Chapter 7
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"Feel sick after every meal.
Sleep, I'd sleep everyday, wipe the cobwebs away. I need to be loved.
Christ! I'm out of my mind I need to be loved.
So I turn to you and I say, thank goodness for the good souls that make life better."
"Good Souls" Starsailor
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"Giles?" There was no answer,
"Giles?" His head rolled about on the pillow, as if searching for the voice,
"Giles, please." Willow whispered in desperation. She wanted to let him sleep forever, but she knew that he needed to eat something before he faded away to nothing. He responded this time, by looking up at her with slated eyes. His eyelids fluttered for a moment, looking almost translucent,
"I need you to eat something for me." Willow said, helping the man to sit up in the bed awkwardly. She propped all the pillows she could find behind his head and back in an effort to keep him upright. The problem was she didn't know how she was going to keep him awake long enough to get a substantial amount of food into him.
Giles swallowed wearily, the effort to keep himself breathing was becoming too hard now. Willow sat herself on the bed beside him, bowl of porridge in hand. She hesitated, scared he would snap at her if she tried to help him to eat. She remembered how he hated being treated as an invalid. But he was an invalid; he could barely keep his eyes open, let alone hold a spoon and lift it to his mouth.
After much consideration she decided she would offer him the bowl then wait and see. He took it in shaky hands and let it drop into his lap. He stared at it for a moment, before picking up the spoon with some difficulty and proceeded to eat it. Each mouthful was swilled around his mouth several times before he swallowed. He cringed every time he did so, even though the porridge wasn't that hot, he still felt his throat burning the whole way down into his stomach. Although the burning in his stomach could be due to the fact that he had taken painkillers before he had eaten anything. He didn't think it would matter, the amount of damage that was already done to him left him wondering if any more damage could be done. He took another mouthful and his lungs felt as though they were on fire. He wouldn't be surprised by it, after the amount of smoke he had inhaled.
Everything on fire.
People waving their arms about madly.
Mutilated corpses.
Blood everywhere.
O God. there was so much blood.
Giles stomach wretched and he fought the definite rising sickness. The spoon clattered back into the bowl and he pushed it away as if that would somehow make it better. Yet a few seconds later he found himself leaning over the side of the bed, throwing up the few mouthfuls he had taken and the glass of water he had consumed earlier.
Willow watched as Giles threw up, unable to save the carpet in time. She let him empty the contents of his stomach, sitting next to him, rubbing his back like she remembered her mother doing when she had been ill at a younger age. He continued to wretch long after he had lost everything in his stomach, and Willow feared he would start to throw up his insides. She heard the knock at the door downstairs, but she didn't move from beside Giles, only bile and phlegm coming out now,
"Dawn, will you get that." She called out, not sure if it was loud enough for the teenager to hear, but she still wouldn't move even if a second knock came. She continued to watch him, scared that at any moment she would see blood. Yet after a while Giles stopped, letting himself fall back into the pillows, clutching at his ribs,
"Sorry," he mumbled as Willow reached for a tissue from the box, handing it to him. Giles took the tissue gratefully and wiped his mouth,
"Don't apologize. It's good that you got all the toxins out. You should feel better now." She said standing up, hoping there would be some truth in what she said, but she doubted it,
"I'll just go get something to clean this up. Try and drink something at least." She said handing him the glass of water. He looked at it dubiously, as if it was the thing that was making him want to the throw up. He didn't think he could put anything back in his stomach without it wanting to get rid of it again. He watched Willow leave the room before letting his eyes fall on the glass again. He knew she was right. He had to drink and eat, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to do so.
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Dawn yawned again as she continued to sip on her glass of water, staring at the radio as it played the latest song by Michelle Branch. She wasn't listening to the words of the song though; she was listening to Giles words. What he had told them all earlier. Quentin Travers was dead, she would have loved to have seen her sisters face at that point. Giles had someone else in his life. Giles had another life, away from Sunnydale. Dawn had never thought about it before, but Giles did have another life. Her head sunk into her left hand.
