"Are you sure your be alright? You don't want me to stay?" Willow asked
Buffy as her and the gang stood at Buffy's door having helped lift Angel
into the bed upstairs.
"Yeah, we can all crash seeing as your mom is outta town 'til Monday" Xander reminded her. Willow nodded. Buffy looked at Giles who was desperate to get back to his place and research some more.
"We can have a research party," Oz suggested looking at Giles.
"Yes, well, Oz and I can go and get some book. It would certainly keep Angel safe and aid the research process" Buffy thought long and hard.
"Ok, I suppose it would help, but I'm upstairs with Angel all the time right?" She gave Giles a desperate look to which he replied with a nod. It wasn't long after the whole gang was in Buffy's house and hard at work. Buffy meanwhile was upstairs, as promised, with Angel. He lay on his back, almost paralysed from the deep wounds he had taken. Buffy and Willow began to wash and dress them in bandages.
"Ah."The anti-septic wash hurt Angel as Buffy bathed them. He reached out his hand though very weak, and took hold on Buffy's hand. The only words he could manage, and not afraid to use them, were "I love you" Buffy wanted to cry. Her lover was dying before her and there was nothing she could do. She continued to bathe his wounds carefully cutting away his shirt from the cuts as she went. Several where deep and one, she was sure by its depth and Angel's breathing, had punctured his lung or diaphragm. Not wanting to hurt Angel any more, her and Willow put Bandages on most of his cuts and burns. Angel groaned at every movement.
"How are we going to explain this to the hospital?" Willow asked. Buffy was sitting next to Angel stroking his hand as though he was in fact in hospital. His eyes opened slightly and looked at her, totally oblivious to Willow's presence.
"Please."He took a deep breath but little seemed to enter his lungs. "Please take me" It was not like Angel to need medical help. Buffy knew something was wrong. She looked a Willow and Willow Nodded. Buffy raced down stairs and into the kitchen where Giles, Oz and Xander were busy reading. Xander saw her first.
"Hey Buff" he paused, "wassup?" Buffy looked at Oz.
"Can you drive Angel to the hospital?" she looked at Giles, "and can you think of a good excuse as to why my boyfriend would have baseball sized, 3 inch cuts all over his torso?"
Giles thought. "No actually. We can think on the way"
Oz started up the van as Buffy and Willow struggled out the front door holding up Angel. Xander rushed to help them and took over Willow's place. She rushed to the front of the van to sit with Oz while Giles held the sliding door open. He saw the wounds all over Angel.
"Lord help him and damn Spike," he muttered.
"Little help here," Xander shouted at the hospital entrance. Buffy and Giles followed him in holding up an unconscious Angel. Three nurses and two doctors rushed to help.
"What happened?" One asked Buffy as she watched the other staff take Angel through to ICU.
"Miss, what happened?" the doctor repeated. Buffy was shaking as she run her fingers through her hair, clearing her face.
"He, uh.he was.um."
"Attacked" Xander butted in placing an arm around Buffy.
"And his details?" the doctor looked at Xander. "Name, age, allergies?" the doctor prompted.
Angelus, 245, Gypsies Buffy thought to herself.
"His names Angel and he's uh."Xander looked at Buffy.
"27" she said. She remembered talking to Angel about his life before vampires and the undead. "He's 27" she repeated. "Can I see him?" Buffy couldn't be away from her love.
"Not right now, I'll let you know" the doctor sped off down the hall to where they had taken Angel.
Buffy joined Giles and the others in the waiting area, sat on the couch and buried her head in her hands. The room was empty, just like Buffy without Angel.
"Buffy, I'm."
"Don't Giles. Just Don't" She knew what he was going to say.
"He'll be ok, right?" Oz questioned. Giles nodded reluctantly around Buffy.
"It's not your fault Buffy. Stop telling yourself that it is" Willow could tell Buffy was blaming herself. Buffy lifted her head.
"It is Will. If he dies human tonight " she turned towards Giles. "They'd better call up a new slayer" Everyone looked at Buff waiting for Giles to protest but he never. The door opened and a tall dark figure in a white coat came in. Buffy stood up.
"How is he? What's wrong?" Buffy wanted to know everything.
"Well" the doctor began, "he has multiple stab wounds made by a large knife or spiked rod" Railroad spike thought Buffy. "And he has two punctures to his right lung"
"Will he "Buffy gulped, "die?" The doctor looked at Buffy then at Giles who indicated that she could take the truth.
"He has maybe a 45% chance of recovery," the doctor said sadly. "I'm sorry" Buffy broke down in tears on Willow's shoulder. Giles gave the doctor a 'thank you' look and he left the room. Buffy looked at Giles and walked over to him.
