His Worth

Buffy arrived at the hospital and ran into the emergency room entrance searching for Xander and Giles.
Xander spotted her, “Buffy! Over here” he called out.
She ran over to him and threw herself into his arms giving him a giant hug then pulled back “Where is he, Xander? Can I see him?” she asked teary eyed.
“Mr. Giles is in there with him now. I take you back” Xander led her through a pof sof swinging door and into a triage unit. They passed several curtained off rooms before Xander stopped outside of one.
“The doctor said they were going to move him to a real room shortly. He still hasn’t regained consciousness. They said everything else will heal but they are worried that he hasn’t woken up yet.” Xander explained.
Buffy took a deep breath and pulled the curtain back a few inches. What she saw just broke her heart even more. Giles was sitting at a chair he had pulled up to Spike’s hospital bed. He had himself draped over his son with his head resting on his torso. Tear stains streaked his cheeks. He held Spike’s hands in his own.
“Please wake up, son” he was whispering “It almost killed me when I lost your mother; it WILL kill me if I lose you. Please William. You’re stronger than this. I promise I’m not mad at you. Xander told me everything. Son, I still love you, no matter what” he pleaded with Spike’s unconscious form.
Buffy turned back and looked at Xander.
“I had to, Buffy. I told Giles everything. About Spike. About what happened with Dru, his way of life, mine too. I couldn’t lie to the man when his son is lying here like this. I’m sorry” Xander lookway.way.
“It’s good that you told him, Xander. It needed to be done sooner of later. Spike was so right about the lying. I should have never let this go on as long as it has.” Buffy stated.
Buffy turned back towards Giles and Spike. She opened the curtain more and stepped through into the room. She walked up and placed a hand on Giles’ shoulder.
He looked up through blurry and weary eyes.
“Oh, Buffy…thank God you’re here.” Giles stood up and embraced her.
“I’m so sorry Mr. Giles. It’s all my fault. If it wasn’t for nd mnd my stupid mouth, he wouldn’t be here” Buffy cried.
“It’s not your fault, dear. Please don’t cry. You need to be strong. For William’s sake. O.K.?” Giles asked her.
Buffy pulled away from his embrace and moved closer to Spike. She looked down at his battered face and winced. Taking his hand in her own, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She sat down in the chair that Giles had vacated and began strokSpikSpike’s hair.
“I’ll give you some time alonilesiles told her and left the room to go find Xander.
Buffy continued stroking Spike’s hair and murmuring to him.
“I love you so much, Spike. I am so sorry. Please wake up. You can do anything you want to me but just please wake up.” She begged his still form.
She leaned back over him and gave him a gentle kiss on his lips. She laid her head on his chest and sobbed. How long she lay there, she wasn’t sure. It felt like hours or days. She thought she was dreaming when she heard a faint “Buffy” being croaked out.
She sat up and stared into blue eyes.
“Buffy…” Spike croaked out again between too dry lips.
“Spike! You’re awake! Oh, Spike! I love you. Let me get the doctor!” She d and and almost ran out of the room.
Minutes later she was back with a nurse.
She stood back and let the nurse perform all her duties, taking Spike’s vitals and what not.
“The doctor will be here shortly and your room upstairs is just about ready” the nurse informed them .
“.
“There were two other men here earlier. Do you know where they went?” Buffy inquired of the nurse.
“I believe they went to the cafeteria to get something to eat” she answered.
Just as she said that, Giles and Xander appeared at the parted curtain.
“He’s awake!” Buffy beamed.
Giles and Xander rushed in to see for themselves.
“ ‘ey, ‘m not a bloody circus exhibit so stop gawking at me” Spike mumbled.
“Yep, that’s our Spike!” Xander ged. ed. “Hey, buddy...welcome back”
“What ‘appened? My bloody ‘ead ‘urts like ‘ell.” Spike groaned, “Not to mention the rest of my entire body”
“You don’t remember, son?” Giles asked.
“More than I want to but…things are pretty hazy” Spike answered.
“It doesn’t matter what happened. All that matters is that you’re going to be O.K.” Buffy chimed in.
Spike looked at Buffy, with shame in his eyes, and then looked away.
The doctor took that opportunity to show up then and within minutes he was being wheeled away to his regular hospital room.
While the orderlies and nurse were getting him situated, the doctor informed the three of them that he was just going to keep Spike overnight for observation as was standard procedure for anyone brought it with head trauma. He should be fine though and could be released the next day.
It turns out the cafeteria had been closed when Xander and Giles went there previously so Xander talked Buffy and Giles into leaving the hospital for a couple hours to go get something to eat. Buffy was reluctant to leave Spike but finally relented under pressure from the two men that she needed to eat before she dropped.
Spike had fallen back asleep. She kissed him goodbye and the three of them left the hospital to go to the 24 hour diner a block away.
None of them noticed Angel dressed in an orderly outfit he had stolen from the hospital’s laundry room. Angel checked the hallway to make sure it was clear and then he crept into Spike’s room. Taking a pillow from the second bed in the room, he stood over Spike.
“Your time has run out, pretty boy” Angel leered and pressed the pillow down over Spike’s face.
Spike awakened and began to struggle against the person over him.

“Oh crap. I forgot my purse!” Buffy exclaimed after they had all exited the elevator on the ground floor of the hospital.
“Let me run back and get it.” Buffy told Xander and Giles.
“Alright, dear. We’ll wait here for you.” Giles told her.
Buffy got back on the elevator and pressed the button for the 4th floor.

Spike was suffocating. He couldn’t breath. Two strong arms were holding him down and there was a pillow over his face. He was trying to throw whoever it was off but in his weakened condition he didn’t have the strength.
“Bye bye, Spikey” Angel was grinning the entire time.
“What are you doing?” came a gasp at the doorway.
Angel spun around like a deer caught in the headlights. Buffy ran into the room and started pummeling him about the head and chest.
“Get off of him! Don’t touch him” she was screaming.
Angel grabbed her and punched her. “Get off of me you stupid bitch!” he yelled at her.
She fell back against the bedside table, cracking her head against the corner.
Spike had managed to get the pillow off his face and catch his breath. He didn’t know how he managed to do it but he got himself up out of the bed and was standing holding onto its sides.
Angel looked from him to the girl crumpled on the floor, bleeding from a gash in her head. He could hear people coming. He turned and ran out of the room.
“Buffy! Buffy!” Spike stumbled in pain around the bed and over to where she lay.
He collapsed next to her and cradled her into his arms.
“Somebody help me!” he screamed out. “Buffy, just hold on. Everything’s going to be O.K. I love you.”
A nurse rushed into the room, her eyes adjusting to the scene before her. She picked up the phone in the room and yelled for an emergency team to get there, stat.

Xander and Giles were waiting for Buffy.
“She’s been gone a long time” Giles commented.
“Yeah, too long” Xander swallowed the lump of fear he felt in his throat for some inexplicable reason.
“We better go find her” Giles stated and the two men got up to do just that.

A/N: Coming Soon: Chapter 16- Getting Your Rocks Back