Disclaimer: All the usual, plus Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Questions available online at http://www.aa.org/english/E_Pamphlets/P-3_d1.html
Part VII
"Got you a present," Spike said, throwing a pamphlet at Giles.
"G'way." Giles turned his head away. He was hardwired to the bed in seven different places, and there was dried, black vomit on his chin. His teeth were a horrid grey color, a side effect of the activated charcoal they'd forced down his throat to keep the alcohol from further poisoning him.
"Here, I'll help you with it. It's a fun little quiz." Spike picked it up and settled himself in the visitor's chair. " 'Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?' Hmm, no, you're pretty consistently drinking all the time."
Giles still kept his head turned away. Spike continued, " 'Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking-- stop telling you what to do?' "
"YES!" Giles tried for forceful, but it came out whiny and croaky.
"Okay, that's a 'yes'." Spike duly noted it and continued. " 'Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?' Hmm, I'm guessing no, you tend to want to get drunk fast. 'Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?' That's a big yes. 'Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?' Well, do you?"
There was no answer from the bed, so Spike moved on. " 'Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?' " He looked around the hospital room. "Yes. 'Has your drinking caused trouble at home?' Well, the Social Services worker outside who is talking with Dawn sure thinks so."
"What?"
"Yeah, she's the one who gave me this little quiz. Well, I'd ask you the next five questions, but since you already answered yes to four of them, that means you've got a problem with alcohol. Which means that the nice Social Services man outside is prepared to take Dawn away from you and put her in foster care. I just spoke to him. He said if you get help for your drinking, you can keep the Little Bit. There's an AA meeting starting in an hour downstairs, he 'highly suggests' that you attend." Spike stood up and leaned over Giles, turning his face so he had to look him in the eye. "She's all we have left of Buffy, and I swear, if you lose her too, I will find a way to kill you. We need you now, Rupert, and we can't use you if you're hiding inside a bottle."
Giles' eyes closed, and large tears started falling. Spike left the room and found his way back to the waiting area, where Dawn, Tara, and Mr. Gray the Social Services man were sitting. "Give him a few minutes before you go in there," Spike said to the man. He nodded and vanished down the hallway. Spike turned towards Dawn, whose eyes were still red. "You okay, Nibblet?"
She nodded.
"Tara, can you take care of her? I need to get back to the house."
"Of course."
"I'll send Xander over with the car to pick you guys up." Spike headed for the elevator, and pressed the down button.
***
Power and Power were waiting in the antechamber when Mr. Gray walked in the door. "Nice look,"
Power said smugly. "Civil Servant Chic?"
The form of Mr. Gray shimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by Power. "Just taking a look around down there," It said cautiously.
"Power here has brought some rather serious accusations against you," Power said. "Power thinks you're keeping something from us."
"Power should know," Power retorted, "since Power's doing everything it can to keep myself from finding out what exactly it is doing."
"Slander!" Power exclaimed.
"Setting up the roadblock to divert the Watcher past the liquor store on his drive home was quite brilliant," Power said, shaking its finger. "You know that kind of thing isn't allowed. He's got work to do."
"Ah, excuse myself, but I believe he's an Ex-Watcher, thereby putting him out of your domain." Power said, swelling its chest. Then it added, "Not that I had anything to do with it."
"I think I remembering both of you agreeing to leave these people alone," Power said. There was no hint of malice or threat in its tone, but the other two backed off immediatley. "If I catch either of you in a nanoparsec of Sunnydale, I will have to ally myself with the other Power, understand?"
The two Powers nodded.
"Good. I will now consider the matter settled," Power said, and spun on its heel and left.
Power stuck its tounge out at Power.
"Oh, grow up," Power said, exasperated.
Part VII
"Got you a present," Spike said, throwing a pamphlet at Giles.
"G'way." Giles turned his head away. He was hardwired to the bed in seven different places, and there was dried, black vomit on his chin. His teeth were a horrid grey color, a side effect of the activated charcoal they'd forced down his throat to keep the alcohol from further poisoning him.
"Here, I'll help you with it. It's a fun little quiz." Spike picked it up and settled himself in the visitor's chair. " 'Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?' Hmm, no, you're pretty consistently drinking all the time."
Giles still kept his head turned away. Spike continued, " 'Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking-- stop telling you what to do?' "
"YES!" Giles tried for forceful, but it came out whiny and croaky.
"Okay, that's a 'yes'." Spike duly noted it and continued. " 'Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?' Hmm, I'm guessing no, you tend to want to get drunk fast. 'Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?' That's a big yes. 'Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?' Well, do you?"
There was no answer from the bed, so Spike moved on. " 'Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?' " He looked around the hospital room. "Yes. 'Has your drinking caused trouble at home?' Well, the Social Services worker outside who is talking with Dawn sure thinks so."
"What?"
"Yeah, she's the one who gave me this little quiz. Well, I'd ask you the next five questions, but since you already answered yes to four of them, that means you've got a problem with alcohol. Which means that the nice Social Services man outside is prepared to take Dawn away from you and put her in foster care. I just spoke to him. He said if you get help for your drinking, you can keep the Little Bit. There's an AA meeting starting in an hour downstairs, he 'highly suggests' that you attend." Spike stood up and leaned over Giles, turning his face so he had to look him in the eye. "She's all we have left of Buffy, and I swear, if you lose her too, I will find a way to kill you. We need you now, Rupert, and we can't use you if you're hiding inside a bottle."
Giles' eyes closed, and large tears started falling. Spike left the room and found his way back to the waiting area, where Dawn, Tara, and Mr. Gray the Social Services man were sitting. "Give him a few minutes before you go in there," Spike said to the man. He nodded and vanished down the hallway. Spike turned towards Dawn, whose eyes were still red. "You okay, Nibblet?"
She nodded.
"Tara, can you take care of her? I need to get back to the house."
"Of course."
"I'll send Xander over with the car to pick you guys up." Spike headed for the elevator, and pressed the down button.
***
Power and Power were waiting in the antechamber when Mr. Gray walked in the door. "Nice look,"
Power said smugly. "Civil Servant Chic?"
The form of Mr. Gray shimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by Power. "Just taking a look around down there," It said cautiously.
"Power here has brought some rather serious accusations against you," Power said. "Power thinks you're keeping something from us."
"Power should know," Power retorted, "since Power's doing everything it can to keep myself from finding out what exactly it is doing."
"Slander!" Power exclaimed.
"Setting up the roadblock to divert the Watcher past the liquor store on his drive home was quite brilliant," Power said, shaking its finger. "You know that kind of thing isn't allowed. He's got work to do."
"Ah, excuse myself, but I believe he's an Ex-Watcher, thereby putting him out of your domain." Power said, swelling its chest. Then it added, "Not that I had anything to do with it."
"I think I remembering both of you agreeing to leave these people alone," Power said. There was no hint of malice or threat in its tone, but the other two backed off immediatley. "If I catch either of you in a nanoparsec of Sunnydale, I will have to ally myself with the other Power, understand?"
The two Powers nodded.
"Good. I will now consider the matter settled," Power said, and spun on its heel and left.
Power stuck its tounge out at Power.
"Oh, grow up," Power said, exasperated.