San Francisco, later Friday afternoon
After shaking down the Book of Shadows failed to produce anything useful on the "finding a Whitelighter turned Elder whose been sent to Earth with his memory erased because the other Elders are douches" front, Drake headed back downstairs with Phoebe and Paige. He already knew what they'd find -- Piper's body sprawled on the stairs -- but he put on his best shocked face.
"Piper?" Phoebe said, stopping as she saw her sister's body.
"Oh my god!" Paige cried.
They both crouched down beside Piper and began to shake her. "Piper! Piper, wake up!" Phoebe said.
Drake could see Piper perfectly clearly, well, her spirit, and Cole's as well, leaning against a wall and watching with some amusement as Piper waved her arms about. "Hi, over here!" she said. Phoebe and Paige couldn't hear her, and Drake didn't let himself react. He did shoot Cole a Look, though. Thorn demons, really? Cole had sent some to attack Piper that morning for just this very reason.
"The thorn demon. I know I should have had Leo heal her," Paige said.
"Or maybe it's the shock of losing Leo?" Phoebe worried.
"Or maybe both," Drake said. It was hard not to laugh as Piper and Cole bickered like an old married couple but he had to pretend they weren't there or the jig, it would be up. "Ran into a few of these thorn demons myself," he went on. He snapped his fingers, and Piper vanished from the floor, only to reappear in his arms. "Those pricks can be vicious. Pun intended. The poison works slowly, but it's also fatal." He moved over to the couch to set Piper down.
"Wait. Fatal?" Phoebe said. "Okay, I don't see any other choice. We're gonna have to call the Elders to heal her."
("Over my dead body!" Piper yelled, as if she had a choice in the matter at the moment.)
"Are you kidding?" Paige said. "Piper will kill us!"
"At least she'll be alive!" Phoebe protested.
"But if it's slow working, that'll give us time," Paige said. "Maybe we can have some sort of options or something."
"You know what?" Phoebe said. "I hate this. I feel so out of control, like there's nothing that we can do."
"There's something we can do," Drake said. "All right? We gotta find Leo."
"Except he can't help us anymore," Paige said, frowning.
"Actually, he's the only one who can," Drake said. "You weren't paying attention to my little love rant. That's exactly what we're dealing with here."
"Are you saying she's lovesick?" Phoebe said dubiously.
"That's ridiculous!" Paige said.
"Yeah," Drake said. "And it could kill her. Happens all the time to the bereaved after they lose a loved one. Even if we heal Piper, she still needs Leo."
("Pay attention," Cole murmured to Piper. "He could be onto something.")
(Piper rolled her eyes. "What do you know?")
"Okay, uh, maybe you and I should go down to see Darryl and help speed this whole thing up," Paige said.
("People, come on," Piper bitched. "It's a poison thorn. Could somebody please go check the book?")
"I think I'm going to check the, uh, book upstairs, see what I can do for Piper down here," Drake said helpfully.
"Call us if she gets worse," Phoebe pleaded.
"Don't worry," Drake said as he began to run up the stairs. "Love will conquer all!"
"Piper?" Phoebe said, stopping as she saw her sister's body.
"Oh my god!" Paige cried.
They both crouched down beside Piper and began to shake her. "Piper! Piper, wake up!" Phoebe said.
Drake could see Piper perfectly clearly, well, her spirit, and Cole's as well, leaning against a wall and watching with some amusement as Piper waved her arms about. "Hi, over here!" she said. Phoebe and Paige couldn't hear her, and Drake didn't let himself react. He did shoot Cole a Look, though. Thorn demons, really? Cole had sent some to attack Piper that morning for just this very reason.
"The thorn demon. I know I should have had Leo heal her," Paige said.
"Or maybe it's the shock of losing Leo?" Phoebe worried.
"Or maybe both," Drake said. It was hard not to laugh as Piper and Cole bickered like an old married couple but he had to pretend they weren't there or the jig, it would be up. "Ran into a few of these thorn demons myself," he went on. He snapped his fingers, and Piper vanished from the floor, only to reappear in his arms. "Those pricks can be vicious. Pun intended. The poison works slowly, but it's also fatal." He moved over to the couch to set Piper down.
"Wait. Fatal?" Phoebe said. "Okay, I don't see any other choice. We're gonna have to call the Elders to heal her."
("Over my dead body!" Piper yelled, as if she had a choice in the matter at the moment.)
"Are you kidding?" Paige said. "Piper will kill us!"
"At least she'll be alive!" Phoebe protested.
"But if it's slow working, that'll give us time," Paige said. "Maybe we can have some sort of options or something."
"You know what?" Phoebe said. "I hate this. I feel so out of control, like there's nothing that we can do."
"There's something we can do," Drake said. "All right? We gotta find Leo."
"Except he can't help us anymore," Paige said, frowning.
"Actually, he's the only one who can," Drake said. "You weren't paying attention to my little love rant. That's exactly what we're dealing with here."
"Are you saying she's lovesick?" Phoebe said dubiously.
"That's ridiculous!" Paige said.
"Yeah," Drake said. "And it could kill her. Happens all the time to the bereaved after they lose a loved one. Even if we heal Piper, she still needs Leo."
("Pay attention," Cole murmured to Piper. "He could be onto something.")
(Piper rolled her eyes. "What do you know?")
"Okay, uh, maybe you and I should go down to see Darryl and help speed this whole thing up," Paige said.
("People, come on," Piper bitched. "It's a poison thorn. Could somebody please go check the book?")
"I think I'm going to check the, uh, book upstairs, see what I can do for Piper down here," Drake said helpfully.
"Call us if she gets worse," Phoebe pleaded.
"Don't worry," Drake said as he began to run up the stairs. "Love will conquer all!"