Catastrophe
by
Disclaimer: I don't claim. Not mine. Bow to Joss Whedon.
Author's Note: Feedback may decide whether I finish this, so please tell me if you loved it, hated it, or somewhere in between!
Summary: An AU version of the events after the 5/15/01 BtVS episode. (Right after 'Spiral')
Rating: PG, so far.
PART THREE
From a rather annoyed older nurse at the desk, Spike learned that Dawn was now in a regular room, and he was rather reluctantly allowed to know which one. Moving quickly, and trying to surreptitiously avoid the sun-spots dotting the hall, the vampire went to see Buffy's little sister.
Upon entering the room, he was relieved to hear Dawn's steady breathing, unaided by any sort of machine. He crept silently to the side of the bed, and just sat there, awaiting her return to consciousness.
While he was waiting, he took the time to look her over. She had a cast on her arm, and a splint on her leg, since they didn't want to cast it just to remove it in order to do the surgeries. She had a bandage on her head, covering what Spike knew to be a deep cut, but otherwise looked pretty okay.
Spike reached over, and pushed the hair from her face, tenderly tucking it behind her ear. As he did so, she stirred, and her eyelids fluttered. Spike sat back, and waited for her to awaken.
When she'd opened her eyes all the way, she looked around nervously, taking in the bland hospital room, and relief was evident in her eyes when her gaze hit the old vampire. "Spike?" She managed, in a dry, hoarse voice.
"Yeah, Little Bit, I'm right here," Spike responded, pouring her a glass of water from the pitcher on the side table. He held it out to her, and she took it with her good hand.
"Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"How are the... Scoobies?"
Spike sighed. Now comes the tough part. "Xander and Anya are fine."
Dawn's face showed her panic, shock and denial. "But... but Willow! And Tara, and Giles! What about them?"
Spike looked at the ground. "'Fraid they weren't as lucky, pet."
"They're... they're... dead?"
Spike took her hand. "I'm sorry, love."
Dawn seemed to just crumple, and Spike's heart ached with the knowledge that he couldn't do anything further. She sobbed quietly, evidently in some pain, both emotional and physical. Spike suspected that it was much more the former, though, having been much closer to the two witches and Giles than Anya, and maybe even Xander.
The vampire just took her uninjured hand, and rubbed her arm. He didn't attempt to comfort her, knowing from previous experience that this action often actually created the opposite reaction from the one the comforter was trying to achieve. Instead, he simply stared down at her with what his what Drusilla had once called 'Blue, blue, bluer than the sky' eyes.
After a long moment, Dawn looked up at Spike, obviously terrified of the answer to her next question, and asked quietly, "Buffy?"
Spike felt terrible for not having brought this up on his own, before he'd caused her the extra worry, and answered hurriedly. "She's fine."Dawn's eyes lit with hope and joy, but narrowed a little when she realized that Spike had answered awfully quickly. "Really?"
"Really." After all, Buffy was going to live, and there was nothing wrong with a little white lie, right? Dawn would be able to handle the news of her sister's injuries better when she herself was healthier.
"Why isn't she here, then?"
"She got a little banged up, too, and they wanted to keep her here for a while too. But Slayer healing and all, she'll be out in no time, remember?"
Dawn smiled a little, fading fast. Spike recalled a nurse having told him that her periods of complete lucidity might be short, after this much trauma and with so many pain-killers in her system, for a while. He leaned down, and kissed her forehead. "Sleep, Little Bit. When you wake up later, Xander and Anya, and maybe your sister can come visit."
Dawn nodded sleepily, and closed her eyes. Spike waited for a long moment before it was obvious that she was fast asleep, and then, with one more kiss, this one on the back of the uninjured hand, he snuck from the room, heading back to the Slayer.
Back in Buffy's room, Spike quickly learned that the doctors had some news for Buffy, but she'd insisted on waiting until he returned before hearing it. He was touched, but then realized that he was the only adult figure in the entire area that she knew, and would soon be replaced by Angel, no doubt, who was already on his way.
The doctor's face was grim, and Spike thought he was almost as scared as the Slayer clearly was, clinging to his arm the way she was. Once or twice, she'd looked down at her grip, reconsidering, but had neglected to actually remove her arms. Spike had pretended not to notice, and that had seemed to help.
"Miss Summers," The doctor started.
"Buffy." She corrected him nervously. "I'm not old enough to be a 'miss'. And--" She cut herself off, realizing that she was nervously rambling, like she tended to do on occasion. "What were you saying?"
"Buffy," The doctor started again, "We've run some tests. Now, we don't have a definite prognosis on your injuries, because nerve damage is always tricky, but this is an overview of what we've found."
Spike's arm was being clenched with all the nervous strength of an anxious Slayer, and for once in his unlife, he was glad he was a vampire.
"Yes?" Buffy said, in a nervous tone, very unlike her usual voice. Spike continued to ignore her, paining himself considerably, but knowing it was best for her. If he acknowledged she was leaning on him for comfort, she might stop, and she really needed someone right now, he knew.
"You have some feeling and movement capabilities in both legs. That's good. Now, with time, and therapy, you ought to be able to walk unassisted again. But I'm afraid that they'll never be exactly like they used to be. And it may take some time, seeing as we've only seen extremely minor improvements from your initial check-in time."
