As she sat there in the corridor, watching Angel pace and mutter, she got more and more annoyed.
"Angel! Just sit down and wait! We shouldn't have to wait much longer!"
As Angel collapsed into one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs beside her, she took one of his hands for a moment and whispered, "He'll be alright Angel. He must be a good person, for him to be your friend."
He squeezed her hand and whispered, "He was - he *is*."
"He's strong and brave to have risked his life like that. He's a real hero."
"That he is," Cordelia said as she joined them, balancing three coffees precariously in her hands.
Buffy stood to help her, taking two of the cups and handing one to Angel.
Cordelia slipped into a vacant seat on the other side of Angel, and sipped her coffee, staring into it's swirling depths as if it could answer all of her questions. "He's a real Hero. You were right Angel, Doyle really *does* have hidden depths." Then Cordelia started to sob uncontrollably into Angel's shoulder.
Once her sobs had subsided, Cordelia wiped her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then straightened her shoulders, stood up and said, "Anyway, he never finished asking me out - so he's gotta be alright, because no man has *ever* gotten the better of Cordelia Chase!"
Their coffees were long finished, and they had moved to a windowless waiting room, when a doctor finally came to see them about Doyle.
"Are you the people who brought Allen Doyle in?"
They all nodded.
"He's alive, just. His left arm is broken, and there is no skin left from the elbow downwards, as with his left cheek and leg, so they are all bandaged up, and he is covered in blisters and burns, but he's going to be ok. He's not long come round, and the first words out of his mouth were 'Angel, and 'Delia', so, you to can see him first. We're not technically supposed to let anyone besides family in but, as-"
Angel cut the doctor off. "He has no family in this country - his mother and sister live in Ireland."
The doctor smiled slightly and replied, "I guessed as much from his accent. Well, as I was saying, as you two were the first people he asked for - and the people who brought him in, you may see him - not for long though, visiting hours are long since over, and there are many patients trying to sleep."
As soon as the doctor stopped speaking, Angel and Cordelia ran out of the room, in search of their beloved friend, leaving Buffy sitting alone in that tiny, windowless room.
When the doctor realised that she was still there, he realised that he had only said that `Angel and `Delia' could go in, and not her. He decided to rectify that immediately, as Buffy looked so forlorn and alone.
"Miss?"
Buffy looked up from her thoughts, a little surprised that the doctor was still there. "Yes?"
"As there are only the three of you here to see him, you may go on in also - but don't tell anyone I let you," the doctor told her with a smile.
Buffy smiled back gratefully, and said, "Thank you, thank you. I wasn't really looking forward to sitting here alone waiting."
Then she walked out of the room.
However, she was back a few seconds later, and asked, rather embarrassed, "Where did you say Doyle was?"
The doctor smiled, and said, pointing, "Down that hall, second door on the left."
"Angel! Just sit down and wait! We shouldn't have to wait much longer!"
As Angel collapsed into one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs beside her, she took one of his hands for a moment and whispered, "He'll be alright Angel. He must be a good person, for him to be your friend."
He squeezed her hand and whispered, "He was - he *is*."
"He's strong and brave to have risked his life like that. He's a real hero."
"That he is," Cordelia said as she joined them, balancing three coffees precariously in her hands.
Buffy stood to help her, taking two of the cups and handing one to Angel.
Cordelia slipped into a vacant seat on the other side of Angel, and sipped her coffee, staring into it's swirling depths as if it could answer all of her questions. "He's a real Hero. You were right Angel, Doyle really *does* have hidden depths." Then Cordelia started to sob uncontrollably into Angel's shoulder.
Once her sobs had subsided, Cordelia wiped her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then straightened her shoulders, stood up and said, "Anyway, he never finished asking me out - so he's gotta be alright, because no man has *ever* gotten the better of Cordelia Chase!"
Their coffees were long finished, and they had moved to a windowless waiting room, when a doctor finally came to see them about Doyle.
"Are you the people who brought Allen Doyle in?"
They all nodded.
"He's alive, just. His left arm is broken, and there is no skin left from the elbow downwards, as with his left cheek and leg, so they are all bandaged up, and he is covered in blisters and burns, but he's going to be ok. He's not long come round, and the first words out of his mouth were 'Angel, and 'Delia', so, you to can see him first. We're not technically supposed to let anyone besides family in but, as-"
Angel cut the doctor off. "He has no family in this country - his mother and sister live in Ireland."
The doctor smiled slightly and replied, "I guessed as much from his accent. Well, as I was saying, as you two were the first people he asked for - and the people who brought him in, you may see him - not for long though, visiting hours are long since over, and there are many patients trying to sleep."
As soon as the doctor stopped speaking, Angel and Cordelia ran out of the room, in search of their beloved friend, leaving Buffy sitting alone in that tiny, windowless room.
When the doctor realised that she was still there, he realised that he had only said that `Angel and `Delia' could go in, and not her. He decided to rectify that immediately, as Buffy looked so forlorn and alone.
"Miss?"
Buffy looked up from her thoughts, a little surprised that the doctor was still there. "Yes?"
"As there are only the three of you here to see him, you may go on in also - but don't tell anyone I let you," the doctor told her with a smile.
Buffy smiled back gratefully, and said, "Thank you, thank you. I wasn't really looking forward to sitting here alone waiting."
Then she walked out of the room.
However, she was back a few seconds later, and asked, rather embarrassed, "Where did you say Doyle was?"
The doctor smiled, and said, pointing, "Down that hall, second door on the left."