DISCLAIMER:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, the WB and Mutant Enemy, Inc. The Ancient Ones, in particular the entity YogSothoth, as well as the character of Robert Blake first appeared in the Cthulhu mythos stories of the early twentieth century horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft.
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Part Two
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ACT 1, Scene 3, INT. Waiting room in the cardiac wing of the hospital. Late afternoon
Buffy, Cordelia, Oz and Willow are all seated in the waiting room chairs. Xander is pacing back and forth like a young dog desperately wanting to go out. The room is busy with doctors, patients and their families rushing by. Announcements, which are barely understandable, spill from the hospital PA system one after the other. Xander's pacing is finally getting on the nerves of his friends.
CORDELIA
Xander, will you sit down! Or go to the bathroom, one or the other!
Xander stops pacing and looks at Cordelia sheepishly. He plunks himself into a nearby chair. Cordelia, who is in a double chair, slides over to make room for him. She slaps the cushion with her hand.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Over here!
Xander obediently gets up and goes over to sit with Cordelia. Principal Snyder bursts into the waiting room.
SNYDER
Any news, yet?
WILLOW
No.
SNYDER
Do any of you know how I can contact his family? His file doesn't list any relatives.
WILLOW
That's cause he doesn't have any. We're it.
Snyder is silent, puzzled by the bureaucratic dead end he now faces. Buffy's mother, Joyce Summers enters the waiting room. She looks around frantically and sees the group.
JOYCE
Buffy?
BUFFY
(surprised and a little upset to see her)
Mom?
WILLOW
(to Buffy)
I called and left a message on her machine.
Joyce comes over to Buffy who gets up from her chair. Joyce hugs her daughter.
JOYCE
Buffy, honey, I'm so sorry. How's Mr. Giles? Is he going to be all right?
BUFFY
We don't know yet, Mom.
JOYCE (turning to look at the others)
What happened?
WILLOW
He just collapsed in his office, Mrs. Summers. Xander and Buffy... they kept him alive with CPR until the paramedics got there.
Joyce looks at Buffy with pride on hearing this news. With her hand, Joyce brushes aside the hair that has fallen into Buffy's face. She hugs her daughter again. A DOCTOR, carrying a clipboard enters the room and approaches the group.
DOCTOR
Are you the ones who accompanied Mr. Rupert Giles in?
SNYDER
Yes. What's his condition?
DOCTOR
Are any of you relatives?
WILLOW
No, he has no relatives.
SNYDER
I'm Principal Snyder of Sunnydale High, his employer.
DOCTOR
Well, we have two good things to report. First, the fact that immediate attempts were made to revive him makes a big difference. I understand two of his students performed CPR?
CORDELIA
(pointing out Xander and Buffy to the Doctor)
Yeah, Xander Harris and Buffy Summers here.
DOCTOR
That was excellent work. Principal Snyder, you are to be commended for having such quick thinking students. I believe we can credit Mr. Giles' life to their fast actions.
Unseen by the Doctor, Cordelia sticks her tongue out at Snyder. For the first time, Willow starts to snicker. Snyder's face turns red.
DOCTOR (cont'd)
The second good news is we can't find any major blockages around the heart or any indications of stroke that would account for the attack.
Willow's smile vanishes. She looks at Buffy with her eyes wide with fear. Buffy sees Willow's reaction and looks down, thinking. Both understand the possible implications of the Doctor's diagnosis. Willow may have been right after all.
DOCTOR (cont'd)
As far as we can see, there doesn't appear to be any damage to the heart tissue.
BUFFY
What's the bad news?
DOCTOR
We have been unable to determine if Mr. Giles has suffered any permanent impairment. Even with the CPR, the lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain during the minutes following his attack may have caused serious brain damage. We won't know until he regains consciousness.
WILLOW (hopeful)
So, he is gonna wake up?
DOCTOR
The next twenty four to forty eight hours will be critical. He is not out of the woods. And we're still concerned about a second attack. He's being treated with medications, blood thinners and the like, but really what we have to do is wait.