Buffy looked down, and this time, Spike couldn't resist. He leaned over her, wrapping his arms around her small body, covering her frame with his. "Shhh, Slayer. It'll be okay," He consoled her.
With a burst of Slayer speed and strength, she pushed him away from her, very nearly landing him on his butt on the ground. He smirked a little. This might be tough, but as long as that Buffy was still in there, she'd be okay.
The doctor told her that the rest of her injuries were pretty minor, and that they only wanted to keep her one more night. They would teach her how to work a wheelchair, and she would get physical therapy every day, progressing to a walker, then crutches, a cane, and nothing. Buffy nodded though all of this, but kept a clear eye on the door, something that disheartened Spike a little, because she was obviously waiting for Angel.
The doctor was just finishing, telling her how to get a hold of him, when the door swung open, and the familiar, tall, dark vampire strode in with his usual confident walk, more hurried than usual in his haste to check on Buffy. "Buffy!"
Buffy looked up tiredly, but brightened just a little when she saw him. Spike felt like he was going green, he was so envious, but he knew that he would never have that kind of effect on the Slayer. It just wasn't meant to be. He'd keep trying, though, until she rebuffed him enough that he gave up completely.
Still it hurt him tremendously to watch her eyes light up as she called out his name. "Angel!"
"Hello," Spike greeted his sire, amicably enough. Angel barely spared a glance for him, and mostly a glare as it was, but at least he acknowledged the younger vampire.
"Spike."
The doctor nodded to Buffy, and motioned to the bell. "You can reach me though the nurses station," He informed her. "Just press that button, and tell the nurse that you need Doctor Gringlie, and I'll be here as soon as possible."
Buffy nodded back. "Thanks," She told him, and he slipped out of the door, oblivious to the fact that both of the vampires jumped out of the way of the sun as soon as he had cracked the door even a little.
The Slayer returned her gaze to the older vampire, and Spike stood to leave. Before he could get out of the room, though, he witnessed Angel wrapping his arms around Buffy the same way he had, just minutes ago.
Only he didn't get thrown onto the floor. Instead, he got snuggled.
Spike sighed internally with jealousy, and left, skirting the pockets of sunlight in the corridors, going to find something to do besides watch Angel and Buffy cuddle.
The room was dark, and the moonlight came through the blinds just a little as Spike was reading to Dawn. The book was some sappy, teenage angst/romance book that he was sure was going to make him gag sometime soon, but he was putting up with it for Dawn's sake.
There was a soft knock on the door, and then a pause as whoever it was waited to denied of admitted. Spike was impressed with their manners. In the hospital, nobody seemed to knock, they just walked in and out at their own free will, and Dawn had been complaining about her lack of privacy.
He was also so relieved that he didn't care who was on the other side, it could be Satan himself, as long as he didn't have to read the book for a while. He didn't want anyone to take it wrong, he loved Dawn, but the book was killing him. "Come in!"
Dawn struggled to turn her head towards the door without jarring her leg. It was swollen and the skin looked tight, a patch of gauze and medical tape over the stitches where her first surgery earlier in the day, had delved. She was still pretty out of it, but had insisted on seeing Xander, Anya and Buffy.
They wandered into the room, Xander pushing Buffy's wheelchair. Buffy had that look on her face, and Spike just knew that she'd fought him about it all the way there, but apparently the dark-haired youth had won out. Anya followed them, a few bandages on her, but mostly appearing unhurt. Xander had a bandage on his head, but also appeared in pretty decent shape.
"Hey, Dawnster," Xander greeted her. Dawn raised her uninjured arm a little, and waved at them. She wasn't talking too much, because her throat was still dry.
"Xander, Anya." Spike nodded his head, and moved out of the way so that Buffy could maneuver her wheelchair up next to Dawn's bed.
"Dawn, are you all right?"
Dawn nodded a little, and cleared her throat. "It sure hurts... but they say I'm gonna be fine." Spike handed her a cup of water, and she drank it gratefully.
Buffy grabbed her sister's hand. "Thank god."
"You?" Dawn asked, concern etching the features on her face.
Buffy cracked an un-humorous smile. "I'll be okay. But it doesn't look like I'll be able to keep my black belt in Slayer-fighting."
Dawn's eyes showed her question, and Buffy answered. "Nerve damage. My legs don't work the way they used to."
The younger Summers' girl's eyes widened, and she looked scared for her sister. Buffy smiled again, this time reassuringly. "It's okay. They'll get better."
Dawn seemed to relax a little at that statement, and Spike realized that Buffy, too, had realized the wisdom of waiting until Dawn was stronger, to tell her about the full extent of her injuries.
Xander and Anya chatted at Dawn a little, both looking sad, but determined to cheer Dawn up. After a while, an orderly came to collect Buffy, telling her that it was time to be back in her room. Buffy didn't protest, because her doctor had told her if she didn't follow all the rules, she might not be released tomorrow.
Xander and Anya left soon after, and Spike watched Dawn until she fell asleep. Then, he crept from the room, and retreated to Buffy's, again.
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