Reindeer Games

"I think it's going to be Brian," said Ezra as Vin's cell phone buzzed behind him.

"Tanner. Who?..."

JD shook his head. "Why? They should get rid of Helen. She's the biggest threat."

Vin put one hand over his ear. "Say that again?"

Nathan looked at Ezra and then JD. He snorted derisively. "You two still watchin' that 'Survivor?'"

"Well," Ezra smiled, "now we have a financial interest in the show's outcome." He looked at JD. "Just be prepared to pay me my money. Cash, if you please."

JD swiveled in his chair. "YOU just be prepared . . . "

"Dammit, guys, I can't hear!" Vin shouted.

Nathan turned to JD. He nodded at Ezra and said in a low voice,"When you gonna learn 'bout him?"

"All right. We'll be there," Vin said in a tight voice. He thumbed a button on his cell phone and returned it to his belt clip.

Josiah frowned from behind his desk. "Somethin' wrong?"

The others fell silent as Vin picked up his coat. "Josiah, you're going to have to drive me to St. Sebastian's. Buck and Chris took the jeep."

JD pulled on his jacket. "Chris and Buck are in the hospital? What happened?"

"Dunno. Guess we'll find out when we get there."

The five men hurried into St. Sebastian's emergency room. Buck was already in the waiting room, balanced on a pair of crutches. A bandage was on his forehead just over one eye.

Ezra eyed the cast below Buck's knee. "Mr. Wilmington, how is our team Lothario?"

"Just broke my shin bone. Chris is worse though."

"How is he? What the hell happened?" demanded Vin.

Before Buck could answer, Pamela, a nurse and a good friend of Buck's, interrupted them. "You boys can see Chris now. The doctor's still in there, but I think she's almost done."

"Will it be okay if we all see him?" asked JD.

Pamela looked at them and smiled. "I'm sure Anne and Winnie won't mind. It's their shift. Just keep it down, okay?"

She led them down the hall, indicating Chris's room.

Chris lay there, eyes closed, face pale. There were bandages from his right wrist to his shoulder. Another bandage was wrapped around his head, and a cast was on his entire left leg, all the way up his thigh.

The others leaned closer to Anne and she spoke softly. "He has a mild concussion, a few cracked ribs, and some stitches in his arm and shoulder. His leg took the worst of it. It's broken in three places. He's very lucky. He won't need any pins or a plate in that leg."

Buck frowned. "He saved my life," he said mournfully.

Vin was brusque. "Mind tellin'us what the hell happened?"

"Indeed, Mr. Wilmington. All you were going to do was conduct a simple investigation at that Santa park. What did occur there?"

"Saved my life," Buck repeated. He leaned back in the chair, his eyes fixed on Chris.

"We only found a little of the unlicensed explosives there behind the petting zoo. But one of the guys runnin' this thing had some priors I guess and started runnin'. So I lit out after 'im. He jumped the fence and took off across the deer pen."

"And was he some sort of axe murderer?" prompted Ezra.

Buck shrugged. "Possession. Some pot, a little cocaine."

"Well, go on!" JD urged. He glanced at Chris, who's eyes were still closed and lowered his voice. "Didja get him?"

"One of the deputies did."

"Must be gettin' old," JD said with a smirk.

"Old, my foot! I slipped on some deer manure, and . . . "

The five men around him tried to contain their mirth.

Buck leaned forward, his dark blue eyes blazing. He spoke in a dramatic whisper. "Suddenly those deer was all around me. It was like a stampede. I never seen anything like it . . . they was kickin' and bitin' and chargin' at me like they'd gone crazy."

JD looked interested. "Why?"

"Don't know, kid. But it was like they were mountin' an organized attack!"

Ezra rolled his eyes. "Oh, please . . . "

Buck ignored him. "And THAT'S when Chris saved my life. He jumped in there, fought his way through them crazed deer and body-slammed me outta that corral. They was all over him."

"How'd he get out?" Even Nathan was drawn in.

"I dragged him under the fence. Good thing he's so damn scrawny. He was barely conscious and moanin' so soft . . . " Buck hesitated, his voice breaking slightly. "I . . . I thought I was gonna lose 'im right then and there."

Ezra shook his head in disbelief. "Surely you must've done *something* to antagonize these creatures."

"Nothin', I tell you." Buck looked at Vin. "Unless they don't like your cologne."

Vin was puzzled. "Cologne?"

"That stuff in the glove compartment of your car. I was supposed to have a late-night date tonight, so I thought I'd splash a little on."

Vin frowned, thoughtfully. "Brown bottle?"

"That's the one. That shit stinks, you know?"

"It should," Vin said sharply. "It's pheromones. It's used in hunting!"

Buck looked perplexed. "Hunting with cologne?"

"NO! It's the scent of a horny deer! It attracts other deer!"

The battle was lost now: the entire team burst into helpless laughter. The room grew quiet again as they noticed Chris's green eyes open and lucid.

It was obvious he had heard everything that was being said. He glared at Buck angrily.

"You and your 'animal magnetism'," he growled.

The End