AN: I know it's been ages. You guys prob gave up hope of a new chapter. So so sorry. Hope you enjoy it.
27:15
"ANGEL!" Buffy was by his side in an instant.
"Oh my God!" Andrew was wide eyed and only just managed to register the flat line on the heart monitor before running through the door and into the room.
"Angel, oh my God Angel, please wake up. Oh please, please, please."
Buffy was shaking him as tears ran down her cheeks. Andrew ran over and lightly touched her shoulder so as to alert the slayer to his presence. Buffy reacted without thinking and slapped him on the cheek.
"Who the hell are you? What's wrong with him? What have you DONE!" Buffy shrieked
Giles and Xander came running in as Andrew, clutching his jaw, managed to answer.,
"I don't know. I have no idea what's going on."
Buffy fell down once again and lay down on his unmoving chest.
"I'll get Quentin." Giles ran back out while Xander went over to Andrew.
"Hey, like what's going on?"
"I don't know, I have absolutely no idea. This isn't part of the test." They both looked at Buffy who was repeatedly calling Angels name in the vain hope of a response, "The heart monitor, it's flat-lining. It's like he's had a heart attack." Buffy's cries doubled as she registered these words.
"But he's a vampire, he's gone without a heartbeat for centuries."
"He WAS a Vampire, he's human for the entire duration of the test, subject to everything that a regular human would and may have to endure."
"So that means…"
"He has no pulse." Buffy whispered
"We have to get him to the hospital." Xander urged.
"The ambulance is on the way." Quentin came in, addressing them calmly with Giles in tow, "Until they get here I suggest we try CPR."
"HOW CAN YOU STAND THERE AS IF YOU'RE WATCHING THE GRASS GROW! MY BOY FRIEND IS DEAD!"
"Wasn't he always?" Xander muttered. Andrew hit him as Giles took Buffy into his arms.
"Oh my darling girl, I know what you're going through. Listen, help us out here. Help us try and get him breathing okay, come on. There may still be a chance."
Buffy took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She quickly positioned Angel and began CPR. After nearly fifteen minutes Buffy was exhausted, and Angel still hadn't regained a pulse. She collapsed on top of him and cried. At that moment the door was flung open and Quentin led in the paramedics.
"Buffy dear, you're going to have to move and let these men in to do their work." Giles gently led Buffy to the couch.
"Can someone tell me what happened here?"
"He was just working out, then he collapsed." Andrew explained.
"Does he have any existing conditions? Family Illness'?"
"He's always been healthy…As long as we've known him." Xander replied.
"Has someone been in contact with his family? We need to know as much about his medical history as possible. It seems rather strange for such a young man to suffer a heart attack."
"He has no family…Buffy is probably the closest thing to."
The paramedics loaded Angel onto a stretcher,
"We'll take him to the room where a helicopter is waiting. From there we'll take him to LA General."
"I want to go. Please, I have to be with him."
"We have enough room for a single person. The rest will have to follow by road. We can transport you all in the ambulance."
"Buffy I really think Quentin or I should go." Giles advised, "We know quite a bit more about him. You can get there just as soon in the ambulance."
"It would be more beneficial for a person with greater detail of the patient to be traveling with him."
Buffy's eyes raged but just as suddenly they calmed and she sunk back down.
"Please don't leave him. Make sure he's okay. Please."
"I'll go." Quentin made to leave but Giles stopped him,
"No, I'll go. This is a matter for family."
Quentin stood, shocked at what Giles had implied.
"You can't seriously think this is my fault."
"If anything happens to him I will not restrain Buffy from doing what she feels she must to avenge him."
With that Giles left. Quentin turned and began to pack up some paperwork.
"Avenge, what are we, in the dark ages. Who uses 'avenge' any more?"
At that moment his mind went slack as he blacked out. Buffy stood over him having just kicked him in the head.
"Get me to that hospital."
Andrew sat in the front with the driver while Xander and Buffy both sat behind. Buffy began to bite her nails half way there and it took all of Xander's strength to hold her hands away from her mouth. Once they reached the hospital Buffy didn't even wait for the ambulance to stop. She jumped out and ran inside, Xander hot on her heels. She ran right up to the nurse's station
"I'm looking for someone who was just brought in."
"Name please."
"Buffy, I mean Angel."
"Are you family?"
"Girlfriend."
The nurse glanced behind her into the ward at the flurry of activity.
"I'm afraid we can only let immediate family in at the moment. Why don't you wait over there and someone will be there to speak to you soon."
Buffy slammed her fist onto the counter, punching a hole right through it.
"I need to see him. NOW!"
