Author: Summer
Rating: R?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Joss, Warner Bros and Fox as well as Mutant Enemy!
Summary: Spike has turned human because of the Ghorac Demons bite but is seriously ill. Will he tell Buffy? Can they get together before it's too late?
Authors notes: Buffy never died. Set sometime in between seasons 5&6 but after Joyce died.
Feedback: That would be excellent. I'd love it.
Chapter seven - Results and Realisations (again)
Buffy stared at the doctor for a moment, worry clearly etched across her face. The doctor then guided her over to a corner of the room.
"As you probably know from what the nurse has already told you we have conducted a number of tests on your husband including some x-rays and a cats scan" he paused for a moment looking at Buffy who was gazing intently at the doctor. "We found..uh..something that we couldn't identify lodged in the middle of his parietal lobe. That's the..uh top of the brain"
Buffy had the grace to look surprised.
"Whatever it is is too deeply embedded to be removed. Any attempt to remove it will be a great risk to the patient and also I seriously doubt this hospital has a surgeon qualified to perform such a task" the doctor waited for Buffy to ask the questions that were sure to come.
"What do you mean by risk?" Buffy asked
"Well with every operation there is risk involved but if we were going to operate if something should go wrong he could run the risk of losing his sensory perception".
"How is he at the moment?"
"He's conscious. He came around when we were conducting some routine blood tests. He's a bit confused though but it's understandable with what he's been through. We still of course haven't determined whether or not the unidentified object caused his blackout and until we do we'd like to keep him, run a few more tests".
"I understand" she said quietly feeling awful for the way she'd treated him "Whatever Spi....I mean William has could it be serious?"
"It could be, we don't know for sure, that's why we need to conduct these tests" the doctor noticed Buffy's worried expression "Of course it could be anything or maybe nothing at all?" he concluded.
*Or even a chip* Buffy thought "Can we see him?"
"Yes but try not to stay too long, he needs his rest" he replied "I'll get one of the nurses to take you to him".
"Thank you doctor" Buffy walk back to her friends noticing Xander wasn't there.
"Where did Xander go?" she asked Giles
"He was getting restless and his nose started bleeding again so he went with one of the nurses to have it taken care of" Giles replied as Dawn stood up and walked over to Buffy.
"How's Spike" they both asked in unison.
Buffy sighed and looked up at them, Giles stood up and walked over to Buffy and Dawn to comfort them both if it turned out to be bad news.
Dawn was staring at Buffy intently. Buffy sighed again and said "He's fine at the moment, he's awake......"
Dawn began to smile "But........." Dawns smile faded when she heard this and Buffy looked up at Giles for some support "They found something" she said quietly.
Dawn was looking more worried by the minute.
"What? what did they find?" she asked her sister and shaking her slightly
"They found an unidentified object embedded at the top of his brain. I think they call it the parietal lobe" Buffy looked her sister in the face "They don't know what their dealing with so their going to keep him in for more tests".
"He can't have anything serious though right?" Dawn asked them "he only became human like.....this morning!"
Buffy looked at Dawn, worried she wasn't just rationalising her fears.
"I know Dawn I thought about that too but the doctor said it could be anything!"
"Anything like...........a chip!" said Giles who had been silent up until now.
"You know, that's what I thought" said Buffy "we need to get in touch with the Initiative. Whatever's causing this............I mean if it is the chip it could do Spike some serious damage". Dawn was surprised to see her sister so worried.
Just then a nurse approached the small group. "Excuse me" she said, Buffy turned to look at her. She was in her mid forties and dressed in pink scrubs "Are you Mr Brody's family?"
"Yes, yes we are" replied Buffy "I'm his wife". *Gosh I'm saying that a lot tonight* she thought. She didn't know why but saying it felt right to her somehow. Of course she wouldn't admit that to anyone least of all Spike. She quickly returned her concentration back to the nurse standing in front of her, unaware that Giles had already introduced himself reluctantly as Spike's father and Dawn as a sister.
"Oh good" said the nurse "If you'll follow me" she led them down a wide corridor lined with pale peach walls. Buffy saw a sign ahead of them 'OBSERVATION WARD'. The smell of antiseptic was everywhere, it brought back some unpleasant memories for Buffy of her mothers illness, hospitalisation and untimely death. The nurse showed them into a side room with pale lime green walls that to Buffy looked more like pea soup. Spike was in the middle of the room hooked up to a heart monitor. There were metal tables lining the right side of the room with various disturbing looking pieces of equipment to which Buffy rather not know the use of. Dawns face lit up the minute she saw Spike.
"Try not to stay too long, the patient needs his rest" the nurse then lest the three alone and immediately Dawn ran over to Spike to hug him.
"Oh Spike I was so worried, this is all my fault if you hadn't........if I hadn't......." Dawn suddenly stopped realising Buffy and Giles were in the room.
