Chapter 5-The Fever
Willow's fever stayed with her for two days. She got so sick that she couldn't eat, or drink without throwing it back up. Giles was beside himself with worry. He and Cordelia did everything they could think of for her and nothing seemed to help.
Faith continued to stay by Willow's side. She helped her whenever she needed it. Whether it was to rub her back comfortingly, holding her hand, or wiping a damp, cool cloth over her feverish brow. Faith was bound and determined to protect Willow at all costs, and she also wanted Willow to know it. She wanted the poor girl to feel safe again. Unfortunately, the fever didn't seem to be breaking.
The fever was a cause for great alarm.
_____
"I don't un-understand it," Giles said as he ran his hands through his hair, pacing along the lobby floor. "Where is-is this fever coming from? Did the Witch somehow pass a virus of some kind to her when she was transferred to the trophy?"
"We don't think so," Wesley told him from behind the counter. He placed a book onto it and sighed. "We've been researching the books for malady's, diseases, and ills of every kind caused by spells, but everything we've come across requires a great deal of ingredients or time to prepare, and Catherine Madison couldn't have had either."
"So the Witch didn't give Willow anything," Cordelia replied. "At least that's a good thing."
Giles looked at them. Then he turned to regard Angel. "Then what could it be?" He hesitated. "Angel, what's wrong with-with her?"
Angel let out a sigh. "I wish I knew, Giles, but I don't." He looked at the Watcher with concern. "Listen, Giles, you've got to stop beating yourself up about this. This is not your fault. We've done all we can, the rest is up to Willow."
Giles remained silent, but he looked drained.
"Giles, nobody knew," he said softly.
"And why is that, I wonder?"
Cordelia came around the counter. "Apparently, Giles, Catherine Madison was just too damn convincing as Willow Rosenberg. Willow was friends with Amy, so the Witch must have known her well enough to become her." She paused. "And we were all different back then. I mean, none of us really knew her back then except..." She suddenly stopped as she realized who's name she was about to mention. She felt horrible for him because when he found out about this, it would hurt him badly. "Oh, God."
Angel and Giles knew who she was referring to.
"Xander," Angel replied softly.
Giles closed his eyes. "This is too-too much." He put his hands to his face in frustration. "Why-why do these children have to suffer so?"
Wesley paused. "They're not exactly children, Giles. Buffy herself has proven that to the Council."
Giles actually glared at him. "No! Of-of course, they're not children! They were never given the opportunity to be children living on the Hellmouth! They-they were thrown harshly into a world where-where they didn't have a right to be! A world where demons and-and vampires roam freely about, bent on death and destruction!" He turned his back on them and glared at nothing. He closed his hands into fists. "Willow shouldn't have to face that any more. She can be free of it."
Silence descended upon them. Everyone thought about what he had said.
Finally, Angel said, "That's for Willow to decide."
Giles turned his head to look at him. "What if she can't make that decision? What if she-she needs someone to decide for her?"
"Would that someone be you?"
Giles hesitated. "Per-perhaps it would."
"What would you decide if she can't?" Angel watched him. So did Cordelia and Wesley.
They waited for the Watcher's response.
Giles turned around so that he was facing all of them. "I-I don't know, Angel. At least, not yet, but I would take her somewhere safe. Where there are no demons and no vampires. I'd take her some place where she could live a normal life."
"And the Council?" Wesley asked. "Would you turn your back on the Council?"
"Well, it-it," he took off his glasses, "wouldn't be the first time, and it's not as if they hadn't turned their backs on me-me more than once." He wiped at them with a cloth and frowned. "Still, our most pressing problem is the fever. We have to find a way to-to break it."
"We've tried everything," Cordelia reminded him.
"Not everything," said a voice from behind them.
They all turned and there standing on the stairs was a man who knew how to dress well. He was even handsome in a peculiar way. His skin was green and he had horns on his head.
"Lorne," Angel greeted with a nod.
Cordelia smiled. "Hi, Lorne. Do you know of a way to help break Willow's fever?"
Lorne returned the smile as he approached them. "Absolutely. After all, my mom used the same technique on me when I was feverish with the Rantuna Bug, and it worked like a charm."
"The Rantuna Bug?" Angel inquired curiously.
Lorne hesitated. "Uh, don't ask. Although I recovered from it, it was still gruesome and the details are really not a nice thing to talk about, so let's skip it."
"That's probably a good idea."
