Saving Christmas

Before we begin the story, this is something I threw together when my husband suggested that we both write a short story about saving Christmas and then compare. I thought you all might enjoy this fun little read.

SAVING CHRISTMAS

The emergency room had lines of patients who had been waiting for hours. They would likely wait several hours more, as well.

It was Christmas Eve, and while the rest of the world was out there, gathered with their families to celebrate and be with each other, Lisa Brewer was saving lives.

She didn’t have anything to be at home for anyway. What would she do, go sit at home in front of her tabletop tree and eat ramen while watching a Hallmark movie that ended with true love and a Christmas Miracle? Nah, that wasn’t for her. She would rather be here, exhausted and tired, but ready to do her job.

“Who’s next.” Lisa hurried up to the nurses station, cramming the last bit of a protein bar into her mouth.

“You have a Santa waiting for you in bed six.”

“Another one?”

The nurse nodded. “No ID either. So you have yourself a real life Kris Kringle in there.”

Lisa let out a sigh. “Great.” She grabbed his chart and flipped the page over. “Is he drunk? On drugs?”

“Bloodwork came up fine, but he can’t walk and has excessive vomiting. Looks like an overdose, but nothing is showing. He is in and out of consciousness, but he keeps saying ‘lynnalla’. I’m not sure if that is a name or some sort of drug. I looked it up on the internet and there is nothing.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah, really weird.”

She looked down at the chart again. “Okay, stomach was pumped and activated charcoal given.”

“Yeah, they did that anyway to be safe, since it looks like it’s something he ingested.”

“Okay, I’m on it.”

When Lisa flipped the curtain aside and indeed, there was a Santa in there. She had seen a lot of Santa’s on the table in her career, and most of them were on some kind of drug, wore a fake beard and had an ill-fitting suit made of cheap fabric from a costume rental place.

This guy… he had silver hair, but it was short and slicked back, it could actually be described more as the salt and pepper look. His beard and mustache were the also trimmed up nicely, not the long flowing beard that one would imagine a Santa would have. He lay on the hospital bed in a gown, his skin pale and covered in sweat. The chair beside him held a red suit with fur trim … a leather red suit.

Leather.

Lisa strode over to check out the suit. Yup, red leather with gold accents and a large black belt. His boots were next to the chair and a matching leather Santa hat on top of the boots.

Wow, she thought, this guy really takes his job seriously. In fact, where did he work with this kind of set up.

Shaking off the thoughts, she went to her patient and set her clipboard down on the table. “Sir.”

The man groaned but did not answer her.

“Sir!”

He groaned and turned his head slightly her way. “Lynnalla.” He croaked out the word. “Get. Me.”

“What is Lynnalla, sir? Is it a drug? Did you take this drug?” If he was on any drugs, there was really no reason that wouldn’t show in his bloodwork. They had tests for everything and if he was on something it should be coming through.

He turned his face toward the sound of her voice and appeared to force his eye lids open. When he did, Lisa was staring into the bluest eyes that she had ever seen in her life. Ice blue and fierce. “Get, Lynnalla.” His gravelly voice answered.

“Lynnalla is a person?”

He nodded. “I’m dying.”

“I’m sure it feels like that. We will try to keep you from dying though.”

“I need to get out of here.”

Lisa shook her head. “Sorry, that isn’t possible yet.”

“You don’t understand. I have a back up plan. We have to activate the plan and I don’t have my phone.”

He was talking nonsense. It was something she heard all day long in her line of work. “Can you please tell me your name. “Kris.”

Of course he was going to stick to that story. “Sir. I need your real name, please.”

Suddenly, he shot into a sitting position and grabbed her hand. “Take your hands off me.” She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. “Lisa Brewer. I need you to help me.”

How did he know her name? Her name tag only said Dr. Brewer on it. “I am trying to help you. But, please, let go.”

He released her hand and flopped back down on the bed. “I know what is wrong with me, and you cannot help me in this place. I need to get out of here and get to a phone.”

“I will get you a phone, but I can’t release you.”

“Lisa, you must. Christmas depends on it, already we have wasted much time.”

It also wasn’t the first time she has heard a Santa say that he needed to save Christmas. “Well, Kris, I apologize, but you will remain here for a while longer. You are still fevering and covered in sweat. You would still be vomiting if we hadn’t just pumped all the liquid out of your stomach. What have you eaten today?”

He groaned and wiped at his forehead. “Only cookies and milk.”

Frustrated, she rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, maybe you got a bad batch. What kind were they?”

“So many kinds.” He shook his head as if remembering.

“Alright, this does give us something to go on.” Lisa marked it down on her chart. “Is there someone I can call to get your name and information, have them come and get you later.”

“Yes, bring the phone.”

She pulled out her phone and opened the screen to the keypad. “What’s the number?”

“Here, let me do it.”

For a moment, she thought about arguing with him, but this would be the easiest way to get someone here who could actually give them some answers. So, she handed it over.

