Hello there dear readers! I am extremely happy to bring to you the newest chapter of The Door! I would like to take this moment to thank everyone for the support and the kind words, as well as the helpful words of advice, which I do read and do in fact take into consideration. You have all been wonderful, and I'm so excited to see that this story has passed the 100 follower mark!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Door (Chapter 14)

by

Elite Shade

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Alright, Baily. You seem to be healing up nicely, and you do not appear to be having much difficulty with your breathing. I would give it another week for you on bed rest, being monitored and taking regular breathing tests, and you should be good to go!" The panda doctor smiled while looking over Baily's medical chart.

"Thanks, Doc," Baily said as he eased himself back into his reclined bed.

"Hey there, Baily, oh! Hello, Dr. Williams," Sophia said as she entered. Today she was wearing a peach blouse and simple blue jeans.

"Well hello there, Sophia. I must say, I hardly expected you to be the type to enjoy your days off at your place of work," Dr. Williams said with a smile at the slightly blushing lioness.

"Well, I came to visit Baily is all," she said a little self-consciously.

"Ah, I see," Doctor Williams said knowingly. "Well then, since everything seems to be in order here, I shall take my leave and let you two get down to some more practice with those Tarot cards."

There was a bit of an awkward silence after the doctor left as the two shuffled a little uncomfortably.

"So, uh, how are you feeling today?" she asked in an attempt to break the ice.

"A lot better than I was when I had first gotten here," Baily said with a smile as they both became visibly more comfortable. "I can get around without limping as much, and the doc said that my breathing's getting better."

"Well, a week of taking it easy can do that to you." Sophia strode over to sit on the side of Baily's bed. She was glad to see that his face was looking much clearer now. Some of the bruises had already faded, while the others were definitely clearly on their way out.

"It certainly beats treatment in the form of simply ignoring it and trying to find a clean enough alley to rest in," he said enthusiastically. The more he spoke with Arnie, the more excited he was starting to feel at the prospect of getting a place to stay as well as a means to support himself. There were times when he would feel the usual cynicism start to creep back into his thoughts, but he pushed those feelings down for the time being.

"About that. I've been wanting to ask you something, Baily," Sophia said with a pensive look on her face.

"What is it?" he asked, now a bit curious.

"Well... I was kinda wondering how you... I mean... how is it that you ended up..." Sophia's mind seemed to stumble to find the right words, ones that wouldn't sound accusatory or insensitive.

"Sophia, are you trying to ask me why I'm homeless?" Baily asked as it suddenly dawned on him.

"Uhm... yes," she said, now feeling a little guilty that maybe she had brought up something painful or embarrassing for him to recall.

"Oh... okay."

"I'm sorry, I was just a little curious. If you're uncomfortable talking about it, you don't have to," Sophia said quickly.

"No, it's okay, Sophia. I don't mind talking about it. You're actually the very first person who's ever asked me why I was homeless in the first place."

Sophia smiled before she shifted her tail a little so that she was in a more comfortable position to be sitting.

"It all started back when I was graduating from High School. See, I went to this expensive private school. It was after the whole graduation ceremony had ended, after my parents and I had gotten back home. A lot of my other classmates had gone out to party and get drunk most likely, but that really isn't my kind of scene. Besides, my folks wanted to have a serious conversation with me. Well, we got home, and my mom and dad waited downstairs in the lounge for me, after I went up to my room and got out of the robe and clothes I had worn to the ceremony."

"So you were rich?" Sophia couldn't stop herself from asking. Baily smiled.

"No, my parents were rich. Still are I would imagine."

"But then, how... ?"

"It's like this. My mom and dad are both pretty... strict. One of the many things that they're strict about is their religion, and how they only have anything to do with people who believe the same things that they do. My whole family's actually a pretty close-minded bunch." Sophia nodded at this, having met some other mammals like that.

"Anyways, it's at this point that I should tell you that I didn't follow this certain set of beliefs. I have my own, which happen to involve to an extent my Tarot cards," he said, motioning towards the cigar box resting on the bedside table.

"They were given to me by my grampa, who was the only person in my family that wasn't like the rest of them. He was a really laid back kind of guy, never getting too worked up about what people thought of him. He was never afraid to go his own way... okay, maybe he could even be a little stubborn at times, but he was still pretty open-minded about a lot of different things and ideas. He believed that we all have to go out and find our own answers to life's questions, even if that meant going against the grain, as he liked to put it. He gave me the deck a few weeks before he passed away." Baily's eyes were a little misty, but he blinked and composed himself.

"He was like me, or at least he felt that we were a lot alike. My parents never really seemed to enjoy him and me spending time together, but they let us be for the most part, simply because he was very wealthy himself, and they wanted to make sure to stay on his good side for his will." Baily smirked.

"They were all really ticked off when at the will hearing, they found out that he had decided to give everything to various charities, aside from a sizeable trust fund that he had left just for me. I honestly wasn't expecting that." Sophia smiled at the thought.

"So, back to the night of my graduation. Or well, back to my cards. Those would have instantly been considered contraband by my parents and subsequently burned if they had known about them, so I kept them hidden, along with anything that might have revealed to them that I was a free-thinker." A note of bitterness had crept into Baily's voice at this point, which Sophia picked up on, but chose not to address for now.

