Angel couldn't understand why he felt so miserable either. Of course, it could've been another curse just like Dru's when Spike first brought her to Sunnydale, but it didn't feel like it. He groaned as he felt his stomach churn, turned to the side and began vomiting. He was so occupied with his sufferings that he didn't even notice Cordelia arriving until he felt soothing hands rubbing his back and helping him through the spell. Even with all that, he still noted how surprised he was about that. Not only because she was there so fast and that he didn't hear her come in, but also because the Cordelia he remembered would've run a mile from anything that wasn't completely for princesses' noses. Angel clutched a handful of the bedcovers till the heaves finally let up, although his stomach continued to cramp tenaciously.

Cordelia had become very alarmed about Angel's apparent turn for the worse. She was happy she called Wesley as well on her way to the hotel, but she wasn't sure what he could do for their boss either. Cordelia gripped the wet cloth, and Angel flinched as it came in contact with his sore belly. Cordelia did her best to sooth him through the pain, but unfortunately her touch could do little to alleviate the pain.

Angel's grip tightened on the bed as his stomach twisted, "Cordelia" he pleaded, "I feel s…so rotten."

"Oh, Angel I wish so much that I could make it stop," Cordelia answered, her voice full of compassion, "Wesley and Gunn will be here soon," she said, wondering again what the two men could do in these circumstances, but she certainly didn't have any good ideas yet, "I'm so sorry, " she shook her head, "I promise I won't leave you," she said, this time pleading for a vision from the Powers That Be that would tell her how to help Angel. But before she could have one, or her colleagues could arrive, Angel found himself undergoing one more distressing spell of vomiting that further weakened his already worn out body. Cordelia was scared that he was dying by some unknown poison and wished Wesley there again so she can push him to make another blood test.

Right enough, Wesley and Gunn entered the room together in a few minutes time to see Angel's back turned to them, his body shuddering with the force of each heave. The scene was disheartening, and Wesley got to work right away, while Gunn lifted Angel from the bed, disregarding his objections, and the two changed the mucky bed linen. Wesley had just returned from downstairs, reporting that once again, there weren't any signs of poison or any reason why Angel should feel the way he did, when Angel experienced another wave of stomach cramps. He squeezed his eyes shut, a groan escaped his lips in spite of his best efforts not to scream.

"I'm here," Cordelia soothed.

Angel shook his head in reply to Cordelia's comments. He was unable to talk while the cramping continued.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Cordelia asked the other two.

"I could get some tranquillisers," Wesley offered, "but that of course wouldn't solve the problem. Look, I tested for every weakness of vampires and found no garlic, silver or helium particles in his blood whatsoever. All points to the fact that his life is not in danger over this."

Cordelia felt Angel's body loosen beneath her hands. She knew that it meant Angel was experiencing relief, for the time being at least. She took that opportunity to went her anger on Wesley, "but we don't know what's going on! What I want to know is what do you intend to do about it? Contact the Council, Lorne, get Buffy, fond out if Wolfram and Hart have anything to do with it and no matter what if they can help, go through trials, whatever! Come on, Wesley, do something!" she shouted with her eyes flashing, stance fierce, ready to fight. As always, no chance she would take the opposite choice of flight. So determined she was in fact amazed herself how infuriated and concerned she was getting over Angel.

"I promise you, I have already done all that I am capable of," Wesley assured her, "the Counsel wouldn't do anything, you know as well as I do and I…"

"I have an idea," Gunn intercepted, "obviously we can't take him to a hospital, but I know of a small surgery we can take him to. Remember Wesley when you were almost bleeding to death at the shelter? Anne didn't want to take the chance anymore. Things can happen with those kids all the time and they have no insurance, so she thought of buying a lot of medicines and equipment. And the student nurse who is a volunteer there used to belong to my vampire killing gang. I'm sure she wouldn't mind…"

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The same pain marred Angel's face as he grimaced when Monica, Gunn's old buddy had him lay down on the examination bed. The young Latino was running a scanner over his belly, examining the vampire reluctantly. She just about got over the fact that Gunn assured her this vampire was a noble one, but the anatomy she really wasn't sure about. Not to mention she was only in her second year at college. Angel had remained quiet, letting the woman prod him. He'd submitted himself to whatever tests she considered as necessary, concentrating on holding back the pain that his illness and the prodding itself caused him.

Finally, Monica shook her head, "I can give you some painkillers, and I think we should set up an iv to give him blood. Other than that, this is beyond me. I'm sorry. I could maybe treat him as if he was human? In that case, we should get that inflammation down somehow."

