The City of Change: Chapter 4.

 Chapter 4. "Trembles"

               7.53 am, Saturday, May 16, 2022

               The Grand Zootopia Parade, held traditionally on the third weekend of May, was the time when all the mammals throughout the city celebrated their uniqueness and differences and was truly the day when “Anyone could be anything!” like Mayor Lionheart and many after him used to say. For Judy, a bunny who came from Bunny Burrows far, far away believing in these very ideals, it was the most wonderful day of the year. For Judy, who also happened to be one of the police officers responsible for the safety of whole party, it also was one of the most exhausting and stressful days of the year with thousands mammals out in the streets, relying on her to come back home safely.

               “You really are overthinking it,” Nick said, casually drinking his coffee, as he was getting ready to leave the car.

               “Maybe I am, but I’d really love to see the Parade from a civilian point of view for once. It must be amazing if you’re not worrying about everyone’s security and…”

               “Oh, it is,” Nick assured with a smirk and she rolled her eyes. “Just chill out, Carrots. Eyes wide open, ears up and scanning, but the heartbeat at the healthy one-hundred and twenty,” he suggested. Judy tried to protest, but then, they heard the radio.

               “Wilde, report,” said Detective Barnes, in charge of whole the operation.

               “We’ve just arrived at the place, getting out of the car in a minute. You should see us on the cameras.”

               “I’ve got them,” Kaylee said. “Tell them to check out the alley in the north, there are some shady guys lurking just beyond my reach in there.”

               “You heard Reynolds,” Barnes said only.

               “We’re on it,” Nick promised and they left their car. Judy locked it and looked around; the streets were closed off, ready for the crowds and festive platforms that would arrive around the noon. The sun was shining bright, a gentle breeze blew pleasantly just few streets away from his mother’s house. Nick and Judy walked over to the alley Kaylee mentioned before, but whoever was hanging out around there, was now long gone. As they were walking back to the car, Judy asked him about something that was bothering her now for a moment.

               “How do you know what’s a healthy rabbit heartbeat?” She asked suddenly and Nick chuckled nervously, caught off-guard.

               “I know you for years, Carrots,” he said vaguely.

               “That’s not explaining it.”

               “I know you for years. We see each other almost every day, if not in work, then in the free time. When we were in Bunny Burrows, we shared a so-called kind-sized bed for over a month. I know a lot of weird things about you,” he pointed out.

               “Were you measuring my pulse when I was sleeping?” Judy asked, slightly creeped out.

               “Did I say so?”

               “Didn’t you imply that?”

               “I don’t know, did I?”

               “Are you starting it again?”

               “What?”

               “Isn’t it that game when you answer a question with a question?” Judy specified.

               “Are we really playing it again?” Nick seemed just as surprised as her.

               “Shouldn’t you be the one telling me?” The bunny protested.  Nick opened his mouth to reply, froze for a moment and then, five seconds passed and the unspoken rule guaranteed Judy victory.

               “Well, we’re not playing anymore,” he admitted his defeat.

               “So, how did you know that? The heartbeat thing,” Judy asked, unsure if she wouldn’t receive some super creepy explanation. She couldn’t think of a non-creepy one, actually.

               “Your father complained to me about the diet a doctor gave him when we were back in Bunny Burrows. He said he needed to drop the heartbeat back to one-two-oh,” Nick explained.

               “Oh,” Judy only said, surprised with a legit answer.

               “Yeah, totally not stalking you,” Nick gave her a toothy smile and she chuckled.

               “What a relief,” she only said.

               “Speaking of stalkers, how’s August doing?” He joked.

               “Oh, he’s not… He’s really nice, you know. We haven’t talked much given how busy we are, but I’m looking forward to getting to know him better. And so should you,” she advised him.

               “Alright, I’ll ask him out right after you’re done with him,” Nick said and she rolled her eyes with annoyance.

               “You know what I mean.”

               “I do,” he smirked and she eyed him carefully with some alarming thoughts in her mind.

               “Nick, I’ve got to ask, are you envy of him?” She asked.

               “What about?” He asked surprisingly straightforward and Judy realized his point suddenly; he had nothing to be envy about. He was just another rabbit, after all.

