Famous Last Words
by TutorGurl
Chapter 4
[reviews]
"Is Willow Rosenberg's family here?" called the doctor as he came into the waiting room. Buffy and Dawn stood up immediately.
"Ah, I guess that would be us," answered Buffy walking slowly towards the doctor. He stretched out his hand and Buffy shook it. "Buffy Summers. Best Friend." He smiled.
"Lance Davis. Doctor." Buffy smiled. Dawn cleared her throat and Lance turned towards her and held out his hand. Dawn smiled sweetly up at him and shook his hand.
"Dawn Summers. Best Friend's Bratty Kid Sister." All three laughed quietly. The joked was soon forgotten when Lance pulled out his clipboard. Buffy went into full concern mode.
"Is she alright?" she demanded. Lance shrugged his shoulders. "How can you not know?"
"We've never seen anything like this before," he replied, defensively. "There is clearly something wrong with her, but we can't seem to find it."
"So what are you gonna do?"
"Well," he began. "For now we have her hooked up to a bunch of different machines that will help her to breathe and stay healthy. We'll continue to run tests to find what the problem is, but for now, that's all we can do." The girls nodded in understandment.
"Is she in any pain?" Buffy had to ask. The doctor looked down at his shoes. "Sir?"
"Yes, I believe so. She seems to come in and out of this coma-like state, but when she awake she seems to be fully aware of her surroundings." Dawn turned to Buffy, confused. Buffy just shrugged her shoulders to show that she didn't know either. "I'm assuming that you both will be sticking around for a while?"
"Yeah, and three other people are on their way," informed the slayer. Lance nodded his head. He began to put his clipboard away.
"Very well," he concluded. "Visiting hours are over at midnight and we usually don't allow people to hang around in the waiting room all night either." Buffy gave him a pleading look. "But, I'm getting the feeling that you won't be going anywhere."
"I don't think so," agreed Buffy. "Until Will's okay, I'll be here."
"Fine, I'll make arrangements to get you a cot in her room, but your sister and other friends will have to leave at midnight." Buffy nodded her head.
"They'll be gone," she promised. "Thank you." Lance nodded and walked back over to the nurses' station to check on his next patient.
"Crap," stated Dawn. "We forgot to ask which room she was in." Dawn quickly walked over to Lance to get the information. When she was over there, Faith came running towards Buffy.
"What's going on?" she asked, getting straight to the point. "Where's Red?"
"Her room," answered Buffy, who was too busy watching her sister then to pay full attention to the other slayer. She watched as Dawn made her way back towards her.
"128," was all Dawn said and Buffy was on her way. She turned back towards them just as Xander and Giles came running in.
"Tell them what you think is going on," ordered Buffy as she disappeared into the elevator. The three new arrivals looked to Dawn for answers. She sighed and sat down, motioning for the others to do the same.
BtVS
"Excuse me," Buffy asked the first nurse she came across. "Can you tell me where room 128 is?"
"Sure," the nurse nodded and walked with Buffy to Willow's room. When they got there Buffy stared through the window at the redhead.
"Thank you," she said distractedly and the nurse went back to what she had been doing. Buffy took a deep breath and opened the door. She slowly walked towards her best friend and sat in the chair beside her bed. She took Willow's hand in hers and sighed. "Hey, baby," she whispered and leaned up to kissed her on the forehead. "Dawn told me what she thinks is going on. I don't really know if she's right or if I fully understand what she was saying so I don't know if you can hear or talk to me, but..."
"B...Buffy?" came Willow's confused and quite voice. If Buffy hadn't been the slayer, she probably wouldn't have heard it.
"Will?" she questioned. Willow squeezed her hand to reassure her that she wasn't hearing things. "Are you awake?"
"I'm not sure," answered Willow with a sad smile. "I keep coming in and out. Between here and the battle. I can't tell which is real."
"I am. Right here," Buffy replied, rubbing Willow's cheek to try to prove it to her. Willow smiled slightly.
"I thought so," said Willow, bringing her free hand to cover Buffy's on her face. "I try to cling to this world, but he keeps dragging me back. When I get there I don't realize it isn't real."
"Who is he?" Buffy asked. Willow shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know. When I wake up I can remember everything, but he somehow blocks himself from my memory," she explained. "I remember everything he says to me, but I can't remember his face."
"Well," began Buffy as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "What does he say to you?" Willow shook her head.
"I can't tell you," she answers, sadly. "I have to face this alone, Buff. He wants me and I'm not dragging you into this."
"How can you say that?" demanded Buffy. "For seven years we have fought everything that the Hellmouth could throw at us. And we did it together." Willow let out a bitter laugh that turned to a painful cough.
"Please, Buffy," she said sarcastically. "You never let me do anything. You cut me out and saved the world by yourself. You never let me help." Buffy cast her eyes downward.
"I just wanted to keep you safe," she tried to explain. Willow took her hand again.
"Maybe, but you can't always save me," Willow argued back. "Let me save myself this time." A tear ran down Buffy's face.
"But what if you can't?"
"Then I can't," answered the witch. "I've done a lot over the past seven years. Some things were good, and others were bad. But, since the day I meet you, everything I've done was for you. I love you, Buffy."
"I love you, too, Will. More than anything," replied Buffy leaning down to kiss Willow on the forehead again. "Please let me save you."
"Not this time," sighed Willow. "I always wanted to know if I was special like you. If I had some kind of greater purpose."
"You do, Will. To me. You make me cookies." Willow gave her a weird look. "Never mind."
"I figure, They brought you back cause you were needed," explained Willow. "If you really need me, I'll be back. If you don't..."
"Don't you know by now that I need you?" questioned the slayer in disbelief. "Over the years, I've come to realize that there are people in my life I love dearly that I can live without. You, baby, aren't one of them," Buffy cried. "I can't survive without you, Willow. Please, don't do this."
"If you really do need me, Buff, you have nothing to worry about," reassured the redhead. "You of all people should know that They always do things for a reason."
"You're not gonna change your mind, are you?" she asked. Willow shook her head.
"I'm sorry," she answered regretfully. "It's something that I have to do. You know what you're doing here, I don't. This guy might have the answers. He's after me for a reason."
"I hope you find what you're looking for," the slayer wished her best friend. "You better come back to me."
"I hope I do," agreed Willow. Suddenly, Willow's nose started to bleed. She could tell that Buffy was starting to panic. "Don't worry. It happened last time. He's calling me again. I have to go."
"Will..." Buffy began. She didn't know what to say. This could very well be the last time she'll ever talk to her best friend. She did the only thing she could think of, she leaned down and kissed her passionately. Buffy broke off the kiss before Willow was ready to stop. "Now you have to come back," she smiled and slowly got off the bed and sat back in the chair. She took Willow's hand in her's again and sat quietly. They sat say there in silence for a few moments.
"Buffy?" Willow called. Buffy jumped thinking that Willow was gone.
"Yeah, baby?"
"I'm really glad that you're back." Buffy smiled and held her hand like it was her lifeline.
"Me too, Will. Me too."
~~~~BtVS~~~~
TBC
What do you think? I have no idea who the "guy" is cause I'm making it up as I go along, so I'm just as curious as to where this is going as you. Please, review to tell me you think.