"Excuse me," Giles interjected, "but I-I must point out that Willow does not have this-this Rantuna Bug."
"That's a good thing, too," Lorne said cheerfully, "otherwise she'd be growing planktons and barnacles on her..." he stopped when he noticed the looks he was getting. "Ah, never mind that. Anyway, I'm sure this technique will help. It's relatively painless and yet it truly is soothing."
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"A lullaby."
"A lullaby?"
"Yes. A lullaby."
Giles frowned. "Singing a lull-lullaby to Willow is going to help?"
Lorne looked at him. "Well, it couldn't hurt."
"But-but who would sing this lullaby? I certainly don't have the voice for it." He looked at Angel. "Do you?"
Angel shook his head. "Don't look at me. Lorne is the only one I know who sings lullaby's."
Giles looked at him.
"Uh, but not to me."
Giles frowned. "He can't go in there to see Willow. He's a demon."
"Giles, he--"
"Angel, this is the real Willow, and-and she hasn't seen a demon. What do you think will happen when she sees Lorne?"
Angel looked at Cordelia and then Wesley. He didn't know what to say. Giles was right.
Lorne held up a hand. "Well, if I may say, just give me the chance to help the poor child." He looked at Giles. "She'll be frightened at first, but I promise you, the lullaby will help her."
Giles hesitated. "Al-alright, but I'm going in with you."
"Ah, no. You see, that isn't really a good idea. It has to be just Willow and I." He shrugged. "Otherwise, you'll go right to sleep and have strange dreams, which might inadvertently affect--"
Giles held up a hand. "Alright. Just-just do it."
_________
Faith came out of the room reluctantly and she looked at Lorne as he went in. She didn't like leaving Willow's side, but if the jolly green tall guy could help her, she was all for it. If he only proved to hurt her, then God help him, 'cause she was going to kill him.
Lorne entered the room and he slowly approached Willow. She saw him coming and opened her mouth to scream.
The scream never came.
He sang to her. His voice was melodious and soft, and somehow the words reached her. She began to relax. Her nightmares went away. Her fever broke. When Lorne left the room, Willow was sound asleep. If she were better in the morning, she would want answers. Giles hoped they were prepared to answer them.
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TO BE CONTINUED--
Willow's fever stayed with her for two days. She got so sick that she couldn't eat, or drink without throwing it back up. Giles was beside himself with worry. He and Cordelia did everything they could think of for her and nothing seemed to help.
Faith continued to stay by Willow's side. She helped her whenever she needed it. Whether it was to rub her back comfortingly, holding her hand, or wiping a damp, cool cloth over her feverish brow. Faith was bound and determined to protect Willow at all costs, and she also wanted Willow to know it. She wanted the poor girl to feel safe again. Unfortunately, the fever didn't seem to be breaking.
The fever was a cause for great alarm.
_____
"I don't un-understand it," Giles said as he ran his hands through his hair, pacing along the lobby floor. "Where is-is this fever coming from? Did the Witch somehow pass a virus of some kind to her when she was transferred to the trophy?"
"We don't think so," Wesley told him from behind the counter. He placed a book onto it and sighed. "We've been researching the books for malady's, diseases, and ills of every kind caused by spells, but everything we've come across requires a great deal of ingredients or time to prepare, and Catherine Madison couldn't have had either."
"So the Witch didn't give Willow anything," Cordelia replied. "At least that's a good thing."
Giles looked at them. Then he turned to regard Angel. "Then what could it be?" He hesitated. "Angel, what's wrong with-with her?"
Angel let out a sigh. "I wish I knew, Giles, but I don't." He looked at the Watcher with concern. "Listen, Giles, you've got to stop beating yourself up about this. This is not your fault. We've done all we can, the rest is up to Willow."
Giles remained silent, but he looked drained.
"Giles, nobody knew," he said softly.
"And why is that, I wonder?"
Cordelia came around the counter. "Apparently, Giles, Catherine Madison was just too damn convincing as Willow Rosenberg. Willow was friends with Amy, so the Witch must have known her well enough to become her." She paused. "And we were all different back then. I mean, none of us really knew her back then except..." She suddenly stopped as she realized who's name she was about to mention. She felt horrible for him because when he found out about this, it would hurt him badly. "Oh, God."
Angel and Giles knew who she was referring to.
"Xander," Angel replied softly.
Giles closed his eyes. "This is too-too much." He put his hands to his face in frustration. "Why-why do these children have to suffer so?"
