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The Slayer And The Witch Chapter 2/? - Formaldehyde and Chloroform, oh my



Hi again.

I had some commentary about the header not being readable, hopefully I fixed it, if not ... back to the drawing board! I'd like to say a big thank you to all the positive commentary, much appreciated, makes this an enjoyable experience. :o)

On with the story.

Stef.

The Witch And The Slayer - Stefan Akerblom aka - nagarek - nagarek62@xxxxxxxxxxx
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Critique:	Yes please, but no flames (I'm flammable)
Warning:	Building to NC-17, f/f relations, possiby f/f/m
Characters: Willow, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Giles, Angel, Dawn, Spike, Wes, Cordy, Oz
(?), nurse Becky Chapel, nurse Erin Lonsdale,
Main Pairing/s: Willow & Buffy, maybe Giles/Becky/Erin - who wants to see that? :o)
(not sure yet about Anya/Xander ... maybe) time will reveal all!
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all in the Buffy Universe, I have merely played and
embellished, not claimed any rights, apart from a couple of nice nursies!
Brief: Buffy and Willow have both recently lost their partners, Willow is
hospitalised and Buffy is almost paralysed with guilt over it, both Willow
and Buffy realise how much they really mean to each other, they embark
on a voyage of discovery and figuring out a way to break their new
relationship to their friends while keeping the minions of the hellmouth from
taking over. Meanwhile solutions present themselves which can have far
reaching effects on Buffy and Willow's future.

Many thanks go to Crys Loch (pagansoul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) for answering my email, and a lot of inspiration and much encouragement (you said just the right things to make me think while I channeled Willow), and to Cairo (played at ear-splitting volume) for setting the mood.
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Chapter 2 - Formaldehyde and Chloroform, oh my
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The paramedics strapped Willow to the stretcher to prevent her moving around. Apart from obvious abrasions and cuts from the landing after the accident, not much more could be discerned of the injuries, especially in the dark. Satisfied that there seemed to be no obvious permanent spinal injuries, they had efficiently stabilised and medicated her and put her in the ambulance. The by now semi-hysterical driver of the car that had struck her down was being interviewed by police. Buffy had already given her side of what she'd seen happen.

"Oh god Buffy, I hurt inside!" Willow whispered shakily, the pain obvious on her face. "I didn't think it was supposed to hurt this much inside if you'd been injured, I thought you'd be sort of numb and in shock and floaty on fluffy pillows or something ... " she closed her eyes, bit her bottom lip and whimpered softly as a wave of pain overtook her. Buffy's worried eyes roamed over Willow's face, trying to calm herself down for her friend.

"I know Will. But everything's going to be all right, the paramedic said there seems to be nothing major wrong that he can see, but he couldn't be sure of any internal damage yet. They strapped you down to try to minimise any further damage ... besides ..." Buffy tried to put on her chirpy happy Buffy voice and smile "... you'll get to ride in an ambulance with the siren on and everything!" Willow looked at her with an incredulous expression. But she was beginning to fade from the effects of the pain killers. She laid her head back, exhaustion clouding her consciousness. Her eyes closed again for a few long seconds, her breath coming in short, rapid pants.

"I ... I can't keep my eyes open Bu ... Buffy. It hurts so much and I think the injection they gave me is beginning to knock me out and I'm scared, and ... don't leave me ... ohh ... Buffy ..." her eyes opened halfway, filled with pain and fright, tears forming and running down her temples. "Please don't leave me Buffy, I don't like hospitals, they're full of sick people and ... and they smell gross!" she struggled to reach out, but her arm was strapped firmly to the stretcher.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you Will." Buffy came to an instant decision. And climbing into the back of the ambulance, she sat down on the stretcher next to Willow, looking into her eyes as the red-head struggled to keep awake, holding her hand and softly stroking her arm. The paramedic treating Willow looked at Buffy.

"Sorry miss, you'll have to ride in the police car if you want to ..." he began, but silenced when Buffy glared at him.

"Unless you want to permanently lose the use of your body below the neck, I suggest you let me ride in your nice ambulance with my best friend, and you just get on with your job and see that she's as comfy as you can make her, hmmm?" the paramedic looked at Buffy and swallowed awkwardly, he got the impression now was not the time to argue with the icy voice and murderous eyes of the Slayer. He shrugged his shoulders, nodded his head and the driver and co-driver closed and latched the doors of the vehicle shut.

"Hang on Will, we'll be there soon."

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"You Family?" grunted the doctor. He was a short, stout, balding and abrupt man with thick horn rimmed glasses and breath that smelled of stale coffee and cigarettes. He held a yellow manilla folder labelled 'Willow Rosenberg' which held numerous forms, graphs and charts.

