Hospital Visits

Ch 3- Aggression

The gray light of an overcast sky greeted Buffy's slit eyelids as she struggled to wake up. The alarm clock was buzzing annoyingly at her, accusingly.

"Time to get up! Come on! Come on!" it buzzed at her.

As she turned and hit its off switch, she felt her abdomen pull painfully again. It caught her off guard as she had forgotten about her wound. The bandage stuck painfully to her as she began to undo it to check the status of her injury. She sighed with relief to see the wound closed, an angry looking red scab glared at her. By tomorrow morning, she knew it would be just another scar. She wondered if it would fade like the one on her knee from when she was five and fell down the stairs. That one had disappeared when her Slayer powers were activated. For some reason, Angel's and Dracula's remained, however, and she thought of the horror of no longer wearing her midriff tops if this wound permanently scarred.

When she made her way downstairs to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee she found Joyce already dressed and glancing through the morning paper. Her mother looked tired. Dark smudges under her eyes and the wan appearance of her skin gave evidence of her lack of a decent night's sleep. Buffy couldn't blame her. She'd had a lot of trouble sleeping too, knowing what was going to be happening today. Thankfully, Slayer recuperative powers meant she needed less sleep than other people, or she'd probably be looking just as scary.

"Good morning, Mom. Are you feeling okay?"

Joyce gave her daughter a small smile. She admitted to being nervous about the test today, even though she was equally sure that it would just reveal migraines. She had remembered just this morning that two great aunts and a second cousin also had them, so it ran in the family.

As Joyce was leaving, Dawn arrived downstairs, just missing her mother's departure. Buffy told her that Joyce had an early meeting for the gallery. There'd been agreement that she didn't need to know, yet, about the hospital visit. As she got Dawn ready for school, Buffy had already decided that she'd skip her first class. She wanted to skip the whole day, but she had a test in Biology that she couldn't afford to miss.

An unsuccessful call to Riley's apartment had all of her fears of the night before refreshed. Dialing his cell phone only heightened her worry as she listened to the automated operator inform her that his number was no longer in service.

After a quick run to the dorm for a clothes change, she dialed the Magic Box to let Giles know that she was alright. In addition, she placed him on alert that Riley was missing. Asking him to call her immediately on her cell if he called or showed; she prepared herself for the second class of the day. Focusing on schoolwork was difficult and she found herself constantly zoning out on the lecture in American History. Her mind remained firmly on her mother, though Riley was also a worry.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Riley sweated heavily in the morning sun, despite the chill of the day. Fall had advanced on Southern California, but the sun would quickly make the day another comfortable one. His shirt was removed and he took a moment to look at his chest and arms. He was looking for signs of any impending swelling, but stopped suddenly, realizing he probably just looked funny checking himself out.

He lined up another shot of the basketball with its intended target and launched it into the air. It bounced off of the rim of the basket and went careening off across the cement court. Forrest had tried to warn him that he just didn't have game.

Grabbing the ball, he turned and began to walk back toward the court. Stopping short, a scowl began to darken his features. Approaching him were Graham, a huge black guy he knew was part of the rescue mission into the Initiative and some woman he didn't know. The two men were dressed in fatigues, but the woman wore civilian clothing. She was dressed conservatively and could have been a lawyer or a banker. Riley knew though that she was probably going to be an Initiative scientist. It didn't take three guesses for him to know why'd they'd come now, he just didn't know how they'd been informed.

"Riley. How are you feeling?" Graham wore a look of concern.

As the woman and the other soldier…Washington, maybe… stood at a respectful distance, Riley sized up his old soldier-buddy. He bent down to retrieve his shirt before answering; trying to tamp down the anger that was boiling. They couldn't know about his recent and unusual experiences unless they'd been keeping tabs on him…spying!

"Never better. You in town for an Initiative reunion?"

"You know why we're here. I know what's happening to you, Riley. I know that you probably think it's a good thing. It's not. We need you to accompany us back to Sunnydale General. We've got a surgical team on stand-by to remove the chips that are malfunctioning. After that, they'll give you a dose of counter agents for the adrenal enhancers and you'll be good as new."

Riley laughed in his face. "You really expect me to allow an Initiative quack to get within fifty feet of me?"

"Not Initiative. You know the program was cancelled. These are just regular army with security clearance. They're not even attached to the Meta-Black Ops detachment. Riley, I was in the jungle when my implants started to go haywire, believe me, you don't want those things in you. Let me take you in, let the doctors do what they need to."

"Yeah, I bet Uncle Sam wants to 'help me'. They just can't stand that they gave super powers to somebody not under their thumb, can they? Jesus, Graham, when did you turn into such a tool?"

Graham's eyes widened a little in shock. Riley's physique was beginning to swell as he became agitated. He knew exactly what was happening to his close friend: the adrenal chips were sending minute jolts of electricity into his system increasing his adrenaline output. The additional adrenaline was being converted into kinetic potential by the chemical cocktail they'd received, it having a long life in the body and therefore not breaking down like it should have by now. The chemicals were feeding that potential directly back into the muscles of Riley's body. And not just the ones whose effects he could see; his heart muscle was also feeling the strain. If he couldn't get him in soon, Riley would suffer a heart attack, like Graham himself nearly had.

"Look, I'm sorry about this, Riley. You'll understand when you're more like yourself," Graham grabbed Riley's wrist, at the same time calling to Lemont Washington to lend a hand.

Riley used the momentary distraction to his advantage. Easily breaking free of Graham's grip, he lashed out with his enhanced strength.

"Get your hands off me! You know I don't swing that way, asshole!"

Using his superior build, he kicked Graham off of the ground and three feet back into Washington's advancing form. Once free, he turned and took off. Running blindly, he began to wonder if a satellite was monitoring his movements and knew he needed to get underground as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Graham lay on the pavement doubled over and trying to catch his wheezing breath. Washington, having gotten back to his feet, knelt down next to Graham. "Sir! How bad did he get you?"

Graham straightened with difficulty as Nurse Veronica Greene began feeling his abdomen. When he felt that he had sufficient air, he responded to Washington.

"My ribs are on fire. Listen, go to Buffy Summers. She's on the UC campus somewhere. You can get her class schedule from registration. If they give you a problem, call Colonel Jacobs. Tell her Riley needs urgent medical attention. Warn her that his heart can't take the stress it's under! Go, go!"

"You've got at least three cracked ribs on your right side," Nurse Greene informed him. "I'm calling an ambulance. We'll need to get you taped up. Plan on being on medical leave for at least a week; more if I can convince the army they don't need you."

As Nurse Greene took off at a run for the jeep they drove to the park in, Graham looked futilely for Riley. He knew he wouldn't see him, of course. He'd be long gone by now, and with him spending so many months with his Twinkie, there'd be no telling what hiding places he knew about.

"Damn it, Finn. Don't you see how close you are to stroking out," he whispered.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

End Ch 3