NB: Yep. Still in the same predicament. I don't own Cowboy Bebop. I offered my box of Cheerios in exchange for the rights, but there's just no pleasing some people.
Again, thanks for the reviews! I wasn't expecting such positive feedback.
Here is its. Chapter 3.
**
Reunited: Hear My Prayer
**
Her first glimpse of him was through thick glass. The room that she and Ed were led into was only a small waiting area attached to the one Spike was in. It had several folding chairs for visitors and a coffee table acting as a pedestal for a bible. On the wall facing the way they had come in were the large rectangular window and the door into Spike's room.
Faye fought against the urge to run to that door. Instead, she walked unsteadily to the window, resting her forehead and hands against the glass. Ed followed suit.
"Is Spike-Person sleeping?" Ed whispered, but Faye did not respond.
Spike was lying on his back, and Faye thought he looked too pale. He had lost a lot of weight. //He looks defeated.\\ Faye thought in dismay, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, trying to remember Spike how he was before. Strong, confident, carefree.
He only wore a pair of loose fitting black pants. They stood out in stark contrast with the colour of his skin. There was still a thick bandage around Spike's abdomen, and Faye remembered Krai speaking of the gash that should have killed him. She unconsciously removed one of her hands from the glass and placed it on her own stomach.
"He looks like a ghost," Ed spoke again. For the first time, Faye thought the girl sounded unsure of herself.
"He's..." Faye stopped, swallowing hard. "He's fine. He's only sleeping."
//She had to resuscitate him six times.\\ Twin tears fell from Faye's eyes as she stared at the sleeping man. //He wanted to die. If he had gone one more time, he wouldn't be here right now. They would have let him die.\\
Faye held her breath when she saw Spike stir, but he merely shifted slightly and was soon asleep again. She noticed the grimace on his face and knew she could no longer just stand outside his room. Turning to Ed, she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Wait here for a bit, I don't want him to wake up just yet."
Ed never looked up, but kept her hands and forehead pasted against the glass. Taking a deep breath, Faye made her way to the door. She could not help but notice the sign that requested visitors not to enter when patients were sleeping. But she disregarded it. Turning the door handle, Faye entered Spike's room.
She was shocked by the frigidness of the room, and noticing Spike's bedcovers bunched in a heap at the end of his bed, Faye moved to cover him. As she neared the bed, she saw that Spike was actually shivering. //Idiot,\\ she thought, shaking her head and covering him first with a thin base sheet. //Now isn't the time to catch pneumonia and die.\\ One by one, she smoothed the three layers of bedcovers over him, careful not to wake him up. She hoped the pressure of the blankets, no matter how slight, didn't bother his abdomen.
There was a chair already near the side of Spike's bed, and quietly pulling it closer, Faye sat down. She was relieved to see that the grimace had left his face, though he still shivered slightly.
Faye reached out to touch him hesitantly. She let her fingertips gently brush a stray curl from his forehead. Spike exhaled deeply, and Faye nearly snatched her hand back. She didn't want him to wake up. Not yet.
Spike's left hand stuck out from beneath the blankets, and Faye couldn't help but slide her hand gently underneath his.
//You scared the shit out of me, Spike Spiegel,\\ she thought to herself. //If I had known you wouldn't come back that time, I would have shot you. I would have shot your kneecaps off.\\ Faye smiled, despite the bitterness welling up inside of her. //Then I would have tied you down, to keep your stubborn ass from dragging yourself to your death.\\
She felt her eyes burn as she remembered watching him leave. //I should have shot you...\\
She thought that firing her gun would at least make him turn around, make him acknowledge how much he was killing her. He would have caused her less pain if he had just turned around and shot her through the heart... //Like in my dream...You killed me every night in my dream.\\
"Was it worth it?" she whispered aloud. "Was it worth all the pain and suffering you caused us? Was it worth all the pain and suffering you caused yourself?"
Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Faye tilted her head back as if to keep the tears from leaving. She noticed the crucifix hanging on the wall above Spike's bed, and she closed her eyes. The tears fell.
"I prayed every night." Faye never raised her voice above a whisper. "I knew it was pointless, but I prayed. I knew I would probably never see you again, and if I did, you'd just keep leaving. But I kept praying. I shouldn't have bothered," Faye smirked. "I've never prayed for anything else in my life. I should have just found someone else. Someone who would have made me happy. Why should I have wasted my breath on an asshole like you?"
