Dr. Marko watched as the pulses of the monitor weakened, he shut off the sound, not needing to hear it when it flat lined.
Except it didn't.
Against all odds, Angel took a breath.
It was weak and strangled, but it was what he needed to see.
Angel was fighting for life, and as a doctor he was obligated to help.
He quickly attached the breathing tube to a oxygen bag, squeezing air into his lungs to help ease his breathing.
After a few minutes of help, he placed an oxygen mask over his patient's nose and mouth to help supplement his lungs with oxygen and encouraged Angel to breathe on his own.
The broken ribs were far from fully healed, but his ribcage was mended enough to withstand the rhythmic pattern of in and out without help.
...
Slowly Angel regained consciousness.
Voices drifted over him, passing between one another, he felt hands over his body, sometimes it was pleasant, other times painful.
He heard his name being called, after a few attempts he managed to open his eyes.
They shut again almost immediately, bright light shinning into them causing a searing pain to flash upon his retinas.
"Sorry about that, light is gone now, promise." A man's voice assured him, an Italian accent thick on his tongue.
Trustingly he opened them again, abet slower.
A light skinned mid-forties man leaned into his line of sight, a touch of grey near him temples offset thick brown hair and stern grey eyes.
Angel didn't know this man, and was very uncomfortable with him leaning in so close.
As a reflex he put his hand up to push the man back a little, but un-bothered, the man took his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Can you feel this?" he asked Angel.
The former vampire thought it was a rather stupid question but nodded yes.
"Can you make a fist for me?" the man asked.
'No problem' the Irishman thought in pain and annoyance, 'I was thinking of punching you anyways if you don't get out of my face.'
Angel did as he was told and was asked another question he thought was dumb.
"Can you tell me your name?"
Angel blinked a few times, wondering who this idiot was.
"Angel." He replied with a weak and croaky voice that surprised even him.
The man nodded and smiled, still holding Angel's hand he pumped it a few time and said, "How nice to finally meet you Angel, I'm Dr. Marko, I've been your caregiver for the last two weeks.
'Two weeks?' That caught Angel's attention.
Dr. Marko noticed the confusion run across his patient's face and briefly explained what he knew of Angel's injuries and the circumstances that caused them.
"You were brought in two weeks ago via ambulance; the police report stated you were attacked by a mugger in your friend's apartment complex. During the fight you sustained multiple rib fractures, a near-fatal puncture wound to the chest, minor abdominal bleeding, a lacerated right hand, broken nose and a decent concussion. You have been in a coma since your arrival, but now that you are awake, your recovery chances are much improved."
Angel took that in, not really sure if that was what his jumbled mind recalled what happened or not.
"You should rest now, Mr. O'Connor. Your body has had quiet a shock today. Tomorrow we can speak further."
Angel didn't want to wait, he wanted answers now, "Wait." He called, his throat sore from the breathing tube they had recently removed.
The doctor held up his hand, "Rest now, your questions will be answered tomorrow." He insisted before he retreated.
Angel was suddenly left alone in the small white walled room.
A thousand questions floated in his mind. The most important was about Buffy.
Had he actually gone to see her? Was that the friend Dr. Marko referred to? Is she alright? Was that bounty hunter still staking him? His mind raced a mile a minute, for him, there would be no rest tonight.
A short time later a few orderlies entered his room and he was told he was being transferred onto another floor.
He didn't have much say in the matter, in fact he didn't have any say.
Despite the move, he still felt trapped, the new room had the same bland white walls and the same overly strong smell of disinfectant.
It was a long time before he slept.
...
Buffy lay on her bed crying.
Most of the mess in her apartment had been cleaned up thanks to Dawn and a few of her college friends over a week ago.
None of them knew about Angel.
She hadn't spoken to her friends lately; they all had important jobs and responsibilities helping find and train new slayers after Sunnydale fell.
They still talked when they got time, but time was hard to come by nowadays.
Buffy felt like her chest was going to cave in, like some giant monster was standing on it and jumping around, using her as a trampoline.
'He's gone. He's dead. Angel.'
Buffy had thought him dead before, but she had only gone though the motions then, this time, it was real.
She had seen with her own eyes, she couldn't stay to watch it actually happen, but it was still real.
As she cried, she thought of him.
His cold but gentle touch, how it sent a fire through her veins despite his chill.
His warm chocolate eyes, how when he looked at her she felt herself melt in those dark orbs.
His smile, as rare as a four leaf clover but worth more than a pot of gold.
'I'll never see it again.'
...
Dr. Marko stopped by the nurses station, "Mr. Harvey, I would like you to ring Ms. Summers, tell her Mr. O'Connor has awakened."
Gwen looked up, "Yes Doctor Marko, I'll call her right away."
...
Buffy was sitting on her couch, feeling miserable when her phone rang.
Not really thinking about it she reflexively picked it up, "Hello?" she asked, voice empty.
"Ms. Summers?" A pleasant woman's voice asked.
