Willow walked slowly through the hospital. She stared all around her. She looked at the Doctors and Nurses going about their job. She looked at all the different patients in the waiting room. There were so many diferent injuries to so many diferent people. There were a few with head injuries. A couple crying over a hurt arm. One even lay uconsious on the floor. Buffy had been taken straight through to intensive care. Willow had been sent to the relative room where she sat crying. But just a minute ago, a smartly dressed Doctor came and told her the news. She'd said that Buffy was going to be alright.
***********
"HI, you must be Willow" the doctor had started.
"Y-Y-Yes! What's happened, please tell me! Is Buffy going to be alright?" Willow sobbed.
"Calm down. I know it must be a shock for you, that your friend has done this to herself but keep your hopes high. The future looks very bright for Buffy," The doctor said, a smile creeping over her face.
Willow started to smile too, "Can I see her yet?"
"It's up to you. She's still in a coma, and does not look very good either. But if you'd like to you can" the doctor replied.
"Yes, I want to see her. Where is she? Is it still intensive care?" Willow got to her feet.
"Yeah, she's still in the intensive care for now, but it won't be long before we move her down to the ward"
**********
Willow kept on walking down the grey and white corridors. A small tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She peered into a couple of rooms. In one she saw a family crowded around a little boy, who had his leg strapped up. In another room, an old man lay singing on his own. He had no flowers or cards or anything on the table next to him. WIllow felt so bad for the old man, but kept on walking. She saw the massive double doors that led into intensive care. A couple of Doctors walked in and out of the room. A group of six visitors, wandered out, crying. She thought for a second one of them were Xander, but it turned out it was someone else.
Willow aproached the room, and stopped before opening.
What if the Doctors made a mistake? What if Buffy's dead, or about to die? I can't go in there, I just can't. Not yet anyway, I don't think I'll be able to cope.
And Willow sprinted off back down the corridors.
*****
Willow sat outside for a long time. She sat on a bench watching the cars go by. She watched as people got on with their lives. She watched as people went in and out of the hospital. But Willow's life, seemed to have grinded to a halt.
She contemplated going home. She thought she could tell Faith what was going on, then return to the hospital. But she didn't think she could cope with seeing Faith just yet. What if she blamed her just like she blamed herself.
This is all my fault, I know it is. Everyone is going to blame me for this. I was at home. I was with Buffy. I should have noticed something was wrong. I should have seen the signs. I should have looked after Buffy. I should have been there for her!
Maybe I should phone Giles. Tell him what's going on. Maybe he would come and help. Maybe he would support us. He could look after Buffy. I'm going to be busy with work and all. And Faith doesn't exactly like to help. No, there is more than enough time to tell Giles, I have to think about Buffy right now.
The real reason why Willow wouldn't phone Giles, is that she was scared he'd blame her too. She couldn't admit it to herself, but that was why.
After an hour or two of sitting, and thinking, Willow decided to go back into the hospital. She'd decided to face the reality of this all, and see Buffy. She wandered through the automatic doors, and set off again towards the Intensive Care unit.
Her stumoch began to turn as she walked through the hospital. She felt so nervous. Wouldn't you? Going to visit someone who had attempted to commit suicide. Her heart began to beat heavier. Her breathing become stronger.
And she reached the unit.
Instead of stopping before going in like last time, Willow just burst through the doors into the room.
It was a dark, large room. There was barely any light at all. There was a row of perfectly white beds both sides. Most were inhabited my sick old people. Willow scanned the beds for Buffy. She saw and old man asleep in one, and an elderly lady in another. There were a few middle-aged men, and a couple of women in their twenty's. But she couldn't see Buffy.
C'mon Buffy! Where are you?
A posh voice broke her train of thought, "Hello, can I assist you in any way?"
Willow spun around, shocked. There stood a neatly dressed nurse, with a large smiling face.
"Umm - do you know where Buffy Summers is. I'm here to see her" Willow nervously answered.
The nurses broad smile vainshed into frown.
"Could you please follow me for a minute?," The nurse asked before leading the way into a tiny little office.
