Waiting
"I need a doctor! Somebody please, she needs help." He frantically ran through the corridors of the hospital, shouting at the nurses and other paramedics. Her head flopping up and down against his chest. Her exposed stomach made Angel's heart sting even more. Not only was Buffy's life on the line but his firstborn child's, Rachel.
"Sir you need to calm down. Now what is wrong with her, and who is she?" A nurse finally stopped him.
"She's six months along, uh I found her this morning, she collapsed. I.I don't understand. She needs help please." Angel laid her on the stretcher and kissed her hand before leaving.
"Sir, we need her name?" The nurse's words rung in his ears.
"Her name is Buffy, Buffy O'Connor." ( his, and only his.
Twiddling his fingers her nervously sat in the waiting room. His shirt was soaked with sweat, from the panic. The doctor's had told him she would have complications due to her tender age, but he never could imagine that her life would be the cost they would have to pay. Things were finally coming together and to have it all ripped away would be torturous. He couldn't focus on death at the moment. It was too dark, too scary, and too recent. So he picked one of his favorite memories and played it through his mind over and over until he thought it was reality. He called Willow and Xander. They had gone to a resort for the weekend but he was sure they wouldn't mind.
He finally caught sight of a flaming red from the doorway. She ran towards him arms outstretched, despite his cold demenor he stood up to greet her.
"Oh Angel, you poor dear." She wrapped her arms around him, Xander looking a bit jealous but quickly eased off.
"I never liked you, but Angel, man, I am so sorry. I truly hope that things turn out your way." Xander shook his hand and for now that's all Angel needed to hear.
" She's strong you know." Angel looked up at Willow a bit confused.
"You know she'll make it through this. She always does!" Willow gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed Angel's hand a bit.
"I know what you mean she always was the strongest out of the two of us I mean." Angel smiled vaguely remember little Buffy kicking sand in Jason's face on the first day of grade one. She sure was a troublemaker.
"I remember when you first came to see her, you know after her birthday, she was over the moon Angel." Willow tried her best to make him feel better.
"Thanks Will, but it will be alright won't it?"
"Duh!" Willow laughed at the trademark Buffy word.
"Um excuse me but one of you wouldn't happen to be a Mr. O'Connor would you?" A male doctor stepped out from the critical ward.
" That would be me!" Angel got up immediately to follow the doctor to a little quieter space.
" You're wife, she is doing okay but the baby's heart is in distress, we are going to have to perform a sea-section." Angel nodded in compliance.
" Now if we aren't able to save the baby it's slim that Buffy will die, however, the loss of a child to any mother is a very emotional deal, I warn you to be prepared."
"I am. And doctor, please protect my girls?" Angel stated the doctor looked at him, he was the mere age of 18 but looked like a father already.
"I will do my best sir. She is awake would you like to speak to her before the surgery. You have about five minutes?"
"Yes. Please."
The doctor lead him into a little white room. Everything was so bright, so clean, so empty. In the middle of the room Buffy was on her bed, barely awake, tears streaming down her cheeks. The doctor must have told her the news.
" Angel? Oh god Angel, the baby, she can't die, she just can't." Buffy was shaking her head violently.
"Never I won't let anything happen to her or you. Ever."
"I've never felt like this."
"Like what?"
"Like if she dies, I die too, like I would do anything for her, it's so strong so beautiful. And if it leaves, I just don't know what I'll do."
"I know the feeling."
"Do you? Do you really?"
"I think I do." Angel realized.
"Then I'll fight, she's going to make it." Buffy smiled.
"She has too."
"For you." Buffy heaved.
"For you."
"For the world." Buffy remembered what a once vamped Cordelia had told her.
"I am sorry to cut this short but we have to move this show on the road." The doctor set up Buffy's stretcher and started to wheel her out of the room.
"I love you" She mouthed.
"I love you too" Angel called. And all her saw was Buffy being taken out of the doors and she was gone. Vanished. The last image he saw of her and his child was carried out those white doors and all he had to do now was wait.
