WARPED REFLECTION

(Part Thirty-eight)

By Ruth Quist

Rating: T (for language and violence, same as show)

Disclaimers: This fan fiction is copyrighted (2004) by the author. No infringement on the rights of Mutant Enemy, Inc., Greenwolf Corp., Lazy Dave, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television, UPN or The WB, or any other legitimate holders of copyright for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, or any other characters contained therein is intended. This material is produced entirely for the entertainment of fans. No profit is made.

Author's Note: I have only three words to say about Graduate School: Oh…My…God!

Fred looked up happily as Mary arrived.

"I'm sorry it took so long." Mary looked over Wesley, pleased to see the tubes removed and explained, "My father is infuriating. Do you know what that man said when I told him how Wesley'd been injured? He was positively gloating."

Making her look insufferably smug, she did a fair imitation of her father's deeper, precise, and clipped manner of speech, 'It appears that he didn't do any better with Winston than we did. At least Winston used his first team on us!'"

Dropping the act, Mary grimaced, "Sometime's I have a fantasy that my mother cheated outrageously with the milkman and my last name is really O'Reilly. Really, a happier situation for everyone, I can't imagine." Moving to the far side of the bed, Mary dropped into her chair in disgust, putting her things, including a raincoat, aside. Giving Fred a good look, she smiled, "You look a little better too, love. Did you get some rest?"

"Yes," Fred smiled shyly, "Angel made me."

Angel, sitting next to Mary, shrugged a little, content to listen to the conversation.

"Have you eaten," Mary asked.

"They bring trays to me," Fred reddened at the special treatment. "Ms. Holbright arranged it. They even bring blood in for Angel."

"Umm…yes. I think it'll take a while for me to get used to that one," Mary commented.

Angel looked a little uncomfortable.

"Sorry," Mary added a little ruefully.

Angel sighed, "No problem. I understand."

Fred spoke, changing the awkward conversation, "Is it raining?"

"No," Mary answered, grateful for the new topic, "but it looks like a real corker brewing up out there."

Angel stood and pried two slats of the blinds apart minutely to get a look. Mary noticed with wonder that his fingertips smoked slightly.

Forcing herself to look away, she proceeded to ask questions and get the latest information on her brother's condition.

They were all pleased when Wesley seemed to move a little in response to their voices. Although he didn't wake up, they were sure that it was only a matter of time before he would.

…..

"I coulda gotten a sore backside sitting by Wesley. At least then I'd be doing something important," Faith grumbled.

"This is important, Faith," Giles rubbed his eyes, tired from the long wait. "However, I agree, with all these unaccountable delays, we might as well have arrived tomorrow. It appears we might be back here then anyway." Both slumped back in their chairs, irritated.

One of the team of lawyers from Wolfram and Hart smiled. The rest of the team was steamed at the delays, first the judge was delayed and then all the courtrooms were taken, but Pendrake, a traitor who had not been discovered in the recent purge, shuffled papers busily while the law clerk that he'd bribed continued to stall.

…..

"Right. We haven't seen much change, unfortunately, so I'm going to order several tests," the doctor started scribbling in the chart. He looked up to smile reassuringly, "They're just precautionary. I'm just looking for a little more information to make sure everything is okay."

Fred gripped Wesley's hand tighter.

…..

"What do you mean he's getting tests? When is he getting back?" Winston fumed at the delay to his plans.

The disembodied voice over his cell was no comfort, "I don't know, sir. These things tend to take on a life of their own. I'll call you as soon as I do."

Winston slammed his phone shut angrily, "This is ridiculous. It took all this time to get everything ready, I have the perfect opportunity to get my brother, and he goes walkies to get 'tests'!"

Easton put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "You really need to develop some patience, Winston. We can't help the amount of time it took for the new recruits to rise, not to mention briefing and preparations. Wussly will be back soon and before you know it, he'll be in the fold."

"Right. You're right," Winston grinned, reassured. "By tonight, he'll be here." There was no more to be said.

…..

"Giles, this sucks," Faith stood suddenly, "I need to get back." Outside, the light was fading as day turned into night. Rain sprinkled against the window lightly.

Giles stood, nodding in agreement. He had managed to spend part of the day fruitfully by keeping in touch with the research department and directing each phase of their hunt for useful information. In fact, they'd discovered one lead that looked particular likely. However, enough was enough. He looked around for one of the numerous Wolfram and Hart mouthpieces, "Let me find someone, Faith."

Seeing the possibility that his fish might wriggle off the hook, the traitorous lawyer made a small signal and the law clerk suddenly announced the availability of a court, if they moved right away. He would inform the judge. The gaggle herded Faith and her watcher into the room that had been vacant and waiting all day—if they but knew.

