Zootopia: Grind To Halt (WildeHopps)

Chapter 14 - Fanatic

Death can be the only thing to truly bring the feeling of happiness to its knees. The very idea of death itself is to cease, stop, or rather, have your life grind to a halt.

Judy Hopps was bathing in this feeling now, waiting outside Nick's hospital room on a dinky plastic chair. The second time in a few days that he'd been in some need of emergency care, and it was all her fault.

If she wouldn't have let Nick return prematurely, than he wouldn't be here. It would have been her in that cold, numb, room instead. Sure, it scared the poor old rabbit to be in his position, but the pain the fox was feeling must be unbearable.

Judy felt a twinge of emotion wave over her glossy eyes, letting burning tears fall forward onto her fur. She couldn't let go of the fact she was blaming herself, she broke apart his insides.

Judy was worried he may never wake up, even through all her prayers begged otherwise. Things just kept going from bad to worse, in a downwards spiral to the dark realization he may never wake up.

She hacked up another battery of cries, she could care less for the people passing by her, eying her with odd looks. She let Nick down, and it was all her fault. At least she pinned herself with that blame.

She felt so lonely without company.
Sam was off in another room, deciding to check in with her gynecologist for her pregnancy, leaving Judy, knees curled to her chest, head in her paws, without comfort.

She vowed to find, whatever almost, or quite possibly as of now, mauled Nick Wilde to death.

What she didn't understand was that it was a completely different story in Nick's head. Something she would never be able to read, his one warping and melting mind, had the truth. He was just in too much fiery pain to remember it.

The bunny fell asleep on the long row of freezing plastic chairs, eyes red and puffy from her visible mourning and fits of sorrow earlier. All visitors were ushered out at eleven, but with being a police officer, she was allowed to stay. Sam sat next to Judy's head, on her phone with her fiancé. The whole place was dead quiet, and the lights dimmed to a freakishly low level. Power saving mode, if you will, the hospital was on.

It was like being stuck in purgatory, killing the bunny from the inside. She had no dreams in that short little bit of sleep, but rather, filled with anxiety and shifting worry. All there was to do that awful waiting game, just hoping for the doctor to come with good news, or even a glimpse of good news.

Judy sprung up like a rocket once the door to Nick's room clicked open. Those damn bunny ears.

Judy stiffly held her arms to her side, waiting for a response. The doctor gave a light smile, and pulled up his clip board.

"Miss Hopps?"

"Officer Hopps."

"Of course. I assume you must know how Nick is?"

"Oh yes, yes please."

The doctor stopped down from his Zebra-esque height, and warmly smiled. Judy's heart cracked with hope.

"He'll be fine. The worst her sustained is a partially dismembered shoulder, but we're glad you called when you did, because the piece that was missing we found right next to you in that graveyard. We reattached it, and are positive they will mend each other with proper antibiotics and care."

Judy felt like a dump truck was lifted off her chest. She took a minute to wipe a few tears of relief. The doctor didn't judge.

"Can I see him?" Judy tried pulling her hot mess together. The doctor gently nodded, advising her to take it easy with him. Judy had no intention of doing so, she ran past him, ripped the door off its hinges, and ran, balling, into Nick's bed.

He yelped with an animal whine, and Judy quickly retracted at his wincing. He chuckled with a painful smile. "At least somebody in this goddamned hospital shows some emotion."

Nothing made the rabbit feel better than to wrap herself in his arms.
Judy was sobbing her eyes out, tears staining Nick's hospital gown. She couldn't speak, all that came out was gibberish muffled yelling. He shushed her and gently caressed the bunny's head, taking in her embrace to the warmest he possibly could.

"Hey hey, calm down. I'm not dead." The fox gave a light smile, and took her tenderly in his arms. He warmly accepted the bereaved mess Judy was making in his grasp, just happy he had to have time with her.

Judy couldn't stop crying like the emotional bunny she was. It was pointless. She sobbed on and on about how it was her fault that he was in here, and it was okay if he hated her forever. All Nick did back was massage her head, and chuckle at her statements.

Despite how it seemed, Nick was struggling to grasp firmly, what had happened earlier. He knew he was attacked, and he knew about... The graves being turned up.

...His thoughts were haunted of the monster. How had he not died? Did the monster hold back? Everyone else was completely mauled to ribbons, and he was left, sure, in critical condition, but still alive and well.

Nick pondered on and on, fading away from Judy's crying. There was something he couldn't place his finger on, something he seemed to be forgetting. It nagged at his memory, but eventually, faded back into reality, returning to Judy's hug.

He had not remembered turning into a monster himself.

¤¤¤

When sleep came that same night, it was fueled with vivid nightmares, picking at Nick's weak spots. The missing piece of his muzzle, his mother kicking him out for being a drug addict and seller, death nearly taking him in the grip of the moment.

But in the dreams, he was the monster, slaughtering poor innocent animals in the dark. His surroundings were hazy, and no matter he hated what he was doing, or wanted to stop, his stomach craved the warm, hot pockets of flesh strewn across his teeth...

Like a weird teleportation through grey, he found himself at Judy's own doorstep.

Oh no.

With a snap of his powerful claws, the door splintered to pieces, and right ahead of him was Judy laying on her bed, frozen with horror, nose twitching in fear.

Jesus Christ, please don't do this Nick!
Too late.

Before his own eyes, he broke her neck, and ripped her to ribbons. He cried as he ate her body and organs against his own will.

¤¤¤

Nick shot awake, trembling in his own sweat. He clutched his aching chest, his bad lung burning with pain. The fox's fur was soaked, and so was his hospital gown.

Why on Earth did he dream he was a monster?

And why on Earth would he murder poor poor Judy like that?