(Untitled)

[_wes_pryce_]

I remember hearing voices coming from far away. I know one of them was Buffy and I think the other one was Angel. Or Angelus rather. Did I recognize Faith? That can't be, she's supposed to be at the Summers house, making sure the rest was alright. Taken care off. Safe. Right? I probably imagined things. Just...so tired. So very tired, to tired to

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[prodigal_slayer]

Finding his keys I pulled my hand out of his pocket and then froze for a second as he suddenly declared that he dreamed of me. Maybe he'd dreamed of me after Buffy almost tortured him to death. Would be kind of fitting, wouldn't it? After all, I was sure he remembered what I'd done to him. How I'd loved every minute, delighted in every little hiss of pain, every drop of blood spilled. Looking away for a second, I knew I had to keep cool or Wes was toast.

"Come on." I said as I gingerly lifted him up and carried him towards his car. Opening the back door, I put him down so that he was laying across the backseat. "I'm bringing you to the hospital. So...deal." I said, before closing the door.

Getting into the driver's seat I thought about running inside and getting Xander or Cordelia. But for some reason I wasn't in the mood to deal with them, and I was thinkin' Wes might feel the same way. I could call them from the hospital. Of course avoiding them meant I had to drive. Had I mentioned that I defnitely don't have a driver's license and I've never driven anything except bumper cars in my whole life?

How hard could it be? Just like in the movies right? Turning the key in the ignition I pushed down on the brake and moved the gear into reverse. So far so good, Stepping on the gas pedal I put too much pressure on it and accidently ran over the garbage cans at the end of the driveway. "Woops." I muttered, before putting the car back into drive and swerving onto the road.

[_wes_pryce_]

Wincing, I try to lift up my head as I can hear something crash. Where am I? Wait, I know this ceiling, it's my car's. How did I get here? Oh right, Faith. Bloody hell, if I'm looking up at the ceiling, that would mean that she's driving.

"Please don't hurt the car too much," I mutter. I doubt she can actually hear me over the screeching of those tires. Mentally I add new tires to the list of thing to get to for my car. I think by the time we get to the sodding hospital it'll be as long as my leg. "I'm keeping this from your pocket money."

The lights are flying past the window so fast it's making me nausea. Closing my eyes, I try not to listen when she hits another...thing. Dear lord, I hope that cat got away. From the screaming I think it did. Finally, after she hits a few more things, she hits the breaks. Hard. I nearly roll on the floor of the car. Hissing, I open my eyes again and blink at her. "Please tell me we're there? Lie to me if you have to."

[prodigal_slayer]

"We're there." I said, as we pulled up in front of the emergency room. I hadn't even been listening to him all the way there. Driving was hard yo! It wasn't nearly as easy as they made it look in the movies. I mean you gotta watch the road and not hit other cars and shit. Besides that, he was just mumbling crazy stuff anyway, I could barely hear him.

Getting out of the car quickly I opened up the back door and lifted him up. I grimaced at the cuts and bruises and welts on his face as I started towards the emergency room.

As soon as I walked in, I didn't even have to say anything to the nurses. Doctors rushed around Wesley and put him on a stretcher wheeling him away down a hallway. I followed them as far as I could but once I hit a door they wouldn't let me through. Biting my thumbnail I stood in the hallway looking in through the window.

[_wes_pryce_]

"Faith?" Where did she go? Who are all these people? Blinking up I watch as the far to bright lights above me are moving by fast. There's a flurry of white around me and fingers are prodding with sharp things. "Stop that, Cordelia," I mutter.

"Sir? Can you tell us your name?"

Confused, I turn my head to look at whomever is talking. "Who are you?" Why is everything such a blur? And why are those people cutting off my clothes? "What's going on?" Wincing, I try to turn my head away when the idiot flashes a sharp light in them. "Bloody hell, are you trying to blind me?"

"Concussion," I hear the voice tell someone else. "And the leg needs stitches, there might be some internal damage."

"Yes, doctor. I'll get surgery ready."

