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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for any medical. legal or other inaccuracies. I am not a doctor, lawyer, or other, so I really don't know.
47. Damage Control

As it turned out, Fred was already up and at the clinic where she worked weekends. As soon as she saw the pair, she ushered Buffy into an examining room and sent Agent Finn on his way. From the few times she had met him, Finn seemed like a nice enough guy, if slightly slow and a bit insensitive. If what happened was what she thought had happened, Buffy didn’t need to be around any more men right now. Not even well-meaning colleagues. At least he had had the good sense to bring Agent Summers to her.

Putting on her best reassuring smile and southern accent, Fred gently questioned the girl. “You wanna tell me what happened? Just between us girls – and then I’ll just take a quick look see to be sure that you’re all right. That be okay?”

Buffy was mortified. Was it that obvious? She should have just made Finn take her straight home. It startled her a bit that she hadn’t even thought to question Finn’s decision. It was how she used to act around the knowledgeable grad student. She realized now that she should have argued, and it was a sign of how rattled she was that she hadn’t. It had been easier just to go along, and do what she was told. She was beyond the point where she felt confident making decisions on her own. And Fred looked like someone she could trust. And she was a fellow employee. It was just that Buffy wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“Would it be easier if I asked you questions, or do you just want to tell me in your own words what happened? Were you on a case, working with Finn?”

Buffy wasn’t even sure how to answer that question. Officially, she was no longer investigating Thorndale, even though Riley obviously was. She realized that she hadn’t ever gotten around to telling Spike that he had a spy on his payroll. Now she was glad.

“It’s okay, hon.” Fred stated when Buffy remained silent. “I got all day. Doesn’t start to get busy here until way after noon. Even then, you can stay here in the exam room if you’d like. No one’s gonna make you do anything you’re not ready for. How about I get started with the exam first? Make sure that you’re all right.”

As Fred gently eased her back onto the table and helped her place her legs in the stirrups Buffy protested gently. “It wasn’t like that. At least, I don’t think it was. I really don’t remember at all.”

Fred sighed in relief. Once they started talking, they usually didn’t stop. “That’s probably a good thing then. What do you remember? Do you know who did this to you?”

“No. I mean, yes.” Buffy stared up at the ceiling as she spoke. It was somehow easier that way. “I don’t know what I mean. We were friends. Dating, I guess. But I didn’t mean to sleep with him. But apparently I did – but I don’t remember it at all. And then I woke up, we woke up, and he was all with the wanting seconds, and I didn’t know what to do. And then I asked him and he admitted that we hadn’t used a condom…”

She shuddered as she recalled Spike’s answer ‘not a lot I could do about that, pet, with my hands tied to the headboard.’ Gods, she wished she knew what had happened.

She sure as hell wasn’t going to pass on that little comment to this sweet gentle Southern Belle of a woman. Instead Buffy stammered on, trying to clarify events in her mind as she spoke.

“I thought I’d gotten drunk, only I hadn’t drunk so much, and there was this sediment in my glass. And I was afraid that it was… that he’d drugged me… but he denied …”

“Of course he denied,” Fred whistled, patting her hand companionably and helping her to sit up again. “They all deny it, but it happens. At least that way he didn’t do any internal damage. And it would explain the memory loss. Here, you can sit up now. I’m going to take some blood. Check for STD’s, also see if we can find a trace of whatever he used still in your bloodstream. It will come in handy if you decide to bring him up on charges.”

“Charges?” Somehow she hadn’t gotten that far in her thinking yet. Perhaps coming here had been a bad idea.

“You take your time and think about it, okay. I know it’s sometimes hard in cases where you know the guy, but take it from me, if he used Ketamine or one of its cousins he’s not your friend. Take just the right amount, it makes you pliable. Makes it easy for him to do whatever he wants. But take too much, and it can make you dead.”

“Dead?”

“It’s rare, but it happens. Like any drug, you can have an unexpected reaction. Without treatment, that can be fatal.”

“I can’t believe he would do that to me.” She remembered the look on his face earlier this morning. How happy Spike had seemed to have her there. How destroyed he looked as he had watched her run away.

Was she wrong about what had happened? She couldn’t be. She had seen the white powder in her glass. Had felt it on her fingers.

“Will the blood test be conclusive? Will it tell me what… what, was in that glass?”

“Not necessarily. It depends what it was, how much you had, and how long ago you took it, how quickly your system metabolized it. Sometimes these things work their way out of your bloodstream pretty fast. So if we don’t find it, that doesn’t prove that it wasn’t there. But if we do, then we’ve got the proof you’ll need to take him to court.”

One look at Buffy’s face and Fred knew this girl wasn’t ready to think of pressing charges. Not yet at any rate. If they found the proof they were looking for, that would probably make her decision, as well as winning the case, that much easier. But those were questions for a lawyer to answer. Not her.

“Look, Buffy, you should probably talk to one of the Agency psych’s about this. Even if it isn’t exactly company business. I hear Tara McClay is one of the best. And you might consider talking to a lawyer. Just to know what your options are.”

Buffy was hardly listening any more, as she climbed off the table and pulled down Spike’s t-shirt so it looked more like a dress.

“I keep some extra clothes here, if you’d like? Not that it looks too bad,” Fred lied, “but some gym shorts would go awfully well with that, don’t you think? Is there anyone I can call for you?”

“No, thanks Fred. You’ve been very kind, I’m sure.”

As Buffy turned to leave the examination room, Fred’s hand on her arm stopped her. “One more thing I should mention before you go. You might want to consider stopping by a pharmacy and picking this up. Used to be I had to write a prescription for it – but it’s over the counter now.”

“What is it?”

“Some insurance. You just had unprotected sex. If you want to be sure to keep from getting pregnant, I’d suggest you take it immediately.”

“Wouldn’t it already be too late?”

“Not necessarily. These things take time. If you’re already pregnant, it won’t hurt the baby. But if you’re not, not yet, at any rate, it will prevent conception from happening. It’s designed to be taken after the fact.”

“Really? Well, thanks. When will I know…”

“About the blood work? Tomorrow, day after at the latest. About being pregnant – not for a couple weeks. Take the pill, Buffy. It’ll put your mind at ease.”

“I’ll think about it. And, about the other thing too.”

“Good. Talk to you tomorrow.”





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