The Alien Reindeer's Joy

by Starr Huntress

  Santa hadn’t mentioned anyone else reporting such activity, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t have happened.

  Nerves tight, Kaelar continued his way down the hill. He sighed in relief as he arrived in the town and saw the excess joy floating around. The atmosphere here was everything it should be—filled with joy and energy. The red haze was beautiful and Kaelar’s mood improved significantly just by seeing it.

  He walked to the center of the town and started pulling in the excess joy eagerly. He’d have to stretch his collection pouches to get enough joy now that the Zalfa had drained so much of it, but Kaelar did his best.

  It was an uncomfortable exercise, like trying to take an overly large breath and continue to breathe in. Santa had all his workers practice it, though, for emergencies. Kaelar tried to ignore the feeling of fullness as he drew in joy beyond his usual level of comfort.

  Once he’d harvested as much as he could, he returned to his town and emptied his pouches in the town square. He sighed in relief as the uncomfortable fullness was alleviated.

  Then, he went over to another town and collected some more joy, again emptying it in the middle of his own town and repeating the cycle several times.

  By the time Kaelar returned to his cabin, the sun was already setting and he was ready to crash in bed.

  The thought of the Zalfa kept him awake, though. There weren’t many things that made Kaelar angry, but now, his blood was boiling. Joy stealing was the worst kind of violation and filling the town with good cheer again had taken him the entire day. It had also kept him from doing his usual rounds.

  Kaelar wanted to rush off right now to grab the Zalfa and hand them over to the galactic authorities, so they could do no further harm. The joy thieves needed to be stopped—and soon.

  Right now, he was far too exhausted for that though.

  Tomorrow, he would take joy to the hospital again. He just hoped that what he collected would be enough.

  When joy was taken from people themselves, the joy of others had a tendency to be leached out into the air, kind of like when you left the fridge open and the entire fridge started heating up as warm air automatically moved into it.

  In this case, though, joy didn’t move into those it had been taken from, it simply hovered in the atmosphere.

  Crimes like this made everyone miserable, not just those affected.

  Kaelar was worried about the children at the hospital. They were upset enough already about being stuck away from home for the holidays. They didn’t need anything else added on top of that.

  His thoughts were drawn from the children at the hospital to the staff. More specifically, Chloe. It was heartwarming how she had bought gifts for all of the children.

  Sometimes, Kaelar needed a reminder that there was still good in this world. Today was one of those days. Kaelar knew how much a gift from their doctor would mean to the kids. He wondered if she did it every year.

  He found himself looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. He hoped they would have time to talk some more, but it would be good to be around her all the same.

  The base of his antlers tingled again, but he was too tired to mind.

  He collapsed on the bed next to the fireplace, dreaming of the sweet doctor.

  Chapter 8

  Chloe

  Chloe felt like she had just fallen asleep when her alarm blared obnoxiously at six a.m. She resisted the usual urge to chuck it across the room. She dressed warmly and started on her way to work as soon as she’d had breakfast.

  Her car was still in the repair shop, so she had to order a taxi, but she didn’t mind. Her bags were filled with the presents for the children and the taxi driver was kind enough to help her carry them all into the hospital.

  The staff was just in the middle of a shift change when she arrived.

  “Hey, Sadie, Michaela.” She smiled at the two nurses. “How have things been?”

  Michaela sighed. “Brad was crying all night again,” she said sadly. “All of the kids were in such good spirits the other day. Today, they’re back to being miserable.”

  Chloe nodded, not unsurprised. It was difficult to be in the hospital for the Christmas holiday and not be miserable.

  Her thoughts wandered back to the reindeer from the night before last. Everyone had really perked up after she’d seen it, but no matter how she thought the reindeer must’ve somehow magically brought in some joy, that had to be just a coincidence.

  …Right?

  There were studies that showed how having animals around could raise patients’ spirits, but there was no way that reindeer had visited all of the children undetected. Besides, most of them had been asleep.

  She shook her head, erasing the reindeer from her thoughts. The two nurses kept speaking quietly as Michaela finished updating Sadie on everything. Sadie would tell the rest of the staff anything pertinent when they arrived.

  Chloe got started on her rounds, going to see Brad first. She picked up a bag with some of the children’s presents that she’d bought—including Brad’s—and made her way to his room.

  Poor Brad’s eyes were puffy from crying and lack of sleep, but his mother was with him today, so he was at least content for now.

  “Good morning, Mrs. James,” Chloe greeted the woman with a smile.

  “Dr. Wilson!” Mrs. James stood from the bedside. “How is he?”

  Chloe looked at Brad’s chart, checking for any new notes that had been made. “He’s homesick but the chemo is going well. He’s tolerating it as well as can be expected.”

  “When can we bring him home? He needs to be with his family.”

  That much Chloe couldn’t deny and she wished she could give the woman some good news.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m still not happy enough with his numbers to send him home for outpatient treatment. I want to keep him under observation for at least another few days. I’ll send him home as soon as he’s well enough, I promise.”

  Mrs. James took the news well enough. She was clearly trying to be strong for Brad’s sake, although the disappointment was evident on her face.

