Honey, it's a God send, Nick and some of his friends are offering to watch the kids. Oh thank you sir, I don't remember your name, but bless your sweet and gentle soul!" Stu cried as he hugged Clawhauser.
"Oh it's nothing, really. How's Judy doing?" Clawhauser asked with a smile.
"Hey fat ass! Come here, I wanna see if that sexy ass fox's scent is on you! I'd love to just take a nice deep inhale of that musky fox scent. Oh just thinking about it gets me pumped for another round! Get out ya old hag, I need some private time. I really wanna focus on that hot fucking fox! UUUH!" Judy yelled with a shudder as she stared at Bonnie.
"I understand why Gazelle felt like she needed to visit a church now. I am so sorry that you're both going through this with her, please remember that it's not her fault though." Clawhauser said as he looked at Bonnie.
"Shut up fat ass, your dumb voice is making this so much harder for me, and not that kind of hard! Not like how my fox gets, he thinks I don't know, but I know what happens when he looks at all of this sexy fluffiness. My nickname should be Medusa, because I know I turn that freaky fox to stone, baby." Judy said with a grin.
"I'm just gonna grab the little ones and go." Clawhauser whispered as he started leaving.
"I'll grab your little one, and I bet it's reeeeal little! I bet you can't even find it under all that fat!" Judy shouted as Clawhauser shut the door.
"Okay kids, while your big sister and parents hangout here, why don't we all go and visit uncle Nick?" Clawhauser asked with a smile as he looked at all of the little bunnies.
"Yay!" They all cheered before stampeding down the hallway.
"Wait! Wait for me, don't run in the halls please!" Clawhauser yelled as he ran after everyone.
"You might wanna take a seat." Nick said with a grin as he looked at Gazelle.
"Why?" Gazelle asked in a confused tone.
"Because judging by the sound, I'd say that about two to three-hundred tinny bunnies are about to flood into this room." Nick replied with a smirk. Gazelle's jaw dropped for a moment, but an approaching rumbling brought her back to reality, and she quickly sat down on a chair.
"Uncle Nick!" All of the bunnies yelled as they rushed into the room, scrambling over each other to try and get up on the bed with Nick.
"There they are! My favorite nieces and nephews! Did you all miss uncle Nick?!" Nick asked in a joyful tone.
"Yeah!" They all yelled as dozens of them clambered over each other to get onto the bed.
"Look! Gazelle's here too!" One of the bunnies shouted as she jumped onto Gazelle's lap, followed by five of her siblings.
"Oh my, I didn't realize I was so popular in the Hopps family." Gazelle chuckled as she gently pet each of the bunnies.
"Oh thank goodness. I thought they were...gonna crush you...Nick." Clawhauser wheezed as he walked into the room.
"Yay, chubby cheetah." Molly gigled as she walked over to Clawhauser.
"Awe, aren't you just adorable. What's you name, you little cutie?" Clawhauser asked as he picked her up.
"Molly." Molly answered as she hugged Clawhauser's cheek.
"That's such a pretty name for such a pretty girl." Clawhauser replied with a smile.
"Be careful Clawhauser, they get jealous of each other sometimes. You might wanna talk to everyone else as well." Nick warned with a smirk.
"Chubby cheetah." A few other bunnies said as they started climbing on Clawhauser.
"This is adorable, I'm being swarmed by cuteness." Clawhauser giggled as he carried two armfuls of bunnies over to a chair and sat down.
"How's Judy doing?" Nick asked as he scratched some of the bunny's heads.
"She's uh... Well... She's uh..." Clawhauser tried to describe, finding it difficult to actually find appropriate words to use.
"That well, huh?" Nick asked with a straight face.
"Oh my God, she's atrocious right now. Picture how she was the first time, and then multiply that by at least ten. I feel so bad for her parents, because she has absolutely no filter of any kind right now. If it's offensive or down right nasty, chances are she's already said it twice. She's that bad." Clawhauser answered with a shudder.
"I'm not surprised, she took two full syringes of the new Nighthowler toxin after all; I'm honestly thankful that she's still alive. Even if she is super mean at the moment." Nick replied in a calm tone.
"Me too, Nick." Clawhauser said as he pet Molly's head.
"Uncle Nick, my tummy hurts." One of the bunnies said as she looked at Nick.
"Mine too." Another bunny replied as he rubbed his stomach. Within seconds all of the bunnies were complaining about upset stomachs or being hungry.
"Well that's not good, I can't have my nieces and nephews wasting away on me. Why don't I ask your parents if us adults should take all of you little rascals to eat. Would you all like that?" Nick asked with a smile.
"Yeah!" All of the bunnies yelled with joy.
"Alright, let's go kids." Nick said as he started getting out of bed.
"Are you sure you're okay to be up right now?" Clawhauser asked in a worried tone.
"I'm fine, I think I was just overwhelmed with everything that had happened in such a short period of time. Then when the reporters swarmed me my mind hit its limit and I had to do a quick reboot." Nick answered with a smile.
"You are the only mammal that could take something as serious as passing out on live T.V and turn it into a joke. I admire your sense of humor and easygoing nature." Gazelle said with a giggle.