               “Oh, I just…”

               “Carrots, we’re adult, free mammals. You can take invitations from whomever you want,” he reminded her, amused with her embarrassment. She muttered something incoherently, but did not bring up the subject again. After all, this was going to be a busy day, they’d have plenty to look after without worrying about their personal relations, at least today.

               1.09 pm, Saturday, May 16, 2022

               After a long and busy night, concluded with getting stuck for two hours in an awful traffic jam caused by the Grand Parade organization, all that Lionel O’Dyna, right hand to Lady Tompkins aka “Duchess”, wished for, was some sleep in his bed. He climbed the stairs of his block of flats yawning, when he noticed some hyena walking down the stairs. He could say for sure that he had seen the guy for the first time; he was no older than thirty, dressed in black hoodie and carrying a backpack. Even though his face was mostly hidden, the fox was sure that he didn’t live in here, but Lionel just shrugged it off and continued walking up. He was by his door on the top level, reaching for the keys already, when he heard the neighboring door opening and a familiar voice calling.

               “Ah, Lionel! Why don’t you come inside for some tea?” Mrs. Sylvia Wilde invited him and he hesitated. On one hand, he hadn’t been sleeping for last thirty hours. On the other hand, he was already past the point when an hour could make any difference.

               “With pleasure, ma’am. Actually, I’d kill for some coffee,” he assured and the old vixen smiled, disappearing back inside and leaving the door wide open. He followed her to the dining room and sat down on couch, looking around the place. He really liked this flat, so tidy and cozy, even if not too big. He stopped for a moment by the photo frames standing on the commode, featuring the most important stages of host’s life.

               “Are you not at the parade, Lionel?” Mrs. Wilde asked, coming with cookies and two cups of coffee. He took his and breathed in the characteristic aroma.

               “Oh, I’ve never been too keen on it,” he explained. “And you, Mrs. Wilde?”

               “I used to love it, since it’s so loud and sparkly… But now it’s just too loud and too sparkly, if you know what I mean,” she replied and he nodded agreeing.

               “I can relate,” he assured and drank some of the coffee.

               “So… I heard that Lady Tompkins is getting married. I even received an invitation,” the old vixen said. “It’s funny, I always thought that you’d… you’d be named on such an invitation.”

               “Oh, I…” Lionel cleared his throat. If he was embarrassed, he didn’t let it slip. “I owe my life to the Lady and I’d give it to her, but after my wife was murdered, I made an oath to never remarry. I believe you understand,” he said and Mrs. Wilde nodded.

               “Of course, I do,” she assured.

               “And besides, I’ve never had any romantic feelings toward the Lady. I wouldn’t be a proper right hand, if I did,” he explained further. “I believe your son is watching over the event?” He changed the subject.

               “Yes, he is,” Mrs. Wilde nodded with pride. “Although you wish he’d be working with you, don’t you?” She smiled slyly, but Lionel only sipped some of his coffee in silence.

               “Duchess is relieved Wilde and Hopps serve again. They’re the kind of police officers this city needs,” he only said and continued to drink his coffee.

               “Most certainly, they are,” she agreed, reaching for her drink as well. They continued their conversation for half an hour more after which, struck with weariness, Lionel excused himself and went back to his flat.  Just as he parted with the old vixen, he saw another neighbor of his standing by his door with a paw at the doorknob.

               “Hey, Jeff, I’m…” Lionel called him, when the young tiger pushed the door, not having noticed him. And then, the fox heard a roar, saw flash, felt sudden, sharp pain and then, nothing.

               1.54 pm, Saturday, May 16, 2022

               Judy gasped with delight as a wonderful platform shaped into a sandy pyramid crowded with mammals dancing in fancy, leaflike suits all over it and yet, she stopped her sight only for couple seconds to continue monitoring the crowd with partner. The general rule was to dress unusually, the fancier, the better. And so, Nick and Judy could spectate a galaxy of eye catching and witty creations,  starting with traditional and native clothes, continuing on to parodies and satires of historical and political figures and concluding with all sorts of game, comic and movie characters. Once in a while someone would walk over to the officers and fist bump them, Judy even requested a selfie with an incarnation of her favorite pop singer and Nick congratulated a raccoon with crutches parodying Mayor Ketchikan with ridiculous care for the details. All in all,  they had some wonderful time and yet,  gave their bests to look over the celebrations to continue with no incidents. They continued receiving warnings and advices from Detective Barnes,  but saw nothing demanding an intervention.

