Thank you wiccangirl122, Spike-n-Buffy-eva and JohnyG for your reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter.
The scoobies arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes after Spike had called Dawn. She ran ahead of the others to the reception desk, nearly shouting at the woman behind it. After taking a deep breath she asked her what room Buffy was in and hurried off, the others now following close behind her. Spike was sitting by Buffy's bed, holding her hand and lightly stroking it with his thumb, she was still sleeping. Dawn burst through the door, breaking into tears and falling to her knees when she saw her sister just lying there. When the others got into the room they had a similar reaction only they were able to stay on their feet, Xander tried to comfort Dawn while the rest stood round the bed.
"What happened?" Tara managed to ask.
"The Immortal, attacked and raped her…" Spike began to answer.
"How?" Willow asked.
"He used a muscle relaxant on her, a very powerful one, doctor said that it's a miracle that she's still alive, but you know what if she'd have been any other person then she'd…back to the point, she has three cracked ribs, a broken arm, she's bruised all over, but thankfully there's no internal bleeding. If I had been a second later I d..." Spike said, tears streaming down his face, the thought of Buffy being dead was one he couldn't bare.
"It's ok Spike," Willow said rubbing his back, trying to comfort him.
"No it's not ok. He has made her so petrified that I had to actually go into the operating room and hold her hand because she wouldn't let the doctors anywhere near her unless I was there. It's not right. The Buffy I know is strong woman who takes pretty good care of herself and everyone else in this sodding planet. I have never seen her scared like that. Never. She was shaking so violently, and she wouldn't stop. That bastard defiled her and he's probably out there laughing, not giving a toss about her. He is going to die for this, it's the last time he's gonna get away with anything."
Buffy began to stir, fluttering her eyes.
"Spike?" she uttered weakly.
"Yes love."
"Where are you?" she asked, not even having enough strength to open her eyes.
"I'm right here love," he said sitting back down, taking her hands into his and then placing hers on either side of his face and holding them there.
"I want to go home."
"I know pet, but they want to keep you in for observation, you're still quite weak…"
"I don't want to stay here, I want to go home."
"I'll ask the doctor tomorrow."
"Spike, don't leave me, I want you to stay."
"I'm not going anywhere love. I'm staying right here."
"Good," Buffy said, drifting back to sleep.
"I think you guys should go, I don't think she's ready to see other people yet," Spike said turning to face Buffy's friends.
"But we just got here, and since when did you give us orders," Xander said in his usual annoying way.
"Look I don't want to start arguing with you in Buffy's hospital room so will you just piss off," Spike replied.
"I think Spike's right, we should all just go. Spike will be watching over her so we don't have to worry about anything, and he'll call us when they're letting her out right Spike," Dawn said, her eyes red and puffy.
"Right niblet."
"Right then, I guess we'd better get going then," Anya said, tugging on Xander's arm.
Tara stayed back, letting the others go on without her.
"Spike do you need anything? Like coffee or something."
"No, I'm alright."
"Ok, well if you need anything just give me a call," she replied, handing him a card with her number on it.
"Tara, wait."
"What?"
"Could you not do some magic, so that she can go home tomorrow, I don't know if she could spend a whole day in here."
"Ok, let me see what I can do," she said walking over to the bed.
She took Buffy's hands and then said an incantation, barely above a whisper. Some blue light swirled around Buffy and then settled within her.
"What did you do?"
"It will speed up the healing process, look, some of the bruising is disappearing already, but you have to understand that it will not give Buffy her confidence back, she needs to do that herself, but she is going to need your help to do that, otherwise she may never be the same Buffy ever again. Goodbye Spike."
"Bye Tara. Thanks."
"For what?"
"For trusting me. Why do you trust me?"
"Because she does."
Tara left the room. Spike still couldn't quite believe what had happened. He took Buffy's hands again, softly placing a kiss on them.
"Please get better," he whispered.
For the rest of the night Spike sat with her, never moving, just watching as her chest rose and fell. She looked so small and innocent, he just wanted to hold her and never let go. The Immortal, wherever he was, deserved to burn in the deepest regions of hell. Spike hated him even more for what he had done. How could he have done this to Buffy.