"I'm afraid miss that I can not allow you in there. Will you please wait over there and I'll send a doctor out shortly."
Xander tried to head Buffy toward the waiting room but all it got him was a few cracked ribs and a bruise that was sure to be a stunner.
"What's going on?" Andrew exclaimed as he came inside.
"They're not letting me in. I have to see him. Please let me in."
She fell down in front of the counter, silent tear pouring down her face. Xander hobbled over to his friend and placed an arm around her shaking form.
"Ma'am, please let her in. she just want to know how her boyfriend is doing."
"I have been given strict instructions that no one is to be allowed in to see this Mr. Angel unless it is immediate family."
"This girl is the closest thing to immediate family. He has no living relatives."
"That may be so, but I'm afraid I cannot let her past in her present state. She is obviously under the influence. That was most likely his problem as well. No one drops dead at that age unless they have mass amounts of drugs in their system."
"Daft woman." Andrew muttered as he turned away.
He helped Xander carry Buffy over to the chairs. There she curled up as if she were a mere infant. The exhaustion of the past hour finally settling in.
Andrew paced backward and forwards in front of the nurse. Occasionally he would look past her at constant movement of what was sure to be nearly the whole emergency staff going in and out of the one room.
After nearly half an hour he gave a small smile and went to meet Giles as he came through into the waiting room. His smile quickly faded at the look on Giles face.
"What is it? How is he?"
"It's bad." Was all Giles could say before he went to wake Buffy.
"Giles? They wouldn't let me in. Please let me in. make them let me in."
"Buffy, there's something you have to know."
"What is it? Giles you're scaring me. Oh God."
Buffy ran at the door standing between her and Angel. The amount of force used combined with her strength meant the door basically splintered. The nurse jumped back in horror as the small blond raced past her. At the door to Angel's room Buffy stopped, not even noticing the medics passing next to her.
Angel was lying so still it was impossible to know if he was dead or alive. Only the heart monitor beside him gave any indication as to his present state. An almost flat line that beeped so slowly it was hard to imagine it ever beat at all.
"I wanted to tell you before you saw him. We managed to re-gain a pulse at the last minute but he had gone for too long without oxygen."
"What are you saying?"
"Buffy, Angel is clinically brain dead."
Buffy stared at her mentor and father in disbelief. Xander and Andrew looked past the pair into the room.
"You said the test lasted for forty-eight hours. After that time won't Angel be okay again?"
"The test wasn't going to last only forty-eight hours." Andrew sighed. All the Sunnydale residents turned their eyes to him.
"I was un aware of any extended test."
"The plan was to make Angel human indefinitely. Too many at the council feel it is unwise to have a vampire as an ally. They wanted him dead. Quentin realised just as I did that if the council was to ever get rid of Angel then we would most likely have a rouge Slayer to contend with. Not a great idea to say the least so Quentin found a way to turn Angel human. We would disguise it as a test and when he failed to revert to him vampire form then we would conclude something had gone wrong and that Angels humanity was irreversible. That way the slayer would get her way. The council would also be pleased and voila."
"So, Angel is human…forever." Buffy whispered.
"He will live and die as any mortal man."
Buffy walked slowly to Angel's bedside.
"I could have been with him this whole time. Couldn't I."
"Yes."
"And I could have been with him after the forty-eight hours was up."
"Yes."
"And now I can't."
Buffy crawled onto the bed next to Angel, careful not to unplug any of the cords.
"You could have given me another day." She told him before once more dissolving into tears.
The others looked on in helplessness
26:00
Reviews
Thank you so much everyone. You're support is invaluable to me :)
benluver22: sorry 2 leave u hanging. I'm going as fast as my little brain is letting me :)
no1buffyangelfan: so so sorry. Hope this makes up for it :)
YeLo: yup...he's a net junkie :P
demondamon: Oh thats good to hear :)
Emily: i dont think this chapter answered any of your questions but meh...you'll see :)
BuffyandAngel4ever: i'm glad you kept reading. Glad you're still liking it :)
mysticallove: well heres the next chapter. Hope it was worth the wait.
neverlookback: i doubt it's what you thought it was :P sorry if it wasnt :)
SailorNeo: Not cool? Sorry. :P
crystalix: glad you liked the POV's. Had a hard time writing them. Well now you know what's wrong...who knows whats going 2 happen :P
BloodThirstyGoddess: thanx :) no you know what's going on :P
yummy0o0: gasp sorry to make it like that.
Buff: thanx heaps :)
WarmTea: Yes my drinking powers are amazing...NOT :P sorry this was equally as sad...i think. :)
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