Shakily, he dialed what sounded like only five numbers. “Andre! Yes, yes. No, I’m in the hospital, I’ve been poisoned. Probably from the cookies. Iron poison I think, please send Lynnalla to Seattle as quickly as you can. And send a team for the reindeer, I have no idea where they are, but their trackers should be on.”

“Okay!” Lisa grabbed the phone, that’s enough. Wow, this guy was truly delusional. “Hello, um Andre, this is Dr. Brewer, can you please help me by answering some questions?”

“Ma’am, I am on my way and will answer them when I get there. I know this is weird and I truly apologize, but please… I must go.”

“Andre?”

“This man will die if we don’t get him the help he needs and you can’t help him there. Tell no one, or they will accuse you of being crazy too. I know what it takes to become a doctor, so please don’t ruin your career by telling anyone of this. Hold tight, I’m on my way.”

And then the guy just hung up on her, leaving her standing there staring at her phone in confusion. “I’m…”

“Ughhh” Kris pressed his hands to his stomach. “It hurts so much.”

“You said Iron poisoning?” She asked him. “I need to begin a treatment.”

He shook his head. “Nothing you can do here will help. “Please, take me to a private room.”

“I can’t just…”

“Please, I will make a donation to the hospital if I survive this.” Sweat was now dripping from his face and onto the hospital gown.

“Okay, fine. But I need to treat you.”

“Lynalla is my healer, she will treat me.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Your healer?”

“I am an Elf, Lisa. I am Fae. Fae are allergic to Iron. It’s not doing the same thing to me that it would to do a human. I need a Fae healer who can use her magic to syphon out the poison.”

Lisa paused, freezing in place. What in the world. This guy literally thought he was a Fae Elf, dying from Iron poison. Wow. “Uh…”

“I know. I’m not stupid. I’m freaking Santa, I know everything and I know that you’re thinking I’m crazy. My name is Kristoff Kringle and I am a thousand years old. Let’s get me to that room so Lynnalla can perform her healing without an audience.”

“The cameras?” Lisa squeaked.

“We can deal with those, thank you for the reminder though.”

Thinking she was absolutely crazy for going along with this, she gathered his things and then began to wheel him out. The guy on the phone, Andre, seemed just as unstable as her patient.

She found a room that didn’t have any paitents in it and pushed his bed inside. “Okay, we are in a private room.”

“Thank you.”

“Now tell me what you took, what your on?”

“It’s not drugs. I was poisoned.”

“Okay, let’s say this is real, why would anyone want to poison Santa?”

He groaned in pain and then shrugged. “There are people out there who hate Christmas.”

“So they decided to take a chance and poison you with Iron. How would they even know that?”

He put a finger up, “That, my dear, is the important question. And my elves will be on the investigation promptly. This assassin must not be allowed to run free.”

Tilting her head back, Lisa inhaled deeply. This was, by far, going to be one of her craziest ER stories ever.

A knock sounded on the door and a tall man in a festive Christmas sweater and slacks stepped in. “Andre!” Kris tried to sit up in bed, but another wave of pain hit him and he fell back into his sweat soaked pillows.

Andre was tall and extremely thin, he had long, glowing, grey hair and beard. In Lisa’s opinion, much more Santa like than her patient.

“Kris!” Andre rushed to the beside. “We were so worried when you didn’t check in. We are hours behind schedule.”

Kris closed his eyes and shook his head. “The children.” He groaned. “Christmas is ruined.”

Lisa stepped closer to the strange man. “Andre?”

He turned to her and held out his hand. “Yes, I apologize for not introducing myself. I’m distraught. I am Andre, head elf and advisor to Santa.”

Lisa paused with her hand out, letting him grab it and limply shake it up and down. She blinked a few times and tried to shake off whatever was happening here. “Um.”

“I know, I know.” He released her hand. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to break it to someone like this. I know what you’re thinking, but you must go with it. Help us save Kris so we can save Christmas.”

“There is no…”

Andre held up his hand “Don’t you dare, young lady! This disbelief is part of the problem we are having with holiday spirit.”

Suddenly, the room filled with light so blinding that Lisa had to cover her eyes. “What’s happening?” She cried out. But, by the time the words left her lips, a beautiful woman with long flowing blonde hair, and taller than Andre, appeared before them. She wore a gown of dark purple and a white fur cloak around her shoulders.

“Lynnalla!” Andre cried out. “Hurry, we must begin treatment. He says that he was poisoned by Iron in his cookies.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “What monster would do that to our precious Kris?”

Lisa frowned, knowing now that she was likely dreaming. “That’s what I said.”

“Lisa Brewer,” Lynnalla bowed her head. “Thank you for keeping watch over him. We owe you many thanks if he survives.”

“How did you … nevermind.” It wasn’t worth it. She was likely passed out in the employee lounge with protein bar crumbs littering her chest. She would wake soon.

