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Re: The Slayer And The Witch Chapter 2/? -
Formaldehyde and Chloroform, oh my
Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2002 22:11:59 +0000
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Excellent part! I can't wait to see more.
Nathan Campbell
NathanCampbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx
When sun sprays the earth
with straight-falling flames,
a cricket rubs his wings,
scraping up thin sweet song.
-Sappho
Stefan Akerblom wrote:
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Hi again.<BR>
<BR>
I had some commentary about the header not being readable, hopefully I <BR>
fixed it, if not ... back to the drawing board! I'd like to say a big thank <BR>
you to all the positive commentary, much appreciated, makes this an <BR>
enjoyable experience. :o)<BR>
<BR>
On with the story.<BR>
<BR>
Stef.<BR>
<BR>
The Witch And The Slayer - Stefan Akerblom aka - nagarek - <BR>
nagarek62@xxxxxxxxxxx<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Critique: Yes please, but no flames (I'm flammable)<BR>
Warning: Building to NC-17, f/f relations, possiby f/f/m<BR>
Characters: Willow, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Giles, Angel, Dawn, Spike, Wes, <BR>
Cordy, Oz<BR>
(?), nurse Becky Chapel, nurse Erin Lonsdale,<BR>
Main Pairing/s: Willow & Buffy, maybe Giles/Becky/Erin - who wants to see <BR>
that? :o)<BR>
(not sure yet about Anya/Xander ... maybe) time will reveal all!<BR>
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all in the Buffy Universe, I have merely played <BR>
and<BR>
embellished, not claimed any rights, apart from a couple of nice nursies!<BR>
Brief: Buffy and Willow have both recently lost their partners, Willow is<BR>
hospitalised and Buffy is almost paralysed with guilt over it, both Willow<BR>
and Buffy realise how much they really mean to each other, they embark<BR>
on a voyage of discovery and figuring out a way to break their new<BR>
relationship to their friends while keeping the minions of the hellmouth <BR>
from<BR>
taking over. Meanwhile solutions present themselves which can have far<BR>
reaching effects on Buffy and Willow's future.<BR>
<BR>
Many thanks go to Crys Loch (pagansoul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) for answering my <BR>
email, and a lot of<BR>
inspiration and much encouragement (you said just the right things to make <BR>
me think while I<BR>
channeled Willow), and to Cairo (played at ear-splitting volume) for setting <BR>
the mood.<BR>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Chapter 2 - Formaldehyde and Chloroform, oh my<BR>
-----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
The paramedics strapped Willow to the stretcher to prevent her moving <BR>
around. Apart from obvious abrasions and cuts from the landing after the <BR>
accident, not much more could be discerned of the injuries, especially in <BR>
the dark. Satisfied that there seemed to be no obvious permanent spinal <BR>
injuries, they had efficiently stabilised and medicated her and put her in <BR>
the ambulance. The by now semi-hysterical driver of the car that had struck <BR>
her down was being interviewed by police. Buffy had already given her side <BR>
of what she'd seen happen.<BR>
<BR>
"Oh god Buffy, I hurt inside!" Willow whispered shakily, the pain obvious <BR>
on her face. "I didn't think it was supposed to hurt this much inside if <BR>
you'd been injured, I thought you'd be sort of numb and in shock and floaty <BR>
on fluffy pillows or something ... " she closed her eyes, bit her bottom lip <BR>
and whimpered softly as a wave of pain overtook her. Buffy's worried eyes <BR>
roamed over Willow's face, trying to calm herself down for her friend.<BR>
<BR>
"I know Will. But everything's going to be all right, the paramedic said <BR>
there seems to be nothing major wrong that he can see, but he couldn't be <BR>
sure of any internal damage yet. They strapped you down to try to minimise <BR>
any further damage ... besides ..." Buffy tried to put on her chirpy happy <BR>
Buffy voice and smile "... you'll get to ride in an ambulance with the siren <BR>
on and everything!" Willow looked at her with an incredulous expression. But <BR>
she was beginning to fade from the effects of the pain killers. She laid her <BR>
head back, exhaustion clouding her consciousness. Her eyes closed again for <BR>
a few long seconds, her breath coming in short, rapid pants.<BR>
<BR>
"I ... I can't keep my eyes open Bu ... Buffy. It hurts so much and I think <BR>
the injection they gave me is beginning to knock me out and I'm scared, and <BR>
