Chapter 6

Buffy's mind picked up on a beeping sound, far off in the distance. As the haze across her mind began to clear and it seemed to come closer and closer. Opening her eyes she found she had to shut them tightly again. The brightness of the white hospital sent flashing lights across her closed eyelids and Buffy realised that the beeping was the heart monitor next to her. Opening her eyes again, slowly this time, Buffy found herself in one of Wolfram and Hart's hospital rooms.

Trying to sit up sent a splitting pain through her head and she groaned out loud and propped herself up on her shoulders slightly. What happened? A demon attack? No, o god I collapsed in the lobby! Everyone's gonna think I'm really weak and am a crap slayer, especially if they find out what happened last night! Looking around she found a call button at the side of her bed. Realising she needed a drink she pressed the green switch and a blonde nurse came into her room.

"Hello Buffy, I'm Samantha. How are you feeling?" Samantha took a clipboard from the end of Buffy's bed and started to scribble notes on it.

"I kinda need a glass of water."

"Sure no problem." When she returned with a jug and glass she picked up the clipboard again and waited for Buffy to take a sip of water. "Are you feeling any pain? Nauseous?"

"I've got a bad headache but my stomach's okay at the moment."

"Alright. You get some more rest and I'll come and check on you later."

When the nurse had left Buffy lay down again and was quickly enveloped in sleep again. When she next woke she felt her whole body tingling and felt really hot. Opening her eyes she saw Spike sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey luv'. How you feeling?"

"I'm really warm and my body's all tingly. Can you pull my cover back a bit?"

Folding the sheet back to her waist Spike put his hand on hers and looked into her eyes with concern. "You gave us all a fright back there. Do you know what's made you suddenly ill?"

Buffy bit her lip and shook her head. Looking back there was nothing that could have given her these symptoms, she felt like she had flu or a stomach bug, unless… no! No, no, no, no,

"NO!"

"Buffy? Pet?"

Her shout had brought the nurse from earlier back in. "What's wrong?"

Buffy had started trembling and didn't realise since she couldn't feel her body. "I… I can't feel my body."

Samantha picked up her clipboard again and started to write on it again, checking the time on her watch. "Can you move your feet? Or hands?"

Trying to wriggle her toes brought nothing and Buffy realised she couldn't feel Spike's hand on hers. She shook her head and tried to stop the burning tears behind her eyes, spilling out.

"Okay Buffy I'm going to get the doctor. I'll be right back."

"Well don't you know what's wrong?" Spike shouted after her.

"I need to confer with the doctor."

Stupid bint. Seeing a tear role down Buffy's cheek he caught it on the tip of the finger and tipped her head to look at him. "Don't worry luv' you're going to be fine okay?"

"I can't feel you." She said weekly. "I've gone all cold and my stomach's turning again."

Spike quickly lay her back down and tucked the sheets under her chin. When the doctor came in he told him what Buffy had just said.

"Alright Miss Summers, it looks as if you've got the same type of flu that Harmony, next door, has got. Yours appears to be a lot worse though. I was just wondering if I would be able to ask you a few questions in private." He said, looking at Spike.

"He can stay. Please?" She said looking between the doctor and Spike.

"Okay then. Miss Summers when you were brought in we noticed you had quite a few serious bruises, I understand that you are a slayer, but when we checked the rest of you we found more… marks in other areas." Buffy tried to swallow the lump in her throat and tears began to spill down her cheeks again. "Do you know where I am talking about?"

Buffy looked at Spike's face, full of concern and worry. Looking up at the doctor she nodded her head and took a very deep breath, trying to stop crying. "Last night I was attacked on the street and someone managed to rape me." She said in a shaky voice. Her head had begun to feel light again and her stomach lurched. Bolting upright she gagged a couple of times before the doctor handed her a bowl. When she felt her stomach settle again and saw that the doctor had taken the bowl from her she lay back down again and curled up under the covers.

"We'll leave you to rest." Said the doctor leaving the room.

Spike, who had stood up when Buffy was ill leant down to her and kissed her forehead. "If you want anything pet tell them to call me and I'll be here straight away" he said before going to the door and turning back to look at her curled up under the perfect white sheets, her blonde hair framing her face in a golden halo. She's so perfect no matter what, he thought.

