Part 13

A pair of hands hooked over the top of a wall in the seemingly quiet cemetery. Buffy pulled herself up, and jumped down to the other side. When she hit the ground, Buffy lost her balance, and nearly toppled over.

Sighing she straighten herself up, Buffy coughed hoarsely, she felt icky and gross. But she couldn't just lay at home, after Jenny's death, Buffy had been more determined in her nightly slaying, she needed to make sure that no one would die. Buffy pulled a stake out of her jacket, shaking off the wave of dizziness that hit her, she made her way across the graveyard. She walked for a moment, until Buffy sensed a presence, she tried to concentrate while she slowly walked toward a mausoleum. Buffy raised her stake, and jumped around the corner, she swung to strike, but held back when she saw who it was.

Xander screamed, his reflexes made him jump back, while holding onto his own stake. Causing Willow and Cordelia to hold up the crosses in front of them.

Buffy sniffed, she brought the stake she had in her hand down. "Non-vampire. Plus two."

Willow exhaled, and put her cross away. "Hi." The 3 stepped out into the open.

Xander was still hyperventilating. "Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes! I need to get one." He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here??" Willow asked, ignoring her question, she looked at how pale Buffy looked, and was upset that Buffy would come out here in her condition.

"I'm patrolling." Buffy replied.

Concerned, "Buffy, you're sick."

"No." Buffy said. She placed her hand on her forehead, trying to stop the spinning. "No, I feel fine. I mean, World's spinning a little bit, but I like it, it's like a ride." Buffy wobbled a little, but stayed on her feet.

Cordelia flipped her hair behind her. "Half the school's out with this flu. It's a serious deal, Buffy. We're all concerned about how gross you look."

Buffy rolled her eyes again. "I'm touched." She said with a hint of sarcasm. "But I have work to do."

"Buffy, come on." Willow pleaded. "One night of rest is not gonna kill you."

"No, but it might kill somebody else." Buffy replied sadly.

Xander pointed at her with his stake. "You mean Angelus might." When Buffy turned away from him, he got more worried. "Buffy, this not the time to challenge Angelus for the ultimate fighting championship. He's at full strength, you're only half a slayer."

Buffy turned to him. "Yeah, but I'm still the Slayer. And as long as I am, he's not gonna kill anybody else."

"Aww, please just one more." Angelus said, walking from behind them. He ran toward Buffy pushing her out of the way, and tackled Cordelia to the ground.

Buffy grabbed him by the back of his coat and pulled him off of her. She turned Angelus around and swung at him with a stake. He easily blocked, grabbed her arm, and made Buffy drop the stake.

"Not feeling well, lover?" He teased.

Buffy looked at him and punched him in the jaw. Angelus fumed at her and tried to kick her, but she grabbed his foot, and tripped him up; making him fall hard on his back.

Angelus scrambled to get up, Buffy comes at him from behind, but he kicked out with his leg, landing into her chest, Buffy staggered back until she regained her balance. Dizziness struck her quickly, her vision swarmed, flashes shined in her eyes; giving Angelus the advantage. He got up and rushed toward her, he blocked the wild punches she made easily, and grabbed her by the throat. He sighed, like he's out of breath. "You know, you being off your game, is kinda takin' the fun out of this."

When Buffy started to struggle, he punched her in her face, and she stumbled backwards.

"Nope, still fun!" Angelus punched her in the gut, he grabs her by the neck again and shoves Buffy into a headstone.

Buffy was so dazed, she could barely stand up straight, especially since Angelus wasted no time in knocking her down onto her back.

Angelus straddled Buffy and pinned her arms down. "Uh-oh. This does not look good for our heroine." He smiled in triumph, and leaned down to bite her.

Suddenly out of nowhere, Willow threwsXander's jacket over Angelus head just as his fangs began to sink in. She quickly backed away as Xander ran toward Angelus, punched him, and kicking him in the face.

Angelus fell over onto his back. Willow and Cordelia quickly pulled out their crosses and held them out as he got up, and backed away; growling.

"Take a walk, overbite." Xander threatened.

Buffy got to her feet slowly, as Angelus slowly backed away.

Angelus smiled. "We'll have to do this again." He walked off.

Buffy just watched him go.

Xander quickly went to her side. "Are you OK?"

Angrily, Buffy pushed Xander away. "I told you guys to leave!!!" She clutched her head with both hands, wobbling on her feet. "I...oh.." Buffy fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Buffy!" Xander yelled, kneeling down beside her. "Buffy?"

