PART FIVE
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Susy, are you alright?' Angel rushed to her from the other side of the bed they had been making. She gone very pale and sat down holding her head.
"It just doesn't feel right …" a single drop of blood trickled from her nose.
"My God, Susy, what's wrong?" He reached for her forehead to brush back her hair that was damp with sweat.
Suddenly the bedroom door burst open and a small man holding a pistol entered, gun already raised. As Angel turned to look a shot rang out and hit him directly in the chest. He fell back on the bed beside Susy and grabbed his chest.
"OH NO!" Susan screamed reaching for his hands so she could see the wound. Angel lay gasping for breath not able to speak.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she grabbed hold of the pendant," please forgive me."
Angel's hand came over her's. Susan didn't know if he was trying to help or to stop her, but she knew it was her only hope. Without him their baby would be lost to evil and she could not go on alone. She heard him whisper, "Lamb", as his eyes closed and his breathing stopped.
"My God, I'm too late." Suddenly a hand pulled her away and she felt the pain of a needle being jabbed into the base of her neck. She turned to her assailant and saw two men dressed like old-fashioned thugs. A third man stepped through the door dressed like the others but in white. Susan's eyes went cold as she weakly said, "Charles"' before slumping to the bed.
"Elizabeth, my love. Didn't think I would find you, did you?" Looking at Angel he continued, "Should have finished him off two hundred and fifty years ago."
One of the men picked up Susan as she could put up no fight.
"I like these times of convenience," Charles said lifting her chin and looking into her half closed eyes. "No more powders hidden in rings. Now my dear, you've taken so many babies of mine, time for you to give back."
As before Susan was not able to move or speak as the man carried her out of the room. She could see her love lying on their bed, blood soaking the duvet under him. Life had left his body just as she had seen before. She prayed that she had removed the metal heart in time, and yet she grieved that she had possibly given him back what he had hated so much, an eternity of condemnation.
Charles led the way down the stairs and defiantly out of the front entrance. In about half an hour Wesley and Cordelia would be arriving, but this time a half hour too late.
As she was carried down the stairs Susan put all of her concentration and energy into one simple motion, to open her right hand and let the metal heart fall to the carpet. As much as she wanted to keep her last touch of Angel she had to try and alert the others.
Wes and Cordelia arrived at the office a little ahead of schedule and went directly to work, not suspecting anything was wrong.
Plans had been made to call Giles in Sunnydale to find out if he had any information on the curse and any remote idea of who this evil but good person could be. Angel had called Buffy after he and Susy came home from England. She had tried very hard to be happy for him, but her voice showed disappointment and they had not kept in contact since.
"You won't believe this," Wes said hanging up the telephone. "Giles has the evil but can only do good guy. We better let Angel and Susan in on this. You go up and tell them we should have a meeting."
"Me?" Cordy looked annoyed, "I'm not going up there. They can't keep their hands off of each other. Once was enough, thank you."
"They are probably finishing up the nursery."
"You go then."
At that moment Gunn came in through the front door. "Hey, what are you guys arguing about?" He felt something hard under his foot and bent to pick it up.
"I've got some information, " Wesley started.
"Hey, where did this heart come from?" Gunn interrupted.
Both Cordy and Wes left the desk and came to see what Gunn held, "That is off of either Angel or Susy's pendant," Cordy said excitedly.
They all looked at each other. "Let's hope it fell off of Susy's," Wes said, but at the same time they all ran up the stairs to the second floor.
The door was open only a few inches. Wesley knocked on it urgently, "You guy's decent?" He asked, but there was no answer. Knocking on the door had pushed it open a little further so he slowly poked his head past it. "Oh My God," he exclaimed as he saw Angel's body on the blood soaked bed. He pushed the door open and rushed into the room.
Cordy let out a small shriek and turned away.
Wesley felt Angel's neck for a pulse. Finding none he reached for the pendant that now only held the cross. He clenched his fist and made a slight jab in the air, "Damn," he whispered then sat on the bed holding his head in his hands.
