Chapter 5
"Angel!" Buffy screamed. The pain ripped through her and she collapsed to the floor. Tears fell down her cheeks as she lie on the floor screaming her husband's name. "Angel!"
"Buffy!" Angel yelled when he rushed in and saw his wife on the floor. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
"The.baby.it's.time.OWWWWWWW! Angel!" Buffy managed to gasp and scream between waves of pain. She needn't have said any more. Angel scooped her up into his arms and ran her to the car. She trembled and writhed in his grasp. It was hard to keep her from falling. She had more strength when she was in pain and right now she was in a lot.
He finally got her in the car and then himself. He hadn't even shut his door by the time they were speeding down Revello Drive and headed towards the Sunnydale Medical Center. When they arrived, Buffy's water had already broken and she was in even more pain than before. Something wasn't right, there wasn't supposed to be that much pain shooting through her, or at least that's what all those books her and Buffy had read together had said.
"Doctor! She needs a doctor!" Angel bellowed.
Two paramedics came in with a stretcher and took Buffy from Angel. He refused to leave her side, so he was allowed to go as far as the delivery room. As Buffy was carted through the doors, a doctor stopped and turned to Angel.
"Does she have a doctor that's been attending to her all nine months?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, God, what's his name? Um, Dr. Dr. Lemmon! His name is Dr. Lemmon!" Angel said.
"Ok. I have to go in there with your wife sir. If the doctor will let me, I'll allow you to come in. Right now you need to go and wait over there." He pointed to a row of chairs lined against the wall near a reception desk. Angel walked over to them but didn't sit down. He walked to the nurse behind the desk and asked to use the phone. The first person he called was Willow. She was spending the day with Tara.
"Hello?" Tara's voice came over the line.
"Tara? It's Angel. Is Willow there?"
"Yeah, she's in the bathroom taking a shower right now. Is everything ok?"
"It's Buffy. She's in the hospital. I'm here with her now." He was near tears.
"Angel! We'll be there in a few minutes."
They hung up and he called Xander.
"Hey Dead Boy! What's going on?" Xander said when Angel identified himself.
"Shut up Xander. Buffy's in the hospital."
"I'll be there in a minute." Xander hung up on him and then Angel called the Hyperion.
"Angel Investigations, we help the."
"Lorne?"
"Angel?"
"Yeah, it's me. Is Cordy there?"
"Yeah hold on." Lorne called for Cordy and then got back on the line. "Is everything ok? You sound panicked."
"Buffy, she's in the hospital."
"Oh. Here's Cordy."
"Hey Angel! Nice to hear from the vampire that moves and never calls."
"Cordelia, not now."
"Angel what's the matter?"
"It's Buffy, she's here. She's in the hospital. Can you. can you come to Sunnydale?"
"I'm already on my way."
Cordelia hung up the phone and Angel called Faith.
"Hello?"
"Spike? Where's Faith?"
"Hello there Nancy Boy!"
"Spike! Where's Faith? I need to talk to Faith?"
"She's at the store. What the hell's the matter with you?"
"Spike, get Faith and get to the hospital. Now."
"Why?"
"It's Buffy." Angel hung up on the other vampire. He was still a little peeved at the fact that Spike had been with his girl. For God's sake, Angel had marked her and Spike hadn't had the decency to keep his hands off of Buffy. He quietly seethed on the inside at the bleached blond vampire until Willow and Tara came running in.
"Angel! Where's Buffy? What's the matter?" Willow asked after she had hugged him.
"She's in there Willow. I don't know if she's ok. They haven't come to tell me what's wrong with my wife and son." Angel started to cry and Willow sat him down and held him to her. He was a total wreck. "Willow, help her. Do a spell and make her and my son all right. Please." He looked at her pleadingly.
"I can't Angel, even if I could. I'm not supposed to do magic for one thing, and for another, I can't mess with medical magicks." Willow responded looking to Tara for some help.
"She's right. If the tiniest thing were to go wrong, we could cause something bad to happen to Buffy and Conner." Tara said as soothingly as she could.
"Hey!" Xander said, running up to the small group of people.
"Xander," Willow said, "be nice. I don't want you to start trouble with Angel."