She couldn't hold back and longer. She tried to be as quiet as she could, but she couldn't control the tremors in her breathing as she hung her head and cried. Her whole body shook with the effort of containing over three months of anguish and anger.
"I hate you..."
**
Faye didn't know how long she had been crying before she noticed the pressure on her fingers. She had never moved her hand from beneath Spike's as she wept, her free hand covering her face. But now it was unmistakable. He was squeezing her hand.
She was shocked at first. Then embarrassed. She kept her hand on her burning face. //Is he awake? Did he hear what I said? Did he hear me say that I hated him?\\
"Jeeze, Faye. I didn't know you had it in you."
The sound of his voice caused Faye to look up against her will. He looked at her with questioning amusement, though his eyes were tired, almost lifeless. She snatched her hand from underneath his, as though it would make him forget that she had put it there.
"How long have you been awake?" Faye demanded, narrowing her eyes at him accusingly.
"Dunno," Spike replied, pushing his covers back and rubbing his eyes. "Long enough to see you blubbering like a baby." He yawned and tried to stretch, but stopped short. Faye saw the look of pain that crossed his features, though it only lasted a second. "Did you miss me that much?"
His voice was full of amusement, but his eyes remained distant. He smiled when Faye scowled and crossed her arms.
"You wish," she retorted, sticking her nose in the air. "I've been in this creepy place for over an hour. I thought I was picking up your remains and having to pay your funeral bill, and now I don't know how I'm going to pay for your medical expenses. It's enough to make any girl cry."
Faye's eye caught the window of the room where she left Ed. The girl was no longer standing there. //She must have fallen asleep,\\ Faye thought, and she was almost grateful.
She was forced to give up her snobby act when Spike tried to sit up. He only made it half way before bringing a hand to his stomach. He stopped, grimacing. Unable to stop herself, Faye was immediately by his side, arm around his shoulder trying to help him up.
"Easy," she murmured, helping him into a sitting position. She brushed the curls out of his eyes again.
"I'm ok, mom. Really."
Faye stiffened at his sarcastic remark, and stepping away from him, she could feel her face burning again. She sat back down in her chair and watched Spike as he tried to swing his legs over the edge of his bed. The discomfort never left his face, but Faye didn't move to help him again. //See what I care...\\
"Fuckin' hurts," he hissed when he finally had his legs over the side. Faye couldn't imagine how his slouched posture helped his predicament, but she said nothing. They sat in silence for several moments, neither of them looking at one another.
"Why did you come?" Spike spoke first, and Faye's heart nearly broke again at the sound of his voice. This wasn't the Spike Spiegel she knew. This wasn't the cocky, infuriatingly annoying bastard Faye had fallen for. This was a sad, defeated man whose voice was filled with more sorrow than the entire institution that surrounded them. He was broken. Faye covered her mouth with her hand as hot tears fell from her eyes again. She prayed that Spike wouldn't look up.
He did.
"Faye-"
She quickly turned away from him, getting up to leave. She didn't want him to see her cry. But he reached out, lightly grabbing her wrist and pulling so that she would look at him. But she refused to turn her head.
"Faye-" he said again, this time his voice cracking. She nearly died.
"What?" she whispered, still refusing to look at him.
"Thanks."
"For what?" She tried to keep her voice distant, cold, despite the sobs begging to escape from her. She waited several moments for his reply, letting him hold onto her wrist.
"For coming," he finally said, pulling her wrist so that she would come to him. She complied, turning towards him so that he could see her cry.
"I shouldn't have," Faye's voice was barely audible. "I should have left you here, like you left us." But even as the words left her mouth she moved to him, pulling him close and hugging his head. "You are a stupid incorrigible bastard," she hissed, pressing her face into his hair. She felt his arms around her, his hands clutching at the back of her shirt. "A stupid incorrigible bastard with absolutely no regard for anyone else. You aren't going to be so lucky next time. Next time, you're-"
"Faye?" She felt Spike say against her chest.
"What?" Faye snapped, annoyed that he had interrupted her lecture.
"You're wearing something different."
She was stunned into silence for only a moment, before she yanked Spike's head back by his hair.
"Were you even listening to me?"
"It's just like so much hot air I've heard before."
If she hadn't been so relieved by the released tension, Faye would have cuffed him.
