Chapter Fifteen – As Fast As You Can

Buffy got Spike settled on the chair in the shower and started with his hair, rinsing out as much of the vomit as she could before shampooing. It took two rounds of shampoo to get it all out then she worked conditioner into his hair and twisted it into a bun to get it out of the way while she cleaned the rest of him.

She examined him as unobtrusively as possible as she worked her way from his head to his feet, making sure to keep her touches brusque and clinical. She already suspected that Riley had forced Spike to suck him off again, which Spike wouldn't have done willingly, so he'd been restrained, and however Riley had done that had Spike in a lot of pain. He winced and had to grit his teeth every time he needed to shift his upper body or move his arms, he had fresh bruises on both knees, and both his wrists were chafed and raw. His lips were severely chapped and swollen and the water softened the scabs that had started to form on the cracks, causing them to seep blood.

When she reached his feet, she quietly nodded and grabbed a fresh washcloth when he asked her to wash him again. She started at the top and worked her way down, wincing along with Spike when he moved or lifted his arms. When she'd reached his feet for the second time, he whispered, "Once more, please."

She stood and fetched another washcloth, tossing the second used one into the corner with the first. She soaped it and gently wiped his face, not mentioning the tears leaking from his eyes that rinsed some of the soap off his cheeks. This pass wasn't actually cleaning anything off him; he was already as clean as someone could be, but Buffy made sure to cover every square inch of him with the cloth anyway, and if he asked for a fourth round, she'd get a new washcloth and do it again. The cabinet in the corner contained several stacks of washcloths, and she'd use every single one if he needed her to.

When she finished with his feet for the third time, she looked up at him and asked quietly, "Again?"

He shook his head and Buffy stood and tossed the washcloth into the corner. She took the bun down and rinsed the conditioner out of his hair then rinsed the soap off him and turned off the water. She dried him off then wrapped him in a clean blanket from the warmer and helped him into a different wheelchair.

She wheeled him over to a low sink, handing him a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, then toweled his hair until it was only slightly damp. He spent a good fifteen minutes scrubbing everywhere the brush could reach inside his mouth, adding more toothpaste to the brush several times, then rinsed and spat with mouthwash until the stinging in his mouth and the cracks in his lips overrode the multitude of other pains in his body.

While he was brushing his teeth, Buffy moved a new bed into the room across the hall then quickly wiped down every surface Tomkins might have touched with disinfectant. She now had a pretty good idea of what had occurred in Spike's room, and there was no way she was going to put him back in there.

She made up the bed with fresh bedding then went to fetch Spike. He was sitting forlornly in the wheelchair, clutching at the blanket wrapped around him. "You ready to get back in bed? How much pain are you in?"

His voice was barely above a whisper when he said, "Doesn't matter."

Buffy knelt on the floor in front of him and placed one hand lightly on his blanket covered leg. "Yes, Spike, it matters. I know you're probably not ready to tell me what went on in there today, but I do need you to tell me how you feel so I'll know how to take care of you."

He glanced at her then looked down at her hand and spoke in a quiet, defeated voice, "Ribs hurt. Lips hurt. Wrists hurt. Hurts to talk 'cause my jaw's screamin' at me. Arms, shoulders, and back are knotted like I've a thousand charley horses, and my knees feel like they've been whacked with a spiked bat. Oh, and I need to visit the toilet in the worst way. Other than that, I'm fine."

Buffy lightly squeezed his leg then stood up. "Okay. Do you need to urinate or move your bowels?"

Spike's face heated in shame and he closed his eyes as he dropped his head. "The second one. Already did the first one on the floor of my room. Couldn't hold it anymore. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Spike, it's not your fault." She wheeled him into the bathroom and helped him onto the toilet then placed a plastic tub of cleansing wipes on the seat of the wheelchair. "These can be flushed. Pull the call cord if you need help or when you're done." He nodded miserably and she left the room.

While he was busy, she headed to his new room and set up the IV stand then pulled an IV kit out of the supply cart and set it on the rolling table. She went to her suite and fetched a bottle of lotion, setting it next to the IV kit, then she called down to the dining hall and ordered a fresh lunch. She'd just hung up the phone when the call light in the bathroom blinked on and a loud buzz sounded throughout the infirmary.

Spike wouldn't look at her when she entered the bathroom, and he mumbled in a shame-filled voice as he waved at the wipes, "I tried, but I can't twist enough to reach behind me to…"

"I'll get it, Spike. It's not a problem." She pulled on a pair of gloves from the box in the holder on the wall then cleaned him up. He kept his face turned away from her the whole time and dropped his gaze to the floor after she'd gotten him back into the wheelchair. She wheeled him out of the bathroom and started down the hall. "I ordered your lunch. Do you feel like you can eat?"

He shrugged, wincing at the movement, and mumbled, "Probably should, although I'm not even remotely hungry. It'll be a new adventure in pain, too, tryin' to chew after wearin' a ring gag for four hours. I suppose you noticed my breakfast decorating the bed."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Sorry about the mess."