               "Say, Nick,  what would you come dressed at, if we had a chance to attend next year?" Judy asked, but he only shrugged, as he played with a camera he, like all the officers, had attached to the chest. It gave Detective Barnes and TO Reynolds more information than they’d require.

               "I'd figure out something. And you?"

               "Oh, I think I'd go for a..." It was at that moment,  that air around them trembled. They felt it at first as a fuzzy feeling in their chests, only then followed by a deafening roar of an explosion in near proximity and debris of shattered windows falling all around them. Officers looked around searching for the source of explosion,  but it was nowhere near the Parade. The crowd of mammals and platforms froze for a terrifyingly long moment as all the music and chattering stopped all at once, but then, officers escorting ordered to move on. Thankfully, except for couple scared shouts, no panic erupted.

               "Hopps, Reynolds, go and check it, "ordered Barnes.

               "Understood. It sounded like a gas leakage," Nick confirmed despite high pitched screech in his ears as they ran narrow alleys on their way, passing by panicked passersby and piles of broken glass they could ignore thanks to special armored boots they wore at special occasion like this. Nick and Judy dashed through the streets the fox knew so well until they reached a street even Judy recognized. They stopped in front of Nick's family home, or rather what remained of it after the explosion at the top level. It looked bizarre, like a piece of cake that someone has taken a very clumsy bite off, scattering brick  and glass crumbs everywhere. What remained of the flat that was an epicenter of explosion were merely couple pipes with water trickling from two of. Not even walls or neighboring flats seemed to survive and whole the building seemed on brink of collapsing. And then, Judy realized that one of the damaged flats belonged to no one else than Mrs. Sylvia Wilde.

               "Holy, rutting... What do we do?" Asked Max with horror as he and Isabelle Alvarez joined them.

               "We have to evacuate it. Max, you go to lower levels. I and Nick will go to the top. Alvarez, I want no one in front of the building," Judy took command immediately.

               "Guys, whole the thing can collapse any second now...” Alvarez tried to protest, pointing at the cracked walls.

               "That's exactly why we're going in!" Nick snarled back. With no more of her protests, the three of them charged inside. Judy turned to see Isabelle snarling resentfully and then, yelling everyone to step back with some nasty interludes. Max stopped at the first level to encourage calm, but quick evacuation,  while Nick and Judy bolted upstairs.

               "Hubert,  Francis,  we'll need your help!" Nick called two coyotes and they followed him to the top. The highest level looked like a war zone rather than a living place. All the walls were either cracked and charred or nonexistent. Air carried stench of gas, dust and burnt fur and flesh. Just at their feet lied a fox Judy recognized immediately: Lionel O'Dyna. He was conscious, coughing and trying to lift himself. The bunny crouched by him and asked if he could move. He coughed and nodded lifting himself to his knees. He looked messed up and his clothes seemed slightly charred, but except for that, he seemed alright. One of coyotes helped him stand up and Judy asked him to walk the victim down to the exit. In meanwhile, they walked over to the second casualty lying in the corridor. The view was horrifying: a young tiger looked like a huge doll that someone had tossed against a wall with tremendous force, leaving it on the floor with limbs and neck bent at unnatural angles and left side of body burnt nastily. The door, torn from hinges with power of explosion, was lying just next to him. Nick pressed a finger against tiger’s neck only for formality and shook his head.

               “We can’t help him anymore,” he said. “Hubert, go with Carrots and check that flat, I’ll go and see about my mother,” he ordered and the two of them passed by the tiger on to the next flat, while Nick tried to force his family house’s door.

               “What about other flats on the level?” Judy asked, but coyote only shook his head.

               “No one lives in there nowadays,” he only said. They walked inside to see an old wolf trapped under a cupboard. They released him immediately and the coyote helped him evacuate.

               “Hubert, take him down, we’ll take care of the rest,” she ordered. “Nick, how is it?!” She called the fox, still struggling with the door.

               “It’s blocked from the other side! Help me push it!” Nick called them and Judy and Hubert tried to help him, but there was no use. The door wasn’t even locked, it must have been the bricks and pieces of roof that blocked it effectively.