"I'll meet you guys by the elevator, I'm gonna check in on Judy and her parents real quick, see if any of them want anything." Nick informed as he left the room, then walked over to Judy's room and knocked on the door.
"What do you want?!" Judy shouted from the other side of the door.
"Do any of you want any food, we're going to get something to eat?" Nick asked in a kind tone.
"I'll take an extra long and hard chunk of meat, with lots of secret sauce!" Judy yelled back with a laugh.
"Judy that's disgusting! Could you please at least try to be civilized for a moment?" Bonnie groaned in reply.
"Bite me!" Judy yelled back.
"Is that a no on the food then?" Nick asked in a calm tone.
"I'll eat you right now, fox face!" Judy replied with a laugh.
"Just go Nick, I think we're good. Thanks for asking though." Stu replied with a sigh.
"Alright, we'll be back later." Nick informed as he shut the door and walked away.
"She didn't want anything?" Gazelle asked as Nick walked over to the group.
"Oh she did, but none of it's sold in any restaurant or fast food business that I've ever been to." Nick answered as he pressed a button to call the elevator. The doors opened a moment later and an unexpected mammal stepped off of it.
"Wilde?" Bogo asked as he stared at Nick.
"Cheif? What are you doing here?" Nick asked in a surprised tone.
"I was coming to check on you and Hopps, it's good to see that you're up and moving. How's Hopps, have you seen her yet?" Bogo asked with a straight face.
"Oh yeah, and I would not recommend visiting her right now." Nick replied with a grin.
"The nighthowler kicked in?" Bogo asked in a knowing tone.
"Big time." Nick answered with a nod.
"Thanks for the warning. Where are you off to with all of the little ones?" Bogo asked as he looked at all of the baby bunnies.
"Lunch. You want us to grab you anything?" Nick answered and asked with a smile.
"I'm good, but thank you for the offer." Bogo answered with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a typhoon of a bunny to check on." Bogo informed as he started walking away.
"She's more of a nuke, chief." Nick chuckled as he stepped onto the elevator, followed by everyone else.
"Then I'll be extra careful not to set her off." Bogo replied with a grin as the elevator doors closed.
"Think Judy's gonna scare him away?" Nick asked as he looked at Clawhauser.
"The chief, scared away by some foul language? You must be joking." Clawhauser replied with a chuckle.
There were a few hard knocks on the door to Judy's room, which received a quick response from the room's occupants. "Come in." Bonnie groaned as she laid her head on the bed.
"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything, I just came to check on Hopps. How is she?" Bogo asked as he walked into the room.
"Look who it is, good ol' cheif buffalo ass! Come to graze me with his presence!" Judy snapped as she glared at Bogo.
"You mean grace, honey. Grace you with his presence." Stu corrected with a sigh.
"Shut up old man, I know what the fuck I said!" Judy yelled back.
"How are you both doing?" Bogo asked as he looked at Bonnie and Stu.
"I can't take anymore, I don't even recognize my own baby. What kind of drug could do this to someone as sweet as Judy?" Bonnie asked with tears in her eyes.
"The new Nighthowler drug is responsible, it's chemical makeup contains an amphetamine compound, which is the reason you're seeing this elevated level of aggression from her; and like any other drug, the more you take the stronger the effects. Based on the lab's estimates, Judy injected herself with enough Nighthowler that half of Bunny Burrow could've been dosed had it been made into its capsule form. So it may take days for the affects to wear off." Bogo explained in a calm tone.
"It may take days for your ass to wear off!" Judy yelled with a laugh.
"Why don't you both take a break, I'll watch Hopps while you two get something to eat. Nick and your children shouldn't have gotten too far yet." Bogo suggested in a polite tone.
"Are you sure chief? It's not your responsibility to watch over Judy, after all." Stu asked with a sad expression.
"Actually it is, I'm her chief, meaning that her safety and wellbeing are ultimately part of my responsibilities. Don't worry, I can take anything she can dish out, I've been doing this job for a long time and I've heard it all. So go take care of yourselves, Hopps and I will be fine here. Won't we Hopps?" Bogo asked as he looked at Judy.
"We'll be as fine as my fox's hot ass! That fluffy tail and those scrawny buns, his ass is so flat because he packs all his meat up front. Holy shit I wanna get with that fox so bad! Get out! I need Judy time." Judy replied as she pulled the covers over her head.
"Thank you chief, and we're so sorry in advance. I swear that we raised her right." Bonnie said as she hugged Bogo.
"I know, you both raised a wonderful family. Her actions right now have absolutely nothing to do with her upbringing, it's just the drug. So don't feel bad about any of this." Bogo encouraged as he hugged Bonnie back.
"Thank you chief." Bonnie thanked again as she let go of Bogo.
"Go, get some rest and some food. Judy's in good hooves with me." Bogo said with a smile as he lightly shooed Bonnie and Stu towards the door.
"Bye Judy, we'll be back later." Stu said as he Bonnie left the room.