"Also not your fault, so you don't need to apologize."

Buffy wheeled him into his new room and carefully got him settled in bed then inserted a new IV line while she waited for his lunch tray to arrive. While he was eating his lunch, chewing slowly because of the jaw pain, she filled the mop bucket and wheeled it into the room across the hall, grimacing at the mess on the floor by the bed. She pulled the camera from her pocket and checked the battery. It was nearly dead, but she should be able to get a few pictures. She snapped pictures of the urine and semen on the floor, the puddle of puke on the bed, and the cuffs still dangling from the rails, then turned the camera off and pocketed it. She moved the chair into the corner then pushed the bed against the wall, thankful that the puddle hadn't reached the wheels, and started mopping the floor. She changed the water twice and rinsed with a clean mophead and disinfectant laden water. Spike was likely done eating by now, so she quickly stripped the soiled sheet off the bed and stuffed it and the pillow into a trash bag then knotted it and left the room. She'd finish cleaning the room once he was asleep.

She wheeled the mop bucket to the floor sink and emptied it then rinsed it out. She put the used mophead in the dirty linen cart and the bag in the biohazard bin, then washed her hands and went back to Spike's room. He'd pushed the tray table away from his lap and was leaned back against the upright head of the bed, hugging his pillow as he stared at the wall, tears coursing down his cheeks. Buffy sat down on the foot of the bed and laid her hand lightly on his lower leg. "Can you tell me what happened?"

He sniffled then swallowed and, without looking away from the wall, whispered, "Finn thought I needed some practice, and since money's already changed hands for the use of my arse, he put me on my knees next to the bed and cuffed me to it..." He lifted his arms and stretched them out, grimacing in pain. "Like this." He lowered his arms, clutching the pillow to his chest, then took a deep breath and swallowed again before speaking a little louder. "Got me down on the floor by threatenin' to tase my balls, then put a ring gag on me and…" He swallowed hard. "Four times. Then the other bloke came in, the one who was here when you got back, and he… twice."

Buffy's eyes were bright with a sheen of tears as she lightly squeezed Spike's leg and whispered, "They… six times?"

He nodded then suddenly gagged, one hand flying up to cover his mouth. He tipped his head back and breathed hard through his nose, swallowing several times, then said in a barely audible whisper, "Ended up swallowing some of their spend. Almost upchucked on Finn, but he threatened me with the taser again if I did, so I had to wait 'til the other bloke was done 'fore I could get it out of me." He glanced at her then looked away. "Sorry you had to deal with the mess."

"None of it is your fault. None of it, Spike. I could give you something to help settle your stomach if you still feel like you need to vomit."

"I do if I let myself think about it too much, but your medication probably wouldn't help with that."

"What do you need me to do?"

He glanced at her again then looked down at the pillow he was clutching. "Drug me. I just want to sleep so I don't have to think about anything."

Buffy stood and motioned to his IV. "I'll give you some pain meds and something to help you sleep and I'm going to give you a muscle relaxer to hopefully help with your arms and back." She nodded to the lotion. "And when you wake up, if you're up for it, I'll give you a massage to work out the kinks."

He nodded tiredly, "All right. Give me enough to knock me out for a good long while, yeah? Should've taken you up on your offer to knock me out 'fore you left. Probably still would've been violated in some fashion, but at least I wouldn't remember it."

"We got all of it on video, Spike. The camera was still recording when I got back. With that and those 'menus' in my pocket, Faith will hopefully have more than she needs to storm this place like the beaches of Normandy."

"I hope so, because I will go completely round the bend if this is gonna happen to me every day."

"I won't let it. I'll figure out something, I promise." She went to the drug cabinet and fetched what she needed then went back to Spike's room and administered the medication. She wrapped the call light cord around the bed rail and made sure the button was in easy reach then lowered the head of his bed and got him settled on his pillow. She straightened his blanket then leaned down and asked quietly, "Is it all right if I kiss you?"

Spike grimaced and whispered, "You still want… even after…"

"What happened today doesn't change how I feel about you. Yes, I still want you, but if you don't want to be touched like that, then I won't touch you, but just know that I want to. Okay?"

"I just… both of 'em, pet… Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Spike. I don't see you any differently now than I did this morning."

He stared at her for several seconds then nodded faintly and she leaned closer and kissed him lightly before cupping his cheek. "I'm gonna go call Faith and get the files transferred. Buzz if you need anything or the pain gets to be too much."

"All right. Thank you, Buffy."

Buffy grimaced. "You shouldn't thank me for leaving you alone with him, Spike. I knew he was gonna do something. I should've figured out some way to get him to leave, even if it meant knocking his ass out and dragging him out of here."

Spike reached up and covered her hand with his. "Nothin' you could've done about it, pet, and if you'd tried, I'd likely be downstairs right now and you'd be sacked, although it's more likely you'd be cuffed and on your way to lockup. I don't blame you for anythin' that happened today, so please don't take that upon yourself."