"Uh ... no they're out of the country and she has no other close relatives, I'm Willow's closest friend, Buffy Summers. I'm looking ... I ... I was supposed ..." her eyes cast down to her feet and she swallowed a lump, her voice dropped almost to a whisper "... supposed to be looking after her!" Buffy felt a horrible tearing guilt in the pit of her stomach, she'd let Willow down, she hadn't looked after her like she'd promised Giles and the others, like she'd promised herself. "H ... how is she?"

The doctor seemed to consider this for a few moments, sighed then shrugged his shoulders.

"OK, here is a worst case scenario, best to be prepared. Miss Rosenberg is probably suffering some internal bleeding, her spleen may have been ruptured, there's possibly some damage to her right kidney and lung but I can't be sure just yet, there is a possibility of spinal damage, multiple contusions, cuts and abrasions, swelling, there's possibly a fractured wrist, ankle and tibia, broken ribs, dislocated knee ..." the list seemed to go on and on, endlessly. Buffy's face drained completely of blood and she found it difficult to breathe, Willow hadn't looked that bad to her on the stretcher at the site of the accident, and the paramedic had said there was no spinal damage ... hadn't he? The smells in the hospital were becoming more intrusive, overwhelming and nauseating, panic was rising in the back of her throat like bile searching for release. Never in all the time fighting evil on the hellmouth had she felt this badly about anyone's welfare, including her own. She'd been in a bad way with the coming of her own death being prophesied with the master's ascension, and many times her friends too had been captured, facing an uncertain future at the hands of the minions from hell. But it hadn't ever affected her this way. This was someone Buffy cared for more than anything else she could imagine, and she was completely unable to help her, and it was all her fault that Willow lay in a hospital suffering now. No amount of slaying or cursing or crying was going to unmake this, she felt completely helpless, totally out of her depth. Buffy's eyes began filling with tears of dismay. She tried to keep her wavering voice steady.

"Is ... she ..." Buffy's throat was dry, her voice cracking, she swallowed and tried again. "Is she going to be all right?"

"It's still too early to tell. Until the lab tests come back, I can't give an accurate prognosis, but discounting any major disasters, I'm fairly confident she will be ok. She's going to have to remain here for observation and treatment for the next several days at least though. The injuries I stated are only possibles. Until I get some x-rays and reports back, I can't be certain of anything, there might be complications I'm unaware of at this stage. But my preliminary examination doesn't look too bad at this time. She's lucky, considering what both you and officer Lewiston told me, things could have been much worse. As it stands with a little luck, she should come out of this relatively well, but only time will tell. Be thankful for small mercies, I say." The doctor pulled out a pen and checking his watch, scratched some marks on one of the charts, flipped a few pages. "I will want your contact details in case anything changes ... that is ... I gather you ARE going to be the contact?"

"Uh ... yes, like I said, her parents have gone to Italy or ... Tibet or somewhere ... my name is Buffy Summers, 1630 Revello Drive in Sunnydale, my home phone is 525-3533, my mobile is 0417-367-1479. But I'm not gonna go home for a while ... yet. I need ... I want to be here ... for a while ... for her."

"Ok, I need to find out some specifics. To the best of your knowledge, does Miss Rosenberg use any habitual drugs or alcohol, any forms of medication, does she suffer from any allergies, does she suffer any other medical conditions, any mental conditions ...?" the doctor fired off a barrage of questions, most of which Buffy answered easily enough. The doctor ticked and crossed the forms in his hand, writing commentary here and there dependent on Buffy's answers. Finally he sighed and put his pen in his breast pocket.

"Well that should be all I need for now. There's going to be nothing you can do for her for the next several hours anyway. Are you ... are you sure I can't get one of the nurses to call you a cab?" The doctor looked at the young woman standing before him, obviously very distraught and not quite sure of what to do with herself.

"NO! I ... ah ... I want to stay ... here ... at least for now ... for a while ... with Willow, in case she wakes up ..." the doctor looked at the Slayer with a frown creasing his brow. He could see she carried a world upon her slim shoulders, This one looks like she'd had to grow up much too fast. His frown softened.

"Hmm ... ok, suit yourself, but we've knocked her out for a good while now to get the swellings, lesions and the bleeding under control, she'll be a while getting tests and x-rays."

"That's ok, I ... I'll just stay in the hall or whatever, and wait until she comes back, uh ... what room will she be in?"

"The nurse at the service counter will be able to give you that information. Good night Miss Summers, I suggest you try to get some sleep in the lounge at least, you look like you could use it." and with that he strode off, stethoscope swinging where it hung draped across his neck.