               “We need to get in other way around. Maybe through that destroyed flat?” Judy suggested and Nick nodded.

               “Hubert, go down, join rest of the evacuees. We’ll handle it from here,” the fox ordered and the coyote did not argue. “Reynolds, we need help at the top level as soon as you can arrive,” he said to the radio.

               “Copy that, I’m leaving evacuation of the bottom levels to Alvarez and Wolford,” Max replied and Nick and Judy walked over to what had remained of Lionel O’Dyna’s flat. There wasn’t much of it, just some of the entrance hall and then, couple pipes sticking out in the distance morosely. The explosion caused the supporting wall between O’Dyna and Wilde flats to shatter partially making a small entrance, but it was a long jump form an inconvenient position.

               “Can you make it?” Nick asked and Judy looked down. Even if she missed, she’d fall only one level lower; nothing deadly and certainly worth the risk.

               “I can try,” she ran for couple feet and then leaped forward, bouncing with her both feet. She made it to the wall, caught a brick sticking out and landed on the wet floor, nearly slipping. “I’ll open the door, you wait there!” She shouted at him and disappeared inside the flat. Nick nodded and returned to the corridor only to see Max coming.

               “How’s the situation?” He asked.

               “It’s almost empty, only my mother’s stuck. Carrots got inside and will open the door for us,” he explained and the wolf nodded. His sight stopped for a moment at a dead tiger, but he said nothing of it. They heard Judy coming from the other side.

               “There’s no way I’m removing all the rumble on time!” She called them.

               “Try breaking the hinges! You can find the hammer in the third kitchen shelf!” Nick advised and a few moments later, they heard her slamming the hinges with hammer. Couple slams later, she managed to break them both and Max and Nick lifted the door and carried it out to the corridor. Nick charged inside. He found his mother lying on a couch in the dining room in an unnatural position with brick debris surrounding her. Her forehead was covered in blood. He checked her pulse and breath and sighed with relief. Both were in norm.

               “We need to carry her out carefully, she might have damaged neck,” the fox said.

               “On the door?” Suggested Max.

               “Staircase’s too slim, it won’t fit in. We need something…” Nick’s sight stopped at the shredded curtains covered in light red dust.

               “Max, take the curtain rod off. Carrots, take a sheet from bedroom. We’ll make a stretcher,” the fox decided and he ran to the bedroom with bunny in order to get another rod. They were made from wood, but Nick really hoped they’d suffice. They came back to the living room and Max and Judy began to make an improvised stretcher, while Nick grabbed father’s wedding ring and put it in the pocket. He also found family album on one of the shelves. He opened a window and yelled at Fangmeyer standing below.

               “Take care of it!” He yelled, as he tossed it to the tigress. It fell couple feet from her and she grabbed it and gave him a thumb up. As Nick came back to the others, they had just finished their job. All three of them took the old vixen carefully, Judy holding her head and protecting the neck, and put her on the stretcher. Nick and Judy then lifted it gently, while Max cleared the path for. They made it out of the flat, barely fitting in the corridor’s turn and started to walk down the staircase. In between the third and fourth floor, Max pushed Judy violently, accompanied by some tremendously loud rumbling. She, Nick and stretcher lunged forward for half of the level, only barely managing not to fall over.

               “Max, what are you…” The rabbit turned around angrily only to see that there was no Max behind them, only rumble blocking the staircase. “Max?!”

               “I’m alright! I’ll find another way!” The wolf promised. Nick hurried Judy and they continued to walk down the stairs. They were one of the last ones leaving the building, to see numerous fire engines, ambulances and police cars with dozens mammals taking care of the victims and securing the area.

               “Reynolds is stuck…” Nick tried to tell Fangmayer, whom they passed by, but she only pointed to the third floor of the building.

               “Don’t you worry,” she said and they saw a fire engine with ladder picking Max up and having him down on the ground safely. Then, paramedics took injured Mrs. Wilde from them and drove her to the hospital, but both Nick and Judy remained at the scene. They wanted to help more, but Fangmeyer, now in charge of the action, told them to just step back and rest and so, they sat down on  pavement on the other side of the street from where they had a view on all of the action. It was terrible; the top level of the building had already crumbled and collapsed and it looked like the third wouldn’t withhold it for long and whole the thing would collapse eventually. Judy glanced at Nick with worries.

