Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

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Chapter 46

The medical team worked quickly and efficiently on Spike. His head was x-rayed and thankfully revealed no new fracture or damage to the site of his previous one. He had extensive and very severe bruising to his lower back but again x-rays on his lumber spine were clean. Spike was moved from the ER to a ward. He was drifting close to consciousness but not quite surfacing just yet.

Ooooooo

A nurse approached Joyce and Buffy. Joyce had sent Xander and Cordelia home, seeing that the other girl’s presence was, for some reason, upsetting her daughter. She had promised them she’d let them know how Spike was as soon as they had more news.

“Mrs. Summers?”

“Yes.”

“I understand that you’re caring for James Norman at the moment, is that right?”

“Yes, yes it is. His legal guardian is in England and he’s returning late tonight. How is he? What happened?”

“We’re not entirely sure what happened to him but it appears that he was attacked with a weapon of some sort – most likely a baseball bat.”

Buffy gasped and started to cry once more. Her mother hugged her tightly.

“He’s still unconscious,” continued the nurse, “but he is showing signs of coming round. All his x-rays were clear. Obviously the sooner he regains consciousness the better but we don’t think he’s in any danger.”

“Oh, thank God for that,” said Joyce, “Thank you. May we see him please?”

“Yes, you can come and sit with him for a little while,” replied the nurse.

Joyce kept her arm around her distraught daughter.

“Buffy, honey, you’ve got to try to be strong when we get to see Spike.”

“I’ll try, Mom, but I’m just so worried about him,” said Buffy with a sniff or two.

“I know, but he’ll be okay. I’m sure of it,” reassured Joyce.

Ooooooo

It took all of Buffy’s strength not to cry anew when she saw him lying on the bed. They’d cleaned him up a bit but his hair was still tinged pink with blood from his head wound. She could see a row of sutures in a shaved patch of scalp behind his right ear. His face was grazed. His eyes were closed but Buffy could see the lids moving a little. She sat in the chair near the bed and took hold of his hand. She glanced up at her mom, her eyes huge and brimming with unshed tears.

“I’ll go and get us a hot drink,” said Joyce, seeing that Buffy needed to be alone with him just now.

She’d known that the pair of them had been developing feelings for each other but only now, looking at her daughter, did she realise quite how deep they were.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Buffy quietly.

She waited for her mom to leave before she started to talk to Spike, stroking his hand as she did.

“Oh Spike, please be okay. You’ve got to be okay. I love you so much.”

Spike remained silent.

“It’s the New Year in a couple of days and I want to be kissing you at midnight.”

She babbled on, saying anything and everything that came to her mind. He started to stir, eyelids fluttering and lips moving. She leaned in closely trying to hear what he was saying.

“Mom? It hurts so much. Why did Dad hit me again; was I bad?” The words were barely audible. A tear escaped from his eye and rolled slowly down his face.

Buffy’s heart missed a beat, “No, Spike, it’s not your mom. It’s me, it’s Buffy.”

“Spike?” he whispered, “William’s Spike.”

“What?” asked Buffy she'd barely heard the words. She was rewarded with a bit of a groan and felt his hand start to grip hers.

“James named Spike,” he murmured, beginning to move restlessly on the bed.

“I love you, Spike. Come back to me,” pleaded Buffy.

Buffy leant forwards and kissed him gently on his cheek, a couple of tears falling as she did. His eyes fluttered opened.

“Oh Spike, you’re back!” cried Buffy in delight.

He frowned as he struggled to focus on her. “Buffy,” he said weakly.

“I’m here, you’re going to be okay.” Buffy glanced around and beckoned the nurse who’d shown her in. All thoughts of what she'd heard were pushed away by the delight at seeing him wake up.

“Hello there,” said the nurse, “My name’s Josie, what’s yours?”

“Spike…um...Will...um…James,” stuttered Spike in confusion.

Josie laughed, “Well, Spike…um…Will...um...James, what’s it to be? Do you know?”

“Er…it’s James but I get called Spike,” he said as his thoughts cleared.

“So how are you feeling then, Spike?” She got hold of his wrist and checked his pulse rate as she spoke.

“Feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

“I’ll bet; that was quite a beating you took.”

“A beating? Is that what happened?” asked Spike. He glanced at Buffy who slightly shook her head indicating that she didn’t know either.

“We think so,” replied Josie, “I’ll go and get the doctor now that you’re back with us.”

As she left Joyce reappeared with two cups of coffee.

“Oh Spike, that is a sight for sore eyes,” she said as soon as she saw that he was awake.

She passed Buffy her coffee, pulled over another chair and sat down next to her. Spike tried to sit up, he gave out a bit of a yelp that startled Buffy into spilling some of her drink, and then flopped back down again.

“God, that soddin’ hurts,” he gasped.

“What happened to you, Spike?” asked Joyce with concern.

“I don’t know. I was walking home after,” he shared a secret smile with Buffy, “um…after I left your house and the next thing I know is waking up just now.”

He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea hit him. When he opened them again a doctor was standing beside Joyce and Buffy, holding his notes.

“Well, James, you’ve had a very lucky escape.”

“I’m not feeling that lucky,” replied Spike, since he seemed to hurt everywhere, a sensation that brought back the not so pleasant days in London post-accident.

“You were extremely fortunate not to suffer fractures at either site, both of which would probably have had catastrophic consequences for you.”

“Oh,” said Spike as a chill of fear went through him at the thought of what might have been. He gripped Buffy’s hand even tighter.

“In light of your previous head injury I’ll most probably keep you in for a day or two for observation. I’m just going to do a few checks on you now, okay?”

Spike nodded.

The doctor checked the response of his pupils to light and was pleased to see that Spike had feeling in his feet, as he’d been concerned that the back injury might have aggravated the nerves in his spinal column.

“Okay, James, I’d like you to sit up for me now, please.”

Spike hesitated, “Um…I tried to just now and it really hurts.”

“I know it will, but can you please try for me?”

Spike sighed and tried to push himself up. He gritted his teeth as pain shot through him. The doctor supported him with his hand.

“That’s great, James. Thank you.” He helped Spike to ease himself down. “Now can you just roll over on to your side for me, please, so I can take another look at your back?”

Spike turned onto his side. Only the thought of Buffy sitting there kept him quiet, it hurt so badly. Without thinking he’d turned away from Buffy and Joyce as the doctor was standing beside them. Buffy giggled a little when she saw his bare butt sticking out of the hospital gown he was wearing. Her giggles soon changed to a cry of horror as the doctor pulled the gown open to reveal the bruising just below his waist. There was a raised, angry welt already turning black and blue.

“My, that is quite impressive,” commented the doctor wryly, “You can turn back over now.”

Spike rolled over until he was on his side facing them all.

“I think I’ll stay on my side,” he said, grimacing with pain.

“I’ll step up your pain medication now that you’re awake.”

“Thank you,” said Spike with feeling.

“I’m afraid I must ask you ladies to leave James to rest now.”

Buffy started to protest but was silenced by her Mom’s hand on her shoulder. Joyce noted the greyish tinge to Spike’s complexion and knew that the boy would appreciate some peace.

“Come on, honey, the doctor’s right. He needs to rest.”

Spike glanced at her gratefully. He really was feeling quite ill.

“Okay.” Buffy kissed him on his cheek, “I’ll see you again soon.”

“Oh God! Rupert!” exclaimed Spike, “What about Rupert?”

“It’s okay, Spike, I’ll go and meet him at the airport. Don’t you worry about him, just concentrate on getting yourself well,” said Joyce, putting a hand on his shoulder.

As they left Joyce spoke to the doctor about the situation with Rupert. She managed to get him to agree that Rupert could call to see Spike as soon as he arrived back in Sunnydale, despite the late hour.

Josie arrived back at Spike’s bedside with a syringe.

“Here you go - this will make you feel more comfortable.”

The needle stung as she inserted it into the vein in his arm and slowly injected the drug. Spike sighed as he felt it take effect.

“Thanks, Josie,” he whispered.

He was asleep before she had left the side of his bed.

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