Come Back to Me

by Spikesdeb

Chapter 5

The next few hours passed in a blur for Buffy.  The ambulance had arrived at the café within minutes and after examining Dawn the paramedics advised that her comatose sister had to be taken immediately to the hospital.  They couldn’t say what was wrong with her but she was deeply unconscious and unresponsive. 

Dawn all limp and unmoving had totally freaked Buffy out and her Slayer strength seemed to have gone AWOL.  What remained was a frightened young woman desperate for her sister to come round.  Seeing Dawn this way catapulted her back to the time she found her mom’s body, cold and still on the couch and she began a silent mantra to whichever deity was listening “Please god, no, not Dawn too.  Please god, no.”  She found herself rocking, arms tight around her body, as she watched the paramedics work. 

“Miss.  Miss?  Is there anyone you need to contact, we have to move your sister to the ambulance.” 

“Oh…yes, I’ll just… ‘phone, if I can find my ‘phone.”  Searching for her cell phone in the pockets of her jacket, Buffy’s fingers were numb and reluctant to work.  Finally retrieving it, her fingers shook as she pressed the keys to speak to Giles.  Again the memories flooded back; her surrogate father - the first one she always turned to when her family fell apart.  As she waited for him to answer she considered why, after all that had happened with Spike and Wood in Sunnydale, she still instinctively reached out to Giles in moments of crisis.  The answer was simple – she had nobody else. 

“Hello Buffy.  Having a nice time with Dawn…..” 

Giles’ voice was cut off as he realised what Buffy was telling him.  “….so they’re taking her to the hospital; I have to go in the ambulance.  Giles …” 

“Go Buffy.  Don’t worry – I’m sure she’ll be alright.  We’ll follow.  We won’t be far behind.  Go.” 

Buffy cut off the call and followed the medics out to the waiting ambulance, her sister’s still form wheeled ahead of her. 

*************************** 

Giles flew round Wolfram and Hart as if pursued by a pack of hellhounds.  Gathering up the Scoobies en route, he burst into Angel’s office to find him in conference with Senior Department Heads including Lorne, Fred, Wesley and Gunn.  There were others there who ran the less glamorous aspects of the company such as Accounts, Archiving, and Personnel - a cornucopia of demons with wildly varied faces, appendages, and languages.  As the door through which Giles entered crashed back against the wall, all eyes turned to the source of the intrusion. 

Angel rose immediately as he saw the expression on the former watcher’s face. 

“Buffy!” he cried out “is she…” 

“No, not Buffy – it’s Dawn.” 

Without needing further explanation, Angel strode towards the anxious group of Sunnydale veterans flanked by Wesley et al.   

“Let’s go.” 

The mixed bag of warriors swept out of the room leaving the confused bunch of W & H workers in their wake.   

All eyes turned to Harmony as she peeped round the doorway.  “Coffee, anyone?  Or blood, bile, bodily fluid of choice?”   

As various hands went up she pulled out a pad and started to take the order.  “And a selection of donuts – gotcha!” 

************************** 

As they walked towards the elevator to take them to the parking garage, Giles filled them in on the little he knew of what had happened.  “I don’t know much; Buffy just said they were talking and everything seemed fine then Dawn just slumped forwards, no warning.  The medics don’t have a clue what’s wrong with her and they’ve taken her to the General Hospital.” 

“She is…alive?” Andrew queried, his bottom lip quivering.  Giles turned to look at him, having forgotten he was there. 

“Oh, yes, I believe so – she’s in a coma.” 

Angel took out his cell phone and flipped it, starting to speak as the elevator doors opened.  “Harmony – no, we won’t want donuts.  No just…..HARMONY!  Thank you!  Call the hospital wing and tell them to arrange a transfer from the General Hospital. I’ll ring later to let you know details but I want the full team standing by until I say otherwise.” 

Flipping the ‘phone closed he looked up to see the steely glare of Rupert Giles fixed on him.   

“I’m not sure that Buffy would want Dawn here.” 

“This is the best place for her, Giles.  Until we know what’s wrong with her, we need to use all resources at our disposal.  It’s done.” 