... don't leave me ... ohh ... Buffy ..." her eyes opened halfway, filled <BR>
with pain and fright, tears forming and running down her temples. "Please <BR>
don't leave me Buffy, I don't like hospitals, they're full of sick people <BR>
and ... and they smell gross!" she struggled to reach out, but her arm was <BR>
strapped firmly to the stretcher.<BR>
<BR>
"Don't worry, I won't leave you Will." Buffy came to an instant decision. <BR>
And climbing into the back of the ambulance, she sat down on the stretcher <BR>
next to Willow, looking into her eyes as the red-head struggled to keep <BR>
awake, holding her hand and softly stroking her arm. The paramedic treating <BR>
Willow looked at Buffy.<BR>
<BR>
"Sorry miss, you'll have to ride in the police car if you want to ..." he <BR>
began, but silenced when Buffy glared at him.<BR>
<BR>
"Unless you want to permanently lose the use of your body below the neck, I <BR>
suggest you let me ride in your nice ambulance with my best friend, and you <BR>
just get on with your job and see that she's as comfy as you can make her, <BR>
hmmm?" the paramedic looked at Buffy and swallowed awkwardly, he got the <BR>
impression now was not the time to argue with the icy voice and murderous <BR>
eyes of the Slayer. He shrugged his shoulders, nodded his head and the <BR>
driver and co-driver closed and latched the doors of the vehicle shut.<BR>
<BR>
"Hang on Will, we'll be there soon."<BR>
<BR>
----------------------<BR>
<BR>
"You Family?" grunted the doctor. He was a short, stout, balding and abrupt <BR>
man with thick horn rimmed glasses and breath that smelled of stale coffee <BR>
and cigarettes. He held a yellow manilla folder labelled 'Willow Rosenberg' <BR>
which held numerous forms, graphs and charts.<BR>
<BR>
"Uh ... no they're out of the country and she has no other close relatives, <BR>
I'm Willow's closest friend, Buffy Summers. I'm looking ... I ... I was <BR>
supposed ..." her eyes cast down to her feet and she swallowed a lump, her <BR>
voice dropped almost to a whisper "... supposed to be looking after her!" <BR>
Buffy felt a horrible tearing guilt in the pit of her stomach, she'd let <BR>
Willow down, she hadn't looked after her like she'd promised Giles and the <BR>
others, like she'd promised herself. "H ... how is she?"<BR>
<BR>
The doctor seemed to consider this for a few moments, sighed then shrugged <BR>
his shoulders.<BR>
<BR>
"OK, here is a worst case scenario, best to be prepared. Miss Rosenberg is <BR>
probably suffering some internal bleeding, her spleen may have been <BR>
ruptured, there's possibly some damage to her right kidney and lung but I <BR>
can't be sure just yet, there is a possibility of spinal damage, multiple <BR>
contusions, cuts and abrasions, swelling, there's possibly a fractured <BR>
wrist, ankle and tibia, broken ribs, dislocated knee ..." the list seemed to <BR>
go on and on, endlessly. Buffy's face drained completely of blood and she <BR>
found it difficult to breathe, Willow hadn't looked that bad to her on the <BR>
stretcher at the site of the accident, and the paramedic had said there was <BR>
no spinal damage ... hadn't he? The smells in the hospital were becoming <BR>
more intrusive, overwhelming and nauseating, panic was rising in the back of <BR>
her throat like bile searching for release. Never in all the time fighting <BR>
evil on the hellmouth had she felt this badly about anyone's welfare, <BR>
including her own. She'd been in a bad way with the coming of her own death <BR>
being prophesied with the master's ascension, and many times her friends too <BR>
had been captured, facing an uncertain future at the hands of the minions <BR>
from hell. But it hadn't ever affected her this way. This was someone Buffy <BR>
cared for more than anything else she could imagine, and she was completely <BR>
unable to help her, and it was all her fault that Willow lay in a hospital <BR>
suffering now. No amount of slaying or cursing or crying was going to unmake <BR>
this, she felt completely helpless, totally out of her depth. Buffy's eyes <BR>
began filling with tears of dismay. She tried to keep her wavering voice <BR>
steady.<BR>
<BR>
"Is ... she ..." Buffy's throat was dry, her voice cracking, she swallowed <BR>
and tried again. "Is she going to be all right?"<BR>
<BR>
"It's still too early to tell. Until the lab tests come back, I can't give <BR>
an accurate prognosis, but discounting any major disasters, I'm fairly <BR>
confident she will be ok. She's going to have to remain here for observation <BR>
