Six weeks had passed since she had woken up, and Buffy was about to attend
another physio session. As she broken both her legs she had to remain in
hospital until they healed and then relearn how to walk. She hated the fact
that she had to be dependent on others, instead of herself. Since she'd
learnt she was going to be the slayer she had been entirely independent of
anyone else, in some ways she had to be – if she was being relied upon to
save others, how could she rely on anyone else herself? Safe in the
knowledge that she could protect herself, she had kept all her
relationships with her friends and family so that she was in control. Now
the sudden switch from being entirely able to look after herself to not
being able to get from A to B without the aid of someone pushing her in a
wheelchair was driving her mad. To the surprise of the doctors (although
not her mum and the scoobies) she had, however, made great progress. Her
bones had healed in half the time that most did and now she could, although
not particularly gracefully, walk short distances after only a few weeks of
working with the physiotherapy. The physiotherapy nurses had tried to
persuade her to bring a close family member or friend with her to her
sessions as they thought this might help, bringing in someone she loved to
give moral support. But, Buffy was extremely proud and hated the idea that
anyone would see her in the state she was. All her close confidants had
known her as such a strong and powerful woman, and she insisted that they
not see her struggling to do the most simple of tasks.
"Miss Summers? Are you ready?" A pretty brunette nurse asked Buffy, breaking into her thoughts.
"Uh…yeah. Yeah, I think I am" She replied. The nurse smiled at her as she helped her out of the bed and into a wheelchair to take her to the physio room. As she was wheeled along the corridor, Buffy looked at the ceiling of the corridors as they swiftly flowed passed her, the brown lines at the sides running along the length of it, speeding along with her, all the way from the ward to the gym. They stopped straight as the nurse turned her through the doors into the room. She glanced around it. The room was similar to a kindergarten gym, with bars on the walls. A number of treadmills lined the walls, along with an exercise bike and the parallel bars that were used as aids to people before they could walk. Buffy had spent 30 minutes on those daily for the past 3 weeks, since her casts had been removed and had learnt to despise them, associating them with her lack of strength. But then she scanned over the chair in the corner, and noticed it wasn't empty. It was Angel.
"What?…..I thought I'd said that…"
"I know," the nurse said firmly. "But we really do think that it would help. I've seen first hand how help from a close friend or relation can speed up recovery and increase progress. I just have to insist."
Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. She really hated being in hospital, even such a prolonged stay in Sunnydale General had not helped her get over that. If having someone there was going to get her out of here quicker, she was prepared to swallow her pride. She looked from the nurse to Angel, and immediately felt that her decision was a good one. No one could make her feel comfortable the way she was, but if anyone was going to put her at ease at all, it was going to be him.
"Buffy, if you'd like to come forward, we'll start on the parallel bars" the nurse suggested gently. Buffy placed her hands on each arm of the wheelchair and braced herself to push herself out of her seat. She summoned as much strength as she could and shifted forward to place her body weight on her arms. Compensating for her weak wrist since it was broken, she leaned to the left slightly and placed her feet gingerly on the ground. As she started to put some force onto her feet she felt pain shoot up her legs. She didn't use them the greater proportion of the time, it caused her immense pain when she put weight on them and doing so caused it to feel as if a huge nail was being pushed up into her legs through her feet. Unconsciously she let out a cry as she stumbled forward. She braced herself for impact but felt her fall break as she was lifted off the floor. Looking to see who had grabbed her, she immediately recognised the eyes she was looking into. Her legs still aching terribly, she flung her arms around his neck to support herself as he lowered her onto the floor.
"Shhh, don't worry….you'll be fine, shhh….." he whispered soothingly to her, calming her down from the shock. As he held her in a sitting position. She buried her head in his should, weeping, as he stroked her hair gently.
"Shhh…..shh…."
**********************************
"Miss Summers? Are you ready?" A pretty brunette nurse asked Buffy, breaking into her thoughts.
"Uh…yeah. Yeah, I think I am" She replied. The nurse smiled at her as she helped her out of the bed and into a wheelchair to take her to the physio room. As she was wheeled along the corridor, Buffy looked at the ceiling of the corridors as they swiftly flowed passed her, the brown lines at the sides running along the length of it, speeding along with her, all the way from the ward to the gym. They stopped straight as the nurse turned her through the doors into the room. She glanced around it. The room was similar to a kindergarten gym, with bars on the walls. A number of treadmills lined the walls, along with an exercise bike and the parallel bars that were used as aids to people before they could walk. Buffy had spent 30 minutes on those daily for the past 3 weeks, since her casts had been removed and had learnt to despise them, associating them with her lack of strength. But then she scanned over the chair in the corner, and noticed it wasn't empty. It was Angel.
"What?…..I thought I'd said that…"
"I know," the nurse said firmly. "But we really do think that it would help. I've seen first hand how help from a close friend or relation can speed up recovery and increase progress. I just have to insist."
Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. She really hated being in hospital, even such a prolonged stay in Sunnydale General had not helped her get over that. If having someone there was going to get her out of here quicker, she was prepared to swallow her pride. She looked from the nurse to Angel, and immediately felt that her decision was a good one. No one could make her feel comfortable the way she was, but if anyone was going to put her at ease at all, it was going to be him.
"Buffy, if you'd like to come forward, we'll start on the parallel bars" the nurse suggested gently. Buffy placed her hands on each arm of the wheelchair and braced herself to push herself out of her seat. She summoned as much strength as she could and shifted forward to place her body weight on her arms. Compensating for her weak wrist since it was broken, she leaned to the left slightly and placed her feet gingerly on the ground. As she started to put some force onto her feet she felt pain shoot up her legs. She didn't use them the greater proportion of the time, it caused her immense pain when she put weight on them and doing so caused it to feel as if a huge nail was being pushed up into her legs through her feet. Unconsciously she let out a cry as she stumbled forward. She braced herself for impact but felt her fall break as she was lifted off the floor. Looking to see who had grabbed her, she immediately recognised the eyes she was looking into. Her legs still aching terribly, she flung her arms around his neck to support herself as he lowered her onto the floor.
"Shhh, don't worry….you'll be fine, shhh….." he whispered soothingly to her, calming her down from the shock. As he held her in a sitting position. She buried her head in his should, weeping, as he stroked her hair gently.
"Shhh…..shh…."
**********************************