"A life where he didn't have essays to hand in for college tomorrow." She said to the empty room, sighing. She could sit with him and do her homework. Maybe he would help? He was the fountain of knowledge so he was bound to know something about 16th century artists. Would take his mind off the things that had happened over the past month, plus she could spend some time with him.
Dawn was probably the one out of the whole of the Scooby gang that had missed him most, perhaps save Willow. When her father had left she had been disappointed. When her mother had died she didn't think she would be able on, but her sister had been there for her. They had been there for each other and they had dealt. But when her sister had given her life for Dawn's. It brought tears to Dawn's eyes just thinking about it.
Giles leaving had been the last straw but Xander and the others had picked her up and pushed her on. Spike had been a big help. He had always been there no matter what had happened, and.
Dawn was pulled away from her thoughts by a knock at the front door, a reminder somehow that she still had assignments to do and she better get moving. She slid off the chair as she heard Willow's faint call from upstairs. She left the glass where it was and moved through the house to the front door. She stifled another yawn before opening it. They weren't expecting anyone, but somehow Dawn knew who it would be, even if she did not recognize the person.
A woman in her early forties stood on the doorstep, a bag slung over her shoulder. Her long black flowing locks were wet, but it was brushed back off her shoulders into a pleat. Her warm brown eyes stared at Dawn hopefully for a moment, before she suddenly remembered herself,
"Sorry, I- uh- I-" when she spook her accent was instantly recognizable as English, but Dawn didn't know which part of England it was. All she knew was that the woman wasn't from the same part as Giles. A stray hair fell in front of her face and she brushed it roughly away, before turning her eyes on Dawn again,
"You don't know me, but my name is Aura Stevenson. I'm - That is to say -"
"You're a friend of Giles." Aura looked suddenly overwhelmed with relief at the mention of the name,
"He's here. Thank God." She sighed suddenly feeling relaxed,
"He told you about me?" Dawn nodded, before she stepped aside,
"You better come in." She said before leading Aura into the living room and motioning to the sofa. Aura took it up gratefully, a rest for her feet and her aching body. She didn't look nearly as bad as Giles. She also looked as if she had had a shower before arriving here, but that didn't stop the tired aching look in her eyes showing. Dawn heard the stairs creaking as feet came down them,
"Willow?" Dawn questioned, moving towards the stairs. Willow came into sight,
"Sorry I couldn't get it Dawn. Giles stomach didn't take too kindly to porridge." She said sadly before she reached the bottom of the stairs,
"Who was at the door anyway?" she said before she saw the figure moving back out into the hall at the mention of Giles name,
"Is he all right? I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get him here safely. Can I see him?" Aura blurted out as she watched Willow with anticipation,
"Dawn will you go get some kitchen roll and see if you can tidy up upstairs." Dawn hesitated for a moment before moving towards the kitchen,
"Tell Giles I'll be up soon." Willow called after her before motioning for Aura to go back into the living room,
"I'm guessing you're Aura." She said softly. Aura nodded sadly as she perched on the edge of the sofa.
"I'm sorry I sent him to you. I didn't know what else to do, and also I knew that if I didn't send him now you would never see him again. He would never come back here under his own willpower."
"He said that it was you that sent him here."
"I know I would have been better taking him to a hospital, but-" she sighed heavyhearted again, placing her head in her hands as she heard footfalls on the stairs again. There was a silence for a moment as Willow sat down beside Aura and put a comforting hand on her arm,
"I'm Willow." She said, feeling as if she should be introducing herself. Aura looked up at Willow, grateful for the support,
"Rupert's told me all about you. He's told me about all of you. He cares for you all so much and he regrets leaving. Please don't hold him to that." Willow frowned,
"I wouldn't. I couldn't." she said shaking her head vigorously. Aura looked up the stairs, changing the subject,
"The other girl, she's Buffy's sister? Dawn?" Willow nodded,
"The others are out at the moment. You'll meet them when they come back."