and treatment for the next several days at least though. The injuries I <BR>
stated are only possibles. Until I get some x-rays and reports back, I can't <BR>
be certain of anything, there might be complications I'm unaware of at this <BR>
stage. But my preliminary examination doesn't look too bad at this time. <BR>
She's lucky, considering what both you and officer Lewiston told me, things <BR>
could have been much worse. As it stands with a little luck, she should come <BR>
out of this relatively well, but only time will tell. Be thankful for small <BR>
mercies, I say." The doctor pulled out a pen and checking his watch, <BR>
scratched some marks on one of the charts, flipped a few pages. "I will want <BR>
your contact details in case anything changes ... that is ... I gather you <BR>
ARE going to be the contact?"<BR>
<BR>
"Uh ... yes, like I said, her parents have gone to Italy or ... Tibet or <BR>
somewhere ... my name is Buffy Summers, 1630 Revello Drive in Sunnydale, my <BR>
home phone is 525-3533, my mobile is 0417-367-1479. But I'm not gonna go <BR>
home for a while ... yet. I need ... I want to be here ... for a while ... <BR>
for her."<BR>
<BR>
"Ok, I need to find out some specifics. To the best of your knowledge, does <BR>
Miss Rosenberg use any habitual drugs or alcohol, any forms of medication, <BR>
does she suffer from any allergies, does she suffer any other medical <BR>
conditions, any mental conditions ...?" the doctor fired off a barrage of <BR>
questions, most of which Buffy answered easily enough. The doctor ticked and <BR>
crossed the forms in his hand, writing commentary here and there dependent <BR>
on Buffy's answers. Finally he sighed and put his pen in his breast pocket.<BR>
<BR>
"Well that should be all I need for now. There's going to be nothing you <BR>
can do for her for the next several hours anyway. Are you ... are you sure I <BR>
can't get one of the nurses to call you a cab?" The doctor looked at the <BR>
young woman standing before him, obviously very distraught and not quite <BR>
sure of what to do with herself.<BR>
<BR>
"NO! I ... ah ... I want to stay ... here ... at least for now ... for a <BR>
while ... with Willow, in case she wakes up ..." the doctor looked at the <BR>
Slayer with a frown creasing his brow. He could see she carried a world upon <BR>
her slim shoulders, This one looks like she'd had to grow up much too fast. <BR>
His frown softened.<BR>
<BR>
"Hmm ... ok, suit yourself, but we've knocked her out for a good while now <BR>
to get the swellings, lesions and the bleeding under control, she'll be a <BR>
while getting tests and x-rays."<BR>
<BR>
"That's ok, I ... I'll just stay in the hall or whatever, and wait until <BR>
she comes back, uh ... what room will she be in?"<BR>
<BR>
"The nurse at the service counter will be able to give you that <BR>
information. Good night Miss Summers, I suggest you try to get some sleep in <BR>
the lounge at least, you look like you could use it." and with that he <BR>
strode off, stethoscope swinging where it hung draped across his neck.<BR>
<BR>
Buffy felt very alone and scared and tired and overwhelmed, the adrenaline <BR>
had worn off and her system was beginning to come down off the Slayer high. <BR>
She wandered over to the service counter, and waited a few moments until the <BR>
nurse seemed to stop writing. The nurse looked up and smiled warmly at <BR>
Buffy, she had a pretty face with dark brown eyes framed by strawberry <BR>
blonde hair. She returned her attention to her reports.<BR>
<BR>
"Hi ... um ... I'm Buffy ... I'm a friend ... of Willow Rosenberg. What <BR>
room is she going to be staying in?" Again the nurse looked at Buffy and <BR>
smiled.<BR>
<BR>
"Hi Buffy, um ... room 402, just down the hall, and" she looked down at <BR>
something behind the counter "... I see she's in the lab as we speak, she's <BR>
going to be in there a while for tests. Want to go get yourself a coffee or <BR>
something? The lounge is down there and on the right, follow the green line <BR>
on the floor. There's a TV in there too."<BR>
<BR>
"Thanks ... miss ... sister ... nurse ... " Buffy looked at the tag on her <BR>
lapel " ... Chapel, nurse Chapel."<BR>
<BR>
"Call me Becky, and you're welcome. Milk's in the fridge, sugar in the <BR>
sachets in the plastic container, there might even be some shortbread or <BR>
sandwiches in there." Buffy smiled faintly, nodded and walked off to find <BR>
the lounge.<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
How could she have let this happen? She'd promised everyone she was going <BR>
to take care of Willow. Now look, she was in hospital, and they were <BR>
