Belen, Delgado, and I all took off after Belvidere, using the screams of frightened patrons as our location tracker. All I could do was watch in horror as the deer stumbled through the cell phone kiosk, scattering empty phone cases all over the tiled floor. Unsuspecting customers ducked just in time to miss a hoof to the head as the startled and confused animal leapt over a bench, clearing it like an Olympic hurdler.
When my eyes weren’t on the deer, they were on Belen, who was trying her best to keep up in her pencil skirt and heels. I’d have felt far more at ease if she’d abandoned the mall, seeking refuge in the administrative office. But no … there she was turning a sharp corner, placing her safety at risk.
Belvidere came to a halt faced with a dead end. In response, our trio of newly appointed deer wranglers slowed our advance.
“Spread out so she can’t slip away,” Mr. Delgado instructed.
Despite my better judgment, I moved further to the left so we could box the creature in.
Delgado calmly inched forward. “That’s it, Bel. That’s a good girl. You just stay right there.”
Belvidere’s head was on a swivel, calculating its next move. The jig appeared to be up but the deer wasn’t ready to surrender. She’d gotten a taste of freedom and from the way her hooves were stomping the faux marble tiled floor, it looked like she wanted more. If her initial escape was in slow motion, her final stand seemed more like someone pressed the fast-forward button.
The deer bleated loudly, its trot gaining momentum right in the path where Belen stood. I tried to bridge the space between them but was unsuccessful. The deer clipped Belen’s hip, knocking her off her feet with a loud thud. Somehow Belen was able to keep her wits about her grabbing hold of the rope; she was dragged a few meters before I snatched the rope from her hands and planted my feet, leaning in the opposite direction Belvidere hoped to travel.
With very little effort, the deer relaxed and allowed me to hand over the rope to its handler. Rushing to Belen’s side, I knelt over her, assessing the damage.
“Did we get her?” she stuttered, before losing consciousness.
Belen
My eyes fluttered before slowly opening to find Kris standing over me. The glare from the fluorescent lights in the breakroomcaused a halo effect around his head. A head that now appeared to be detached from his body and spinning in a circle.
“Are you okay?” Kris asked, his spinning face lined with concern.
Shutting my eyes, I hoped to stop the house of mirrors effect that occurred when they were open. “What happened?”
“You tried to stop the deer and got clipped. You fell and hit your head pretty hard.”
I vaguely remembered our high-speed chase through the mall. When my boss suggested we bring in some animals to compete with the other malls, I knew it was a bad idea. I’d voiced my concerns but ultimately the decision was out of my hands.
Chloe leaned in and said, “She could have a concussion, quick ask her a question.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Kris agreed, turning his attention back to me. “What’s nine times eight?”
I searched the ceiling for an answer. “I don’t know … Eighty-four?” My eyes darted across his face for a sign that I was correct.
“No, oh my God it’s a concussion. I called it.” Chloe snapped her fingers, a satisfied smile on her face.
Shaking my head, I protested, “No, I’m just really bad at math. Ask me another question.”
“Who’s the president of the United States?” Kris asked, his voice was calm and reassuring.
“Theodore Elmsworth.” I looked down at my blouse which was held together by binder clips. “Did the deer do this?”
Kris rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “No, there was a little bit of mass hysteria when you didn’t wake up right away. Someone suggested we use the defibrillator.” He cast an annoyed glance in Chloe’s direction.
Chloe raised her hands in defense mode. “What? I’ve seen it on Grey’s Anatomy a million times.”
“Those machines are used when someone isn’t breathing.” Kris huffed as if he’d repeated this fact several times to no avail.
“Did you take three years of CPR as a junior lifeguard in high school?”
“Yeah, well you ain’t seen the inside of a high school in a long time.”
Chloe released an exaggerated, shocked gasp.
“Excuse me?” I tugged at my shirt. It was difficult keeping up with Kris and Chloe’s bickering. “Guys.” I lifted myself up to a seated position. My body was sluggish and it took every ounce of effort to maneuver it upward. And my spinning head felt like I was balancing a twenty-pound bowling ball on my shoulders and my vision resembled the inside of a disco ball.