**
Man...this took me all day. I hope it's not too sappy.
Again, thanks for the reviews! I wasn't expecting such positive feedback.
Here is its. Chapter 3.
**
Reunited: Hear My Prayer
**
Her first glimpse of him was through thick glass. The room that she and Ed were led into was only a small waiting area attached to the one Spike was in. It had several folding chairs for visitors and a coffee table acting as a pedestal for a bible. On the wall facing the way they had come in were the large rectangular window and the door into Spike's room.
Faye fought against the urge to run to that door. Instead, she walked unsteadily to the window, resting her forehead and hands against the glass. Ed followed suit.
"Is Spike-Person sleeping?" Ed whispered, but Faye did not respond.
Spike was lying on his back, and Faye thought he looked too pale. He had lost a lot of weight. //He looks defeated.\\ Faye thought in dismay, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, trying to remember Spike how he was before. Strong, confident, carefree.
He only wore a pair of loose fitting black pants. They stood out in stark contrast with the colour of his skin. There was still a thick bandage around Spike's abdomen, and Faye remembered Krai speaking of the gash that should have killed him. She unconsciously removed one of her hands from the glass and placed it on her own stomach.
"He looks like a ghost," Ed spoke again. For the first time, Faye thought the girl sounded unsure of herself.
"He's..." Faye stopped, swallowing hard. "He's fine. He's only sleeping."
//She had to resuscitate him six times.\\ Twin tears fell from Faye's eyes as she stared at the sleeping man. //He wanted to die. If he had gone one more time, he wouldn't be here right now. They would have let him die.\\
Faye held her breath when she saw Spike stir, but he merely shifted slightly and was soon asleep again. She noticed the grimace on his face and knew she could no longer just stand outside his room. Turning to Ed, she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Wait here for a bit, I don't want him to wake up just yet."
Ed never looked up, but kept her hands and forehead pasted against the glass. Taking a deep breath, Faye made her way to the door. She could not help but notice the sign that requested visitors not to enter when patients were sleeping. But she disregarded it. Turning the door handle, Faye entered Spike's room.
She was shocked by the frigidness of the room, and noticing Spike's bedcovers bunched in a heap at the end of his bed, Faye moved to cover him. As she neared the bed, she saw that Spike was actually shivering. //Idiot,\\ she thought, shaking her head and covering him first with a thin base sheet. //Now isn't the time to catch pneumonia and die.\\ One by one, she smoothed the three layers of bedcovers over him, careful not to wake him up. She hoped the pressure of the blankets, no matter how slight, didn't bother his abdomen.
There was a chair already near the side of Spike's bed, and quietly pulling it closer, Faye sat down. She was relieved to see that the grimace had left his face, though he still shivered slightly.
Faye reached out to touch him hesitantly. She let her fingertips gently brush a stray curl from his forehead. Spike exhaled deeply, and Faye nearly snatched her hand back. She didn't want him to wake up. Not yet.
Spike's left hand stuck out from beneath the blankets, and Faye couldn't help but slide her hand gently underneath his.
//You scared the shit out of me, Spike Spiegel,\\ she thought to herself. //If I had known you wouldn't come back that time, I would have shot you. I would have shot your kneecaps off.\\ Faye smiled, despite the bitterness welling up inside of her. //Then I would have tied you down, to keep your stubborn ass from dragging yourself to your death.\\
She felt her eyes burn as she remembered watching him leave. //I should have shot you...\\
She thought that firing her gun would at least make him turn around, make him acknowledge how much he was killing her. He would have caused her less pain if he had just turned around and shot her through the heart... //Like in my dream...You killed me every night in my dream.\\
"Was it worth it?" she whispered aloud. "Was it worth all the pain and suffering you caused us? Was it worth all the pain and suffering you caused yourself?"
Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Faye tilted her head back as if to keep the tears from leaving. She noticed the crucifix hanging on the wall above Spike's bed, and she closed her eyes. The tears fell.
"I prayed every night." Faye never raised her voice above a whisper. "I knew it was pointless, but I prayed. I knew I would probably never see you again, and if I did, you'd just keep leaving. But I kept praying. I shouldn't have bothered," Faye smirked. "I've never prayed for anything else in my life. I should have just found someone else. Someone who would have made me happy. Why should I have wasted my breath on an asshole like you?"
