"Sierra Sierra Niner to North Pole One. Mayday! Mayday! We have a reindeer down! I repeat. Reindeer down!"
-
Eric and Clyde spent the day window shopping as they weaved through the massive Black Friday crowds. Since they were in the area, they tried for the Broadway Lottery and won seats to a matinée performance, as Eric quietly explained the cultural significance of the racial casting of such important American historical figures.
"That was amazing!" Clyde had gushed for hours afterwards. Apparently they were going to have to return for future shows. Eric laughed, feeling giddy and a bit high from all of the Christmas Spirit around them.
By the time they returned to their designated meeting spot for the return trip home, earlier than instructed of course, their arms were laden with a multitude of bags from their eventful Christmas shopping that day.
They waited together, starting to worry as the time ticked past the 48 hour mark. Finally, Santa and Humphrey returned, and though Santa flashed them his trademark smile, Eric could tell something was off. Unsure of how or whether he should even broach the subject with the Boss, he shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof as the sleigh was packed, their purchases safely stowed inside of Santa's Bag, which always seemed to look less full that it actually was. In fact, it almost looked empty despite the fact that they had easily each contributed an armful.
"Are you ready, boys?" Santa smiled and ruffled both his and Clyde's headfur. "Let's go home." Eric nodded and resigned himself to let it go as he was strapped into the yoke.
As they flew, he caught bits and pieces of Santa's muttered conversation to Humphrey. Apparently the meeting with the United Nations hadn't gone well, though not for the reason Eric had expected. "Humanity isn't ready," Santa sighed, "If I can't guarantee the rights and safety of the Tribes, I'm not willing to expose them to the risk."
-
"Pull up! Pull up! Whoa! Stay steady boys!"
The blizzard had come out of nowhere, as the winds buffeted the sleigh back and forth violently. Reindeer flight was magic, of course, but it was still subject to the laws of physics, and pulling a sleigh that weighed at least half of a ton while empty, not to mention the weight of the rotund passengers? Well, they were apparently particularly vulnerable to the weather, and Eric was starting to panic as visibility declined even further. He strained his ears to hear the commands over the roar of the wind. They hadn't quite gotten to this part of the training yet, and while Clyde was a veteran flyer at this point, they were both still young bucks.
"We're almost home! You're doing well, boys. Let's begin final approach proceedures."
The landing felt more like a crash as the whiteout conditions made it nearly impossible to see where the sky ended and the ground began. As they worked to slow, Eric gasped as he saw a large jut of glacier come into his sightlines. It was too late to avoid, and they were going to crash.
Eric reacted purely on instinct as he threw his body into Clyde's, attempting a last second course correction to hopefully at least spare his mate from colliding with the ice and being crushed by the sleigh behind them. This appeared to produce the desired effect, and they began to spiral on the ice.
The leather snapped as Eric took the brunt of the impact with a sickening crunch he heard more than felt. The sleigh went careening somewhere behind him, thankfully missing the two reindeer. The last thing he saw was Clyde sprinting towards him as everything went black. Clyde was OK and that was all that mattered.
-
Rudy rushed to clear a table in the workshop, resorting to just swiping his arm across and allowing everything to clatter to the floor. The toys were replaceable. Eric was not.
Santa carried the young reindeer in his arms, taking care to support his head. Rudy winced again as he looked at his brother's mate's bloody, broken body--his Pikkuveli--which appeared smaller than it actually was. Normally bursting with excitement and a newfound zest for life, his current silence was deafening.
Clyde walked behind Santa, tears in his eyes and looking hopelessly lost as he carried Eric's broken antler in his hooves. He was probably still in shock.
Rudy jumped into action. The doctor was already on his way and while he couldn't do anything about Eric for the time being, he could at least make sure Clyde had what he needed. Or at least what he could provide.
----
Michael stood in the doorway of the small restaurant they had rushed into to seek shelter from the sudden storm, holding onto Otso's sweater in a daze as he watched the werewolf bound into the blizzard on all fours before disappearing almost immediately. As soon as they had received the call, the doctor had stripped and handed it over with an apologetic look. "Meet me at Santa's Workshop. It's Eric. There's been an accident."
----
Theresa heard the door to the cabin open from where she sat in her bedroom staring out the window at the blizzard. Assuming Michael had returned, she stood and walked to the front room half expecting to see her ex-husband caked with snow. She stopped in surprise.
A massive reindeer stood, shaking off his fur as snow went everywhere. Despite having been at the resort for a couple days now, she hadn't seen one up this close yet. The way he carried himself looked strangely familiar as he turned towards her. He seemed to notice that he wasn't wearing any clothing as he glanced down and quickly moved a hooved hand in front of his large sheath, but he looked like he needed something.
"...Bix? You're supposed to knock, you know..." She started, annoyed at the audacity of this man. But she was quickly interrupted.
"You need to come with me. Now. It's Eric." Bix explained, already turning back towards the door and clearly expecting her to follow, which she did as she felt her blood turn cold.
They stepped into the Blizzard as Bix turned around. "I'm sorry about this, but it's the quickest way. Uh, may I?" He held his arms out. It took her a moment to realize he was wanting to carry her as she scoffed. But this was clearly an emergency situation, and if her son was in trouble she'd get over it. She nodded as he scooped her up into his strong arms and before she knew what was happening they were airborn, rocketing through the air. She shivered and leaned into Bix's fur for warmth, wishing she had remembered to bring her parka.
-
The trip had been a blur. She walked past a surprising number of reindeer, as they milled about anxiously in what looked to be a waiting room or lobby. Her stomach dropped as she saw Tom and Lars as adrenaline began to flood her system. One look at Tom's vulpine expression as he stood, seeing her, told her all she needed to know. Mom mode activated. She didn't break her stride as she followed Bix into a giant room with tables piled high with all sorts of toys, tools, you name it.
The fact that she had just walked into Santa's Workshop didn't even register to her as her eyes fell on the unconscious form of a reindeer splayed out on one of the tables as the giant white wolf moved quickly over him. She knew immediately, on an instinctual level that resonated through every cell of her body: that was her son. Her baby. Eric.
Doctor Otso turned and looked at her. "Good. You're here. I need you to assist me. Normally I wouldn't allow a relative in the room with me, but this is an emergency. One emotional outburst and I will not hesitate to have you removed."
She nodded and immediately slipped into work-mode. "What do you need me to do, Doctor?"