"I'm not gonna. Angel man, what's wrong?" Xander asked.
Angel lifted his head and looked at Xander. "Buffy went into labor not too long ago and she was in more pain than she should be. I mean that's what all those baby books said. I could barely contain her when I was carrying her. She was thrashing and screaming when I got her here."
"May.maybe it's because she's the slayer. I mean, she's different from everyone else and." Tara was interrupted by the doctor who was walking up.
"Mr. Angel." Dr Lemmon said.
"Just Angel." Angel stated as he stood and wiped the tears away. "Can I go in there?"
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait in the waiting room."
"What's wrong with my wife?"
"The baby's umbilical chord is wrapped around his neck and Buffy can't push him out. We're taking her in to have an emergency c-section."
"Is Conner going to be ok?"
"If we can get to him on time, you're son will make it through just fine. Please, Ms. Lane here will take you to the waiting room down the hall."
Angel allowed the nurse to lead him and the others to a small private waiting room. Willow was at his side and holding his hand as they sat down. Ten minutes later, Faith and Spike ran in.
"What's happened? Is Buffy ok?" Spike asked.
"We don't know yet. The doctor came out and told Angel that the umbilical chord is wrapped around the baby's neck. Buffy has to have an emergency c- section." Willow said. Angel couldn't talk. He was in a state of shock.
Faith walked up to Angel and he looked at her when she kneeled down in front of him. "Buffy is going to pull through this. So is Conner. You are not going to lose either one of them. Buffy is stronger than me. She's pulled through much worse things than this." Faith said. All Angel could do was look back sown at the floor. Faith hugged him and moved over to where Spike was standing against the wall.
Suddenly Angel looked at Willow and said, "Someone needs to get Dawn. She's at school. She had a project that her and her friends had to work on. She needs to be here."
"I'll get her." Xander said. He left without another word.
They had all been sitting there for two and a half hours. Xander had brought Dawn to the hospital less than fifteen minutes after he had left. He must have driven like a maniac. Angel was pacing and running his fingers through his hair every five seconds and staring at the clock when Cordy, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Gru walked in.
"I am so sorry Angel." Cordelia said as she and Angel hugged. "How is she?"
"I don't know! They won't even let me in there to be at her side." Angel said, tears threatening to fall again. Then Wesley, Fred and Gunn came and hugged Angel in turn.
Gru came up and patted Angel on the shoulder. "You're princess is going to be ok. From the stories that Cordelia has told me of Buffy, she is going to make it through this like a true warrior."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." With that, they all sat and watched Angel pace.
After 40 minutes of his pacing, the doctor finally came in. Angel didn't even notice. He was too busy going through all his memories of him and Buffy together over the years.
"Angel." Willow said, stepping in front of him and pointing to the door. "The doctor."
Angel quickly snapped out of it and walked to the doctor with Willow by his side. "Is she.?" Angel started.
"She's going to be fine. Your wife is one of the strongest people I've ever met. You can go see her now, but only one or two at a time. She is still weak and she needs her rest. She's in room 208, just down the hall."
Angel rushed passed the doctor and down the hall. He came to an abrupt halt when he nearly passed 208. Before he walked in, he took a collective breath to calm him down (not that he needed it) and tried to get his hands to stop shaking. Once he had got it reasonably within control, he opened the door and walked in.
Buffy was lying on the bed with her head turned towards the now darkened window. She was pale and small looking against the pink tinted sheets. There was an IV coming from her arm and leading to a bag that hung over her bed. Next to the bed was a heart monitor that had a steady boop boop boop rhythm to it. In front of that there was a chair that Angel walked to and sat in. He took Buffy's hands in his and kissed it. She turned her head to look at him.
"Angel?"
"Yeah baby, it's me." He said, voice cracking with emotions as more tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. "How are you?"
"That hurt."
"I bet it did."
"Angel?"
"Yes?"
"We have a beautiful son that weighs six pounds and eight ounces. He looks like his daddy with his mommy's hair."
Angel smiled as the tears turned from that of distress into ones of joy. Buffy smiled at him and cried with him. He stroked her face and pushed the hair that had fallen there away. This was the woman he loved and if he had lost her or Conner today, he probably would have had his heart cut out.