"I need a doctor! Somebody please, she needs help." He frantically ran through the corridors of the hospital, shouting at the nurses and other paramedics. Her head flopping up and down against his chest. Her exposed stomach made Angel's heart sting even more. Not only was Buffy's life on the line but his firstborn child's, Rachel.
"Sir you need to calm down. Now what is wrong with her, and who is she?" A nurse finally stopped him.
"She's six months along, uh I found her this morning, she collapsed. I.I don't understand. She needs help please." Angel laid her on the stretcher and kissed her hand before leaving.
"Sir, we need her name?" The nurse's words rung in his ears.
"Her name is Buffy, Buffy O'Connor." ( his, and only his.
Twiddling his fingers her nervously sat in the waiting room. His shirt was soaked with sweat, from the panic. The doctor's had told him she would have complications due to her tender age, but he never could imagine that her life would be the cost they would have to pay. Things were finally coming together and to have it all ripped away would be torturous. He couldn't focus on death at the moment. It was too dark, too scary, and too recent. So he picked one of his favorite memories and played it through his mind over and over until he thought it was reality. He called Willow and Xander. They had gone to a resort for the weekend but he was sure they wouldn't mind.
He finally caught sight of a flaming red from the doorway. She ran towards him arms outstretched, despite his cold demenor he stood up to greet her.
"Oh Angel, you poor dear." She wrapped her arms around him, Xander looking a bit jealous but quickly eased off.
"I never liked you, but Angel, man, I am so sorry. I truly hope that things turn out your way." Xander shook his hand and for now that's all Angel needed to hear.
" She's strong you know." Angel looked up at Willow a bit confused.
"You know she'll make it through this. She always does!" Willow gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed Angel's hand a bit.
"I know what you mean she always was the strongest out of the two of us I mean." Angel smiled vaguely remember little Buffy kicking sand in Jason's face on the first day of grade one. She sure was a troublemaker.
"I remember when you first came to see her, you know after her birthday, she was over the moon Angel." Willow tried her best to make him feel better.
"Thanks Will, but it will be alright won't it?"
"Duh!" Willow laughed at the trademark Buffy word.
"Um excuse me but one of you wouldn't happen to be a Mr. O'Connor would you?" A male doctor stepped out from the critical ward.
" That would be me!" Angel got up immediately to follow the doctor to a little quieter space.
" You're wife, she is doing okay but the baby's heart is in distress, we are going to have to perform a sea-section." Angel nodded in compliance.
" Now if we aren't able to save the baby it's slim that Buffy will die, however, the loss of a child to any mother is a very emotional deal, I warn you to be prepared."
"I am. And doctor, please protect my girls?" Angel stated the doctor looked at him, he was the mere age of 18 but looked like a father already.
"I will do my best sir. She is awake would you like to speak to her before the surgery. You have about five minutes?"
"Yes. Please."
The doctor lead him into a little white room. Everything was so bright, so clean, so empty. In the middle of the room Buffy was on her bed, barely awake, tears streaming down her cheeks. The doctor must have told her the news.
" Angel? Oh god Angel, the baby, she can't die, she just can't." Buffy was shaking her head violently.
"Never I won't let anything happen to her or you. Ever."
"I've never felt like this."
"Like what?"
"Like if she dies, I die too, like I would do anything for her, it's so strong so beautiful. And if it leaves, I just don't know what I'll do."
"I know the feeling."
"Do you? Do you really?"
"I think I do." Angel realized.
"Then I'll fight, she's going to make it." Buffy smiled.
"She has too."
"For you." Buffy heaved.
"For you."
"For the world." Buffy remembered what a once vamped Cordelia had told her.
"I am sorry to cut this short but we have to move this show on the road." The doctor set up Buffy's stretcher and started to wheel her out of the room.
"I love you" She mouthed.
"I love you too" Angel called. And all her saw was Buffy being taken out of the doors and she was gone. Vanished. The last image he saw of her and his child was carried out those white doors and all he had to do now was wait.