Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Chp.31

Bedside Vigil

All other info: Chp.1
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Everyone in the gang had taken their turn at Buffy's bedside, more than once. Yet sitting ever vigilant, and never leaving her side was the youngest of the group. She'd been sitting there her sister's hand in hers for what seemed like forever. Although she didn't really believe in a god, she'd prayed for a week that Buffy would come out of the comatose state that she'd fallen into.

“Come on Buffy.” The quiet plea comes from Dawn’s lips. “You have to wake up.” Tears stream down the girls cheeks. “I don’t know what to do.” She wipes her hand across her face, catching a few of the drops on her knuckles. “They’re gonna take you to the medical facility in the offices, that Angel is CEO of.” Her head falls to the edge of the mattress, the rest of her tears soaking into the bedding as she does so, and sighs heavier than she thinks she’s ever sighed before.

She slowly lifts her head up, tears still rolling down her cheeks, as she hears the door to the room opening. Quickly she wipes her bloodshot, blue eyes, as much as she can, when she sees the crack being made, she turns her head from the intruder, before they can stick their head in the crack they’d made. It’d be just great if they saw her crying her anguish out again.

When she calms as much as she’s able, she turns her head to the one now stuck through the crack in the door. The person gives her a slight smile, and she musters up enough energy to return the greeting.

“Hey Dawnie.”

“Hey, Xan.” She replies, looking at the brunette, as yet another tear slides down her cheek, unbidden by her.
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His smile slips into a sad, haunted look, as he steps fully into the room. “How’s she doin’? He finally asks, after a few moments of looking at the girl, and her comatose sister. He slides his hands into his pockets, balling his hands into fists, at the pure sorrow in the younger ones eyes. Xander slowly moves to the side of the bed that Dawn isn’t on, and looks directly at the face of his best friend lying motionless on it.

This is just like when she jumped from Glory’s tower. She lay there limp and lifeless, with only one distinction; she has a heartbeat, and is still warm. He sighs, looking over to the bowed head of Dawn. “Hey?”

She looks up from her silent vigil, a look of hope in her eyes. “Yeah?”

He sees her pain along with the hope, knowing she needs a break from it all, and it still keeps coming in spades. “Giles brought take-out, figured you were hungry. Why don’t’cha go down and eat something? I can stay here, and watch over her.” His eyes flicker over to Buffy, briefly in response to his meaning.
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Slowly getting up from her chair, Dawn nods her head in compliance with the suggestion. Letting her sister’s hand slip from hers to the bed. She makes her way over to the door, and lets herself slip out of it. Leaning heavily on the wall outside of the door, she lets more silent tears slip from her eyes.

Stilling herself, she wipes all traces of the tears from her face, and makes her way to the steps. Making her way down them one step at a time, she comes into the cacophony of the lobby. Where all of the slayers seem to be residing at the moment. “They must have heard the rustle of fast-food bags.” She whispers, as she steps onto the landing.

Plastering the fakest smile she’s ever had to use on her face, she walks into the noisy room, and looks around. “Hey guys.” She says, being as cheery as she can. “What’s up?” She effortlessly slips into the peppy Dawn façade, for her friend’s benefits.
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At the girl’s voice, Willow turns around and approaches her. “Hey Dawnie.” She greets, coming to the girl’s side, and looking her over. She notices the red, and glassy eyes, and knows she’s been crying again. “What do you say to some greasy goodness, that isn’t Doublemeat Palace?” She asks, placing an arm around the girl’s shoulders and leading her over to the middle of the room. “Giles brought something from every fast food joint in L.A. so you can have your pick, if everyone else hasn’t already claimed it all.” She looks over to the teenager, smiling. The smile fades just as quickly as it had appeared. Dawn looks as if she’s about to be reduced to the little girl that had shown up with Buffy over seven years ago in Sunnydale “Come on. We’ll get something to eat.” She says giving a sad smile to the young woman, slipping her arm from her shoulders, and grabbing her hand she walks her into the kitchen.

