Impact

Angel had made his way to O’Malley’s Bar by way of the sewers. It had a convenient entrance in the rear through a back alley. There was a time when Angel visited here a lot after he had first come to L.A. to drown his sorrows. He had no purpose back then, until Doyle had entered his life and changed everything. Sine that time, he hadn’t had much occasion to visit the dark bar, but he was definitely in the mood for it’s environment today.

He was in his third round of Glenlivet when the brunette sat beside him. She hadn’t asked if the seat was available, but just plunked herself right down. He hoped she wasn’t a chatterbox, because he wasn’t up for conversation.

“Hi,” she smiled at him. “You look familiar. I think I’ve seen you around some place recently?”

Angel turned and looked at her, but didn’t recognize her face. She was perhaps in her late twenties, dark skinned, perhaps Phillipino? He couldn’t quite place her origins just by looking at her. She was sitting, but seemed to be short of stature. Her eyes were twinkly and friendly however, and her smile was captivating. The angry retort he had readied quickly defused on his lips.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think so.” He smiled graciously, and then turned back to his beverage.

“Oh, I know, I remember now.” He turned back to her but was interrupted by the bartender. “Hi Bunny.” He said. “Want your usual?”

“Yes, please Willard.” Willard the bartender hastily made and placed a Cadillac Margarita in front of the bubbly lady. “Thanks!” Bunny said. She sipped the salted rim and sighed as if in ecstasy. “Willard’s margaritas always hit home for me after a long day at the hospital.”

“Hospital?” Angel looked at her questioningly.

“Yes, that’s where I’ve seen you. You probably didn’t notice me. I’m a nurse in the intensive care . My name’s Bunny. You’re Angel aren’t you? Lilly has talked about you.”

Angel smiled at the mention of Lilly. “Yes, Lilly and I have become good friends. I have a friend there in the unit now, Rupert Giles?” Bunny nodded in understanding. “He’s doing better.”

“Yes, thankfully. Pleased to meet you Bunny.” They shook hands, and then both resumed to consume their beverages.

“Your friend, Mr. Giles, he sure has a devoted visitor, doesn’t he.”

Angel stared long and hard at his drink before answering. “Yes, he does.”

“He’s very lucky.” She glanced at her companion’s face and noticed that his features had darkened somewhat. “I’m sorry. Did she…used to be yours?”

Angel took another long swallow from his drink, draining the glass. “A long time ago, but she is where she should be now.”

“I thought maybe this Mr. Giles stole her from you, by the look on your face. Oh, sorry,” she muttered after seeing his expression. “None of my business. Shutting up now.” She waved her hands in front of her face, and pretended to lock her lips and throw the key over her shoulder. Angel smiled at that.

“It’s alright. I’m just moody tonight.” And every night, he thought wryly. “So, Bunny, how long have you worked at the hospital? I’m around there a lot…uh..to see Lilly and such…and I never noticed you before, and I think I would have. I’m sort of observant in that way.” Man, when did he become so talkative? He waved Willard away and paid for his tab.

“Oh, you wouldn’t have. I just started a couple weeks ago. But Lilly has been real nice, taken me under her wing and all.”

Angel got up to leave. “Well, it was nice talking to you Bunny.” He threw some more money down on the counter and spoke to Willard. “This is for Bunny’s drink.” She started to protest but between Angel and Willard she didn’t have a chance.

“Goodbye Bunny, I’ll probably see you around at the hospital then.” He turned and went out the back entrance. Lilly watched his back the entire way. “Oh, you’ll see me around, for sure.” The twinkle in her eyes faded, and a yellow scum momentarily clouded her pupils, until fading away back to their normal brown color.

While Angel had been sulking in the bar, Wesley was hard at work as usual. He tracked Lorne down at the new offices at Wolfram and Hart. They were hard pressed these days to get Lorne out of there. He was entranced by the Entertainment Department that he was now in charge of. It took a great deal of effort on Wesley’s part to coax Lorne out for a walk in the fresh air. They needed more information on this vision of his.

