Chapter 25.
Spike looked around, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He couldn't hear anything. The chaos surrounding him all seemed dampened. The only real thing was the rain. It fell relentlessly.
Buffy stood, rooted to the spot. She was shaking too terrified to move a muscle. Eventually she stumbled backwards and leant against the wall, slowly sliding down its surface, until she was sat on the floor. She looked to her right. Drusilla lay there, still and silent, a small pool of blood forming behind her head. Her eyes were open, as if she was staring at the stars.
"Get out of my way!" Faith shouted as she pushed her way through the police blocking the alleyway. One grabbed her arm as she tried to squeeze through, but released her when they saw her tear stained face.
Faith ran to Buffy's side pulling her towards her and hugging her tightly.
"B! It's ok, everything's gonna be ok!" She sobbed as she held her friend close.
She ran her fingers down the side of Buffy's head, where her hair had become matted with blood. Buffy flinched as Faith touched the gash.
"It's ok, it's just a little cut. We will get you sorted out, everything's fine!"
Buffy couldn't speak, she was trying to take in everything that had happened, but it all seemed just too much for her to handle, she just wanted to shut down. She stared into space, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. She could see Spike, standing a few feet away, holding his head in his hands. When he moved his hands from his face, she could see he was crying, and then she remembered. She shook off her shock and turned to Faith.
"Did they find her? Did they find Molly?" She asked her friend.
Faith shook her head then wiped the tears from Buffy's face.
"No B, not yet. The police are out looking, and Gunn has his people out there too. But no they haven't found anything yet."
The paramedics made their way through the growing crowd, towards the dishevelled blonde girl. They made a preliminary assessment of her condition, as she reverted to staring back into space. Gunn came over and touched Faith on the shoulder. She turned and buried her head in his chest, allowing him to stroke her hair as she cried. He didn't need to say anything, he was everything she needed at that moment. He was her strength, and she was Buffy's. Faith pulled away and rubbed at her eyes, making herself look like a panda, and causing a smile to spread across Gunn's face.
"Do you want me to come to the hospital with you?" He asked her.
Faith smiled.
"No, it's ok, I got it covered thanks. I think Spike needs you right now anyway," she motioned towards the distraught man, standing over the body of his dead wife.
Gunn shook his head. "No, he has to go down the station, fill them in on all the details and stuff. He said he wants to do it alone."
Faith gave him another hug.
"There is something you could do," she said, handing him her house keys. "Could you pick up Dawn from her friends, and stay with her at our place until Xander and Anya can come over. She's kinda freaked out by the whole thing, I just don't want her showing up at the hospital while Buffy is like this."
He took the keys and watched as Buffy was lifted into the back of the ambulance, Faith followed and sat at her side. She held her hand as they drove through town to Sunnydale Memorial. When they arrived they took her straight through to the emergency room, so the wound on her head could be attended to. It was quite shallow, and less serious than it had first appeared, but from the amount of blood, Faith was pretty sure Buffy was going to have one hell of a headache for the next few days.
Buffy was deathly silent, still struggling with the reality of the situation, she broke her silence occasionally just to ask if there was any news.
The night dragged on and still there was nothing.
An x-ray and CAT scan of Buffy's skull showed that she had been very lucky. It was just a surface wound, and required only a few stitches. The blow to her head had caused her to have a concussion, and the nursing staff advised her to rest in bed for the evening, just to be on the safe side. As she was still a little wobbly on her feet Buffy agreed, and Faith stayed by her side.
Buffy had been given something to help with the pain, which had made her a little drowsy, before long she had drifted off into a semi peaceful sleep. Faith took the opportunity to go outside to get some fresh air, and to use her cell phone. She leant against the cold, wet brick of the walls, tipping her face upwards, so that the rain fell onto her face. She inhaled some deep breaths and tried to calm herself before she went back into the hospital. That was when it hit her. She nearly lost her best friend. It could have been Buffy in the morgue that night, not Dru. Sure, she and Buffy had their ups and downs, but she was more than just a friend to Faith, she was the sister she never had. She was her family. She shook as she sobbed into the night, not caring who was watching, ignoring the people that had snuck out of the ward for a sneaky cigarette. She just cried until she couldn't cry anymore, then wiping her face dry she returned to her friend.
As she approached Buffy's cubicle, she saw Gunn standing outside.
"She's sleeping," he whispered as she approached.
"Cool," the brunette replied. "The doc said I can take her home in the morning, they just want to keep an eye on her a bit longer." She said, as she sunk into his embrace. She sighed heavily, as she sank down into the chairs situated outside the cubicle.
"Is Dawn ok?" She asked to the man, who was now gently holding her hand.
He nodded, stroking her fingers gently.
"Yeah, your friends are with her now. She was pretty freaked out though, you were right about her wanting to come down here. I practically had to lock her in the apartment man!" He exclaimed. "I had a call from Spike, I thought you would want to know, and I couldn't get you on your cell, so I came straight down."
Buffy's eyes flew open, she strained to hear the conversation between the two people sat just outside.
"They found Molly. She was in a motel just outside town." He continued.
Faith's eyes widened, "Oh god, is she ok?" She asked, scared at what the answer would be.
"She's with Spike now, she isn't hurt, but it's hard to say how she is. They got a doctor looking over her. She seems fine, well as fine as she can be if you know what I mean." He sighed and leant his head back against the wall. "This is all so fucked up man!" He mumbled.
Faith squeezed his hand.
"You should go be with him babe," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I am ok here with Buff, someone should be with Spike."
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly drifted back to sleep, as the pain killers took hold of her.
