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Chapter Six


The hospital smelled of disinfectant and worry sat heavily in the air, making it thick and tense. Too cold and detached for all the lives in its care, not just those who relied upon nurses and doctors but all those anxious faces that filled the waiting room, praying, hoping, waiting for someone to tell them the fate of their loved ones. Willow shivered, hating to count herself amongst them.

You did hospital time in the Scooby Gang. It came with the territory. She just wasn't used to it being her fault and in some way it was. It was her spell, the draw nearly overwhelmed her; she should have been anchoring Xander. She didn't think. Now all she had was time to think. The fall was bad, at least fifteen feet straight into the frozen lake. She wasn't sure how the police arrived, or the ambulance, she certainly didn't think to call them. She was in too much shock to think, to move. She didn't realize how her voice carried, how the screams woke the neighbors.

The car was in the lake; the one Dawn and Faith were in. A wave of nausea lurched in her stomach. She had managed to tell the disbelieving police officer that a car had been driven in. He eyed her suspiciously, curbing his tongue and asked her no questions of drug use though he highly suspected it. Sensing his hesitation she went right for the magic, a simple command spell. He promised to call the coast guard and tell her as soon as he knew anything. She had wanted to wait to make sure the job was being done right, to maybe 'help' them along some but the ambulance driver asked if she was coming. The answer was simple.

Now she sat alone, surrounded by people, fingers playing with the smooth honey oak arms of the sea green chair on which she perched. She should be doing something, anything. Her brain refused to work. Things needed to be done. Faith and Dawn. The Car. The Lake. Xander. Rona and Vi were out on the East Side. Someone would need to tell them. Spike was in town. Buffy. Too many responsibilities clawing at her. Always after her with their razor sharp teeth, gnashing, when she subdued one there was another and another, armies sent upon her.

And her head was in her hands, her fingers tugging at her red locks. She told herself to get it together, to think. Concentrate on what she could do now, what needed to be done first. She thought of the hospital with its triage system, treat the most critical first, then the rest. Faith and Dawn, they were top priority. She couldn't do much for them sitting in the hospital but refused to leave until she knew Xander was going to be all right. Which left only one option. She stood up, walking away from her seat that was quickly snatched up and into the bitter night air. Pulling her cell phone out of her purse she sighed, time to call in some recruits.


*****


"Knock, Knock." Kennedy announced softly as she pushed her way into the room. The warmth and the soft body beside him had allowed Spike to drift off to sleep. Kennedy smiled to herself as she looked at the vampire resting, Little Women propped up on his chest. She wished she had a camera if nothing else for blackmail. She realized he must be exhausted after having all this stuff dumped at his feet. She would like to do nothing more than let him sleep but she had said she would check in.

With a sigh she walked back out, this time she rapped loudly on the door, she knew Spike had a soul now but she couldn't quite guarantee her safety if Spike knew that she saw him so soft and cuddly. She waited to enter until she heard a groggy "Come in."

"Hey." She couldn't resist a grin, noting how Spike was now settled into the lounge chair. "Just checking in. Making sure everything is okay."

"Fine, fine." Spike insisted. He paused a moment, his eyes taking in Buffy's resting form. "Is she supposed to be so cold?"

"Umm yeah…" Kennedy walked over towards the bed pulling the covers up around Buffy's all too slender form. "It's this sleeping potion thing that Willow makes. It sort of slows down her circulation. We just try to keep her warm…which is why it feels like a sauna in here."

"It is a bit warm." Spike admitted.

"Ya think?" Kennedy replied with a smile. "Anyway she should be out till late tomorrow morning and then comes the fun hangover part where she goes around biting everyone's heads off."

"Thanks for the warning, luv"

"Anyway, I wanted to see how you were doing?" Spike raised an eyebrow. "Not with the stuff." She corrected, as much as she liked Spike she didn't want to get into everything, not tonight when there was so much more to worry about. "But like do you need something to drink? We had Pepsi. I can't say for sure that it's still there but I can check."

"Nah. I'm fine. Feeling a bit peckish but I can wait."