Gunn frantically searched for Susan but came back "She's gone! What are we going to do now?"
But everyone was silent.
Susan was aware of being carefully put on the floor of a van, but everything seemed to be only a blur. Her mind took her back so many years ago to the night the carriage man had carried her out to the waiting vehicle … then to watching Angel collapse to the floor in the arms of Darla. Her mind continued to play visions of her life as Elizabeth and as Susan – mixing everything up. Then at last to the times she had held the two baby girls, feeling the life slowly leave each of them. Slowly she forced her eyes open and reached for her own baby, and relaxed a little knowing that for now, anyway, they were still one.
She couldn't move but was able to see the room that she was in. It was one that looked very much like a hospital room. A woman dressed like a nurse sat near the door reading something that looked like files. Susan closed her eyes again and tried in her mind to take herself back to Angel as she had done in her old life.
Back at the hotel Wesley and Gunn had used the duvet to lift Angel so that he was lying properly on the bed. Then they rolled him off of it and Cordy pushed the soiled cover into a garbage bag.
"What are we going to do?" Cordy sniffed.
"I don't know how the pendant works. Its maybe like when a vampire is born and it only happens in the dark of the night."
So we don't know about his soul," Gunn stated.
"I would expect that Powers-That-Be would have warned about that if it was a risk, but I'm really not sure."
"We really aren't even sure if he will come back at all," Cordy sniffed again.
"It will be dark in a couple of hours. We best be prepared in case he does become a full fledged vampire again."
"I'm going to open the window," Cordy said, obviously still very distressed, "to get some of the blood smell out of here."
As she turned away from the window a dove landed on the sill and started cooing loudly. A vertical strand of light danced in through the same window and continued across the room toward the bed.
"What is it?" Cordy asked no one in particular.
"Careful" Wesley commented, "It may not be good."
Suddenly the single strand multiplied into several, then hundreds and lengthened to the height of a person. Colour started to form and before their eyes a woman with long blond hair, wearing what appeared to be a bed cover formed.
"My God, it's Elizabeth," Wesley whispered.
The ghostly image placed a hand on Angel's forehead while holding tightly onto the cover with the other. Slightly louder than a whisper they heard her say, "I need you, love."
At that moment Angel's eyelids fluttered then opened looking directly at the image.
Again she said, "I need you, love," and quickly vanished to the single strand and disappeared. The dove continued to coo loudly on the sill, then turned and flew out of sight.
Back at the hospital Susan was aroused from her unconscious state by a hard shake. She opened her eyes to find Charles looking into them. She was finally able to move and rolled on to her back to look around the room.
"Welcome back'" Charles said sarcastically. "Can still put yourself into those damn trances … came out of it easier than I thought." He put both hands on her belly over the hospital gown, feeling the size and shape of the baby.
"Get your bloody hands off of me," Susan slapped at him. Charles easily restrained her and tied her hands to each side of the bed.
"You should know that you can't beat me Elizabeth, or I guess I should call you Susan now." He went back to feeling the position of the baby.
"What are you doing?"
Charles didn't answer her at first as he took a stethoscope and listened for the baby's heartbeat. "You've been taking good care of yourself and the boy. I am sure he is quite viable by now."
"What are you talking about? It isn't due for another five weeks."
"He certainly feels big enough, but if it is a bit small we have an incubator ready."
"You Son-of-a-bitch! You're not touching my baby."
"How are you going to stop me? Making your lover human again only killed him. You are all alone now. At precisely 1:37 a.m. all the planets will be in the same position as they were the morning I was born. You see that alignment carries the most evil possible, and at that time your son will become mine when he is cut out of you. Whether we anaesthetize you or not depends on how well you behave."
"You bastard, you've gotten worse over the years."
"No my dear, I've gotten better," he grinned as he left the room.
Susan lay back on the bed – the fight gone out of her. The clock on the wall read 7:32 p.m. They had only six hours to locate her. She prayed very hard that Angel was alive again and would be able to find her. The nurse still sat at the door but paid little attention to their prisoner.