"Shut up! I'm trying to focus on that sexy ass fox." Judy grumbled from beneath the blanket. "Oh yeah, I want your big ass carrot. Give it me you stupid fox." Judy talked to herself.
"I'm learning much more about her than I ever wanted to." Bogo said to himself with a sigh.
"Alright, now before we leave the lobby let's make sure everyone's here. Clawhauser, Gazelle, help me do a head count please." Nick instructed as he stared at the crowd of baby bunnies.
"You want us to count over two hundred bunnies?" Clawhauser asked in a confused tone.
"Do you have a better way to make sure everyone's here?" Nick asked with a straight face.
"We do." Bonnie said as she and Stu stepped off the elevator.
"Hey, you're coming along!" Nick yelled with joy as he hugged each of them.
"Yes, Chief Bogo was kind enough to watch over Judy for us for a while." Stu replied as he and Bonnie hugged Nick back.
"If anyone could handle such a demanding task it's him. She's in good hooves with the chief." Nick encouraged as he let go of each of them.
"We're glad that he's here. Now then, allow us to teach you a little trick when it comes to doing a head count. Just yell real loud, huddle up Hopps. All the kids come running when they hear that, except Molly, always double check for Molly." Stu informed with a smile.
"Alright, let me give it a try." Nick said before clearing his throat. "Huddle up Hopps!" Nick yelled in a firm and authoritative tone. All of the scattered bunnies suddenly swarmed around Nick and the other adults. "Excellent, now where's Molly! Uncle Nick needs your tiny cotton tail front and center!" Nick yelled as he stared at the crowd of bunnies.
"Uncle Nick." Molly giggled as she skipped over to Nick.
"There she is. Alright Hopps clan, let's move out!" Nick yelled as he turned face and marched everyone out the door.
"Wow, he's good." Clawhauser said as he watched all of the bunnies follow Nick.
"He's very good. He'll make a great babysitter for our little ones." Gazelle replied with a chuckle as she started following everyone.
"Little ones?" Clawhauser asked in a shocked tone.
"Come on kids. I don't know but I've been told!" Nick chanted as he walked.
"I don't know but I've been told!" All of the bunnies repeated with joy.
"We've got rumblies in our tummies!" Nick shouted as he looked back at everyone.
"We've got rumblies in our tummies!" All of the bunnies repeated again.
"I don't know but it's been said!" Nick shouted as he continued marching everyone forward.
"I don't know but it's been said!" All of the bunnies repeated with enthusiasm.
"The Bug Burger is up ahead!" Nick yelled as he lead everyone to the Bug Buger.
"The Bug Buger is up ahead!" All of the bunnies repeated with joy.
"Hopps family, halt!" Nick ordered as he stopped. Everyone quickly stopped directly behind him. "Alright ladies and gentlemammals of the Hopps clan, this is how it's gonna go! We are gonna get some delicious food and relax, we are not going to be super loud and annoying! You will each sit with your designated bench buddy, and nobody goes anywhere alone! We do not talk to strange mammals, and we always tell uncle Nick and or the other adults in the group if a strange mammal speaks to you! Any questions?!" Nick yelled as he stared at the crowd of bunnies.
"No sir!" Everyone yelled with smiles.
"Excellent, then let's fill our bellies up with some Bug Burger! Let's go Hopps clan, get in there! Go! Go! Go!" Nick yelled as he opened the door for everyone.
"Did Nick just militarize all of them?" Clawhauser asked as he looked at Bonnie.
"I wouldn't call it militarizing, I'd call it structured leading." Bonnie replied with a giggle.
"Yep, Nick's the only one who can get them to line up like that. I'm honestly kind of jealous of his talent, but so thankful for it." Stu added with a smile as he and Bonnie walked inside.
"They all listened right away when they were told to huddle up though, and you were the ones to tell us about that trick." Clawhauser replied with a smile.
"True, however they normally only gather into a group for a few seconds before scattering again. We can never get them to stay in one spot for more than a few seconds after having them huddle up, let alone organize them into a marching line like Nick did. He has a real gift when it comes to kids, though it probably helps that he's the cool uncle." Bonnie explained with a smile.
"Hi, welcome to Bug Burger." An antelope behind a counter greeted as everyone walked inside.
"Hi there, how's it going today?" Nick asked as he approached the counter.
"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. What can I get you today?" The woman asked with a smile.
"I'll try not to make this too complicated, because there are a lot of us; and I mean a lot." Nick replied as he looked down. The woman gave him a confused look before peering over the counter, greeted by the sight of more bunnies than she could count.
"Wow, there are a lot of you. Don't worry though, we're prepared. Order when ready sir, and I'll get every item added in faster than you can say that's all." The woman replied as she clapped her hooves together.
"Okay, we'll make it easy for you. Everyone who wants a vegetable, step to the left; burgers, to the right." Nick instructed as he looked back at everyone. Gazelle and all but one of the bunnies moved to the left, while everyone else moved right. "There we have it. We'll take two-hundred and seventy-seven salads and three bug burgers please." Nick said with a smile.
"Okay, that'll be three-hundred and twenty-five dollars." The woman informed as she hit a few buttons on her register.