*********************************

Xander held a still unconscious Buffy, as he stormed into Sunnydale Hospital Emergency Room, with Willow and Cordelia right behind him.

"We need help!" Xander yelled.

A nurse ran up to him. "What happened?"

They all spoke at once.

"She fell."

"The flu."

"She fainted."

The nurse quickly brought a gurney over to them.

Xander became frantic, and began rambling. "The flu, fainted and fell. She's sick, make it better!

"It's gonna be okay." The nurse replied to calm Xander down. "Let's get her up."

Xander laid Buffy out on the gurney, and stepped back. The nurse checked Buffy's eyes for a response, as they stared to wheel her into the emergency room. "Patient's unconscious, pupils are unequal and unresponsive."

Willow was concerned about what the nurse just said. "Is she gonna be okay?"

The nurse ignored her question, she blocked their way. "Stop, you can't go any further."

Xander didn't listen and tried to follow. "Someone should be with her!"

"You can't go any further!!" The nurse demanded, and closed the door in there faces.

Willow sighed. "I'll go call Giles, one of you go call Buffy's Mom." She said quickly, and rushed off to the pay phones.

After a while, Cordelia, Xander and Willow were sitting in the waiting room with worried looks on their faces. Giles arrived earlier and was also waiting and nervously cleaning his glasses. He straightened his form when he saw Joyce come from the elevator, with Angel behind her.

Joyce rushed to them. "Where is she?"

Everyone got up. Giles walked toward Joyce. "She's still in the emergency room." He made sure he stayed focused on Joyce, looking at Angel still brought out a few dangerous thoughts he wanted to act on.

Angel bowed his head, he prayed that she was all right. He went to see Buffy tonight because he knew she was sick, he wanted to keep her company, and when Joyce told him that she wasn't there; he began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach. He was there when Joyce received the call from Cordelia telling them that Buffy was in the hospital, he and Joyce had left immediately.

Joyce started to walk toward the ER. "I wanna see her."

"They won't let us in there."

Joyce stopped and looked back at her. Just then a Doctor came out of the ER.

"Mrs. Summers?" The Doctor called. "I'm Dr. Wil.......

"Is Buffy, OK?" Joyce interrupted.

"We were able to stabilize and...."

Joyce interrupted again. "Is. She. OK?"

"She's going to be fine." The doctor said reassuringly.

Joyce sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"We're bringing her down now, I wanna keep her here for a few days, she still has a lot of healing to do."

Buffy was being wheeled down the hall on the gurney. Everyone rushed to see her and followed, while going to her room. Her arm was in a small cast, and an IV was in her right hand. Joyce stroked Buffy's head. "Hi, sweetheart."

Xander is on the other side of her. "Hey Buffy, were all here."

Buffy who was still a little dazed from the medication they were giving her, "Here we are. What's all of we? Are we taking me home?" She said groggily, trying to sit up.

The doctor quickly pushed her down. "No, Buffy you need to lie down."

Dazed, "Uh. Lie at home. My bed is better than any bed that's..not my bed."

The doctor looks at Joyce. "She's still a little out of it."

Angel got closer to her and stroked her cheek. Buffy smiled slightly. "Shh" She placed her finger on her lips. "Hospital zone, no singing."

Angel smiled a bit, glad that she was going to get better, and at what she just said. "The drugs are strong."

The doctor nodded. "She'll feel better, after she's been here awhile."

Buffy heard this and terrified look crossed her face. "No!!!" Buffy tried to get up from the gurney. "Lemme go!!"

The doctor and two other nurses struggled to get Buffy to lie back down, but she was putting up a fight, even in her weakened condition.

Angel looked scared for her, he had never seen her that terrified before, not even with the Master. "Buffy, what's wrong?" Was all he could think to say.

"No!! Let me go.."

The nurses, and doctor manage to push her back down, and restrain her. The doctor pulls a needle out of her jacket. "This'll help you relax."

Buffy is still struggling to keep the needle away from her. The doctor hold her arm tightly, and injects a sedative into her.

"Ow." Buffy winces in pain. "No"

The doctor pulls the needle out, Buffy's struggling stopped, she breathed heavily as the sedative kicked in. Buffy begin to relax, and one of the nurses checked her IV to make sure she didn't pull it out.

Joyce leaned over. "Honey, listen."

Buffy whimpered. "I wanna go home."

