Chapter 10
Buffy entered the research center hospital area through the security checkpoint, stopping only to accept brief offers of sympathy from various employees.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Cordelia, one of the research assistants, said.
"It's better to keep busy." Buffy moved on for fear of breaking down. Several of the others staff members echoed the same sentiment as she veered down the corridor toward Angel's office.
Two of Angel's colleagues, Riley Finn and Rupert Giles, seemed engrossed in a serious discussion as they approached her from the opposite direction. Something about the case study on autism treatments, she heard one of them say. But as soon as they spotted her, the conversation instantly died.
"We didn't expect you to come back to work so soon." Dr. Finn, a handsome man in his early thirties with thick tawny hair and tanned skin, met her in the hall in front of Angel's secretary's office. Through the crack in the doorway, Buffy saw Drusilla stooped over the computer.
"I'm not officially on duty," Buffy explained. "So I thought I'd come and clean out Angel's office." She hadn't been able to touch his personal things at home yet.
Dr. Giles, an older gray-haired gentleman with glasses nodded. "Probably a good idea."
"Let me know if I can help, Buffy," Dr. Finn said.
Buffy nodded, anxious to escape the doctors. Riley Finn had always made her uncomfortable. Both his smile and his reputation with the ladies raised her defenses fast. She'd observed Dr. Giles at work with some schizophrenic patients. He could be kind and sympathetic, yet ruthless when dealing with a disgruntled patient who refused medication. She'd also heard that he was working on some new treatment for autism that straddled the ethical line endorsed by the American Medical Association. Was that what they had been discussing in hushed voices?
She slipped past them into Dru's office, pasting on a brave smile for the twenty-five year old brunette. Angel had treated her for depression. Newly divorced, Dru had been desperate for a job when Angel hired her.
"Hi, Mrs. O'Connor." Dru's voice quivered with emotions.
"Summers. I'm going back to my maiden name." There was an awkward silence. "Anyway, how are you doing?" Buffy's nursing instincts kicked in.
Drusilla's thin shoulders lifted slightly. "Hanging in there. But I miss Angel."
Buffy smile, surprised to hear Dru refer to him that way.
"I know he's actually been gone for weeks, but all that time—"her voice broke, and she grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk, dabbed her eyes and swallowed, "... all that time I prayed they'd find him alive."
"I know, so did I." She squeezed Dru's shoulder. "But we'll get through this. Just keep telling yourself that you have a job now. You have to stay tough for yourself."
Dru nodded. "You're about the bravest lady I know, Mrs.—I mean Miss Summers."
"You don't give yourself enough credit—you were brave to leave your husband. That takes courage."
Dru nodded again, seeming to draw strength from Buffy's words. Buffy brushed at her khakis. "I came to clean out Angel's office, and to take his personal things home." Buffy closed her hand around the doorknob to Angel's office, but Dru stood, waving a hand.
"You won't believe this, but they've already brought in a replacement for Angel."
Buffy had already pushed the door open though.
She paused, stunned, when she saw Spike Courtland sitting behind her husband's long polished desk.
TBC...
Buffy entered the research center hospital area through the security checkpoint, stopping only to accept brief offers of sympathy from various employees.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Cordelia, one of the research assistants, said.
"It's better to keep busy." Buffy moved on for fear of breaking down. Several of the others staff members echoed the same sentiment as she veered down the corridor toward Angel's office.
Two of Angel's colleagues, Riley Finn and Rupert Giles, seemed engrossed in a serious discussion as they approached her from the opposite direction. Something about the case study on autism treatments, she heard one of them say. But as soon as they spotted her, the conversation instantly died.
"We didn't expect you to come back to work so soon." Dr. Finn, a handsome man in his early thirties with thick tawny hair and tanned skin, met her in the hall in front of Angel's secretary's office. Through the crack in the doorway, Buffy saw Drusilla stooped over the computer.
"I'm not officially on duty," Buffy explained. "So I thought I'd come and clean out Angel's office." She hadn't been able to touch his personal things at home yet.
Dr. Giles, an older gray-haired gentleman with glasses nodded. "Probably a good idea."
"Let me know if I can help, Buffy," Dr. Finn said.
Buffy nodded, anxious to escape the doctors. Riley Finn had always made her uncomfortable. Both his smile and his reputation with the ladies raised her defenses fast. She'd observed Dr. Giles at work with some schizophrenic patients. He could be kind and sympathetic, yet ruthless when dealing with a disgruntled patient who refused medication. She'd also heard that he was working on some new treatment for autism that straddled the ethical line endorsed by the American Medical Association. Was that what they had been discussing in hushed voices?
She slipped past them into Dru's office, pasting on a brave smile for the twenty-five year old brunette. Angel had treated her for depression. Newly divorced, Dru had been desperate for a job when Angel hired her.
"Hi, Mrs. O'Connor." Dru's voice quivered with emotions.
"Summers. I'm going back to my maiden name." There was an awkward silence. "Anyway, how are you doing?" Buffy's nursing instincts kicked in.
Drusilla's thin shoulders lifted slightly. "Hanging in there. But I miss Angel."
Buffy smile, surprised to hear Dru refer to him that way.
"I know he's actually been gone for weeks, but all that time—"her voice broke, and she grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk, dabbed her eyes and swallowed, "... all that time I prayed they'd find him alive."
"I know, so did I." She squeezed Dru's shoulder. "But we'll get through this. Just keep telling yourself that you have a job now. You have to stay tough for yourself."
Dru nodded. "You're about the bravest lady I know, Mrs.—I mean Miss Summers."
"You don't give yourself enough credit—you were brave to leave your husband. That takes courage."
Dru nodded again, seeming to draw strength from Buffy's words. Buffy brushed at her khakis. "I came to clean out Angel's office, and to take his personal things home." Buffy closed her hand around the doorknob to Angel's office, but Dru stood, waving a hand.
"You won't believe this, but they've already brought in a replacement for Angel."
Buffy had already pushed the door open though.
She paused, stunned, when she saw Spike Courtland sitting behind her husband's long polished desk.
TBC...