…..

The nurse adjusted the blinds, allowing the stormy night to rage against the panes of glass. Rain splattered heavily against the window reducing visibility to a world of storm and strife. Fred, Mary, and Angel reentered the empty room, moving quickly to one side for the team behind them.

Personnel rolled the gurney in carefully and moved Wesley smoothly back into his bed. Fred stood by, impatient to regain the reassuring connection with Wesley while technicians reconnected, checked, and reapplied the support and monitoring systems for their patient.

Once finished, one of the med techs moved down the hallway to report, as ordered, the return of the target.

…..

Mary closed her cell phone with a definitive snap, "I have to go. Rupert has a lead on Winston." She smiled wryly, "After reading Rupert the riot act for attempting to leave me out of things, I can't very well say no when he tries to include me, can I?"

"If he can go check out a lead, he and Faith must be done," Angel said in relief. "Good, I've got some informants to…um…question."

Mary smiled and said archly, "Yes, right. Giles and I have a few people to talk to as well."

"Tell him to be careful," Angel admonished, wishing he could go with them.

Mary paused at the door, quirking an eyebrow as she looked at Angel. At that moment she looked very like Wesley. "We promise not to get into fisticuffs without you," Mary said sardonically.

Angel gave a small smile, "I've seen both of you in action. I don't think I'm too worried about that. More like, I don't want to miss the action."

Mary gave a brilliant smile at the comment, waved, and left.

…..

"Hey, Angel, how's it going?" Faith entered the room briskly carrying a tote bag.

"Faith!" Angel stood in delight. "How'd it go?"

Faith grinned and did a thumbs-up. Moving around to his chair, she asked, "So, are you going to leave now?"

A little surprised at Faith's abruptness (even for her), Angel had to search for an answer quickly, "Ah, sure, I…yeah." He looked at Fred, "I'll come back in the morning. Let me know if anything changes, okay?"

Fred nodded and then looked hard at the vampire, "Find him, Angel. Please?"

Angel nodded gravely back, "We're doing our best. I'll let you know if anything breaks. Take care of yourself. See you tomorrow." With that, he stalked out, ready to begin the hunt again.

Faith moved around the bed to Fred, "Hey, I brought you a change of clothes, toiletries, and some girl stuff. I thought you might want to spruce up for when he wakes up." Faith held up the tote bag for Fred to see.

"I-I don't want to leave Wesley," Fred clung a little tighter to Wesley's hand. He shifted his body and turned his head in response slightly.

"I bet somewhere in this mausoleum of a hospital, they have a spare shower you can use to freshen up in," Faith grinned.

The nurse, making some notes on a chart just outside the room heard and spoke up, "Certainly, Miss. In fact, we reserved the room next to this just in case someone needed to rest or use the facilities or whatever. It has a full-up bathroom," She added encouragingly with a smile.

"I don't know," Fred looked at both women uncertainly, "I don't want to leave him alone."

"What are we? Swiss cheese?" Faith asked brightly. "Look sweetie, take my word for it, you don't want him to wake up and see you like this. You'll send him back into a coma," Faith grabbed Fred under the arm and gently lifted, "Come on, Fred. You'll feel better for it. Really."

Fred looked at Wesley, who lay quietly, apparently comfortable and relaxed again, and she gave in, "I guess a shower would be nice."

Faith gave her the tote and herded her out of the room into the waiting arms of the nurse who guided her down the hallway. Once they were gone, Faith turned to look at the unconscious watcher, her gaze reflective.

The nurse reentered, smiling, "She settled in nicely. What a nice idea!"

Faith smiled back, taking the nurse by the hand, saying, "Yes, I thought so," while the nurse's mouth gaped open as if to scream but became stuck. The nurse wriggled ineffectually trying to drag back her hand while Faith wrapped her arm around her and almost tenderly hobbled her over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.

…..

Fred peeled off the clothes she'd been wearing for two days and stepped gratefully into the hot shower.

…..

Faith entered the hospital whistling. Seeing a soda machine, she changed her direction, dragging out a bill from her pocket. Surveying the choices, she opted for caffeine and inserted the bill which was promptly eaten, "Damn!" Irritated, she banged the side of the machine, swearing softly. She looked around surreptitiously and then, seeing no one around, she picked up the machine and dropped it back into place.

Swaying drunkenly, the machine finally came to a rest leaning to the left and one soda dropped down with a ker-plunk. She grinned and pulled it out—when another dropped. Her grin faded as sodas started to drop out, one at a time. Scowling at the machine, hands on hips in irritation, she admitted aloud, "Okay, that might a' been overkill."

…..

