Chapter 32
“Spike?” Anya asked the following morning when she came by around eight.
“Yeah?” he was still making Dawn, who was staying home from school for her mother’s surgery, breakfast and fixing Buffy something to drink; she was still upstairs getting dressed.
“May I speak with you for a moment?”
“Sure; watch the pan, Bit?” After dawn agreed to watch the pan of eggs and keep things from burning, Spike followed Anya to the living room.
“What is it?”
“Yesterday Mrs. Summers asked me to tell you that she wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes before the surgery so…maybe you should leave a little earlier than you had planned?”
Spike was curious as to what Joyce could have to tell him but readily agreed with Anya.
“What’d you say to some eggs?”
“Are you ever going to let me walk?” Buffy tried to sound annoyed but really Spike’s way of transporting her—carrying her to the car that Anya used to drive them to the hospital, even though it almost burned him both getting her in and out, and then carrying her on his back through the hospital.
“You said it was embarrassing,” he reminded her.
“It is!”
“Yeah and Niblet and I agreed that this way isn’t.”
“It doesn’t count if you two decide it—it’s me being embarrassed.”
“it’s either this or I’m getting you a wheelchair, pet. Your choice.”
“You’re so mean,” she grumbled, but stopped her protests.
“Buffy? Dawn? Would it be alright with you girls if I spoke to Spike alone for a moment?”
“We’ll just go find Anya—make sure she’s not fooling around with some doctor or something.”
“Dawn!”
“What?” she asked her sister, “It’s incredibly possible—you remember how much she brought up doctors being wealthy and how much money she would have if she married one just one the drive over.”
“Fine, fine; let’s go find her.”
“Don’t let her walk round too much,” Spike warned Dawn and Spike just rolled her eyes at the both of them as she left the room.
“Anyanka said you wanted to tell me something?” Spike prompted after closing the door as Joyce had instructed.
“William, I know how much you care for both o my girls and you’re very much like a son to me so I know this might be hard, but…You are my medical proxy and I feel I need to tell you my wishes before…before the surgery.”
She was right about one thing so far, this was hard for him to hear—but she had asked it of him and he wouldn’t let her down.
“I’m listening,” he assured her as he sat on the chair Buffy had earlier pulled to the side of the bed.
“How long did the doctors say the surgery was going to take?” Dawn asked.
“They’re not sure, sweetie. We just need to be patient, okay?” Buffy was sitting with her sister, and Spike in the waiting room where the doctors would come to tell them of the progress and results of the surgery. Anya was off looking for the anesthesiologist she had spotted earlier, having found out that they made quite a bit of money as well.
Buffy was pretty sure that Anya was simply giving them time as a ‘family’, merely using the ‘man hunt’ as an excuse.
“It’ll be alright, Niblet,” Spike was highly surprised that Dawn and Buffy had been able to convince the hospital that his ‘sun allergy’ was enough of a problem that they’d taped black plastic over the high windows that lined the room. Then again, they were his girls, they could be right convincing when they wanted to be.
“I just…”
“What movies do you think Mom will want to watch when she gets home? While she’s resting?”
”Maybe we could make a list so we’re sure to get them rented,” Spike suggested, going along with what he assumed was Buffy’s distraction tactic.
“I’ll go ask the nurse for some paper and a pen.” Spike watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot before turning to look at Buffy who had been sitting two chairs over, Dawn between them.
“You alright, luv? Feeling okay? Don’t need anything to drink or what not?”
Buffy smiled at the concern in his voice, wondering how it was that such a short time ago she’d been so intent on convincing herself there was no way he cared for her at all. “No, I’m good. Worried, I mean because….well, yeah…but I’m okay.”
Dawn was back then and with a last smile at Buffy, Spike set to work helping her think of movies—keeping the tone light by suggesting some action movie every once in a while.
“Ooh,” Buffy suggested, “Let’s rent Dracula!”
“Not after the blighter refuses to pay what he owes me!”
“You so are not owed money by Dracula!” Dawn stared at him.
“Bloody right I am!” Spike proceeded to go on a rant of how Dracula was a wanker for refusing to pay him even after such a long period of time—something about, “If the bloke’s all legendary and shite, got a book and everything…should be able to settle his debts.”
“Mr. Pratt?”
All three looked up when a doctor, in full operating garb, came into the room and addressed Spike—as Mr. Pratt, something both Dawn and Buffy were still getting used to.
“Is everything alright?” Spike asked, trying to keep his voice calm and worry free for the sake of Dawn and Buffy.
“Might I speak with you for a minute?”
There wasn’t any way Spike could go into any of the rooms off of the one they were in—sunlight was streaming into all of them, the only dark space being the hallway, “Sure,” he agreed doing his best to lead the doctor to the hallway.
A door, with only a small window on the top, closed behind them and soon Buffy watched them talk, not able to hear anything; Dawn continued making her movie list.
After a few minutes of the doctor’s speaking, Buffy watched as Spike sighted deeply before running a hand through his hair and looking down at the ground for several seconds. When he looked up and gave the doctor his answer he looked very weary and waited a few moments after the doctor had gone back into the operating area before coming back into the room with them.
“Everything alright?” Buffy asked him softly as he sat down next to her instead of in the seat next to Dawn he had been in.
“Yeah, everything’s fine, luv,” he answered but to Buffy he sounded subdued and or the rest of the surgery he remained on edge.
TBC...................please review?
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Author's Chapter Notes:
update of 'Tired of Being Gone (Home)' coming in a few minutes. Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend if you'e somewhere that celebrates it....enjoy it even if you're not ;-)