"He can't die Giles. I can't loose him again" She broke down in tears on his chest. Giles stroked the back of her head as a father would his daughter.
"He won't die Buffy, he's a warrior" The room fell silent as everyone looked at each other and comforted each other.
He looked so helpless. All Buffy could do was sit and talk to him. He couldn't answer, not through all the wires and tubes he had attached to him. The surgeons had left neat stitches on Angel's body where he had been deeply scolded. They would scar, too bad not to. The rattle of the machine that breathed for Angel right now startled Buffy every time it slowed. So far Buffy had been sitting at Angel's bedside for 2 weeks only leaving to eat and go to the bathroom. She held his hand waiting for a response, but it never came. Buffy had a horrible feeling Angel wasn't going to come out of his coma ever. Willow brought her magazines and newspapers for the outside world. Buffy's mother visited regularly to bring Buffy clothes, often with Xander and Cordy in tow.
".And the endless fight goes on" Buffy read the last line of one of Angel's favourite poems. Still no response, not even an eye flicker. The doctors had suggested to Giles that Angel wouldn't make it and to talk to Buffy about letting him go. Giles decided against this and kept quite about it.
"How is he?" Buffy had walked to reception to meet Willow and Oz. She gave Willow a look that only a best friend would know as 'not good'. Willow looked at Oz and held his hand tighter, so lucky to have him.
"Can we see him?" Oz prompted.
"Yeah sure, he's sleeping right now" As he had been for the last 2 weeks. Buffy preferred to think of it as sleeping rather than an edge of death coma. Soon after Giles arrived.
"No gift?" Joked Buffy weakly. Giles tilted his head with a short smile, noticing Oz and Willow by Angel's bed.
"I.is Angel doing ok?" Giles remembered what the doctors had told him and wondered if Buffy knew yet.
"He's holding out" Buffy looked stronger than a few days ago. "Any luck with researching this thing? The orange lights thing?" Buffy asked.
"Actually I did find something," Giles added on a happier note. "Ancient text note something about 'The Powers That Be'" Buffy looked puzzled.
"Powers That Be?" What are they? Did they do this to Angel?"
"Possibly" Giles stuttered. "It is possible yes"
"But.but why? What did he do to them?" Buffy grew angry and started shouting.
"Please Buffy, this is a Hospital!" Giles silently shouted to her. As a librarian, he knew how to silently shout very well. Buffy began to cry and ran her fingers through her hair. Giles explained.
"The text mentions that 'The Powers' have the power to do this but also so do 'The Oracles'. They are 'The Powers' messengers living in our dimension" He paused. "They are in charge of the fate of warriors, like you and Angel for example"
"Then why take a warrior from their cause Giles?" Buffy tried desperately to bleed an answer from her watcher.
"I.I am not sure exactly but."
"Buffy! Giles!" Willow's distressed voice alerted a few nurses as well. "He's waking up Buffy!" Shouted Willow. Buffy and Giles rushed into the room, Buffy almost knocking Oz over getting to Angel's side. She still cried and the tears came faster when Angel's eyes opened. Angel began to cough and a nurse swiftly placed pressure on Angel's chest and removed the tube from his throat. His voice was hoarse,
"Where am I?" He asked looking around, pulling all the monitors off himself. Buffy held his hand and touched his head stroking his hair. As Angel tried to sit up, the pain got too much. He flinched, and looked at his wounds. "How did they get there?" He asked Buffy. His big brown eyes melted Buffy from the inside and all she could do was kiss Angel. The kiss was so good for both of them Angel forgot about the pain, pulling Buffy onto his bed. Willow smiled to Giles who promptly smiled back. Oz placed his arm around Willow as she wept for Buffy. The kiss ended and Buffy smiled at Angel, still in tears.
"I thought I lost you," She wept. Angel smiled at Buffy and pulled her closer to him, close enough to whisper.
"Never" He whispered and kissed her neck.
"I'll be off then" Giles was getting embarrassed.
"Yeah us to, Oz has a gig" Willow was so proud of the Dingoes gigs. Buffy, still laying on her front next to Angel, smiled at Willow for the first time in 2 weeks. Angel watched them go and began to question Buffy. He glanced to his left at the make shift bed the nurses had set up for Buffy.
"Did you.?" He gestured with his head. Buffy nodded and wiped her eyes.
"The whole two weeks, I never left your side" Angel gave Buffy a look of surprise.
"You did that for me?" He began to cry himself. Buffy nodded. Angel hugged Buffy again and never wanted to let go.