"How is he?" Aura blurted out, turning back from the stairs. Willow, sighed, watching Aura for a moment, not sure if she should tell Aura how bad it was, but surely she knew,
"Do you want to see him?"
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"Maybe we should be heading back now." Xander said looking at his watch. They hadn't been out very long but it was obvious all their minds were back at the house, wondering how Giles was and if anymore of his story had been unraveled. Anya twirled the stake she had in her hand a couple of times, bored and anxious, but she neither agreed nor disagreed with her husband,
"Do you think we could renew our vows? So Giles could be there?" she said, suddenly turning on Xander. Everyone turned to look at her, but no one answered her.
"He's missed a lot." Tara said eventually.
"Bit going to college."
"Faith getting out of jail."
"Our wedding."
"Dead boy coming over for a visit. And then us nearly being killed."
"Speak for yourself Harris. I weren't planning on dying anytime soon."
"The end of the world."
"Always a party."
"He's missed a lot." Tara repeated after they had all more or less finished listing things.
"Looks like he's the one going to me missing you soon." The group turned as one, seeing the vampire standing behind them,
"Wouldn't be so cocky mate." Spike said stepping up to the challenge. At least a dozen other vampires stepped out from the surrounding shrubbery,
"You sure 'bout that Spike?"
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Dawn paused outside her sister's room, a bowl in hand that contained a cloth and kitchen roll. She clutched them tighter before she reached for the handle. She entered the room nervously at first, but when she caught sight of Giles slumped over the edge of the bed coughing and spluttering she ran into the room. She dropped what she was carrying without a second thought, going to Giles. She attempted to ease him back onto the bed, catching sight of the upturned glass rolling on the floor,
"Giles come on, sit back -" she stopped as his stomach heaved again, blood coming out of his mouth. Dawn's eyes widened,
"Willow!" she screeched at the top of her voice. She managed to get him back onto the bed as he continued to cough, blood running down his chin now,
"Willow!" she called with even more desperation, so loud she thought her lungs would explode,
"WILLOW!"
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"Feel sick after every meal.
Sleep, I'd sleep everyday, wipe the cobwebs away. I need to be loved.
Christ! I'm out of my mind I need to be loved.
So I turn to you and I say, thank goodness for the good souls that make life better."
"Good Souls" Starsailor
*********************************************************************
"Giles?" There was no answer,
"Giles?" His head rolled about on the pillow, as if searching for the voice,
"Giles, please." Willow whispered in desperation. She wanted to let him sleep forever, but she knew that he needed to eat something before he faded away to nothing. He responded this time, by looking up at her with slated eyes. His eyelids fluttered for a moment, looking almost translucent,
"I need you to eat something for me." Willow said, helping the man to sit up in the bed awkwardly. She propped all the pillows she could find behind his head and back in an effort to keep him upright. The problem was she didn't know how she was going to keep him awake long enough to get a substantial amount of food into him.
Giles swallowed wearily, the effort to keep himself breathing was becoming too hard now. Willow sat herself on the bed beside him, bowl of porridge in hand. She hesitated, scared he would snap at her if she tried to help him to eat. She remembered how he hated being treated as an invalid. But he was an invalid; he could barely keep his eyes open, let alone hold a spoon and lift it to his mouth.
After much consideration she decided she would offer him the bowl then wait and see. He took it in shaky hands and let it drop into his lap. He stared at it for a moment, before picking up the spoon with some difficulty and proceeded to eat it. Each mouthful was swilled around his mouth several times before he swallowed. He cringed every time he did so, even though the porridge wasn't that hot, he still felt his throat burning the whole way down into his stomach. Although the burning in his stomach could be due to the fact that he had taken painkillers before he had eaten anything. He didn't think it would matter, the amount of damage that was already done to him left him wondering if any more damage could be done. He took another mouthful and his lungs felt as though they were on fire. He wouldn't be surprised by it, after the amount of smoke he had inhaled.
Everything on fire.
People waving their arms about madly.
Mutilated corpses.
Blood everywhere.
