Chapter 10

"BUFFY!" Xander screamed, seeing her fall. He scrambled to his friend, ignoring the pain in his shoulder from the graze of a bullet, to where she lay on the walk. "Buffy, just hang on, okay? I'm calling 911." Applying pressure to her wound, he dialed three digits with his other hand.

"911 Call Center, what is your emergency?"

"My friend has been shot, in front of her house. We need an ambulance right now!!"

"Try to stay calm, sir. Do you know the address?"

"1630 Revello Drive. She's bleeding from two places, please tell them to hurry!"

"The ambulance is on its way, sir." "Xander, Xander Harris." "They're on their way, Xander. Are you injured?"

"No, not really."

"Okay, I'm going to stay on the line with you until the ambulance reaches the address, okay? Try to apply pressure to the victim's wounds, Xander. Is she conscious?"

"I think so…Buffy? Talk to me, girl. Stay with me."

Buffy slowly turned her head towards her friend, feeling slow and sluggish. She was breathing fast, shallow breaths. "Xander? It hurts…Dawn…she's at school…"

"I know, Buffy. I'll call the school once the ambulance takes you to the hospital."

"No like hospitals…I…I'm a little cold."

"Sir?"

"She's talking to me still…hold on." Xander set the phone on the concrete and raced around the side of the house to the kitchen door and grabbed Spike's old ratty blanket out of the hall closet. He slid around the corner of the house to fall back at her side, wrapping Buffy in the blanket. "Better, Buffy? Buffy?!"

"Hmm?" Everything seemed like it was going in slow motion.

"Keep talking to me, Slayer. You're going to make it through this!" he insisted.

"Xander…I'm, I'm not afraid…it hurts less…" Her eyes started to flutter closed again.

"Buffy! I can hear the sirens. Just hang on!"

"Mr. Harris? Xander?" "I'm here. I can hear the ambulance. Tell them to hurry. She's fading…" "Just keep applying that pressure for a couple more minutes, Xander…"

The next few minutes were a blur, as the paramedics rushed up the walk with their equipment, hooked Buffy up to monitors and tubes, and hefted her into the ambulance.
Two police cars also arrived on the scene.

"You're the young man that called in the shooting?" one of the cops asked Xander.

"Yeah, that's me, Xander Harris. We were just leaving the house, when the guy came around the bushes and started shooting."

"Did you recognize the suspect, Mr. Harris?" jotting notes in his book.

"Yeah, uh, Warren…Warren Meers. I recognized him from high school."

"Do you have any idea why Mr. Meers would want to shoot your friend, Miss…"

"Buffy Summers. She mentioned witnessing a robbery last night. Maybe it's connected?" he replied. Couldn't exactly tell them the full story.

"Hey! We gotta transport this girl now!" one of the paramedics called.

Xander looked over and asked, "Can I ride with her? She's my best friend." They both looked to the officers, who waved him on.

"We'll catch up with you at the hospital, Mr. Harris. If you remember anything else, make a note of it."

Xander nodded and hopped into the truck. The door was slammed shut, and then they were barreling towards the hospital.

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The paramedics wheeled the gurney into Sunnydale Hospital's Emergency Room. A nurse and doctor met them as they came through the doors.

"What've we got?" Dr. Larkin asked.

"21-year-old female, gunshots to the left upper chest and right abdomen. Lost a lot of blood at the scene."

"Alright, wheel her into Room 1," she replied, looking over the report. "Start her on an IV of O Neg until we know type specific. Was she conscious on the ride over?"

"Not really."

Corinne looked up, seeing the girl's face, and gasped. 'Oh, my God. It's Buffy.' "Alright, on my count." The paramedics, nurse, and doctor prepared to move the young woman from the portable gurney to the E.R. table. "1, 2…3. Pulse is thready but hanging in there. Bring in the portable ultrasound for the belly." She lifted Buffy's left shoulder to glance behind. "No exit wound. Means the bullet is probably lodged in her shoulder blade. Page Surgery!"

Xander burst through the doors into the room, stopping short as he saw his friend looking so pale and small. "Is she going to be alright?"

"You can't be in here, sir," one of the nurses said, starting to guide him back to the waiting room.

