Hello there readers! Please enjoy the newest chapter of The Door and soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Door (Chapter 16)

by

Elite Shade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Uhm... Doctor?"

"Yes, Miss Blackthorne?" the armadillo in the lab coat said while wiping his profusely sweaty forehead and looking around anxiously.

"I don't know how to tell you this... but your moustache appears to be peeling off," Lily said.

"What? OH! Th-that... uhm... w-w-well... th-that's b-because I'm uhm... sh-shedding! Yes, I am shedding! It's something that armadillos do regularly!"

"Oh, alright then, Doctor," Lily said, a little skeptically.

"Now about those samples. I'm going to need to collect some blood samples, some skin samples, and maybe a few hair samples. Also, I would very much like to ask you about your world. Specifically your obvious technological superiority," Edwin said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice as the fake moustache continued to dangle above his upper lip, halfway peeled off. Lily was beginning to feel more and more nervous about the lab coat-clad armadillo standing before her. While he was pulling out a syringe, a scalpel, a plastic baggie, and what looked like a tape recorder, Lily quickly and discreetly pushed the nurse call button.

"I'm not sure of what you've heard, Doctor, but from what I've seen here in this hospital and on the tv, we're pretty much at the same technological level," Lily said, looking from Edwin to the door. He paused and looked up at her and smiled condescendingly, his left eye beginning to twitch.

"Ms. Blackthorne, there's no need to withhold information, I am a mammal of science after all. Of course your species is much more advanced than us. We are a long way off from space travel and teleportation. Now if you'll please hold out your arm," Edwin said after pulling out a small vial for the blood sample, putting the baggies and scalpel away for now, and turning on the tape recorder. Lily backed up a couple of steps.

"I'm not withholding any information! And I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this, Doctor."

"Nonsense! It's just a little blood and skin, some hair, and some more in depth detail about space travel! What could you possibly have to feel uncomfortable about?!" Edwin was becoming frustrated at the strange mammal's lack of cooperation.

Can she not understand the importance of research? he thought to himself as he took a step closer, still holding the empty syringe.

"How's about someone clearly impersonating a doctor, attempting to take some samples from someone else without their permission, all while recording them!" Edwin froze and slowly turned around to see a certain beaver standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. Edwin's left eye started twitching even more.

"Why can't any of you mammals understand the importance of my research?! Don't any of you get it?!" Edwin stared directly at Robbie. "We have just made contact with an advanced alien race! They need to be studied, they need to have every aspect of their entire lives examined, no matter how minute the detail! And I AM going to be the one to do it! Now, why don't you run along like a good little nurse and leave the work to the Doctor?" Edwin said disdainfully, his voice beginning to rise. It was then that Robbie stepped aside as Renato and two security guards, one a hyena and the other being a hedgehog, entered the room.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Renato asked as he looked over at her, checking for any visible injuries.

"I'm fine so far, Renato, he hasn't touched me yet," Lily said, smiling to the black jaguar, while still keeping an eye on the now frantic looking armadillo before her.

"Just let me take my samples from the specimen, and then I'll leave," Edwin said through gritted teeth, seething with barely contained rage.

"Sir, just put down the syringe, and come with us," the hyena security guard said, her authoritative tone leaving not a single shred of room for debate. Edwin tried to open his mouth to argue, but was silenced from a deep growl that was coming from Renato, who towered over the much smaller mammal. Out of pure instinct, Edwin dropped the syringe and the tape recorder, and curled up into a ball. The hedgehog security guard hurried over and kicked the syringe away.

 

A short time later...

 

"It took me a while, but I finally recognized the guy, officers," Robbie said while rolling his eyes as Arnie was taking his statement. "A few days ago, he tried to sneak into little Sarah's room, a little human girl that arrived before you did," Robbie nodded to Lily who was currently sitting on her hospital bed, listening as Robbie continued to explain. "He didn't get very far with that though, the Ottertons were visiting her at the time, and thought to call for security. He scurried away before they arrived."

