[Reviews - 1459]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 4498 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you all so much for the reviews--so, so much :-D and thanks to anyone who reviewed MBB :)
Chapter 34


Despite her noble efforts to the contrary, Joyce was nearly frantic by the time she finally reached the hospital emergency room less than twenty five minutes later. Praying, quietly under her breath, she rushed inside and looked for her husband.

It didn’t take her long to find him; he was waiting right inside the sliding doors. And Buffy wasn’t with him.

“Where is she? Where’s my baby girl?” She nearly sobbed.

“Shh, Joyce, it’s okay. They’re working on her right now. We got here about ten minutes ago; I just wanted to be sure to find you.”

”Why aren’t you with her?” She asked in a very accusing tone. “Why’d you leave her all by herself?”

“I had to, sweetheart. They’re going to help her out and then we can see her. The doctor should be out in just a few minutes to let us know how she’s doing,” he explained patiently, not letting her anger get to him as he knew she didn’t mean it. At least not towards him; she was just scared.

“What happened?” She finally found the courage to ask the question that had been playing through her mind ever since Buffy’s phone call.

It was the question Rupert was dreading having to answer. He didn’t want to have to be the one to tell his wife this, that her only child had attempted suicide. But more than that, he didn’t want her to have to hear it from someone else.

“Do you want to sit down?”

“No! I want you to tell me what happened.”

“Buffy took those painkillers she had from when she pulled that muscle in her back.”

“But those are strong…really strong. Why would she take them now?”

He’d hoped she would be able to infer some things but apparently that wasn’t going to happen; not now. “She took them all, love.”

“She….Why would she—Oh, God!” She finally realized what he was telling her. “My baby tried to kill herself! Oh God!” Joyce collapsed down to the waiting room floor in sobs, heedless to the stares she was gathering.

“You have to remember though,” He reasoned, “That she called you. She wanted help, Joyce. She didn’t want to die.”

“Then why?” She questioned. “Why did she do it?”

“I don’t know. Buffy’s going to have to tell us that. But the important thing is that she called you and we got her help. The doctors are doing everything they can right now. Let’s go sit, okay? So that when it’s time we can talk to Buffy.”

“Yes, yes,” She mumbled. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Joyce followed her husband to a group of chairs in the far off corner, wanting to be away from as many people as possible. They sat there for several minutes, waiting for the doctor to come give them news of Buffy’s condition, before she remembered something she’d thought about in the car.

“Rupert?” She questioned meekly.

“Yes?”

“Why do I feel like I should call William?”

Deciding that this was neither the time nor the place for any explanations, he chose the simple answer. “I supposed because he’s like family—at least for those few weeks he was. And this is something big…I think you should call him if you want. I’m sure he would appreciate it.” He hoped that the last was true.

“I think I’ll go do that now,” She explained, pulling out her cell phone as she walked to the sliding doors again. “You’ll let me know if the doctor comes?”

“Of course,” He said, watching as she slowly walked through the doors. She was doing a good job of covering, but he could tell she was just one more setback away from breaking down completely. He prayed, not for the first time that night, that Joyce would get to speak with her daughter again.




William was sound asleep; it was after three in the morning in New York after all. The ringing of his cell phone—which he had apparently forgotten to turn off—woke him with a start and he could hear mumbling in her sleep.

Not wanting to wake the girl, he quickly grabbed the phone and answered it with a groggy, “Hello?”

“Oh, William! I’m so glad your phone was on. I’m sorry for waking you,” Joyce apologized quickly. The tone of her voice as well as the late hour had Spike sitting up immediately and looking for a shirt.

But her next words stopped his search and sent him out into the living room where he could have some light…and be away from Harmony.

“It’s Buffy.”

A million horrible thoughts went rushing through his mind all at once. He saw Buffy hurt and bloodied; saw her crying; saw her telling them everything…saw a million worse scenarios that he wouldn’t even acknowledge thinking.

“What’s….What about her?”

Not sure how much she should say, especially since she didn’t have all that much information. “She’s in the hospital, William.”

“Is she going to be okay?” He couldn’t hide the concern in his voice. He still loved the girl after all.

”Oh, William,” Joyce was crying again. “My baby tried to kill herself.”

Those six words had him stumbling back against the counter in shock. Buffy? His Buffy? No, that couldn’t be right. As fucked up as she might have been that girl had too much life in her to….

“I’ll be there in a few hours. Is she in a room or…?” He’d sunk down to the floor by then and was resting his head back against his cabinets; his eyes were shut tightly to hold off the tears.

“Not yet, the doctors are still…Not yet,” She told him. “I can let you know when she is. Then you can make a decision about coming out—“

“No!” He argued almost too vehemently, “I’m coming now. Do you think you could leave a message on my phone if she gets a room before I get there?”

“Of course,” She started to say more, but he interrupted her.

“I’ll see you in a few hours Joyce.” Maybe he should have said something to comfort her and his brother but all he could think of at the moment was Buffy. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—lose her. He needed to get there.

“Harm!” He yelled, completely uncaring of the hour. “Get up. I’m leaving,” He was still yelling as he made his way back into the bedroom. As long as he was focused on getting Harmony out and him to the airport he couldn’t cry. At least that was the plan.

“Wha? Spikey? Come back to bed,” She mumbled sleepily.

“No!” He shouted again, “I have to go. Which means you have to go. Now up! Come on, I’ll go get you a cab.” When he had reached the door but she still hadn’t moved, he walked around the room turning on every light and when she only cursed at him and buried her head under the pillow he turned on the stereo as well. “Bloody hell, woman! Get up. I have to leave now and I’m not leaving you here.”

Harmony finally seemed awake enough to catch on to the tone of his voice. “When will you be back?” She asked as she got up and started to brush her hair.

“No time for that,” He stopped her as he threw her dress at her. “And I won’t be back.”

”What do you mean you won’t be back?” She stopped with her dress half zipped.

After finishing zipping the dress and grabbing twenty dollars, he led her to the front door. “I mean, I’m not coming back. Was nice while it lasted but I have to go see my girl—Bye, Harm.”

She tried to sputter out a reply as he put the bill in her hand, but he had closed the door on her before she could thing of anything.


He hadn’t been lying to Harmony, he wasn’t coming back. He was going to stay this time. Somehow, some way he was going to—really—prove to Buffy that she was worth it. This time he was going to do it. Of that he had no doubts.

Quickly he pulled on a t-shirt and some shoes before shoving as many random clothes as he could into a duffle bag. Grabbing his work bag and wallet he was out of the apartment less then ten minutes later; he didn’t even care that his hair was sleep tousled and all he was wearing was sweatpants and a t-shirt.

He was determined.

He called the airport and booked a flight during the cab ride to the airport. It had cost a lot but he was definitely on the flight leaving at six am. And after he explained that his fiancé was in an accident and in the hospital, possibly dying, they’d put him on standby for the five am flight as well.

God he hoped that ‘possibly dying’ part was a lie. The rest sure wasn’t—at least not with the plans he had.


TBC........

I know, I know, I made him mean to Harmony, but....sorry? And I hope all of you are okay and no one is in or has family/friends in Lebanon or Israel--or Palestine either





You must login (register) to review.