"Okay, divided by five adults that amounts to... I can't do it in my head like Judy can. Does anyone..." Nick started to ask, but Bonnie's answer came faster than nick could ask the question.
"Seventy-five dollars each." Bonnie answered with a smile.
"Thank you. Can we do split payments here?" Nick asked as he pulled his card out.
"Of course sir, and you said seventy-five on each?" The woman asked as she pushed a few more buttons on her register.
"Yes ma'am." Nick answered with a grin.
"Alright, go ahead and slide the first card when ready." The woman instructed in a kind tone. Nick slid his card, then Clawhauser slid his, followed by Stu, who covered his and Bonnie's share, and lastly Gazelle swiped hers through. "Perfect, you folks are all set. We'll get that order started right away." The woman informed in a kind tone.
"Thank you ma'am." Nick thanked as he started leading everyone to a group of tables.
"Thank goodness there were so many of us adults here, you kids are an expensive date." Stu chuckled as everyone sat down at the various tables.
"Now what do you all say to uncle Nick and his friends for chipping in?" Bonnie asked as she looked at all of the children.
"Thank you!" All of the bunnies thanked with smiles.
"It was our pleasure." Gazelle replied with a smile.
"Uncle Nick?" One of the bunnies asked as he tugged on Nick's shirt.
"Yeah buddy?" Nick asked as he looked at the bunny.
"When's big sister Judy gonna get here?" The bunny asked with a hopeful expression. Everyone was quiet for a moment, but Nick was quick to think of a reply.
"Come here buddy." Nick said as he picked the bunny up. "Your name's Peter, right?" Nick asked with a smile, the bunny lightly shook his head yes. "Well Peter, big sister Judy's not coming here, because she has to stay with the doctor for a little while." Nick explained in a calm tone.
"Why?" Peter asked in a sad tone.
"Because she has some boo boos, and she's sick right now. So we're gonna call her in a little bit and ask if she and Chief Bogo would like anything." Nick explained with a small smile.
"Is she gonna get better?" Peter asked in a hopeful tone. Nick was caught off guard by the question, though honestly he should've seen it coming. Of course her siblings were worried about her, they all loved Judy, she was their big sister after all. Nick let out a small sigh before staring into Peter's eyes.
"I'm sorry Peter, I honestly don't know. I hope she does, but it might take a long time. But no matter how long it takes, or what happens in the future, just remember that Judy loves you. So love her back, because love is the ultimate medicine. Okay?" Nick replied and asked with a smile.
"Okay uncle Nick." Peter said as he hugged Nick.
"Let's call her and make her better with our love." One of the bunnies said with a giggle, as she climbed onto the booth and sat on Bonnie's lap.
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Bonnie replied as she pulled her phone out.
"Are you sure? We have no idea if she's doing any better, the kids haven't seen her yet, they don't know about what happened. All they know is that we said she was sick, they have no idea about the drug or its effects." Stu whispered in Bonnie's ear.
"Then we'll have to take a chance and hope for the best." Bonnie quietly replied as she called Judy on video chat.
"I should've been expecting this." Bogo said to himself as he picked up Judy's phone and answered it.
"Hi chief, how's it going?" Bonnie asked in a nervous tone.
"Well, her aggression has eased down a bit, so that's good." Bogo replied in a calm tone.
"I feel like there's a but coming." Stu said as he moved into view of the camera.
"Yes. Unfortunately she's been suffering from a few other symptoms. She's been nauseous and a little dizzy, she's also in some pain." Bogo informed in a sad tone.
"Oh our poor baby. Does she need anything while we're out?" Bonnie asked with a sad expression.
"I need a damn painkiller! My whole fucking body is just screaming in pain." Judy groaned as she dragged herself back into her bed.
"Has it gotten worse?" Bogo asked as he looked at Judy.
"So much worse, every bit of Nighthowler that wears off means more pain for me. I think the drug blocks my pain receptors, now that it's wearing off I'm just miserable. The less of the drug I have the more pain I feel." Judy groaned as she clutched her ribs. "I'm sorry mom, I can't talk right now. I can't even think straight." Judy groaned as she laid down. "Oh my head. I'm sorry mom, but I need some quiet right now. I love you and dad, and I'm sorry for anything I said or did while under the influence of the Nighthowler drug. Chief, could you please turn the light off?" Judy asked with a sniffle.
"Of course. Please excuse me, but I think Hopps needs some quiet right now." Bogo said in a sad tone.
"We understand, we'll be back soon. Do you want us to bring you any food back?" Bonnie asked as she looked towards Judy.
"No thank you." Judy quietly replied.
"Alright, we'll be back soon sweetie. Goodbye." Bonnie said as she hung up.
"Shit!" Judy swore before leaping out of bed and dashing into the restroom.
"Hopps?" Bogo asked as he rushed over to her, finding her puking once again. "It's alright, you're gonna be okay." Bogo encouraged as he held her ears so they wouldn't flop down into the toilet.
"Don't lie to me chief, we have no idea what's gonna happen. I was told by the doctor that I took two whole vials of that stuff, look what happened when I got hit with a single blueberry sized pellet. I went crazy, and I somehow ended up all the way in Tundra Town. We don't know what could happen now." Judy replied with tears in her eyes.