“Sorry Snookems, “Lorne began, “but I already told bald boy and her highness everything I know.”

“Yes, Lorne, but maybe they didn’t pick up on something that I might. Please, for my sake, for the sake of Angel and everyone, would you please go over everything again for me. From the top, please?”

Lorne rolled his eyes. His life was so complicated sometimes. “Okay, alright. I was in the office at W.H. absorbed in reading Celine Dion’s file. Man, if you only knew what was in that file!” Wesley rolled his eyes heavenward. “Please Lorne, go on.”

The green demon frowned. How could Wesley not find that fascinating? “Well, I was sitting there reading and sipping on a Sea Breeze when a young woman approached me. She was looking for a book, but she was in the wrong department. She needed the Prophecy Department, and not the Entertainment Department. How she got so turned around I have no idea. Anyway, she noticed the file I was reading, and commented that she loved Celine Dion, and began to sing a snippet of ‘My Heart Will Go On’. The lady had a lovely voice, I remember that. Then the vision came. I saw a giant yellow demon, destroying the Hyperion.”

“Can you be more specific on what the demon looked like?” asked Wesley.

Lorne concentrated for a moment, trying to soak in the remnants of the vision. Then he shrugged his shoulders. “The best I can come up with is that it looked like the Jolly Green Giant, only yellow.”

“But nothing fits that description in the research. “ Wesley frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets to stave off his frustrations.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t think of what else to tell you. Can we go back now? I really have more work to do.”

“Work?” Wes countered. “More like stalking the stars through paperwork if you ask me.”

Lorne laughed. “So I’m obsessed? But one day, just you wait. You’ll all be reading about me!” Lorne laughed at first, and then realized what he had just said, and sobered instantly. “Forget I said that.”

Back at the hospital, Nurse Lilly was bringing in a dinner tray to Giles’ room. “Here hon, I brought you something to eat. Don’t want you wasting away on me!” The young blonde girl smiled up at her from her position on the patient’s bed. Mr. Giles also smiled up at the nurse, and then coaxed Buffy off the bed, trying to express with his eyes that he agreed with the nurse. Buffy needed to eat. Giles wished he could join her with something other than his current liquid diet.

She pouted out her lip, but eventually crawled off the bed after kissing him on the nose. She sat in the chair as Nurse Lilly placed the tray on the table for her. Buffy lifted the lid and smelled the beef stew. It actually looked edible for hospital food, and her stomach growled out it’s needs. Buffy blushed as she heard Nurse Lilly laugh from her position by Giles’ bed. She was taking his temperature for the zillionth time. “See? I knew you needed food.” She laughed when Buffy stuck her tongue out at her, and then took a huge bite of the stew. It was warm and delicious, and she shoveled it in as fast as she could.

“There you go, Mr. Giles. You should be all set for the night. Do you need anything else?” He shook his head at her. “The doctor should be in one last time for the evening to check on you. He’ll have some of those test results in I imagine, and I believe that tomorrow we are moving you out of intensive care.”

Giles smiled at that. He couldn’t wait to get out of this bloody hospital permanently, and hopefully with his voice intact! The doctor assured him that it was most likely temporary, as his paralysis had been. In time all of the swelling would go down in his brain, and he should then be able to speak again. They didn’t dwell on the chance that there could be irrevocable damage.

“Does that mean you won’t be our nurse anymore?” Buffy asked between bites. “Oh, I mean, Giles’ nurse anymore. I don’t need a nurse.” She used her napkin to cover her smile. Lilly giggled too.

“I am just assigned to this wing, but I’m sure I’ll pop in and check on you now and then. You two are my favorite patients.” They both laughed at that, and then they heard the buzzing go off down the hall. Lilly waved at them as she went out the door. “Duty calls.”

TBC