"Mr. and Mrs. Otterton you said? Do you think that we could have their contact information? We're definitely going to want to take their statements."

"Sure thing, but I think that they might be here again today. They've been visiting Sarah pretty regularly," Robbie said with a smile.

"I think that I know what room that is," Chaz said while inserting and re-inserting a dollar into a nearby vending machine, starting to get frustrated as it once more spit out his money. While the rhino officer sighed and started to rub his temple, Renato was currently sitting next to Lily who, despite the previous situation, was now smiling at the wolf's antics. She even let out a chuckle when he started shaking the vending machine. Renato saw her smile, and himself smiled.

 

ZPD Precinct 1...

 

"Chief, you wanted to see me?" Judy asked as she entered Bogo's open office door.

"Officer Hopps, please have a seat," Chief Bogo said, removing his glasses. Judy complied as she hopped up and sat down, staring at the large cape buffalo.

"No need to look so serious, Hopps, I just want to ask you how things are with the human boy."

"Oh," Judy said, her ears perking up in relief. "Eli is doing wonderfully. I've currently got him all set up with a tutor, and so far he seems not too put off to the idea of attending school." Judy was proud as she said it.

"I see, and there haven't been any problems with him?"

Judy smiled broadly. "No, sir! Eli is a very sweet boy. He's definitely on the shy side, but over the past week he has started to really open up."

"Alright, what about other mammals? Have there been any problems with how others are reacting to his presence?" Judy's perked up ears immediately drooped. Seeing this, Bogo sighed. "So what happened?"

"Well, aside from a skunk and his two friends making fun of Eli, which Nick handled wonderfully, there was an incident that happened just this morning."

Bogo said nothing as he waited for her to continue.

"There was this creep who showed up at my house this morning, claiming that he was working for Zootopia General Electric. At first he said that he wanted to speak with Eli, to gather some information. Then he started talking about collecting blood and skin samples, becoming more and more manic as he spoke. And he practically lost his mind when I refused. When I called up the electric company, they knew who I was talking about and informed me that not only did they not send him, but that he's been placed on administrative leave."

Bogo remained silent for a moment before speaking. "This creep who showed up... was he an armadillo?"

 

Back at the hospital...

 

"So, Russell, how are you feeling today?" Barry asked as he sat down in a chair, facing where Russell was sitting on his bed.

"Okay... maybe a little nervous," Russell mumbled.

"It's perfectly natural to be nervous about going into foster care Russell," Barry said with a gentle smile. "I've met with your caseworker, and I even helped to pick which home it is." Russell looked up at that.

"Wh-what's it like?"

"Well, it's a very nice house. It's very large, so you'll be getting your own room. There's a great wide backyard with a small basketball court. And it has one of the largest gardens I have ever seen. It's actually just barely inside the city limits, and is only a short drive away."

Russell said nothing as he thought to himself. "What are the people running it like?" Barry smiled reassuringly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spitz are both very pleasant mammals. I've actually met them a few times over the years."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm a child psychologist after all."

Russell looked up at the polar bear puzzled, making Barry chuckle.

"The few times that they had some difficulties with a child in their care, they immediately sought out professional help, I being their first choice."

Russell looked away, unsure of how to feel at this moment.

"Have they... have they ever gotten into trouble for... hitting a kid in their care?"

"Absolutely not, Russell," Barry said, reaching forward to rest his giant paw on the boy's knee. "If there was anything like that going on, I promise you that I would have found out a long time ago." Russell met Barry's gaze, and looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it.

"I know that it may not seem like it now, but I promise you, Russell, things are only going to get better for you."

 

Back at the Hopps Residence...

 

"Very good, Eli!" Mrs. Amur said, beaming down at him. "You are coming along very quickly! In fact, I think that I would like to try some lessons with a little more challenging equations. What do you think?"

Eli blushed at the praise coming from the large white tiger, but he smiled, feeling a sense of pride, something he wasn't particularly used too.