"Angel?" Wesley asked hesitantly.
"What happened?" he asked as he gradually sat up on the bed, then slowly put his feet over the side.
"You were shot," Cordy sat down beside him. "Susy is gone."
"Susy? Oh my God, the two thugs that came into the room." He reached for the pendant and realized that only the cross remained. He stood up and walked over to the dresser where a mirror had been added after they came home. In that mirror he could see Cordy, Wesley and Gunn watching him, but his own reflection was gone. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, then quickly turned, "Any idea where she is?"
"No. Everything happened before we arrived this morning," answered Wesley.
"No doubt Charles is behind this and possibly Wolfram and Hart." Angel continued, "They will all want this baby and won't care what they do to Susy to get it."
"What can we do?" Cordy asked.
Our quickest route is probably Caritas," Angel remarked.
For the first time no one complained that they would have to sit through Angel's singing. They knew that it was really their only hope to find Susan quickly and from what they had seen of Charles on the video they all knew what he was capable of.
"It is 7:35 now. The sun will set shortly, then we can go," Wesley reminded Angel.
"Right, I'd forgotten," Angel frowned and diverted his eyes away from the others. "It was so easy to be human again."
"Excuse me?" Susan questioned the nurse.
She looked up from the magazine she was reading after Charles had left. She showed an expression of total indifference.
"I need to use the washroom."
"I'm not supposed to let you out of the bed."
"I'm sure that you don't really want to have to change the sheets. This baby is parked right on my bladder when I'm lying like this so I won't be able to wait much longer."
"I suppose a few minutes won't hurt," she said starting to stand. "Besides I don't suppose you could put up much of a fight in your condition."
Susan gave a small laugh, which had a touch of a sarcastic tone. "You might be surprised," she thought to herself, glad of all the exercises Angel had encouraged even if she did complain.
While in the washroom which was in the hospital room, Susan looked frantically for something that might help her, but found nothing, until she saw the battery powered emergency light that would come on if there were a power blackout. She unplugged it and immediately the light came one. She plugged it back in and went back to the other room.
"Could I stay up for a little while? If I don't exercise my legs I get terrible cramps sometimes."
The nurse seemed to be softening just a little. "For a few minutes. I know what you mean. I was pregnant too a couple of years ago and had terrible leg cramps. But just so you don't try anything, there are two muscleman guards standing outside this door." To prove her point she opened the door a few inches and there stood two enormous men. Before closing the door she talked through the small space to one of the guards.
Susan made her way over to the window that was covered by extremely heavy drapes. She pulled them aside and looked out to a street that must be seven or eight stories below. Across the street was a large park that she didn't recognize.
"Get away from that window," the nurse shouted.
Susan jumped which startled the baby and made it move too. "Sorry," she said smoothing out the drapes. "Could I have some juice?"
"You're not supposed to have anything, food or drink, as you are going to have surgery in about six hours."
Susan cringed at the thought and gave her baby a small rub through the gown. "Well, a sugar cube or something. I've got low blood sugar and I'll get really weak if I don't get something," she lied.
"I really shouldn't."
"If I get weak it is going to make Charles angry, and I don't suppose you would want that."
"Okay, a sugar cube, but then you will have to get back into bed. The coffee is just outside the door so don't try anything."
Susan just smiled. As the door closed behind the nurse she rushed to the bathroom and unplugged the light and brought it back into the room. The door started to open and Susan stood at the bed holding the lantern into the mattress so it wouldn't shine on anything. The nurse looked in at her and she smiled back. As she had hoped the woman stopped to chat with the guards again leaving the door open only an inch. Susan quickly pulled back the drapes and set the lantern on the sill and quickly put the drapes back in place. As she suspected they were true blackout drapes and the light didn't shine back through them into the well lit room. She went back to the bed and sat on it waiting for the nurse's return. The clock now read 8:05, how she wished she could slow that time down.
