Chapter 16: Couldn't
Willow, Buffy, and Spike travel single-file down the mint green hallways. Willow reached the nurses station.
"I want to see Anna and Shane's file please."
The nurse shook her head, popping her gum.
"Sorry, against regulation."
"Give me the file!" she shouted.
The nurse looked up from her Vogue magazine. A girl with a lab coat came from the break room.
"W-What's going on h-here?" the girl said shyly.
Willow could recognize that smile anywhere.
"Tara?!"
The girl looked quizzically at her.
"Ma'am, I'm s-sorry. I don't know w-who you're talking
about." She extended her hand, "I'm Tamara, the
supervising doctor here. I-I'm going to need you to calm
down and m-maybe I can help you."
Willow explained to her that they wanted to see their files. She was stumbling with her words, shock from seeing Tara.
"I'm really sorry but it's against our r-rules."
Buffy was looking around in annoyance. She saw a girl and an old man turn the corner. The girl had curly hair and a wide smile. She was attentively talking to the man. The man wore a robe and matching red slippers. Buffy studied the girl's features and her gaze fell to an amulet around her neck.
"Hey, you!"
The girl turned to face her.
"Y-Yes?"
"Where did you get that amulet?"
The girl was puzzled. Willow stepped in.
"I'm sorry ma'am, she's a mental patient."
Willow held Buffy's shoulders. Once the girl had gone, Buffy wriggled away.
"Willow! That was Halfrek!"
Willow's eyes widened and she looked again at the girl. Buffy turned to Tara and she said,
"Thanks anyway Doctor."
"N-No problem."
The three ran after Halfrek and slowed when she had turned into a patient room.
"Okay Danny, we're here! "
She assisted him into the bed, pulling the covers to his chest. The man was a pale yellow.
"Thank you Hallie."
She smiled and closed the door as she left. She was struck with a stainless- steel trash can. She slumped to the floor and Buffy stood over her. Willow looked taken aback, but she helped them drag Halfrek into a nearby janitor's closet. Spike felt for a pulse.
"She's still alive."
Buffy sighed.
"I think we have to kill her to get out of here. I couldn't..."
She took a step back and turned to where she couldn't see her anymore.
"I couldn't..."
She began to dig at her arms again; the blood resurfaced and covered her hands. Willow touched her hand.
"Buffy, don't!"
Spike cut in.
"It doesn't help. She won't listen!"
"Well you could try!"
Spike turned and reached down to Halfrek. He help her nose and mouth closed, slowly strangling her. She woke, and struggled for a moment but then she was gone. They all stood in silence for a moment.
"I don't feel no different. What happened?"
"It wasn't her, it couldn't have been. She isn't powerful
enough for a curse of this magnitude." Willow said.
"Then who?" Buffy sniffed back her tears.
"Her only friend left."
Willow, Buffy, and Spike travel single-file down the mint green hallways. Willow reached the nurses station.
"I want to see Anna and Shane's file please."
The nurse shook her head, popping her gum.
"Sorry, against regulation."
"Give me the file!" she shouted.
The nurse looked up from her Vogue magazine. A girl with a lab coat came from the break room.
"W-What's going on h-here?" the girl said shyly.
Willow could recognize that smile anywhere.
"Tara?!"
The girl looked quizzically at her.
"Ma'am, I'm s-sorry. I don't know w-who you're talking
about." She extended her hand, "I'm Tamara, the
supervising doctor here. I-I'm going to need you to calm
down and m-maybe I can help you."
Willow explained to her that they wanted to see their files. She was stumbling with her words, shock from seeing Tara.
"I'm really sorry but it's against our r-rules."
Buffy was looking around in annoyance. She saw a girl and an old man turn the corner. The girl had curly hair and a wide smile. She was attentively talking to the man. The man wore a robe and matching red slippers. Buffy studied the girl's features and her gaze fell to an amulet around her neck.
"Hey, you!"
The girl turned to face her.
"Y-Yes?"
"Where did you get that amulet?"
The girl was puzzled. Willow stepped in.
"I'm sorry ma'am, she's a mental patient."
Willow held Buffy's shoulders. Once the girl had gone, Buffy wriggled away.
"Willow! That was Halfrek!"
Willow's eyes widened and she looked again at the girl. Buffy turned to Tara and she said,
"Thanks anyway Doctor."
"N-No problem."
The three ran after Halfrek and slowed when she had turned into a patient room.
"Okay Danny, we're here! "
She assisted him into the bed, pulling the covers to his chest. The man was a pale yellow.
"Thank you Hallie."
She smiled and closed the door as she left. She was struck with a stainless- steel trash can. She slumped to the floor and Buffy stood over her. Willow looked taken aback, but she helped them drag Halfrek into a nearby janitor's closet. Spike felt for a pulse.
"She's still alive."
Buffy sighed.
"I think we have to kill her to get out of here. I couldn't..."
She took a step back and turned to where she couldn't see her anymore.
"I couldn't..."
She began to dig at her arms again; the blood resurfaced and covered her hands. Willow touched her hand.
"Buffy, don't!"
Spike cut in.
"It doesn't help. She won't listen!"
"Well you could try!"
Spike turned and reached down to Halfrek. He help her nose and mouth closed, slowly strangling her. She woke, and struggled for a moment but then she was gone. They all stood in silence for a moment.
"I don't feel no different. What happened?"
"It wasn't her, it couldn't have been. She isn't powerful
enough for a curse of this magnitude." Willow said.
"Then who?" Buffy sniffed back her tears.
"Her only friend left."