Angel stepped up to her, and took her hand. "Buffy it's gonna be okay, I promise."

Buffy started to cry, the fear in her eyes crushed Angel. "Angel, please I don't want to stay here."

The nurse pushed Angel and the others away, and they started to wheel Buffy away.

"Angel please don't make me stay here." She whimpered, trying to hold onto his hand.

Reluctantly Angel let go. "Its OK, Buffy, I'm here."

Everyone stood back as Buffy was wheeled away. Angel stood in place, he could get the look of her fearful eyes out of his mind.

"That was a new experience." Xander replied, stirring Angel out of his thoughts. "I'm not used to seeing Buffy scared like that."

Joyce sighed. "Yeah, she just *hates* hospitals. Ever since she was a little girl."

Willow walked up to Joyce. "What happened?"

"When she was eight her cousin Celia died in a hospital. Buffy was alone with her at the time." Joyce turned back around. "They were very close." She sighed and left, she headed toward the pay phones, with Giles in tow.

Angel stood where he was. He stared at the door that Buffy just went through, waiting to go and be by her side.

Part 14

Buffy stirred slightly in her sleep, the sedative she was given was really powerful. She took a deep breath as she woke up, she blinks her eyes rapidly trying to shake the sleep cloud from her eyes. Buffy glanced over at the door, it was wide open and she noticed a little boy silently staring at her. After a while, the boy walks down the hall, Buffy tried to say something, but couldn't get the words passed her dry throat. She stares at the door, when all of a sudden a man in a black suit and a hat walked by.

The man looked into Buffy's room, giving her a good look at his disfigured, mutilated face. His teeth were all long fangs, giving off a grotesque smile and his fingers were sickly elongated; he waves his hand at her, and continues to follow the little boy.

Buffy raises her head in disbelief, unsure of what she saw, in her weakened state she slowly gets up from the bed, and pulls the IV from her hand; tightening her robe, Buffy walked down the hall, following where the little boy had gone. Buffy walked down the hallway, going into the children's ward, she walked passed the an office where she heard two doctors arguing about the death of another child. When she had heard enough, Buffy walked down the hallway, until she saw the little boy.

He looked at her. "He comes at night. The grown ups don't see him. He was with Tina. He'll come back for us." The boy said.

"Who?" Buffy asked, confused.

"Death."

**********************************

Xander sat in the waiting room, outside near the front desk. He was trying to keep himself awake, earlier when he and Willow were talking, he suggested that someone keep watch, just in case Angelus decided to make an appearance. Insisting, Xander took first watch, and asked a reluctant Angel to take Willow and Cordelia home.

The elevator opened, and a whistling Angelus stepped off, with white flowers in his hand. Xander turned and saw the smirk on his face, and knew it wasn't Angel, he quickly got up and faced Angelus before he could go any further.

"Visiting hours are over."

Angelus smirked. "Well, I'm pretty much family." Xander breathed, trying to keep his cool. "Yeah. Why don't you come back during the day? Oh, I guess not.

Angelus got into Xander's face. "If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me?" He threatened.

"Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either." Xander nodded to the guard behind him. "Or those cops..or the orderlies... But I'm kinda curious to find out. You game?" He challenged.

Angelus smiled. "Buffy's White Knight. "You still love her." He leaned in closer. "It must eat you up that we got there first. Me and Angel, we're the same."

Trying to hide his anger. "You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there." Xander threatened.

"Tell her I stopped by." Angelus said, he slaps the flowers against Xander's chest, and walked back toward the elevator.

Xander shuddered, he covered his mouth and let out a breath of relief. He slowly went back to where he was sitting, and put his head in his hands.

A few minutes later, Angel came through the waiting room doors, he saw Xander still sitting there with his head in his hands, automatically Angel assumed something was wrong. He walked quickly over to Xander, and touched his shoulder. "Xander?"

Xander heard his voice and jumped up out of his seat, he was about to start making threats, until he looked at him closely. "Oh, it's you." Xander snapped, and walk back to his seat.

"Of course it's me." Angel said. "What happened?" He asked.

"Big brother showed up." Xander replied, he knew Angel would know what that meant. When he saw Angel bow his head, Xander got back up and walked to him. "I think you need to realize what kind of danger you're putting her through, you've done nothing but put her through hell." He said, still angry at what Angelus said to him, and still upset with Angel, since he believed all of this was his fault.

