Spiderwebs

By: Willow 25

Chapter 3

"Well…" Willow opened her eyes, and directed her words and gaze towards Apple. "The good news is that everything is healing normally, at a strong Slayer's pace." She said, starting to clean up her casting materials. "There's some tendon damage, that'll heal on its own with PT, I'll talk to Merry about that. The bad news, though, is that the bone is slightly out of whack. I'll meditate on it tonight, and see if there's anything I can do using my magicks. While you're waiting, I'd suggest practicing writing with your right hand. And work some more protein into your diet, more red meat. Good for your blood and your muscles."

Apple gritted her teeth, frustrated that there was no immediate solution to her pain, but nodded, trying to be polite. Ron snorted, shaking his head. "Well, that's useless. Don't know why we had to drag you all the way here for that."

Willow shrugged off his dismissal, and bent to kiss Apple on the forehead. "I need to go see Will, you get some rest, kiddo."

Apple grimaced. "Can't you put me to sleep? Ronald won't give me no more painkillers."

"Any more." Ron and Willow chorused.

"Yeah, yeah." Apple sighed, shifting gently in an attempt to take some weight off of her damaged arm. Willow caved at the teenager's pain-filled look, and cast a spell to knock her out.

As they left the room, Willow following the doctor closely, Ron spoke again. "I don't see why you can't heal her now, if that's what you're here to do. She's a kid, and she's in pain."

Willow understood his frustration, and struggled with the best way to explain what she was doing. "Healing is a very potent power, and should only be used in harmony with the natural order of the universe. I don't actually know if I'm here to heal people. I came to find out how they were healing, and if there was anything I should do, and if there is I'll do it. But, I'm not just going to heal them willy-nilly, that could have very serious consequences."

"What kind of consequences? It's healing, isn't healing others an act of kindness."

"Well, yes, but…Let's just say that, in Wicca as I practice it, 'an eye for an eye' is pretty much a promise." Ron just looked at her blankly. Willow took a deep breath, trying to think of another way to explain it. "When I brought Buffy back from the dead, not knowing it was the wrong path, my girlfriend was killed. If I heal them without confirming it's the right thing to do…Did you see 'Boxing Helena'?"

Ron nodded, shuddering. "Yeah, so…Magicks, use with caution. Got it." The pair crossed the east wing of the Hyperion, and took the stairs down to the second floor before crossing to the west side. "I've never seen a witch meditate so much as you do before. Not that I've known a whole lot of witches, but still."

Willow smiled. "Well, I've picked up a few tricks over the years." Like a direct line to the Goddess, she thought.

Ron knocked on William's door, and got the expected 'come' before pushing it open. Willow's smile grew at the sight of Spike's nearly-bald head bent over the game controller, familiar noises exploding from the TV screen at the foot of the bed. "Mortal Combat? You'd think you got enough of that at the office."

Her voice drew William's attention away from the screen, but only for a second. "Red! You are certainly a sight for sore eyes. Didn't know you played video games."

"A, you're not looking at me; B, I don't but Xander does. Now, finish up, I need to poke you a little."

"I'm telling Buffy you said that." He declared with mock-indignation, making Willow and Ron laugh at his antics. Hardly a minute later he put aside the controller and gave them his full attention.

Willow prepared the same careful setup she'd used for Apple, but centered her crystals and herbs around his legs and hips, rather than his arm. Once her setup was perfect, she instructed Spike to focus on his injuries, took a few deep breaths, and settled into a trance state, chanting softly.

Ron watched quietly from his spot against the wall. He had to admit, he was alternately fascinated and horrified by having the witch around. If he'd thought of any way to hurry his patients' healing along without bringing her in, he wouldn't have allowed her presence. Then again, there wasn't a lot he could have done to prevent her coming when everyone else was in favor.

Willow came out of her trance, and directed her remarks to William. "Well, mister, you're holding up amazingly well, considering the amount of pain you're in. Have you done X-rays recently?" She turned her focus to Ron.

"Umm, yeah, just yesterday." Ron was surprised, not only because she'd caught him in the middle of thinking about her, but because she hadn't asked for medical information on the other two patients. They had left the X-ray films in the room, luckily, and Ron offered them to her.

"Oh, thanks, but don't bother, I can't read X-rays. I'd be interested in hearing your assessment of them, though."

Ron blinked. "Well, there's evidence of healing, and the rate of healing is consistent with that of a Slayer, but I'm not certain of the quality of healing. The bones aren't healing quite right; there's too much damage."

Spike winced. He'd known that, even before they carted him down to that infernal machine, but to hear it said so baldly…It was hard to comprehend that after all those years of independence, and his horrible experience last time, he might have to rely on a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Willow nodded, then returned her attention to the former vampire. "That's what I'm getting, too. The bones aren't healing correctly, not in a way where they're going to bear weight. You're very lucky not to be a freak medical event; like, be thankful a particle of bone or marrow hasn't made it into your bloodstream. I need to meditate on it, but I think there's something I can do for you. Don't get your hopes set too high; I do need to contact the goddess about it, but I think I know how to make it work."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, I get that. Hard not to be out of sorts, though, thinking about going back into a wheelchair."

Willow leaned over, and gently pulled her mope-y friend into a hug. "Listen, Spike…William…"

"Don't matter which to me, Red." He murmured, leaning closer to the witch.

"Spike." Willow sighed. "If there's anything I can do, I will. If not, we'll get you some surgery; metal reinforcements and all that jazz for your legs. Just, don't give up on us, okay? I want you and Buffy to get that happily ever after, complete with non-dusty stroll in the sun."

