Title: Blood Loss
Author: KeepTheFaith (Laura)
Feedback: May be provided here or sent to aeryncrichtonhotmail.com
Disclaimer: Buffy is owned by Joss Whedon and ME, I'm just borrowing them
Spoilers: Set during season 4, after "Fear Itself"
Pairings: Buffy / Spike
Rating: R
Subject: More dancing between Buffy and Spike as they try to deal with the consequences of their attraction, Sequel to Here and Now
Blood Loss
Chapter 6 - I Hate Hospitals
Spike's foot tapped rhythmically as he perched on the edge of his chair, ready to jump up at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, Giles was rubbing his handkerchief over the lenses of his glasses yet again. Joyce wondered what could be taking so long. Pretty soon she'd develop a nervous tick or two of her own.
"Why haven't Willow or Xander arrived?" Giles asked.
"I didn't think to call them. I should do that now." Joyce moved as if to get up, but Giles put his hand on her shoulder, stilling her.
"I'll make the calls. You stay here. The doctor will be looking for you when there's news about Buffy's condition." He turned and walked down the hallway.
Joyce sat and waited, unsure whether the delay meant good or bad news. Spike's agitation wasn't helping her state of mind either. His cocky assurance would have been a relief right about now, putting her mind at rest about Buffy's recovery.
Ten minutes later, Spike shook his head ruefully and prepared for the deluge. If Giles' disapproving looks and Joyce's pained expressions pierced him through the heart, he was sure ill-will would roll off Buffy's friends in waves. They had no reason to trust or even like him, so they'd probably team up to try to force him out of their friend's life.
It wouldn't be that easy.
Twenty minutes later, after greetings were exchanged between Willow and Xander and the waiting Joyce and Giles, it began.
"What's he doing here?" Xander asked. "Does someone have a stake?"
"Shut it Harris," Spike replied sharply. "I brought Buffy in here tonight."
"Right," Xander said, drawing the word out. "You, the big, bad Master Vampire brought Buffy to the hospital to save her life. What game are you playing Spike?"
Joyce stepped between the two men, "Stop it, the both of you," she said, looking from one to the other. "Xander, Spike did bring Buffy into the hospital tonight."
"So, what are you really after here, Spike?" Xander snarked.
The doctor who had taken Buffy to a cubicle for treatment hours ago, came walking toward them. Spike's attention centered on him; he ignored Harris as though the whelp had disappeared. Everyone else could have bled into the walls for all he cared.
"Mrs. Summers?" the doctor asked. At Joyce's nod, he held out his hand and introduced himself as Dr. Feldman.
"How is my daughter?" Joyce asked.
"We've got her stabilized. She's had a transfusion of several pints of blood and plasma. She was dangerously weakened by the blood loss, but she should be fine in a couple of days."
"May I see her?" Joyce asked.
"Yes, she's in room 206. Keep your visit short though, she needs her rest."
Joyce allowed the doctor to lead her down the corridor, into room 206 where Buffy lay tucked in amongst white sheets, slightly elevated in a hospital bed. Her daughter looked so pale and wan. Almost like death, except for a pale flush of color in the center of each cheek. Buffy's eyes were closed when she came in, yet they sprang open as soon as Joyce sat down in the chair beside her bed and grasped her daughter's hand in her own.
"I'm alright mom," Buffy whispered. "Really, I'm going to be fine."
"You look like..." Joyce began, only to turn away from her daughter's knowing eyes.
"I look like death. I know. But I'm alright." Buffy stroked her mother's hand.
Joyce was sure her daughter was trying to reassure her through touch, as though she knew that words alone wouldn't be enough. Not this time.
"Spike said, he said he did this to you."
She yawned. "Mom, can we talk about this tomorrow?"
Joyce nodded. "I suppose." She stood, then turned to add, "Giles, Xander, Willow and Oz are out in the waiting room. And Spike's been waiting to see you since he brought you in."
"Could you send Spike in mom? I need to see him before I go to sleep."
"Alright, but then sleep."
Buffy nodded.
"Mom - wait."