Angel got up and signaled Dawn to come in. He knew that they were all piled out there waiting for their turn to see Buffy.
"Hey Buffy!" Dawn said.
"Hey there kiddo." Buffy said, giving the best smile that she could.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like the truck ran me over a few hundred times after the train finished with me."
"Ouch. Can I. can I hug you?"
"Of course you can!"
Dawn smiled and threw her arms around her sister. When Buffy winced, Dawn pulled back too quickly and nearly ran over Angel.
"Oh God, I hurt you! I knew I would hurt you!" Dawn said frantically. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok Dawn. You just hit the place where they made the incision to get Conner out, that's all. Now come here and hug me."
"Are you sure?"
"Come here."
Dawn walked over and gently hugged her sister, being careful not to touch Buffy's stomach.
"Do you want to see Willow and Tara now?" Angel said from the chair.
"Of course I do. Dawnie, go out and wait in the hall." Buffy said hoarsely.
He stuck his head out the door when Dawn opened it and walked out and beckoned Willow and Tara to come in. Tara hung back a little to allow Willow to see her friend.
"Hey Buff. You look great!" Willow said enthusiastically.
"Haha Wills, very, very funny. I look like hell. Admit it." Buffy said.
"For someone who just had a c-section and you're not unconscious, you look pretty good."
"I'll just be quiet. You have resolve face."
"Yup."
Willow hugged Buffy gently and then allowed Tara to come up.
"Hey Tara." Buffy said.
"Hey. Willow's right, you look great for someone who just went through all that."
"Thank you. I'm glad you are here to back up Willow's white lies." Buffy tried to sit up, but she groaned and winced back down.
"Don't do that Buffy!" Angel said rushing up out of the chair to make sure she was ok.
"Angel, sweetie, I'm fine. I just did that a little too quick."
"Well stop. I want you and Conner home as soon as possible."
Willow and Tara smiled at the couple and walked out, telling Xander he could go in.
"Buffster!" Xander said, obviously trying to get a smile out of her.
"Xander!" It worked, she smiled.
"Geez, you look like hell!"
"Thank you."
"I'm kidding. Not even the sun would look as good as you do right now if I was trapped at night with a cadre of vampires."
Buffy lifted one eyebrow and gazed at him.
"What?"
Same expression.
"Ok, that was a lie. But you gotta admit that it was one heck of a lie."
Buffy's expression melted away and turned to a beaming smile. Xander came over to hug her and whispered in her ear, "You'll never believe it, but Cordy is out there and she is actually concerned about you."
Buffy stifled a laugh as Xander walked out of the room and Faith and Spike entered.
"Yo B, diggin' the hospital wear." Faith said.
"Laugh all you want now missy, but you are the one who wants to have baby." Buffy said.
"That talk we had a month ago? Thanks. I'm slowly wearin' freak of nature boy over here down."
"Hey. I'm standing right bloody here." Spike said.
"Hi Spike." Buffy said.
"Hey there luv, how are you feelin'?"
"Like I told Dawn: I feel like the truck ran me over a couple hundred times right after the train."
"Can I get you anything?"
"No. Unless the doctor will let me have some orange juice."
"I'll go see." Spike left the room in search of a doctor to ask if Buffy could have some OJ.
"Wow, he never does that for me!" Faith said.
"I'm not used to that either!" Buffy said, staring wide eyed at the door.
"How's Conner?"
"He's ok. They took him and put him with a bunch of nurses to observe him for a little while, but I should get to see him soon."
"That's good."
"Yeah. From what the doctors were saying when they were delivering Conner, we're both lucky. A person of my size with complications like that doesn't usually make it through ok. Now why they were discussing that while I was lying there, I have yet to discover." Faith laughed and so did Angel, only Angel's was a little more strained.
"I'm going to go find Spike and tell Queen C and Wes out there that they can come see you."
"Ok."
"Later B."
A few seconds later, Cordy walk in, followed by Wesley with a big bouquet of flowers and a balloon proclaiming "It's a Boy!" on it. When Wesley saw the look of astonishment on Buffy's face, he just shrugged and put them on the table by the window.