Wesley paused. "They're not exactly children, Giles. Buffy herself has proven that to the Council."
Giles actually glared at him. "No! Of-of course, they're not children! They were never given the opportunity to be children living on the Hellmouth! They-they were thrown harshly into a world where-where they didn't have a right to be! A world where demons and-and vampires roam freely about, bent on death and destruction!" He turned his back on them and glared at nothing. He closed his hands into fists. "Willow shouldn't have to face that any more. She can be free of it."
Silence descended upon them. Everyone thought about what he had said.
Finally, Angel said, "That's for Willow to decide."
Giles turned his head to look at him. "What if she can't make that decision? What if she-she needs someone to decide for her?"
"Would that someone be you?"
Giles hesitated. "Per-perhaps it would."
"What would you decide if she can't?" Angel watched him. So did Cordelia and Wesley.
They waited for the Watcher's response.
Giles turned around so that he was facing all of them. "I-I don't know, Angel. At least, not yet, but I would take her somewhere safe. Where there are no demons and no vampires. I'd take her some place where she could live a normal life."
"And the Council?" Wesley asked. "Would you turn your back on the Council?"
"Well, it-it," he took off his glasses, "wouldn't be the first time, and it's not as if they hadn't turned their backs on me-me more than once." He wiped at them with a cloth and frowned. "Still, our most pressing problem is the fever. We have to find a way to-to break it."
"We've tried everything," Cordelia reminded him.
"Not everything," said a voice from behind them.
They all turned and there standing on the stairs was a man who knew how to dress well. He was even handsome in a peculiar way. His skin was green and he had horns on his head.
"Lorne," Angel greeted with a nod.
Cordelia smiled. "Hi, Lorne. Do you know of a way to help break Willow's fever?"
Lorne returned the smile as he approached them. "Absolutely. After all, my mom used the same technique on me when I was feverish with the Rantuna Bug, and it worked like a charm."
"The Rantuna Bug?" Angel inquired curiously.
Lorne hesitated. "Uh, don't ask. Although I recovered from it, it was still gruesome and the details are really not a nice thing to talk about, so let's skip it."
"That's probably a good idea."
"Excuse me," Giles interjected, "but I-I must point out that Willow does not have this-this Rantuna Bug."
"That's a good thing, too," Lorne said cheerfully, "otherwise she'd be growing planktons and barnacles on her..." he stopped when he noticed the looks he was getting. "Ah, never mind that. Anyway, I'm sure this technique will help. It's relatively painless and yet it truly is soothing."
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"A lullaby."
"A lullaby?"
"Yes. A lullaby."
Giles frowned. "Singing a lull-lullaby to Willow is going to help?"
Lorne looked at him. "Well, it couldn't hurt."
"But-but who would sing this lullaby? I certainly don't have the voice for it." He looked at Angel. "Do you?"
Angel shook his head. "Don't look at me. Lorne is the only one I know who sings lullaby's."
Giles looked at him.
"Uh, but not to me."
Giles frowned. "He can't go in there to see Willow. He's a demon."
"Giles, he--"
"Angel, this is the real Willow, and-and she hasn't seen a demon. What do you think will happen when she sees Lorne?"
Angel looked at Cordelia and then Wesley. He didn't know what to say. Giles was right.
Lorne held up a hand. "Well, if I may say, just give me the chance to help the poor child." He looked at Giles. "She'll be frightened at first, but I promise you, the lullaby will help her."
Giles hesitated. "Al-alright, but I'm going in with you."
"Ah, no. You see, that isn't really a good idea. It has to be just Willow and I." He shrugged. "Otherwise, you'll go right to sleep and have strange dreams, which might inadvertently affect--"
Giles held up a hand. "Alright. Just-just do it."
_________
Faith came out of the room reluctantly and she looked at Lorne as he went in. She didn't like leaving Willow's side, but if the jolly green tall guy could help her, she was all for it. If he only proved to hurt her, then God help him, 'cause she was going to kill him.
Lorne entered the room and he slowly approached Willow. She saw him coming and opened her mouth to scream.
The scream never came.
He sang to her. His voice was melodious and soft, and somehow the words reached her. She began to relax. Her nightmares went away. Her fever broke. When Lorne left the room, Willow was sound asleep. If she were better in the morning, she would want answers. Giles hoped they were prepared to answer them.
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TO BE CONTINUED--