Zootopia: Grind To Halt (WildeHopps)

Chapter 24- Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Nick awoke.

And he was angry.

Why the fuck was he awake?

He should be in heaven damnit!

And to his side, was Judy, paw entwined with his, asleep.

His ears fell back on his head.

But if he had died... He would have left Judy behind.

How would she have felt?

He opened his mouth, and almost blacked out from pain.

His throat was stitched shut, and the slightest movement set it on fire.
He croaked, and that seemed 5o do the trick, there was a little film of congealed blood that stuck to his vocal cords, and once they flaked away, he could make noise.

Much to his discomfort as well, there was a big, bulky neckbrace, that just screamed, "Yay, you're alive!"

Haha.

Nick let forth a little smile.

Sure, it may suck, the position he was in, but I mean... He was alive. Alive here, with Judy.

The chance to start again.

Well, after he got out of this goddamn hospital, he would start again.

☢

The Z-28 was quickly recovered by police shortly after Razor's death, and several henchmen were arrested and sentenced for death for conspiring against all prey.

They were killed, on public television. There was no lethal injection for them, the public opted for old sparky, the electric chair.

It was painful to watch.

The streets, however, were still full of crime. Evil never stops, but a big portion of it, thanks to Nick, was out to rest.

Zootopian expressed their gratitude towards Nick, in the form of flowers, cards that meant nothing, and assorted chocolates.

Which was nice, of course.

Which sucked as well, because his fucking throat was stitched shut for now, and he had to ingest fluids and food by tube.

Judy was always there to help. Sometimes, she would stay at the hospital for weeks on end, without going home or bathing. Nick, for the most part, was normal Nick.

Of course, he wouldn't be able to talk for quite a while, the doctors said about four months, then the stitches would be removed, and his vocal cords healed.

In his mind, Nick only mumbled one sarcastic comment.

Fuck.

☢

"Nick," Judy grumbled at his stubbornness, his nose pointed away from her.

Apparently even changing his favorite horror movie channel was a bad ideas, because it was just that, shitty hospital food(he was now allowed to digest food, like soup), and Judy.

But right now, he wanted his movie channel. And he was completely disregarding Judy's apologies.

His brows were flat, and arms crossed, but he couldn't speak, so he just huffed his chest.

"Damnit Nick, look, I put it back on. You're so stubborn."

Nick growled, baring his teeth, eyes darting her direction.

Judy tried to think he was joking, but ever since a week ago, he had become really edgy.

She sighed, and jumped out of her chair, pacing the room.

"Nick, just because you're hurt,"
She took a quick glance at the nasty stitchwork on his neck, "I mean really hurt, doesn't mean yo have to be all huffy puffy with everyone."

Nick rolled his eyes, and gave her the middle finger. Judy groaned, clenching her fists. "Why are you so frustrating! You're bedridden for four months, sure, but you don't have to take out your anger on me or the nurses you know!"

Nick stared into her eyes, his expression like stone. So now he was genuinely pissed off.

He motioned with his hands, to come to her, and he was persistent with it. She was a little hesitant, but she gave in, leaping onto the bed, onto his lap.

He tucked her into it, grabbed a pen and pad of paper alongside his bed on the nightstand, and placed it on her lap.

Picking up the pen, he wrote,
I'd rather not be mad at you Judy. But being like this kind of fucking sucks you know?

Judy sighed. "Yeah, I know it does Nick."

He picked the pen up again,
Then shut the fuck up and put back on A Zootopian Werewolf in London.

Judy gritted her teeth and held in a yell. She whipped around into his face, and she was pretty mad herself.

"That attitude Nick! That's what I'm talking about! The more you do that the more I-"

She was cut off abruptly, and sent sprawling to the end of the bed from a brief backhand of his paw.

It hurt, stung, more like it.

He had slapped her.

And right away, he knew he had done something bad.

Judy gently sniffed up some tears, and grabbed her belongings to leave the room. Nick tried motioning her back with his hands, but all she did was hold the door, look back, and sob.

"You big bully."

She left, and Nick plopped his hands in his lap.

Even then, he couldn't get what he wanted, the remote was on the other side of the room.

Fuck you Nick.

☢

Over the next to weeks, Judy slowly reintroduced herself to the hospital, her returning was a huge relief to Nick for sure.

I mean, she bring back Zootopian Death Trip by Fang-X on CD, the newest metal band from Zootopia to break the shackles of the underground music scene, and into popularity.

Nick blasted it on the small CD player Judy brought along, much to the annoyance of the other patients around him. Nick could care less.

Judy was another story.

Slowly and slowly, their attraction towards eachother grew more and more strong. They had been through hell together, and... It only seemed natural to stay together.

But this isn't the end.

Brain is pulled by strings.
Hate is spinning fate.
Life is left dazed and burning.

THE END.