Jingle Buds (Reindeer Games 8)

Jingle Buds (Reindeer Games)
Judy Mays
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2015 Judy Mays

Dr. Jonathon Claus looked from the chart in his hands to the woman sleeping in the bed.

"Grandma! Grandma!"

Bouncing off Jon's leg initially, the small boy who barreled into the room slid to a stop next to the elderly woman. The frightened look on his face spoke volumes as he looked back over his shoulder to Jon. "She's dead, isn't she?"

Jon had barely gotten a "No," out before a leggy, blue-eyed blonde bustled into the room. "Tommy! I told you to hold my hand!"

Tears streaming down his cheeks, the boy threw himself into her arms when she bent down to pick him up. "She's dead, Aunt Emily! Grandma's dead! That reindeer killed her!"

Dropping the chart on the bottom of the bed, Jon squeezed the child's shoulder. "Your grandma isn't dead. She's just sleeping."

Lifting his face from where he'd buried it in his aunt's neck, he blinked a few times, sniffed deeply, and hiccupped. "For... real?"

Jon smiled. "For real. She knocked herself out when she fell and hit her head on the ice. She should be home for Christmas dinner tomorrow."

Frowning, the boy stuck his chin out. "She didn't fall. I saw it. I saw all of them and the sled. She got run over by a reindeer. It kicked her."

"Tommy..." his aunt began as she slid him over onto her hip.

Jon tousled the boy's hair. "No, that's okay. If Tommy said she was run over by a reindeer, she was run over by a reindeer." Jon winked at the blonde.

After a couple of seconds, she nodded in return.

A petite nurse entered the room. "You've got another patient, Doctor. An idiot on ice skates tried to jump seven barrels. Lots of splinters and a probable broken arm."

Jon nodded. "I'll be right there."

Sliding out of his aunt's arms, Tommy scuttled to the nurse. "Are you a grownup?"

She smiled and nodded.

Jon said, "Nurse Annie is referred to as a little person."

The boy looked back at Jon. "Will she grow anymore?"

The nurse grinned. "This is as tall as I'm going to get."

Tommy focused on her again. Rising up on his tiptoes, he stretched to see if she was still taller than he. "For real?"

"For real," she affirmed as she looked down into his face.

A suspicious look appeared on Tommy's face. "I think you're an elf. It's Christmas time and there are always elves at Christmas because elves help Santa make toys, and my grandma got run over by a reindeer and there are always reindeer at Christmas time, too. So you're an elf, not a little person."

A loud sigh escaped his aunt, but before she could say anything, the nurse grabbed Tommy's hand. "Okay, I'm an elf. I don't have any toys, but I have goodies to eat. Would you like a piece of candy? How about a Christmas cookie? Fruitcake?"

The boy made a face. "Don't like fruitcake." Sticking out his chin, he glared at Jon. "Are you sure Grandma's not dead? She did get run over by a reindeer. Cross your heart and hope to die?"

"She's not dead. Cross my heart and hope to die," Jon agreed.

Tommy brightened. "Okay, then." He smiled at the nurse as he pulled her toward the door. "I like cookies and candy."

Smiling, Jon focused his attention on Tommy's aunt. "Your grandmother hit her forehead when she fell. There are no signs of a concussion, and she's resting comfortably. However, I'd like to keep her here at the clinic under observation until tomorrow. If no complications appear, she can be home for Christmas dinner."

The relief on the blonde's face was palpable. "Thank you, Doctor. What time will I be able to pick her up?"

"Let's shoot for eleven o'clock. If there's any change in her condition overnight, we'll call."

Her smile dazzled him. When she lifted her hand, he took it eagerly. Her grip was warm and firm.

"I'll be here," was all she said.