Willow looks down at the floor, discouraged again.
DOCTOR (cont'd)
When I have more news, I'll let you know.
BUFFY
Can we see him now?
DOCTOR
Of course. He's not responsive. Down the hall in Cardiac room number 334.
CUT TO INT. Cardiac Room #334. Late afternoon
Giles is lying unconscious in a hospital bed. His face is a ghastly pale. Around the bed are stacked high a variety of monitoring machines and medical devices. There is a steady BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, from the heart monitor running in rythmn with his pulse. Giles is hooked up to an IV as well and is breathing with the aid of a respirator. As if in counter point to the monitor, the respirator makes a loud CLICK, then a quiet WHOOSH as it forces oxygen into Giles' lungs.
The door to the room opens gently and Buffy walks in followed by Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Joyce Summers and Mr. Snyder. Buffy stops before she gets to the bed, horrified at the site of Giles hooked up to all the machinery. The others walk around her and gather by his bed. Willow sits down on a folding chair at the head of the bed right next to Giles. Only Cordelia, sensing Buffy's distress, holds back and stands inconspicuously beside her.
Willow gently takes Giles' hand and Oz stands right behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She tries hard not to cry.
WILLOW
(a long pause, to Giles)
Oh, do you look terrible. You look worse than when you stay at the Library all night.
The others, gathered around the bed, say nothing. Willow speaks everything they are feeling.
WILLOW (cont'd)
I know you must be pretty tired now... but the doctor says you're gonna have to wake up. So, we're all here. Somebody'll be here all the time, so when you wake up,... you won't be alone.
Away from the bed, Cordelia whispers to Buffy.
CORDELIA
What the hell is wrong with you? You're freaking again.
BUFFY
(quietly, shaking her head)
It's just like Jonathan dying all over. All this crap they've got him hooked up to. Why don't they just let him alone.
CORDELIA
Buffy, this is not the same. Giles is not gonna die.
BUFFY
But, Cordie...
CORDELIA
(firmly)
Buffy! Willow and I were with you that night. (Cordelia looks over to the bed)
Giles is alive and still in there. You know, they say when you're unconscious like that, you can sometimes hear what people are saying and feel them when they touch you. And that can help you come back.
Buffy looks at Cordelia.
BUFFY
(quietly, to Cordelia)
For three years, we've sorta been at each other's throats. We're not exactly the best of buds or anything. But after what's happened today... thanks Cordie.
CORDELIA
Get over there. Willow needs a hand.
Buffy walks into the group around Giles. She pulls up a chair on the other side of the bed from Willow and takes Giles' free hand. Buffy strokes Giles' hand gently, and she speaks softly to him.
BUFFY
Hey... boy you look like crap, you know it? I know what I'm gonna get you for your birthday. A shaving kit and a toothbrush for the Library. Willow's right, when you spend the whole night there you look like hell.
WILLOW
(beginning to break down)
He snores something awful, too. I hear him when he falls asleep in his office during the day when he's been up all night. (she suddenly notices Snyder's disapproving look) Oh! He doesn't do it that much. Uh, just once in a while.
BUFFY
Giles, listen to Willow and me.... You gotta wake up soon. We need you back at the Library. I mean, teasing Xander's not half as much fun as teasing you.... That look on your face... when you don't know whether it's a joke or not...
Willow starts to sob quietly
BUFFY
Who am I gonna make fun of?...and who's gonna watch out for me ... (a tear runs down Buffy's face) ... keep me outta trouble... and always be there when everything falls apart?
No one in the room speaks. Joyce Summers puts her hand to her face when she hears what Buffy has said to Giles. The steady beeping of the heart monitor and the whoosh of the respirator seem like the only sounds in the whole universe.
CUT TO INT., Cardiac Room #334, that night.
Giles is still in the bed and is connected to all the life support machinery. There is no change in his condition. By the doorway to the room, Willow and Buffy are slouched in a pair of folding chairs right next to each other. Both have dozed off. Willow's head is resting against Buffy's shoulder.