For the next 24 hours Buffy thrashed around in her bed and had to be given a tranquilliser at one point in the night. She had slipped in and out of consciousness several times, once to be ill and the other to pull her covers back when she got a cold rush. At one point she was sure she saw two people in beds next to her, but fell asleep again before she could wake up.

The people Buffy had seen were Eve and Willow. They had both been taken ill with the mysterious illness at the same time when they were in with Angel and Fred had collapsed four hours later in her lab and had been put in with one of the girls who worked in Wes's department. The girl hadn't turned up for work that morning and when her colleague went to her home, was found with the illness and was brought in.

At midnight, after what appeared to be 48 hours after she picked up the virus, Harmony woke up feeling no different than usual except for being hungry, and had gone up to the room Angel had arranged for her stay in. The doctors had stated that what all the women appeared to have was a 48-hour virus, picked up through a poison that could have been in food or anything that had been ingested or injected.

"Well if it's food how is it that only women have been picking it up, and Harmony doesn't eat food anyway."

Angel, Lorne and Gunn had been sitting in Angel's office ever since Eve and Willow had collapsed trying to figure out what was happening, with Spike and Wes coming in at intervals after sitting with Buffy and Fred. When they told the other three what the doctors had concluded they all ended up sitting all morning arguing about it.

Gunn was sitting in the armchair in front of Angel's desk when he said the previous comment.

"Well maybe it's not food then, it may have been something they all touched." Argued Wes.

"And then what? Sucked their fingers? Someone must be poisoning something of theirs."

"Guys we've been over this a hundred million times, and all you two are doing is getting yourselves worked up. Just calm down. Clearly they aren't going to be in there forever." Lorne spoke up, trying to be the voice of reason within all the fighting. "Harmonica is already out safe and sound."

"Lorne they may be getting better, but we can't have this thing taking down the entire office. We need to find out what it is and who. They may be testing something to use and attack us when we're all down." Angel said. "Whatever is being injected into them may be weak enough for Harmony, but it could be deadly to humans. That's our other problem."

"Wait a second. Injected." Spike spoke up for the first time, actually looking as if he was about to say something intelligent Angel noticed. "Buffy was stung. The other night before she was ill that morning. There could be some weird bugs that have poison in their sting, being released into the building."

"Our next big villain is a giant killer wasp? Well I suppose we've killed most things."

"No Angel, Spike could be right. When I went to the lab to find Fred yesterday she appeared to be rubbing a red spot on her arm and Eve was scratching at her sweater when we were in meeting. From what the doctors told me they are all having the symptoms in the same order and within the same time spacing. The only question really is why are they only going for the girls?"

"It's a group of amazingly hot women who think we're all very attractive and don't want any competition?" Said Andrew from the back of the room where he had snuck in. Seeing their stone faces he quickly stopped. "Sorry, not a good time for jokes."

"It makes sense. Bugs can get passed security even if there's a protection spell." Gunn said, deciding to ignore Andrew's comment.

"Right. Wes, you and Gunn start looking into possible poisons so we can attempt to find an antidote. When Willow comes round we'll see what she knows. Lorne I know we've got the drinks party you told me about…. put it on hold until this situation is sorted out. Spikes…do what ever you do. The sooner we work this out the better, just try to keep yourself working – the girls will be fine." Angel looked around at the not-too-confident faces and turned his back to sit down.

By 1pm that afternoon all the guys researching were zoned out with their faces in books. Spike had finally found the energy to walk up to the ward and see what each girl's progress was. Eve and Willow were both following the same cycle as Buffy and Spike walked in to see them thrashing around covered in sweat. Next-door Fred and the other girl were still completely out and Buffy was in a deep sleep. After getting a report off the doctor and checking the tests were sent to the lab he phoned Angel to report the progress.

Walking back into Buffy's room 15 minutes later he found her starting to wake up. Sitting down on the edge of her bed he rubbed gently up and down her arm.

"Spike?"

"Ye love. I'm here."

Buffy groaned and rubbed her eyes. Blinking several times she finally focused on the man in front of her. "I look like crap."

