Pulling up to the hospital, everything was a mess. Paparazzi were doing everything they could to make their way into the hospital. Half of sunnydale's police on sight, slowly moving out the flood of people. Watching the ruckus, Giles and Buffy watched in disbelief. There was a hard bang on the window and Giles looked up quickly as the figure of a large man started away from them across the parking lot. Giles looked at Buffy, "It's Nick, follow him." She ordered and Giles did so, following him to the far end of the lot before turning off the car.

Getting out they all stood back and looked over the hospital. It looked like a circus of bodies and lights, and more were coming. "How the fuck are we gonna get there?" David finally asked out loud for everyone. Near by a wheelchair rolled into view causing Nick's mind to start ticking.

At the front of the hospital the flurry of bodies that face the five officers suddenly started parting.

"MOVE YOUR ASSES YOU WRETCHED PRICKS!" Screamed a woman in a wheelchair as she beat and kicked bodies from her path. Pushing her through the crowd was her doting husband. A large man with sunglasses and a hoodie over his head. The woman screamed again, "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO CARRY MY BABY IN FOR ME, YOU BETTER MOVE!"

Finally the front of the crowd parted and officer's were met with a total of five figures, two of which were heavily shaded from sunlight, and one that was obviously VERY pregnant. An officer stepped in the way of their path, "I'm sorry, but we're not taking people through this entry..." The officer's around him all bit their tongue, knowing, this of all things would be an exception.

Grabbing the officer by the groin, the woman continued her rant, "YOU'RE FUCKING KIDDING RIGHT!? NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE WEARING YOUR COCK AS A SCARF I SUGGEST YOU LET ME THROUGH!" The officer winced but stepped aside as she released him and the group of five continued through.

Inside the main entrance several nurses began swarming the pregnant woman, but she immediately stood up from her chair and pulled the bundled hoodie jacket from her shirt. "Nonono! I'm not pregnant!"

"Where's Spike!?" Everyone said at the same time and three of the nurses backed down, leaving the head nurse to deal with them.

With a frown and silent nod she led them upstairs

The sight was ghastly to say the least. Buffy was at the head of the group, walking in first. Her gaze held still and everyone wondered how come she wasn't crying anymore. Walking to the left side of the bed she silently pulled up and chair and took the hand of the limp form she called her William Everyone else stayed back, unsure of where they would fit, or of what they should do.

"What happened?" Nick asked the nurse quietly.

She frowned, "We don't really know. He was found around 5am this morning at a gas station. The owner was just getting there to open shop. It looks like a severe mugging. All of his money was gone. He was found next to the pump, so we assume he had a car..."

Buffy nodded, "He left my house last night in his car..." She frowned at her previous statement about christening it.

The nurse continued, "I heard talk about pulling security footage, but I guess the police would know more about that..."

"Is he going to be okay?" David finally asked as he moved further into the room, going to the opposite side of the bed. Kneeling down, he watched Spike at eye level at the tubes pumped air in and out of his motionless body for him. That thought struck him and David suddenly snapped up to a standing position and placed his hand over his mouth, to calmed his tears, "How long... How long is it going to do that?" He flicked his hand over Spike's body.

The nurse giggled, "Not for to much longer, that was mostly for precaution. He had a couple broken ribs and he did have to have some surgery... on his nose. His jaw seemed to take quiet a knock. I wouldn't expect him talking very much for a time."

"Thats a relief." Holly said from the corner of the room and received daggers from almost everyone, "Hey... he would have laughed at that."

Buffy's gazed softened, "He would have."

Still keeping a low profile while inside the hospital, Giles and Holly, were usually the ones shuffling about for food, and other necessities. Nick and David didn't have much of a choice but to stay as a unit, those paparazzi were sneaky devils. Buffy refused to leaves Spike's side. If he woke up without her... She just knew she wouldn't like it if she were where Spike was. Waking up with out the one you needed.

5pm Snuck around and the buzz about the hospital was dying down. The press had started pitching tents which meant the entrances where much easier to handle. Joyce made it in after work and gave Buffy the hug she had needed all day.

7pm And the nurse finally came and removed the tubes, allowing Spike to breath on his own once more. Then came the phone call Holly and the boys all dreaded, The Manager.

"What the fuck have you all been up to?" came a scream through nick's cell phone. He whimpered a bit but was relieved when Holly took the phone.

"Oh c'mon... you're not buying into all of this press are you. He was mugged." She replied able to handle the manager better than even Spike sometimes.

"Well, I'm getting a bit tired of you all blowing me off. I want money, you don't seem to get that. And Spike sitting on his ass playing house with you all isn't getting me my money. Now I'm losing even more, No body knows what the hell is going on, so the tabloids are throwing out the worst. Now if you can fix it for me Holly why don't just tel me ho-"

With that Holly hung up the phone, "Fuck it. I'll be your manager. He's a dick."

Turning on the television it was sickening how twisted things had gotten.

["Spike on drugs? Beaten in the streets for unpaid debts? We'll have mor-"]

["Is this the influence we want to give our kids? Its fun to get so wasted you smash your face in? Frankly I've always been against Falling Dow-]

["Eye witness statement claiming to have chased Spike, naked, off of their property."]

Everyone sat in the room in complete awe. Who knew it would get so bad so quick? There was silence as they all took it in until finally a faint voice spoke up from the back of the room in raspy tone, because of the tubing that had recently been removed.

"We're fucked."