"The day of my graduation, one of the maids had apparently stumbled upon the loose floorboard in my room where I hid my cards in that very cigar box, along with a series of crystals I had collected, and a few books that also would have been considered contraband and burned as well. Not simply thrown away, for the thought of anyone possibly linking such things to us horrified my parents more than anything else. So, when we got home, my dad immediately began to lay into me about his usual spiel, letting my mom get in a few choice words herself. To summarize, there was no way that they were going to put up with me deviating in any way shape or form from what they believed to be the norm, so either we burned those items right then and there, or I could leave and never come back... I think you can guess which I chose," Baily said.

"... Oh wow... and just like that, they cut you off?" she asked, appalled at the idea anyone could be so cruel.

"Yeah, but hey, don't forget about that trust fund I had mentioned. It was able to help me find some places to stay for a while so that I could find work. That's the main reason I didn't get to go to college, I was too busy trying to just stay afloat while rationing out the fund... but of course it ran out, and then I was living on the streets."

At this point, Sophia had started wringing her paws anxiously. "Didn't your family try to find you? Didn't anyone try to help you?" she asked, already anticipating the answer.

"No, when they cut ties, they meant business. Apparently no matter who I am to them... they even bullied my friends from school with threats if they tried to help me."

"So their religion and how people saw them was more important to them than their own child?!" she asked, now growling a little in outrage. She did reign in her anger when she saw Baily jump a little.

"Pretty much... " he trailed off after that. He was a little surprised when Sophia took his hands into her paws and gently held them.

"That must have been pretty hard to stand up for yourself like that. That was a very brave thing to do, Baily. I can't even imagine living with parents like that! My whole family is actually really close."

"Brave... maybe... but I can imagine a lot of people would also say that it was pretty stupid of me," Baily said. "You sound really lucky, Sophia."

"Maybe, but that was pretty stupid of your family to just throw away a relationship with someone with that much courage. In addition to being heartless as well."

"Thanks, Sophia." Baily just smiled as they sat there in companionable silence, until they heard a throat being cleared.

"Soooooo... would this be an awkward time for me to just show up?" Chaz asked in the doorway, holding a brown paper bag. The two quickly realized that they were still hand in paw, and immediately let go, looking away, blushing.

"I'll take that as a yes," Chaz said, now smirking.

 

 

Meanwhile...

 

 

It had already been a week since Eli had first moved in with Judy, and already looking after him was coming to her like second nature. While still retaining his shy and reserved nature, he had opened up much more than when they had first met. Already Judy knew his favorite foods, his favorite color, had him set on an unofficial 9:30 bed time, and was even setting him up with a tutor to help him catch up for when the new semester of school starts in the next month. So far she was using her vacation days, but she knew that she was soon going to have to make other arrangements to have someone to take care of him during her shift.

She was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Eli alone, even for a few hours, despite his protests that he can take care of himself. She knew that Nick would be willing to watch him with his own vacation days, but seeing as how he had already used up a number of them already, she was already considering other possible options.

"You know, Finnick is really great with kids," Nick said, trailing off at the look Judy was giving him. Currently, the two were in Judy's kitchen, enjoying a breakfast consisting of some take out Nick had picked up.

"This is serious, Nick. Eli's my responsibility now, and since I can't stay away from work forever, I have to find some way to make sure that he's safe and being taken care of. And since you decided to use your vacation days to camp out waiting for a pair of Gazelle tickets..."

"Hey now, they were front row!" Nick said defensively.

"That means that I have a shorter amount of time to find someone to watch him that I trust," she finished, picking up a donut with white icing and carrot shaped sprinkles.

"Au contraire, Carrots. I seem to recall you having about over two hundred potential kit-sitters at your beck and call."

"It's actually getting closer to three hundred, and even more when you count my cousins, as well as my aunts and uncles too." Judy smiled.

"So why don't you just call up your family and set something up? Surely you got some relatives that live close enough for it to not be that big of a deal? Plus, I'd be willing to bet that your folks would especially love an excuse to come and visit Jude-the-Dude," the fox playfully said.

"I still can't believe I let you hear that conversation." Judy sighed exasperatedly, planting her pace into her palm. Her father's pet name for her had been something her partner found to be quite entertaining.

"I just can't resist it sometimes," Nick said with a smile. Judy smiled back.

"I suppose I could call some of my siblings for help. But I'm really worried that, as true to Hopps family form, they've all been enjoying the news about my wanting to adopt Eli, and will totally spill the beans before I can find the right time to ask him," Judy said. Already several dozen of her sisters, and more than a few brothers, came to mind who were incorrigible gossips.

"Well, maybe you need to ask him a little bit before it comes to that," Nick softly suggested. Judy sat there and thought about the idea.

"But I wanted him be settled in and comfortable before asking him."

"Well, call me crazy, but he seemed pretty happy all week long."

"... Alright... later on today... I'll ask him... and you better not say a word until then!" Judy said, looking Nick dead in the eye. He raised his paws defensively.