The nurse with a very startled look on her face rushed back inside, over to the bed and hurriedly did up one of the restraints. Knowing something was wrong Susan didn't fight. The door came open before the second knot could be tied and in walked a well-dressed woman ahead of Charles.
"What are you doing" Charles demanded.
"I was just going to let her use the washroom," the nurse quickly said, nervously looking into Susan's eyes, pleading.
"Well make sure you stay with her at all times. This baby is more important than all the lives in this building and if anything goes wrong punishment will be those lives."
"Yes Sir."
"But wait a minute," Charles continued.
"I can't wait too long or I'll wet the bed," Susan played along with the nurse.
"What would I care?" Charles questioned.
The door opened again and in walked Nathan Reed, top dog at Wolfram and Hart. "Sorry I'm late Charles. I see you have already met Lilah Morgan, Executive Vice President of Special Projects … and this certainly is a special project," he grinned at Susan that made her cringe. "Don't worry, dear," he continued, "We at Wolfram and Hart have the best medical team in the country and you can be assured that only the best care will be taken of your baby."
Lilah spoke next. "We must thank you for taking our only threat away. Making Angel human again has helped us more than you will ever know and now that he is dead there is no one to help you."
"Yes dear," Charles' eyes sparkled, "I'll even be kind enough to release your soul for you so it can be with your lover's again. This boy will make up for any wrong you have done to me." He gave her belly a pat and a kick came back at him from inside. "Certainly a spunky little devil."
"We will let you rest while we prepare for the great event," Nathan said.
"And remember," Charles added to the nurse, "Stay with her at all times."
"Yes Sir," she said as they left the room. After the door closed she turned to Susan, "Thanks, I'm sorry for …"
"I know you can't do anything," she answered, "I lived with the bastard for more years than I care to remember. Don't risk your life for me."
As the nurse tied the other restraint Susan jumped as she touched her and a red mark formed on her wrist.
"What happened? The nurse asked.
"It's just the good in you showing through." Susan lay down on her left side. "Could you put both ties on this side, I understand it is better for the baby to lie on this side." The nurse carefully undid the right side and retied it beside the other. This time the bindings were looser and more comfortable." Thank you," Susan said looking into the nurse's eyes.
"I'm really sorry," the nurse repeated.
Susan closed her eyes and tried very hard to go back to Angel. She had no idea if it would work or not, but right now what could she loose? She knew Charles well enough there would be no escape, but possibly an entrance was open, if they could find her.
When Angel and the others arrived at the Karaoke bar, Lorne was on stage singing his rendition of "I'm Too Sexy." As soon as he saw Angel his song came to a dead stop. "Looks like we have an emergency reading folks," he said as he stepped off of the stage and went toward Angel. "I'm so sorry," Lorne said, reading Angel's face, "better step up on stage, time is vital here."
Angel put the stool up on the stage and programmed the machine.
"Back to the vampire days," Lorne said to the others.
"Never thought I'd be anxious to her Angel sing," Cordy commented.
The crowd could sense the urgency of the matter and there was silence as the music started. Angel closed his eyes and started to sing, "You are so Beautiful," not to them but only to his wife, his lamb, wherever she was.
Cordelia's mouth dropped open, "He's actually good. What happened?"
"That's what happens when you put your heart into it" Lorne answered.
About half way through the song the tiny sliver of light danced it's way over to the stage and glimmered next to Angel. What seemed like a small breeze rustled his hair a little and with eyes still closed he leaned into it slightly as if her hand rested against his cheek. The flickering light expanded and grew into its form and Elizabeth stood beside him running her hand over his chin. As the song finished he opened his eyes and turned to her. For a moment her form changed to that of Susy's, hair the same colour but shorter and she was very pregnant, wearing the hospital gown.
"Where are you?" Angel asked.