Angel was tired of waiting. It had taken forever for the second elevator to arrive. The first was crowded with a patient on a gurney and medical personnel who were apparently transiting to another floor. But finally Angel was able to get on an elevator and begin his downward descent.

…..

It exited the bathroom and then the room and marched purposefully down the hallway, still in its slayer-beast guise. Positively glowing inwardly from its recent meal, it smiled at the sole nurse sitting behind the counter of the nurses' station. Not even bothering to stop, it waved its hand as it passed. The nurse saw only Faith and pressed the release button for the security door. Jerking the door open easily, it grabbed the security guard by the arm and, looking back at the nurse, it fed on the guard and the nurse at the same time, dragging the guard in unceremoniously while the nurse slipped to the floor in agony that mercifully turned in seconds into an unconscious state. She had time to weakly push the alarm button, but no satisfying loud klaxon resulted; she only just had time to register surprise. She was neither protected by the bullet proof vest hidden under her uniform nor able to reach the automatic weapon secreted behind the counter.

It released the dried husk of the security guard, the man's mouth stretched in a more permanent shade of agony than the nurse, to fall onto the floor breaking apart in three large crumbly chunks. It felt amazingly good, filled to the brim with the bright sparks of two such fine meals in such a short time. Keeping the door open, it pushed the button on a device it was carrying that sent a signal.

Down the hall, a supply closet opened and a gurney pushed by six men clothed head to toe in black and wearing silenced automatic weapons slung on their backs pushed through the open security door whose mystical wards had unaccountably failed. One man shoved the remains of the security guard behind the counter as they pushed down the hallway and into Wesley's room. Once they were in, everything once again appeared perfectly normal in the hallway and one of the figures in black quietly slid closed the inside blinds that closed the room off from the outside world.

At the now unattended nurses' station, a monitor suddenly squealed a steady tone and an automated system kicked off. Overhead, a prerecorded voice announced calmly, "Code Blue, Ward 13, Room 1, Code Blue, Ward 13, Room 1."

People, including Dr. Atherton, came at a run from the other end of the hallway wheeling lifesaving equipment with them. All entered the room quickly.

Muffled sounds of a struggle came from inside; the sound-proofing was good but not perfect. The few screams could be heard, if only someone had been there to hear them. From the outside, with the blinds shut, all still appeared normal until the blinds were pushed flat in several spots in rapid succession, and then something big hit in one spot flattening the slats one by one as though something, or someone, slid down from the inside. Blood began to drip down through some of the slats as if they cried red tears. All was silent once again.

…..

Angel exited the elevator to see Faith staring at a soda machine gone mad. Confused, he called out, Faith? Why aren't you upstairs? How did you…"

She looked at him in equal confusion.

He looked back at the closed doors of the elevator and towards Faith in growing realization, when they both heard overhead, "Code Blue, Ward 13, Room 1, Code…" They looked at each other for a second, reached the same conclusion simultaneously, and then ran in tandem for the stairs. Behind them, the crazed soda machine continued to drop sodas regularly at five second intervals, sprinkling the floor with its offering.

…..

Fred eased her head back under the water, allowing the spray to pulse over her in a cleansing rhythm. She rinsed the shampoo thoroughly from her long, dark hair. Somewhere dimly, she thought she could hear a voice on a loudspeaker repeating something insistently, but she was unable to make out the words. At first, she ignored it, then she shut off the water to try to make them out, but the words had stopped. Puzzled, she turned off the water and began to dress, unaccountably anxious to return to Wesley's room.

…..

It rode the elevator down, glorying in the smooth efficiency of the operation. It had been willing to meet the slayer, more than willing, but its employer had feared the plan failing in her presence. It had to admit, things had gone well.

It thought expansively of the wonderful meals. The fulfillment, the rush even, it got from a meal, not grabbed from the shadows fearfully, but boldly attacked. It was like the days of old when its kind ruled their home world. Then they had lived! The food had known its place, and the morsels, not its brethren, lived and died in fear. They had eaten their fill until their world lay in waste at their feet and the time had come to seek new hunting grounds.

At this thought, it grew bold. There might be time to truly feed before it left. Food in hospitals was steeped in an amazing variety of emotions, the flavors permeating the meat so satisfyingly, and the food was so helpless, too. Perhaps it was the meeting with the slayer, but it was sick of hiding, of feeling empty. It had been a long time since it felt like it could gorge itself and it loved all you can eat buffets.

…..

Fred walked down the hallway, stopping at the sight of the closed, bloody blinds. Dropping her things, she ran shoving the door wide, afraid of what she would see on the other side. Unbelieving, her eyes could not comprehend the bodies strewn around the room. In shock, her mind registered among the atrocities, for later examination, the torn out throat of Dr. Atherton and the broken body of a particularly nice nurse who'd sat with her the first night and who was now draped over the equally broken tray table—all the stuff of nightmares for years to come. But there was no Wesley.