"Oh blood… yeah we don't have any around here. But as soon as they find Faith and Dawn I'll make sure to get you some. Or if you are feeling really hungry I know of a few girls who were giving me lip today during training…"

Spike returned the grin. "Thanks for the offer, pet. Somehow I don't think the witch would be glad if I started nibbling on the girl scouts."

"Don't be so sure." Kennedy said, hand on the doorknob. "Lisa isn't winning any popularity contests."

"I'll keep that in mind." Spike promised as Kennedy closed the door behind her and disappeared down the stairs.

He sighed, examining the small room. It was so bare, so plain, like a hotel, no personal touches to be found, no photos, no nothing. Not one thing that spoke of the Buffy he knew, and he couldn't help but question as he gazed at the fragile girl next to him, if she would ever return.


*****


"Umm...I'm not so sure about this." Dawn admitted as she watched Faith apply some dark red lipstick in the small bathroom of the club.

"You only do things you're sure about?" Faith asked smacking her lips and grinning at her reflection, before tucking the lipstick back into her black bag.

Dawn faltered as Faith turned to look at her. She worked so hard to be seen as an adult and now she actually had someone who didn't treat her like she was twelve but... "It just doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do. I mean Willow is so gotta be freaking about now and with Spike and all..."

"What about Spike?" The rogue slayer questioned, her eyes darkening. "Ya know something I don't? Think I need to join Xand in the keep watch over B patrol? Cuz from where I was sitting he seemed pretty soul happy but if you think it's an act ya gotta let me in."

"No, no. Nothing like that." Dawn insisted. "It's just..." She sighed. "It doesn't seem safe. Going back to their dorm. And Willow is gotta to be so worried and with everything..."

"First off, I'll deal with Will. You and I both know she's gonna blow a gasket either way and we are looking at a solid week of being leashed so I figure we might as well get some kicks in while we can. And..." She grinned placing a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Just cause we are going to chill at their dorm doesn't mean you have to do anything ya don't wanna do."

"I dunno..." Dawn repeated. "It just doesn't feel safe."

"Girl, B really does have you wound too tight. You're with a slayer, one of the best I might add, known to kick a little ass. We're safe as houses. So you in or do I need to drop you back at Slayer Central? Cuz either way I'm going."

"Safe as houses." Dawn forced a smile.

"That's my girl." Faith commented as she led her back into the ear-splitting club to the group of anxiously awaiting guys.

*****

Kennedy snatched up the cell phone vibrating against the workbench as she pulled an almost empty liter of Pepsi from the cupboard. She noticed 'Willow' across the display, hit a quick button and brought it to her ear. "Have you found them?" Kennedy could make out a muffled sob in response. "Willow? What is it?"

"Xander's in the hospital. The car's in the lake." Willow managed through her tears. It was all too much. She needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to take over, help carry her burdens for awhile. Kennedy was that someone. She had intended to be strong, to just tell her what had happened, no emotion, just facts, but once Willow heard her voice the strong plan fell apart.

"Where are you?" Kennedy asked, voice strong.

"Fairview Hospital. Why?"

"I'm coming to help you." She stated simply in a tone that would have left no debate in the SIT's minds.

However Willow wasn't a slayer in training. "You can't. The girls and Buffy."

"They'll be fine." Kennedy asserted. "Don't bother arguing. I'm on my way." She quickly hung up the cell phone, cutting of Willow's protests. Her lover needed her; it was as simple as that.

She walked out of the kitchen into the living area and hoisted open the trunk that served as a makeshift coffee table. It housed the simpler weapons, the dangerous stuff was kept in Buffy's room and thus out of the SIT's hands. She grabbed two stakes, a vial of holy water, and a rose quartz. The last one being for Willow, something small to make her feel better, she had remembered Dawn telling her once it had healing properties and she figured her girl might need them. Not her first choices as far as weapons went, but to retrieve her crossbow she would need to go upstairs... which reminded her of another problem.

"Hey Amber." She called softly to the girl sitting in the corner curled up, a book on her lap.

The red head looked up, stretching her arms out so her hands appeared from within the long green flannel sleeves of her oversized shirt. "Yeah?"

"I need a favor."





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