"Uhm, okay," he said enthusiastically. Nick, sitting in a recliner that was admittedly a little small for him, had nodded off during the English portion, around an hour ago. Only now he was stirring, once more with clear bedfur.

"That's a great job, buddy," he said sleepily. Eli giggled as Mrs. Amur smiled.

"Well, it is looking like today's lessons are at an end. And so tomorrow, Eli?"

"Sure!"

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Amur she stood up and collected her various teaching aides, packing them into her briefcase before making her way to the door, saying farewell.

"So, now that your schooling's all done for the day, how about we get back to the serious business of game time?" Nick asked, holding up the two controllers.

"But, if Judy comes home and sees us playing again, won't she get mad at you?"

"And why would that be, bud?"

"Because she might think that we were goofing off?"

"... That's a good point... still though, I'll just explain that you're a prodigy and are already fast-tracking through your studies." Nick flashed his casual grin, and Eli smiled back.

"But... I don't want her to get mad at you because of me..."

Nick sighed as he set the controllers down and walked over to sit next to Eli on the couch. "Eli, buddy, you gotta stop sweating all the small stuff. Carrots is a semi-reasonable bunny. I'll just tell her the truth, and that if she doesn't believe me, to call up your tutor and ask her about your studies. More importantly though, you can't go blaming yourself for everything. I know from my own personal experience that it's not always easy to accept the good things in your life for what they are, especially after being treated badly for so long. But getting to know Judy is one of the best things that ever happened to me, and I'll bet to you as well, eh?"

Eli didn't know what to say, and just sat there, staring at his hands as he tried to sort through his feelings.

"So," Nick said, getting back up to retrieve the controllers, "what do you say to some play to go with all of that work buddy?"

Eli smiled and nodded.

 

Back at the hospital...

 

"Oh, Emmitt, she's just so cute!" Mrs. Otterton said in an excited whisper as they stood, watching Sarah sleep, cuddling Gracie close to her.

"I know... and when you think about it... she's also really fragile."

"Well all children are, sweetie, at least those as little as Sarah."

"True... although... well, honey... what I meant is that... this is an entirely new environment for her... and so... she'll definitely need some serious stability in her life, and after seeing how much that crazy armadillo scared her... and how he's probably not the only one out there like that... maybe... we should give some serious thought to... giving her that stability..."

Emmitt stood there, waiting for his wife's response.

"W-what do you think--" he was cut off as she kissed him.

 

Later that day...

 

"Once more, my efforts to collect valuable data on these humans has been rebuffed," Dr. Shellison said into the tape recorder, the television on behind him.

"Truly, the pure ignorance and stupidity of other mammals astounds me!" Edwin ripped off the still half-peeled false moustache, and tossed it on his desk, turning to the tv and un-muting it. On the screen was a moose anchorman.

"Once more, we here at ZNN apologize for the statements made by former ZNN field reporter, Chet McSprinter. His statements do not represent the views of ZNN or it's affiliates--" Edwin hit mute again as he smiled. Despite being arrested for harassment and impersonation of a doctor, and having to use his one phone call to contact his brother Al, who gave him no small amount of grief for having to post bail and give him a ride back to his apartment; the thought of that reporter's pure idiocy brought him a light chuckle. As he thought about what had been said that had gotten the balding antelope into so much hot water, Edwin froze. In his mind, there was a spark of inspiration, making him quickly pick the tape recorder back up and hit record.

"It would seem that the main reason for anyone's reluctance to perform the necessary tests and examinations on the human creatures is the fact that they seem to be viewed, for the most part, as a species in need of protection. However, if the feeble minded masses can be swayed to view the human animal as a potential threat, then the need to study them will quickly gain momentum! And of course, I can take credit for my early efforts to examine them, and probably get these trumped up charges dropped in the process, as I will then be viewed as the only logical choice to head these examinations!" Edwin said, his left eye twitching profusely, his voice sounding completely hysterical.

"And that antelope has given me the perfect method for ensuring that. The Night Howlers."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter, and feel free to leave me a review telling me what you think!