probably opening her up and rummaging through her internal organs looking to <BR>
harvest her liver and ... oh god, enough with the morbid imagination. Buffy <BR>
sipped absently from the cup of corrosively strong coffee she'd made. <BR>
Curling her legs up under herself, she sat on a chair opposite the TV, the <BR>
lounge was empty except for herself. At 3am in the morning, Buffy wasn't <BR>
surprised, most people dead or living would be in bed, except for some of <BR>
the undead of course. With the volume almost turned completely off, the TV <BR>
muttered softly showing news and weather forecasts and other graveyard shift <BR>
stuff ... graveyard, what had she been thinking bringing Willow with her to <BR>
a cemetery in the condition her mind and mood had been in?<BR>
<BR>
Self recriminations were coming thick and fast, but in spite of that, there <BR>
was no feeling any the better for it, Buffy could find no solace in anything <BR>
she could think of, all she had was blame and rebukes. Vamps she could fight <BR>
and kill, demons too, and any other evil spawn that the hellmouth could <BR>
throw at her. But the fact that her back had been turned away from Willow, <BR>
and the vamp had finally stopped to fight it's last stand, and she'd been <BR>
pre-occupied with getting the stake into this unusually virile and active <BR>
monster, and that Willow had carelessly wandered along the badly lit road at <BR>
night, not watching where she was going, and the driver had been driving too <BR>
fast, and probably under the influence of alcohol or drugs or ... none of it <BR>
mattered, it was all her fault, she'd let Willow down, badly! Given that the <BR>
doctor had stated that things could have worked out much worse as far as the <BR>
injuries were concerned, Buffy had mind-wracking nightmarish thoughts of <BR>
what could REALLY have happened if Willow's luck had been out tonight. She <BR>
was frightened by these imagined situations because she knew that no matter <BR>
if tonight had been life threatening or not for Willow, there was absolutely <BR>
nothing Buffy could have done to help her friend.<BR>
<BR>
And of course it did no good telling herself it wasn't her fault. Of course <BR>
it was her fault, she'd promised everyone she'd look after Willow. More than <BR>
anything else however, she was furious because she'd promised herself she'd <BR>
look after Willow. She'd let herself down almost as badly as she had let <BR>
Willow down. And as she sat and cursed herself and the vamp and the car and <BR>
the driver and the bad road, the tears began to flow. She sat and whispered <BR>
in the quiet of the lounge.<BR>
<BR>
"God ... if I'd lost you Willow, I couldn't live with myself. Please be ok, <BR>
be strong and pull through, for me ... for yourself and the others. And ... <BR>
and for me ... too ... please. I need you so much. I don't want to be <BR>
without you. I promise I will never ever let anything like this happen <BR>
again. Please God, take care of her for me this once, you know how much I <BR>
need her, I know she's not Christian, but then neither am I so I ... I have <BR>
no right to make demands on you, but I just need you to listen to me this <BR>
once and to understand, I need her to be here with me, I need her so much, I <BR>
can't do all this on my own. I don't know if you know what I do ... or ... <BR>
or I expect you do, you're supposed to know everything, right? A ... anyway, <BR>
my point is I need Willow in my life, don't let her be badly hurt or suffer <BR>
because of what I did, it's my fault, not hers, don't leave her with <BR>
anything serious ... and ... and ... ohboy ... listen to me, I'm rambling. <BR>
OK Buffy get a grip, deep breath here." She tried, but the breath turned <BR>
into a loud sob. "Please God, if you're there, let me have another chance, I <BR>
promise you this time I'll take such good care of her, I swear it on my <BR>
life, if you need to hurt someone, hurt me or kill me, but please God, <BR>
please don't hurt my Willow!" Racking sobs interspersed her words and she <BR>
collapsed in grief and wept openly.<BR>
<BR>
Nurse Chapel stood outside the doorway to the lounge, out of view to the <BR>
Slayer, listening to the softly spoken prayers and cries of misery from the <BR>
young girl and felt waves of deep compassion for her, felt the blonde's <BR>
despair and guilt and remorse. Silently she walked away, her own eyes <BR>
filling with tears.<BR>
<BR>
to be continued in:<BR>
<BR>
Chapter 3 - First contact<BR>
<BR>
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