"I'm fine. No need to fuss," I try to tell them.

"You don't even know your name, Sir."

"It's..." Wait. What is my name? "Pryce," I nod at him. Yes, that's right. Pryce something.

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Not a good one." Definitely. "Is that morphine?" I glance at the tube stuck in my arm. "It's still bloody lovely."

[prodigal_slayer]

I turned toward the doctor as he came back out and nodded at him mutely as he told me Wes might have a concussion. Well I already sort of figured that one. I nodded as he listed off his numerous bumps, bruises and fractures and frowned as flashes of my ex-watcher strapped to a chair and underneath a piece of glass went through my mind. Shaking my head I sat down in a hard plastic chair as they wheeled Wesley into surgery.

I got up after a few hours and dialed the number at the Summers house. No one picked up the phone and I wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Of course it was wicked late, they were probably all sleeping. Well, I doubted they were all sleeping if Xander and Cordelia knew that Wes got abducted by Buffy. Leaving a message on the machine I told them where we were and that Wes was in surgery but everything was five by five. I wasn't anxious to see any of them. But maybe Wes was?

Sitting back down in the chair, I had started to nod off to sleep after awhile until the doctor shook me by the shoulder, jostling me awake again. Frowning I tried to remember what I had dreamt about, but I couldn't dredge up the memory.

"You're friend is sleeping and pretty out of it right now, but you can go see him now." He told me with a serious expression on his face.

"Okay." I said automatically standing up and heading towards the room they had put Wesley in. Cracking the door open I looked at him for a second before taking a seat silently in the chair next to his bed.

[_wes_pryce_]

Prying my eyes open, I look as the black spots on the white ceiling are dancing around each other. Are they chasing each other? Maybe they're playing tag or something. "Catch, you're it," I giggle a bit. Where am I? From the smell I'd say a hospital. I hate bloody hospitals.

Leaning up my head I look around me. Good lord, I feel as though I'm in an arcade. I wonder if I have to keep tossing in coins to keep those machines going. They don't look really important. Just tubes with...fluid. I can't feel a thing though, I think I might just love these tubs.

Squinting, I turn to my right to see a figure sitting next to me. "Faith?" She brought me here didn't she? "Are you alright?" Did we get into a fight with some vampires or something rather? "What happened?"

Glancing up at the monitor above my head, I follow the lines for a moment and then shake my head when I get dizzy. "Do you have any coins? We might need them for when the-the game is over." That would be sad, wouldn't it? Oh my lord, lets not move around too much, that sodding hurts.

[prodigal_slayer]

Did he giggle? I wasn't almost sure he did, and I tried to follow his gaze up to the ceiling but didn't see whatever it was that was catching his attention. Didn't the doc say Wes would be all doped up when I came in here? I couldn't remember.

"You don't remember?" I asked skeptically, relieved that he at least seemed to know who I was, even if he had no idea what had happened. "You got attacked. Buffy." I said in a clipped tone as I leaned back in the chair, studying the opposite wall so I wouldn't have to look at his bruised and bandaged face.

Coins? Had I fallen asleep again or was he actin' like a total nutjob? There were tubes and shit sticking into his arm he musta been all doped up still from his surgery. "Don't worry. I got you covered." I said, hoping that would reassure him although I doubted that it would.

[_wes_pryce_]

"Oh good," I sigh relieved. "Because it would be really sad if that nice ball would stop bouncing." Craning my neck, I glance back at the monitor again. "Bounce, bounce,"I giggle. "I used to have a ball like that." Wonder what happened with it. "Juz make sure to put-put it on there on time?"

Bringing up my hand to rub my eyes, I wince as I miss and hit my nose. Is that a bandage on my nose? "Whasthis?" I ask, my voice slurring. I look at the tubes and the fluids running through them. I try to follow it with my eyes, but it's making me dizzy again. I'm so tired, maybe I should sleep a bit. Would she be offended if I would sleep a bit?