"Wait! You! I know you, don't I? You were at my wedding, with…"

"Mr. Harris, I'm doing my best for Buffy, but we need you to leave so we can concentrate. Why don't you see if you can contact her family?" Corinne said kindly, but firmly.

He nodded, eyes wide as the shock of the day started to set in. The nurse gently guided him out to the lobby, and Corinne sighed in relief.

"Someone called for a surgery consult?"

"Young woman with two gunshot wounds, neither of which exited the body. Portable chest x-ray shows the one in the upper chest is lodged in the shoulder blade. We were just about to do a belly ultrasound," Dr. Larkin presented. "Pulse is weak, but steady. We've managed to clamp the bleeders, but she already lost a lot at the scene."

"How many bags so far?" the surgeon asked, as he focused on the ultrasound screen.

"2, and she's working on a third."

"Means she's still probably losing in the belly. Congratulations, Dr. Larkin, you found a Surgery case. Let's get her up to the O.R. before she bleeds to death."

Alarms started sounding on the monitors and the team rushed into action. "She's crashing!"

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Xander stood at the pay phone dialing one number, as he punched in another on his cell. 'Come on, come on…pick up…' "Wills! Hey…"

"Xander? What's wrong? You sound funny?"

"Will…Buffy's in the hospital. You guys need to come right away. It was Warren. He shot at us as we were leaving the house," he replied, tears in his voice. He heard Tara whisper "Goddess, no!" in the background as Willow relayed what he just said.

"We'll be there right away. Do you have Giles' number?"

"Yeah," he croaked. "See you soon."

He next spoke to Anya, and then Dawnie's school. Not knowing Buffy's progress, yet, he told the office to be on alert for Dawn to need to be picked up at any time, but to not disturb her for now. That done, Xander took a steadying breath, and started dialing the international number.

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"Okay, she's stable for now. Let's get her upstairs before she crashes again!" the surgeon barked. Corinne followed into the elevator as they pushed Buffy inside.

"Dr. Larkin?"

"Sir, I was wondering if I could scrub in…I know this girl." She stood firm in front of the senior doctor as he considered the request.

"Fine, as long as you stay out of the way. Interns…" he muttered.

"Wait!" Xander called, as the elevator doors started to close. "Where are you taking Buffy?"

"She's going up to the O.R., Mr. Harris. You need to let us do our jobs," she replied.

"What floor?"

"5." The doors closed, leaving Xander with options to consider.

Before he could head upstairs, two of the policemen that had come to the house were there to ask more questions.

"How is Miss Summers?"

"They're, uh, taking her up to surgery. I don't know, yet."

"If you don't mind, we'd like to take your full statement while you wait…"

"Sure," Xander replied, spent. "As long as it's on the 5th floor. I'm not leaving her alone up there." They nodded, and the group took the next elevator up.

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Three hours later, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Dawn had joined Xander in the waiting room. The blonde Wicca had gone to pick up the girl once they discovered Buffy would be in surgery a while. Dawn hadn't wanted to wait it out in class, wanting to be at the hospital in case…well, they weren't going to consider that, yet. Giles was getting the first available flight from England.

Dr. Larkin glanced through the window at the little 'family', steeling herself to present the information without getting emotional. She pushed the door open, Dawn's eyes lighting up in recognition and hope as she entered.

"How's Buffy?" she asked eagerly.

Corinne strove for serious, but compassionate. This was the most difficult part of her job. It never seemed to get easier. "We managed to remove both bullets, and she's weak, but stable. We repaired the damage, but your sister lost a lot of blood. We, uh, had to remove one of her kidneys. She's in recovery, now…I'll have one of the nurses let you know when she's been moved to a private room."

"How long will that take? When is she gonna wake up?" Dawn asked.

"She should be in a room in about an hour. As for your second question, we're not sure, yet. At this point, it's up to her," Corinne replied solemnly. The adults all heard the unspoken statement. She might never wake up.

The teen nodded, remaining positive. "Alright. Well, Buffy's strong…stronger than anyone. She'll get through this," Dawn said with conviction. No one had the heart to contradict her, as they all hoped she was right.

"It's good to remain positive. We really just have to watch and wait, now. Are there any more questions?" Corinne added.

Anya clung tighter to Xander's arm, and noticed him wince. "Xander Harris! You're hurt! Doctor, fix him!"

"I'm alright," he said gruffly. "It's just a graze."

