Debriefing
The gazelle nurse moved around the bed reading the specs on Nick's heart monitor before jotting something down on the clipboard in her hand. Nick watched quietly as she worked. The slim figure sporting a cream green colored scrubs. Nurse Behein had been quite cold to Nick upon seeing him. No doubt she assumed him to be like other foxes that she'd worked with. Either way, she'd not even bothered to introduce herself. The only way Nick knew her name was because he read it on her name tag. Either way, it mattered little to Nick, he didn't really want to start a conversation with her anyway.
“Well, Mr. Wilde. Sorry Officer Wilde.” The nurse accent spiked in surprise as she corrected herself. “It seems like your stats are completely back to normal. This is incredible. Now that we know the antidote works, we can start mass producing it.”
“That good and all but when can I leave? I'm getting bedsores.”
“You just woke up last night, so I can't let you leave any earlier than noon. I will be able to confirm a time once I've spoken more with your doctor. I for one don't see any reason we'd have to keep you for another night.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
The gazelle mumbled loud enough for Nick to hear. “A fox with manners, I wonder if that's a side effect of the serum.”
Nick shook his head and smirked, some things never change. The door opened again and Chief Bogo walked into the room holding the door open so the nurse could leave before closing the door behind her Bogo wasn't the face Nick wanted to see but he wasn't necessarily unhappy about it either. The large cape buffalo sauntered over to the edge of the bed and gave the fox a gracious smile.
“Good to see you're awake.”
“Good to be awake, sir.”
“Hopps is on her way up right now. I'll start the debriefing once she's here. In the mean time, Finnick gave me this to give to you.”
Bogo passed a plain looking business envelope to Nick, who started opening. He stopped when the door opened and Judy walked in. They shared a glance before she darted over to the bed throwing her arms around Nick's neck. A warm laughter erupted from her as she embraced the fox. He hugged her back with his arm, in a cast, his other arm resting on her hip. Nick looked up at her beautiful face. He could see the bandage on her forehead and on her cheek. Obviously, she'd had a great deal of damage done as well. Compliments of the baron.
“Ahem!” Bogo grunted.
Judy recovered composure sitting next to Nick on the bed. “Sorry, sir.”
“It's fine! Just save it until after the debriefing and I'm far away from seeing it.”
Both Nick and Judy nodded almost at the same instant. Bogo cleared his throat shifting around the room. They could tell by the look in his eyes that he was trying to find a way to begin. The way that he fidgeted with his glasses, pulling them off only to put them back on. A soft sigh escaped as he came to terms that the direct route obviously was the best way and more the buffalo's style. He pulled a small stack of papers from under his arm tossing them onto the bed. Judy picked up the papers and read through them. They were the files Bogo had taken from the folder at the beginning of the investigation. Judy tried to absorb as much of the information as she could before Bogo started talking.
“Bartrand Bouncer used to be a pharmacist. One of the greatest in the area. A friendly sort of mammal, who loved his wife and his child very much. I had the pleasure of meeting him once. Everything was always on the house to a man in uniform.”
“Until his wife died, right?” Judy added.
“Oh, so he told you did he?” Bogo took his glasses off, clipping them onto his pocket. “A senator took his wife hostage. They needed a negotiator but the usual guy wasn't available, so they sent me. I was the only one with any prior training but I lacked field experience.”
“Were you a rookie?” Nick asked.
“No, I'd been a cop for a while. I'd just starting working with the negotiators in our precinct.”
“Cross training...” Judy chimed in.
“Precisely, now shut up so I can finish telling this story. Where was- Oh yes, I didn't know what I was dealing with. I remember Bartrand begging me to do something. He knew that this guy was unstable. I urged the chief to just let me go in and draw his attention away from the hostages. I informed him that the negotiations weren't working and the chief said no. Said my job was to talk him down. Told me that we can't just take out a senator. I told the chief that a man of such power as this senator needed to be made an example of. He threatened to fire me on the spot if I didn't just do my job.”
Bogo sat down in his chair leaning his elbows on his knees. “Thirty more minutes into the negotiations, he'd killed her and the other hostages as well. Then turned the gun on himself.”