Spike stared at her looking small and fragile under the starched sheets. "No love. You're always beautiful. Faultless in my eyes." His words brought some colour to her pale cheeks. Helping sit her up Spike plumped the pillows behind her back. "Hang on luv, I'll just get the doctor."

"No."

Turning back when he heard her light cry Spike saw Buffy's extended hand toward him. "Buffy?"

There was a groan from behind the curtain dividing them from Eve and Willow but Buffy ignored it as Spike took her hand and moved back to her. "Can you hold me? I…I've missed you."

"O God Buffy. Not half as much as I've missed you." Spike gathered her up in his arms and kissed over her forehead and temples. "I love you baby."

"Love you too."

Spike felt a tighten in his chest as he heard the words come from her lips once again, confirming that she really was with him. When the doctor came in, Spike pretended not to hear him and kept a tight hold around Buffy.

"Sir we really do need to check on Miss Summers."

Reluctantly Spike pulled back and allowed the doctor to check Buffy blood pressure and examine her face. "Well Miss Summers if you just rest for a couple more hours and don't feel any type of illness, then I think you can go back to your room tonight."

Buffy's wide smile lit up the room and the doctor quickly moved to check the other two women in the room.

"See. All better Spiky."

Smirking Spike leaned over and kissed the end of her nose. "I'm gonna go and see how Charlie boy and the others are doing with research. I'll come and get you when the doctor lets you out."

"Ok"

That evening Buffy was back in her room. Sitting in the small lounge with Giles she heard about what they had found out so far, all the time her head bobbed and she made the right sounds at the right times, but her mind was floating off to thoughts about Spike. At one point she suddenly remembered the attack from two nights before and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

Giles mistook her sudden anxiety, and started to hurriedly persuade her that they would find what it was and everyone would be fine.

"I know Giles. You guys have been great. Now tell them to all go sleep if not we won't get anywhere with half of us in hospital and the other half passed out."

"Yes, of course. You and Spike may be able to fight but I'm sorry to say that brain work may not go down so well with you two."

Buffy smiled at Giles' attempted joke and watched him remove his glasses and clean them.

"I'll see you later Buffy." Giles looked at Buffy curled up on the couch with fatherly kindness and Buffy felt a tingle of love run through her at the thought of being cared for so much for the first time in years.

When Giles had left Buffy's mind turned to his comment on her being able to fight and the assault on her that night. 'I was so weak…'

Before she could fall into an abyss of misery on her failure to protect herself Spike came swaggering through the door.

"You should really get used to locking doors luv. Captain Forehead may have been safe the other morning, but anyone could walk in in the middle of a certain pastime."

Buffy giggled at Spikes comment, trying to stay lighthearted. When he bent down to kiss her she wound her arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her up. Wrapping her legs around his waste she clung to his muscular body like a monkey and nuzzled his neck. 'Mmm yummy Spike. The best antidote to any illness.'

Spike took a minute to enjoy the feel of Buffy's light breathing in the nape of her neck before carrying her across the room and laying her on the bed. Pulling the covers out he let her crawl under before removing his jacket and boots and joining her.

Buffy cuddled up against Spike and started to stroke the rippling muscles under the light shirt. Winding his arms around her waste Spike pulled Buffy closer against him and felt the baggy shirt she wore rise up. 'Little minx! She's virtually naked and I'm suppose to sleep next her!'

When Buffy looked up she saw the shocked look on Spikes face and kissed his chin. "You are very naughty." Spike looked down at the blonde angel nestled in his tight embrace.

"Am I very naughty?" She asked coyly.

"Don't tempt me," he replied, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling it before she allowed his tongue into her mouth. Buffy felt herself drowning in his kiss as their tongues battled. Running her hands up his back she wrapped her fingers in his hair and gave it a tug to make him pull back and let her breath.

Spike rested his forehead against hers, and gazed into her eyes. In the deep hazel depths he could still see a wave of sadness and disappointment.

'She's still worried from the raping.'

Connecting their lips again Spike kissed her gently this time. A kiss to say that he would always be there and that she would always be his world. A kiss that said more than words.

"Get some rest Goldilocks. You need your strength…. I'll be right here with you." Spike added when she looked at him in panic.

"Goodnight Spike. I love you."

"Love you too."