O God. there was so much blood.
Giles stomach wretched and he fought the definite rising sickness. The spoon clattered back into the bowl and he pushed it away as if that would somehow make it better. Yet a few seconds later he found himself leaning over the side of the bed, throwing up the few mouthfuls he had taken and the glass of water he had consumed earlier.
Willow watched as Giles threw up, unable to save the carpet in time. She let him empty the contents of his stomach, sitting next to him, rubbing his back like she remembered her mother doing when she had been ill at a younger age. He continued to wretch long after he had lost everything in his stomach, and Willow feared he would start to throw up his insides. She heard the knock at the door downstairs, but she didn't move from beside Giles, only bile and phlegm coming out now,
"Dawn, will you get that." She called out, not sure if it was loud enough for the teenager to hear, but she still wouldn't move even if a second knock came. She continued to watch him, scared that at any moment she would see blood. Yet after a while Giles stopped, letting himself fall back into the pillows, clutching at his ribs,
"Sorry," he mumbled as Willow reached for a tissue from the box, handing it to him. Giles took the tissue gratefully and wiped his mouth,
"Don't apologize. It's good that you got all the toxins out. You should feel better now." She said standing up, hoping there would be some truth in what she said, but she doubted it,
"I'll just go get something to clean this up. Try and drink something at least." She said handing him the glass of water. He looked at it dubiously, as if it was the thing that was making him want to the throw up. He didn't think he could put anything back in his stomach without it wanting to get rid of it again. He watched Willow leave the room before letting his eyes fall on the glass again. He knew she was right. He had to drink and eat, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to do so.
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Dawn yawned again as she continued to sip on her glass of water, staring at the radio as it played the latest song by Michelle Branch. She wasn't listening to the words of the song though; she was listening to Giles words. What he had told them all earlier. Quentin Travers was dead, she would have loved to have seen her sisters face at that point. Giles had someone else in his life. Giles had another life, away from Sunnydale. Dawn had never thought about it before, but Giles did have another life. Her head sunk into her left hand.
"A life where he didn't have essays to hand in for college tomorrow." She said to the empty room, sighing. She could sit with him and do her homework. Maybe he would help? He was the fountain of knowledge so he was bound to know something about 16th century artists. Would take his mind off the things that had happened over the past month, plus she could spend some time with him.
Dawn was probably the one out of the whole of the Scooby gang that had missed him most, perhaps save Willow. When her father had left she had been disappointed. When her mother had died she didn't think she would be able on, but her sister had been there for her. They had been there for each other and they had dealt. But when her sister had given her life for Dawn's. It brought tears to Dawn's eyes just thinking about it.
Giles leaving had been the last straw but Xander and the others had picked her up and pushed her on. Spike had been a big help. He had always been there no matter what had happened, and.
Dawn was pulled away from her thoughts by a knock at the front door, a reminder somehow that she still had assignments to do and she better get moving. She slid off the chair as she heard Willow's faint call from upstairs. She left the glass where it was and moved through the house to the front door. She stifled another yawn before opening it. They weren't expecting anyone, but somehow Dawn knew who it would be, even if she did not recognize the person.