Spike looked around, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He couldn't hear anything. The chaos surrounding him all seemed dampened. The only real thing was the rain. It fell relentlessly.
Buffy stood, rooted to the spot. She was shaking too terrified to move a muscle. Eventually she stumbled backwards and leant against the wall, slowly sliding down its surface, until she was sat on the floor. She looked to her right. Drusilla lay there, still and silent, a small pool of blood forming behind her head. Her eyes were open, as if she was staring at the stars.
"Get out of my way!" Faith shouted as she pushed her way through the police blocking the alleyway. One grabbed her arm as she tried to squeeze through, but released her when they saw her tear stained face.
Faith ran to Buffy's side pulling her towards her and hugging her tightly.
"B! It's ok, everything's gonna be ok!" She sobbed as she held her friend close.
She ran her fingers down the side of Buffy's head, where her hair had become matted with blood. Buffy flinched as Faith touched the gash.
"It's ok, it's just a little cut. We will get you sorted out, everything's fine!"
Buffy couldn't speak, she was trying to take in everything that had happened, but it all seemed just too much for her to handle, she just wanted to shut down. She stared into space, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. She could see Spike, standing a few feet away, holding his head in his hands. When he moved his hands from his face, she could see he was crying, and then she remembered. She shook off her shock and turned to Faith.
"Did they find her? Did they find Molly?" She asked her friend.
Faith shook her head then wiped the tears from Buffy's face.
"No B, not yet. The police are out looking, and Gunn has his people out there too. But no they haven't found anything yet."
The paramedics made their way through the growing crowd, towards the dishevelled blonde girl. They made a preliminary assessment of her condition, as she reverted to staring back into space. Gunn came over and touched Faith on the shoulder. She turned and buried her head in his chest, allowing him to stroke her hair as she cried. He didn't need to say anything, he was everything she needed at that moment. He was her strength, and she was Buffy's. Faith pulled away and rubbed at her eyes, making herself look like a panda, and causing a smile to spread across Gunn's face.
"Do you want me to come to the hospital with you?" He asked her.
Faith smiled.
"No, it's ok, I got it covered thanks. I think Spike needs you right now anyway," she motioned towards the distraught man, standing over the body of his dead wife.
Gunn shook his head. "No, he has to go down the station, fill them in on all the details and stuff. He said he wants to do it alone."
Faith gave him another hug.
"There is something you could do," she said, handing him her house keys. "Could you pick up Dawn from her friends, and stay with her at our place until Xander and Anya can come over. She's kinda freaked out by the whole thing, I just don't want her showing up at the hospital while Buffy is like this."
He took the keys and watched as Buffy was lifted into the back of the ambulance, Faith followed and sat at her side. She held her hand as they drove through town to Sunnydale Memorial. When they arrived they took her straight through to the emergency room, so the wound on her head could be attended to. It was quite shallow, and less serious than it had first appeared, but from the amount of blood, Faith was pretty sure Buffy was going to have one hell of a headache for the next few days.
Buffy was deathly silent, still struggling with the reality of the situation, she broke her silence occasionally just to ask if there was any news.
The night dragged on and still there was nothing.
An x-ray and CAT scan of Buffy's skull showed that she had been very lucky. It was just a surface wound, and required only a few stitches. The blow to her head had caused her to have a concussion, and the nursing staff advised her to rest in bed for the evening, just to be on the safe side. As she was still a little wobbly on her feet Buffy agreed, and Faith stayed by her side.
Buffy had been given something to help with the pain, which had made her a little drowsy, before long she had drifted off into a semi peaceful sleep. Faith took the opportunity to go outside to get some fresh air, and to use her cell phone. She leant against the cold, wet brick of the walls, tipping her face upwards, so that the rain fell onto her face. She inhaled some deep breaths and tried to calm herself before she went back into the hospital. That was when it hit her. She nearly lost her best friend. It could have been Buffy in the morgue that night, not Dru. Sure, she and Buffy had their ups and downs, but she was more than just a friend to Faith, she was the sister she never had. She was her family. She shook as she sobbed into the night, not caring who was watching, ignoring the people that had snuck out of the ward for a sneaky cigarette. She just cried until she couldn't cry anymore, then wiping her face dry she returned to her friend.
As she approached Buffy's cubicle, she saw Gunn standing outside.
"She's sleeping," he whispered as she approached.
"Cool," the brunette replied. "The doc said I can take her home in the morning, they just want to keep an eye on her a bit longer." She said, as she sunk into his embrace. She sighed heavily, as she sank down into the chairs situated outside the cubicle.
"Is Dawn ok?" She asked to the man, who was now gently holding her hand.
He nodded, stroking her fingers gently.
"Yeah, your friends are with her now. She was pretty freaked out though, you were right about her wanting to come down here. I practically had to lock her in the apartment man!" He exclaimed. "I had a call from Spike, I thought you would want to know, and I couldn't get you on your cell, so I came straight down."
Buffy's eyes flew open, she strained to hear the conversation between the two people sat just outside.
"They found Molly. She was in a motel just outside town." He continued.
Faith's eyes widened, "Oh god, is she ok?" She asked, scared at what the answer would be.
"She's with Spike now, she isn't hurt, but it's hard to say how she is. They got a doctor looking over her. She seems fine, well as fine as she can be if you know what I mean." He sighed and leant his head back against the wall. "This is all so fucked up man!" He mumbled.
Faith squeezed his hand.
"You should go be with him babe," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I am ok here with Buff, someone should be with Spike."
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly drifted back to sleep, as the pain killers took hold of her.