Part 28 - Happy Tears
Sunday 8 am
Buffy hadn't left Xander's side for more than ten minutes at a time,
and then only when ordered out by the nurses. She kept watching him
for some signs of a change. She'd talked to him until she was in
danger of losing her voice, then had talked some more. The doctors
had told her he was in a coma the previous day, but she refused to
give up hope. He couldn't leave her.
Xander's parents had been in and out, but they'd basically ignored
Buffy. She wondered if they knew he'd gotten hurt trying to save her
life. If so, they probably blamed her. That was fine, though, since
she blamed herself too.
She was leafing through a magazine, when she heard him make a sound.
She looked over at him, his eyelids were fluttering. "Xan? Wake up,
Xan," she begged, moving closer to sit on the bed by his
side. "Please?" she
brushed her fingers across his cheek lovingly. "I need you back,
Xan."
She could hardly believe her eyes when his opened. He blinked a few
times before focusing on her. "Buffy?" his voice was raspy.
"I'm here," she assured him, reaching for a cup of water. She put a
hand behind his head, to help him drink. When he'd pulled away, she
put the cup down. She looked back into his eyes, and said, "I was
beginning to wonder if I'd ever see those amazing eyes again."
Xander chuckled, "Now I know I'm dreaming. There's something amazing
about me?"
"More than one something," Buffy replied with a smile. "Your
eyes, your laugh, your smile, your arms around me." She leaned down
to kiss him gently, "Your lips touching mine." She felt a tear slip
down her cheek. "You scared me, the doctors weren't sure you would
come back."
"I had something to come back to, or at least I hoped I did," Xander
replied, looking at her pointedly.
"As soon as you're really better, we are going to have a long talk,"
Buffy said with a smile.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Xander asked.
"Good," she said, ruffling his hair gently. "Now how are you feeling?
Any pain? Do you remember everything? No blank spots, are there?"
"Let's see...." he thought for a second, trying to answer her
questions. "Like I was hit by a truck. The only pain is the headache,
but it's not unbearable. And I remember every moment, including the
ones I wish I could demand a do-over for. No blank spots."
"Good," Buffy replied. "Don't ever scare me like that again, though.
I don't think I could take it."
"I couldn't help it. Not after I found out what--Do you know what
happened?" Xander asked. He didn't really want to be the one to
reveal Giles' betrayal.
"Mom found out, and she told me," Buffy said. "I guess you found
out by accident?"
"Yeah, and I saw red," Xander replied. "Then, when I saw that
vamp, draining you..." he trailed off, and reached up to touch the
scars on her neck. "I would've rather died than watch that happen to
you."
Buffy grabbed his hand, and said, "I owe you my life, Xan. I'll never
forget what you did." She looked up as the doctor walked in. "Well. I
guess I need to let them poke and prod and stick you with needles.
I'll be back." She squeezed his hand gently, before walking out to
the hall.
Once outside, she fell to her knees, crying in relief.
"Buffy?" It was Willow, she looked as if she were going to faint.
"Happy tears," Buffy gasped. "He's awake."
"Oh, thank the goddess," Willow sighed with relief, and ran back to
the waiting room to tell the others.
**********
Sunday 8 am
Buffy hadn't left Xander's side for more than ten minutes at a time,
and then only when ordered out by the nurses. She kept watching him
for some signs of a change. She'd talked to him until she was in
danger of losing her voice, then had talked some more. The doctors
had told her he was in a coma the previous day, but she refused to
give up hope. He couldn't leave her.
Xander's parents had been in and out, but they'd basically ignored
Buffy. She wondered if they knew he'd gotten hurt trying to save her
life. If so, they probably blamed her. That was fine, though, since
she blamed herself too.
She was leafing through a magazine, when she heard him make a sound.
She looked over at him, his eyelids were fluttering. "Xan? Wake up,
Xan," she begged, moving closer to sit on the bed by his
side. "Please?" she
brushed her fingers across his cheek lovingly. "I need you back,
Xan."
She could hardly believe her eyes when his opened. He blinked a few
times before focusing on her. "Buffy?" his voice was raspy.
"I'm here," she assured him, reaching for a cup of water. She put a
hand behind his head, to help him drink. When he'd pulled away, she
put the cup down. She looked back into his eyes, and said, "I was
beginning to wonder if I'd ever see those amazing eyes again."
Xander chuckled, "Now I know I'm dreaming. There's something amazing
about me?"
"More than one something," Buffy replied with a smile. "Your
eyes, your laugh, your smile, your arms around me." She leaned down
to kiss him gently, "Your lips touching mine." She felt a tear slip
down her cheek. "You scared me, the doctors weren't sure you would
come back."
"I had something to come back to, or at least I hoped I did," Xander
replied, looking at her pointedly.
"As soon as you're really better, we are going to have a long talk,"
Buffy said with a smile.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Xander asked.
"Good," she said, ruffling his hair gently. "Now how are you feeling?
Any pain? Do you remember everything? No blank spots, are there?"
"Let's see...." he thought for a second, trying to answer her
questions. "Like I was hit by a truck. The only pain is the headache,
but it's not unbearable. And I remember every moment, including the
ones I wish I could demand a do-over for. No blank spots."
"Good," Buffy replied. "Don't ever scare me like that again, though.
I don't think I could take it."
"I couldn't help it. Not after I found out what--Do you know what
happened?" Xander asked. He didn't really want to be the one to
reveal Giles' betrayal.
"Mom found out, and she told me," Buffy said. "I guess you found
out by accident?"
"Yeah, and I saw red," Xander replied. "Then, when I saw that
vamp, draining you..." he trailed off, and reached up to touch the
scars on her neck. "I would've rather died than watch that happen to
you."
Buffy grabbed his hand, and said, "I owe you my life, Xan. I'll never
forget what you did." She looked up as the doctor walked in. "Well. I
guess I need to let them poke and prod and stick you with needles.
I'll be back." She squeezed his hand gently, before walking out to
the hall.
Once outside, she fell to her knees, crying in relief.
"Buffy?" It was Willow, she looked as if she were going to faint.
"Happy tears," Buffy gasped. "He's awake."
"Oh, thank the goddess," Willow sighed with relief, and ran back to
the waiting room to tell the others.
**********