Bogo wiped his misty eyes. “I was devastated, turned in my badge. When the press asked me what happened, I told them everything. It launched a campaign against Chief Graymane. Talk of conspiracy or government kick back was running rampant. I didn't know, nor did I care. They had no one to turn too. So the Mayor and the commissioner came to me, they asked me to testify against the Chief in return for not only my job back but a promotion. I accepted the deal thinking that I could make more of a difference as police chief. My main failing, the thing I regret most of all was that I didn't reach out to Bartrand and his daughter. I didn't make a connection with them. I didn't tell him how sorry I was for their loss. That's what the police are supposed to do and I've had to live with that every day.”
“You couldn't have known?” Nick chimed in.
“But I did.”
“Is there anything you can do for him now?” Judy asked.
“I turned in my deposition requested a lighter sentence with counseling. If they accept it, good but the ZIA isn't very accommodating to jurisdiction jockeys such as us.”
“What of Honey? Do you have any evidence against his daughter?”
“None. Your friend Finnick informed me this morning that it was all missing from the file. They think someone in the agency disposed of the evidence against her.”
“Good...I mean that's terrible.”
Bogo raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment. “I'm offering you two a promotion, you'll both become investigators. You will still be part of the ZPD but you won't be beat-cops anymore. You'll be issued special cases that better suit your abilities if that's something you'd be interested in.”
“Do we have to answer you now?”
“No, take your time. Wilde, you're on leave until your arm's healed. Hopps, you'll report back to work on Monday with a temporary...I repeat temporary partner.”
Judy smirked and nodded. “Alright, I might take use a few more days of my leave time just to make sure Nick is comfortable at my place.”
“Your place?” Nick smirked.
“Yes, that way I can keep an eye on you.”
“Whatever. Just be sure to clear it with mammal resources first. I think we're done with the debriefing.” Bogo walked to the door. “Get your rest, Wilde. I'll be seeing you two around.”
The cape buffalo left closing the door behind. Judy scrambled to sit straddled on Nick's lap looking down at the sly fox. Nick rested his hands on her thighs trapped in her purple eyes. He found his mouth too dry to speak.
“I'm glad you're alright.”
“I am too, I-”
“Remember the box you gave me, the one you told me to open with you around?”
“Yeah?” Nick asked suspiciously.
“Well, I just couldn't do it. I know you wanted me to but now, there is no alone for me. There's only you and me. Hell, even when I'm in my apartment at the end of the day, you're still with me.”
Judy's ears started to flush bright red, her fingers working curls along the folds in his hospital gown. Nick's ears were heating up as well, the sound of her sweet voice making his heart speed up. Judy looked up at the heart monitor as it started beeping faster. A smirk came to her lips and she looked back at him.
“So I make your heart beat faster?”
“That's not the only thing you do to me. The other stuff is just too vulgar to talk.”
“Oh!” Judy covered her mouth, the blush instantly rushing to her cheeks.
“Sorry.” Nick chuckled taking her hand in his.
“It's alright. I like it when you tell me about your feelings. It makes me feel like I matter to you.”
“Judy, you matter more than you know. All that stuff you were talking about earlier. That's me every day. Even when you and I are on the beat together, I miss you like crazy when you just go to get a snack or pee.”
“You mean it?”
“I do, did you happen to bring that box I gave you?”
Judy nodded reaching into her jacket pocket pulling out the small brown box. Nick helped her open the box. Her eyes darted down to the meager looking ring inside the felt holder, then back up to Nick's soft and easy smile. She'd known about the ring for a long time. Finnick had told her in the diner. He'd asked her to turn on the charm to lure out Nick's emotions. If she did, she would be rewarded. The small fox was right. Tears welled up in her eyes as she picked the ring up putting it on her right hand.
“Nope.”
Nick held her hand slipping the ring from her finger before moving it to the other hand. Thanks to the cast it took some working but he managed to do it. Judy's bottom lip trembled her eyes darting from her hand to his face a few more times. Emotions swelled in her chest causing her shoulders to hitch as she fought the tears.
“Judy, will you marry me?”
Judy broke down falling forward onto him. “Yes!”
Nick wrapped his arms around her holding her closely. She pushed her face against his cheek soaking the fur with her tears. Nick caressed her cheek kissing away the tears running down her cheeks. She fought against his touch to push her lips to his. They melted into a passionate kiss. Her fingers, trembled, as she caressed along his chin to his neck cradling his face. Judy sunk down next to him, resting her head against his chest. He held her close.