"Still, it should be looked at," Corinne reasoned. "I can take a look at it down in the E.R. Probably only take a few minutes. You have time."

"Fine," he sighed, too tired to argue. "Anybody want anything from the cafeteria while I'm down there?"

Willow and Anya shook their heads. Tara said, "Maybe some tea, if they have it? Dawn, do you want a soda?"

"Please?"

"Diet Coke, I know, Dawnie. Ahn? You wanna come with?" His wife nodded gratefully and stood to follow Xander.

Willow and Tara cuddled together, the redhead trying not to cry and upset Dawn. The teen pulled out her homework, having nothing else to do.

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Xander winced as Dr. Larkin applied the medicated ointment to his wound. The grazing bullet had basically left an open burn mark on his upper arm.

"Sorry. It shouldn't sting as much once this has a chance to take effect," Corinne apologized. She taped a square of gauze over the wound and stripped off the rubber gloves. "Okay, you can put your shirt back on." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And I won't even charge you, considering…"

"That's very kind," Anya piped up. She'd been rubbing Xander's free hand the whole time, actively trying not to look as upset as she felt. She only had the one experience before of grief, so the shock, the fright, the worry…it was all a bit overwhelming for the former vengeance demon. She didn't understand it any better than the first time, really, but she knew what to expect now, at least. The one thing Anya did understand with complete certainty is that Warren Meers deserved vengeance.

"Ahn, you're kinda cutting off circulation to my hand," Xander teased.

"Oh! Sorry! We should get the refreshments and head back upstairs, right?"

He smiled a bit and squeezed her hand. "Probably. Honey, if you'd be more comfortable at home…"

"No! No, I…I just want to be useful, doing something…so, cafeteria nourishment is the current goal. Goals are important for life, you know," she stated.

"Let's go." Xander slipped his shirt back on, with some help from his wife, then shook hands with the doctor. "Thanks. For everything. The doctors that worked on her…they're good?"

"Really good. They still blow my knowledge out of the water, and I got A's," Corinne reassured them. "This may not be a fancy L.A. hospital, but we have good people here."

He nodded. "Good to know. Let's find the cafeteria, Ahn."

Corinne watched the couple walk off hand in hand, then as the young man slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders as she pressed into his side. 'Poor Dawn. If Buffy doesn't make it out of this, she has nobody. The couples at least have each other to turn to.' The doctor's shift was about over. She had to sign her charts, and then it would be time to go home. Or rather, time to check on Buffy Summers again, until she could notify Spike. She was pretty sure the vampire had been forgotten in all the chaos and worry.

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The nurse stuck her head into the family room. "You're with Buffy Summers?"

"Yes, that's us. Can I see my sister now? Is she awake?"

"Not, yet, dear. Please follow me. I'll show you to her room. You can only enter one at a time, and for no longer than 5 minutes. We don't want the patient disturbed while she's recuperating."

The group followed the nurse as she talked, down hallways, until they passed through ominous doors marked "ICU". The adult Scoobies exchanged glances behind Dawn.

"Now, before you go in, I want to prepare you for what you will see. Your sister is hooked up to machines that are helping her breathe and take nourishment. She has a tube down her throat, but that is common with this kind of surgery, until she is breathing better on her own," the nurse explained quietly.

"Can I touch her?" Dawn asked, before going in.

The middle-aged nurse smiled at the young girl. "You can squeeze her hand, or brush her hair off her face. Just be careful of the tubes, okay?" She walked off and left the group to decide on their own who would go in first.

"Go ahead, Dawnie. She'd want to see you first," Tara encouraged.

Dawn nodded bravely, and pushed open the door, gasping at the sight of her sister, so small and frail looking on the bed. A light blue blanket was pulled up to Buffy's chest, and the low lighting made her look extra pale. She watched the slow rise and fall of her sister's breathing, before venturing further towards the bed. Dawn gently lifted her sister's hand and squeezed it between her own.

