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‘What can we do?’ Eve asks.
Damon knows exactly what they have to do, but it’s not something he's particularly keen on doing. He doesn’t even know if it’s possible, but they have no choice. ‘We’ve got to wake Nick.’
Damon leans againstthe wall at the head of Nick’s bed and looks down at the sleeping Santa. Eve paces beside him, her blonde and pink spikes ruffled, as she runs her hand over her hair again and again, as she walks.
‘We’ve never done this before. And I mean in the history of the workshop. Santa goes to sleep and we leave him to it. I don’t even know if waking him early will hurt him. This is a whole new thing for me.’
‘It’s the level of hurt he’ll inflict on us if we don’t wake him, that I’m thinking about. We have to try.’
Five minutes later Nick is still out for the count. They’ve tried shaking him, shouting at him, shouting louder, but he’s completely unresponsive to everything.
‘Any other bright ideas?’ Eve asks, sitting on the bed next to Nick.
Damon hasn’t got a clue. It’s not like a normal sleep. It’s more like a coma. And how the hell do you wake someone from a coma? ‘We need Reve.’
Even frowns at him. ‘Reve? He gives people dreams. What good is that?’
‘Sleep is his area. I know Nick isn’t technically asleep, but I’m out of other ideas.’
Eve gets up and nods. ‘I’ll bring him in.’ Damon paces Nick’s room, his attention on his friend, as he waits for Eve to come back.
He’s itching for the fight that’s coming their way. His other side is begging to be released.
If they do manage to rouse Nick, he has no doubts Santa is going to go fucking ballistic. That’s why Damon likes him so much. Nick does everything Santa is meant to do. But he’s got a vicious side to him. Which is probably why he’s so good at leading their group.
Eve is back a few minutes later with Reve, who isn’t looking thrilled about what he’s being asked to do.
‘Are you strong enough to do this?’
‘It’s not my head I’m worried about, Damon. It’s his. I could seriously damage him if I do this. I don’t even know what I’m going to do.’
‘Damage him how?’ Damon asks.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never forced someone to wake up. I usually do the opposite. I have no idea how he’ll react.’
‘If we don’t wake him and Krampus hurts Scarlett, how do you think he’ll react?’
Reve nods slowly. ‘He’ll kill us. Fine, I take your point. But you two better step up and protect me if he comes after me.’
‘Fine. Whatever. Just get on with it.’
He rolls his eyes at Damon, before standing beside the head of the bed and placing his hands to either side of Nick’s forehead. ‘I apologise about this, Nick,’ he mutters before he closes his eyes.
Damon understands the apology less than a minute later, when Nick’s whole body jolts in the bed and tears pour from his eyes.
‘Damn it, Reve! He’s crying,’ Eve says, moving towards the bed to stop him, but Damon holds her back.
‘We need to wake him up. Let him finish.’
Nick’s breathing increases. He’s visibly suffering, his face contorted as the tears continue to flow. But Damon doesn't stop Reve. He wouldn’t do this to Nick unless it was the only option.
They all jump as Nick roars. Damon has heard people roaring in despair many times, but never like this.
Nick’s eyes open and his hand clamps around Reve’s neck before any of them can react. Nick throws him over his shoulder onto the bed and straddles him, squeezing his neck in his hands. Damon snaps out of it and tries to pull Nick off Reve, but he’s in a rage. Damon gives up on persuading him to stop, going for a punch to the side of the face instead.
Which works.
Momentarily distracted, Nick releases his grip on Reve’s neck, giving the Sandman time to scramble away.
