After a Thousand Years
Unvisitable

Upon seeing the elf hospital, Patty took a deep breath, knowing Bernard was in there. Egan stood there with his hands behind his head before saying, "Do you think it will click with him this time? When he sees you?"

Her eyes blinked, her head turning to look at him. "Ah. Well, if we can get in, from what Mindy told me, Bernard won't be able to see me."

"Ah," Egan said. "That bad?"

"Mindy said it was a magical boiler explosion," Patty said.

Egan let out a whistle. "Glad it wasn't me. My fire magic would have made things worse." He started in, heading straight for the special ward, where he leaned over the counter to speak with the elf behind the counter. "Hey. We're here to see Bernard Elfbright. Is that possible?"

The Healer Elf looked up. "Elder Elfbright? We're on strict orders from Elder Windthrope that the only visitors he should have now are family." The Healer Elf paused, tilting her head. "Well, she did let this one elf visit, but I think that has to do with Santa asking her to let him be there when Elder Elfbright woke up, at least until his family got there."

"And who was that?" Egan asked.

"I don't know," the Healer said. "They were fetched straight…."

"It was me," a familiar voice said, laughing. "I'm sure Bernard will be glad to see you, figuratively, when Elder Windthrope finally lets him have visitors outside the family. Santa wanted to make sure he had someone there who knew him."

"Quinten!" Egan said, swooping over to pull the younger elf into a hug. "I thought you were at the North Pole, squirt!"

"Actually, Quinten's been studying some of the newer elf technologies in the upper levels at the academy, but we've not had much chance to run into each other," Patty said.

Quinten let out a laugh. "Be forewarned. Yes, Bernard is as oblivious as ever. You might want to try a more direct approach with him."

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about," Egan said, turning his head to look at Patty. "What could someone possibly want to tell a certain Head Elf who's completely oblivious."

"Enough," Patty said. "So he really is unable to see?"

"And hear out of one of his ears," Quinten said. The smile faltered. "Not sure how well the meeting with his family went. I only saw two shows, but that's probably for the best when there's still…." The younger elf took a deep breath. "Why is it—why did his family have to be so focused on what he wasn't, not to realize what he is? He may not be the most friendly elf…."

"Still?" Egan laughed.

"Still. But he's always there for all of the elves at the North Pole. That's why I left, to be honest." Quinten let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Here I am, wanting to learn more about the newer elf tech to better support him at the North Pole, only not to realize how much I was needed there."

"Sounds like Patty's situation," Egan said, folding his arms. He tilted his head. "Perhaps it's time to go back as well? I mean, you can learn only so much of the administration side by teaching at the academy."

"This," Patty said. "I'd definitely planned on this being my last year, even before this happened. Of going back. Not sure how to put that to him, though."

"Yeah. Be careful with that," Quinten said. "Bernard thinks, well, you know how he thinks. He can tend to internalize, but there were others who left, plenty who never planned on returning." Quinten tilted his head. "Like a certain pop idol elf who found his place in making music."

Egan shrugged, hands behind his head again. "Well, I'd planned on making Christmas music. Instead, I think Bernard is the only person who listens to my Christmas music."

Patty's eyes went wide. "Wait. You've never let me listen to any?"

"Well," Egan said. "I probably should. I mean, I didn't think about it."

"You were thinking about how crazy Bernard is for anything Christmas?" Quinten said.

"Yes. That. He drove me nuts," Egan said, tilting his head. "Hey, want to find a place to get a drink."

Quinten's mouth twisted. "Actually, care to try my own mixture that I make up in the lab?"

"What?" Patty said. "Does the…."

"It's nonalcoholic," Quinten laughed, motioning for them to follow. "But definitely something with a kick of caffeine in it. Well, depending on who's being served up. Christmas Elves, after all, normally drink cocoa, not coffee."

"I don't want coffee," Egan said. "It makes me hyper. Actually, I'll take something with no caffeine, please."

"It's not coffee or hot cocoa," Quinten laughed as they followed him back to the academy, where he started mixing up the drinks with Patty wondering if this was even allowed. "And yes, Patty, I'm allowed to do this here because I'm allowed to do it at the North Pole. Bernard approved."

"Bernard approved?" Egan laughed. "Has he actually mellowed out?"

"I think so," Quinten said. "You can thank the newest Santa because he's done an outstanding job of running things, which means I felt like I could finally step back and look at the new tech. Although," there came a sigh. "I think I'm ahead of them?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Patty said.

"And hot chocolate," Quinten said.

"Now that's something I don't mind caffeine in."

"No hot chocolate, Egan," Quinten said. "No, the joke up North is we Christmas Elves don't drink coffee unless you're Bernard."

"He," Egan let out a laugh. "He's not doing the cafe to keep himself awake for days on end?"

"He doesn't need the coffee to do that," Quinten says. "It's more of something that has a calming effect on him, but Judy's got a special cocoa blend that combines hot chocolate and coffee, a few different ones. That isn't to say he hasn't gone for a few days without sleep like he has in the past."

Egan sighed, turning to Patty. "Marry him already. Keep him from doing that, Pats."

"Yes, well," Patty said, taking what looked like a colored soda from Quinten before drinking it. There was a definite blueberry taste and, of course, caffeine. "This is actually good."

"No caffeine," Egan said.

"Nope."

Then Egan slapped his forehead. "Shoot. I forgot to tell the Healer Elf we'd like to know when he can see people."

"I could let you know when Windthrope tells me I can visit again if that helps," Quinten said. "It's not that hard to contact either one of you."

"That would be awesome," Patty said, laughing.