"Yeah." She replied, in to mood for dancing around.
"My name is Gwen, I'm calling from the hospital, about Mr. O'Connor." The woman explained.
"I know, I'll be by tomorrow." She said and hung up.
'What will I do with Angel's body?' she asked herself, knowing that was what the woman must have been calling about. 'Do I have him buried? Or cremated? Do I have the right? Is there someone else?' she wondered, not knowing what kind of service would be appropriate for a nearly 400 year old ex-vampire.
She thought suddenly, 'What if he doesn't stay dead? What if whatever happened to him, to make him mortal, reverses and be turns back into a vampire…what if he comes back soulless?'
Thinking the idea horrible, but possible, she arose from her bed, wiped the tears from her eyes, and put her Slayer face back on.
She didn't have time for a breakdown, if Angel was undead again, she needed to know.
And if he was a threat…he needed to be stopped.
She tucked a stake into her hidden pocket and headed out the door.
'Guess I'll be by today instead.'
...
It wasn't hard sneaking into the morgue, she did it often enough during regular scheduled patrols.
Newly sired vamps tended to end up in morgues, just a fact of life…or death rather.
She looked around, checking files and pulling open the freezer drawers.
She was about to give up when one of the drawers opened to reveal a security guard, fully clothed and recently eaten.
'Oh god, he's evil.'
Buffy's heart clenched, knowing Angelus had killed the guard and vanished into the sewers before she arrived.
Leaving the hospital she dialed Willow's cell, needing to alert the witch that Angel needed immediate re-ensoulment.
The phone went to voicemail, "Hey, you've reached Willow, well you haven't actually since your hearing this recording. Leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as possible. K, bye."
Buffy hurriedly left a message then pressed end.
A second later she was calling Giles.
She got nothing.
"Damn it! Where is everyone!" She grumbled and dialed Xander.
On the third ring a recently awoken Xander answered the phone, "Do you have any idea what time it is right now?"
"Xander! Where are Willow and Giles, I have an emergency here!" She urged into the phone.
"Buffy? What? What kind of emergency?" He asked shaking off sleep, concerned his friend was in immediate danger.
"The I-need-a-witch-right-now kind." She rushed.
"Shit Buff, Will's not here…literally. Like another dimension, unreachable." He said apologetically.
"For how long?" Buffy exclaimed, not believing how horrible things were spiraling so rapidly downhill.
"At least a month, maybe more." He told her.
Buffy stopped listening after that.
'A month? More? Angelus can't be allowed to wander free that long…I can't let him go.'
"Buffy!" Xander yelled into the phone.
"Yeah, I understand. I'll call you back." She said emptily, then hung up.
'I have to kill him.' She thought miserably, 'There's no other way…I can't risk capturing him, if he gets away…if he kills me…I can't let him kill anymore innocents.'
Defeated, she walked towards home.
There was nothing she could do until sunset. She couldn't track him in the sewers, and she needed time…time to prepare her mind for doing what she couldn't do all those years ago in Sunnydale.
Sending your lover to Hell and watching them turn to dust were nothing alike.
'I have to kill him' she repeated, then her mind went blank.
…
Angel stared impatiently at the clock, a clock that he was convince was broken because there was no possible way time was moving that slowly.
'God I hate hospitals." He thought miserably as he waited for Buffy to arrive.
Earlier, Dr. Marko had alerted him that Buffy had been called to inform her of his improved condition...but that had been hours ago.
'Does she not want to see me? Did something happen to her?'
He sighed again, and resumed his angry glare towards the clock, only a few more hours of visiting time remained
...
The sun was just about set and Buffy was heading out the door when the phone rang, grateful for any distraction from her grim task she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Buffy?" Willows voice asked, "Xander said there was an emergency, am I too late?"
"Will! Thank god!" She cried relieved beyond measure, "Listen, ASAP I need you to re-ensoul Angel."
"Angel's soulless!" The witch gasped, remembering full well what Angelus could be like, "Oh Buffy are you ok? Did he hurt you?" The redhead asking in concern for Buffy.
"No, I'm fine. Please Willow, I need you to do this…like now."
"Already gathering the materials." The witch said as she tore threw her apartment and grabbed what she needed.
"So" Willow asked as she mixed the required herbs in a bowl, "Umm…how exactly did Angel loose his soul?" she asked, since for the past two years they all thought he was dead.
"I didn't sleep with him if that's what you're asking." Buffy deadpanned.
After a second Buffy gave Willow the express cliff notes of the past 2 weeks.
"Oh Buffy, that's…I can't even express words that represent how horrible that is." Willow sympathized.
"Yeah, but if you ensoul him…" Buffy trailed, wondering how Angel would react once his soul was restored. 'He'll either want to be with me…or run'
"Ok, I'm ready. Going to put you on hold while I cast it." Willow said right before putting down the phone.
Buffy stood in her kitchen, pacing a hole in the floor as she impatiently awaited to hear Angel was 'cured'.