Blood covered nearly everything as if it had been poured from buckets. It had an odd gritty look to it as if mixed with ashes. An empty, blood-sprayed gurney sat askew next to an equally empty and bloody bed while tubes and wires hung like a macabre set from some horror movie. The all-important monitor that Fred had listened to for so long lay on its side still emitting a weak but steady tone. Beside the bed was a shattered chair. Pieces of it had ended up near the door and Fred kneeled, fumbling, to pick up a stake-like piece of the sticky wood. Looking at it, she realized it was blood covered too and had to steel herself to hang on to it.

Holding up the weapon, Fred stepped in hesitantly, her voice wavering, "W-Wesley?"

She jumped as the door to the bathroom opened along the left wall unexpectantly; a familiar white robed figure stepped out backwards allowing her a side-view of part of his familiar profile. Like everything else, blood had splattered over his torn gown. He held his ears as if blocking out something painful.

Heartened, Fred dropped her arm to her side and moved a couple of steps towards him, crying out weakly in relief, "Wesley? Are you alright?"

"Fred?" His voice was tremulous, confused, "Fred? I'm not there." He pointed into the bathroom shakily. He seemed to wince in pain drawing his hands back to his ears and bending over for a second. Then, he straightened and said strangely, "I'm sooo hungry." He dropped his arms loosely to his side and looked at her—his face warped into the ridges of a vampire and his eyes glowed with an inner fire of brilliant gold. They burned straight into her soul, clawing deep, shredding the wholeness of it. He took a slow step towards her.

Giving a half-broken sob, Fred covered her mouth with her hand, backed a step involuntarily, and dropped the improvised stake to clatter noisily to the floor.

He screamed and covered his ears again, twisting his body in agony. Stopping, he looked up and growled, a predator angered beyond belief. He took a crouching step towards her and she half screamed and half sobbed stumbling backwards. Grabbing his ears again, he turned and ran straight at the window, crashing through into the windy, dark night.

The violent storm pushed wind and rain into the room causing the broken remains of the blinds to fling against the frame in a clatter and the curtains to billow wildly whipping them with a crack.

Forcing herself to move up, Fred looked into the bathroom with trepidation. The water was running in a blood-streaked sink. On the floor lay the distorted husk of the nurse, but where Wesley had pointed was simply the mirror that showed Fred's white, shocked face—and for Wesley, had shown nothing at all.

Beyond the window, was only empty night filled with sheets of obscuring rain. Wesley was gone.

I looked through the glass darkly,

Trying desperately to see,

But through my warped reflection,

There was nothing left of me.

With apologies to Saint Paul.

To be continued…

So, does the story summary finally make sense? Try not to panic. More to come before we're through.

Thanks to my kind reviewers! Thanks to Spuffyshipper! Wesley finally woke up. Please don't beat me; just hang on. As far as daddy issues, yes, I agree, Joss must have had bags of them. Giles/Joyce would have worked, but they didn't go that way. Oh well. I love the actor that played Snyder. He's a hoot, especially when eaten. I don't get to watch TV much. Too much school work, unfortunately. Thanks to Rainbow's End! Thanks for the two in one review! Glad you liked all the conversations. I do like trying to give meaning to things that happened in the show. They never really had time to address them. I agree about Gunn. I'll start soon attaching songs to chapters (perhaps even next chapter). Evanescence is amazing! I'll have to try Green Day. Thanks for understanding about the school. I share your yuck and raise you an ick! Thank you –J! No songfic! 'Songfic bad. Tree pretty.' Actually, they can be good. I just prefer to put my own words down. Glad you really liked the Anne/Gunn conversation. I was worried it was all getting to talky. Yes, Angel's comparison of hospital rooms was likely and sobering. I really enjoyed putting in the sci fi/fantasy references. Glad someone else liked them. Thanks for the 'icky' idea. It was perfect. You rule. Glad you liked Faith and Angel conversation. Potty breaks may have been a little over the top, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, storm coming, forshadowing, yes. Faith is not done, by any means. I'm not commenting on the x-ray scene. You noticed it, good catch. Thanks for your patience. Thanks to goldenshadows! Short, but sweet. Glad you enjoyed the Anne/Gunn. Thanks to gopie! The beauty of Evanescence is that the music speaks to each listener deeply but is given a different meaning by each listener. I suppose that could be said of all music, but Evanescence is, to paraphrase Xander, "the music of pain." Winston shall return. Give him time. Wesley woke up. I know it wasn't what you expected.