Impact

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the nurse began, “but I need to check Mr. Giles…hey, look who’s awake!”

Buffy turned and saw that Giles was indeed awake, and looking right at her. She jumped and dove for his side, holding his hand once again in her right hand, and smoothing his forehead with her left hand. “Giles, you’re awake,” she sniffed back more tears, “I’m so glad you are awake. I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault.”

The nurse shushed her while she fussed over the patient. “I’m going to call the doctor. I’ll be right back.” She hurriedly left the room.

Giles continued to gaze into Buffy’s eyes. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t. Neither could he move any part of his body. He tried to grip her hand, or move his feet, but he could do none of those things. All he could do was look at her. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault. He wanted to tell her he now understood, that he was an imbecile, and that he loved her. But his vocal cords would not work.

Angel approached the foot of the bed and smiled at the Watcher. “Hey, Giles, good to see you awake.” Giles glanced at him, and then back at Buffy. Angel sensed that there was something wrong. His silence was not natural, especially since Angel knew that Giles had heard Buffy and his conversation. Buffy was beginning to notice his silence too, and his grip in her hand was still nonexistent. She glanced up at Angel worriedly, and he shared her look. Then the doctor came in.

“I need to ask you to step out for a moment while I examine him. I’ll talk to you when I’ve finished.” He dismissed them, pulling the curtain around the bed closed.

“We’ll be out in the waiting room, doctor. Please, let us know as soon as you can.” Angel pulled Buffy out of the room, her gaze never leaving Giles’ face. Nor did he break the gaze until she was out of view behind the curtain, and out of the room.

The two straggled down the hall to the waiting room. Angel leaned down and gently awakened Willow. “Oh, hi.” She smiled, and then realized where she was. Buffy tapped Xander on the shoulder to wake him up as well.

He jumped out of the chair and took a kung fu stance in the middle of the floor, until he too realized where he was, and he smiled shyly. “Sorry there Buffster. Thought you were a big bad. Bad dream.”

In all the commotion, Dawn had come out of her unrestful slumber. “Is he awake?” She asked. Willow and Xander looked at them expectantly.

Angel spoke up, “Yes, he’s awake. The doctor is with him now.”

“How did he seem?” asked Willow. She didn’t think Buffy looked too happy considering her Watcher was awake.

“His eyes were opened, but he didn’t say anything, and he didn’t grip my hand. I was holding it and, well, it was like he was still asleep.”

The group looked at each other, all concerned. Buffy and Angel each took a chair opposite the other Scoobies. “The doctor said he’d come talk to us when he was done with his examination.” Buffy added. Then she smiled gently at them. “Hey, he’s awake, and that is definitely of the good.”

“That’s right,” added Willow. “Let’s look on the bright side. Cup half full and all of that. I know Giles will be his old self in no time.”

“Yea, he’ll be up and getting knocked in the head again very soon.” Xander quipped.

No one laughed at that. In fact, they all frowned. “Shut up, Xander” he softly whispered to himself.

They waited, and waited, for what seemed like hours. Angel became very restless and began to pace around the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. Xander and Dawn started a game of thumb wrestling, with Willow cheering them on from the sidelines. Buffy just sat in her chair, feet curled up underneath her, withdrawn and quiet. It was very unlike her, and they all worried about her. Only Angel knew what thoughts bubbled in her head, and tore at her heart.

Finally the doctor emerged from Giles’ room and came to speak with them. He addressed them all as they wished.

The news wasn’t good. “The brain is a very tricky thing, and much is unknown, especially when it endures a trauma such as Mr. Giles’. He is suffering from a form of paralysis, and we don’t know how temporary or permanent it is. He did not break any vertebrae or damage his spine in any way, so we know it could be temporary due to bleeding on the brain. Once the swelling goes down in his brain, it is very possible he will regain all movement. The paralysis is from his chest down, so he is able to move his head and turn his neck, and that is a very good sign. But he can’t move his appendages at all: arms, legs, fingers, none of them. Furthermore, he is not able to speak at this time. Again, it could be only temporary. We just don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see what happens as time passes and his injuries begin to heal.”

“How long do you think it will take?” asked Buffy. “I mean, how much time has to pass in order for the swelling to go down, so we’ll know if it’s just temporary?”

The doctor just shook his head. “We just don’t know at this time. Obviously, the longer he goes without moving or speaking, the less chance he will fully recover. The swelling should be down in a few days or so, but we just don’t know if permanent damage exists or not.” His beeper then began to go off. He grabbed it off his belt, peered at it, and began to turn down the hall again. “If you have any further questions, the nurse should be able to help you. And I’ll check in now and then.” As he began to stride down the hall Buffy hurried to catch up with him. “Can I stay with him?”

He impatiently nodded his assent, so Buffy ceased following him down the corridor. She didn’t hesitate to enter her Watcher’s room once more, forgetting completely about the gang standing there in the waiting room, watching her anxiously.

Angel turned to the group. “Why don’t I take you all back to the hotel. You can get some sleep.”

“What about Buffy?” asked Dawn.

Willow answered for Angel. “Buffy is where she needs to be. You’ll let us know if there’s any change, right Angel?”

“Of course.”

It was a long quiet ride back to the Hyperion.

TBC