"Hey Buffy. How are you?" Cordy asked.
"Wishing people would stop asking me that for one. Sorry Cordy, but it's kind of getting really old." Buffy said.
"Oh."
"I didn't mean that hurtfully, but it is kind of annoying."
"It's ok."
"Hello Buffy." Wesley said.
"A balloon and flowers Wes? Have you stooped that low to our American traditions?"
"Cordelia suggested it. I picked out the flowers."
"I love them. Thank you."
Wesley bent down to hug her as a nurse walked in followed by Spike.
"Here luv, they let you have the OJ you wanted." Spike said.
"Thank you."
"Excuse me everyone. Mrs. Summers here needs her rest. And the mother and father need to have a short time with their son. So if you all will be so kind." The nurse shooed them all out. She then allowed Dawn to come in and watch at Buffy's request.
About five minutes later, the nurse came in carrying the tiny baby in her arms.
"Here you are Mrs. Summers, your beautiful baby boy." The nurse said, laying Conner in Buffy's arms then leaving.
"Dawn, I'd like you to meet your nephew Conner Alexander Summers." Buffy said. "Hey there little guy. I'm your mommy and this is your daddy and that girl over there is your aunt Dawn."
"He's beautiful Buffy." Angel said as Conner grabbed onto Angel's finger.
"Hey! He looks like Angel, only with blond hair!" Dawn said as she slowly walked up to her family.
Buffy stroked Conner's hair gently as Angel held onto her and the tiny hand gripping on his finger.
"Dawn, come here. Don't be scared." Buffy lifted the sheets and patted the bed beside her. Dawn came over reluctantly and half sat, half laid beside Buffy.
The door opened and Willow popped her head in.
"The nurse left and I wanted a picture of this. I saw you guys through the window shades." Willow said coming over to the bed with her camera.
"Conner, that's your aunt Willow. She can be insane sometimes, but she will never live up to the insanity that is your uncle Xander, who you're named after." Buffy said softly.
"Say cheese!" Willow said.
"Angel!" Buffy screamed. The pain ripped through her and she collapsed to the floor. Tears fell down her cheeks as she lie on the floor screaming her husband's name. "Angel!"
"Buffy!" Angel yelled when he rushed in and saw his wife on the floor. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
"The.baby.it's.time.OWWWWWWW! Angel!" Buffy managed to gasp and scream between waves of pain. She needn't have said any more. Angel scooped her up into his arms and ran her to the car. She trembled and writhed in his grasp. It was hard to keep her from falling. She had more strength when she was in pain and right now she was in a lot.
He finally got her in the car and then himself. He hadn't even shut his door by the time they were speeding down Revello Drive and headed towards the Sunnydale Medical Center. When they arrived, Buffy's water had already broken and she was in even more pain than before. Something wasn't right, there wasn't supposed to be that much pain shooting through her, or at least that's what all those books her and Buffy had read together had said.
"Doctor! She needs a doctor!" Angel bellowed.
Two paramedics came in with a stretcher and took Buffy from Angel. He refused to leave her side, so he was allowed to go as far as the delivery room. As Buffy was carted through the doors, a doctor stopped and turned to Angel.
"Does she have a doctor that's been attending to her all nine months?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, God, what's his name? Um, Dr. Dr. Lemmon! His name is Dr. Lemmon!" Angel said.
"Ok. I have to go in there with your wife sir. If the doctor will let me, I'll allow you to come in. Right now you need to go and wait over there." He pointed to a row of chairs lined against the wall near a reception desk. Angel walked over to them but didn't sit down. He walked to the nurse behind the desk and asked to use the phone. The first person he called was Willow. She was spending the day with Tara.
"Hello?" Tara's voice came over the line.
"Tara? It's Angel. Is Willow there?"
"Yeah, she's in the bathroom taking a shower right now. Is everything ok?"
"It's Buffy. She's in the hospital. I'm here with her now." He was near tears.
"Angel! We'll be there in a few minutes."
They hung up and he called Xander.
"Hey Dead Boy! What's going on?" Xander said when Angel identified himself.