Joyce Summers is seated at the head of Giles' bed. She's awake and watches him intently. She begins speaking quietly to Giles. Willow stirs a little, then makes a petite but distinct snoring snort. Buffy wakes up. She doesn't move so as not to disturb Willow. She sees her Mother talking to Giles. Joyce takes Giles' hand in hers.
JOYCE
Mr. Giles, ... I don't know how to talk to you. You said I could call you Rupert, so Rupert... I just want to say "thank you" for everything you've done for my daughter. I haven't been able to be there for her... But you always seem to have the time... I guess that's part of why she goes to you.
Joyce pauses as if waiting for Giles to respond. The steady beep of the heart monitor and the rush of air from the respirator give no clue that Giles has heard her.
JOYCE (cont'd)
She tells you things she'd never tell me... I can only sense when her heart is breaking, but I never know why... but I think you always do... she hangs on your every word. She talks about you all the time.
Buffy bites her lip as she listens to her Mother.
JOYCE (cont'd)
It's not like you're her father. She loves him very much, but she thinks he's just there to buy her new clothes.
Joyce holds Giles' hand tighter.
JOYCE (cont'd)
Mr. Giles,... Rupert... you have to wake up. You're the only one she has who gives and expects nothing in return. You're like ... her Guardian Angel... you can't leave... without you... I don't know what I would do.
Buffy sighs. Willow wiggles and gives another snort. Buffy looks over at Willow and smiles sadly. Buffy nestles her head against Willow's again and closes her eyes, trying to go back to sleep. She can not. To her, it feels like the night will never end.
DISSOLVE To ACT 1, Scene 4
* * * * *
ACT 1, Scene 4, INT. The hallways of Sunnydale High. The next morning.
Willow and Buffy are seated in the hallway lounge chairs. They are in exactly the same positions as in Scene 3, Willow's head leaning against Buffy's shoulder. Both are sound asleep. All around, students are rushing back and forth to class.
Xander walks by and stops. He then sits down in a chair directly across from Buffy and Willow. He doesn't say anything, just cranes his neck, studying the two sleeping girls up and down. Cordelia comes over to Xander and looks at Buffy and Willow.
CORDELIA
What's with these two?
Xander puts his finger to his lips.
XANDER
Sshh!
Cordelia sits down next to Xander and they both watch Buffy and Willow intently. In a moment, Willow gives another little snort and wiggles. Cordelia and Xander try not to laugh. Buffy slowly opens her eyes. She glances over at Willow lying against her, then rolls her eyes at Cordelia and Xander as if to say "What're ya gonna do?"
CORDELIA
(quietly to Buffy)
You better arouse Red Riding Hood here or she's gonna miss computer class.
BUFFY is about to stir Willow awake when suddenly the look on Willow's face changes. Instead of the face of a peaceful dreamer, now she begins to twitch and her mouth turns down in a frown. Her brow furrows and she actually starts shaking. Then she begins to mutter in what is clearly a nightmare.
WILLOW
(moaning)
... no... no... leave Giles alone... Giles!... get away from him!
Buffy gently shakes Willow trying to wake her up.
BUFFY
Will. Will, wake up, you're having a bad dream.
WILLOW
... Xander help me! Xander, I can't see you! Where are you!...
Xander reaches across to Willow and shakes her shoulder gently.
XANDER
Willow, wake up! I'm right here.
WILLOW springs awake, her eyes glassy with fear.
XANDER (cont'd)
Easy, Will. It's just a dream.
Willow looks around at her three friends. The fright is slowly fading, replaced by embarrassment.
WILLOW
Ohh. Hi guys.
CORDELIA
How late did you two stay at the hospital last night?
BUFFY
You don't want to know.
WILLOW
(worried)
Buffy, you have to meet me in the library after third period.
XANDER
(trying to join in)
So what do we got, a pow wow? Plan for action?
WILLOW
No Xander, just Buffy and me. (to Buffy) We gotta talk about something.
XANDER
Oooo! Big girly girl secrets!
