Buffy immediately looked bad and as she rounded the corner but Spike and Willow had to hold her up. Spike could feel her fever burning through her lightweight shirt and was really concerned. She looked at Spike and whispered as she felt so weak, “I don’t feel good. I don’t think this was such a good idea.”
Willow whispered to comfort her, “Hang in there. You’ll be okay.”
Buffy nodded feeling more confident, “Okay. I’m okay.”
Spike rounded the corner first with Buffy and Willow there as well since Buffy had her arm wrapped around both of their shoulders. Buffy gasped in shock as she found the children’s ward completely empty, “The kids. They’re gone!”
Willow blinked in complete disbelief, “What could have happened?”
Buffy turned to face Willow and was flinging her arms as she shrugged stating, “I don’t know.”
She couldn’t believe this was happening. She had taken the virus to get the fever to save the children. Perhaps she was already too late? She frowned as she spoke out loud, “Maybe we’re too late. Maybe they moved. Maybe I don’t know…I’m burning up!”
Spike heard a noise down the hall but refocused on Buffy as she pointed, “I think it’s in there.”
Buffy swayed as Spike held her tightly as she saw the form of the Kindestod in front of her. He was bending over a bed that was empty, looking around. As he went to bend over another he looked straight at Buffy and giggled as Buffy stood looking at it in fear. It merely took its hat off to her and glided through a door. Spike looked at her and stated, “Buffy, we have to go downstairs! I hear noises! Come on!”
He gently pulled her by the arm and Buffy shook her head trying to push open the children’s ward but she was just too weak. Spike merely kicked it gently and it flew open for Buffy as she started to run pulling him along with her. She then threw her weight against the door to the basement and pulled him inside as they frantically start to climb down the stairs. Spike shook his head pulling her into his arms as Willow held off the guards and the doctor with some lame excuse about how she wanted to visit the children.
Buffy still in Spike’s arms reached the basement floor and Spike set her down as she gave him a grateful look as she took off running again. Spike ran behind her as she rounded the corner to hear kids screaming. He watched as Buffy picked up a metal pipe and hit something invisible again and again. She punched him and yelled to Spike, “Grab Ryan.”
Now Ryan Spike could see so he grabbed Ryan and the other children rushing them from the room only to return to see Buffy beating up something he couldn’t see. He shouted, “Oh Balls. Why can’t I be sick to see the monster?”
Buffy didn’t answer as she weakly again and again kicked and punched the invisible monster. Then he watched in horror as Buffy got picked up and was thrown on a metal barrel. Spike roared in frustration, as he couldn’t figure out how to help. Just then he heard a neck snap and watched Buffy pushed something off her and weakly stood up staring down at something he couldn’t see. He raced up behind her whispering, “He’s dead.”
Buffy nodded as Spike questioned, “Are you okay Slayer?”
Buffy again nodded as she looked up at him, “Actually I’m starting to feel better Let’s…”
She glanced towards the door and took a step stumbling but Spike caught her and took her into his arms before she hit the floor. She murmured a quiet, “Oh.”
Spike smiled and carried her upstairs where he was met by Xander and Willow. He took Buffy back in her bed and kissed her head whispering, “I’m going to go get you released then I’ll take you home and we will see if Joyce will let me care for you myself. They just let you run loose around here.”
Buffy laughed holding her head as the world spun, as she gave up and laid back in bed hoping they would let her go home.
Spike walked up to the front desk to get Buffy released and got stopped by Xander. Spike let out a roar as he smelt a familiar scent but that was fading fast. He put his hand on Xander asking, “Did he hurt anyone? Did he say anything?”
Xander shook his head, “I wouldn’t let Angelus past. He left flowers but I tossed them. What happened?”
Spike frowned, “Dumb bint decided it was a good idea to kill a death monster in the children’s ward. She did well though but she needs to go home.”
He turned towards the front desk politely asking, “I’d like to take Buffy home now.”