"You're right, we don't know what could happen; but have faith Hopps, I don't think it'll get much worse than this." Bogo encouraged as he rubbed her back.
"What the hell would make you think that?! I'm literally..." Judy stopped as she flung her head forward and vomited again. "Hunched over a toilet and puking my damn guts out." Judy groaned as she stared into the toilet.
"I know, and that's part of why I believe you're going to be okay. Your not as angry or aggressive as you were just a little while ago, and you're likely vomiting right now as a means of expelling part of the toxin from your body. I'm confident that you'll feel much better by tomorrow." Bogo explained as he continued holding Judy's ears, she suddenly jerked forward and vomited again.
"Uh. I hope you're right chief, because I feel like shit right now." Judy groaned as she slowly lifted her head again.
"You need rest, are you sure you don't want any food?" Bogo asked as he continued holding Judy's ears.
"Why, so I can puke it up in ten minutes? Thanks but no thanks." Judy replied as she took a few deep breaths. "Okay, I think I'm better. Take me back to bed please, I don't know if I can walk anymore. Everything hurts." Judy groaned as ahe held her arms out to Bogo.
"What hurts the most?" Bogo asked as he picked Judy up.
"My head. It's just pounding, and for some reason the top of it is just screaming in pain. I feel like I was used as a battering ram." Judy answered as Bogo laid her in her bed.
"Really?" Bogo asked with a slighty nervous expression.
"Yeah, and judging by that look on your face I'm guessing that you know why. So spill it." Judy said as she crossed her arms in a huff.
"You don't wanna know, you really don't." Bogo replied in a stern tone.
"Actually I do, I'm in pain and I want to know why. So either you tell me, or I'll find someone who will." Judy snapped as she glared at Bogo.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't try and warn you." Bogo replied as he laid Judy in her bed. "It was ugly, Hopps. While in your savage state you leapt straight into Thomas's mouth, then you must've either stopped yourself or gotten stuck part way to his stomach. After a few seconds he started howling and freaking out, then you literally burst out of his chest like some kind of sci-fi monster. My guess is that you used your head to burst through his sternum, which would explain your unusually strong headache." Bogo explained as he stared at Judy. Judy stared back at him for a moment, then she leapt out of bed and made a dash for the restroom again. Bogo sighed sadly as he slowly walked into the restroom.
"Oh my God, I'm a monster." Judy said before vomiting again.
"It wasn't you, Hopps, it was the Nighthowler. You weren't in control of what you did." Bogo replied as he knelt by Judy.
"You think that makes it any better?! Would a murderer be let off the hook if they killed under the influence of some kind of drug?! No! They'd be tried for murder, regardless of the circumstances!" Judy shouted with tears in her eyes.
"Hopps, what you did wasn't murder, it was self defense. Anyone who sees the footage could tell you that. I.A's already going through our body cam footage of the raid, if they had any issues with how things were handled I would've been told." Bogo replied in a calm tone.
"You really think they could've gone through all of that footage in just a few hours?! They haven't called about it because they're not done watching it! I'm a murderer, chief! I'm so tired of having so much blood on my paws. There isn't enough soap in the world to wash it all off, I really am just a savage. I don't need Nighthowler to go savage, I just have to wake up in the morning." Judy quietly cried as she laid down on the floor.
"Hopps." Bogo quietly said as he picked her up and held her in his arms. Judy quietly cried as Bogo continued holding her, it was all he could think to do to comfort her.
"I'm a monster. I've killed so many mammals in just this past week or so, why did this have to happen? All I ever wanted was to help mammals, but instead I'm killing them. I'm disgusted by myself! I'm not a cop, I'm a murderer with a badge! I don't deserve to be part of your station! I'm sorry chief, I've let you all down and disgraced the honor of being a peacekeeper. I'm doing nothing but causing chaos, I'm sorry chief. I'm sorry." Judy cried as she clung to Bogo's chest.
"Don't say that, Hopps. You haven't disgraced your badge or any of your fellow officers, you only did what you did for the sake of others. You only took those lives to save the lives of others; you are not a murderer, you're a protector." Bogo replied as he gently rubbed Judy's back.
"I don't feel like a protector, I feel like a monster. I'm a fluffing murderer!" Judy sobbed into Bogo's chest. Bogo just tightened his grip on her in attempt to comfort her, there wasn't much else he could do other than let her cry it out. Despite his many years of experience, even he didn't know how Judy was feeling, he'd never killed anyone before. As he continued to comfort Judy a thought came to him, there was one mammal he knew that might be able to help Judy cope.
"Hopps, I think I know someone who can help you, or at least understand you better." Bogo calmly informed with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Judy asked with a sniffle as she looked up at him.
"If you're comfortable with it, I know another officer who's been in your shoes; it might help you to talk to them." Bogo explained in a kind tone.
"Really?" Judy asked with a sniffle.
"Really. Do you want me to call them?" Bogo asked as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. Judy gave him a small smile before gently nodding her head. Bogo smiled back before pushing a few buttons on his phone.