Her lips moved but no voice could be heard, so she turned to look at Lorne. She could only hold it for a moment before turning back into Elizabeth. "I need you, love." She said to Angel as she ran her fingers through his hair. He tried to reach for her but felt nothing, as his hand seemed to pass through her. Slowly the form shrank back to the glimmer of light that danced to the cross he wore and seemed to be adsorbed into it.
Back in the hospital room Susan's eyes opened to see the nurse watching her.
"Are you all right?" she asked, "Your eyelids were flickering and you are sweating so much your gown is soaked through.
"I need some water," Susan pleaded shakily.
The nurse turned and went out the door returning quickly with ice water and a handful of sugar cubes. This time she didn't chat with the guard and he pushed open the door, "Everything okay in there?" he asked.
"Everything's fine," she said setting the water and sugar on her table beside the door. "Still like those sugar cubes, haven't completely grown up," she smiled back at him. He returned the smile and let the door close.
The nurse grabbed the water and a couple of cubes and walked quickly to her patient. She untied the bonds carefully so as not to touch Susan and gave her the water. "Just take a few sips," she advised, and then gave her the two cubes of sugar. "This can't be good for the baby," she said reaching for the blood pressure cup. Susan co-operated fully to avoid being burned, but still she trembled.
"You pressure is a little higher than normal. I think I better get the doctor."
"No!" Susan was alarmed
"Don't worry. He will only try to keep you well, until … well … I'm so sorry."
"Okay, but don't let him see you cause the burn, otherwise Charles will probably kill you for what you know."
"I'll do what I can to help you."
Susan just gave her back a weak smile and lay back on her side while the nurse alerted the doctor over the telephone. Already the clock showed it was almost 9:30 p.m.
At the bar, as soon as the light disappeared Angel stepped off of the stage and went toward Lorne, "What did she say to you?"
"Time is urgent. The planets are in alignment at exactly 1:37 a.m. and Charles is going to take the baby at that time."
"How?" Cordy asked.
Lorne just looked at her frowning.
"Oh my God, he wouldn't," she said realizing what he meant.
"Don't underestimate Charles," Angel said, Lorne nodding in confirmation.
"How do we find her?" Angel asked anxiously.
"She didn't know where she was, only that it was a hospital room. But my advise to you is to follow the light, the signs are there."
"But the light is gone."
"It takes a lot of energy for Susan to do this, have a bit of patience."
"We only have four hours to find her in this enormous city," Wesley demanded rather angrily.
"Slow down, I can only tell you what I know, but hang on a second. You better give your co-worker here a listen to."
Suddenly Cordelia threw herself back in her chair which would have fallen backwards had Lorne not been prepared and stood behind her. Her eyes grew wide with terror and she couldn't help but scream with the flashes of visions that ran through her mind.
Angel rushed to her side, his own chair thrown to the floor. "Cordy, what is it? Is it Susy? What's happening?"
But even when the vision was completed, Cordelia took gasps of air, trying to lessen the severity of what she had just seen.
"Cutting Susy … doctor's masks … clock … 11:35 … screaming … Holland." She blurted out between breaths and tears.
"Holland?" Angel questioned looking at Lorne who really had no answer. "11:35? You said, 1:37."
""That's what she told me," Lorne looked puzzled, "Maybe they suspect she is telepathic – wants to slow us down."
"That's only two hours to find her," Angel said in a panic.
Wesley and Gunn were both comforting Cordelia and trying to get her to expand on what she had seen. "Slow down, Cordy, take a deep breath."
After taking a drink of water she started again. "She was in surgery … lots of people in surgical masks … Susy on the table … screaming." Cordelia looked directly at Angel and started to cry.
He was frantic, but knelt down beside Cordy, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Cordy, we have to find her … please …"
She looked into his eyes and saw a fear that she had never seen before in them. "The clock said 11:34. People were watching it. When it changed to 11:35, he started to cut. Susy was screaming for him to stop. There was a sign … said 'Holland', but it doesn't feel that far away."
Gunn spoke up, "In a city this big there must be a lot of places named "Holland". He went to the bar to ask for a phone book but the bartender already had it and the yellow pages waiting for him.
