Part 46 - Waiting
One hour later
10:30
They'd walked upstairs and were waiting for permission to see
Buffy. They hadn't been told that Buffy would definitely
recover, it all depended on her waking up.
Xander looked up and saw Angel had walked over to them. He
didn't see that Angel looked apologetic, all he saw was the
memory of him draining Buffy. "BASTARD!" Xander yelled and flew
at Angel. He punched Angel in the face before Giles grabbed him
around the waist and pulled him away. "How DARE you come here
after what you did!" Xander screamed.
Angel backed away slightly, looking at Xander sorrowfully. "I
just wanted--"
"I don't give a DAMN what you wanted!" Xander yelled. "GET OUT
OF HERE!"
"Xander, please," Giles said calmly. "This isn't helping
anyone."
"You don't underSTAND--"
"You think I don't understand? I think you know better, Xander.
I want to stake him too for nearly killing her," Giles replied.
" But it wouldn't fix anything, destroying Angel. It wouldn't
turn back the clock. She'd still be here fighting to come back
to us. If anything, Xander, if you stake Angel, it makes all of
this for nothing. Don't make her sacrifice worthless."
Xander took a deep breath and looked up at Giles. He nodded,
"Fine, but that doesn't mean we have to tolerate him _being_
here."
"Willow's already taking care of it," Giles said. Xander looked
to see that Willow had indeed walked back down the hall with
Angel and was talking to him. "Now if I let go of your arm, will
you go sit down calmly?" Giles asked.
"Yes," Xander replied and Giles released him. As he'd agreed, he
walked over to a chair to sit down again.
Willow meanwhile had pulled Angel out of the fight. "Angel, this
really isn't a good time for you to be here," she said gently.
"I know you didn't mean to upset anyone but that's all that your
presence can do right now. You're just lucky that Joyce went to
get some coffee."
Angel nodded with a sigh. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just
wasn't thinking clearly. I just wanted to know she was all
right."
"She's stable," Willow shrugged. "Whatever that means. Look,
Angel, she already knows you're sorry. Just go home and I'll
call you when she wakes up, okay?"
"Okay," Angel replied. "Thank you, Willow," he added, before
walking to the elevator.
********************
They'd finally been allowed to see Buffy. Everyone else went in
before Xander, at his insistence. Willow knew it was because he
still felt like he'd failed all of them by not waking up and
keeping Buffy from leaving. She hoped he'd get over it soon,
since none of them blamed him.
Finally, after everyone had had their time with Buffy, Joyce
said, "Now get in there and convince her to come back to us."
Xander nodded and walked into the room. He tried to ignore the
beeping of the heart monitor and all the other assorted hospital
sounds and focus on Buffy.
He walked over to sit in a chair by her side. She looked so pale
still and he saw the bandage on her neck where Angel had bitten
her. "Just wake up, Buffy. I'm ready to face whatever happens to
us after you do. But I can't live on this earth without knowing
you're at least alive and trying to be happy. Just seeing your
face, it's the only thing that keeps me going. Nothing else
matters if I don't at least have your friendship."
He took her hand in both of his and added, "I need you so much.
More than I should maybe, but I can't help that. So don't you
dare leave me here alone."
**********
One hour later
10:30
They'd walked upstairs and were waiting for permission to see
Buffy. They hadn't been told that Buffy would definitely
recover, it all depended on her waking up.
Xander looked up and saw Angel had walked over to them. He
didn't see that Angel looked apologetic, all he saw was the
memory of him draining Buffy. "BASTARD!" Xander yelled and flew
at Angel. He punched Angel in the face before Giles grabbed him
around the waist and pulled him away. "How DARE you come here
after what you did!" Xander screamed.
Angel backed away slightly, looking at Xander sorrowfully. "I
just wanted--"
"I don't give a DAMN what you wanted!" Xander yelled. "GET OUT
OF HERE!"
"Xander, please," Giles said calmly. "This isn't helping
anyone."
"You don't underSTAND--"
"You think I don't understand? I think you know better, Xander.
I want to stake him too for nearly killing her," Giles replied.
" But it wouldn't fix anything, destroying Angel. It wouldn't
turn back the clock. She'd still be here fighting to come back
to us. If anything, Xander, if you stake Angel, it makes all of
this for nothing. Don't make her sacrifice worthless."
Xander took a deep breath and looked up at Giles. He nodded,
"Fine, but that doesn't mean we have to tolerate him _being_
here."
"Willow's already taking care of it," Giles said. Xander looked
to see that Willow had indeed walked back down the hall with
Angel and was talking to him. "Now if I let go of your arm, will
you go sit down calmly?" Giles asked.
"Yes," Xander replied and Giles released him. As he'd agreed, he
walked over to a chair to sit down again.
Willow meanwhile had pulled Angel out of the fight. "Angel, this
really isn't a good time for you to be here," she said gently.
"I know you didn't mean to upset anyone but that's all that your
presence can do right now. You're just lucky that Joyce went to
get some coffee."
Angel nodded with a sigh. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just
wasn't thinking clearly. I just wanted to know she was all
right."
"She's stable," Willow shrugged. "Whatever that means. Look,
Angel, she already knows you're sorry. Just go home and I'll
call you when she wakes up, okay?"
"Okay," Angel replied. "Thank you, Willow," he added, before
walking to the elevator.
********************
They'd finally been allowed to see Buffy. Everyone else went in
before Xander, at his insistence. Willow knew it was because he
still felt like he'd failed all of them by not waking up and
keeping Buffy from leaving. She hoped he'd get over it soon,
since none of them blamed him.
Finally, after everyone had had their time with Buffy, Joyce
said, "Now get in there and convince her to come back to us."
Xander nodded and walked into the room. He tried to ignore the
beeping of the heart monitor and all the other assorted hospital
sounds and focus on Buffy.
He walked over to sit in a chair by her side. She looked so pale
still and he saw the bandage on her neck where Angel had bitten
her. "Just wake up, Buffy. I'm ready to face whatever happens to
us after you do. But I can't live on this earth without knowing
you're at least alive and trying to be happy. Just seeing your
face, it's the only thing that keeps me going. Nothing else
matters if I don't at least have your friendship."
He took her hand in both of his and added, "I need you so much.
More than I should maybe, but I can't help that. So don't you
dare leave me here alone."
**********