"That was a delicious meal, we should head back soon though; Judy and Chief Bogo are probably going to be hangry by the time we get back." Bonnie said with a giggle as she wiped her face with her napkin.
"I suppose you're right. Okay kids, let's go back to see your sis." Nick said as he got out of the booth.
"Yay!" All of the bunnies cheered as they stampeded for the door.
"Hey, watch for cars!" Nick shouted as he chased after all if them, followed by Bonnie and Stu.
"So, you really want to deal with that someday?" Clawhauser asked as he looked at Gazelle.
"Yes, though maybe not so many. I think adopting one or two would be more than enough to start a family." Gazelle giggled as she put her arms around Clawhauser. A light buzzing sound interrupted the small moment between the two.
"Sorry." Clawhauser apologized as he pulled his phone out. "Uh oh." Clawhauser quietly said when he saw the caller I.D.
"What's wrong?" Gazelle asked as she looked at his phone. "I hope they're not mad." Gazelle quietly said in a nervous tone.
"I hope so too." Clawhauser replied as he answered his phone. "Hey chief, is everything alright?" Clawhauser asked in a politely casual tone. "Oh. Is it that bad?" Clawhauser asked in a sad tone. "Okay, we're heading out now. Do either of you want anything?" Clawhauser asked in a kind tone. "Okay. Alright chief, we'll be back in about twenty minutes or so. Bye chief." Clawhauser quietly said before hanging up, then he gently put his phone back into his pocket.
"Is everything alright?" Gazelle asked when she noticed Clawhauser seemed a little down.
"I uh... I don't wanna talk about it right now." Clawhauser answered in a sad tone. "Here, could you please order two bug burgers and two Gazelleabration shakes to go? One blueberry flavor and one grass flavor, please." Clawhauser asked as he handed his wallet to Gazelle.
"Of course. Do you wanna come with me, or do you need a moment?" Gazelle asked as she took the wallet.
"I need a moment please." Clawhauser answered in a sad tone.
"Okay. I'll be back in a moment." Gazelle informed as she placed a kiss on Clawhauser's cheek, then she stood up and walked away. Clawhauser sat in silence for a moment, then he rested his elbows on his knees and hunched over with his head in his paws.
"Oh Henry, how am I gonna do this?" Clawhauser whispered to himself with a sigh.
"Who's Henry?" Gazelle asked as she walked back to the table with two shakes.
"An old friend." Clawhauser answered as he looked at Gazelle with a sad smile.
"Why the sad face?" Gazelle asked in a compassionate tone.
"I'd rather not talk about it, at least not right now." Clawhauser replied as he stood up. "Besides, Judy and the chief are waiting for us, so there's no time for stories." Clawhauser added as he took one of the shakes from Gazelle.
"Okay, I understand." Gazelle replied as she placed a hand on Clawhauser's shoulder. "But Ben..." Gazelle quietly said, causing Clawhauser to look back at her. "I'm here if you need me, so don't be afraid to tell me if you do." Gazelle informed with a small smile.
"I know, thank you." Clawhauser replied as he placed his paw over her hand. Gazelle smiled at him, then the pair began walking towards the doors, where Nick was already starting to march the kids back to the hospital to see Judy.
"Oh bless his heart, he's an absolute miracle worker." Bonnie said with a smile as she and Stu watched their children follow Nick.
"I don't know but it's been said!" Nick yelled as he looked back at all of the baby bunnies.
"I don't know but it's been said!" All of the bunnies repeated with giggles.
"Your lazy sister's still in bed!" Nick yelled with a grin.
"Our lazy sister's still in bed!" All of the bunnies yelled with enthusiasm.
"I don't know but I've been told!" Nick yelled as he continued marching everyone down the sidewalk.
"I don't know but I've been told!" All of the bunnies mimicked with joy.
"This berry shake is mighty cold!" Nick chanted as he held up a shake.
"This berry shake is mighty cold!" All of the bunnies replied as they held up their own drinks.
"Sound off!" Nick ordered as everyone approached the hospital.
"Hopps clan!" All of the bunnies yelled in joy.
"Sound off!" Nick ordered again with a grin.
"Hopps clan!" The bunnies yelled again with giggles.
"Hopps clan!" Nick and all of the bunnies yelled together one last time. "Hopps clan, halt!" Nick ordered as he stopped in front of the hospital.
"He's so good at this." Bonnie giggled as she watched Nick with all of the kids.
"I know, I think I'm jealous. Our children listen better to Nick than they do to us." Stu replied with a smile.
"Alright Hopps clan, listen up. Now I know that you all want to see your sister right now, but be warned, she might be grumpy. She may even be hopping mad! But know this, no matter what she may say it's not your fault and you did nothing wrong. Hopefully she's feeling better, but she has some ouchies, and ouchies can make mammals grumpy; your sister is no exception. So if she seems mean or grumpy towards any of you it's not your fault. She isn't mad at you, she's just grumpy in general. So don't let her make you feel bad, understand?" Nick informed and asked as he looked at everyone.