She couldn't hold back and longer. She tried to be as quiet as she could, but she couldn't control the tremors in her breathing as she hung her head and cried. Her whole body shook with the effort of containing over three months of anguish and anger.
"I hate you..."
**
Faye didn't know how long she had been crying before she noticed the pressure on her fingers. She had never moved her hand from beneath Spike's as she wept, her free hand covering her face. But now it was unmistakable. He was squeezing her hand.
She was shocked at first. Then embarrassed. She kept her hand on her burning face. //Is he awake? Did he hear what I said? Did he hear me say that I hated him?\\
"Jeeze, Faye. I didn't know you had it in you."
The sound of his voice caused Faye to look up against her will. He looked at her with questioning amusement, though his eyes were tired, almost lifeless. She snatched her hand from underneath his, as though it would make him forget that she had put it there.
"How long have you been awake?" Faye demanded, narrowing her eyes at him accusingly.
"Dunno," Spike replied, pushing his covers back and rubbing his eyes. "Long enough to see you blubbering like a baby." He yawned and tried to stretch, but stopped short. Faye saw the look of pain that crossed his features, though it only lasted a second. "Did you miss me that much?"
His voice was full of amusement, but his eyes remained distant. He smiled when Faye scowled and crossed her arms.
"You wish," she retorted, sticking her nose in the air. "I've been in this creepy place for over an hour. I thought I was picking up your remains and having to pay your funeral bill, and now I don't know how I'm going to pay for your medical expenses. It's enough to make any girl cry."
Faye's eye caught the window of the room where she left Ed. The girl was no longer standing there. //She must have fallen asleep,\\ Faye thought, and she was almost grateful.
She was forced to give up her snobby act when Spike tried to sit up. He only made it half way before bringing a hand to his stomach. He stopped, grimacing. Unable to stop herself, Faye was immediately by his side, arm around his shoulder trying to help him up.
"Easy," she murmured, helping him into a sitting position. She brushed the curls out of his eyes again.
"I'm ok, mom. Really."
Faye stiffened at his sarcastic remark, and stepping away from him, she could feel her face burning again. She sat back down in her chair and watched Spike as he tried to swing his legs over the edge of his bed. The discomfort never left his face, but Faye didn't move to help him again. //See what I care...\\
"Fuckin' hurts," he hissed when he finally had his legs over the side. Faye couldn't imagine how his slouched posture helped his predicament, but she said nothing. They sat in silence for several moments, neither of them looking at one another.
"Why did you come?" Spike spoke first, and Faye's heart nearly broke again at the sound of his voice. This wasn't the Spike Spiegel she knew. This wasn't the cocky, infuriatingly annoying bastard Faye had fallen for. This was a sad, defeated man whose voice was filled with more sorrow than the entire institution that surrounded them. He was broken. Faye covered her mouth with her hand as hot tears fell from her eyes again. She prayed that Spike wouldn't look up.
He did.
"Faye-"
She quickly turned away from him, getting up to leave. She didn't want him to see her cry. But he reached out, lightly grabbing her wrist and pulling so that she would look at him. But she refused to turn her head.
"Faye-" he said again, this time his voice cracking. She nearly died.
"What?" she whispered, still refusing to look at him.
"Thanks."
"For what?" She tried to keep her voice distant, cold, despite the sobs begging to escape from her. She waited several moments for his reply, letting him hold onto her wrist.
"For coming," he finally said, pulling her wrist so that she would come to him. She complied, turning towards him so that he could see her cry.
"I shouldn't have," Faye's voice was barely audible. "I should have left you here, like you left us." But even as the words left her mouth she moved to him, pulling him close and hugging his head. "You are a stupid incorrigible bastard," she hissed, pressing her face into his hair. She felt his arms around her, his hands clutching at the back of her shirt. "A stupid incorrigible bastard with absolutely no regard for anyone else. You aren't going to be so lucky next time. Next time, you're-"
"Faye?" She felt Spike say against her chest.
"What?" Faye snapped, annoyed that he had interrupted her lecture.
"You're wearing something different."
She was stunned into silence for only a moment, before she yanked Spike's head back by his hair.
"Were you even listening to me?"
"It's just like so much hot air I've heard before."
If she hadn't been so relieved by the released tension, Faye would have cuffed him.
**
Man...this took me all day. I hope it's not too sappy.