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jeriendhal “Run, Bun, run!” Nick shouted from the fence line, as Judy jogged along the path. She turned and waved to him and the dozen or so kits sitting on the fence, cheering her on. Two weeks of building up her endurance and she was finally able to run again, at least for short bursts.
Longer bursts, she told herself, glancing at the FitNip at her wrist, its timer running down the seconds. A full minute, you can do it!
She’d already turned and was heading back towards Nick and his entourage when the timer bleeped and she slowed down to a walking pace. Judy smiled to herself as the kits cheered and Nick beamed at her. The mere fact she was able to walk, not drag herself along in exhaustion, even after that speed burst, was enough to make her grin back at them as they cheered.
“Good going, Judy,” Nick greeted, pulling a water bottle from the cooler beside him and handing it over. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she panted. She took a long swing on the ice cold water and continued. “Stomach is a little bit twingy, but nothing like before.”
“Terrific. Take five to rest up and maybe you can start again carrying the hand weights. We need to work on your shoulder.”
Judy grimaced, but nodded in reluctant agreement. “You’re right.” She sat down in the grass, leaning against a fence post, and took another swig of ice water. “I’m so glad I can run again.”
“Yeah, but no hopping for another week,” Nick warned. An old Roaming Steers song began playing on his phone, and he drew it out to answer, “Hi, Mom! What’s up?” As Judy watched, his cheerful expression turned to one of confusion. “No, I haven’t gotten a new bank account. No, I haven’t sent you anything. I told you, I’m on unpaid administrative leave, I’m not going to get paid again for about another four months. All I’ve just got is what was in my account after my last paycheck, and I have to use that to keep my apartment.” He paused, his ears turning back. “It was for how much?” Nick closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, as if he was developing a headache. “Okay, Mom. Look, I gotta check into this. Don’t spend any of it until I get back to you, got it? Thanks. Love you, too.” He hung up and slipped his phone back into his shirt pocket.
Ears perked up in curiosity, Judy asked, “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, and no,” Nick replied, looking irritated. “Someone, out of the goodness of their heart no doubt, just deposited a fifty thousand z-buck money order into my mom’s bank account.”
“Who would do that?” Judy frowned, realizing the answer, and liking it as little as Nick did.
He nodded, catching her understanding. “I’ll bet it can be traced back to the Little Rodentia Business Protection Association. ‘In gratitude for your son’s bravery in stopping the recent terrorist action, etcetera.’ Looks like, Mr. Big decided to give my mom a hand, since her brave son is out of work and can’t supplement her Zootopia Social Benefits check.” Nick shrugged ironically. “Guess I’m back in his good graces, at least until I can give him another skunk butt rug.”
“Nick, if anyone finds out about this, you could be in a lot of trouble,” Judy said, rising to her feet. “I mean, Chief Bogo is willing to turn a blind eye to me being Little Judy’s godmother, because it means I can actually patrol Little Rodentia’s streets and not leave it all to Mr. Big’s organization. You getting what looks like a bribe…” She didn’t have to finish the sentence, from the pained nod he gave her.
“On top of my scam artist history, yeah, it’s a problem. So is trying to return it.”
‘You have to give it back,” she said firmly.
“Yes, but gracefully.” Nick took a deep breath, pulled out his phone again, and hit the speed dial. After a moment he said, “Hi, this is Officer Nicholas Wilde ZPD. I’d like to speak to the Association Chairman, please.” After a pause he added with menacing cheer, “I suggest you check your list. No, not that list, the important list. I should be on it.” After another moment, he smiled tightly and replied, “Thank you.”
A minute later he said, “Mr. Big, thank you for your time, I know you’re a busy rodent. I just wanted to thank you and the BPA for the very... generous donation to my mother’s bank account. I can say truthfully that it was quite unexpected. Yes sir, since I was put on leave it has made things a bit difficult for her, but nothing she couldn’t normally handle. Yes sir, I know how you like pay your debts. I would tell you though, sir, that everything I did was as a serving ZPD officer. I never expected financial compensation. Oh no, I like money. I like it a lot. I’m sure you understand though, about the importance propriety. An officer or his family receiving, er, unexpected income supplements, well, certain people might get silly ideas in their heads about our relationship.” Beat. “Of course I love my mother, Mr. Big, that’s why I called you. She was rather surprised at the unexpected largess, and was hoping I could explain it to her. Oh, as much as I’d like to speak to you in person about it, that’s not possible right now. I’m actually living in Bunnyburrow at the moment, at the Hopps Family Farm, with Judy while she recovers.” Nick’s smile, which he’d maintained during the conversation, became suddenly fixed, as his eyes widened in barely suppressed panic. “That’s… very unexpected of you. I‘ll let her know. I… um… am looking forward to speaking to you. You too, sir.” He ended the call, and sat with a thump on top of the cooler.
“What happened?” Judy demanded, as Nick fumbled to put his phone back in his pocket.
“Mr. Big, while understanding my concerns, is very adamant about not making my mother give all that lovely money back,” Nick said, his panicked smile still on his face. “He’d like to discuss it with me.”
“So you’re going back to Zootopia?”
“No, he’s coming here.”
Judy blinked, ears falling flat to her head. “Mr. Big is coming here? To Bunnyburrow? To my parent’s farm?”