The elevator took them down to the subterranean level in uncomfortable silence. 

Splitting into two mixed groups as they reached the bottom, Giles took the proffered keys from Angel’s outstretched hand and got behind the wheel of the SUV indicated by the vampire.  Wesley sat in the front passenger seat, Faith behind him with Fred in the middle and Andrew behind Giles.  Angel drove the other group – Gunn, Willow, Kennedy and Xander.  Wood was on the mend and had wanted to join them but Faith had insisted he rest up.  Lorne decided that he could do without dodging in and out of doorways to avoid sending mental patients into relapse and remained behind to ‘coordinate’.  It was more likely that he would be knocking back the Seabreezes to fortify his soul.  Angst made him twitchy. 

The convoy of two drove out into the daylight and headed off to the hospital.  Nobody spoke on the way – what was there to be said? 

***************************** 

Buffy felt helpless as she bumped along in the back of the ambulance, her sister’s silent form hooked up to monitors and tubes.  The medics continued to try and rouse her but there was no response.  If it wasn’t for the slight rise and fall of her chest, Buffy would have thought it was too late. 

Minutes later, although seeming like eternity, the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay of the hospital, green-clad figures racing out of the doors to meet the arrivals.  The medics pulled the gurney out of the back of the vehicle, the wheels rattling and crashing assaulting Buffy’s overstrung nerves.  She scrambled out after it, straining to hear what was being said. 

“Pulse slow and faint, but we got her stabilised some in the rig.  BP, down slightly. Saline drip administered at the scene but no response to outside stimuli.  Not conscious when we arrived, but some autonomic reaction to light.  No visible signs of trauma – lady here says her sister was talking then just slumped forwards.” 

“Thanks boys, we’ll take it from here.”  The gurney was wheeled off, surrounded by new medics, to disappear through swinging double doors. 

Buffy was left standing alone unsure where to go, bewildered by the speed of the handover and feeling completely lost in the sterile corridor in which she found herself. 

“Miss Summers?  Hi there, I’m in charge of admissions.  Can you answer some questions for me?” 

Buffy felt as if she was running on autopilot as she replied to the questions posed by the young nurse.  God, this was so familiar – she felt useless and restricted, answering seemingly irrelevant queries whilst her sister lay in a room somewhere being stuck with needles and whatnot.  She missed her mom. 

“When can I see my sister?” 

The dark-haired nurse smiled gently.  The young woman was obviously deeply distressed and needed to do something.   

“I’ll just go check, be right back.” 

“Thank you… Kat” Buffy said as she spied the name badge on the uniform.  Tossing Buffy a sympathetic smile over her shoulder, she passed through double swing doors leaving the Slayer alone again.   

“Buffy!”  

Willow wrapped her friend in her arms, closing her eyes as she recalled a previous time spent under the glare of fluorescent lighting, nostrils filled with the antiseptic and ether smells of a hospital.  That time Tara had been there to give her strength.  A pang went through her heart at that thought; Kennedy wasn’t Tara – she was just…convenient.  And it wasn’t going to last, she knew that; but right now she needed warmth, love, support.  Although she didn’t feel very good about herself, using the younger woman as she was, she wasn’t strong enough to walk away – yet. 

Buffy looked up to see all her friends, old and new, surrounding her.  Their faces showed just how concerned they were, and she was grateful that she had such people in her life.  But there was still a gaping hole inside her that could be filled by one alone.  He would know exactly what to say to her, exactly how to hold her, exactly how to reassure her.  And he would be pissed as hell with the doctors until they did something for Dawn.  His Niblet. 

Giles, as usual, took charge accosting a passing doctor and demanding an update on Dawn Summers’ condition.  Buffy watched, too nervous to approach, as Giles nodded and thanked the doctor.  After removing his glasses and cleaning them absentmindedly, he replaced them and walked towards the group.   

“Ah, Buffy – shall we sit?  The doctor, he…I mean, they need to run some more tests, scans and such.  They can’t say yet what it is, but she is stable…or she’s not deteriorating were his actual words.” 

