"About what Spike said, you don't have to worry," Buffy reassured Angel. "If it is Midnight's Curse, it's not contagious."

"I'm glad. Well, for my sake I'm glad. But, that doesn't help Spike."

"We'll figure it out, Angel. Spike's not going anywhere. Neither am I. Well, not for the next two days."

"I'm grateful you could spare two days."

"I can't, really," Buffy frowned. "Duty calls. Bridal shower planning."

Angel nodded. "Don't envy you there."

"There was a time I used to dream of spending my time shopping for dresses and planning party invites and all that but…"

"Grass is always greener, I guess."

"I need some serious coffee before I start."

"I know a place, if you want company?"

"I'd love company," Buffy smiled.

Giles hurried through the corridors of Wolfram and Hart, following Spike. Other staff were quick to step aside for the vampire, but less accommodating for Giles, who was trying not to get in anyone's way.

"Angel's an idiot," Spike said when Giles caught up. "He should've told me you were coming."

"I'm sorry Spike. I wasn't aware he hadn't talked to you about this."

"Don't get me wrong Giles, I'd love for you to fix me, but I've done my share of light reading over the past months and I don't have a good feeling about this."

"You're researching this?" Giles asked.

"I was. I stopped."

"Why? Did you find out something?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe, I don't want to know." Spike stepped out of the way of other staff and turned down another corridor. "Not everything can be fixed, Giles. You know that. And some things need to be taken all the way apart, piece by piece, just to figure out exactly how they're broken beyond repair."

"Spike, your history has shown you to be extremely resilient. There is every chance that whatever this is, it is completely reversible. I wouldn't close the books just yet."

"Which is why I'm going along with you and your books. For now. I just want to have a say before they start taking me apart, is that too much to ask?"

"I wouldn't do anything without your informed consent, Spike, you have my word."

"It's not you I'm worried about. Signing up to work at this joint never ends well. Well, here we are. Wolfram and Hart medical science division."

Spike was about to lean over the reception desk when a man approached them.

"Mr Spike, Mr Giles. I'm expecting you. I have a room free this way. I've been instructed by Mr Angel to let you use any of our equipment or supplies, anything you need in your investigation Mr Giles."

"That's very helpful…"

"Doctor Evans," they shook hands. "Let me know if I can be of any kind of service or assistance."

They entered the examination room. On a metal tray sat a crystal decanter of red liquid and one crystal tumbler. "For you, Mr Spike," Dr Evans said. "Mr Angel asked me to prepare it. Human B negative. Body temperature." Spike just stood there. "Is that satisfactory?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, thank you doctor," Giles told him. "Spike?"

Spike hesitantly walked over, turned the tumbler right way up and carefully poured a glass of the human blood.

"Well?" Giles asked.

"Are you just going to watch?"

"Yes, Spike. That's the idea. I'm observing."

Spike gave in. He took a sip.

"How does it taste?"

"It tastes like blood." Spike stated with annoyance. "Like…" A grin spread across Spike's face and he sniggered. "It tastes like fresh… young… girl." At that point his eyes flicked with a demon light and his teeth became slightly pointed. "It has been a while. So long I forgot what I was missing! Human blood. Maybe that's all I need. Why didn't I think of that?" Spike lifted the tumbler and after draining the glass, changed to his full vampire face. "That was easy… oh shit…" Spike's vampire face disappeared without a trace. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Worth a try, I guess."

"Well at least you managed to keep it…" Giles began, but he had spoken too soon.

Spike gagged and put his good hand over his mouth. He glared at Giles, then sank to his knees and retched again, blood spurting from between his fingers and spattering across the floor. Spike grabbed the tumbler and managed to throw up the rest of the blood mostly into the tumbler. Once he stopped retching he leaned his forehead on his wrist, still gasping and staring at the floor.

"Could you clean this place up?" Giles instructed Dr Evans, taking out his handkerchief to clean a small spot of blood from his glasses. "And, er… prepare a blood transfusion instead."

"Same blood type?" the doctor asked.

"Interesting question," Giles remarked. "Spike, what blood type are you?"

"I'm a vampire. It doesn't matter!" Spike, said without looking up.

"Not under normal circumstances, but maybe we ought to take precautions."

"It'll be on file. I'll see to it," Dr Evans said leaving the room.

"So, Rupert," Spike, a bloody mess, looked up finally. "What's next on your checklist?"

"I think it's high time we had a look at this arm of yours, don't you?"

Spike smirked ruefully, shaking his head. "Well, isn't this shaping up to be a regular fun filled day at the office."