He smiled and leaned back, as Willow gently got up from the side of the bed. "See you later, Red?"

"Yeah. I'll come eat dinner with you. We can catch up." With that, Willow led Ron out of the room, and closed the door gently behind them.

"A matter restoration spell." Willow declared triumphantly, sliding onto the stool next to Wesley at breakfast the following day.

"I beg your pardon?" Wes asked after swallowing his tea.

"It's one of the spells I'm gonna cast on Spike, An…Liam, and Apple. On Spike and Apple, first I have to do an encapsulation and rejoining. That'll act like a magic press, to make the bones go straight again. I've been thinking about it for a while, but until they'd healed some more on their own and I did some meditation and research, I wasn't sure it would work. Once the bones are straight…Which will take casting the spell a few times over several days for Spike…Then I'll cast another spell to restore the material, in this case bone, to its most natural state, which would be whole. It won't be a complete, good-as-new fix, but it's the best thing for everyone. And the best part is, it won't be against any natural order I could find. The Powers must really like those three at the moment, because someone wants them as healed-up as we can get them."

Wes and Jezzie, the only people in the kitchen as Willow explained her idea, both boggled at the sheer number of words she could get out without taking a breath. Jezebel was actually scared to offer the Wiccan coffee.

"So, what's for breakfast? Something smells good!" Willow grinned at Jezzie, who melted at the perky smile combined with the compliment to her cooking, and promptly began serving Willow a veggie omelet with the option of veggie or pork sausage on the side.

Willow thanked the cook and gratefully accepted a cup of Earl Grey from Wes. By the time Gunn and Laurie stumbled downstairs for breakfast, Willow was almost done wolfing down her food, and had fielded every question Wesley and Jezebel could think to ask about the spells she was planning. By the time Penny, Tommy, and Elise joined the group in the kitchen, conversation had turned from magic to construction; which meant Willow had to go over the whole thing again for the two magically-inclined Slayers.

When the more mobile population currently living at the Hyperion was fed, trays went up to the less ambulatory, and Willow and Wesley left on a mission to gather spell ingredients at the local occult shops. Upon their return early that afternoon, Wes was dragged into a consultation with Jezebel and the construction foreman, so Willow went up to visit Spike.

Not surprisingly, Spike was on the phone, making a long distance call to Rome when she walked in. After a few minutes listening in, Willow figured out that Spike had somehow ended up on the phone with Andrew; and wasn't Andrew supposed to be living in Bath? The former vampire was relating his progress in healing in small bursts of talk, interspersed with long silences likely filled with Andrew's rambling on the other end of the line.

"Right mate; well, Willow's here to see me, tell Dawn I'll call her back later. And e-mail me those plans if you get the chance. Right, right. Well, I'm hangin' up the damn phone now." Without waiting for a response he clicked the off button on his cell phone and turned his gaze to the redhead. "Sorry 'bout that, Dawn had to go do something and handed the phone to bloody Andrew, and then I couldn't barely get a word in."

"I gathered." Willow said, dropping into the armchair beside the bed. "What's he doing in Rome, anyway? I thought he'd gone back to England."

"Think he's commuting, or doing some type of courier thing, where Buffy and Giles have him carry some semi-important object to the other when they can't stand having him around anymore. This time he escorted a Watcher to Rome, and he said something about papers, but mainly I heard a lot of nonsense about how cool someone-or-other's brother is."

Spike shook his head. "As though Andrew alone wasn't confusing and frustrating enough, evidently he's decided I'm his new source of relationship advice. And his dating habits are even more confused than the rest of the drivel he spouts. Then he started in on the Council reorganization, and the construction they've got going on at HQ, and something about getting certified as a legitimate school by the British government so their Slayers will be able to get into Uni if they want to go…" He sighed, and settled back into the pillows. "Bloody hell, just talking to him makes me tired. Although, he's a creative thinker, and he cares enough about Dawn and Buffy that I feel better when he's visiting them. He's a helpful bloke, in his own scatty way."

Willow chuckled. "Yeah, I've got that whole respect-slash-massive annoyance thing going when it comes to Andrew, too. Does he really ask you for relationship advice? I don't know if that's funny or terrifying."

Spike scowled at her, not sure if he should be offended. "Not that I'm a great deal of help when it comes to what to say to a bloke, haven't done it in so long the whole situation's different now, I gather. He does date girls, though, and I can definitely help with that."

"Does he? I don't think I knew that. I mean, Dawn kept me on the phone for like an hour once complaining about Andrew living on their couch and having his boyfriend over all the time, but he never talks to me about that stuff." Willow tried to picture what kind of girl would date Andrew, and drew a complete blank.

"When Liam and I went to Rome to see Buffy; you know, the time right before she and I started talking again, when we missed her and Dawn but ended up seeing Andrew..?"

"I remember you saying something about that." She smiled faintly.

"Well, at that point Andrew was dating two girls, models I think; took them both out to dinner that night." Willow's jaw dropped. She couldn't imagine dorky Andrew being gutsy enough to take one girl on a date, much less two at the same time. Spike saw her expression and nodded. "Yeah, that was about my reaction. It got worse later when he told me about the rest of the evening…"

Before he could continue, Willow held up a hand to stop him. "Please stop, you'll make my brain explode with the weirdness."

He chuckled at her obvious shock and discomfort, and changed the subject. "So, I assume you're here to tell me the results of your magical research, Red? Lay it on me."