Part VI
Spike got some sun blisters on his face and hands as he ran across a sunny patch of Giles' courtyard. He threw open the door and screamed, "Dawn!"
"Upstairs!" Came the reply, and Spike ran into Giles' bedroom. The room smelled of fresh alcohol and even fresher blood. Dawn was on the floor, sitting next to Giles' prone form, and crying. She had the phone up to her ear. "My friend just showed up. Yes, he's still breathing, but he won't wake up!"
Sirens wailed in the distance. Spike noticed the blood was coming from a cut on Giles' scalp. Dawn was listening to the 911 operator speak. "He can't go outside, he's got a skin allergy to UV light. I'll go, here he is." Dawn handed him the phone and said, "I have to go show the ambulance where to go."
Dawn took off out the door. " 'Ello?" Spike asked.
"Hi, my name is Sasha and I'm the 911 operator. Who am I speaking to?"
"Call me Spike."
"Okay, Spike, you need to check Mr. Giles' breathing for me."
Spike watched Giles' chest. The sirens sounded like they were just outside. "Yeah, he's breathing. Did Lil' Bit tell you he cracked his head on something?"
"No," Sasha said. "Is there a lot of blood?"
Spike swallowed involuntarily. "Yeah, but it looks like it's just a minor scalp lac. Bleeding's stopped."
Two young men in jumpsuit uniforms rushed into the room. They were carrying a gurney between the two of them, and on the gurney was bags Spike suspected were full of medical equiptment. Xander and Anya were right behind them, but they stopped in the doorway. Spike jumped back as they fell to their work. "The paramedics are here," Spike informed Sasha.
"Okay, Spike, I want you to hang up now and tell them what you just told me about his head."
" 'Kay. Thanks." Spike put the reciever back on the hook. "Listen, mates, Sasha told me to tell you he's got a cut on his head from when he fell."
"Thanks," The nearer one said as he started an IV in Giles' arm. "Do you know how much he's had to drink?"
"Well," Spike said, surveying the room. "Probably that entire bottle of Jack Daniels over there. I cleaned this room this morning."
"He and Dawn just left the shop two hours ago," Anya said, her voice shaking.
The nearer one whistled, a long, low sound. The farther one said, "Jeez," and continued what he was doing. They quickly rolled him onto a backboard and lifted him onto the gurney, then were proceeded down the stairs by Anya and Xander. Spike followed the little parade, and found Dawn sitting on the couch between Willow and Tara. One of the paramedics asked, "Who's riding in the rig?"
"I am," Dawn said. "Me too," said Tara.
"The rest of us will follow in the car," Xander said.
The paramedics left with Giles and their passengers. Xander picked the throw decorating the back of the couch up and threw it at Spike. "Let's roll."
"No."
"What do you mean no?" Willow said angrily.
"Well, first of all," Spike said, and then stuck his fingers through the very decorative spaces in the crocheted blanket. "And secondly, we've got something more important to figure out. Namely, how to stop the end of the world."
"Okay, that's it," Willow declared. "You are not in charge around here, Spike."
"Why shouldn't Spike be in charge?" Anya asked. "He's the only one who's been taking any initiative around here."
"Hey! What about me?" Xander protested.
"Why aren't I the leader? Why wasn't I visited?" Willow asked.
"Xander, I love you and you know that I've proved it many a time, but you're not a leader."
"Once again, Anya opens her mouth and gives her man loving support," Xander said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I have leadership skills!" Willow added. "I could lead."
"Would everyone PLEASE SHUT THEIR TRAPS?!?!" Spike yelled. "Willow, since you are so good with magic, would you please read a couple of portents to give us some idea of what we're up against? Xander, since you are so good at research, would you please look through some of the prophecy books Giles has lying about to see if there's something in there? Anya, since you are such a great supplier, would you help these two by getting them things they might need from the shop?"
The three of them nodded warily. Spike found a thicker blanket wrapped around a sword in the weapons chest by the door. He wrapped it carefully around himself as he continued, "I'm more than willing to let you guys elect a new capitan of this lifeboat as soon as this universe is safe, but until then I'd appreciate it if you would at least give me a chance." He disappeared out the door and down into the sewer.
