Trauma
TITLE: Trauma 1/1
AUTHOR: Jingo
E-MAIL: jingoclay@yahoo.com
RAITING: PG-13 for some implied violence
DISTRIBUTION: Crazy enough to want it than do with it
what you like. Then seek help. Soon to be archived at
https://www.angelfire.com/ca4/faithzangel/index.html
SUMMARY: Something’s seriously amiss with Buffy and
the only way to help her heal may be to remember
someone she tried to forget.
FEEDBACK: I have a severely atrophied ego, please with
just a few nice words you can give an aspiring author
a reason to pat herself on the back. Here’s Sally
Stuthers to tell you more…
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the clothes on my
back. This is to say all things Buffy are the property
of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, and The WB
networks.
AUTHOR’S NOTES: I’m a terrible writer and I never
would’ve done this if it hadn’t been for the
encouragement of a very special person who goes by the
name of FaithzAngl. So if you like this for some
ungodly reason you have her to thank, and if you hate
it you have only me to blame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He burst through the double doors of the hospital.
When he got there the redhead was pacing the floor of
the waiting room.
"Is she all right? Where is she?" Willow turned and
greeted Giles with as much cheerfulness as the
situation warranted.
"She’s okay. Doctor’s say she’d recovering fast." The
librarian sighed in relief and fell into the nearest
available chair. Willow remained standing a worried
look on her face. "That’s not all of it though." Giles
gazed up confused. Willow took a seat net to him. "Now
sure, I don’t know much about fighting styles or other
combat, since you can’t really read that in a book and
the ones there are don’t help much because it’s really
a watch and lean thing…" Giles removed his glasses and
gave her a pleading look. "Oh yeah sorry, it’s just
that the vamps that did this to Buffy weren’t that
good, I mean certainly not tough enough to beat up her
up the way they did." Giles had a look of confusion on
his face that soon turned to concern. "And there’s
more…"
Willow went on to tell Giles the rest of what she’s
overheard the Doctor’s saying.
The clatter of metal hitting tile sounded through the
hallway as a flurry of objects flung in Giles
direction, followed by the sound of his clipped
British accent.
"Don’t lie to me, you’ve fought far worse enemies
without getting so much as scratched. I can’t believe
this is just simple carelessness. And what about those
cuts?" There were more sounds of objects hitting the
wall and crashing to the floor this time followed by
another distinctly female voice. "Get out!"
Willow sat on a bench outside the room listening to
it all. She looked around and noticed people were
starting to get concerned. A nurse picked up the
phone, presumably to call security. She was somewhat
thankful when she saw Giles step out of the room with
a defeated look on his face. Willow put her hand on
his shoulder as he angled his head toward the floor.
"I’d ask how it went but I think most of the trauma
ward knows." She gave a wan smile and was pleased when
Giles matched it.
"I can’t seem to get through to her." He admitted
with a sigh. "Something’s obviously going on but she
won’t tell me. And I fear she may do more damage to
herself yet." He removed his glasses and went about
his nervous habit of cleaning them on his shirt
sleeve. Willow noticed the weariness in his eyes.
"Why don’t you go home and get some sleep . Nothing’s
gonna happen as long as she’s in the hospital. We can
try again tomorrow." He was about to protest but let
out a yawn before the chance arrived.
"Perhaps you’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow Willow."
He turned his head toward the room "Hopefully then
she’ll be a little more well mannered." They exchanged
a goodbye hug and Giles departed down the hall. Willow
turned toward the room.
She’d gone wandering the halls while Giles had been
talking to Buffy and ran into something that caused
her to closely examine Buffy’s current problem. She
had some things to say that Giles couldn’t be there
for.
Buffy was laid back on the bed staring at the ceiling.
To Willow’s mind she looked a lot better than she had
when she first arrived at the hospital. Willow
shuddered at the thought of Buffy, pale and covered
in her own blood. Willow had never seen anything like
it before. Buffy had been beaten within an inch of her
life by a couple of vamps who hadn’t been dead long
enough to get cold. It shouldn’t have happened and it
couldn’t happen again.
Willow examined her as she lay in the bed. Buffy was
looking better now, slayer healing and all, but there
were still wounds visible. She saw the deep cuts on
each off her forearms, shining out a deep crimson
against her fair skin. It took Willow a while to find
her voice but it came eventually.
"Hey how’s my favorite slayer?" Buffy ripped her
gaze from the ceiling a gave her friend a weak smile.
"I’m fine but try to tell my watcher that." Willow
moved to the side of the bed letting her concern seep
into her facial features.
"He’s worried about you. And so am I" Buffy turned
her head away from her.