"Thank you" He whispered to her and kissed her head as she slept.
"Yeah, we can all crash seeing as your mom is outta town 'til Monday" Xander reminded her. Willow nodded. Buffy looked at Giles who was desperate to get back to his place and research some more.
"We can have a research party," Oz suggested looking at Giles.
"Yes, well, Oz and I can go and get some book. It would certainly keep Angel safe and aid the research process" Buffy thought long and hard.
"Ok, I suppose it would help, but I'm upstairs with Angel all the time right?" She gave Giles a desperate look to which he replied with a nod. It wasn't long after the whole gang was in Buffy's house and hard at work. Buffy meanwhile was upstairs, as promised, with Angel. He lay on his back, almost paralysed from the deep wounds he had taken. Buffy and Willow began to wash and dress them in bandages.
"Ah."The anti-septic wash hurt Angel as Buffy bathed them. He reached out his hand though very weak, and took hold on Buffy's hand. The only words he could manage, and not afraid to use them, were "I love you" Buffy wanted to cry. Her lover was dying before her and there was nothing she could do. She continued to bathe his wounds carefully cutting away his shirt from the cuts as she went. Several where deep and one, she was sure by its depth and Angel's breathing, had punctured his lung or diaphragm. Not wanting to hurt Angel any more, her and Willow put Bandages on most of his cuts and burns. Angel groaned at every movement.
"How are we going to explain this to the hospital?" Willow asked. Buffy was sitting next to Angel stroking his hand as though he was in fact in hospital. His eyes opened slightly and looked at her, totally oblivious to Willow's presence.
"Please."He took a deep breath but little seemed to enter his lungs. "Please take me" It was not like Angel to need medical help. Buffy knew something was wrong. She looked a Willow and Willow Nodded. Buffy raced down stairs and into the kitchen where Giles, Oz and Xander were busy reading. Xander saw her first.
"Hey Buff" he paused, "wassup?" Buffy looked at Oz.
"Can you drive Angel to the hospital?" she looked at Giles, "and can you think of a good excuse as to why my boyfriend would have baseball sized, 3 inch cuts all over his torso?"
Giles thought. "No actually. We can think on the way"
Oz started up the van as Buffy and Willow struggled out the front door holding up Angel. Xander rushed to help them and took over Willow's place. She rushed to the front of the van to sit with Oz while Giles held the sliding door open. He saw the wounds all over Angel.
"Lord help him and damn Spike," he muttered.
"Little help here," Xander shouted at the hospital entrance. Buffy and Giles followed him in holding up an unconscious Angel. Three nurses and two doctors rushed to help.
"What happened?" One asked Buffy as she watched the other staff take Angel through to ICU.
"Miss, what happened?" the doctor repeated. Buffy was shaking as she run her fingers through her hair, clearing her face.
"He, uh.he was.um."
"Attacked" Xander butted in placing an arm around Buffy.
"And his details?" the doctor looked at Xander. "Name, age, allergies?" the doctor prompted.
Angelus, 245, Gypsies Buffy thought to herself.
"His names Angel and he's uh."Xander looked at Buffy.
"27" she said. She remembered talking to Angel about his life before vampires and the undead. "He's 27" she repeated. "Can I see him?" Buffy couldn't be away from her love.
"Not right now, I'll let you know" the doctor sped off down the hall to where they had taken Angel.
Buffy joined Giles and the others in the waiting area, sat on the couch and buried her head in her hands. The room was empty, just like Buffy without Angel.
"Buffy, I'm."
"Don't Giles. Just Don't" She knew what he was going to say.
"He'll be ok, right?" Oz questioned. Giles nodded reluctantly around Buffy.
"It's not your fault Buffy. Stop telling yourself that it is" Willow could tell Buffy was blaming herself. Buffy lifted her head.
"It is Will. If he dies human tonight " she turned towards Giles. "They'd better call up a new slayer" Everyone looked at Buff waiting for Giles to protest but he never. The door opened and a tall dark figure in a white coat came in. Buffy stood up.
"How is he? What's wrong?" Buffy wanted to know everything.
"Well" the doctor began, "he has multiple stab wounds made by a large knife or spiked rod" Railroad spike thought Buffy. "And he has two punctures to his right lung"
"Will he "Buffy gulped, "die?" The doctor looked at Buffy then at Giles who indicated that she could take the truth.
"He has maybe a 45% chance of recovery," the doctor said sadly. "I'm sorry" Buffy broke down in tears on Willow's shoulder. Giles gave the doctor a 'thank you' look and he left the room. Buffy looked at Giles and walked over to him.