"Sir yes sir!" All of the bunnies answered with smiles.
"Alright, then let's go see Judy!" Nick yelled as he ran inside, followed by the stampede of tiny bunnies.
"Brace yourselves, room three thirty-two's visitors are back!" A sheep behind the front desk yelled with a smile.
"I could tell by the rumbling!" A tiger in a lab coat replied as he stepped aside to avoid being stampeded over.
"Be careful everyone, don't run anybody down!" Nick yelled as he ran after everyone. Nobody even bothered taking the elevator, all of the bunnies just stormed up the steps to Judy's room.
"Oh damn." Judy quietly said as she stared at the door.
"What's wrong, do you feel sick again?" Bogo asked as he looked at Judy.
"I'm about to be crushed, and it's gonna hurt." Judy answered with a small breath.
"Crushed?" Bogo asked in a confused tone, but the answer to his question burst through the door a second later.
"Judy!" All of the bunnies cheered as they scrambled over each other to get onto Judy's bed.
"Ah! Ouch! Molly! Peter! Timmy watch where you're stepping! Damn it Emily, get off of my chest! Ah!" Judy yelled in pain and anger as she started to loose control of her temper.
"Uh oh, it sounds like she's still moody." Nick said as he rushed into the room, followed by everyone else.
"AAAAAAH! That's it! All of you get on the floor right now! Get the hell off of me before I break anymore bones! Get off of the fluffing bed now!" Judy screamed with fury as she fought the urge to start literally throwing her siblings off of the bed. All the bunnies stopped scrambling over her and just stared at her in utter shock, maybe even with a bit of fear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry everyone, I didn't mean that. Listen, I'm sick right now, and sometimes I say mean things without being able to stop myself. I'm so sorry." Judy quietly apologized in a sad tone.
"It's okay, uncle Nick told us that you have ouchies and that they make you grumpy." One of the bunnies said with a small smile.
"Uncle Nick was right, I have a lot of ouchies right now; and as much as I love you all I need you to get off. I'm very sore right now, and I also feel sick; so please get off of me." Judy replied with small breath. All of the bunnies slowly climbed off of Judy and back onto the floor. "Thank you." Judy thanked as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back.
"Here, this might help a bit." Nick said as he handed Judy her shake and burger.
"Oh my God, thank you so much. I don't remember the last time I felt this hungry." Judy replied as she took her burger from Nick and tore into it.
"Here chief." Nick said with a smile as he handed Bogo a burger and shake.
"Thank you Wilde." Bogo thanked as he started eating as well.
"There you go, feeling less grumpy now?" Nick asked with a smirk as he looked at Judy.
"Don't push it." Judy grumbled as she took a sip of her shake.
"Alright, now that everything's settled down a bit, I think we need to talk." Clawhauser said as he sat down by Judy's bed.
"About what?" Judy asked with a mouthful of burger.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, dear." Bonnie scolded with a smile.
"Yeah yeah." Judy grumbled in reply.
"What we need to talk about is you, Judy. The chief told me how much you're struggling, and he thought you might feel better if you could talk to an officer who's been in your shoes before." Clawhauser informed as he stared down at his paws.
"Yeah, so what? Do you know someone or something?" Judy asked as she finished off her burger.
"I do, unfortunately. You're looking at him." Clawhauser answered as he looked up at Judy. The room was silent for a moment, but then Judy suddenly spoke up.
"You? You're kidding, right?" Judy asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Hopps." Bogo said in an angry tone as he looked at Judy.
"No, it's alright chief. I get it, who could ever imagine that the overweight and childish desk jockey was ever even in the field, let alone on a call where they had to do something so awful. But it's true, I wasn't always a donut munching desk jockey. There was a time when I was a lean, mean, crime fighting machine; but that all changed on one terrible night." Clawhauser quietly said with a shaky breath. "I'd just celebrated my fith anniversary on the force less than three days before the incident. I was riding with a relatively new recruit named Henry, he'd just hit his three month anniversary, and he couldn't have been happier. Anyways, we were doing our usual patrol route when a call came in about a suspicious character lurking outside of a gas station. We figured it'd be a routine thing, a couple of bored teenagers causing mischief; give 'em a warning and send them on their way. So we pulled up to the gas station and something immediately felt off, the place was practically a ghost town. No cars, no mammals, just silence. I told Henry to take the back while I took the front, he went around back and I went in the front. When I entered the store it was like something out of a horror film. The place was a mess, merchandise all over the floor, broken beer bottles, and the register had obviously been forced open. I peeked over the counter and saw what to this day is still the worst sight I'd ever seen. The mammal behind the counter was D.O.A, but it wasn't like a simple G.S.W or anything, the poor guy had been bludgeoned to death by something, the whole top and front of his skull were caved in, and there were chunks of God knows what, spattered all over the place. I was about to call it in when I suddenly heard these loud bangs, so I rushed towards the back door, yelling Henry's name as I did. I burst out the back door and saw this young sloth, standing over Henry. I aimed my gun at him and told him to show me his paws. I never found out what he was on, but that sloth moved like lightning. He was on top of me before I could even react, he was trying like hell to get my gun. When I started to loose my grip on it I grabbed my knife off my pocket and shoved it into his side, but he hardly even flinched. So I did it again, and again, and again; I stabbed him exactly twenty-three times before he finally stopped fighting and died. I immediately crawled over to Henry to check on him, but he was gone; and there was nothing I could do." Clawhauser said with a sniffle and a few tears.