Buffy felt very alone and scared and tired and overwhelmed, the adrenaline had worn off and her system was beginning to come down off the Slayer high. She wandered over to the service counter, and waited a few moments until the nurse seemed to stop writing. The nurse looked up and smiled warmly at Buffy, she had a pretty face with dark brown eyes framed by strawberry blonde hair. She returned her attention to her reports.

"Hi ... um ... I'm Buffy ... I'm a friend ... of Willow Rosenberg. What room is she going to be staying in?" Again the nurse looked at Buffy and smiled.

"Hi Buffy, um ... room 402, just down the hall, and" she looked down at something behind the counter "... I see she's in the lab as we speak, she's going to be in there a while for tests. Want to go get yourself a coffee or something? The lounge is down there and on the right, follow the green line on the floor. There's a TV in there too."

"Thanks ... miss ... sister ... nurse ... " Buffy looked at the tag on her lapel " ... Chapel, nurse Chapel."

"Call me Becky, and you're welcome. Milk's in the fridge, sugar in the sachets in the plastic container, there might even be some shortbread or sandwiches in there." Buffy smiled faintly, nodded and walked off to find the lounge.

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How could she have let this happen? She'd promised everyone she was going to take care of Willow. Now look, she was in hospital, and they were probably opening her up and rummaging through her internal organs looking to harvest her liver and ... oh god, enough with the morbid imagination. Buffy sipped absently from the cup of corrosively strong coffee she'd made. Curling her legs up under herself, she sat on a chair opposite the TV, the lounge was empty except for herself. At 3am in the morning, Buffy wasn't surprised, most people dead or living would be in bed, except for some of the undead of course. With the volume almost turned completely off, the TV muttered softly showing news and weather forecasts and other graveyard shift stuff ... graveyard, what had she been thinking bringing Willow with her to a cemetery in the condition her mind and mood had been in?

Self recriminations were coming thick and fast, but in spite of that, there was no feeling any the better for it, Buffy could find no solace in anything she could think of, all she had was blame and rebukes. Vamps she could fight and kill, demons too, and any other evil spawn that the hellmouth could throw at her. But the fact that her back had been turned away from Willow, and the vamp had finally stopped to fight it's last stand, and she'd been pre-occupied with getting the stake into this unusually virile and active monster, and that Willow had carelessly wandered along the badly lit road at night, not watching where she was going, and the driver had been driving too fast, and probably under the influence of alcohol or drugs or ... none of it mattered, it was all her fault, she'd let Willow down, badly! Given that the doctor had stated that things could have worked out much worse as far as the injuries were concerned, Buffy had mind-wracking nightmarish thoughts of what could REALLY have happened if Willow's luck had been out tonight. She was frightened by these imagined situations because she knew that no matter if tonight had been life threatening or not for Willow, there was absolutely nothing Buffy could have done to help her friend.

And of course it did no good telling herself it wasn't her fault. Of course it was her fault, she'd promised everyone she'd look after Willow. More than anything else however, she was furious because she'd promised herself she'd look after Willow. She'd let herself down almost as badly as she had let Willow down. And as she sat and cursed herself and the vamp and the car and the driver and the bad road, the tears began to flow. She sat and whispered in the quiet of the lounge.

"God ... if I'd lost you Willow, I couldn't live with myself. Please be ok, be strong and pull through, for me ... for yourself and the others. And ... and for me ... too ... please. I need you so much. I don't want to be without you. I promise I will never ever let anything like this happen again. Please God, take care of her for me this once, you know how much I need her, I know she's not Christian, but then neither am I so I ... I have no right to make demands on you, but I just need you to listen to me this once and to understand, I need her to be here with me, I need her so much, I can't do all this on my own. I don't know if you know what I do ... or ... or I expect you do, you're supposed to know everything, right? A ... anyway, my point is I need Willow in my life, don't let her be badly hurt or suffer because of what I did, it's my fault, not hers, don't leave her with anything serious ... and ... and ... ohboy ... listen to me, I'm rambling. OK Buffy get a grip, deep breath here." She tried, but the breath turned into a loud sob. "Please God, if you're there, let me have another chance, I promise you this time I'll take such good care of her, I swear it on my life, if you need to hurt someone, hurt me or kill me, but please God, please don't hurt my Willow!" Racking sobs interspersed her words and she collapsed in grief and wept openly.

Nurse Chapel stood outside the doorway to the lounge, out of view to the Slayer, listening to the softly spoken prayers and cries of misery from the young girl and felt waves of deep compassion for her, felt the blonde's despair and guilt and remorse. Silently she walked away, her own eyes filling with tears.

to be continued in:

Chapter 3 - First contact

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