"Not the first time I’ve gotten the crap kicked out
of me."
"It’s the first time you did it on purpose." Willow
put on her resolve face as Buffy turned back toward
her.
"Yeah I’ve heard that one too. You know me Will it’s
not true. Why would I do something like that?" Willow
sighed and put her hand on Buffy’s.
"I’m not sure some people would say you’re hurting
yourself because you think you need to be punished for
something. Or maybe you’re subconsciously trying to
bring yourself back here." Buffy gave a half hearted
chuckle. Willow knew she’d broken through.
"What? You mean the hospital? The food ain’t that
great trust me." Willow remained serious.
"Maybe there’s someone here you need to see." Buffy
froze, "You haven’t ever come back to see her have
you?" Buffy shook her head slightly. "I didn’t realize
it until I saw her down the hall a minute ago. I mean
I never liked her much, granted but you two were
close. Closer than I think you let on. I think you’ve
got some unfinished business and part of you is trying
to force the rest of you into attending to it."
Buffy’s face was blank indicating she was obviously
mulling over what had been said. Willow gave her hand
a final squeeze. "I’ve got to get home. Think about
what I’ve said okay." She left leaving Buffy lost in
thought.
She stood in the hall outside the closed door, having
a silent argument with herself. Maybe Willow was
wrong, it did happen from time to time. Underlying her
train of thought as to whether or not this would
actually help her was the sad truth that she was just
afraid to see her.
‘You don’t go to see someone in the hospital if you
put them there.’ The rationale had worked for her
before whenever she wondered how Faith was doing. It
had worked but it wasn’t true. The plain fact of the
matter that was Buffy the Vampire Slayer was afraid.
Not that there was much danger from the
incapacitated Faith she was just afraid of
remembering. What had she told Faith after the alley?
"It’s not the same we don’t kill people." Well that
had worked until it became convenient for Buffy to do
the same thing. She didn’t want to be reminded of
that, and the best way to keep that from happening was
to forget Faith existed. Which seemed to work until
today.
In the months since graduation there had just been
something amiss with her, she couldn’t place it but it
never went away. College hadn’t done anything to mend
the problem it simply stayed with her and festered.
She just felt so hollow she would’ve done anything to
fill the hole inside her. That’s how it started a
small cut here or there just enough to give her
something to feel and focus on besides the emptiness
and the one thing she desperately wanted to forget.
She hadn’t meant for it to go this far, hadn’t meant
to end up back in the hospital. Or maybe she had, just
like Willow said.
Still Buffy stared at the door. There were only two
options either she’d turn around and continue trying
to live the way she had or accept that maybe the thing
she’d been missing lay behind the door. Slowly she
turned the knob.
The room was dark. Not that that was a surprise,
after all the occupant didn’t have much need of light.
As the door crept open Buffy could hear the steady
beeping of the heart monitor. She stood in the doorway
afraid to go any further. With the small amount of
light let in by the door she could just make out the
features of the body on the bed. Faith was looking
better than the last time she’d seen her. All the cuts
and bruises had healed leaving her in near perfect
condition externally. But it was the internal damage
that kept her confined to the bed.
Slowly Buffy made her way inside, flipping the light
switch as she went. Taking advantage of the chair by
the bed she sat down. For a few long moments she
remained silent looking at Faith’s almost lifeless
form. It seemed such a contrast to the vibrant person
she’d known And Buffy had herself to thank for that.
Finally after several long minutes she opened her
mouth to speak.
"Hey bet I was the last person you expected to see…not
that you can see me with your eyes closed, but well I
think you know what I meant…I guess you know the mayor
went down and I have you to thank for it so…thanks."
She sighed and settled back into the chair. "That
wasn’t what I came here to say. Not that I know what I
want to say, but I know it wasn’t that. I just wanted
to say…I miss you Faith. We were a team you and I.
I’ve tried to forget you but you won’t go away, and
now…I almost killed myself tonight so I could come
back to you. Or at least that’s what Willow thinks.
She’s probably right." Buffy looked in vain for any
sort of response from Faith. The other slayer remained
silent as always. "I don’t know what good my going on
like this is doing but I know that neither one of us
is doing very well alone. So for what’s it’s worth I’d
like you to come back." Buffy waited and listened for
any sound from Faith, hoping that her words would be
all it took to make Faith come to. The heart monitor
was the only remained the only sound in the room.
Giving up, she sighed and leaned a little more
towards Faith. Buffy’s fatigue was starting to get the
better of her. She knew she should go back to her room
but she found herself reluctant to leave. Slowly she
drifted off to sleep in the chair.
This Is Not The End
This Is Not The Beginning Of The End
It Is The End Of The Beginning