Wesley took control of the situation. Everyone take a deep breath. If we panic we are going to miss what we need to find."
Angel and Wesley listened to Cordelia again telling of her vision, trying to get every detail in case they had missed something. Gunn and Lorne hurriedly looked through the books for any place named Holland that may be the location.
Susan watched the time change on the clock as the doctor came to examine her. He seemed very kind and she may have fallen for it except that when he touched her there was no burn.
"Everyone calls me Dr. Jack," he said trying to put her at ease. He knew that any stress she felt could cause problems with the baby.
He was finished all of his poking and prodding by 10:15, had listened to both her and the baby's heartbeat, taken her blood pressure and removed a couple of vials of blood. During all of this he seemed so kind, but all it did was make Susan feel more alone, and aware of the fact that she could trust no one.
After the doctor left she closed her eyes again to take her back to her husband.
At the bar the group were really not much further ahead with what they knew until Gunn suddenly exclaimed, "I think I've found it! Holland Manners Memorial Hospital."
"Wasn't he part of Wolfram and Hart before Darla killed him?" Lorne asked.
"That must be it," Angel concluded, "Let's go, times wasting."
"Wait!" Wesley hesitated, "It is an hour away. Cordy do you think it's the right place?"
"It feels like the right direction anyway."
Angel spoke up, "It's the only lead we have."
"Let's go," Lorne said, ripping the page from the book.
Angel turned and stopped dead as he saw Elizabeth standing before him with her hand extended reaching for his. As he reached ahead she changed to the glimmering thread of light and stayed just ahead of him as they ran out to the parking lot.
As the car left the lot the light stayed directly ahead of them leading most of the way until they came to a park. The light suddenly vanished.
"What happened?" Angel asked as he stopped the car, "Where did it go?"
"She has been leading us in a fairly straight line. The hospital must be on the other side of this park. We are going to have to go around it." Wesley stated.
"How much time is left?" Angel demanded as the car squealed a turn to bypass the park.
"Thirty two minutes."
They all took a deep breath and said a silent prayer.
At exactly eleven p.m. Charles, Dr. Jack and two orderlies walked into Susan's room.
"Back in that damn trance again!" Charles was angry. "If it was the right time I'd cut her myself right now."
"Patience Charles," Dr. Jack patted his arm. "We have to start preparing her – everything has to be sterile so there is no risk to the baby. We have to keep her calm, otherwise there could be any number of complications." He turned to the orderlies. "Bring her into the surgery. I'm going to double check everything."
"Well, best for me to go to the observation room," Charles said as they left the room. "I'm to meet Nathan and Lylah there."
When the orderlies moved Susan onto the gurney she came out of the trance. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Taking you to the O.R." one responded.
"It is too early. Charles said 1:37. It is only just after 11." She was frantic.
"We're just following orders."
The nurse stood behind them, terror in her eyes, but was unable to do anything.
Susan tried to fight her restraints but she was held firmly in place.
The guards held the door as the stretcher was wheeled to the room just outside of the O.R. They were then replaced by two beings that looked deathly white with sunken eyes.
"Those Lubber demons always give me the creeps," one orderly said to the other, as they went about preparing Susan by sponging her down with some ghastly smelling solution. They then covered her with only a sheet and put a cap over her hair. She tried so hard to fight, but there was nothing she could do.
As the convertible made its way squealing around the park, the passengers held on for dear life.
"What are you trying to do, get us into the hospital by impersonating patients?" Gunn asked loudly.
They came to a squealing stop in front of "Holland Manners Memorial Hospital Subdivision of Wolfram and Hart."
"Time?" Angel demanded.
"II: 17" Wesley stated. "Seventeen minutes … we'll never find her."
Angel looked up at the building. "The light in the window. Elizabeth always left a light in her window for me."
Susan was wheeled into the operating room where at least six people were waiting for her in complete surgical dress.
"This is too early!" Susan screamed.