"What is it honey?"
"I'm sorry I was being avoid-o-girl there for a second. I want you to know what's going on in my life. I don't mean to be all secretive Buffy."
"Spike is a pretty big secret to spring on a mom, even when she's the mother of the Slayer," Joyce said, quirking a brow at her daughter.
"I know. It's just...I wasn't sure myself, where things were going with Spike. If they were going anywhere." Buffy's cheeks colored at her words and she ducked her head as if to hide her embarrassment.
Buffy looked up to find her mom smirking at her. "Mom," she whined.
"Alright, no more teasing. I do have a question though."
"Shoot," Buffy said.
"Do you love Spike?"
"I...I think so. I don't want him to leave mom. I don't think I could bear it if he did." Buffy shook her head, but remained silent, as though unable to further articulate her feelings.
"What about Spike's feelings for you? I think I can guess from his visible worry for you in the waiting room, but..."
"He loves me mom," Buffy replied. "So, he was worried?"
"Spike was practically bouncing off the walls." Joyce smiled gently at her daughter, as the vise-grip of fear tightening her on her heart and lungs finally gave way. The doctor's confident prognosis hadn't been enough to reassure, not like the sight and sounds of her only child. "I thought Mr. Giles might wear a hole through his glasses considering the number of times he cleaned them. He called your friends. We've all been waiting as patiently as we could."
"Thanks mom," Buffy said, smiling as her mom bent to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek, before walking toward the door. "Remember to send Spike in."
"If you let me forget, I'm sure he'd remind me."
Spike and Xander continued their staring match in the waiting area. There was no way Spike was going to let Xander have the last word about Buffy or what might be good for her. "Sod off Harris. I mean to see Buffy and you're not gonna bloody well stop me."
Xander held out his hand like a stop sign, then he poked Spike in the shoulder in time with each word he uttered. "You... almost... killed... Buffy."
Spike's lips thinned, as he kept his anger toward the whelp on a tight leash. Xander was Buffy's friend, which was the sole reason he wasn't pushing the wanker back. "Know what I did. Wasn't what I intended."
"Intended or not, Buffy is in there fighting for her life, because of what you did to her. She doesn't need to wake up and worry about you putting the bite on her again."
Spike shook his head, sending an errant platinum curl spilling over his forehead. He pushed it back absently. "Buffy's mine now. Been claimed. With a bond that'll bloody well last unto death."
"Whose?" Xander asked. "Hers or yours?"
"Either," Spike replied reflexively.
"That can be arranged." Xander puffed out his chest, while he reached behind his back for the stake he'd stopped to grab out of Gile's weapons trunk, after hearing what happened to Buffy and where she was.
"Wouldn't suggest that mate," Spike warned. He motioned toward the door to Buffy's room. "You think she'd thank you for staking me -- in public, no less?"
"After what you did to her? I think she'd rub her hands together and say good riddance to bad rubbish."
Spike growled low in his throat, but his human facade remained in place: ice blue eyes and slightly mussed platinum locks. If a stare could kill, Xander would have dropped on the spot.
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Xander squeaked.
Spike laughed. "If you're not, you bloody well should be."
Xander stood, ready to go mano-a-vampire with Spike.
Willow and Oz walked into the waiting area, right into the middle of Spike and Xander's face-off.
Willow stepped into the fray, afraid her best friend was about to get himself killed, or at least savagely maimed. "Cool down you two." She held out one hand toward Spike, while the other gripped Xander's jewel-toned, striped pullover. "No need to resort to violence."
She locked gazes with Oz, silently asking him to maintain the peace. "I'm going to see if I can talk to Buffy. Keep these two hotheads in check."
Oz nodded and took a seat, looking first at Xander, then Spike. His chilly demeanor had the intended affect. They both followed his lead, taking seats on either side of the room from each other, leaving him as the buffer zone in the middle.
Joyce walked down the hallway, back towards the waiting area. Her focus remained on Buffy and her unusual choice of boyfriends. Unfortunately her daughter's calling seemed to have given her an unnatural inclination toward the undead. It was a bit unnerving to say the least.