Spike leant down and whispered in her ear "It's okay Nibblet"
"It's no ones fault" Spike then said louder so Buffy and Giles could hear this time. Dawn hugged Spike again thinking he looked kinda tired and pale "It's no ones fault" he repeated again quietly.
Just then Xander walk in the room a support bandage covering his nose and a sour expression on the rest of his face. Everyone tried hard not to laugh at the situation that is everyone except Spike who let out a big HA HA HA followed by a few HE HE HE's.
Xander glared at Spike who continued to smirk and carry on laughing silently "This is all your fault Dead boy"
"Oh and how's that?" Spike asked coolly
"You don't think before you do anything you just jump right in".
"Well what can I say? It's what makes me who I am" Dawn smiled and he pulled her closer looking up at Buffy and Giles.
Everyone was quiet for a moment "So Spike" the Watcher asked "How do you feel?"
"Well Ripper" Giles grimaced at the mention of his former nickname "Or shall I say Dad...."
Now Giles looked even more uncomfortable "Yes..well er.........."
"Don't worry Rupe, I understand you had to make up something, can't have people asking questions and all that".
"Yes...well...." Giles stuttered
"Actually" Dawn cut in "It was Buffy" Buffy turned to look at her sister slightly embarrassed "She told the nurse you two were married......"
"Dawn" Buffy nearly shouted trying to get her sister to be quiet. Spike noticed Buffy's face becoming more flushed by the minute.
"So........" Buffy started trying to change the subject but failing and trailing off. She was nearly bright red now. Realising people were staring at her she turned away.
It was then that the nurse came back into the room "Oh, I'm sorry but I'm afraid you'll have to leave now. Mr Brody here needs his rest. You can come back tomorrow morning and stay a bit longer".
"Thank God" said Xander "can't wait to get out of this Hell Hole"
"Hey!" Spike said "I have to stay here you know" he sighed and laid back on the pillow behind him "can't believe my first night of being human again and I get to spend it in a hospital".
"Hey it could have been worse" replied Buffy
"How?" Everyone asked
"You could be spending it alone in your Crypt"
"Or with you in your house" he said looking at Buffy. But she remained silent.
"Hey Buffy can I come and see Spike in the morning?" Dawn asked
"Dawn you know you have School in the morning!"
"Yeah, but I'd thought I could skip and have a long weekend" she looked at her sister hopeful.
"Dawn do you want social services to come and take you away? You know you can't just stay off school for no reason"
"But Spike.........."
"Will be here tomorrow night for you to visit" she concluded
Dawn looked disappointed and turned to Spike "You better do what Big Sis say's Nibblet"
"OK Spike, see you tomorrow night" Dawn reluctantly agreed.
"You bet" he gave her an goodbye hug.
"Goodnight Spike" Giles said turning to leave with Xander and Dawn in front of him.
"Goodnight Dad" Giles just sighed and walked out the door.
As Buffy turned to leave with them she heard Spike call her back "Hey Luv wait a minute!"
Buffy turned and walked toward his bed. He motioned for her to sit down on the side of it to which she reluctantly did so.
"What's up?" She asked
"I just want to thank you Luv" he said taking her hand in his.
"What for?" she asked feeling his warm skin on hers.
"Well.......for everything and anything, just you visiting me is a dream come true" he then brought his hand up to touch her cheek surprisingly to him she didn't try to pull away.
"Spike it's............" she trailed off completely mesmerised by his eyes. She could feel her face heat up again. Both pairs of eyes were locked on each other about to move in for the kill when suddenly............
"huh hem......."
Buffy and Spike both turned away from each other to see the nurse standing in the doorway. Buffy thought her face couldn't turn any more shades of red, she was wrong.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to go now Mrs Brody your husband needs his rest!"
"Yes of course" Buffy replied getting of the bed and walking to the door.
"Don't you want to say good night to your husband?" the nurse asked Buffy. She turned around and saw Spike look up and smile obviously amused.
"of..of course" she stuttered and walked back to the bed.
The couple stared at each other for a moment until Buffy made the first move and leaned down to peck his cheek with her lips. "Goodnight Darling" she said so the nurse would hear "see you tomorrow" she tried to pull back but Spike wasn't having any of that as he grabbed her arms and pulled her in for a kiss on the mouth. She squeaked slightly when he pulled her down and let her go after a couple of seconds. She got up and stared at his amused expression.
Totally freaking she broke his gaze and ran out of the door past the nurse who just stared at Spike confusedly.
*******
Once outside Buffy paused and touched her lips which were tingling slightly. *What just happened here?* she thought. She then proceeded to shrug the feeling she was getting off and walk back to Giles's car.
TBC....................................................
A/N: Phew, finally got that chapter finished now I can get on with the interesting bit of the story! Don't forget to keep reviewing PLEASE. Chapter 8 will be up soon, I promise!