"Shut up Xander. Buffy's in the hospital."
"I'll be there in a minute." Xander hung up on him and then Angel called the Hyperion.
"Angel Investigations, we help the."
"Lorne?"
"Angel?"
"Yeah, it's me. Is Cordy there?"
"Yeah hold on." Lorne called for Cordy and then got back on the line. "Is everything ok? You sound panicked."
"Buffy, she's in the hospital."
"Oh. Here's Cordy."
"Hey Angel! Nice to hear from the vampire that moves and never calls."
"Cordelia, not now."
"Angel what's the matter?"
"It's Buffy, she's here. She's in the hospital. Can you. can you come to Sunnydale?"
"I'm already on my way."
Cordelia hung up the phone and Angel called Faith.
"Hello?"
"Spike? Where's Faith?"
"Hello there Nancy Boy!"
"Spike! Where's Faith? I need to talk to Faith?"
"She's at the store. What the hell's the matter with you?"
"Spike, get Faith and get to the hospital. Now."
"Why?"
"It's Buffy." Angel hung up on the other vampire. He was still a little peeved at the fact that Spike had been with his girl. For God's sake, Angel had marked her and Spike hadn't had the decency to keep his hands off of Buffy. He quietly seethed on the inside at the bleached blond vampire until Willow and Tara came running in.
"Angel! Where's Buffy? What's the matter?" Willow asked after she had hugged him.
"She's in there Willow. I don't know if she's ok. They haven't come to tell me what's wrong with my wife and son." Angel started to cry and Willow sat him down and held him to her. He was a total wreck. "Willow, help her. Do a spell and make her and my son all right. Please." He looked at her pleadingly.
"I can't Angel, even if I could. I'm not supposed to do magic for one thing, and for another, I can't mess with medical magicks." Willow responded looking to Tara for some help.
"She's right. If the tiniest thing were to go wrong, we could cause something bad to happen to Buffy and Conner." Tara said as soothingly as she could.
"Hey!" Xander said, running up to the small group of people.
"Xander," Willow said, "be nice. I don't want you to start trouble with Angel."
"I'm not gonna. Angel man, what's wrong?" Xander asked.
Angel lifted his head and looked at Xander. "Buffy went into labor not too long ago and she was in more pain than she should be. I mean that's what all those baby books said. I could barely contain her when I was carrying her. She was thrashing and screaming when I got her here."
"May.maybe it's because she's the slayer. I mean, she's different from everyone else and." Tara was interrupted by the doctor who was walking up.
"Mr. Angel." Dr Lemmon said.
"Just Angel." Angel stated as he stood and wiped the tears away. "Can I go in there?"
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait in the waiting room."
"What's wrong with my wife?"
"The baby's umbilical chord is wrapped around his neck and Buffy can't push him out. We're taking her in to have an emergency c-section."
"Is Conner going to be ok?"
"If we can get to him on time, you're son will make it through just fine. Please, Ms. Lane here will take you to the waiting room down the hall."
Angel allowed the nurse to lead him and the others to a small private waiting room. Willow was at his side and holding his hand as they sat down. Ten minutes later, Faith and Spike ran in.
"What's happened? Is Buffy ok?" Spike asked.
"We don't know yet. The doctor came out and told Angel that the umbilical chord is wrapped around the baby's neck. Buffy has to have an emergency c- section." Willow said. Angel couldn't talk. He was in a state of shock.
Faith walked up to Angel and he looked at her when she kneeled down in front of him. "Buffy is going to pull through this. So is Conner. You are not going to lose either one of them. Buffy is stronger than me. She's pulled through much worse things than this." Faith said. All Angel could do was look back sown at the floor. Faith hugged him and moved over to where Spike was standing against the wall.
Suddenly Angel looked at Willow and said, "Someone needs to get Dawn. She's at school. She had a project that her and her friends had to work on. She needs to be here."
"I'll get her." Xander said. He left without another word.
They had all been sitting there for two and a half hours. Xander had brought Dawn to the hospital less than fifteen minutes after he had left. He must have driven like a maniac. Angel was pacing and running his fingers through his hair every five seconds and staring at the clock when Cordy, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Gru walked in.