"He can't die Giles. I can't loose him again" She broke down in tears on his chest. Giles stroked the back of her head as a father would his daughter.
"He won't die Buffy, he's a warrior" The room fell silent as everyone looked at each other and comforted each other.
He looked so helpless. All Buffy could do was sit and talk to him. He couldn't answer, not through all the wires and tubes he had attached to him. The surgeons had left neat stitches on Angel's body where he had been deeply scolded. They would scar, too bad not to. The rattle of the machine that breathed for Angel right now startled Buffy every time it slowed. So far Buffy had been sitting at Angel's bedside for 2 weeks only leaving to eat and go to the bathroom. She held his hand waiting for a response, but it never came. Buffy had a horrible feeling Angel wasn't going to come out of his coma ever. Willow brought her magazines and newspapers for the outside world. Buffy's mother visited regularly to bring Buffy clothes, often with Xander and Cordy in tow.
".And the endless fight goes on" Buffy read the last line of one of Angel's favourite poems. Still no response, not even an eye flicker. The doctors had suggested to Giles that Angel wouldn't make it and to talk to Buffy about letting him go. Giles decided against this and kept quite about it.
"How is he?" Buffy had walked to reception to meet Willow and Oz. She gave Willow a look that only a best friend would know as 'not good'. Willow looked at Oz and held his hand tighter, so lucky to have him.
"Can we see him?" Oz prompted.
"Yeah sure, he's sleeping right now" As he had been for the last 2 weeks. Buffy preferred to think of it as sleeping rather than an edge of death coma. Soon after Giles arrived.
"No gift?" Joked Buffy weakly. Giles tilted his head with a short smile, noticing Oz and Willow by Angel's bed.
"I.is Angel doing ok?" Giles remembered what the doctors had told him and wondered if Buffy knew yet.
"He's holding out" Buffy looked stronger than a few days ago. "Any luck with researching this thing? The orange lights thing?" Buffy asked.
"Actually I did find something," Giles added on a happier note. "Ancient text note something about 'The Powers That Be'" Buffy looked puzzled.
"Powers That Be?" What are they? Did they do this to Angel?"
"Possibly" Giles stuttered. "It is possible yes"
"But.but why? What did he do to them?" Buffy grew angry and started shouting.
"Please Buffy, this is a Hospital!" Giles silently shouted to her. As a librarian, he knew how to silently shout very well. Buffy began to cry and ran her fingers through her hair. Giles explained.
"The text mentions that 'The Powers' have the power to do this but also so do 'The Oracles'. They are 'The Powers' messengers living in our dimension" He paused. "They are in charge of the fate of warriors, like you and Angel for example"
"Then why take a warrior from their cause Giles?" Buffy tried desperately to bleed an answer from her watcher.
"I.I am not sure exactly but."
"Buffy! Giles!" Willow's distressed voice alerted a few nurses as well. "He's waking up Buffy!" Shouted Willow. Buffy and Giles rushed into the room, Buffy almost knocking Oz over getting to Angel's side. She still cried and the tears came faster when Angel's eyes opened. Angel began to cough and a nurse swiftly placed pressure on Angel's chest and removed the tube from his throat. His voice was hoarse,
"Where am I?" He asked looking around, pulling all the monitors off himself. Buffy held his hand and touched his head stroking his hair. As Angel tried to sit up, the pain got too much. He flinched, and looked at his wounds. "How did they get there?" He asked Buffy. His big brown eyes melted Buffy from the inside and all she could do was kiss Angel. The kiss was so good for both of them Angel forgot about the pain, pulling Buffy onto his bed. Willow smiled to Giles who promptly smiled back. Oz placed his arm around Willow as she wept for Buffy. The kiss ended and Buffy smiled at Angel, still in tears.
"I thought I lost you," She wept. Angel smiled at Buffy and pulled her closer to him, close enough to whisper.
"Never" He whispered and kissed her neck.
"I'll be off then" Giles was getting embarrassed.
"Yeah us to, Oz has a gig" Willow was so proud of the Dingoes gigs. Buffy, still laying on her front next to Angel, smiled at Willow for the first time in 2 weeks. Angel watched them go and began to question Buffy. He glanced to his left at the make shift bed the nurses had set up for Buffy.
"Did you.?" He gestured with his head. Buffy nodded and wiped her eyes.
"The whole two weeks, I never left your side" Angel gave Buffy a look of surprise.
"You did that for me?" He began to cry himself. Buffy nodded. Angel hugged Buffy again and never wanted to let go.
"Thank you" He whispered to her and kissed her head as she slept.