Right when she thought she'd explode from the pressure, Willow voice returned.
"Buffy?" She asked, sounding tired.
"Did you do it? Is it finished? Is he ok now?" Buffy asked hopeful.
"Ahh...not sure how to tell you this..." The witch started.
"Tell me what? Will!"
"It didn't work." The redhead moaned.
Buffy was shocked into silent a moment, "Wh-what do you mean it didn't work? You've done this before! Did you forget something? Maybe you said a few words wrong?"
"Buffy, I tried three times, I checked everything...I started the spell correctly...but Angel's soul...it's not in the ether...I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do if I can't call his soul into the orb."
"Yeah, well thanks for trying Will." Buffy said right before she hung up.
'His soul must have moved on' Buffy thought with a heavy heart, 'He must be a peace now...or...'
She shut down her thoughts before the idea of hell could surface, she couldn't bear the thought of him suffering for all eternity.
Before her resolve faded, she headed out the door.
If Angel's soul was lost to her, then his body was nothing but a vessel for a demon.
It was not only her duty to slay it, but to put his form to rest for Angel's sake.
She couldn't let his memory be corrupted by his demon's actions.
...
Angel looked at the bleary white walls again...the same walls he'd been staring at for the last four days now.
He'd asked about Buffy a few times, the nurse assured him she had been called, that she'd said she would come...but she didn't.
'Maybe I was hallucinating when I heard her calling to me? Maybe she was telling me to die? To leave her alone and give her peace? If she wanted to be with me, wouldn't she have come to see me? Maybe something really did happen to her?'
The last thought got him worried. 'Hexlar...did he...god I wish I could remember what happened to him. Did he get away? Did Buffy kill him? Did he hurt Buffy? Is that why she isn't here.'
Worried all to hell and so completely sick of this damn hospital, he pressed his call button repeatedlyuntil a nurse came in.
"Is there a problem Mr. O'Connor?" She asked, gently prying the button from his hand.
"I'm checking out." He told her seriously.
"Oh, umm.." she pulled his file out and looked it over, "Well I see here you're scheduled for another week, then rehab starts..."
He cut her off, "I'm checking out tonight. I don't care who needs to be alerted, what has to be signed, I'm leaving. Make it happen."
She nodded, immediately reporting to her superior.
After a few people tried and failed to make him see reason, the papers were drawn up and he was being prepared to sign out at dusk.
...
Buffy patrolled.
Every night for almost a week, she'd searched for Angelus.
Every night she killed at least five vampires.
None had been Angelus.
'Maybe he left town? No, he couldn't have, it's not his style. He should be here, taunting me with his face, knowing what his eyes do to me.'
She tightened her hand on her stake, "I know you're here...I'm going to find you...and when I do..." She said to the empty night, "There will be no mercy."
...
Angel tightened the belt on his wool coat a little tighter.
Thankfully they had a supply of donated clothes for him to pick though at the hospital, since the clothes he arrived at the hospital wearing were in ribbons from a mix of Hexlar and the doctors cutting them away to reach him injuries.
'Wasn't about to stroll down the street in a hospital johnny.'
His wounds had healed a great deal over the two weeks he'd been in a coma, plus the week he'd spent worried out of his mind after awaking.
The flesh was healed...the bones...still a work in progress.
His ribs hurt...a lot.
They did convince him to keep the cast on his hand, a torn tendon would take months to heal...and if he didn't follow some guidelines for it, he would more than likely lose a significant range of motion in the appendage.
Despite the pain in his chest or the dangers of wandering the not-as-empty-as-they-look streets at night, he was determined to find Buffy.
'She has to be ok, she has to be.'
After a few minutes of aimless wandering, he got his bearings and headed towards where she lived.
...
'Another wasted night.' Buffy thought as she gave up her search for the night and turned towards home.
...
"Do you know when she usually gets back?" Angel asked Dawn as they waited together outside Buffy's apartment building.
He'd run into her ten minutes ago as he walked passed the bus station, she had been shocked and surprised to see him.
She had been more shocked when she hugged him, and he was warm.
"Should be any minute now...would you rather wait upstairs? More comfy and not as cold." She offered.
He thought a moment then nodded, "Yeah, I think I need to sit for awhile." He announced, rubbing his sore ribs.
They turned and headed for the door.
...
'Where the hell is the bastard?' Buffy wondered in near maddening frustration as she entered her neighborhood.
And as if fate suddenly granted her a wish, she spotted him.
He was lurking outside her apartment, not 100 feet away from her.
And he had her sister.
A second later, they vanished into the building.
'Dawn!' Her mind screamed, knowing Angelus was baiting her, waiting until she came home, just so he could kill her only family right in front of her eyes.
'He won't kill her...not until he knows I'm here. As long as I can get to him first, she'll be safe.'
With a speed and stealth even she had thought impossible for her to achieve, she shot over the distance, rushing up the back stairs.
Her stake ready to finish this.
...
TBC