Ch 6. Meeting



Buffy, can you pass me the TV remote? Buffy? Buffy… BUFFY!

"What!?", she snaps out of it & finally hears Dawn.

"Gimme the remote!"

"Oh." She hands her the remote, "Here."

"What's wrong with you?" asks Dawn.

"What?"

"You seem distracted."

"I'm not." says Buffy.

"Are you sure? You look like you saw a ghost or something."

"No I didn't see any ghost."

Dawn shrugs, "Alright, then."
She turns on the TV, and begins watching; while Buffy just sits there thinking about that guy. How is it possible that someone can look almost identical to another stranger? He even talked like him. If I didn't know better, I would think it was him. But it's not. So I should just forget about it. But I just can't seem to do that. Maybe I just imagined it all and that guy actually looks nothing like Spike. Yeah, that's probably it. I mean, he didn't even have bleached hair; his was brown. So there. He doesn't look like him & I just thought it did because… I miss him? Nah. That can't be it. Anyway it doesn't matter now cause I won't ever see him again.

A few minutes later a nurse comes in. "…And be sure to stop by the desk before you leave. You need to sing the release forms & we need to check your insurance card."

"Yeah sure, it's right here in my pur…" she stops midway. Oh crap!

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Around later, Buffy goes back to the guy's room. It's okay, just go in there, get the purse and try not to look directly at him, she think to herself. She goes in.

He sees here & sits up, "Hey, you came back."

"I forgot my purse." She says looking down by his neck.

"Yeah, I know. It's in that cabinet."

"Oh okay." She gets her purse, and begins turning around.

"Wait, you not gonna rush outta here again, like last time are you?" he says.

She turns back around and finally looks at him. "It's just last time, I guess I uh got a little freaked out when I saw you." But I don't seem to be anymore…

"You thought I was someone else?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

"You just look so much like him. I guess it was a little painful seeing him, when I saw you. Even though it wasn't him; it was you. I mean you're not him, obviously you're you. I'm sorry I'm rambling… "

"No that's okay, you look cute rambling."

She shrugs, "I guess."

"So... uh, this guy, he must've hurt you."

"Why would you say that?"

"You said it was painful to see him. I guess one would assume he hurt you a bit."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I was kinda at a weird place in my life." What am I doing talking about something quite personal to a total stranger?

There's a couple seconds silence. He breaks it, "Could you hand me that cup of juice?"

"Sure." She quickly turns and steps wrong, causing her to trip. She promptly tries to pull herself up by grabbing the closest thing near her, which happens to be his cast leg, and tugs it down with her. His body jerks up, and Buffy finally lets go & gets up.

She cringes, "Oh my God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. Ugh, and it was the leg that's already injured. I am so sorry."

He reassembles himself back up. "No, no. It's okay."

"Are you sure? I mean it's hurt & I made it worse. I kinda dragged you down." she says, talking fast.

"No really. Its fine." He says.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better? Cuz' if you're in pain I could go get a nurse."

"No don't get a nurse. I didn't feel anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I don't have any consciousness in that leg. I can't move it or feel anything on it."

"Oh." She says softly, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's not your fault."

"If you don't mind, how did it happen?"

"I… uh, got hit by a truck."

She winces, "Oh... uh, that's horrible. It must've really...sucked."

"I guess, I don't really remember... So why are you here, in the hospital?"

"Oh, my little sister got slashed on her shoulder by a dem--knife."

"Poor thing."

"But she's okay… You know, I just realized I've been here for about five minutes now, & you don't even know who I am or me either." she says, then extends her hand out. "I'm Buffy Summers."

He shakes her hand, "Buffy, that's a interesting name. Hehe, Buffy… "

"Hey, don't gimme crap about my name. I like it."

"Well good for you." He says kiddingly.

"So what's your name?"

He pauses for a second, " It's uh… David Schroeder, apparently."

She gives him a funny look. "Okay… Well you know David not such a great name, either. It's very common. Like John. You'd think with the accent, your name would be more English."

"That's what I thought, too."

She looks at her watch, "It's been awhile, I should get back."

"Poo."

"Yeah, It was nice meeting you, David."

"Nice meeting you, too." he says.

"Bye." She begins to leave to the room.

"Hey Buffy..."

"Yeah?" she turns around.

"When you're not busy, do you think that maybe... you could come visit me sometime? I'd like that. I don't really get any visitors, so besides the doctors & nurses I don't see anybody else. And I'd really like to see you, again."

"Sure." she smiles at him, as she leaves. "I'll come back sometime."