“No, Giles, no sitting.  I want to see her.  I asked the nurse before; she said she was going to find out for me where she was.  She’s my sister, Giles – she’s all I have left now…… I...I…know I have you guys but she’s part of me, she’s my baby sister……it should be me if anyone has to ….do you think she’s going to……..oh god, Giles – how will I bear it if she leaves me?… Everybody leaves me…please, Dawnie…” 

Buffy’s voice faltered, her words ending with a gulping sob as she collapsed against the only paternal role model she could trust.  Giles was flummoxed as she wept against his chest, her warm tears leaving his shirtfront soaked.  He ineffectually patted her about the shoulders and was relieved when Fred gathered her up and walked her over to the seating area, murmuring words of comfort in her lilting Texan drawl.  She settled Buffy down keeping her arm around her.  Xander sat to Buffy’s right, her head on his shoulder, as he had done so many times before.  Willow knelt in front of the three, hands rested on Buffy’s knees and holding one of the Slayer’s hands in her own.  Kennedy stood apart, awkward as she witnessed the intimacy of the friends and feeling a little resentful that she couldn’t break into the tight inner circle.  Andrew just paced around in the waiting room, swishing his duster, black tears running down his cheeks as his carefully applied kohl melted under the onslaught of his tears.  Faith, uncomfortable in hospitals since her own coma-induced stay, rested back against the wall by the door observing from a distance.  She owed it to Buffy to be here if she needed her, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy about it. 

“Did they have any idea as to what could have caused this?” Wesley queried.  Gunn stood at his side, not knowing what to do as he didn’t really know Buffy or Dawn at all well.  He just thought he’d hang with Wes.   

“I’m afraid not.  They are monitoring her, of course, but she doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger.  She’s just not awake.” 

Angel was suddenly in front of the lapsed watchers, eyes glinting dangerously.  “We need to transfer her to our medical facility now.  You can see they know nothing here.  I’m going to make the arrangements right ….” 

“NO. Now just hang on a minute!” Giles interrupted.  “Not without consulting Buffy.  You can’t make decisions for her, for Dawn, for any of us, Angel.  Wolfram and Hart are evil…you know that.  And yet you want to take a seriously ill innocent young girl within the walls of its medical facility?  Who knows what goes on there?” 

“Didn’t see you object when we were patching up the Slayer’s boy, Rupert.  Weren’t we evil then?” 

“That’s different.  He can make his own decisions; he’s not incapable.  And since when has Wolfram and Hart become ‘we’?” 

“I am not arguing with you, Watcher.  She’s moving – that’s final.  Buffy will do what I say.” 

Wesley felt conflicted; whilst he did think that Wolfram and Hart were the best chance of looking after Dawn, he also saw the wisdom in Giles’ words.  Angel had slipped into the role of CEO of Evil Inc with astonishing ease and had quickly assimilated the corporate image projected by the law firm and wore it openly.  Wesley appreciated the research facilities but was still uncomfortable with the source.  Angel didn’t seem to have any qualms at all. 

Clearing his throat, he addressed the two men who were glaring at each other, “Perhaps we should just ask Buffy, as Giles suggested.” 

Angel spun to face him, his eyes glinting yellow, before the calm demeanour of the rogue demon hunter diffused the tension.  Exhaling needlessly, the vampire smiled – a tight smile which did nothing to detract from his menacing posture – and laid a hand on Wesley’s shoulder. 

“You’re right, Wes.  I’m sorry – I just don’t like Buffy being in pain.  I apologise, Giles.  We’ll let Buffy decide.  I’ll speak to her.” 

“I’ll speak to her, Angel.  She rang me, not you.  I will deal with this.” 

“As you wish,” the vampire replied coldly, following the Englishman’s form with dead eyes as he made his way towards the Slayer. 

Wesley pursed his lips as he considered the interplay between the two.  Seems there was somewhat of a power struggle developing and he honestly didn’t know on which side of the line between good and evil their efforts would fall. 

***************************** 

Buffy agreed to move Dawn to Wolfram and Hart’s medical facility, but more because she knew that she could be there round the clock than any belief that the care she would receive there would be better.  Right now she didn’t give a damn about demonic law firms or good versus evil – she just cared about her baby sister lying still and quiet in a hospital bed. 

