"First Aid! Stretcher! Now!" barked Naomi, as the huskies, suddenly visible everywhere, went into motion like a well-oiled machine, or more accurately like a well-trained dog pack. Zack bound Spike's wounds as the big stag's screams modulated into a series of moans, and two big huskies gently and carefully moved him onto a stretcher for transportation to the park's hospital.
Leticia had come down from her throne and was confronting Sam. "You bastard! Murderer!" She began to work up to spit in his face when Lateisha suddenly appeared between the two. "Calm down, Leticia. It's going to be OK." Leticia collapsed into her friends arms, emotionally exhausted from the events of the day as Sam hurried away.
*I just sent a guy to the hospital!* Sam thought in horror. *This was supposed to be a vacation!* He was surrounded by bucks, led by Jeremy, congratulating him and demonstrating their submission. *Exactly the same submission they would have paid to Spike if he had won* Sam thought with a sudden wave of disgust. He realized how much he missed his husband and family and how tired he was of being male.
Hannah made her way through the crowd of bucks and enveloped Sam in a hug. "It's alright, Sam, it's alright." She could see the big buck wasn't triumphant, but on the verge of tears. She led him aside, the bucks making way because many of them figured this was the time Sam would celebrate his triumph with "beauty queen Hannah."
"I can't stay here, Hannah. I don't want to be a herd leader. I just want to go home and see my husband. This whole thing has just turned into a nightmare. When I heard Spike scream--I never heard anything like that before."
"He'll be OK." Hannah answered in a soothing tone. "The huskies are taking him to the hospital and they can fix him. Look at everything they can do, creating new bodies, they can fix him easily, I bet."
"I know Hannah, but that's not the point. I don't want to turn into some kind of macho monster, and I know that's what the bucks are going to expect me to be. I just want out of here."
"Do you want me to get one of the huskies so you can tell them you want to go?"
Sam nodded his head, and Hannah beckoned to the nearest husky, who happened to be Katie. Sam briefly explained the situation.
"Of course you can cut your vacation short, sir. This isn't a prison. But can you talk to some of the other bucks here first? We're afraid that if you just disappear, the bucks will start fighting again tomorrow. Could you hand off power to one of the other alphas?"
Sam nodded. "I guess it's my responsibility." he sighed. He stood before the milling crowd of bucks, who turned to face their new leader.
"To begin with" he started "no one is going to be respliced against their will! Drake wanted it, Spike wanted it, they lost! Try to get to know the does we already have! Try talking to them about something other than now much you need to get laid!"
"Secondly, I have important business on the other side of the fence that requires me to become human again. In my absence, Jeremy is next in line, since he can kick the ass of anyone here but me."
There were expressions of confusion on the face of everyone but Jeremy, who smiled. Yes!
Leticia had been sobbing quietly on Lateisha's shoulder. Upon hearing Spike's words, she craned her neck to check out Jeremy's antlers and muscles. Lateisha smiled. Her friend would be all right.