"I am so sorry Angel." Cordelia said as she and Angel hugged. "How is she?"
"I don't know! They won't even let me in there to be at her side." Angel said, tears threatening to fall again. Then Wesley, Fred and Gunn came and hugged Angel in turn.
Gru came up and patted Angel on the shoulder. "You're princess is going to be ok. From the stories that Cordelia has told me of Buffy, she is going to make it through this like a true warrior."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." With that, they all sat and watched Angel pace.
After 40 minutes of his pacing, the doctor finally came in. Angel didn't even notice. He was too busy going through all his memories of him and Buffy together over the years.
"Angel." Willow said, stepping in front of him and pointing to the door. "The doctor."
Angel quickly snapped out of it and walked to the doctor with Willow by his side. "Is she.?" Angel started.
"She's going to be fine. Your wife is one of the strongest people I've ever met. You can go see her now, but only one or two at a time. She is still weak and she needs her rest. She's in room 208, just down the hall."
Angel rushed passed the doctor and down the hall. He came to an abrupt halt when he nearly passed 208. Before he walked in, he took a collective breath to calm him down (not that he needed it) and tried to get his hands to stop shaking. Once he had got it reasonably within control, he opened the door and walked in.
Buffy was lying on the bed with her head turned towards the now darkened window. She was pale and small looking against the pink tinted sheets. There was an IV coming from her arm and leading to a bag that hung over her bed. Next to the bed was a heart monitor that had a steady boop boop boop rhythm to it. In front of that there was a chair that Angel walked to and sat in. He took Buffy's hands in his and kissed it. She turned her head to look at him.
"Angel?"
"Yeah baby, it's me." He said, voice cracking with emotions as more tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. "How are you?"
"That hurt."
"I bet it did."
"Angel?"
"Yes?"
"We have a beautiful son that weighs six pounds and eight ounces. He looks like his daddy with his mommy's hair."
Angel smiled as the tears turned from that of distress into ones of joy. Buffy smiled at him and cried with him. He stroked her face and pushed the hair that had fallen there away. This was the woman he loved and if he had lost her or Conner today, he probably would have had his heart cut out.
Angel got up and signaled Dawn to come in. He knew that they were all piled out there waiting for their turn to see Buffy.
"Hey Buffy!" Dawn said.
"Hey there kiddo." Buffy said, giving the best smile that she could.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like the truck ran me over a few hundred times after the train finished with me."
"Ouch. Can I. can I hug you?"
"Of course you can!"
Dawn smiled and threw her arms around her sister. When Buffy winced, Dawn pulled back too quickly and nearly ran over Angel.
"Oh God, I hurt you! I knew I would hurt you!" Dawn said frantically. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok Dawn. You just hit the place where they made the incision to get Conner out, that's all. Now come here and hug me."
"Are you sure?"
"Come here."
Dawn walked over and gently hugged her sister, being careful not to touch Buffy's stomach.
"Do you want to see Willow and Tara now?" Angel said from the chair.
"Of course I do. Dawnie, go out and wait in the hall." Buffy said hoarsely.
He stuck his head out the door when Dawn opened it and walked out and beckoned Willow and Tara to come in. Tara hung back a little to allow Willow to see her friend.
"Hey Buff. You look great!" Willow said enthusiastically.
"Haha Wills, very, very funny. I look like hell. Admit it." Buffy said.
"For someone who just had a c-section and you're not unconscious, you look pretty good."
"I'll just be quiet. You have resolve face."
"Yup."
Willow hugged Buffy gently and then allowed Tara to come up.
"Hey Tara." Buffy said.
"Hey. Willow's right, you look great for someone who just went through all that."
"Thank you. I'm glad you are here to back up Willow's white lies." Buffy tried to sit up, but she groaned and winced back down.
"Don't do that Buffy!" Angel said rushing up out of the chair to make sure she was ok.
"Angel, sweetie, I'm fine. I just did that a little too quick."
"Well stop. I want you and Conner home as soon as possible."
Willow and Tara smiled at the couple and walked out, telling Xander he could go in.
"Buffster!" Xander said, obviously trying to get a smile out of her.
