CHAPTER NINE: CHIPLESS
Spike stared at the giant demon, suddenly speechless. His eyes were wide in fear. He hadn't counted on the chip being removed, and now that it was gone, his only thought was that he wanted it back.
"Put it back!" he yelled.
Yhidnamanna looked at him, confusion written in both sets of eyes.
"I was under the impression that you wanted the chip gone," Yhidnamanna said.
"No!! That chip is the only thing that's…it's the only way she'll…"
Yhidnamanna nodded with both heads and bent down to look eye to eye with the vampire.
"You don't give the Slayer enough credit young vampire," the demon said. "Or yourself for that matter. It wasn't the chip that kept you from killing people."
Spike glared at the demon hatefully and finally looked away. He turned and walked to the stairs, wishing he could think clearly, but now that his head was throbbing from the pain, he couldn't form anything that even resembled a good thought.
Yhidnamanna watched as Spike went up the stairs to retrieve Buffy's Watcher and the demon could only smile a bittersweet smile as he once again descended to where he had come from.
Spike looked over his shoulder to see Yhidnamanna sinking back into the ground. Spike tried to ignore the fact that the large demon winked once at him before leaving the old warehouse, and he continued up the stairs, following the sounds of a moaning Watcher.
"Let's get you outta here mate," Spike said quietly, helping Giles to his feet.
Giles stumbled and held onto Spike for support.
"Is everyone alright?" Giles whispered.
"Let's just worry about getting' you outta here first," Spike replied.
Giles nodded and the two Brits continued down the stairs, past the broken ground where the demon had emerged and out into the darkness where Xander was waiting with Anya.
Xander rushed forward to help Giles, Spike giving the young man a grateful smile.
"Where's the others?" Spike asked, the silent 'where's Buffy' hanging in the air.
"Tara and Willow are looking after the hostages. They're fine…a little shaken up, but they weren't hurt too badly," Xander said.
Spike looked at him, silently begging to be told how the Slayer was doing.
"Angel said he'd take her to the hospital," Xander said.
Spike nodded thankfully and made a move to start the long walk home.
"We shoulda brought cars," Xander said tiredly.
"Doesn't matter," Spike replied. "The good guys won in the end. None of the hostages were eaten, the Nibblet's fine and we don't have to worry about that bloody invincible demon that Court was gonna become. Or about the hellmouth opening."
A silence fell between them, the only sound was Giles laboured breathing and their feet padding against the concrete footpath.
~*~
When they reached Giles' apartment, they found Tara, Willow and Amy standing at the front door, Dawn sitting in one of the outdoor seats, her eyes closed, her head resting against her hand.
Willow looked at the group, noticing the absence of Buffy and Angel.
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked softly.
"Angel's taking her to the hospital," Giles replied, opening the door to his apartment and ushering the group inside, Spike helping Dawn to her feet and onto a couch in the living room.
"We should really get to the hospital," Xander said, shifting nervously on his feet. He had seen Court drink from Buffy and he had seen her collapse weakly, a sight he hadn't ever wanted to see.
Spike nodded his agreement and looked towards Dawn. "Bite size looks like she could use a doctor as well."
Giles picked up the keys to his convertible and looked at the group, silently deciding who should go to the hospital with him.
"Spike, if you could help me get Dawn to the car. Is anyone else injured?" Giles asked.
There were shakes of the head to tell him that they were fine, except for being exhausted.
"I'd suggest you go home, sleep for as long as you need. If you need to be in contact with us, then we'll be at the hospital."
Willow nodded and took hold of Tara's hand.
"Buffy's gonna be alright, though…right?" she asked nervously.
Giles could only stare past her, finally turning away from the redheaded witch and making his way to the car.
He passed his keys to Spike who silently understood that the Watcher was in no shape to be driving. He took a seat in the back with Dawn resting her head on his lap.
"She'll be alright Rupert," Spike said from the front as they made their way to Sunnydale Memorial. "It'll take a helluva lot more than an invincible demon to kill your Slayer."
Giles nodded but stayed in his silent reflection for the remained of the trip.
~*~
Angel raced into the hospital, the unconscious Slayer in his arms. He was painfully reminded of racing her to the hospital just before graduation when it had been himself that had drained her.
"We need help here!" Angel cried, his voice filled with panic.
His cries got the attention of a nurse who, seeing the state of the young girl in Angel's arms, ran to get a doctor.
Angel quickly took her into an empty room, depositing the small lifeless body onto a bed.
"What happened?" the doctor demanded as he walked into the room.
Angel was beginning to pace. He could hear Buffy's heartbeat becoming slower and slower, and, as with any vampire, he knew it was about to stop beating altogether.