"Take a seat, please" the nurse said, as she pointed to a small burgundy chair.
"No, it's alright, I just want to know what's going on, " Willow said shyly.
"Miss Summers, around an hour ago, was taken to the operating theatre - " the nurse started before Willow cut in.
"WHAT! YOU SAID SHE WAS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!" Willow screamed, the tears begginning again.
"Please! Calm Down! Buffy has been taking to the operating theatre for a transfusion. A blood transfusion. She has lost a lot of it. When one of our other nurses went to check on Miss. Summers, she found a massive wound to the lower abdomen. It looked very much like a stab wound. It seems your friend tried to commit suicide again."
"WHAT! HOW THE HELL! You should have watched her! You should have looked after her! Anyway, how does someone stab themselves in ahospital full of people, and it not be noticed! What would she have stabbed herself with!?" Willow screamed, angry and thoroughly confused.
"PLEASE!" the nurse bellowed, "We are doing all we can to solve this. The Operating Team are working very hard on Miss. Summers, I can assure you! The police have been called to view the CCTV footage, and we'll soon know what happened. Now we seriously suggest you go home and get some sleep, as you are obviously very tired. We promise we will notify you of any changes"
Willow nodded sadly, too tired to argue, and walked away.
*********************
Willow sat in the back of the Taxi as it drove her home. The sun was the highest it had been in a long while. Everything shone beautifully today, except for her life. Things passed her by that she would usually have taken an interest into, like a car boot sale. But today she didn't even see them. Willow tried to force the tears back but the she couldn't stop the odd one. The Taxi driver had asked what was wrong, but she had just shrugged, and said "Long Story".
The taxi dropped her off at the end of her street, and she stepped out silently. She paid the driver a few dollars, and then she walked away. It would have been the most heavenly day ever if it wern't for her dying best friend. Birds sung in the golden leaved trees. Clouds were non-existent. And everything was peaceful.
She reached the front of their lawn, and saw the speck of blood along the patio. She guessed it must have been from Buffy when they carted her away. But as she looked up, she saw the that the door was smashed in two. She jogged up, and cautiosly pushed it open. Blood leaked from the carpet as she stepped in. She stared at the walls. All were covered in a deep thick layer of blood. She loked around, and saw the handprints on the walls. Willow stepped back, gasping in shock. She looked at the stairs, and her eyes slowly desended to the ground. At first she thought it was a pile of clothes drenched in blood. Then when she looked closer, she saw a nest of deep hazelnut hair. Then she saw a devoured hand, hanging out from under the jacket. Willow slapped her hand onto her mouth, screaming. She ran forward and tugged the jacked away. A beaten and bruised body was slumped on the ground. She saw the half eaten leg ripped from the torso. She bent over, to look at the face. Blood seeped into her shoes. She slowly turned the head so that it looked straight at her. And just as she had expected, a pair of stone-cold grey eyes looked up at her. Faith's eyes.
Willow jumped to her feet in trauma. She looked at the head that was slit in the middle. Blood still slowly dribbled from the deadly wound. Willow wiped a tear from her eye. She ran into the kitchen and got hold of the phone. And she dialled 911.
Willow ran back into the hall after making the call, and saw the message written in blood on the ceiling. Willow felt the vomit push it's way up her trembling body as she read the note.
'Hi, It's me again. Anya. If your reading this it's probably because you have found Faiths body. Yes, yes, it was me. No need to applause now, I have mastered the skill of devouring. Anyway I have to go now, cheerio!'
Willow collapsed on the ground, sobbing. She heard the ambulance and police roar into the street. The sirens were on full blast, and she could see the neighbours gather outside. Willow couldn't move, her legs were so limp and tired. Two paramedics rushed into the house, flinching from the smell. They took one look at Faith, and left. It was so obvious she was dead, even a new born baby would have realised. The police came in next, and dragged Willow away. They pushed her into a police car, and drove her away for questoning.
***********************
"Please can you state your name for the tape please," one of the policemen asked.