"Woah there, Carrots, I won't say a word."

 

 

Elsewhere...

 

 

"Alright, Russell, how are you feeling today?" Barry asked after seating himself in Russell's hospital room. Russell was still being observed medically, even though he had not shown any indication of physical abuse. From what Barry had perceived, Russell had come to accept what had happened to him. While he was still pretty scared about his current situation, he had at least calmed down considerably from when Barry had first met him.

"Okay, I guess, Doctor Snowson," Russell mumbled while looking away.

"You know, you can just call me Barry if you want," Barry said.

"Okay... Barry."

The polar bear smiled. "Are you sure that there isn't anything on your mind? We can talk about anything you want."

"... Am I... am I going to go to a foster home?"

"Well Russell... I'm not entirely sure. The first human who turned up was taken in shortly after by one of the officer's who had found him. And there really isn't any kind of legal precedent for a child who comes from another world."

The boy just nodded, looking down. "That makes sense, I guess."

Sensing the boy's reluctance to continue talking about the current subject prompted Barry to try and find another subject that might help Russell open up to him.

"So, Russell, would you like to tell me about what your life was like before coming to Zootopia?"

"Okay," he said, finally making eye contact with Barry.

"Um... I lived in a town, not a city. It wasn't really small, but it wasn't really large either. It was called Bristol. I guess it was a nice place... " Russell trailed off.

"Well, that doesn't seem like much of an autobiography." Barry tried to joke, hoping to keep Russell talking.

"I didn't have any friends, and most people in town didn't want anything to do with me or my family."

"Why was that Russell?"

"... My mom and dad... they were always fighting about something. And, they were always pretty nasty about it too... I guess people just figured that I was a natural troublemaker or something. That's why I think that they tried not to see me."

"What do you mean that they tried to not see you?"

"I mean... or as long as I could remember, no one in town wanted to have anything to do with me... or my folks."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Russell. It sounds like you were being associated for something that wasn't your fault."

"... Maybe."

 

 

Back in Sarah's room...

 

 

"Hi there, Sarah!" Emmet said as he strolled through the door.

"Hi, Emmewt!" the three-year-old said excitedly.

"How are you doing today?"

"Owkay. I lost a toof lawst night! See?" Sarah proudly held up the tooth in question. She had the largest smile on her face, showing the spot where the missing tooth came from.

"Oh wow! Look at that! Are you going to put it under your pillow tonight?" he asked.

"No, why?"

 

"Why? So that the tooth fairy can take it and leave you a little present."

"Whow's the toof faiwry?"

"You've never heard of the tooth fairy before?" Emmet asked incredulously. Little Sarah just shook her head.

"Well, I'll tell you all about her, right after I give you this!" the otter said, pulling out a wrapped gift with a large pink bow.

"A pwesent?! Thank yoo, Emmet!" Sarah said excited.

"Your very welcome, Sarah," he said, handing the present to the excited toddler. She quickly ripped the paper off. Soon, after opening the box, she was holding in her hands a stuffed otter in a pink princess outfit. Sarah looked at the plush toy for a second, before squealing in delight.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she said as she pulled her new plush friend into a hug, before running up to Emmet and giving him the biggest hug she could.

"OMPH! You very welcome, sweetie. I just thought that maybe you would like to have a little friend of your own to play with."

"Imma cawl her Gwacey!" she said as she immediately began playing with the plush otter princess.

"Well that's a great name for her, sweetie. Now, would you like to hear about the tooth fairy?" Sarah looked over to Emmet and quickly crawled over to sit in front of him, still cuddling her new toy.

"Okay, the tooth fairy is a magical little mammal..."

 

 

In yet another hospital room...

 

 

"Has there been any change with her?" Robbie asked Doctor Williams. The panda was currently scribbling some notes down on the medical chart of the human woman that had been brought in. In addition to the attempted drowning, she had apparently been beaten before being tied down to the cinderblock. After being brought in, she had gone into shock, and slipped into a coma. They still didn't have a name or any information about the woman, other than her blood type after testing her.

"Brain activity looks promising, and there doesn't appear to be any permanent brain damage. I don't want to jinx it, but I honestly think that she'll be waking up before too long," Doctor Williams said as he finished his writing and clipped the board to the foot of her bed.

"But I thought that comas were tricky," the beaver asked as he looked her over.

"Yes, they can be. But I have also seen coma patients in similar states to her, and they didn't stay asleep for too long," he said confidently. Robbie just rolled his eyes. Doctor Williams was very talented, no one doubted that, but he could be a little on the arrogant side. He smiled to himself at the number of other medical staff who happened to share the same view of the slightly big-headed panda. Robbie was reflecting on how ultimately, the doctor was a nice guy as they both made their way down to the front desk.

"Oh, that jaguar's back again," Doctor Williams observed casually, seeing Renato sitting in a chair in the waiting room, reading an old Cat Fancy magazine.

"It would seem so," Robbie commented, smiling. "I'll go inform him that she still hasn't awoken."

 

 

 

 

 

And there you all have it! I hope that you've enjoyed this new chapter! Please feel free to leave a review!