WILLOW
Shut up, Xander!
The rebuke works. Xander melts back into his chair. Buffy senses Willow's concern.
BUFFY
Okay... fourth period study hall then. In the library.
Willow gets up to go to computer class. She looks at Buffy.
WILLOW
Thanks.
* * * * *
ACT 2, Scene 5, INT. The Library, day.
Buffy enters the library. The room is quiet and only half the lights are on. The stacks of old books now seem threatening, the empty spot where Giles always sits, spooky without his familiar presence.
BUFFY
Willow? You here?
Buffy hears some rustling over in Giles' office. She walks to the door and pokes her head in the office. Willow is behind Giles' desk, shuffling through papers and moving books around. She is completely distracted and doesn't even realize Buffy has entered the office.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Willow? You think you ought to be going through Giles' stuff like that?
Willow jumps in fright.
WILLOW
OH! You scared me!
BUFFY
Sorry. What'd you want to talk about?
WILLOW
Buffy, you and I both know something got Giles.
BUFFY
Now we're not sure of that.
WILLOW
You heard what the doctor said! They can't find anything wrong with him. There's something out there. I know Giles saw it... (quietly) and I saw it, too.
BUFFY
What! You didn't tell me this! When!
WILLOW
Out in the hallway. When I was asleep. In a nightmare.
Buffy, who knows the power in dreams, listens with dismay to Willow's description.
WILLOW (cont'd)
It was horrible. This thing was everywhere... and it was looking, all the time, looking for something. It had a name, real weird I couldn't pronounce. And Giles was there. He was down on the ground, hurt. He couldn't move.
Buffy hangs on Willow's every word. She can see in her own mind each detail of Willow's nightmare.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Then... suddenly out of the darkness, this tall figure appeared. Somebody I've never seen before. He jumped between Giles and whatever the thing was... and raised his arms. You know the way Jonathan did in the Master's Chamber.
The image still seared in her memory, Buffy can see her old boyfriend, the wizard Jonathan Martel, in his last desperate defense of her, Giles and the others that finally cost him his life.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Then he yelled, "Return to the void," and then he called it some name I can't remember, and then he said, "I am the Guardian of the Watchers. You will travel no further!" That's when I screamed for Xander, and I woke up.
Buffy is silent. She stares blankly ahead.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Buffy? What is it?
BUFFY
(slowly, still staring)
Before they took Giles away, he was conscious for a moment. He called out for "The Guardian of the Watchers." Then he told me I'd see this "Guardian" and should watch for him.
WILLOW
Then this is the real thing?
BUFFY
(nodding)
I'm with you now. (She looks at Willow) I'm afraid too. This is the big time. And we still don't know what "it" is.
WILLOW
We've gotta figure this out fast! What did the doctor say? "The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours."
In frustration, Willow throws her hands up in the air tossing some of Giles' papers wildly around.
WILLOW (cont'd)
(almost hysterical)
And I can't make head nor tails out this mess!
BUFFY
Willow, calm down. If we want to find out what happened to Giles, we're gonna have to think like he does. And put the pieces together.
WILLOW
Huh?
BUFFY
You know what I mean... we gotta imagine what Giles would do. He doesn't think like us... or even like normal adults.
WILLOW
Well, duh! Then he wouldn't be Giles.
BUFFY
We have to be like that detective... you know... Sherlock Holmes!
WILLOW
(becoming enthusiastic)
Oh, right. And Doctor Watson. I know what you mean. We have to think logically. Use deductive reasoning.
BUFFY
Yeah, ... whatever. Now, was Giles worried about anything in the last few days?
WILLOW
Not that I know of.
BUFFY
How about anything he was working on? Any projects or stuff he was studying?
WILLOW
No. We're not getting anywhere, Buffy!
BUFFY
Stay with me here. Now we went to get all the books over at the Sunnydale library. Anything weird you can remember?
WILLOW
Nothing really. Wait... there was that one old black book the librarian gave him.
BUFFY
(leading Willow to talk more)
Yeah...