               “Nick?” She asked, but he only laughed. It was a bitter, pitiful laughter and yet, a laughter. He fell on the pavement, watching the sky, now polluted with dust and smoke.

               “We did our best, right?” He only said and Judy nodded.

               “Yes, we did,” she confirmed and then, she saw Max and Isabelle coming over. Reynolds was covered in brick dust and looked awfully messy, but the silly, ignorant goof that the wolf was, he walking toward them with a cheerful laughter.

               “There you are! What a mess, isn’t it?” He stated the obvious.

               “Are you alright?” Judy asked with concern.

               “Feeling alive like never before,” Max assured, trying to dust himself off with couple swipes, but not changing anything in the end. “But let’s not try it again for a while, shall we?” He asked and Nick raised himself slowly. For a moment fox’s sight stopped at what had remained of his family house, but he covered it then with a cheerful smile.

               “Yeah, I’d prefer being buried only after I die,” he joked and then turned at Alvarez. “How’s the first impression on our Precinct? Nothing like peaceful and quiet Tundratown, is it?”

               “Oh… it’s… fine,” she muttered, a bit overwhelmed with the entire situation.

               “Isabelle did wonderful job there too,” Max nudged her with a shoulder as he praised her. “If not for her going in, we’d never manage to evacuate everyone so quickly and…” Max stopped in the middle of sentence as a police van stopped right by them with a screech of tires. It’s back door opened and from it, sprung out Kaylee, rushing straight for her husband.

               “You imbecile!” She yelled at him with tears in her eyes and then, lunged toward him and hugged him passionately. “You stupid, reckless moron!” She scolded him and he chuckled awkwardly.

               “Hey, I’m alright. I’m glad that you…” He tried to turn it into a joke.

               “Where’s your camera, you bloody fool?!” She yelled at him hugging him stronger and then, Max looked down at where his camera was supposed to be attached and felt shivers. “I watched whole the action, you stupid! And when that staircase dropped and I lost your visuals, I thought that you… you…” She wept pathetically and Max hugged her strongly, patting on her back.

               “I’m alright. Safe and sound,” he promised and kissed her on her cheek. “I’m here,” he promised, but Kaylee burst into a pitiful cry, venting out all the bottled up emotions. Nick, Judy and Isabelle continued to watch it in silence with a dreadful realization that those were merely mere milliseconds and sheer luck that allowed all of them to be standing there. If Max didn’t notice the staircase collapsing, if he slipped, if he were half a second late… Too many ifs for one short moment. Just a day after their first anniversary, to that.

               Detective Barnes approached the five carefully, watching Kaylee and Max with understanding. As the bunny was pulling herself back together, he cleared his throat catching everyone’s attention.

               “Thank you. If not for your quick reactions, we’d have many more casualties than just that one tiger. I believe you’ll receive official congratulations very soon as well,” he said and turned at Wilde. “Your mother has been taken to the Zootopia General Hospital. Go and talk to Wolford, he’ll take you there. Hopps, Alvarez, report to Fangmayer, she’ll assign you with tasks. Due to the Parade we have a limited number of officers. Reynolds…” He paused to see the messy, dirty wolf, red with the brick dust.

               “Yes, sir?” He asked with a goofy smirk.

               “You’ve handled the media before. There’s a crowd of journalists waiting over there,” the old sheep pointed behind him at the tape closing off the area. There was quite a crowd awaiting indeed. “Go and talk with them a bit. Then, go to an ambulance and have yourself checked,” he ordered and Max nodded with a smile.

               “I’ll take care of it,” he promised.

               “Crane? TO Reynolds, I mean? We should be going,” Barnes turned at the Technical Officer. She hugged Max stronger one more time and then, released him.

               “Be safe,” she said and he nodded with a smile.

               “I will,” Max promised and she followed Detective Barnes back to the truck. The four officers watched them drive away back to monitor the Parade. As they passed by the tape closing off the area, Judy jumped up to her feet.

               “Alright, people, we’ve got work to do!” She encouraged them and Max and Isabelle went toward their own destinations. As Nick stood up, Judy placed a paw on his shoulder.

               “It’s going to be alright,” she promised and the fox smiled back confidently.

               “I know,” he replied with a smirk that carried nothing of happiness.