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Two weeks passed by.

Spike’s condition stabilized. After a few days, the doctors moved him into a hospital room where two of his friends could see him at a time.

One of the complications that the doctors had feared happened. Spike fell into a coma. He hadn’t woken up since the accident.

Buffy and the others were afraid but tried to remain hopeful. They all prayed that he’d come out of it quickly. But, two weeks later, Spike still hadn’t come out of it. Dr. Neilson (or Mike, as he preferred to be called) told them that the longer Spike was in the coma, the less likely it was that he ever would.

Buffy was there everyday, bright and early. She only left when she was forced to. The floor staff took pity on her and let her spend the nights in his room. She brought his favorite CDs and books with her, playing his music and reading to him. But mostly she just talked to him while she held his hand. She heard that coma patients sometimes could hear when people talked to them.

Buffy sat holding Spike’s hand, caressing it in both of hers while the Sex Pistols played in the background.

She thought back to when she’d first seen him after the accident. She’d almost screamed and fainted. He had looked so terrible: gauze was wound around the top of his head; IVs were connected to his arms; both of his eyes were blackened; cuts and bruises marred his beautiful face; a cervical collar was fastened around his neck; those little 'sucker thingies' were on his chest; he was connected to machines that went ‘beep’; his right arm was in a cast; his torso was wrapped in tape; oxygen tubes were in his nose; a breathing tube was in his mouth.

She couldn’t stand seeing him like that. So battered, so small and helpless.

Buffy studied his unmoving face. His bruises were fading, he was looking more like her Spike again. Mike had said that Spike was healing quickly. He was lucky that he was so young and healthy to begin with.

“Hey, baby,” Buffy whispered. “Are you going to wake up for me today? Just open up those beautiful baby-blues for me, okay?”

There was no response. Not that she really expected one. But she had to ask him that every day anyway. Buffy looked away from his face and down at their hands, trying not to cry. She had to be positive. She had to be strong, for him.

“You should see the all the balloons and flowers you have in your room. Everyone wants you to get better soon.”

Buffy kissed his hand.

“I have to start school soon... I don’t really want to though. I won’t be able to concentrate on anything until you wake up. I thought that maybe I’d start a little later... Do you want me to read to you? I brought a few more books from your place. None of those icky Stephen King ones though.”

Buffy scrunched up her face. “I don’t know how you can read those things. How about ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’? I never read the book before, but I saw parts of the movie. ‘Stella!’ -- I remember that part. You remember that Simpsons episode where they did a musical version of it called 'O Streetcar!'? We watched it together in bed that one time...that was nice…”

Buffy sighed. “Who knows? You may wake up just so you can tell me to shut up. I’ve been talking your cute little ears off for over a week.”

She smiled at the thought of Spike doing just that. Waking up and saying, ‘Will you shut your gob, woman!? I’m trying to get some bloody sleep here!’

“Okay, let’s get started,” Buffy said, fishing in her bag and bringing out the book.

She opened it on her lap and began to read while holding his hand.


About an hour into her reading, Spike’s eyes opened slowly.

Buffy was looking down at the book as she read, not noticing that he was awake.

Spike felt disoriented and weak. He wasn’t sure what had happened to him.

‘Am I in a hospital room? Is that Buffy’s voice?’

He moved his eyes to look at her. It was her. She was reading something, her honey-colored hair formed a drape, blocking her face. He needed to see her face.

Spike weakly squeezed her hand.

Buffy gasped and looked at their joined hands then at his face. His eyes were half-opened and looking at her.

“Spike?” she asked unbelievingly. “Spike, you’re awake!” Buffy laughed and smiled as she stood up. She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “I-I have to tell them!”

Buffy carefully placed his hand back on the bed then ran to the door to alert the nurses. As soon as she let them know he was awake, she flew back to his side.

“I was so worried about you, baby! I missed you so much! Are you okay? Can I get you something?” Buffy softly touched his face.

Spike tried to say something but choked on the tube that was stuck down his throat.

"Oh! Don't try to talk yet! There's a tube down your throat!" Buffy fretted.

Doctor Neilson came in, followed by a nurse. He smiled at Spike.

"Well, hello there, Spike. 'Bout time you woke up. I'm Dr. Neilson, but you can call me Dr. Mike. Let's get that tube out of your mouth. I'm going to take it out nice and slow..."

He removed the tube and put it down on a tray the nurse was holding. Spike coughed a bit.

"Get him a drink of water, Buffy," Dr. Mike said, raising the bed so that Spike could sit up.

Buffy immediately went and poured a glass of water for Spike, putting one of those bendy straws in it. She was so excited that her hands were shaking.

"Here, Spike." Buffy held the straw up to his lips.

Spike smiled weakly and took a few sips. Buffy replaced the glass on the table next to the bed and took his hand back in hers. The urge to smother him with kisses was almost overpowering.