WILLOW
And when we got back here. He got all goofy and took it in his office. And that's when he...
There is a moment of silence as Buffy and Willow remember the trauma of the previous afternoon.
BUFFY
I think we're on to something! We gotta find that book.
WILLOW
(smiling)
Bravo, Holmes!
Buffy tries to fake a British accent and imitate Giles.
BUFFY
Elementary, my dear Rosenberg!
WILLOW
Here, it's gotta be in this pile I put on the floor.
Willow bends down and tosses books aside from the pile she has stacked up next to Giles' desk. She finds the old black volume and slides it out, then places it on the desk unopened. Buffy and Willow stare at the book for a few moments. The room is dead silent.
BUFFY
I don't like this thing... I don't even have to look at what's inside not to like it...
WILLOW
We're gonna have to.
Willow takes a deep breath and lifts the front cover, opening the book. Both she and Buffy cringe back as if expecting some demon to leap out or an explosion to rock the room. Nothing happens. Willow begins paging through the book. Buffy, standing at her side, studies the pages as Willow turns them. Neither has a clue as to what they are looking at.
BUFFY
Isn't this the thing that was in all the weird languages?
WILLOW
Yeah, I don't recognize anything... wait, here's some Latin.
BUFFY
Can you read it?
Discouraged, Willow shakes her head.
WILLOW
I've been trying to learn a little from Giles. About all I can handle is "Gallia in tres partes divisa est."
BUFFY
Huh!?
WILLOW
Sorry. In joke.
BUFFY
You got it over me. (sadly) I wanted Jonathan to teach me. I never got past "carpe diem."
WILLOW
Buffy, don't go there! Remember your deal with Giles!
BUFFY
Right, no sad stuff.
They are both silent.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(quietly)
So, now what the hell do we do?
WILLOW
I don't know, Holmes.
BUFFY
Me neither, Watson.
There is a long pause as Buffy and Willow struggle to understand what to do next.
WILLOW
(tentatively)
Maybe we should look for the "Guardian?"
BUFFY
We don't even know if he's real?
WILLOW
He is, Buffy... I know... I saw him in my dream.
There is another long pause. Buffy tries to imagine what the Guardian must look like.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Do you think he's, like... Giles' guardian angel?
BUFFY
(quietly)
Willow, how did the song go Cordelia sang the night... Jonathan died?
WILLOW
Oh, that was so pretty. Let me see, it started...
Willow half speaks, half sings the lines she remembers.
WILLOW (cont'd)
"Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night...
Willow thinks for a second, then remembers the second line.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Uh... yeah...
"Guardian Angels God will send thee...
Buffy quietly finishes the line.
BUFFY
"All through the night..."
Buffy turns to look directly at Willow.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(firmly)
Will, I'm going out tonight. I have to find him. Don't tell Xander or anyone what I'm doing.
WILLOW
(frightened)
But Buffy, that's real dangerous without Giles for backup! You said yourself, we don't know if this Guardian is even real. I mean, he was just in my dream,... and I believe in him, but putting all of our faith in a dream...
BUFFY
(interrupting Willow)
Will... sometimes that's all we have left.
Buffy turns and walks purposefully towards the door leading out of Giles's office. Willow flops the old book closed on Giles' desk and runs after her. Buffy strides across the library past the check out desk. As she heads toward the library doors, Willow calls after her.
WILLOW
(worried)
Buffy! Call me when you get in!
BUFFY
(halting and turning to look back at the distraught Willow, Buffy smiles jokingly)
I will... Watson.
WILLOW
(smiling sadly)
Be careful...
Buffy nods to her and departs through the doors, Willow speaks quietly.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Good luck, Holmes.
Willow stands alone in the half light of the deserted library. All the shelves with volumes upon volumes, the desk piled high with Giles' papers, the ancient and obscure artifacts scattered about on various tables, all seem overwhelming to her. Willow slowly looks around at what is really Giles' domain. She suddenly feels very small and lonely.
WILLOW (cont'd)
(quietly, to herself)
... oh, dear...
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