She whispered, "I should've done something."

"There's nothing you could've done that wouldn't have ended with both of us in worse conditions, but what you can do now is send the files to your sis. Get her here to take these tossers down 'fore me or any of the others have to experience anythin' on those blasted menus. All right?"

"Okay. I'll go send them." She kissed him again then gently pressed her forehead to his as she rubbed her thumb lightly across his cheekbone. "Are you gonna be okay, Spike?"

He whispered back, "Don't know yet, luv. If I end up downstairs, no, I won't be, but if…"

"I'll get her here, whatever it takes." She kissed him once more then stood and reached for his hand. "Whatever I have to do." She squeezed his hand then left the room, turning off the light and pulling the door closed behind her.

Spike lay in the dark room, starting to feel warm and floaty from the medication, and tried to keep Buffy's face foremost in his mind instead of replaying that morning's activities. He was mostly successful and drifted to sleep picturing Buffy smiling at him.

XXXX

"Faith? Hey. Did you get that email I just sent?"

"Hang on. Let me check." Buffy waited while Faith clicked icons on her laptop. "Yeah. Just came in. Okay, I've opened the first video file. What am I looking at?"

"Seriously? What do you think you're looking at? Because I thought it was pretty fucking self-explanatory. I don't usually cuff my patients on their knees on the floor and make them wear ring gags so I can sexually assault them for fucking hours. If that's a thing nurses are supposed to do then I must have missed that day in class."

"Jesus, B. You don't need to be bitchy about it. Maybe take a breath or something."

"Yeah, no. I think I'll keep being bitchy about it, thanks. Maybe do your damn job instead of telling me to breathe."

"Okay. You're pissed. I'm clear on that. What are the other videos?"

"More clips of what happened in Spike's room this morning. The whole video is over four hours long, so it was too big to email, but I have it on a thumb drive and on my laptop. I'd Fedex the thumb drive, but don't really have a way to do that, so I pulled short clips. And no, I didn't watch the whole thing, at least not on regular speed. I started to… they're just talking at the beginning, but when Riley… Jesus, Faith, it's just… I couldn't, so I fast-forwarded and pulled clips from each of the four times Riley shoved his dick down Spike's throat and the two times another guard named Tomkins did."

Buffy heard Faith rifling through some papers then she asked, "Ronald Tomkins?"

"I guess. I don't know his first name. Is he the only Tomkins that works here?"

"Yeah, so it must be him. What are the picture files?"

"Spike's service menus. They list what these sick fucks can do to him and how much it'll cost. One is his regular menu and the other is his 'take his virginity' menu. You might not want to eat before you read them. I made that mistake and almost didn't make it to the bathroom before my lunch came back up. Oh, one of the clips is from when they were talking. Riley told Spike how much his first client has already paid to beat the shit out of him before raping him. When will you be here?"

"Hang on." Faith put Buffy on hold and Buffy got up and walked to Spike's room. She checked his vitals then walked over to the door and leaned against the door frame watching him sleep for the five or six minutes it took Faith to come back on the line. "Just showed a couple of the clips and the virginity menu to my boss. We'll be lifting off in an hour or so, but we'll have to set up a staging area somewhere close before we come in, which will take a little time. We've got agents coming in from several different places. When's the rape scheduled to happen?"

Buffy turned from the door and walked back into her office. "I don't know. Probably as soon as he's healed enough to get beat on again. I can only keep him in the infirmary for another four or five days without it looking suspicious, and that's if I exaggerate how much pain he's in. Once his bruises start to fade and he can move around without getting dizzy, Maggie will probably want him downstairs to start working. Oh hey, she threatened to kill me if I tried to stop her, too. So that's fun."

"When did she threaten you?"

"This morning before I did exams on the rest of the workers. They're all healthy, by the way, at least as far as a physical exam goes. I still need to process the bloodwork, which isn't a thing I knew I'd be doing, so yay for that lab tech course I took, I guess, but I imagine they'll be working in the next few days, if not by tonight. Maggie isn't going to wait for the results."

"Okay. We have agents on the way to stake out the back entrance and keep track of who's going in and out. They should be in place in the next hour."

"Okay. Just get here as fast as you can."

"We will. You realize the prison will probably get shut down and all the inmates will be moved to other prisons, right? You'll be out of a job."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that would happen, but I'll be fine. I had a few other offers; none that paid as much as this job, but I'm not gonna starve or anything. I won't be head of any departments and the hours will be long for shitty pay, but I'll get work."

"What about the other employees who aren't part of the prostitution ring?"

Buffy sighed tiredly, "I don't know, Faith. Is it gonna suck for some of them? Yeah, probably, but I can't just look the other way and let this happen to Spike or any of the others. Maggie and her sick fuck of a son need to be in prison as actual prisoners."

"Okay, B, I'm gonna make that happen but right now I've gotta go. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. Please hurry."