Spike got some sun blisters on his face and hands as he ran across a sunny patch of Giles' courtyard. He threw open the door and screamed, "Dawn!"
"Upstairs!" Came the reply, and Spike ran into Giles' bedroom. The room smelled of fresh alcohol and even fresher blood. Dawn was on the floor, sitting next to Giles' prone form, and crying. She had the phone up to her ear. "My friend just showed up. Yes, he's still breathing, but he won't wake up!"
Sirens wailed in the distance. Spike noticed the blood was coming from a cut on Giles' scalp. Dawn was listening to the 911 operator speak. "He can't go outside, he's got a skin allergy to UV light. I'll go, here he is." Dawn handed him the phone and said, "I have to go show the ambulance where to go."
Dawn took off out the door. " 'Ello?" Spike asked.
"Hi, my name is Sasha and I'm the 911 operator. Who am I speaking to?"
"Call me Spike."
"Okay, Spike, you need to check Mr. Giles' breathing for me."
Spike watched Giles' chest. The sirens sounded like they were just outside. "Yeah, he's breathing. Did Lil' Bit tell you he cracked his head on something?"
"No," Sasha said. "Is there a lot of blood?"
Spike swallowed involuntarily. "Yeah, but it looks like it's just a minor scalp lac. Bleeding's stopped."
Two young men in jumpsuit uniforms rushed into the room. They were carrying a gurney between the two of them, and on the gurney was bags Spike suspected were full of medical equiptment. Xander and Anya were right behind them, but they stopped in the doorway. Spike jumped back as they fell to their work. "The paramedics are here," Spike informed Sasha.
"Okay, Spike, I want you to hang up now and tell them what you just told me about his head."
" 'Kay. Thanks." Spike put the reciever back on the hook. "Listen, mates, Sasha told me to tell you he's got a cut on his head from when he fell."
"Thanks," The nearer one said as he started an IV in Giles' arm. "Do you know how much he's had to drink?"
"Well," Spike said, surveying the room. "Probably that entire bottle of Jack Daniels over there. I cleaned this room this morning."
"He and Dawn just left the shop two hours ago," Anya said, her voice shaking.
The nearer one whistled, a long, low sound. The farther one said, "Jeez," and continued what he was doing. They quickly rolled him onto a backboard and lifted him onto the gurney, then were proceeded down the stairs by Anya and Xander. Spike followed the little parade, and found Dawn sitting on the couch between Willow and Tara. One of the paramedics asked, "Who's riding in the rig?"
"I am," Dawn said. "Me too," said Tara.
"The rest of us will follow in the car," Xander said.
The paramedics left with Giles and their passengers. Xander picked the throw decorating the back of the couch up and threw it at Spike. "Let's roll."
"No."
"What do you mean no?" Willow said angrily.
"Well, first of all," Spike said, and then stuck his fingers through the very decorative spaces in the crocheted blanket. "And secondly, we've got something more important to figure out. Namely, how to stop the end of the world."
"Okay, that's it," Willow declared. "You are not in charge around here, Spike."
"Why shouldn't Spike be in charge?" Anya asked. "He's the only one who's been taking any initiative around here."
"Hey! What about me?" Xander protested.
"Why aren't I the leader? Why wasn't I visited?" Willow asked.
"Xander, I love you and you know that I've proved it many a time, but you're not a leader."
"Once again, Anya opens her mouth and gives her man loving support," Xander said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I have leadership skills!" Willow added. "I could lead."
"Would everyone PLEASE SHUT THEIR TRAPS?!?!" Spike yelled. "Willow, since you are so good with magic, would you please read a couple of portents to give us some idea of what we're up against? Xander, since you are so good at research, would you please look through some of the prophecy books Giles has lying about to see if there's something in there? Anya, since you are such a great supplier, would you help these two by getting them things they might need from the shop?"
The three of them nodded warily. Spike found a thicker blanket wrapped around a sword in the weapons chest by the door. He wrapped it carefully around himself as he continued, "I'm more than willing to let you guys elect a new capitan of this lifeboat as soon as this universe is safe, but until then I'd appreciate it if you would at least give me a chance." He disappeared out the door and down into the sewer.