"You're stupid, you know. Warren's crazy. You should have been watching out for him. God, Buffy, you have to get better. I need you. Not just to take care of me, you know. I need my sister. I want to be able to tell you about my first date, and my first prom. I want you there at graduation, and helping me move into my dorm room, so you can't die again…not yet. You're probably close to going back to…but Buffy, please wait a bit longer? Things were just getting good again…" She wiped at her tears, sniffing them back and trying to be strong. "I know you can beat this, Buffy. Even without your Slayer powers. You're just too stubborn. Don't let Warren win." Dawn glanced up at the clock and frowned. Her five minutes were up. She kissed her sister's cheek and squeezed her hand again. "I have to let one of the others see you now, but I'm not going anywhere, okay? I love you, Buffy."

None of the four Scoobies would forget the sight of Dawn coming out of that hospital room looking like a grown woman. Her expression was determined, and the look in her eyes decreed that this was no longer the little girl/woman that had been deposited by the monks a year and a half ago. And they all wished her innocence could have been spared just a little bit longer. She took a seat in a chair in the hall and smiled bravely at them, before pulling out her notebook again.

Willow went in next.

"Oh, Buffy…I should have been there this morning. I could have stopped him…protected you and Xander…Well, Faith made it out of her coma, so you just have to beat that record." She ignored the tears that streaked her cheeks. "I promise…I p-promise, Buffy. I won't try to raise you again. If you're…determined, to g-go…then I won't stop you. I'm so sorry I've been a horrible friend this year. Tara and I have spent a lot of time talking lately, and I realize now that I have a fear of losing control…I try to hang on to things, and lose them faster...like I tried to keep you. I can't even imagine what it's been like for you, but if you wake up, I want to try, okay? I want to be your best friend again. We, uh…we've talked about some healing spells, but Giles is coming, so…we'll wait. You'd probably want his opinion, anyway. I love you, Buffy. I can't remember the last time I said it, but I do. Well…yeah…I'm gonna let Xander come in, okay?"

Xander stayed his whole five minutes. Anya was content to sit with the others, so Tara went in for a couple minutes. The gentle-spirited Wicca looked over the Slayer, seeing the otherworldly perception of her aura. She whispered a prayer to a goddess over her friend, then rejoined the group. They had little to do. Giles was still hours away, and who knew when Buffy would wake up. Noticing that Anya was getting stir-crazy, Xander stood to go.

"Do you guys mind if we leave for a while? Anya didn't have time to close up the shop properly…"

"Go ahead," Dawn replied. "We have your number, if something changes."

"You're sure, Dawnie?"

She nodded. "I'm sure. Get some food, or something. You'll have to go retrieve Giles in a while, anyway."

They exchanged hugs and parted. Dawn stretched her neck and back, then sat back down to read her textbook. Willow's nervous energy finally got the best of her, so she left to browse the gift shop. Tara took this private opportunity to put her arm around Dawn's slender shoulders. The teen leaned her head on the blonde and started to cry, silently.

"I'm so proud of you, Dawnie. You've been great today, you know that? It's okay to be vulnerable right now, too, though. Buffy's probably going to be in the hospital a bit…if you'd like, I could stay at the house again?"

"That'd be cool…thanks," she sniffled.

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Corinne had never dreaded anything more, than walking into Spike's crypt that afternoon to wake him up with bad news. He was going to be heartbroken, unless things had only gotten worse between him and the Slayer. She didn't think so, though. She saw how they looked at each other. It was only a matter of time before they were drawn back together, like magnets. She climbed down the ladder, deliberate making noise with her shoes on the rungs. He hadn't stirred. Not surprising, since it was still broad daylight.

"Spike…"

"Hmm?" He sat straight up, blinking against the light she had turned on. "What's up, Doc?"

"Can you travel by day?"

"Yeah…by the sewers. Why?" he asked, confused.

She sighed, there being no easy way to say this. "Buffy's in the hospital. She was admitted this morning."

"This morning? What happened? She doesn't slay demons in daylight, at least not usually. Was it a car wreck? Someone hit her while she was crossing the road?" He fired off rapid questions while reaching for his pants. Corinne avoided the view.

"Spike…she was shot, two times. She's in the ICU right now. I'm sorry…"

If it was possible for a vampire to lose all color, Spike accomplished it. He doubled his speed getting dressed and was running down the tunnels without another word. Corinne's shoulders sagged as she was filled with regret. She should have come to see him sooner. Should have been gentler in telling him. Shouldn't have let him run off like that when he was so upset…

She got back in her car and headed back to the hospital. Being there when he found his way inside was the best she could offer.