Charles pressed the speaker button from the observation room. "Sorry love, I lied." He released the button and sat down where he had the best view.
Two people pulled Susan into a sitting position while the doctor held a large syringe. "Charles wants you unmediated, but I refuse to do this without an epidural at least, the stress could kill the baby. So sit still, even the slightest move could paralyse you."
There was little Susan could do as the two held her tightly. When it was finished they lay her down and strapped her head to the table so she could not move. The clock was on the wall where she could see it very plainly ticking its way to 11:20 p.m.
"That window is eight floors up, two floors from the roof." Angel said as he retrieved a large medieval looking axe and a rope from the trunk. "I'm going up to the roof and swing in through it. Hopefully I can remember all the benefits of being a vampire. You guys get in any way you can." He said as he headed for the drainpipe, his way to the roof.
"Let's try the laundry entrance, Wesley said as they drove around to the back of the hospital.
The nurse let out a shriek as the window came crashing in and Angel came through it. Before he got back to his feet she exclaimed, "You've only got a few minutes. The surgery is four doors to the left."
The demons standing in front of the door showed him exactly where he had to go. The anger he felt made him change to vampire form and created a fury that was so intense that the fight lasted hardly anytime. In seconds there were two demons both decapitated on the floor. The elevator bell rang and Angel turned to see the four others dressed in hospital green. Angel led the way through the prep room doors.
Susan watched the clock as the time ticked past. At 11:30 the surgeon covered her chest with a small sheet and pulled the other down to expose "the bulge" as she had come to call it. A nurse took a sponge and sterilized a strip down over the baby. The doctor placed a green cloth on each side leaving the cut area open. Every time Susan would try to fight and scream the oxygen mask was placed over her face. It made her feel light headed and took the fight away for a moment.
Everyone turned to watch the clock when it read 11:34, the first cut to be made the next minute. The clock changed and Susan let out a blood-curdling scream as the knife started to cut through her skin.
When Angel heard that scream he bolted through the two doors, the others following close behind. He grabbed the surgeon and threw him against the wall
The staff around the table stepped back, hands raised as Wesley, Gunn and Cordy came in, weapons prepared. Charles pushed the button on the intercom, "You haven't won yet!" then turned to run out the exit on the ninth floor following Lylah and Nathan.
In vampire form Angel rushed to Susan still strapped to the table.
""Angel," she started, tears filling her eyes, "I'm so sorry, I've done it again. I've condemned you."
Realizing he was still vampire Angel changed again. He hurriedly unstrapped her head from the table while Cordelia carefully undid the straps holding her hands. He slid his arms under her and they held on the each other. "I thought I'd lost you," he said his voice breaking.
"I'm so sorry Angel, but I couldn't be without you."
"I don't care about being vampire. I just want to be with you."
"Angel" Wesley patted his shoulder. "I think someone should tend to Susan, this cut needs stitching."
Angel turning to look where the surgeon had already cut about a three-inch line that bled freely into the green cloths. He turned back to the surgeon who was still slumped in the corner. Turning to the five others cowering in the other corner he raised his voice. "Who can stitch this?" no one volunteered, so he took one step toward them and turned once again. "Who can fix this?" he said a little quieter.
Two people stepped forward. "I can stitch it," one man stated.
"I can assist and remove the I.V," another said.
"Good" Angel said changing back before looking again at Susan. "It does have its advantages" He watched as the doctor started his stitches. "I expect a perfect job." Then turned to his wife again, "Doesn't that hurt?"
"It's okay, I'm frozen from about the centre of my back down. I imagine that will last a couple of hours."
Lorne interrupted them, "We better get out of here, before they decide that they want to keep us here." Turning to Susan he smiled, "You still haven't lost that glow."
Wesley brought a gurney in from the pre-op room rolling it up next to the table. Handing Angel some green hospital wear he said, here's clothes for you and Susan. We'll see if we can get out of here incognito."
The service elevator was near the operating room and they were able to make their escape quickly without incident.