Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Two days later the North Pole's Head elf was still laying unawake in his bed at the Sick Bay. Jess, who had been forced to rest, change and shower by her friends and family; had taken her infant children back with her to the Sick Bay. True to his slowly forming character Nick was squirmy and started to cry. That's when Curtis slipped into Sick Bay.

"Good afternoon, Jessica." He gulped. Since Bernard had become unconscious it had taken a lot of effort for Curtis to get himself into the Sick Bay. Aside from the fact that medical equipment had always made the elf feel uneasy, he struggled emotionally to see his best friend laying in bed practically lifeless. On the other hand, was comforting to see Nicholas and Noel with their mother. The twins represented hope. If they could be brought out into this world, then maybe hope and belief could pull their father back into it.

"Oh hey, Curtis." Jess nodded at her friend while holding her struggling son in her arms.

"Let me help!" Curtis insisted. He held out his arms as Jess gently place Nick in his arms. "He likes it if you sing Christmas carols to him you know. Jingle bells is his favorite. Dashing through the snow..."

"In a one horse open sleigh..." The young mother joined in. It seemed fitting to her that her son's favorite song was also his father's. "Over the fields we go, laughing all the way..." While the two friends continued singing, Jess scooped up her daughter and nestled her under her chin. The moment almost felt normal. As the carol continued, she imagined that Bernard wasn't sick that instead the three of them were relaxing at home signing to the sleeping twins.

"Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh..." As the song neared its end, Jess found herself sighing. "He would hate that he's missing this." She frowned.

"He's going wake up." Curtis insisted firmly. "Every elf in the Pole believes in him, we're all hoping for you guys. Come on, let's sing the song again."

"I don't know. Maybe my dad and Carol are right. Maybe I should take the kids home and stop waiting around for...for something that might not happen."

"NO!" Her friend half-shouted. "No, you can't give up on him. If you give up on Bernard then so will everyone else. Sing the song again! Dashing through the snow..."

"Curtis please..." But Curtis wasn't listening. He needed Jess to believe that her husband would wake up.

"Dashing through the snow...c'mon, dashing through the snow..." Jess sighed. She didn't see how singing a ridiculous holiday song would drag her husband out of a coma, but maybe if she sang along with Curtis it would at least make her friend feel better.

"Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh, over the fields we go, laughing all the way." The pair sang Jingle Bells all the way through three times.

"This is getting us nowhere." Jess growled. "All we've managed to do is put my kids to sleep." Curtis looked over to the baby carriers where Nick and Noel were snoozing. At least they were enjoying the singing.

"One more time." The number two elf insisted. "Just once more and then...I'll take the kids home and leave you alone."

"Fine. One last time." She huffed with crossed arms. She rolled her eyes and started the song over. "Dashing through the snow in a one horse..."

"It's working!" Curtis exclaimed with wide eyes. Jess turned her attention to the bed Bernard was laying in. Sure enough it seemed like his eyes were fluttering.

"Keep singing!" Jess insisted. "Over the fields we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bob-tail ring, making spirits bright..."

"What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight." As the elves reached the chorus of the song Bernard's eyes began to open.

"Bernard!"Jessie wanted to fling herself at her husband, but she remembered his fractured clavicle and rib bones, so instead she leaned in gently and settled for a soft gently kiss on the lips. What Jess didn't notice was her husband's look of surprise or the unknowing expression in his eyes. She placed a comforting hand on his and smiled. "Oh I'm so glad that you're alright!"

"Well, beautiful girl whom I've never seen before," Bernard breathed out, "I'm so glad that I'm alright too. And whatever I did to earn myself a kiss from you..well I sure hope I do it again soon."

"Very funny, Bernard." Jess snarled. "I get it you were in a coma so you don't remember me or Curtis. ha ha." She leaned in for another kiss, but Bernard stopped her with his good arm.

"I'm sorry did you say that I was in a coma? For how long?" Bernard's eyes were wide with worry. "I must have passed out when I found out Santa fell off the roof. Did the new Santa arrive with his son all right? Did someone explain to him about The Santa Clause? What about The Mrs. Clause?" The Head Elf was rapid firing questions faster than his wife or best friend could answer them.

"What's wrong with him?" Curtis demanded.

"Curtis! A familiar face." Bernard gasped from his bed as he tried to sit himself up. "Number two, what are you doing in here? Where's the new Santa? Why am I laying in this bed?"

"Bernard, you have to lay down." Jess told him as she gently tried to force him back into bed. "You hurt yourself pretty bad when you fell off the roof..."

"I didn't fall off the roof!" He quipped, pulling himself out of his wife's grasp. "Santa did. Santa fell off the roof and...then I must have passed out from the stress. That's all. I don't need all these wires tubes..."

"You need those wires." Jess insisted. She tried to stop Bernard from ripping his medical equipment off.

"Stop telling me what I need!" Barnard growled. "I don't even know your name. You must be new. Are you a transfer from Keebler? Let me tell you something Mrs. Keebler, I am the Head Elf. That means I'm in charge here. And that means I tell you what you need to do. Not the other way around."

"You...don't...You have no idea who I am?" Jessie was crestfallen. The man she'd been married to for seven years, the father of her two kids, didn't know who she was.