The nurse started flipping papers as she asked, “Who are you?”
Xander spoke up placing a hand on Spike’s shoulder, “He’s her boyfriend but her mom agrees as well.”
The nurse shrugged handing the papers over to Spike, “Sign here and here. Initial here and she’s good to go.”
Spike gave the lady a smile and did as asked. He signed William Pratt to both lines and scribbled off at WP in the initial spot. Xander’s eyes got big but he said nothing as Spike turned and walked back into the hospital room for Buffy’s. He returned within 2 minutes with a Buffy wrapped up in his duster in his arms as he shouted to the crew, “Let’s get out of here before I dust and leave Buffy drop to the ground. Anyone riding with us?”
The last things Buffy spoke before falling asleep in his arms, “How does it feel to have helped out in your first battle for the good of all man kind or at least children?”
Spike had no reply but it weighed heavily on his mind as he drove her home.
3 hours later: 7 am Monday
Buffy was sleeping in her bed with Spike holding her tightly. She still had a fever but Spike’s cool body felt good against her skin. Joyce had checked on them twice choosing to ignore the fact that her daughter was sleeping in a bed with a vampire who had no shirt on in order to ensure the coolness of his body would seep through Buffy’s thin white tank top. She had shaken her head as she closed the door behind them wondering when her daughter got so grown up. She had heard about what her daughter did everyday and even more so what she did at the hospital, which is why she had gotten so sick in the first place.
She was proud of raising such a good daughter and really hoped William was strong enough to beat this guy who had a hold on her little girl. She liked William and hoped he stuck around especially for Buffy’s sake. Buffy seemed to have taken such a liking to the fellow that she couldn’t imagine how much Buffy would hurt if he left. She busied herself with pulling out a can of soup from the cabinet drawer and also pulled out a bowl. She set the can of soup in there in case William had wanted to fix some for Buffy while she was at work.
Next Joyce then took out a Kiss me I’m Irish mug with the burba weed that Spike had brought over from the magic shop as to let him know that mug was ok to use for blood. She took her own lunch out of the fridge scribbling a note to William to let her know she’d be home at 2 to check up on her daughter and that he was more than welcome to stay. She then took her jacket and went to work.
5 hours later: 12 pm Monday
Buffy woke up enjoying the feel of Spike’s cool body against hers. She looked at the time noticing it was in the middle of the day but did not know when her mom would come home. She longed for a bath and wiggled next to Spike to wake him up hoping he’d agree. She also felt hungry. Spike opened his eyes as she whispered, “Morning Spike.”
He kissed the top of her head frowning at the fact she was still warm as he whispered, “Morning Sicko.”
She hit his arm weaker than normal as she whined, “I want a hot bath and I’m hungry.”
Spike laughed as he kissed her nose saying, “Hunger and demands are good. You didn’t sleep long though.”
Buffy shrugged, “7 hours. That isn’t long?”
Spike shook his head, “No, pet, when you are as sick as you made yourself be, you had bloody well better sleep 10 hours. Plus you’re still hot.”
Buffy giggled, “You think I’m hot?”
Spike growled as he rolled over pinning her to the bed as he nodded his head, “I sure do and if you weren’t so sick I’d ravish you to show you how hot I thought you were.”
Buffy lifted her hand up to her forehead as she grinned, “I think I could handle that.”
Spike shook his head as he rolled off her fighting the temptation to make love to her right then there, “No luv, you’re sick. When you sleep enough to get better than we will see.”
Buffy pretended to pout but then sat up holding her slightly spinning head, “Does that mean you get to cook me food?”
Spike nodded, “What do you want?”
Buffy grinned, “Chicken soup and a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
Spike wiggled out from behind her and nodded, “Coming right up! You just rest here and see if you can’t sleep while I fix it up for you. Do you need anything else?”
Buffy shook her head closing her eyes, “No just you.”
Spike chuckled as he left the room to go fix her lunch for her.