Sight

The numbness of deep sleep slowly lifted, allowing her to at least shift her limbs even if it allowed for nothing else. She moaned as the motion brought pain that radiated throughout her body. Her entire body felt overly weak and she had no idea how long she had slept. The only thing she could really remember was the cold of his touch and the burning pain that preceded the overwhelming fog of sleep that had finally eased her pain and claimed her awareness. The cool air in her face, feeble coughing and the fact that her mouth felt as though it had been filled with sticky cotton were sensations that told her she was still alive. She tried to rub her face only to find her attempt at concentrated movement thwarted by the weak, numbness that continued to overpower her limbs.

'Angel and Angelica, I have to focus. I have to find them. I have to wake up and find them.' She took a deep breath. She could feel the fog of sleep slowly diminishing and the overall numbness also beginning to fade, leaving her to suffer with the fiery stabbing pain emanating from deep in her chest. For what seemed like a long time she dozed on the brink of consciousness, the fog seeming to radiate in waves that prevented her from opening her eyes. Her head was now throbbing as the fog finally dissipated enough for her eyes to flutter open. "Angel…" Her voice mostly air faded into nothingness before she could finish calling their names. She blinked frantically, her vision seeming to fade in and out as if she was moving in and out of a series of pitch black tunnels. Her gaze slowly swept the room, picking up mostly blurred details interspersed with harsh white light and the normal imagery that came with proper vision. "Angel…where is…Angelica…"As the fear of loss rose within her so did the unrelenting pain in her chest in response to the use of her voice.

There was a bed next to hers, several feet away but as far as she could tell it was empty with the linens seeming undisturbed. Her vision faltered, going totally black as she tried feebly to free herself from her own bed in an effort to find her loved ones.

"Whoa, easy there," A voice insisted as a cold hand came to rest upon her shoulder. "Too much movement right now and you'll end up back in surgery. Those injuries need time to heal."

"Angel?" She questioned her voice whispery soft in response to the pain that the concentrated effort had sparked in her chest and shoulder. "Where's Angelica, I have to find…" Her voice faded along with her strength and she turned her blinded gaze toward the origin of the voice.

"Relax; Angel is upstairs with my family. Let's get you settled again and comfortable, then we'll discuss your situation." She could feel cold pressure as the person examined her to be sure she had not reinjured herself. She listened as the IVs were adjusted and new bags of medication and fluid were put in place. "Now then, it is Buffy right?"

"Yeah, is Angel…where's Angelica?" Her voice was barely audible but the panic was more than evident as Edward took a seat in the chair next to her bed. The concentrated effort of trying to find her loved ones had left her weak and out of breath as she let herself semi-relax back against the pillows, straining to listen for any sound that might suggest that he was still nearby.

"Angel is recovering. He is still quite weak and very sore but well enough to be moving around at least for a short time. As for Angelica, I'm not sure I…" He paused briefly to adjust the flow of oxygen so that she would not have to labor so much to breathe and also examine the contusions on her head. "Buffy, you are presenting symptoms that would suggest that you are still having vision problems, are you able to see me?"

"No, just blackness," She answered her voice wavering slightly, "My vision drifts in and out, I…" She took a heavy breath and it was apparent that she was in a great deal of pain as her breathing was overly quick and shallow. "Angelica, is she…I have to…" She tried to sit up in an effort to find her daughter. Dizziness overwhelmed her and the pain in her chest increased to the point that her attempt failed. She sank exhausted back against the pillows.

"Angelica is who?" Edward asked moving to take further measures to try and regulate her breathing. He listened to her chest with his stethoscope and examined her chest tube and its entrance point, realizing as her breathing slowly grew worse that her lung had once again partially collapsed.

"She is…" She sucked in a gasping breath, her breathing becoming so distressed that she was unable to finish her sentences, "My…daughter…Angelica…" Her voice faded completely into gasping breaths.

"Don't talk, just breath easy and slow," He coaxed injecting medication into the space around her chest tube and pausing to allow the numbing property to take affect before replacing the tube with one slightly larger to allow her lung to fully inflate once more. He adjusted the drip sequences on the IVs and made sure that she had a recent dose of pain medication in her system before once again taking a seat next to her. "Your daughter, Angelica is not here. Do you remember what happened that might have led to her disappearance?"

"We were ambushed by Kale, the hunter, and taken. He tried to destroy us but…" She let her voice fade as her memory of what had happened faltered. "I can't remember, it's all so vague…I…" Tears welled up in her eyes as her frustration was aggravated even more by her current situation and her inability to focus her vision. "Where am I? Who are…?" Her breath faded again as the apprehension of the unknown began to overwhelm her.

"Calm down, you and Angel are both safe here. My name is Edward Cullen and my family found you after you had crawled into our yard during the recent severe weather outbreak. You and your husband were both badly injured so we took you in and have been treating your injuries. You've been here approximately three days and are just now alert enough to be aware of your surroundings and your situation." He put his hand gently against her arm in an effort to calm her before she further aggravated her current condition.

She flinched, her breath hitching in her throat at his touch. The realization that she was possibly in the midst of a coven of undead setting the hairs on the back of her neck on edge and sending adrenaline spikes shooting down her spine. "You…You're not…get…" The tension of her muscles grew as the Slayer inside her fought to control what was to her a natural killing instinct toward any form of the undead.

"Whoa, just relax; no harm is going to come to you or Angel here." Edward soothed keeping his hand in place. He knew that the sudden realization had sparked the side of her that also created the abnormality in her scent. He knew that she wasn't just mortal human as she now knew that she was in the company of a Vampire.

"How do you figure, you're Vampire, there is no nice in their dictionary." She insisted the tension in her voice very apparent even though the medication had fully relaxed her muscles. She turned her head toward him, still unable to focus her vision enough to even make out his appearance.

"Vampire yes, but my family doesn't prey upon humans, we take our sustenance from the animals of this forest that surrounds us. My father, Carlisle Cullen is a physician and he was instrumental in preventing your death. We may be Vampire by nature but we are probably the most harmless coven of undead you will ever come across." He admitted chuckling in response to the dig rather than allowing it to bother him. "You are far from the usual mortal yourself, I have told you my family's secret, now you must tell me yours? I am already aware that your husband is also living undead, am I correct?"

"Yes, Angel is Vampire; he possesses a soul due to a curse put upon him by a band of gypsies and therefore doesn't prey on humans per say but takes sustenance from blood banks." She revealed pausing briefly in an effort to catch her breath before continuing. "The story of his creation is complicated. I am a Slayer, I have the power and ability to fight and destroy the undead and most other non mortal beings including demons, hell spawn, and a host of others. Vampires that feed only on animal blood eh? That's definitely a news story there."

He chuckled, "Well, it's truth. Carlisle, being the head of this coven, has held firm to that rule for many years now. It is the reason why our family is allowed to hunt and live upon sacred Indian lands." He watched her as the medication began to once again overwhelm her. "You need to rest. I'll make sure that Angel knows you're alert so that he can visit you. But for now, just relax and let the medication run its course. The more you sleep the quicker the anti-inflammatory will take the swelling down so that your vision will return. We will talk some more later."

She managed a nod before dozing into comfortable sleep. He adjusted the blankets covering her and checked the equipment and her chest tube once more before quietly leaving her to rest.