Chapter 7

"I hate hospitals," muttered Cordelia, as she, Fred and Gunn walked down the quiet hallway. It was the very beginning of morning visiting hours and not too many people were about yet.

"Well, it's a whole lot more fun bein' a visitor than a patient," remarked Gunn, who was looking at the room numbers. The pale blue and tan corridors all looked alike, and he couldn't remember quite where Wesley's room was.

"I know that. But just being here brings back awful memories."

"Yeah. I hear ya."

"I hope that Wes can talk today, or at least write down some answers for us. Angel is on the verge of comin' here, himself, and we really don't want that to happen." said Fred. She patted Cordelia on the arm, "Thank heavens you came back, Cordy. You're the only one he'll listen to."

"Well, Buffy is coming tonight. That should help a lot."

"I can't believe we are finally goin' to meet her," said Fred eagerly.

"Yeah, The legendary Vampire Slayer. That's pretty cool." Agreed Gunn.

"Well, you're kinda legendary yourself, and without super powers," Fred said, with an adoring look.

Gunn grinned at her, "Here's his room. I knew this was the right corridor."

There was a short bench against the wall across from Wesley's room, and sitting on the bench was a young woman with disheveled reddish hair. She was staring straight ahead with a look of anguish on her face. The three barely noticed her, assuming her to be here for one of the other patients, but as they started to enter Wesley's' room, she spoke.

"You can't go in yet. The Nurse is in there. She told me to wait outside."

Gunn, Cordelia and Fred immediately turned and looked at her. She would have been attractive if not for a black eye and a badly swollen jaw, and was obviously the picture of misery. She didn't look familiar.

Gunn froze. "Who are you?" he demanded suspiciously. The young woman stood up and faced him, looking him in the eye, with defiance. "I know you. Your name is Charles Gunn, and your friends are Fred and Cordelia. You work for the vampire."

She didn't look like a lawyer; "You work for Holtz, don't you?"

The gang hadn't brought any guns or knives to the hospital because of Security, which was very strict these days, but instantly three sharp wooden stakes appeared from pockets and purses, and were leveled at the young woman.

She stood her ground unflinchingly, however, and replied. "My name is Justine. And yes, I worked for Holtz."

Gunn shoved his stake up under Justine's chin almost breaking the skin and backing her up against the wall and said in his most threatening tone," What are you doin' here? You people have no right to be here!"

Again she didn't flinch, but answered calmly, "I think I do have a right to be here, actually. Since I am the one who cut him in the first place."

"And what? You here to finish the job? Fred, quick, check on Wes!" Fred quickly ducked into Wesley's' room, and came out immediately, blushing.

"He's fine, "she said hastily, "The nurse is in there. Getting' him ready for visitin' hours."

"Sponge bath?" asked Cordelia.

Fred nodded. "They're runnin' a bit late this mornin', she said."

Gunn continued aggressively "I guess we're lucky we got here when we did."

"I wasn't going to hurt him, " Justine said, "I just wanted to see how he was."

"And why do you care, after you tried to kill him?"

"I didn't try to kill him," Justine replied coolly, "If I had, he would be dead."

A couple of nurses, a doctor, and several visitors were coming down the hallway, so Gunn lowered the stake, and all four found themselves trying to act as though they were having a normal conversation.

"I don't understand what happened," said Cordelia, almost kindly, "Why don't you tell us?"

"I tricked him. Wesley. Told him that Holtz had injured me, which was true enough, though not to the extent that I played it. He had the baby. When he got close enough to help me, I cut him and took the baby. I didn't want to kill him. And I didn't want to hurt little Connor. I swear."

"You took him to Holtz." This was Fred.

"That was the plan. " Unexpectedly, Justine's eyes began to well up with tears. " We were going to take him away, Holtz and I. To Utah. It's where I come from. It's beautiful there. Connor would have been safe. And loved. And away from that monster."

"Angel?" Cordelia asked. "That monster, as you call him, is Connor's father. You had no right."

"But everything changed," Justine continued as though Cordelia hadn't spoken, "Angel stopped us, and that demon Sahjhan appeared and opened up this huge hole in the sky…I've never seen anything like it. And Holtz just tossed me aside, and took Connor into that place. That wasn't the plan. Connor wasn't supposed to get hurt. He was supposed to be safe. It was Sahjhan. He's the one who wanted him dead. Holtz had to leap into that place to save him. And he left me behind."