"Clawhauser." Judy quietly said as she stared at him with a sad and shocked expression.
"I remember standing there as his casket was lowered into the ground, with his wife and children watching; and all I could think was why. Why him, why not me? He had so much more to live for than I did, a wife and two wonderful children, and all I had was the job and a crappy apartment. I should've been the one in that casket, not him." Clawhauser whispered with a sniffle. "After that I sat down behind that reception desk and never went back into the field, and I have a lot of regrets about that. I know that you're scared, angry, and that you feel guilty about doing what you did; but don't let those things drag you down, Judy. I don't want you to end up like me, a donut munching desk jockey who's too afraid to lose anyone again, so instead he's there for no one. This city wouldn't be able to survive losing an officer of your caliber, Judy. I know it hurts and that it's it's scary, I also know that you feel angry and guilty; but don't let those feelings keep you from doing what you do best. Don't let them stop you from helping this city, Zootopia needs you, and you need it." Clawhauser said with a small smile, despite the tears in his eyes.
"I... I don't know what to say, the only words that I think of just don't feel like enough. I'm so sorry Clawhauser, I'm so sorry that you had to go through something so horrible." Judy quietly cried as she hugged Clawhauser.
"You don't have to say anything Judy, just don't give into the fear. This city needs you, you're an inspiration to all of us. So do what you do best and persevere, if anyone could find a way past something as terrible as what you went through, it's the great Judy Hopps. Z.P.D's first and only bunny, and quite possibly it's bravest and most tenacious officer ever." Clawhauser replied as he gently ruffled her head a bit.
"Yes sir." Judy replied with a sharp salute.
"There's our famous bunny officer. Now you get lots of rest, in the meantime we all get to go and fill out mountains of paperwork." Clawhauser chuckled as he started walking away.
"Sorry Ben." Judy apologized with a small giggle.
"Don't be, you'll be filling out plenty of paperwork when you get back." Bogo replied with a grin.
"I can't wait, sir." Judy replied with a small smile.
"Well Carrots, I guess I'll be back to visit later today or tomorrow." Nick informed as he started following Bogo.
"Wait, what? Are you seriously leaving me here?!" Judy yelled as she stared at Nick.
"We've gotta get that paperwork started, and I don't want you to have to do a ton of it when you get back, so yes. I'll see you later tonight though." Nick answered as he left the room.
"Nick! Get back here you dumb fox! You can't seriously just go back to the station and leave me here!" Judy shouted as she stared at the door Nick had just left through. "You jackass! Your bunny's all beat up and you're just leaving her all alone?! You're an asshole!" Judy shouted as she burst into tears.
"Oh honey, it's okay. He'll be back soon." Bonnie encouraged as she hugged Judy.
"I want him now! I want my fox!" Judy cried as she clung to her mother.
"Why's big sister Judy crying?" One of the little bunnies whispered to another one.
"Because big sister Judy's sad that uncle Nick left." The other bunny whispered back.
"Uncle Nick." Molly said with a smile as she left the room, though nobody noticed because they were all too focused on Judy.
"Are you sure about leaving her?" Bogo asked as the elevator doors opened and he lead Nick and Clawhauser off of it.
"Of course not, but she needs time with her family. I also can't shake the feeling that this isn't over yet." Nick answered in a sad tone.
"What do you mean?" Clawhauser asked in a curious tone.
"I'm not sure sir, it's just a gut instinct. But I know that this isn't over yet." Nick answered with a sigh.
"Well Wilde, if your gut's telling you that it's not over yet then trust it. You have good instincts, even if you're not sure why, if you think something's coming then it likely is. I just wish your gut could be a little more descriptive in its feelings." Bogo replied as he lead everyone to a squad car.
"I've got shotgun!" Clawhauser yelled as he rushed to the passenger side door.
"Wow Clawhauser, I don't think I've ever seen you move that fast." Nick said with a chuckle.
"That's nothing, you should see me at a buffet. I pitty the mammal that gets in my way at that place." Clawhauser replied with a grin. Even Bogo couldn't help but chuckle a little at that one.
"Alright, let's get this boring paperwork over with." Bogo said as everyone got in the car, then started driving away.
"Uncle Nick!" Molly cheered as she burst out the front doors, only to frown as she watched the car drive away.
"So he left you too, huh?" A voice asked from nearby. Molly lightly nodded her head. "Yeah, he does that. Don't worry though, you can come with me, I'll take you to him." The voice informed as its owner patted the side of a van. "Hop in kid, I'll give you a ride." The mammal instructed as they opened a door for Molly.
"Yay." Molly cheered as she rushed into the van, then the mammal closed the door and got in the driver's seat. The van started and pulled out of the parking lot with a bang as it backfired.