When Judy awoke, all she could feel was burning. Burning, searing pain in her hands and up her back and in her lungs and in her eyes. Something moist and firm was pressed around her muzzle blasting air softly in a steady beat, and she could feel she was laying down, covered by blankets. There was pressure around her arm and chest, something that felt like a coiled snake crushing her, and her ears rang faintly. When she found the energy to open her eyes, she was blinded by a white fluorescent light overhead. The ringing in her ears gave way gradually to a faint, consistent beeping, and her nose picked up the scent of cleaning chemicals.

As she shifted to sit up, pain lashed across her back, forcing the air from her lungs in a muffled yell of pain as she dropped back down. The beeping quickened, and a few moments later she heard the rapid rustling of footsteps. A second later, the head of a hyena appeared over her, looking down with worried amber eyes. "You're awake. Stay here just a moment, miss, I'll get the doctor." The soft, vaguely feminine voice told her before rushing off again.

Judy decided that more pain was not worth it. And wherever she was, she was in no condition to entertain the idea of going off on her own for answers.

Less than ten minutes later, she heard voices again, approaching her room. She strained to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation, but was unable to as they silenced before reaching her room. Then, the hyena returned to view, going to a set of machines on her left - ones she realized was medical equipment. On her right, a badger hopped up on an unseen stool, clipboard in hand, flipping through papers.

"Judith? Blink twice if you can hear me."

Judith? Ugh, hearing her full name like that made her feel old. She blinked twice.

"Okay good. Do that again for yes, once for no. I need to ask you a few questions. Do you have any numbness you can identify?"

She waited a moment, analyzing herself, before blinking once. The badger nodded.

"Good. Do you think you could sit up for us?"

That was an easy answer. She blinked once.

"Understandable. Do you think you could speak if we took you off of oxygen for a few tests and questions?"

She blinked twice, rapidly. That at least explained the mask she was wearing - oxygen, to help deal with the smoke inhalation. The badger nodded, and set about to helping turn off the machine giving her oxygen, before helping her to remove the mask. Judy, naturally, entered a coughing fit as she took her first unassisted breath, lungs on fire - but it passed with effort, letting her ask her most important questions.

"Where am I? Where's Nick, is he okay? What happened?"

The badger held up a hand to try and stop the questions as they fired off. "Easy, easy, miss Hopps. You're okay, you're safe - you're in a safe house in the Rainforest District."

"The wha-"

She was cut off, swiftly. "Mister Fero has assured Mister Big that you will be treated as if you were back in Tundratown. You're safe here, and well taken care of. You were delivered to us in very rough shape." The badger began to flip through the papers of her clipboard as she searched through the provided information. "Heavy smoke inhalation, several dislocated knuckles in the right hand, a mild head bump, and several shards of glass embedded within your back. You've been out for a full day and night healing. Your hand will be functional within a week but will need six months to fully heal. There's a series of stitches in your back that will require monitoring for several days before you're able to have safely walk on your own, and ideally you'll rest a month before being back to full strength. Naturally this will-"

Judy's ears rang dimly as the badger rattled off her list of injuries. It was good to know what all of the pain she was feeling was - but she didn't ask what she was injured with. She asked what happened, where Nick was. Because if he was left behind in that house, if he didn't make it out…

She could already feel the tears threatening her eyes at the very thought.

"Miss Hopps?"

The words crash through her thoughts, drawing her attention back to reality. She refocuses her attention on the badger quickly with a nod, pretending that she was listening the entire time. She was met with a skeptical look, papers being flipped to the front page of whatever she held. The two stared at one another for a long moment before the badger sighed.

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

Her ears drooped low as she was so blatantly called out.

"N-No, I'm sorry. My head is still a little fuzzy."

A bit of a lie, but truth enough.

The badger sighed.

"We'll keep you here for a week as we arrange transport back to Tundratown for you. In the meantime we'll need you to stay here under our supervision. Understand?"

Judy looked down at her blanket covered self, mulling the idea of staying here over in her head. Again and again a single question continues to interrupt her thoughts, and her shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, okay. But, Nick- where's Nick? You never answered me."

The badger takes a deep, long breath, keeping silent for a long, painful moment. Judy felt like it went on for years before the silence broke.

"Nick was-"

And then. Of course, at that crucial moment. The door to the room was forced open, several new folk filling in. A black bear, ox, lemur, otter and tapir all filed in. Dark blue, nearly black suits with black ties were worn by all - at this point, Judy understood this to be equivalent to a security detail. She sat in silence as each member took up a position within the room. Finally, a massive grizzly bear stepped into the room. His presence alone filled the air with the smell of cigars and bourbon, easily overtaking the sterilized smell of the medical equipment.

"M-Mister Fero- uh, good morning. We were not expecting your visit, I'm sorry. We-"

The badger was cut off with a heavy snort from the grizzly bear.

"Honey. You and your assistants have ensured our guest can handle a conversation, yes?"

"Yes sir, of course."

"Then you two are dismissed."

Honey and the hyena share a glance with one another before quietly, but quickly, exiting the room without a word. Judy kept her eyes fixated on a space between her feet, until another snort demanded her attention and she raised her head.

"Hopps. You have a great deal of explaining to do."

Artyom's low voice rumbled at her, teetering between warning and threat.

"You can start with why I had to deny Beau entry to my territory to search for you."

That felt fair to her. She takes a long, deep breath, before slowly going into her explanation.

~óÓÒò~

Two hours had passed by the time her explanation had finished. A combination of interjecting questions by Artyom, and her own brief needs of oxygen in between events led to it taking much longer than it should've. It was, ultimately, exhausting - especially her recount of their escape from Sabine's territory and the subsequent hiding in Nick's childhood home. Unfortunately for her, Artyom was at as much of a loss as to the cause of the fire as she was. While the house was known and vaguely protected from vandals despite its extended vacancy. As she fell into silence, the bear gave a deep, thoughtful rumble, holding his chin thoughtfully.

"So it seems there are traitors amongst the families. This will not do, no, no no… Hopps. We will give you the week to recover before returning you to Mister Big for the remainder of your healing. Thank you for bringing word of this to us… We will handle Sabine's treason in time."

Judy waited a moment before swallowing, trying to clear the nervous dryness in her throat. She nodded, no longer willing to lift her gaze as she spoke. "Okay, sir. Thank you for your kindness. Before you go, can you… Please, answer one question?"

There was a small grunt of approval, and a faint "da."

"Where is Nick? He made it out, right?"

There was a second painful, long stretch of silence as Artyom motioned for his guards to file out. It stretched on and on with the only sound being the beeping of her monitoring equipment, and the shuffling feet. Artyom turned to leave after them, making Judy's fists clench at the blanket covering her. Tears welled at her eyes, the silence an answer in itself. But the confirmation, however gently delivered, was far worse.

"Mister Wilde is not here with us."

Funny how sitting down to remake an outline explodes into a full chapter, isn't it?