Angel had thrown a look of triumph at Giles when she murmured her assent.  Again Wesley felt a twitch of concern.  It was particularly…Angelus-like.  He didn’t like the sense of foreboding it left him with. 

The well-oiled machine that was Wolfram and Hart had managed the transfer with chilling efficiency.  In less than an hour, Dawn was back within the walls of Wolfram and Hart, her room along the corridor from Cordelia’s, and every conceivable machine hooked up and humming as the nurses tended the new arrival.  Buffy hadn’t left her sister since she’d been allowed to see her and sat at the side of the bed holding Dawn’s hand, refusing to let go even to allow the nurse to take Dawn’s blood pressure.  She gazed at her sister fiercely, willing her to fight. 

As Dawn was booked into the medical facility, four doctors had given her a complete initial examination; checking heart rate, brain function, liver and kidney function, blood analysis and urine stick tests.  Nothing unusual had shown up and they had to admit they could find no physical reason for her coma. 

She had been made comfortable, a drip inserted in her left hand and a nasal tube feeding her oxygen to assist her breathing. She wasn’t on a respirator as she was breathing for herself, so at least Buffy was assured there was one good sign.   

Helpless to do anything else, Buffy simply sat and waited, praying Dawn would open her eyes. 

**************************** 

After leaving Dawn in the medical wing and being unable to drag Buffy away for a second, the rest of the clan retired to the conference room where the earlier meeting had thankfully broken up.  The remains of assorted beverages cluttered the table and Angel hollered for Harmony as he strode through the doors.   

“Jeez!  What’s the emergency, boss?”  the ditzy blonde drawled as she entered the room, dabbing at her mouth with her fingers and licking the remains of the jelly donut from her hands. 

“Move these.  Now.” 

“In a moment, Angel. I’m entitled to a statutory break, you know – read clause 172 (a) (i) of the standard employment contract; and I had to skip lunch to entertain the staff.  Do you know how much Personnel hates Accounts?  It was almost a bloodbath…which would’ve been kinda nice, now I come to think about it.” 

“I haven’t got time for this, Harmony.  Just do it! Okay?  Move now, whine later.” 

“I’ll be speaking to Demon Resources about this!” she sniffed as she gathered up the cups and removed them to the canteen tray, wheeling the trolley out of the room.   

Angel’s staff and the remaining Scoobies, minus Faith who’d stayed with Wood in his hospital room, stood awkwardly in virtually the same positions they’d been in that first day.  Nobody felt particularly anxious to be the first to break the silence.   

Furtive glances were exchanged between the uncomfortable figures as each of them waited for the others to speak.  Much shuffling of feet and shoving of hands in pockets ensued. 

Harmony re-entered, glaring at Angel with her best ‘I’m evil – I dare you to mess with me’ look that he ignored, of course.  “This came for you but I didn’t sign for it so I don’t know from where.  It just turned up on my desk.” 

She handed a brown envelope to Angel, a padded one containing something bulky.  The thick black lettering on the front simply said ‘Angel, Wolfram and Hart’ and the address.  There was no indication of where it was from. 

Angel rested against the edge of the desk as he reached for the letter opener and sliced through the top of the envelope.  Harmony swivelled on her heels and was sashaying out of the doorway when a bright light filled the room, causing everyone to cover their eyes.  Angel looked down at the object in his hands through closed lids; it looked familiar – a chain necklace with a large single stone in filigree setting suspended from the middle.  It was spewing out rays of light and the heat singed his hand, causing him to drop it on the floor. 

Everyone froze in a silent montage of shock as thick dust appeared and swirled to mingle with the light blazing from the amulet.  As they watched, mouths agape, the dust coalesced to form a familiar leather-clad body, dressed top to toe in black, and finished off with peroxide blonde hair. 

His howl pierced the silence as the image solidified to reveal him, face contorted in agony, hands held out as though in supplication, eyes closed to shield against the light. 

Spike always did make a grand entrance.

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