"O-o-kay, it's W-willow Rosenburg" she stuttered, still grieving for her friend.
"Can you -" Willow cut in.
"PLEASE LET ME GO! I DIDN'T KILL HER! WHY WOULD I! Look, she was one of my best friends, and I need all my friends right now. My other best friend is lying virtually dead in a hospital, and I really should be there!" Willow cried.
"Pleas M'am. Listen, we know you didn't kill her, but it's routine to question someone if they find a dead body. If you'd like we can carry on with this another day. You are obviously stressed and tired so how about in two days time we carry on with the interview?" the officer said trying to reason with Willow.
"That'd be great. Thank you." and Willow left the station.
She'd clambered into the first taxi she saw, and drove to the hospital.
***************
She'd sat in the relative room for around an hour now. Buffy still hadn't been released from theatre. She'd begged the nurses for information, but alas, they wouldn't give any. She cupped her face in her hands, and wondered what on earth was going on. How could one person's life be messed up so much in 24 hours.
The door to the room opened. Willow lifted her head and looked. A small mousy nurse crept into the room.
"Excuse me, your Miss. Rosenburg right. We need to talk about Miis. Summers" The nurse quietly whispered.
"Okay, so what's happened now?" Willow asked.
"Miss. Summers is out of theatre now, and back down in intensive care. But that's not the reason why we need a chat. The police went over the tapes, the CCTV tapes I mean, and no-one went near Buffy untill I went and checked on her. And she didn't wake either. So unless the tapes have been messed with, something very odd has gone on!"
"That's Craz-" A Doctor burst into the room.
"Sarah, we need you with Miss Summers!"the red-faced doctor shouted.
"Buffy!" Willow screamed racing for the door.
"That was Miss Summers best friend," the shy nurse panicked.
"We can't let her see this, it's madness!" the doctor exclaimed.
Willow dashed down the corridor, having to see Buffy. SHe knew if she'd stayed and asked the Doctors what was wrong, they'd have kept her waiting another hour. So she decided to go and see for herself. SHe smashed through the door, to see around thirty Doctors and Surgeons crowded around Buffy. All Willow could see was her face. And that didn't look to pretty. SHe pushed her way through, having to just get a glimpse at what was wrong. She reached the front of the crowd, but instead of people cutting into her, and wrapping her in plaster, they all stood and watched.
Buffy's jumper was pulled right up over her breasts, and they watched as hundreds of cuts appeared over her skin. Slowly, as if there was someone inside, trying to cut their way out, slices appeared along her stumoch. Willow stood unable to speek. SHe'd seen strange things, but this..... this was rediculous. She kept on watching in amazement, as the cuts slowly moved up her body. Suddenly, the doctor and nurse that had been following her, jumped into the crowd dragging her away.
"Miss Rosenburg, we have not given you permission to visit Buffy right now, so please can you leave immediately before we call security," the Doctor bellowed as he dragged Willow away byt the collar.
"GET OFF OF ME YOU PRAT!" Willow screamed, before thrusting the Doctor away with a fireball.
She hid her face as she realised what she had done. The fireball crashed into the Doctor, flames wrapping around him. He flew across the room before falling with a thud on the hard ground. Everyone stopped moving and all turned to Willow. SIlence. The Doctor writhed in agony on the floor, before Willow stopped the spell. And then she fled.
****************
Why did I have to lose my temper! They were only doing their job! And I'm sure they'd have let me see Buffy later on, now there is no chance. What was that anyway?!? It's time to call Giles. He's the only one who can solve this.
Willow headed straight for the nearest pay phone. She searched amongst her rubbish full pockets for a $20 bill. She then searched her purse for her phone book. She flipped straight to G and went down the list.
Ahmed Gates 02920 381374
Jemma Geraint 01443 789145
And finally...
Rupert Giles 07761305687
Willow slid the money into the slot and started to dial. She listened. The phone rang for around a minute, but Willow was so desperate, she kept on listening. Then:-
"Hello, you have reached Rupert Giles' mobile telephone. I am sorry, but I cannot answer right now, so please leave your name, telephone number, and message after the tone. Thank You." BEEEEEEEP!