The nurse came out of Wesley's room, and signaled the group that they could go in now. "Two at a time, "she reminded them, "and don't try to get him to talk."

"We can't let you in to see Wes," Cordelia said, "But I think you ought to wait here. We still need to talk to you. We'll let you know how he is."

Justine nodded.

"I'll stay with her, while you two ladies go in and see him. Then one of you can relieve me," offered Gunn. Cordelia nodded, and she and Fred went into Wesley's room. Justine sat back down on the bench, and Gunn joined her.

Cordelia shuddered as she walked into the drab hospital room with Fred. Just the smell alone was enough to bring her back to that horrible time in the Sunnydale hospital after being impaled on that iron re-bar. And her more recent stay in this very hospital. Wesley was lying there looking gaunt and miserable. He was hooked up to an IV stand and his throat was heavily bandaged. His bed was tilted at a slight angle so he could see his visitors. His face lit up when he saw Cordelia and Fred and he tried to speak, but Cordelia shushed him.

"No talking. The nurse warned us."

Wesley grabbed the pad and marker from the table next to his bed, and hastily scrawled a single word and held it up. "Connor???"

Fred shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry Wes. We still don't know anything. We tried to open the portal, but we couldn't. That demon Sahjhan appeared….to gloat, but he didn't give us any information."

Wesley looked confused and tried to shake his head, but it was too painful, so he stopped.

Cordelia said, "You don't know Sahjhan? Is that it?"

"He's the time travelling demon who brought back Holtz in the first place," explained Fred.

Cordelia walked around the Wesley's bed to take the hand that was free of the IV needle, "Wes. Justine is here."

Wesley stiffened and turned even paler. Again he tried to speak.

Cordelia squeezed his hand, "It's okay, Wes. We're not letting her in. Gunn is outside with her now. She doesn't seem to be here to hurt you."

Fred spoke softly, "We know how she tricked you. She said that she wasn't trying to kill you. Wes, can you write now about what happened? We need to know how you knew Justine and why you met with Holtz. I hate to tell you this but Angel is pretty angry. He thinks you betrayed him. If you can tell us anything about what you were doing, why you took Connor in the first place, it might help."

"We don't want to judge you Wes, but Angel isn't being that rational on the subject."

Wesley closed his eyes, and the women saw a tear run down his face. Wes pulled his hand free from Cordelia's and wiped it away. He picked up his pad.

"Listen, I'm going out in the hall so Gunn can come in," said Cordelia, "I'll keep an eye on Justine."

Cordelia went out and a moment later Gunn came in.

"That is one scary lady." He said. "She ain't any too fond of Angel. But she seems all broken up about hurtin' you, English."

Wesley turned a page of the pad on which he had begun scribbling, and wrote, "Why is she alone? There are others."

"She says that the rest of the gang disbanded once Holtz disappeared."

Wesley wrote again, "Don't trust her."

"Tell me something we don't know." He looked at the Wesley's pad, "so how's the autobiography comin'?

Wesley shrugged, and indicated that he was working on it.

"Well, we gotta go. Buffy is comin' this evenin' and Cordy wants us to spruce the place up a bit."

Wesley drew a question mark on the pad.

"Oh, " Fred spoke up; "Her sister is some kind of a trans-dimensional key. She's gonna try to open the portal. Did you know that? About Buffy's sister?"

Wesley wrote, "Only after Buffy's death. Will you be back?"

"One of us will be back this afternoon to pick up your story. See ya later."

Fred smiled sadly at Wesley, and she and Gunn left the room.

One in the hallway, they crossed over to where Justine sat with Cordelia.

"I think you ought to come with us and talk to Angel." Gunn said to Justine.

Justine stiffened. "I'll come with you, "she said, "but I want you to know up front, I have no regrets for anything Holtz and our group did to that…creature. Vampires murdered my sister, and I have no sympathy for Angel, soul or no soul. I have paid my dues in learning to kill vampires like him." Justine held up her hand to reveal a punctured scar, "But I do regret hurting Wesley. He is a good man, who was only trying to help me. And protect Connor. And I regret what happened to Connor. I would have loved him. He would have been safe and happy."

"Tell that to his father." Gunn said.