“Thanks Wills.” Dawn says, as she’s dragged behind the witch.

“It’s really no problem Dawn.” Willow says, pushing the door open, and standing aside for Dawn to enter.

“Yes it is.” Dawn looks up to her eyes, as she walks passed. “Thank you for not asking me questions.” Her eyes fall from the red heads, and she turns walking away, and into the main part of the kitchen.

Walking into the kitchen, she notices Andrew leaning on the counter, talking avidly to Giles, and Giles is trying his best to ignore the boys’ inane rambling. She can’t help but smile at the memory the scene brings to mind. One of Andrew fussing about a Hot Pocket, but as soon as the smile comes, it’s gone again, the memory had also brought back the memory of what had happened the night of the incident.
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Andrew, looks up from the greasy contents of a McDonalds bag, and notices Dawn, with Willow slowly making her way up behind her. “Hey guys. We have food.” He says excitedly, shoving the white, yellow, and red bag in under Dawns nose. “Hamburgers, nuggets.” He explains, pulling the offending source of Mac Sauce, McNuggets, and fish, from under the brunettes nose, and shoving his head back down into it. “And eww!” He looks over to Giles. “Fish.” He plops the bag back onto the counter, and grabs another, repeating his actions with it, then pulls the bag he’d just pushed away back over to him, retrieving a ten piece nugget, and some honey, sweet and sour, and barbecue sauce out of it. He pans his gaze around the other stuff lying around. “We also have pizza, and salads, and. . .” He trails off at the looks from the other three standing around him. “I’ll just let you all figure it out.” He says, dipping a nugget in the barbecue sauce, then pouring some honey and sweet and sour sauce over the top of it.

Everyone turns away at the disgusting sight as he actually takes a bite of it.

Andrew looks at them, puzzled. “What?” He huffs leaning against the far counter, and taking another bite. “It’s good.”

Dawn gives him a skeptical look, and wrinkles her nose.

Willow finds that her fingernail is quite interesting, and tries not to look all that sickened by it.

Giles takes his glasses off, wishing that Willow would make him blind again.

“Anyway, it can’t be any worse than Wheet-a-bix in blood.” Andrew continues, happily chewing on the nugget.
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Dismissing the boy, Giles walks over to Dawn, and places a hand on her shoulder. “Dawn, please sit down.” His hand finds her elbow, and he leads her over to a stool by the island in front of an unused stove. “How are you doing?”

She looks up from the hamburger that either Andrew or Willow had slid in front of the place she is now sitting in., as Giles had led her to the stool. At the question, her eyes grow teary again. “Not so good.” She quietly replies, as she picks at the bun, and makes little divots in it with her fingernails.

“Yes, well we’re still trying to figure out what exactly is going on. We’re all hoping that moving her to the medical facilities of the law office, will prove to be fortuitous.” Giles explains, patting the brunette reassuringly on the shoulder. He'd hoped that she wouldn't get upset by that subject, although he didn't like taking Buffy into the pit of hell that Angel in all his stupidity had taken over.

“Yeah, but what if it doesn’t prove fortuitous, Giles.” She whips her head around to the watchers gaze, fire brimming in her voice. “I don’t want her to stay like this. She’s just gonna waste away to nothing.” She shouts, getting up from her seat, and stomping out of the room, the burger left virtually untouched, other than the little holes she’d made with her fingernails. Not one bite had been taken out of it.

As she stomps through the lobby, she hears someone call her name from the kitchen. She ignores it, and makes her way back up to her sister’s room. Knowing that she was acting like a spoiled little brat, but this was her sister, and she didn't want to lose her for a second time.
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A/N: Okay guys bear with me here, I know it may seem a bit confusing, but the switch-a-roo's are necessary. I promise I know what I'm doing. Please don't throw things at me.