Mrs. Claus bent closer and stared, trying to steady the image so she could see the face of the chosen one. Her future…
What was that violent shaking? Santa Ville vibrated and the floor heaved under her feet. The walls were ripping apart at the joins and threatening to crash in on her. She stumbled, and both objects dropped from her hand, falling deep into the depths of the viewing screen, lost into the abyss.
In her last minute of awareness, the elderly Match Maker heard a crash of thunder and a threatening roar. A mocking, sinister laugh filled her ears as her knees buckled and she dropped onto the shiny tiles unconscious.
The village continued to rumble. Snow began to fall and the kingdom soon became a mountainous bulge on the flat, icy terrain.
Someone released the curse and only true love could unlock the door. This would surely affect all of mankind.
All because one rebellious heart refused to bow to his destiny.
The Love Story Begins
The sirens screamed, announcing the arrival of two ambulances dispatched to the accident on the interstate. The medical team hurried toward the entrance just as the first cot rolled into the building. Doctor Pamela Legend rushed to intercept. Her blood always pumped with excitement at the fast pace and challenges of the emergency room.
Jimmy, a new addition to the paramedic team, recited his initial prognosis. “Found this fella in a ditch. Cut up bad, and unconscious – still is. The heartbeat is irregular. Looks as if he wasn’t wearing a seat belt – no burns or abrasions. Maybe he jetted through the air from one of the three cars in the accident. No broken bones either. The man got lucky and landed on a soft patch.”
“Or he could have been out there jay-walking and got hit from behind,” his partner chimed in. “His luck ran out when his head missed the soft patch and landed smack on a rock.”
“I don’t require a detective’s appraisal, gentlemen. Stick to your medical observations,” Pam said. In her opinion, these two characters had missed their calling.
“The man’s breathing. He’s all yours.” The paramedics turned and strolled to the desk to fill out paperwork.
Pam quickly examined the man on the stretcher. His eyes were dilated causing the turquoise color to expand and open wide into a turbulent sea of misty waves. An entire story could be told by studying those eyes. She wrenched free of the vision that crammed her curiosity. His pulse was steady. From around her neck, she raised the stethoscope to her ears and rested the blunt end of the instrument against his chest. She listened to the beating of his heart and startled when the rhythm was indeed odd – not racing or sluggish – just odd, like an unsteady beat of a tune that had misplaced its melody. She pushed away. She needed caffeine.
“Take him to cardiac – room 2. I’ll be right there.”
“Yes, Doctor,” said the volunteer as he pushed the EMS cot down the hall.
Pam Legend glanced anxiously around the waiting room. It was full, as usual. There was never enough time to stay ahead of the numbers. Accident victims, especially those with possible heart conditions, automatically went to the top of the list. She shook her mind clear of what she could not do – as in magically wish them all well enough to go home – and concentrated instead on what she could. Pam continued to diagnosis and give instruction as to the initial treatment for the remaining victims of the accident. When everything appeared under control, she made her way to the cardiac ward.
In room two, she continued with her first patient’s examination and scribbled the results in the man’s files. He remained unconscious. His body recoiled and sporadically kicked as if he were in the middle of a nightmare. She could see no medical reason for the distress.
A nurse came in and stood ready for instruction. “Take Mr.…” Pam scanned the file. “We have no name recorded on this file.”
The nurse examined his armband. “Registration has him labeled as John Doe. Mustn’t have had any identification on him.”
The doctor sighed. “That’ll have to do until he wakes up and tells us otherwise.” Pam recorded the fake identity name on his file and hung the clipboard at the bottom of his bed.
“Bring him to the imaging department. We’ll start with a full set of chest ex-rays.”
Pam watched them roll her patient away then headed to the bedsides of the other wounded accident patients. She did what she could to make them comfortable, then ordered further testing and the scheduling of specialists to treat their specific injuries. An hour later, Pam returned to the cardiac unit. She walked to the desk and dropped exhausted onto a chair. For a moment she buried her head in her hands. Inactivity felt good, but soon her dedication to work summoned her back to duty. Pam pored over the stats on the monitoring screen that perched on the desk, scanning the data of all the people tucked behind curtains in the ward.
When Pam felt satisfied that nothing had changed and everyone appeared to be resting, she decided a short time-out from the unit would be in order. She had not managed a break for hours, and her double shift was just beginning. A coffee and a glazed donut might provide the necessary pick-me-up, to bring in the next twelve hours with renewed energy.
Pam motioned to the head nurse. “Janet. Tell Dr. Shamus I’ll be back in ten. Page me if there’s an emergency, and he needs extra hands.”
“Yes, Doctor Legend.” Janet was
