Chapter 20
Spike waited until Buffy had been out the door for several seconds before turning his full attention on Joyce.
“I’m sure this won’t be the last talk I’ll have with you. But I need to say something while I’m sure I still can. When Buffy told me what you’d done that night, I’ll admit that I was very turned off by your actions….they were incredibly misguided. But I do see now how…Buffy can be very stubborn and in a way I can see how forcing her to be there and trying to show her—through Dru—what you would do for her….how you could think that was the only way. And perhaps it was. No, it didn’t work the way you wanted, but it got to her. If you’d mentioned it off hand I’m sure she would have come up with a way to forget it, but….Whether she’ll ever admit it or not, the way you did things—she couldn’t say, even to herself, that you didn’t mean it.”
“She doesn’t believe me,” he lamented.
“I’m sure that she didn’t; and I doubt it had very much at all to do with you.” When he looked hurt by that, she continued, “Spike, Buffy’s father left us and…he left left; then I dated Ted who had this plan of getting rid of her or something and I believed him over her; Angel loved her, got her to love him as much as she possibly could at that age, with her whole heart, then he left; and Riley…he’s left her as well. All of the men in her life have, at least at some point, said one thing and done another—they’ve all turned their backs on her at some point. Rupert , she feels, did so when he did not tell he of the Council’s plans that time and Xander…I’m not sure if it’s because she would not go out with him or if it had something to do with Angel, but…I think him being that doubtful of such a huge decision in her life…I think she saw that as him letting her down.
“She really has no reason to have believed you.”
“I wouldn’t lie about something like that. I won’t lie to her.”
“I think with Buffy…I think that it doesn’t take words…I don’t think it takes actions either; I think it takes both. I think if you want her to believe you—which she might very well already—you need to prove it to her through word and deed.”
“Why are you helping me?” Not that he didn’t like Joyce but…
“I like you Spike, ax incident aside, I’ve seen what a good man you can be. I think that already you love my daughter more than Angel or Riley ever did—I think your actions of the last 6 hours prove that. They both…She’s a strong woman, physically and mentally…Neither of them was okay with that; not really. They both wanted to be her knight in shining armor and the truth is…Buffy doesn’t need a knight to slayer her dragons, she needs someone who will stand at her back and fight the dragon with her.
“I think the fact that her friends are all still alive—despite your dislike for most of them—proves you know how to do that. You can let yourself get in your own way sometimes, William. You do things, at times, without really thinking everything through and…I think as long a you stand with her and do your best to stay conscious of the effects of your actions…I’m going to have to buy some more marshmallows and cocoa—though for rather different reasons.”
“Joyce, I promise, no matter what happens between Buffy and myself, I will always do my best to protect her, Dawn, and you.”
“Then I’d say you have three reasons not two.”
“What?”
“Buffy and I have decided that you’re the right person to be helping her with this because you won’t let them do anything to me because you like me and you love her….I’d have to add in there that you care a great deal for my other daughter as well.”
Spike knew he couldn’t blush, he was a vampire, their blood just didn’t circulate that way, but he knew he would be doing so if it were possible.
“This right here is where the tumor is located,” the doctor pointed to one of the images. “And this over here,” he pointed to another page, “is the tumor itself. To remove the tumor through surgery,” he pointed at the firs picture again, “we would have to enter the skull here and then move to right,” back to the second, “here to remove it. Ordinarily we would try radiation first to shrink the size of the tumor before surgery but the tumor is pushing on your brain here,” this time he pointed on the second picture and then to a spot on Joyce’s scalp. “That’s what’s causing your headaches, but it’s also causing pressure to build and that can be very dangerous if not relieved as soon as possible.”
“How long will the pneumonia treatment take?” Spike asked.
“With everything we have her on, probably five days. We would rather not have to wait those five days, but if we operate on the brain now with the infection in your body, several possibly severe reactions are possible.”
“Is there…is there someway to lessen the pressure until you do do the surgery?” Buffy asked as Joyce just sat, taking it all in.
“We can insert a shunt that would drain some of the fluid, but as with the surgery, her pneumonia makes it riskier than normal.”
“Is it riskier to do the shunt while I’m still sick?” Joyce finally asked, “Or to wait the five days without doing it?”
“What I personally would suggest is that we attempt to wait the five days, but carefully monitor the amount of pressure it is putting on your brain and if it for some reason increases sharply, then seriously contemplate the shunt.”
“Are you the only doctor here who has been consulted on Mrs. Summers; case?” Spike asked seriously and Buffy was surprised and how serious and business like he could be when the need arose.
“Two other neurosurgeons have been consulted, but not another neuro-oncologist,” he answered. “I’m the only one on staff here and the call I put into the doctor you mentioned in Los Angeles has not been returned yet, but we have sent them copies of the blood test results and the MRI. I understand that he will be calling here, to this room, first to speak with you about his feelings. And is then going to speak with me—so that it truly is a second opinion and not just a compromise between what he thinks and what I think.”
“Do these things usually take a certain amount of time?”
“Given the scenario and that we sent everything so early, a call this afternoon or tonight would not be unexpected.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Joyce said.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Summers, Mr. Pratt, Mrs. Pratt.” Buffy was too busy wondering over the fact that the doctor had thought Spike was her husband to think to ask the next question.
“Is there anything she should do or we should do for her in the meantime?”
“Just rest and minimal movement; nothing too excitable.”
Which meant visits from Rupes, the whelp, and Red were out of the question. Good.
The doctor left the room and the three of them were left in silence until Buffy spoke up, saying he last thing either of them thought she’d say, “I look old enough to be married?”
TBC....
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I really am working on getting some sort of a new story (even if it is just the XMas 113 Times thing I still don't have done) finished and posted for you :)