“Yeah,” Nick confirmed, his grin switching from panicked to manic. “Better tell your mom to set an extra place at the table. Company’s coming.”
Longer bursts, she told herself, glancing at the FitNip at her wrist, its timer running down the seconds. A full minute, you can do it!
She’d already turned and was heading back towards Nick and his entourage when the timer bleeped and she slowed down to a walking pace. Judy smiled to herself as the kits cheered and Nick beamed at her. The mere fact she was able to walk, not drag herself along in exhaustion, even after that speed burst, was enough to make her grin back at them as they cheered.
“Good going, Judy,” Nick greeted, pulling a water bottle from the cooler beside him and handing it over. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she panted. She took a long swing on the ice cold water and continued. “Stomach is a little bit twingy, but nothing like before.”
“Terrific. Take five to rest up and maybe you can start again carrying the hand weights. We need to work on your shoulder.”
Judy grimaced, but nodded in reluctant agreement. “You’re right.” She sat down in the grass, leaning against a fence post, and took another swig of ice water. “I’m so glad I can run again.”
“Yeah, but no hopping for another week,” Nick warned. An old Roaming Steers song began playing on his phone, and he drew it out to answer, “Hi, Mom! What’s up?” As Judy watched, his cheerful expression turned to one of confusion. “No, I haven’t gotten a new bank account. No, I haven’t sent you anything. I told you, I’m on unpaid administrative leave, I’m not going to get paid again for about another four months. All I’ve just got is what was in my account after my last paycheck, and I have to use that to keep my apartment.” He paused, his ears turning back. “It was for how much?” Nick closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, as if he was developing a headache. “Okay, Mom. Look, I gotta check into this. Don’t spend any of it until I get back to you, got it? Thanks. Love you, too.” He hung up and slipped his phone back into his shirt pocket.
Ears perked up in curiosity, Judy asked, “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, and no,” Nick replied, looking irritated. “Someone, out of the goodness of their heart no doubt, just deposited a fifty thousand z-buck money order into my mom’s bank account.”
“Who would do that?” Judy frowned, realizing the answer, and liking it as little as Nick did.
He nodded, catching her understanding. “I’ll bet it can be traced back to the Little Rodentia Business Protection Association. ‘In gratitude for your son’s bravery in stopping the recent terrorist action, etcetera.’ Looks like, Mr. Big decided to give my mom a hand, since her brave son is out of work and can’t supplement her Zootopia Social Benefits check.” Nick shrugged ironically. “Guess I’m back in his good graces, at least until I can give him another skunk butt rug.”
“Nick, if anyone finds out about this, you could be in a lot of trouble,” Judy said, rising to her feet. “I mean, Chief Bogo is willing to turn a blind eye to me being Little Judy’s godmother, because it means I can actually patrol Little Rodentia’s streets and not leave it all to Mr. Big’s organization. You getting what looks like a bribe…” She didn’t have to finish the sentence, from the pained nod he gave her.
“On top of my scam artist history, yeah, it’s a problem. So is trying to return it.”
‘You have to give it back,” she said firmly.
“Yes, but gracefully.” Nick took a deep breath, pulled out his phone again, and hit the speed dial. After a moment he said, “Hi, this is Officer Nicholas Wilde ZPD. I’d like to speak to the Association Chairman, please.” After a pause he added with menacing cheer, “I suggest you check your list. No, not that list, the important list. I should be on it.” After another moment, he smiled tightly and replied, “Thank you.”
A minute later he said, “Mr. Big, thank you for your time, I know you’re a busy rodent. I just wanted to thank you and the BPA for the very... generous donation to my mother’s bank account. I can say truthfully that it was quite unexpected. Yes sir, since I was put on leave it has made things a bit difficult for her, but nothing she couldn’t normally handle. Yes sir, I know how you like pay your debts. I would tell you though, sir, that everything I did was as a serving ZPD officer. I never expected financial compensation. Oh no, I like money. I like it a lot. I’m sure you understand though, about the importance propriety. An officer or his family receiving, er, unexpected income supplements, well, certain people might get silly ideas in their heads about our relationship.” Beat. “Of course I love my mother, Mr. Big, that’s why I called you. She was rather surprised at the unexpected largess, and was hoping I could explain it to her. Oh, as much as I’d like to speak to you in person about it, that’s not possible right now. I’m actually living in Bunnyburrow at the moment, at the Hopps Family Farm, with Judy while she recovers.” Nick’s smile, which he’d maintained during the conversation, became suddenly fixed, as his eyes widened in barely suppressed panic. “That’s… very unexpected of you. I‘ll let her know. I… um… am looking forward to speaking to you. You too, sir.” He ended the call, and sat with a thump on top of the cooler.
“What happened?” Judy demanded, as Nick fumbled to put his phone back in his pocket.
“Mr. Big, while understanding my concerns, is very adamant about not making my mother give all that lovely money back,” Nick said, his panicked smile still on his face. “He’d like to discuss it with me.”
“So you’re going back to Zootopia?”
“No, he’s coming here.”
Judy blinked, ears falling flat to her head. “Mr. Big is coming here? To Bunnyburrow? To my parent’s farm?”
“Yeah,” Nick confirmed, his grin switching from panicked to manic. “Better tell your mom to set an extra place at the table. Company’s coming.”