  Brad, however, started crying again. Chloe could understand that he was sick of being in the hospital, especially over the holidays. He had already missed out on his family’s Thanksgiving party, and he was no doubt worried about missing Christmas at home too.

  Mrs. James immediately embraced her son and started to hush and rock him while Chloe checked on some of his stats. Once she was sure that everything was well enough, she went to the present bag she had brought and pulled out Brad’s gift—wrapped in colorful superhero gift paper.

  For the first time in a while, Brad actually smiled.

  “What do you say, Brad?” Mrs. James asked.

  “Thank you, Dr. Chloe!” The child held the gift in his hands happily and Chloe’s heart warmed.

  “Remember, though,” Chloe said. “You’ll have to wait until Christmas to open it.”

  “I promise, Dr. Chloe,” he said, hugging the present to his chest. “I won’t open it before.”

  “That’s a good boy.” Chloe gave him a hug before moving on and promised to check in on him before she left for her lunch break.

  Mrs. James mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her, but Chloe just smiled.

  These were the moments that she lived for. There was nothing quite as satisfying as helping children, seeing their happy faces and hearing their laughter, even if it could get exasperating at times.

  She loved her work and quickly lost herself in it, delivering her gifts to all of the children. Although many of them were still miserable, some of the kids were doing better than before. Even Janet’s numbers had improved as her medicine had finally kicked in. If things kept progressing this way, Chloe could see her getting home for Christmas.

  She only hoped all of the children would be as lucky.

  As she continued to make her rounds in the ward, Chloe’s thoughts returned to the reindeer… and to the reindeer-costumed man she’d bumped into in to
wn. Kaelar had been more than kind to offer to visit the children. His presence would no doubt bring the children some much-needed joy.

  With a blush, she couldn’t help but think that it would bring her joy too.

  To her surprise, she couldn’t wait to see him again…

  Chapter 9

  Kaelar

  Kaelar got to an early start the next morning, flying to one of the nearby towns to collect joy for the children at the hospital. He didn’t want to take any more from his town, worried that even taking a bit of the excess could harm the atmosphere if the Zalfa came back.

  When he had filled his internal pouch to his satisfaction, it was just the afternoon. He knew it was a bit early to go to the hospital, but he hoped the doctors and nurses wouldn’t mind.

  He flew to the closest covered spot near the hospital and shifted to his humanoid form. Putting on his reindeer costume again, he walked inside.

  No one seemed surprised by his attire and Kaelar whistled cheerfully.

  Ah, Christmas was a wonderful season for him.

  The nurses and doctors looked harried as they rushed around and Kaelar immediately offloaded a portion of his joy to them. He kept most of it for the children, but let loose just enough to add a spring to everyone’s step.

  Now, where could he find Chloe…?

  As if he’d been calling for her, the doctor suddenly appeared in front of him, stepping out of Brad’s room. Her eyes widened in surprise as she noticed him and a slight blush covered her cheeks.

  “Kaelar! I didn’t expect you here so early.” Her surprised expression turned into a warm smile that made him pause. The corners of her eyes crinkled just a bit as she smiled and her presence seemed to light up the entire hallway.

  For some reason, the base of Kaelar’s antlers tingled again and he swallowed, unable to do anything but stare.

  He struggled to find his voice. “I—I can come back later if this isn’t a good time?”

  “No, this is perfect,” Chloe said. “The kids have just eaten, and those who can are being taken to the playroom. We like to do it in the afternoon before things get too crazy. It gives their families a bit of a break.”

  Kaelar had noticed that most families tended to spend as much time at the hospital with their kids as they could. He approved, and would gladly help to give them some time off. They must be exhausted too.

  “I guess we’re going to the playroom, then.” Kaelar smiled. “You said those of the kids who can—are some not well enough?”

  Chloe’s expression turned regretful. “Hannah can’t come today. Her wound is infected and she has a fever. We’ve moved her to the pediatric ICU because she needs constant monitoring. It’s at that unfortunate stage where she’s lucid enough to want to play, but not well enough to do so without supervision.”

  “I could keep her company,” Kaelar offered. “I mean… if I’m not overstepping.”

  Chloe seemed to consider for a moment, then smiled. “Come. You can sit with her for a bit. Of course, a nurse will be around as well if anything comes up.”

  Kaelar nodded and she escorted him to the pediatric ICU, where Hannah laid in a bed. The little blonde girl’s face was beaded with sweat and she looked thoroughly miserable. Still, her expression lit up ever so slightly when they entered.

  Kaelar immediately pushed some joy her way. It was clear that she was ill, but Kaelar could understand her disappointment in not being able to join the other children in the playroom. It had probably been the highlight of her day.

  “I have to check on some of the other patients, but I’ll be back in about half an hour,” Chloe said. “If you need anything in the meanwhile, the nurse’s station is next door.”

  “I understand,” Kaelar said. “I’ll be here.”

  Chloe smiled. “Thank you.”

  When she disappeared out the door, Kaelar turned back to Hannah. She had a book on the bedside table that her parents had probably been reading to her. She seemed to enjoy reading, but Kaelar didn’t think the girl could do it herself in her current condition.