Kris, on the other hand, was already passed out again and had no idea that Lynnalla was here. “Let me begin my treatment.” She stepped toward him and held her hands, palm downward over the unconscious man.

“What is she doing?” Lisa directed the question to Andre.

He didn’t answer, but held up his hand in a shushing gesture.

For a moment, nothing happened, she merely ran her hands up and down the length of his body and then finally, magic began to happen.

Yes, real, actual magic. Glimmering light swirled and ebbed, gathering beneath her hands. And then, Lisa spotted an inky black string forming around the stomach area of her patient. It rose, writing up toward her light as if it were trying to resist.

“Andre, get the box out of my bag.” She ordered the other Elf.

Obeying, he hurried over to where she had dropped a messenger bag made of leather. He opened it and extracted a golden box with gems encrusted on the top. “Got it.” He hurried back to her side.

“Open it.”

Again, he followed her orders and opened the box. She moved her fingers in a way that made it seem like she was literally pulling the poison from his body. It gathered in a dark ball beneath her palms and then, with a quick movement and a thrust of her hands, she forced the ball into the box. “Shut the lid, quickly!” She ordered.

Andre flipped it shut and held the top down as if the poison would come bursting back out.

“Very good.” She took the box from him and waved her hand around it, murmuring some sort of foreign language and a click sounded. “There. All locked away until we can dispose of it properly.”

Lisa knew her eyes were wide as saucers.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

“He will wake momentarily, good as new.” She set the box aside and grabbed her bag. “I’ve brought some chocolate to help boost his energy when he wakes.”

Lisa shook her head. “Chocolate?”

Lynnalla nodded. “Of course. The coca bean was originally grown by the Fae, well… the Fae of the summer court, but indeed. It has many health benefits. This chocolate I bring is very pure, it is not like what you get in your human stores.”

“Oh.” Lisa knew disbelief was written all over her face. “I see.”

A long groan sounded from the bed. “Kris, your awake!” Andre rushed to his side. “Thank goodness. How do you feel?”

“Better. Almost good as new.” He sat up and glanced around the room. “Thank you for coming Lynnalla.”

“It is my duty.” She told him. “And here is some chocolate for you.” She handed the dark square to him.

“I am so grateful.” He bowed his head. “But I must go now.” He swung his legs over the bed.

“Wait…” Lisa said. “There is paperwork…”

Andre stepped up beside her. “I will take care of that.”

“But.”

Kris suddenly peeled his gown off and threw it to the ground, causing her to gasp at what she saw. Santa worked out!

“Lisa Brewer.” He reached for his suit. “I must go. You have helped accommodate the needs to save my life. I am forever grateful, but Christmas depends on me leaving as soon as possible.”

“Oh!” Andre glanced at a phone that he pulled from his pocket. “They are here!”

Lisa spun around. “Who?”

A pleasing smile spread across Andre’s face. “Look.” He went to the window and pushed the curtain aside. And there, outside the window, she saw nothing.

Until, a jingling sounded and through the moonlit, snowy night, a gleaming red sleigh with eight flying reindeer zipped past the window.

She yelped and staggered back a few feet.

“Are we ready?” Kris asked.

Andre nodded.

Kris, his suit fully on, fitting his form perfectly, stepped into his boots and put his hat on. He held his hand out, offering it to Lisa. “I owe you a debt, Lisa Brewer. Would you like to come for a ride with me tonight?”

“Um…”

“You save lives every day.” His ice blue stare met hers. “You dedicated your life to the lives of others. I do the same thing, just not in the same way. Help me do some saving, Lisa. Let’s make some magic happen.”

Screw it. If this was a dream, then why not. “Yes.” She tore off her white doctor’s coat. “Let’s do this.”

With a smile. He reached for both her hands and grasped them. “Wonderful.” He whispered. And then, they were both bathed in a shimmering light and she felt, only for a second, her stomach drop. She closed her eyes and let the magic envelope her.

It lasted a moment, and then the ground was no longer beneath her feet. She was floating.

Freaking floating. And there was no way she was going to open her eyes until she felt the solid ground beneath the soles of her shoes again.

And just like that, she did.

“You can open your eyes now.” Kris still held her hands in his.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Even though she shouldn’t have been shocked, she gasped when she found herself standing in the sleigh, which was floating outside the hospital. The reindeer were grunting and snorting, moving their feet like they were ready to go.

“Are you ready?” Kris released her hands and sat down, taking the reigns in his hand.

She sat next to him. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s go.” He snapped the rein and called out some orders in a foreign language. Probably freaking Fae, from what she’d learned. The reindeer obeyed and took off like a shot, forcing her back in the seat.

She turned, looking toward the hospital and saw Andre and Lynnalla waving at them. She waved back and then turned toward the full moon which lit the snowy night and smiled as she shouted. “MERRY CHRISTMAS!”