Chapter 2: Torn
When Buffy got home from school the next day, she found Dawn crying on the sofa with an icepack on her arm.
"Dawnie! What happened?" Buffy asked, rushing over to her sister's side.
"I came home late from Tiffany's, and Dad was angry. He hit me, and.and." she broke off into sobs. She couldn't talk anymore. Her arm hurt too much.
"Where is dad now?" Buffy asked softly, not wanting to upset Dawn.
"I don't know. He left," Dawn said, still crying.
"Come on, Dawn, let's go. I'm taking you to the hospital," Buffy said, standing, and grabbing Dawn's coat. When Buffy and Dawn finally made it to the hospital, Buffy had to fill out some forms so Dawn could see a doctor. About an hour later, Dawn was sitting in a large room. The curtains were pulled back to give her some privacy from the other people in the hospital.
When the doctor came in, Buffy left to go use the phone.
"Hello, Dawn. My name is Cathleen," the doctor said, sitting down in the chair across from her. "How did this happen?" She asked gently, taking Dawn's arm in her hands.
"I fell," she said, simply. The doctor smiled at her, and then turned her attention to the clipboard in her lap.
"Dawn, we're going to have to get some x-rays of your arm, okay?" Cathleen asked.
"Yeah," Dawn said.
"I'll send a nurse to come take you back, and when your sister comes back, we'll inform her of what's happening," Cathleen said, and then she left.
When Buffy finally found a pay phone, she called the number Spike had given her. After three rings, he finally picked up.
"Hello?" Spike asked.
"Spike?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy. I was worried when you didn't show. Where are you? I went by your house, and no one was home."
"Yeah, I had to bring Dawn to the hospital. I think her arm might be broken," Buffy said.
"Is she all right?" Spike asked, concern lacing his voice.
"She just went back to see the doctor. Uh.I was wondering if it's not too much to ask if you could come down here?" Buffy asked, curling the phone wire around her finger.
"Yeah, I'll be right down," Spike said, and then hung up the phone. Buffy put the phone back in the cradle, and went back to see Dawn. Dawn was nowhere in sight, but the doctor was. She walked over to the doctor, who was currently having a conversation with a nurse.
"Doctor, where's my sister?" Buffy asked, worried.
"Ms. Summers, your sister is in the back, getting a cast put on. Her arm is fractured. Maybe you could tell us what happened to her arm. She told us she fell, but she had a hand-shaped bruise on her arm, just above the fracture."
"I wasn't home, but my father was. Maybe you should ask him," Buffy said. "Ms. Summers, will you please wait in the waiting room? We're going to give your sister a full exam while she's here. We'll come get you when we're finished." Buffy took one last look at the doctor before turning to go and wait in the waiting room.
A few minutes later, Spike came into the hospital, with concern on his face. He walked straight up to Buffy.
"How's the nibblet? Is she alright?" Spike asked, pulling her into a hug.
"Fine. She's in getting a cast put on. They said her arm was fractured."
"How'd it happen?" Spike asked, as he and Buffy sat down.
"Promise not to get angry?" She asked.
"Yeah," Spike said.
"It was my dad," Buffy said, in barely a whisper. Spike was furious, but he didn't let it show. He knew he had to be there for Buffy and Dawn. He couldn't just run out and do what he wanted to the arrogant prick. Buffy wouldn't let him.
"Spike, say something," Buffy pleaded. He looked like he was going to burst in anger.
"Sorry, love," Spike said, forcing a smile. She looked at him. She knew that he was angry; hell, she was too.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Buffy said, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Spike leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his shoulder until the doctor came out with Dawn right behind her. Buffy and Spike both stood. Dawn had a frown on her face until she saw Spike.
"Spike!" Dawn shrieked, and ran to Spike. He took Dawn in his arms and kissed her cheek.
"Can we go?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, Dawn's exam turned out fine. She can go, but I suggest that you talk to your father about his anger problems," the doctor said.
"I'll do that," Buffy said, and turned. Then, she, Spike, and Dawn left the hospital. Spike dropped Buffy and Dawn off and went back to his apartment above the bar. He had a lot of thinking to do.
After Buffy tucked Dawn in, she went to bed herself. She was tired. She lay down in bed, but didn't get any sleep; she had too much to think about. She wanted her father to pay, but she knew that the court system wouldn't help. They were the reason she and Dawn were there in the first place. She didn't know what she was going to do. Slowly, she rolled over and buried her head in her pillow. A few hours later, she finally fell asleep.