  Sending enough joy to the child to help her calm down and feel a bit better, Kaelar picked up the book and started reading the story—of two rabbits and a chicken. Soon, he could sense the young girl starting to fall asleep. Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out.

  A moment later, Chloe returned to the room, her expression surprised. “Wow. She’s asleep?”

  “Like a log,” Kaelar replied.

  Chloe sighed in relief, her exhaustion showing for the first time. “I’m glad,” she said. “Her parents have been trying to get her to sleep all day, but she’s been too upset about missing playtime. It’s best for her to try to sleep the fever away. The medication only helps so much.”

  Kaelar nodded in understanding.

  “Come on now,” Chloe said. “You wanted to go to the playroom, right?”

  Kaelar smiled, setting aside the book he’d been reading. “That would be great.”

  Chloe led him down another corridor to the playroom. The children all crowded around them when they entered. Some of the kids were sitting on low couches, while others had enough mobility to move around the room. A nurse sat on the other side of the room, watching them closely.

  “Hi, kids!” Chloe waved to the children enthusiastically. “I’ve brought someone to play with you today. This is Kaelar. He’s one of Santa’s reindeer.” She made a dramatic gesture as she pointed to him and the children laughed. “Say ‘hello’ to Kaelar.”

  “Hello, Kaelar!” the children greeted him in a chorus, a happy, red haze floating around them.

  Kaelar grinned back at him, doing his official ‘reindeer greeting.’

  “I’m going to have to get back to work,” Chloe said. “But I’ll leave Kaelar to you. Please, take good care of him.” She waved to the children, who called longingly for her to stay. She shook her head regretfully. “Sorry, I’m on call in the ER, but I’ll be back during my break, I promise. You still have Sadie here and I hope you’re on your best behavior for one of Santa’s reindeer!”

  The children giggled and Kaelar smiled at her as she left.

  Then, he started his work.

  He called the children in for a game, slowly starting to offload the joy he was carrying. He guided it carefully around the room, making sure the children all received equal shares.

  Soon, laughter was louder, smiles were wider, and all the tears quickly dried up.

  The children crowded around him, asking him questions about Santa—which Kaelar answered more or less truthfully. He easily captured the group’s attention with a variation of a true story about some of Santa’s elves.

  Time flew past, and before he knew it, Chloe was back.

  “They really seem to like you,” Chloe said.

  Kaelar grinned. “I’m glad. Though I think they like you better.”

  Chloe laughed as the children started to surround her. Once they had noticed that she’d returned, all the children who could move went to her, abandoning Kaelar’s fifth story. But he didn’t mind.

  The children started chanting, “Game! Game!” around her and Chloe laughed.

  “Fine, fine,” she said. “It’s my break time so I’ll play one game with you. Only one though.” She lifted a finger up for emphasis, but the children didn’t seem to care. She’d agreed for a game, and they were ecstatic.

  Chloe glanced at Kaelar with a smile, as if asking him to help her, but he simply shrugged, a smile on his lips.

  Somehow, Chloe ended up sitting next to Kaelar on a bench, and the two of them—together with Sadie—became involved in a game of charades, which had the kids in gales of laughter.

  When Kaelar finally gave up and Brad shouted out the word he’d given to Chloe—barbie—everyone fell about laughing. Chloe slumped against Kaelar’s side, shaking her head.

  He put an arm around her automatically, before he could think better of it. She didn’t pull away, though, so he didn’t move his arm. Chloe looked up
at him.

  “You’re really good with them.”

  “So are you.”

  Chloe chuckled. “Yeah, but they know me. They’ve taken to you instantly.”

  Kaelar wished he could tell her the truth. He was good with children, but it wasn’t all down to his charisma. Even if the kids didn’t consciously realize it, some part of them knew that joy came from him, and they gravitated toward it. Children were a lot more insightful than adults in ways like that.

  As he gazed down on Chloe’s face, Kaelar felt warmth suffusing him.

  It kept going, centering around his heart. Hot, but not painfully so.

  The base of his antlers tingled and he caught his breath. Could it be?

  His people had been on Earth for a long time. Reilendeer mated for life and it wasn’t unheard of for one of their true mates to be a human. He moved his gaze to Sadie, focusing on her exclusively. The warmth in his chest seemed to decrease.

  Kaelar looked at Chloe again and his heart started to heat up. He tried to think of an excuse to get her to touch his antlers. That would let him know for sure. Normally, his antlers had no feeling in them, but when a true mate touched them, he would be able to feel it.

  Was that what the tingling in the base of his antlers was trying to tell him?

  He hadn’t considered it before, hadn’t understood the possible implication, but now, he realized it had started when he’d met Chloe.

  He was still too shocked from this possible turn of events—if it wasn’t simply his imagination—to come up with a viable reason for her to touch his antlers without sounding creepy, so he pushed the thought aside for now and focused on the children.

  All too soon, playtime was over. He helped Chloe and Sadie take the children back to their rooms, settling them with promises to come back.

  “You should talk to our accounts department,” Chloe told him. “You’ve had such a positive effect on then, we might look into hiring you to come a few more times before Christmas if you’re interested.”