"Do you have the provisions?" Wesley asked.

"Yes. But I would prefer if he got it on a continuous drip, not one shot. I want him to stay in here also to see how he responds to the treatment. We have blinds."

"I'll stay with him," Cordelia offered and lifted Angel's head up to put a pillow under it, while Monica went to the medicine cabinet.

"Cordy?" Although the voice was definitely Angel's, it was barely above a sigh. He attempted to sit up.

"I'm here, Angel. You take it easy," Cordy sat on the bed next to her friend and put back the compresses that Monica also thought were a good idea. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it sympathetically, "go do something, Wesley. Go to Wolfram and Hart."

"You'll probably feel some ease in a few minutes," Monica finished setting up the iv, "I'm afraid I have a whole lot of patients are waiting for me out there in the shelter. I'll come back in the afternoon," the undergraduate picked up her papers.

With everybody gone and Angel drifting off to sleep from the drugs, Cordy also fell asleep with her head resting on his arm.

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Buffy stepped down the stairs of the Hyperion lobby, avoiding the pile of books that were standing in her way. The place looked like the library in the old Sunnydale High School when Giles was at heavy research, "nice area, nice spacious place. Reminds of Angel's old mansion," she addressed Wesley and bent down and to collect some documents spread around on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" the ex watcher asked as he jolted from his desk, took the papers off her and started shuffling through them.

"Angel said I could come any time…when we met a couple of month ago?"

"Angel's in hospital," Wesley put down the papers, only just realising who he was speaking to.

"What??! Is he…?"

"Human? No. We don't know what's wrong. It's a private…kind of treatment centre he's been in for the last few days. He's not sick and in pain all the time anymore, but he is very weak and relapses without constant medication. But slayer blood could help. Not sure, but we could try," Wesley grabbed his coat, "why are you here anyway?" he shoed her out the door again.

The Slayer shrugged, "it can wait," she was certain she didn't want to tell her formal watcher or anybody other than somebody else back from the dead how she felt and how she came for solace and guidance from Angel.

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Buffy uneasily entered the room Angel was in. He was sleeping, his hand loosely wrapped around Cordelia's.

The Seer rose her head and turned her face towards the entrance. Her eyes lit up as she saw the slayer's form in the doorway, "you're here," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. She slid her hand cautiously out of Angel's grip and inched away from him, hoping she wouldn't wake him up. The vampire moved a little, muttering something unidentifiable, but then he lay motionless again and stayed quiet. Cordelia tiptoed her way out, taking the bewildered Buffy with her, "that's very good, the transfusion kit is already in place. You stay out here, it will be easier for him if he doesn't know in advance he is going to get blood from you. We'll just change his blood bag up there with yours," she addressed Buffy as if they had spoken just yesterday, "Monica!" she turned to a young woman who just looked up from some forms she's been filling, "this is the person we've been talking about."

"Hi, are you ready for the procedure?" the newcomer chirped in.

Buffy nodded in confusion and she was led to another bed. As she lay down she could through the open door that Angel was moving slightly, "Cordelia…Cordelia? Where are you?"

"Coming," Cordelia left them entering Angels' room again, taking hold of his hand and placing a kiss on his forehead, "I'm here for you darling, always. I'll stay for as long as you need me to."

Wesley raised his eyebrows, surprised. Cordelia had mostly only expressed friendship towards the vampire before and this sounded more than that.

Buffy didn't notice his reaction, she was too busy with staring at the two people in the other room herself, not to mention the needle she was attached to. Her face went white and it wasn't because of the blood loss. She couldn't believe what was happening. If she wasn't used to holding back her emotions big time since she came back from heaven, she would've cried. She looked on as her old classmate took Angel's head in her lap. He responded by turning to the side and nestling in. Why were they doing this? She couldn't stand to see them anymore. Didn't want more suffering in her life. She had enough of it herself, there was no need to add to it. As the woman she assumed was a nurse took the needle out of her, she jumped up and scampered, "let me know how he is Wes."

"Please have something to drink at least!" Monica shouted after her, but it was in vain.

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"Are you were feeling better?" Cordelia asked Angel as the drip with Buffy's blood finished empting its contents into Angel's veins.

"Yeah," he answered hoarsely. Although his eyes were getting droopy again, his belly felt all right. He didn't know why he got better all of a sudden and he was going to ask Cordelia later. After he sleeps the remains of this illness off, or whatever it was. In fact he was going to ask Cordelia a lot of things. Even some things that she won't be able to reply to with only words.

The End.