When Buffy got home from school the next day, she found Dawn crying on the sofa with an icepack on her arm.
"Dawnie! What happened?" Buffy asked, rushing over to her sister's side.
"I came home late from Tiffany's, and Dad was angry. He hit me, and.and." she broke off into sobs. She couldn't talk anymore. Her arm hurt too much.
"Where is dad now?" Buffy asked softly, not wanting to upset Dawn.
"I don't know. He left," Dawn said, still crying.
"Come on, Dawn, let's go. I'm taking you to the hospital," Buffy said, standing, and grabbing Dawn's coat. When Buffy and Dawn finally made it to the hospital, Buffy had to fill out some forms so Dawn could see a doctor. About an hour later, Dawn was sitting in a large room. The curtains were pulled back to give her some privacy from the other people in the hospital.
When the doctor came in, Buffy left to go use the phone.
"Hello, Dawn. My name is Cathleen," the doctor said, sitting down in the chair across from her. "How did this happen?" She asked gently, taking Dawn's arm in her hands.
"I fell," she said, simply. The doctor smiled at her, and then turned her attention to the clipboard in her lap.
"Dawn, we're going to have to get some x-rays of your arm, okay?" Cathleen asked.
"Yeah," Dawn said.
"I'll send a nurse to come take you back, and when your sister comes back, we'll inform her of what's happening," Cathleen said, and then she left.
When Buffy finally found a pay phone, she called the number Spike had given her. After three rings, he finally picked up.
"Hello?" Spike asked.
"Spike?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy. I was worried when you didn't show. Where are you? I went by your house, and no one was home."
"Yeah, I had to bring Dawn to the hospital. I think her arm might be broken," Buffy said.
"Is she all right?" Spike asked, concern lacing his voice.
"She just went back to see the doctor. Uh.I was wondering if it's not too much to ask if you could come down here?" Buffy asked, curling the phone wire around her finger.
"Yeah, I'll be right down," Spike said, and then hung up the phone. Buffy put the phone back in the cradle, and went back to see Dawn. Dawn was nowhere in sight, but the doctor was. She walked over to the doctor, who was currently having a conversation with a nurse.
"Doctor, where's my sister?" Buffy asked, worried.
"Ms. Summers, your sister is in the back, getting a cast put on. Her arm is fractured. Maybe you could tell us what happened to her arm. She told us she fell, but she had a hand-shaped bruise on her arm, just above the fracture."
"I wasn't home, but my father was. Maybe you should ask him," Buffy said. "Ms. Summers, will you please wait in the waiting room? We're going to give your sister a full exam while she's here. We'll come get you when we're finished." Buffy took one last look at the doctor before turning to go and wait in the waiting room.
A few minutes later, Spike came into the hospital, with concern on his face. He walked straight up to Buffy.
"How's the nibblet? Is she alright?" Spike asked, pulling her into a hug.
"Fine. She's in getting a cast put on. They said her arm was fractured."
"How'd it happen?" Spike asked, as he and Buffy sat down.
"Promise not to get angry?" She asked.
"Yeah," Spike said.
"It was my dad," Buffy said, in barely a whisper. Spike was furious, but he didn't let it show. He knew he had to be there for Buffy and Dawn. He couldn't just run out and do what he wanted to the arrogant prick. Buffy wouldn't let him.
"Spike, say something," Buffy pleaded. He looked like he was going to burst in anger.
"Sorry, love," Spike said, forcing a smile. She looked at him. She knew that he was angry; hell, she was too.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Buffy said, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Spike leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his shoulder until the doctor came out with Dawn right behind her. Buffy and Spike both stood. Dawn had a frown on her face until she saw Spike.
"Spike!" Dawn shrieked, and ran to Spike. He took Dawn in his arms and kissed her cheek.
"Can we go?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, Dawn's exam turned out fine. She can go, but I suggest that you talk to your father about his anger problems," the doctor said.
"I'll do that," Buffy said, and turned. Then, she, Spike, and Dawn left the hospital. Spike dropped Buffy and Dawn off and went back to his apartment above the bar. He had a lot of thinking to do.
After Buffy tucked Dawn in, she went to bed herself. She was tired. She lay down in bed, but didn't get any sleep; she had too much to think about. She wanted her father to pay, but she knew that the court system wouldn't help. They were the reason she and Dawn were there in the first place. She didn't know what she was going to do. Slowly, she rolled over and buried her head in her pillow. A few hours later, she finally fell asleep.