'That would be cute. He finally wakes up and I put him in another coma because I can't control myself. Take it easy, girl! Breathe in and out... You and Spike can have plenty of smoochies in the future.' Buffy thought.

"Your voice is going to be rough for a day or two from the tube and because you haven't exactly been a chatterbox lately," Dr. Neilson said, checking Spike's vital signs. "Do you remember what happened?"

Spike creased his brow, thinking hard.

"A...little..." he rasped, he winced at the soreness in his throat. "How long...have I been here?"

"It's been two weeks," Buffy said softly.

Spike's eyes went wide. "Two weeks? I've been --" He stopped putting a hand to his throat.

"You shouldn't try talking a lot right now, Spike. It's okay if I call you Spike, isn't it?" Dr. Neilson asked.

Spike nodded.

"That's what Buffy and your friends call you. I'm going to go set up some tests I want to run on you. But I'll be back soon and tell you about your injuries. I think you're going to be just fine. So don't worry about that. I'll give your father a call, let him know how you're doing."

Dr. Mike picked up Spike's chart and scribbled on it. "Buffy, why don't you fill him in on some things while I'm gone." He smiled.

"Sure."

"I'll be back soon," Dr. Mike said over his shoulder.

The nurse followed him out.

Buffy sat on the edge of the bed. "You're going to be okay. You don't know how happy I was when I saw you looking at me." Buffy leaned forward and kissed his dry lips lightly.

"What...happened?" Spike asked.

"You were in an accident...a drunk driver crashed into you. The guy's in jail, he's going to be behind bars for a long time, so don't worry about that. He won't be able to hurt anyone else again... We were all so worried about you..." Buffy's voice hitched. "I was so scared... I don't know what I would have done if I lost you."

Spike took her hand and kissed her on the knuckles. "Sorry... I worried...you...pet."

"It wasn't really your choice. So I forgive you." Buffy smiled.

"I was really in a coma...for two...bloody weeks?" Spike said, his voice still gravelly, and not in the sexy way that he sometimes affected.

"Yeah...but you're okay now. You're going to be okay. Dr. Mike said you shouldn't try to talk that much, baby. I can tell it hurts." Buffy caressed his face. "I was here with you as much as I could be. They made me leave a few times..."

"I dreamt about...you," Spike said.

Buffy smiled brightly. "You did? Maybe you could hear me talking and it made you dream about me. Were they nice dreams...or dirty ones?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"They were nice...and dirty," Spike sneered.

Buffy giggled. She was positively giddy. Not only was Spike out of the coma and talking, he seemed to have all of his faculties about him. He couldn't remember the accident, but Dr. Mike said that was normal. Sometimes accident victims who suffered head trauma had holes in their memory.

Spike looked around the room at the balloons, flowers and get well cards. He grinned. It was nice to know that people cared about you.

He suddenly remembered a part of the night of the accident. Dru being in his house and telling everyone that he used to be a 'pro'. His face drained of color and went slack.

"What?!" Buffy said getting scared. "What's the matter, Spike? Should I get the doctor?!"

Spike shook his head 'no' and held her hand. "I just...remembered...about Dru...at my house."

Buffy relaxed slightly, but had to swallow the anger she felt for his ex.

'God help that bitch if I ever see her... She'd better keep her bony ass in L.A...' Buffy's nostrils flared.

She put a sweet smile on her face. "It's okay. That's over now."

"But...my dad...and the others...they know," Spike said.

"And they don't care. They still care about you, it didn't affect how they feel about you. Xander's actually a little envious, I think." Buffy laughed at the last part.

Spike chuckled weakly.

"Giles is okay with it, Spike. He ain't exactly ecstatic, but he still loves you more than anything. And I told him I'd kick his ass if he gives you a hard time about it when you get home," Buffy half-joked. "All he wants is for you to get well."

She really had threatened Giles with numerous kickings of his ass if he upset Spike with the 'escort thing'. He assured her that he wouldn't bring it up again unless Spike did. And, even then, he wouldn't let it become an issue. Almost losing his son, and blaming himself for the circumstances, had deeply affected Giles.

"I feel like it's been forever since I talked with you, I've been talking at you a lot. I'm just so relieved. You don't know how...scared I was. I love you so much..." Buffy's eyes teared up.

"Love you...too, pet," Spike whispered.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Spike was released from the hospital after another week. His and Buffy's friends threw a 'Welcome Home' party for him at his place, with banners and balloons.

They made it clear that they were still his friends.

Spike had been touched when Buffy told him about the night of the accident. He had a whole new appreciation for Xander after hearing how torn up the teen had been about Spike's 'death', and how Xander had tried to save his life at his own peril. Spike definitely had a new best mate. It was rare to find someone who'd risk their neck for you. Xander was a good bloke.





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