Q & A #51
Buffy handed the mug to the woman on the couch. "Two creams, no sugar, right?"
Sam looked up with a look of gratitude. "Right." She glanced down at her eleven month old daughter, playing contentedly on the living room rug with a set of brightly coloured blocks. "She's so precious. So ..." The ex-soldier brushed away a tear. "I'm sorry. You don't need this. I just didn't know where else to go."
Buffy sat beside her on the couch. "What happened. You and Riley? You seemed so happy."
"I love Finn." Sam shook her head, as if trying to shake out the pain. "I love him, but it's just so strange. There's something he's not telling me. He's changed." She looked down into her coffee, but didn't drink it. "And maybe I've changed."
"Did something happen?" Buffy asked.
"Our life was perfect. Oh, maybe things weren't as exciting for me anymore. No. Belay that. Having her was excitement enough." She ran her fingers up and down the handle of the mug. "We were so happy. I thought I had everything I wanted."
Buffy's tone was calm, measured. "What did he do?"
"I found blood on the baby's sock. Not much. And there was a little pin prick mark on her heel." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I asked him about it, but he said he hadn't noticed. Maybe it was an insect bite, he said."
"But it wasn't?"
Sam's lips were pursed, her eyes shut. "No. I walked into her room a few days later. I guess he didn't hear me coming." She sighed, a deep, troubled sigh. "He had a needle. He was injecting her with something. I saw it, Buffy. Saw it clear as day."
"He was injecting her? That's just ..."
"Bizarre? Insane? So I spun him around. Said 'Finn, what the hell are you doing?' But he must have shoved the hypodermic in his pocket. Denied everything. Said I looked tired, I should lie down. I was imagining things."
"But you weren't."
"Things started to come together. Little pieces. We got her so fast. It shouldn't have been that easy. And her doctor. Riley came up with his name. I didn't know anything about him. Little things. Nothing things." She took a long drink of the hot liquid, gulping it down. "I think he's doing some kind of experiment on her." She put her hand on Buffy's, who tried not to flinch. "She's just a little girl. Just a baby." She squeezed Buffy's hand. "Please don't think I'm crazy. I confronted him, and he almost hit me. Then he laughed it off." Tears were flowing down her cheeks now. "I took my car and drove to the closest city. Made a paper trail. Used charge cards for everything, gas, hotel. Took out just enough cash to buy a second hand wreck from a teenager and drove here. I'm sorry I didn't call."
"He did." Buffy said softly. "He called. Looking for you. Last Friday night."
Sam jumped at the voice from the doorway. "Company, pet?"
Meredith peeked her head around her father's legs. "Hi Erin."
Buffy handed the mug to the woman on the couch. "Two creams, no sugar, right?"
Sam looked up with a look of gratitude. "Right." She glanced down at her eleven month old daughter, playing contentedly on the living room rug with a set of brightly coloured blocks. "She's so precious. So ..." The ex-soldier brushed away a tear. "I'm sorry. You don't need this. I just didn't know where else to go."
Buffy sat beside her on the couch. "What happened. You and Riley? You seemed so happy."
"I love Finn." Sam shook her head, as if trying to shake out the pain. "I love him, but it's just so strange. There's something he's not telling me. He's changed." She looked down into her coffee, but didn't drink it. "And maybe I've changed."
"Did something happen?" Buffy asked.
"Our life was perfect. Oh, maybe things weren't as exciting for me anymore. No. Belay that. Having her was excitement enough." She ran her fingers up and down the handle of the mug. "We were so happy. I thought I had everything I wanted."
Buffy's tone was calm, measured. "What did he do?"
"I found blood on the baby's sock. Not much. And there was a little pin prick mark on her heel." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I asked him about it, but he said he hadn't noticed. Maybe it was an insect bite, he said."
"But it wasn't?"
Sam's lips were pursed, her eyes shut. "No. I walked into her room a few days later. I guess he didn't hear me coming." She sighed, a deep, troubled sigh. "He had a needle. He was injecting her with something. I saw it, Buffy. Saw it clear as day."
"He was injecting her? That's just ..."
"Bizarre? Insane? So I spun him around. Said 'Finn, what the hell are you doing?' But he must have shoved the hypodermic in his pocket. Denied everything. Said I looked tired, I should lie down. I was imagining things."
"But you weren't."
"Things started to come together. Little pieces. We got her so fast. It shouldn't have been that easy. And her doctor. Riley came up with his name. I didn't know anything about him. Little things. Nothing things." She took a long drink of the hot liquid, gulping it down. "I think he's doing some kind of experiment on her." She put her hand on Buffy's, who tried not to flinch. "She's just a little girl. Just a baby." She squeezed Buffy's hand. "Please don't think I'm crazy. I confronted him, and he almost hit me. Then he laughed it off." Tears were flowing down her cheeks now. "I took my car and drove to the closest city. Made a paper trail. Used charge cards for everything, gas, hotel. Took out just enough cash to buy a second hand wreck from a teenager and drove here. I'm sorry I didn't call."
"He did." Buffy said softly. "He called. Looking for you. Last Friday night."
Sam jumped at the voice from the doorway. "Company, pet?"
Meredith peeked her head around her father's legs. "Hi Erin."