"Uh - Giles? It's Willow. Please can you ring me back, it's urgent. Someting happened. I need you here. It's Buffy. SHe's - I'lll tell you when you phone back. And also, Faith. SHe's dead. And lot's of other things are going - " and the line went dead.
"Bollocks!" Willow screamed in a temper kicking the side of the phone box.
Why do these things always brake when your in the middle of doing something. Damn Bloody Phones!
Willow loked around for another phone phone, but couldn't see one.
Suddenly, the phone started to ring. Willow jumped out of her skin with fright. She dived to pick up the call.
"Hi?!?!" WIllow shouted into the reciever.
"Hello, Willow is that you?" Giles wondered.
"Oh Giles. Yes it's me. Please come back. I need you here now. Everything is goin pear shaped. You have to come back." Willow begged.
"Willow calm down. JUst start from the begginning and tell me what happened. I need to know everything to try and sort this out."
"Okay. Well here I go. When you and Xander and Dawn and everyone left, Buffy got depressed. To say the truth we all got depressed. Buffy was the worst. Any how, one night I decided to take us all out to lighten our spirits. I was taking us to the club Evolution. On the way, we heard a noise. It turned out that two very familiar people came out from behind a bush. Anyanka and Angelus. Shock Horror I know. Well we all got scared then. For like the next day or two none of us spoke a word. But then on night, Faith went out, and when she came back she shouted saying she had big news. Of course our first intsint is to tell Buffy. But when we went into her room, we found her with a sword to her wrists. The amb -"
"WHAT?!?! Your saying Buffy actually tried to commit suicide, " Giles cut in.
"Yep!"
Willow then repeated the whole story, of how Buffy was stabbed in hospital, to how they found Faith dead at the foot of the stairs. Finally Willow got to the bit about the mysterious cut's appearing all over Buffy's body.
"So your saying, that Buffy is being ripped apart by nothing at all. That she is just falling to shreds?!? That's impossible!" Giles squealed.
"Yeah. And if we don't do anything soon, she's gonna be dead."
"Wait................. I think I have some documentation on a Demon that does things like this," Willow listened to Giles rustle through some papers, "Here we are. There is a Demon called Klemir. It inhabits the body's of people that are in a coma, or a very weak state. Once inside the bodys, it tries to devour them from inside. Klemir would appear in the persons dream, and attack them. Then the person would have to battle against the Demon. Any wound the Demon creates from within the Dream, is also made on the body out of the dream, therefore, mysterious cuts and bruises. Any wound the person would make to the Demon, wouldn't make the slightest difference as it would immediately dissapear."
"So your saying this Demon is untouchable?" Willow thought worried.
"No - Not quite. Any new person that would enter the body, could battle the Demon and hurt him. That is the only way to solve this. Someone has to go into Buffy's body, and fight this Demon." Giles answered knowledgefully.
"So if I went in, I could kill this Demon. And it would all be over with." Willow smiled.
"No. I said it had to be someone new to enter Buffy, and you already have!" Giles was staring to get frustrated.
"What? When!!??"
"Willow, don't you remember around three years ago, when Glory took Dawn from Buffy. Buffy fell into a kind of Coma then. And you entered her mind to sort it out. So if you entered again, you'd kill you both!"
"So what am I meant to do!?" Willow asked.
"Cast a complete sleeping spell, and it will send the Demon to sleep aswell. After that, transport Buffy's body home, or the hospital will think she'd dead. Then you wait for me to arrive. I'm getting the first plane out tommorrow, so I'll be here in a couple of days. I better be going now. Goodbye. And look after yourself." Then the phone went dead again.
Willow stood in silence, wondering if she was going to be able to pull this off. She hadn't told Giles about her little tantrum. What if the hospital wouldn't let her back in? Well there was one way to find out.
"Hello!" she heard Anya say behind her.
Willow turned around, before being thrown full blast through the hospital window.
End Of Part 1
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