Angel looked up at him, he never cared what Xander thought if him, and he wasn't gonna start now, even though Angel somewhat agreed. "Well, what have you done?" He said. Angel brushed passed Xander and walked toward Buffy's room.

Xander stood there, thinking about Angel's words, he didn't want to admit it, but he was right. 'What have I done for her?' he thought.

Angel walked into Buffy's room, seeing her sleeping on the bed. Buffy had come back to her room, and passed right out; no one had even known she had left. Angel grabbed a chair and sat down beside her, he took her hand in his. He sighed. "Why didn't you stay at home?" Angel looked at her, Buffy looked so peaceful in her sleep. Like nothing was wrong, but he knew that Angelus attacked her, and it wouldn't have happened if she had stayed home, she knew she was sick, and she went anyway. Angel just wished she wasn't so stubborn, but that's what he loved about her.

Buffy stirred in her sleep, a light flashed in her eyes, and she was 8 years old again, she walking down a hallway, going to her cousin Celia's room. Buffy slowly approached the curtain around Celia's bed, she pulled it open to look at her cousin, who was lying there peacefully asleep.

Buffy's eyes snapped open, she turned her head and saw Dr. Wilkins walk in.

"Good Morning."

Buffy moaned, she rubbed her eyes, while moving into a sitting position. "Could've fooled me."

The doctor smiled, and checked her vitals. "How are you feeling?" Reaching out to touch her forehead. "Looks like your fever's gone down."

"Well, good! Thanks for having me. Let's try and keep in touch." Buffy said quickly, and tried to get out of the bed.

Dr. Wilkins quickly pushes her back. "Not so fast." The doctor inspected Buffy's bandaged arm. "Hmm."

"Good 'hmm' or bad?" Buffy asked.

Swelling's ... gone! Dr. Wilkins said. "Does this hurt?

"Nope."

"Amazing." The doctor replies.

"Well, then I should probably go, right?" Buffy said, trying to leave.

The doctor stops her again. "No, we have to make sure that fever is gone. That's a string virus you have. Maybe not as strong as you but...."

Buffy thought about last night. "Is it the same virus the kids have?" She asked suddenly.

Before the doctor could answer, there was a knock at the door. Giles slowly peeped his head in. "May we come in?"

Dr. Wilkins sighed. "Please! Maybe you can keep our patient from bolting." Looking at Buffy sternly. "Rest!" The doctor left, leaving them to there reunion.

Xander walked up to the bed holding some big balloons in his hand. "Flowers for milady." He bowed.

Buffy smiles and looks at them. "I think they call those balloons."

"Yeah, stick them in water, maybe they'll grow."

Willow smiled, and dropped some books into Buffy's lap. "Not to be outdone."

"Homework." Buffy replied in a 'are you crazy tone.'

"It's my way of saying, get well soon."

Buffy looks at Willow. "You know chocolate says that better."

Willow shook her head. "I did all your assignments. All you have to do is sign your name."

Happily. "Chocolate means *nothing.*"

Giles stepped up and gave her a bag of grapes. "It's tradition." He smiled. "Um, did you pass the night well enough."

"Not really. Something happened I thought you..."

Buffy was interrupted, when a nurse came in, to check on her.

"You know what? Let's go outside." Buffy suggested.

*******************************

Outside near the hospital's main entrance. Willow pushed Buffy, who was sitting in a wheelchair, while the others walked alongside.

Buffy breathed in the air. "Now, this part I could get used to."

"Do you want me to go real fast?" Willow suggested, but when she got a look from Giles. "Not that I would."

Giles cleared his throat. "We were discussing, um, stuff."

"Yes, stuff. Um, a girl died here last night." Buffy said.

"How?"

"Well, the flu." Buffy answered.

Xander looked a little confused. "Flu doesn't exactly sound monsterrific."

Sighing. "I know. But there's this Dr. Backer, and he's been giving them these experimental treatments." Buffy explained.

They stopped by a bench and Giles sits in front of Buffy, motioning for her to go on.

"I'm not sure what he's up to, but he's a little creepy, and there's this kid, Ryan, he said he saw something."

"Saw what?" Giles asked.

"Death." Buffy answered. "And I saw something." She looked at the looks they were giving her, and knew they thought she was probably crazy. "Maybe it wasn't death. Maybe it was something else."

Cordelia cleared her throat. "So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals, cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?"