“I know one thing,” Judy whispered looking down at the ring on her hand.
“Hmm?” Nick moaned tracing his lips along the top of her head.
“My family is going to be shocked.”
“You think? It'll be alright, I mean how dangerous can a bunch of rabbits be anyway?”
Judy giggled and kissed his cheek tenderly. “You have no idea.”
Nick woke from his nap with a start. Judy squirmed against him with a soft moan but didn't wake. The heart monitor beeped in quick time with his heart. Sweat beaded up under the fur on his forehead. When he reached up to wipe it away the envelope Bogo gave him earlier fell onto his chest. Finnick's handwriting on the front was ragged at best. I didn't matter, though, Nick had lots of practice reading it over the years. Nick used his teeth to pry open the envelope pouring the contents onto his chest. A small letter and a pile of glitter poofed out coating him, Judy, and the bed. Nick pursed his lips in frustration.
“Dick.” He whispered thumbing open the letter.
Nick,
Sincerely sorry about the glitter, it was Pearl's idea. He said it was so you'd always remember his cute ass. On a more serious note, I'm offering you and Judy a temporary position on my team for our next assignment. It's something I know you'd want to be involved in. Someone you know has just recently returned to Zootopia and he's looking to make contact with some of the big guns in the city. This is our chance to catch up with him. We need you and Judy to help us. Gimme a call when you make up your mind but we need you to hurry on this. The dude ain't gonna wait around forever.
Your Bro, Finnick.
Nick thought for a moment, who could Finnick could be talking about. Nick knew everyone in Zootopia and more importantly, he knew all the connections. What mammal would be able to fly in under his radar? Nick's eyes went wide as he shook his head.
“Son of a bitch!”
Judy stirred looking up at him. “What is it?'
The train pulled into the Zootopia Central station. There was a crowd of mammals just itching to get inside the train car. An equal number waiting to disembark. Among them was a middle-aged fox in a white suit. A pink button up shirt under his jacket was a contrast to the suit but it complimented his orange fur. Gray fur peppered his once deep luscious orange fur, giving him a wise look. His large amber eyes were kept shielded behind a pair of mirrored sunglasses. In his hand, he carried a steel shelled suitcase. His whole fashion gave him the appearance that he refused to give up on the fashions of yesteryear.
When the door opened he made sure he was the first one off the train disappearing into the crowd. He let the wave of mammals carry him to a row of escalators stepping on behind a particularly pretty female tiger. He pulled his sunglasses down along his narrow muzzle and shot her a smiled. His teeth polished white and seemed gleam as if by movie magic. The tiger giggled and looked away coyly. When they reached the top of the escalator the tiger turned and watched as he stepped off. Again he looked at her and winked before pushing his glasses back up on his face. And then he walked out of her life like a fox with a mission.
In a fluid motion, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. “Yeah, I'm here. Just outside. Oh okay, I see you, on my way.”
Without saying goodbye he hung up and slipped the phone back in his pocket. When the crowd started thinning out, the fox got a clear look at the sporty looking car pulled up to the curb in the pickup area. A lion in a black suit waited to open the door for this newcomer to the city.
“Thanks.” He smirked sliding into the seat so the driver could close the door.
Once the driver was in, the car pulled into traffic. Thanks to the tinted windows, it made the backseat cool and dark. The fox slipped his suitcase between his legs and the back of the seat in front of him. A large polar bear sat in the seat next to him enjoying a large cigar. The fox wasn't much of a smoker but didn't mind the bear enjoying one. The pungent spicy smell was pleasant to his nose.
“Well, well, well, I trust you've been well, huh, Koslov?”
“Quite well, thank you, Mr. Wilde.” The thick Russian accent punched the consonance.
“Mr. Wilde, that was my father's name. Please call me Scott and I am about to tell you how we can make a boat load of money with very little effort to you or I.”
“Do tell, Scott.”
“I got this new drug that will drive the kids wild. I want to call it RayBees or RB for short.”
“Go on.”
“Oh, Babe, You know I will.”
The car drove down towards the run-down district of Zootopia and then out of sight.