"She was attacked. They looked like a bunch of street kids," Angel said quickly, trying to think on his feet.
The doctor turned to the nurse who had joined him beside the bed.
"We need to get her into emergency. Do you know if she has any allergies?" the doctor asked vampire.
Angel shook his head, his eyes staying firmly on Buffy.
"No you don't know, or no she doesn't have any?" the doctor asked, his voice desperate, but still patient.
"She's not allergic to anything," Angel replied.
The doctor nodded once and turned back to Buffy.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the young nurse told him gently. "We need our space."
Angel nodded, knowing the drill of the hospital. He stepped outside, leaning against the doorway.
He felt a tear slip down his cheek as he heard the nurse whisper to the doctor. "It doesn't look good does it?"
"No, I'm afraid it doesn't."
He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Giles, Spike and Dawn come into the hospital, Spike carrying Dawn who looked as though she were asleep.
"How is she?" Spike asked.
Angel shook his head softly.
"The doctor said that…it doesn't look good," Angel said.
Spike closed his eyes and tried not to let the room spin out of control. He woke Dawn up and gently put her onto one of the hard plastic seats.
The blonde vampire began pacing the corridor, his eyes firmly towards Buffy's door.
Giles looked tiredly at Angel, hating that he had to ask the vampire he hated for anything.
"What happened to her?" Giles asked.
Angel looked pained for a moment and Spike quickly stepped forward.
"I didn't see all of it. Looks like she got bitten, probably by Court, not to mention the little snack fest that another group 'ad on 'er earlier," Spike said.
"She should be alright though," Giles said desperately.
"She wasn't just drained," Angel said.
Giles looked towards the brooding vampire and waited for him to continue.
"It looks like her hand was broken. Like every bone in her was broken. And she uh…"
"She got shot by a bolt just here," Spike finished, pointing to his lower abdomen.
Giles closed his eyes, trying not to imagine how painful it must have been for her to continue in the battle with her injuries.
Dawn whimpered a little, hating that once again she had been the cause of her sister's pain.
Spike looked towards Dawn and looked down the corridor.
"You two need to see a doctor," Spike said, quickly walking towards the reception area for someone who could help them.
Giles looked towards the tear-streaked Dawn and tried to give a smile.
"It's my fault. Again. It's always my fault," Dawn whispered.
Giles shook his head vehemently. "It's not your fault Dawn. None of this is your fault. Nothing that happened with Glory and none of what happened here tonight, understand?"
"How? How is it not my fault?" She whispered tearfully.
"Buffy would have gone into battle for complete strangers and had the same injuries. Dawn, you can't help that you're the Key anymore than Buffy can help being the Slayer," Giles explained.
Dawn nodded a little, too tired to really concentrate on anything apart from being extremely cold and extremely afraid that her sister was going to die. Again.
Spike came back after a few minutes, a doctor following him. Giles gave a small but grateful smile and let the doctor examine Dawn before letting his own injuries be tended to.
Halfway through the doctor's examination the doors to Buffy's room opened and a doctor came out. Spike didn't like the look on his face at all.
"Are you the family of Buffy Summer's?" the doctor asked.
Dawn nodded. "I'm her sister."
The doctor nodded and looked towards the other three men, all looking the worse for wear. "And you three?"
"We're friends," Spike answered without hesitation.
The doctor nodded, seeming to accept the answer.
"Buffy's injuries are fairly extensive. It looks as though her right hand has had every bone shattered by something extremely forceful. I'm not even going to ask why a group of muggers were carrying a bow and arrow, but she's lucky that the bolt didn't damage any of her internal organs. As for the blood loss, we've been able to give her some blood. She's stable at the moment, but still unconscious," the doctor explained.
"Can we see her?" Spike asked.
The doctor shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, but…she's in no condition to have visitors at the moment. Especially ones who aren't family. All I can suggest is that you go home, get a good nights rest and come back in the morning."
The doctor turned and left the group standing there, still feeling no more at ease than before the doctor had explained what was going on.
"I'm not leavin' her with no one watchin' her. She'd be a target for any vamps look for a quick feed on the Slayer," Spike said angrily.
Giles nodded. "It would be best if you stayed here. I'll be here before sunrise, that way you can go home, get some rest."
Spike nodded and sat down in the hard plastic seats outside of Buffy's door.
"I wanna stay," Dawn said softly.
Spike looked up at her and gently touched her hand. She stepped towards him and looked down at his tear filled eyes.
"There's nothing you can do here Nibblet. Best go home, get some sleep. You can come see your big sis in the morning," he said gently.
Dawn hesitated, but finally nodded her agreement. She let go of Spike's hand and stepped beside Giles who gently led her away from the hospital, leaving Spike to keep guard of the injured Slayer.