"Hello, Mrs. Summers. How's Buffy?" Willow asked.
"What?" Joyce looked up, startled out of her reverie. "Oh Willow, I didn't see you there. Buffy's going to be fine in a few days."
"Can I see her?"
"She asked to see Spike next. Then she needs to get some sleep. I'm sure she'd love to see you tomorrow."
"I understand." Willow looked back toward the waiting area. "Just so you know, the tension between Spike and Xander is thick enough to cut with a knife out there."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for coming over tonight, Willow. Having another woman here has been a relief from the testosterone fest out there," Joyce said, with a tense laugh.
"I'm glad I could help. I'll see if I can get Xander to leave with Oz and I. Then we can all come back tomorrow and visit Buffy."
Joyce smiled and nodded, as she broke off to walk toward Spike.
Willow walked over to Xander, sat down beside him and told him what Mrs. Summers had said. She motioned to Oz and he came over. Between them, they ushered Xander toward the exit before he could see Spike walking down the hallway toward Buffy's room.
Joyce sat down next to Giles. "It's such a relief to know she's going to be alright."
"I'm sure it is. Do you need a ride home?"
"I drove myself," Joyce replied.
"If you're feeling a bit shaky, I'd be happy to drop you," Giles said.
Joyce shook her head, reaching out to place her hand over his. "I don't know what I'd have done without you here tonight. Thank you."
"I don't know what I did, but I was glad to be here Joyce. You know I'm most fond of Buffy." Giles removed his glasses and pulled out his handkerchief to clean his glasses for the twentieth time or more in the past three hours. "I worry about her safety now that she's off at college as well as when she's patrolling, so I wouldn't have been anywhere else." He folded up his handkerchief and his glasses, stowing both securely in the breast pocket of his tweed jacket.
Joyce leaned closer and pulled him into a hug.
Giles reciprocated, at first a bit awkwardly, then with a slight squeeze.
Joyce looked into his glittering eyes, and before she knew it they were out of focus as his lips met hers in a silken kiss that took her breath away.
Spike tapped softly on the door of Buffy's room, then he cracked open the door to peek inside. He entered, letting the door close behind him.
"How are you pet?" Spike asked.
"I'm going to be fine Spike." Buffy gave him a little lop-sided smile.
"I almost killed you pet. Not a good beginning," Spike said, hanging his head, a bit afraid he might meet her accusing stare, despite the fact that her feelings bleeding through the claim didn't seem to match up with his fears.
"Spike, come here, will you?" Buffy asked, patting the side of the bed beside her. "I'd come over there, but your Slayer's feeling a little weak at the moment."
Spike rushed to Buffy's side, lowering himself gently to the spot on the bed she'd indicated. "Is there anything I can get you luv?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, there's nothing I need." She reached out and put her hand on his forearm, which was enough to raise his gaze to meet her eyes. "Nothing that is, but you."
Spike swept Buffy into a hug, unable to pretend any longer that he might be able to back off or remain aloof. As he tucked his head into the curve of her shoulder, she felt his tears soaking through the thin material of the white and blue hospital gown she wore. She stroked the back of his head all the way down his back in a soothing motion designed to relax and reassure.
For some reason Spike's reaction made her more sure than anything that she'd made the right decision.
Her smile was brighter and wider than she could remember having in a long time, maybe ever. She waited until Spike pulled back, so he could finally see that everything was alright and it would continue to be so.
As long as they were together, there wasn't anything they couldn't face.
Buffy tried, but failed to stifle the sudden, deep yawn that overtook her.
"You're tired pet." Spike stood up, looked at the door, then back at Buffy. "I suppose I should leave, so you can get some sleep."
"As much as I'd like for you to stay, I'm sure they won't let you, so it's probably better if you go now."
"Night pet. Remember, I'll be thinking of you." Spike bent down kissed Buffy on the forehead, then turned and walked toward the door. He looked back as his hand touched the handle. "I'll be back at sunset tomorrow Buffy."
To be continued...