"Xander!" It worked, she smiled.
"Geez, you look like hell!"
"Thank you."
"I'm kidding. Not even the sun would look as good as you do right now if I was trapped at night with a cadre of vampires."
Buffy lifted one eyebrow and gazed at him.
"What?"
Same expression.
"Ok, that was a lie. But you gotta admit that it was one heck of a lie."
Buffy's expression melted away and turned to a beaming smile. Xander came over to hug her and whispered in her ear, "You'll never believe it, but Cordy is out there and she is actually concerned about you."
Buffy stifled a laugh as Xander walked out of the room and Faith and Spike entered.
"Yo B, diggin' the hospital wear." Faith said.
"Laugh all you want now missy, but you are the one who wants to have baby." Buffy said.
"That talk we had a month ago? Thanks. I'm slowly wearin' freak of nature boy over here down."
"Hey. I'm standing right bloody here." Spike said.
"Hi Spike." Buffy said.
"Hey there luv, how are you feelin'?"
"Like I told Dawn: I feel like the truck ran me over a couple hundred times right after the train."
"Can I get you anything?"
"No. Unless the doctor will let me have some orange juice."
"I'll go see." Spike left the room in search of a doctor to ask if Buffy could have some OJ.
"Wow, he never does that for me!" Faith said.
"I'm not used to that either!" Buffy said, staring wide eyed at the door.
"How's Conner?"
"He's ok. They took him and put him with a bunch of nurses to observe him for a little while, but I should get to see him soon."
"That's good."
"Yeah. From what the doctors were saying when they were delivering Conner, we're both lucky. A person of my size with complications like that doesn't usually make it through ok. Now why they were discussing that while I was lying there, I have yet to discover." Faith laughed and so did Angel, only Angel's was a little more strained.
"I'm going to go find Spike and tell Queen C and Wes out there that they can come see you."
"Ok."
"Later B."
A few seconds later, Cordy walk in, followed by Wesley with a big bouquet of flowers and a balloon proclaiming "It's a Boy!" on it. When Wesley saw the look of astonishment on Buffy's face, he just shrugged and put them on the table by the window.
"Hey Buffy. How are you?" Cordy asked.
"Wishing people would stop asking me that for one. Sorry Cordy, but it's kind of getting really old." Buffy said.
"Oh."
"I didn't mean that hurtfully, but it is kind of annoying."
"It's ok."
"Hello Buffy." Wesley said.
"A balloon and flowers Wes? Have you stooped that low to our American traditions?"
"Cordelia suggested it. I picked out the flowers."
"I love them. Thank you."
Wesley bent down to hug her as a nurse walked in followed by Spike.
"Here luv, they let you have the OJ you wanted." Spike said.
"Thank you."
"Excuse me everyone. Mrs. Summers here needs her rest. And the mother and father need to have a short time with their son. So if you all will be so kind." The nurse shooed them all out. She then allowed Dawn to come in and watch at Buffy's request.
About five minutes later, the nurse came in carrying the tiny baby in her arms.
"Here you are Mrs. Summers, your beautiful baby boy." The nurse said, laying Conner in Buffy's arms then leaving.
"Dawn, I'd like you to meet your nephew Conner Alexander Summers." Buffy said. "Hey there little guy. I'm your mommy and this is your daddy and that girl over there is your aunt Dawn."
"He's beautiful Buffy." Angel said as Conner grabbed onto Angel's finger.
"Hey! He looks like Angel, only with blond hair!" Dawn said as she slowly walked up to her family.
Buffy stroked Conner's hair gently as Angel held onto her and the tiny hand gripping on his finger.
"Dawn, come here. Don't be scared." Buffy lifted the sheets and patted the bed beside her. Dawn came over reluctantly and half sat, half laid beside Buffy.
The door opened and Willow popped her head in.
"The nurse left and I wanted a picture of this. I saw you guys through the window shades." Willow said coming over to the bed with her camera.
"Conner, that's your aunt Willow. She can be insane sometimes, but she will never live up to the insanity that is your uncle Xander, who you're named after." Buffy said softly.
"Say cheese!" Willow said.