Chapter 9: Promise Me

Buffy lied still in one of Wolfram and Hart's hospital beds, and as her eyes were closed; she heard people in the distance talking. The voices seemed to keep getting louder gradually and made her open her eyes to see what was happened.

Her eyes were still a little blurry from some unknown reason but she still could make out the group of people that stood in her room, talking quietly with one another and to doctors.

Towards the door Buffy saw Fred, Angel, Lorne, Wesley, and Gunn gathered together as a group, unaware of her being awake. She was just going open her mouth and ask where Spike was until she looked out the corner of her eye and saw that he was sitting in a chair near her bed with his head bowed down a little.

"This can't be good." Buffy said. Her voice was a little squeaking from not talking for a while.

Spike's head instantly shot up and looked at Buffy. Angel's team also heard her small voice and turned their attention to her.

"Buffy…" Spike said, "…god love you scared the hell out of me…"

"Buffy, how do you feel?" Angel stepped to the other side of Buffy's bed.

"What…what happened to me? What's going on?" Buffy started questioning.

"You don't remember?" Fred asked frowned.

Buffy glanced at everyone's sad faces and then asked the group, "No…you guys tell me."

"You fainted…you're over worked…maybe dehydrated when you were working out." Angel said, which made him feel guilty for the lie he just told.

"Dehydrated? Angel, I have been through seven apocalypses and some how I'm still standing…I think it takes a little more than lack of water to make me go down." Buffy said softly.

Angel didn't respond. He just looked down at his shoes.

Buffy looked over to Spike, "It's bad isn't it?"

"No it's not…" Spike said.

"It's the sarcophagus isn't it?" Buffy asked and turned from Spike to Fred and Wesley.

No one respond.

"Guess I was wrong…guess that thing was something to worry about." Buffy said and she looked down at her hands and she noticed they were paler than usual.

"Luv, whatever is going on we will fix it..." Spike said.

Buffy slowly turned to Spike and lifted her eyes to meet his, "You can't be sure about that…"

"Yes I am…I promise we will find the cure." Spike whispered and leaned in and touched her cheek with his hand.

"You promise?" Buffy asked, sounding vulnerable and like a small child.

"Promise…" Spike said and forced himself to smile for her.

Buffy matched his smile and reached out and stroked his cheek.


Outside in the hallway Fred, Wesley, Lorne, Angel, and Gunn are talking quietly. Spike exited Buffy's room and all the members of the group caught the anger, fear, helpless, and fire that absorbed his eyes.

Spike turned to Angel, "Tell me what the hell is going on…now."

Angel was taken back by Spike's voice and a little terrified.

Angel looked to his group and then back to Spike, "All the doctors are pointing at the sarcophagus. Whatever has a hold on her is mystical…"

"Angel what's happening to her…you talked to the doctors." Gunn said.

Spike turned back to Angel, "What'd they say?"

Angel had his eyes on the ground, not barring the news himself and telling Spike too. However he pushed his fear away and looked dead straight into Spike's eyes, "Her organs are cooking."

Wesley and Gunn faces cringed and looked down as if they were already defeated. Fred slowly put her hand over her mouth in horror as Lorne shut his eyes as if in pain.

Spike however didn't blink nor change his face expression. To Spike, it has seemed as if the last few minutes Angel has been speaking a foreign language.

Angel looked around at his crew, "Look you guys I know you all feel like you might lose it but right now is not the time to be upset…we need to work the problem…" Angel looked at Spike.

Spike shook off his daze feeling and then inhaled deeply. He looked up at Angel, "I made a promise Angel…" Angel swallowed and continued to listen to Spike, "I'm not losing her."

"So lets not." Angel said softly.

Even though both the vampires were determined they still had doubts, after all, they lost her once before.

tbc...