Buffy looked at Cordelia with mixed emotions. She was upset that Cordelia brought up such a painful memory, but she was more pissed because of what Cordelia had implied. 'She really didn't know when to shut her mouth,' Buffy thought.

"Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact?" Giles said, calmly.

Rolling her eyes. "Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."

Willow pushes Cordelia out of the way. "Your Mom did tell us about your cousin."

Exhaling. "This had nothing to do with that." Buffy said sternly. "This little boy Ryan is afraid of something, something real. And as long as I'm forced to stay here, I'm gonna find out what."

Part 15

Buffy sat in her wheelchair, looking out the window. The gang went off to start looking for clues to what might be going on with the kids. Buffy was positive some kind of demon or creature was terrorizing the children, but she kept getting the feeling that her friends didn't really believe her. No matter, she was dead set on finding out the truth.

A knock on the door stirred Buffy from her thoughts. She turned her head, when she saw who it was her eyes brightened, and closed the curtains, to block the light.

Angel walked into the room, with bouquet of lilies in his hand. "Hey baby."

Buffy smiled brightly, and turned herself around in the wheelchair. "Hi."

Angel kneeled down to kiss her on the forehead. "Feeling better?" He said, placing the flowers in her arms.

"Much better." Buffy replied. She looked at the flowers. "They're beautiful."

"I hoped you liked them, I figured roses were a bit over played." He pulled a chair up, and sat in front of her.

Buffy chuckled.

Getting serious. "Are you sure you're okay? You gave us all a scare last night." Angel said

"Yes, I'm fine." Buffy touched his hand. "My fever's gone, and my wrist stopped swelling; so I'm good to go."

"I'm glad you're okay." Angel took a moment. "You know, I should be upset with you, going on patrol, while you were sick, but I understand."

"You always do, even when I do something really stupid. No, wait, this was stupid." Buffy joked.

Angel chuckled with her, he laughed it off, but he was still a little upset that she would put herself in danger like that, but the part of him that understood, knew that Buffy would always put others before herself.

"So, when do you get out of here?" Angel asked.

"Umm, I can't leave now."

"I thought you would do anything to get out of here." Angel replied.

Buffy took a breath. "Angel, I saw something last night. I was a little out of it, but I saw a man, well not a man, he was all monster like, and he was after one of the children here."

"Buffy, are you sure?"

"Yes, I saw it. It killed one of the kids, and now the other kids are scared." Buffy explained.

"What do you want to do?" Angel replied, proclaiming to stay by her side.

Buffy stopped to think for a moment. "Well, I need to find out what it is, and what the doctors know about it, there are 2 of them that seem to be involved."

Angel nodded, agreeing with her plan.

********************************************************

Angel stayed for a few more minutes, before leaving to go see what he could find out. Buffy decided to go see the kids, she headed down to the children's ward, and saw Ryan sitting at a table drawing a picture with crayons. Buffy walked over to him. "Hey. Remember me?" She asked.

Ryan kept on coloring. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why not?"

"Contagious." He replied.

Buffy smiled. "Nah. I already got what you got."

Buffy sat down by the table, while Ryan kept on drawing his picture.

"Oh, what, you think because I'm a grown-up? Believe me, I'm not that grown up."

When he didn't answer, she takes a look at his picture. It's of the monster that he's seen coming after the other kids. Buffy zoned out for a second, having a flashback to when she saw it walk past her door.

"He'll come again tonight." Ryan said

"Ryan, listen to me. I'm not gonna let this thing hurt you, any of you."

Ryan looked up at her.

Buffy continued. "Grown-ups don't believe you, right? Well, I do. We both know that there are real monsters. But there's also real heroes that fight monsters. And that's me.

Ryan looked away and goes back to drawing his picture. "Can't fight death." He said, Ryan was so sure that he was going to die, nothing she said could break through to him.

At the Library, Willow, and Giles were looking up information on both doctors at the hospital. Willow had broken into the hospital's database, and was pulling up one of the doctor's file. "Here's the information on Dr. Backer." Willow informed Giles

He stood behind her looking at the screen. "Our Dr. Backer has something of a rap sheet."

"Reprimands for controversial experiments, risky procedures, a malpractice suit. Looks like it was dropped suddenly." Willow listed

Giles took his glasses off, indicating he was thinking really hard. " The factor in Buffy's observation that he gives her the, um, uh, wiggins... "

"This may be our death guy?"

"I just wish I knew what he was doing to these children." Giles mumbled.

Go to Part 16