Mr. Claus

Chapter 10

     Mr. Cranberry and Fritz were yelling. Felix was fuming in the corner. Nicholas and Elliot were glaring, and Doctor Bell was a bitch.

"What on God's green earth were you thinking? Running in there without backup? Seriously!" Fritz yelled.

"Your friend is right, Elmore. You know better than to approach a reindeer in the second stage alone. You could've been killed." Mr. Cranberry followed.

"But I wasn't." Elmore muttered. That really didn't help his situation. Felix joined the yelling party.

"Elmore what did you think would happen? Did you think she'd magically see past her instincts for you? Do you think you're the Snow White of the North Pole?!" Felix was waving his arms around like a mad man.

Elmore chuckled weakly at the sight. Another wrong move. Elliot took a turn.

"What are you laughing at? What could possibly be funny right now? Do you know how scared we were!?" The young elf cried.

Elmore turned his head to Nicholas. "Are you gonna take a turn?" Nicholas just glared. Fritz took Nicholas' turn.

"This isn't a joke Elmore. We thought you were dead!" She screamed.

Elmore was almost certain the whole workshop heard that one.

"Dead?"

Mr. Cranberry explained. "After you were knocked down, an elf ran to Mr. Claus' office. She told us you had been killed by Dasher. Then left and spread the word to the whole workshop."

"But, couldn't they see me get up? I was walking around."

Mr. Cranberry made a motion clearly telling him to shut up. "We ran out and saw that you were being thrown in the air by Dunder, and then you were motionless face down in the snow."

Elmore looked around the room. Felix and Elliot looked near tears, Fritz was seething, Mr. Cranberry looked tired, Nicholas was still glaring, and Doctor bell looked like an African Pied Starling on crack. He almost laughed at the thought, but refrained in fear or more yelling.

"You people have no faith. Look, I came out unscathed." Elmore grinned.

Fritz hit him over the head.

"Well now I'm scathed." She raised her hand again as a threat, and Elmore raised his innocently. "Seriously guys, I'm fine. My back is barely scratched, and my arm is just a bit bruised. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

Doctor Bell opened her very large mouth. "Your back has a giant bite mark. You have a concussion. Your arm is fractured in three places, and you most certainly will not be fine by tomorrow."

"God woman, read the room." Elmore glared at her. She rolled her eyes and walked out. Mr. Cranberry followed. He would no doubt be asking for medical details.

Felix walked up to the bed and hugged Elmore, careful to avoid his arm. Fritz and Elliot followed suit. Elmore opened his arms to Nicholas and waggled his eyebrows. The man continued to glare at him. Elmore dropped his arms.

"You're gonna have a cast on Christmas. Maybe that'll teach you a lesson." Fritz said.

"It's unlikely." Elmore replied. Fritz raised her hand. "You can't hit a man with a concussion. You could kill me. Although, Mr. Claus over here might kill me before you get the chance." She 'accidentally' nudged his cast. He yelped.

Mr. Cranberry walked in holding papers Elmore didn't want to know the contents of. "You're allowed to leave the workshop, but you should avoid excessive movement and loud noises."