A woman in her early forties stood on the doorstep, a bag slung over her shoulder. Her long black flowing locks were wet, but it was brushed back off her shoulders into a pleat. Her warm brown eyes stared at Dawn hopefully for a moment, before she suddenly remembered herself,
"Sorry, I- uh- I-" when she spook her accent was instantly recognizable as English, but Dawn didn't know which part of England it was. All she knew was that the woman wasn't from the same part as Giles. A stray hair fell in front of her face and she brushed it roughly away, before turning her eyes on Dawn again,
"You don't know me, but my name is Aura Stevenson. I'm - That is to say -"
"You're a friend of Giles." Aura looked suddenly overwhelmed with relief at the mention of the name,
"He's here. Thank God." She sighed suddenly feeling relaxed,
"He told you about me?" Dawn nodded, before she stepped aside,
"You better come in." She said before leading Aura into the living room and motioning to the sofa. Aura took it up gratefully, a rest for her feet and her aching body. She didn't look nearly as bad as Giles. She also looked as if she had had a shower before arriving here, but that didn't stop the tired aching look in her eyes showing. Dawn heard the stairs creaking as feet came down them,
"Willow?" Dawn questioned, moving towards the stairs. Willow came into sight,
"Sorry I couldn't get it Dawn. Giles stomach didn't take too kindly to porridge." She said sadly before she reached the bottom of the stairs,
"Who was at the door anyway?" she said before she saw the figure moving back out into the hall at the mention of Giles name,
"Is he all right? I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get him here safely. Can I see him?" Aura blurted out as she watched Willow with anticipation,
"Dawn will you go get some kitchen roll and see if you can tidy up upstairs." Dawn hesitated for a moment before moving towards the kitchen,
"Tell Giles I'll be up soon." Willow called after her before motioning for Aura to go back into the living room,
"I'm guessing you're Aura." She said softly. Aura nodded sadly as she perched on the edge of the sofa.
"I'm sorry I sent him to you. I didn't know what else to do, and also I knew that if I didn't send him now you would never see him again. He would never come back here under his own willpower."
"He said that it was you that sent him here."
"I know I would have been better taking him to a hospital, but-" she sighed heavyhearted again, placing her head in her hands as she heard footfalls on the stairs again. There was a silence for a moment as Willow sat down beside Aura and put a comforting hand on her arm,
"I'm Willow." She said, feeling as if she should be introducing herself. Aura looked up at Willow, grateful for the support,
"Rupert's told me all about you. He's told me about all of you. He cares for you all so much and he regrets leaving. Please don't hold him to that." Willow frowned,
"I wouldn't. I couldn't." she said shaking her head vigorously. Aura looked up the stairs, changing the subject,
"The other girl, she's Buffy's sister? Dawn?" Willow nodded,
"The others are out at the moment. You'll meet them when they come back."
"How is he?" Aura blurted out, turning back from the stairs. Willow, sighed, watching Aura for a moment, not sure if she should tell Aura how bad it was, but surely she knew,
"Do you want to see him?"
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"Maybe we should be heading back now." Xander said looking at his watch. They hadn't been out very long but it was obvious all their minds were back at the house, wondering how Giles was and if anymore of his story had been unraveled. Anya twirled the stake she had in her hand a couple of times, bored and anxious, but she neither agreed nor disagreed with her husband,
"Do you think we could renew our vows? So Giles could be there?" she said, suddenly turning on Xander. Everyone turned to look at her, but no one answered her.
"He's missed a lot." Tara said eventually.
"Bit going to college."
"Faith getting out of jail."
"Our wedding."
"Dead boy coming over for a visit. And then us nearly being killed."
"Speak for yourself Harris. I weren't planning on dying anytime soon."
"The end of the world."
"Always a party."
"He's missed a lot." Tara repeated after they had all more or less finished listing things.
"Looks like he's the one going to me missing you soon." The group turned as one, seeing the vampire standing behind them,
"Wouldn't be so cocky mate." Spike said stepping up to the challenge. At least a dozen other vampires stepped out from the surrounding shrubbery,
"You sure 'bout that Spike?"
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Dawn paused outside her sister's room, a bowl in hand that contained a cloth and kitchen roll. She clutched them tighter before she reached for the handle. She entered the room nervously at first, but when she caught sight of Giles slumped over the edge of the bed coughing and spluttering she ran into the room. She dropped what she was carrying without a second thought, going to Giles. She attempted to ease him back onto the bed, catching sight of the upturned glass rolling on the floor,
"Giles come on, sit back -" she stopped as his stomach heaved again, blood coming out of his mouth. Dawn's eyes widened,
"Willow!" she screeched at the top of her voice. She managed to get him back onto the bed as he continued to cough, blood running down his chin now,
"Willow!" she called with even more desperation, so loud she thought her lungs would explode,
"WILLOW!"