"Buffy?" Wait, did she just say I got attacked by Buffy? "Bad Buffy." Slumping into the pillow, I push my bottom lip out a bit. I can vaguely remember her hitting me and something with a rope. "Shewas nonice." God, I'm tired. "I dreamered you werethere." Giggling again, I look back at Faith.

My face hurts when I can't surppress a yawn. "I'm sotired." My eyes are starting to flutter closed. "Where are the others? Are-are they alright?" I really hate talking as if my mouth is full of cotton.

[prodigal_slayer]

"I was there." I mumbled quietly. So that's what he meant by he'd been dreamin' about me. He musta heard my voice while he was all kinda passed out at Angelus and B's crib. Maybe it was better to let him think it was a dream, that way he wouldn't know that I'd tried to strike a deal with the Evil Undead and his bitch. Didn't know what he'd have to say about it, but I wasn't really interested in hearing it, whatever it was.

Least I was lucky. Or at least I got lucky this time cause Angelus was all in a good mood and wanting to teach B a lesson. Man, those two are seriously messed up. Buffy totally became his bitch, it was disgusting to see her now. She used to be so strong and now she was seriously pathetic. She wasn't the same as she used to be, she wasn't even me back in the day, the look she was tryin' to copy. She was a bad imitation of a naughty slayer and it was kind've annoying. This is what they all worshipped for years on end? This.

He was all out of it anyway. He was actually kinda fun right now. It was sort of offsetting my depression, and I was wicked depressed. Looking at him I couldn't help but smile a little bit and snicker. Bouncing balls? I had no clue what he was even talkin' about right now. He was totally doped up.

"Everything's cool, Wes. Safe as a kitten. Maybe you should sleep." I suggested lightly. Even though he was pretty fun this way.

[_wes_pryce_]

"Kitten? Wesaveda kitten?" I blink over at her and try to focus. "That was-was very nice of us wasn't it?" Was that the screaming cat I heard when I was in the car? Wait a minute, wait a minute. She was there?

"You were where?" When we saved the kitten? Well of course she was! I mean, I couldn't have saved the kitten all by myself. Reaching out, I try to pat her on her hand, but I can't quite make it. Letting my arm drop, I hiss a bit as it jars...something in my body. "Tha-thank you for saving the kitten. I'm sureyou did the world a great," I pull my hand from each other just to shower her *how* great, "*great favor." The world needs kittens. No wait, the world needs something else, not kittens.

She's getting a bit blurry as I try to look at her. And so does the rest of the room, not to mention that I feel as though I've been swallowed by a cocoon of cotton wool. Oh right, I suddenly remember why I *didn't* like these medications. It tends to freeze my brain, as it were. As soon as I wake up I need to get this tube out of my arm. Actually I can try that now, I just need to make sure no one sees.

"Sleepingis over-over rated," I mumble, swallowing hard. Good lord my throat is so dry. "Could you getme a glass-glass of water please?" Putting both arms under the stiff blankets I pull on the stupid plaster over the tubes in my arm. Out with these, I want to be able to think normal.

[prodigal_slayer]

"Hey. I don't think you're supposed to do that." I said, pulling the blanket up and seeing that he definitely was trying to pull the tubes out. Pulling his hands away I glared at him for a second. "Can't you just...not do that?" I sighed as he asked me for a cup of water. This whole fucking thing was so weird. Why the hell was I here?

"Sure." I said as I got up and looked around with a frown for a minute. Spotting some foam cups near a sink, I poured some water into the cup and brought it back to his bed. I tried to hand it to him but his hand kept falling back on the bed. Rolling my eyes I grabbed his wrist with my other hand and forced him arm steady as I placed the cup in his hand. This ought to be interesting. Taking a step back I watched as he spilled water all over himself, half the cup went into his mouth and the other half splashed on the bed.

Snickering a little bit, I grabbed some paper towels and started trying to mop up his mess a little bit.

[_wes_pryce_]

"But isannoying," I point out, returning my hand back to the tubes. I wait until she turns around and pull on the plaster again. Dammit, why are my hands shaking like that? Finally getting it out, I hide it under the cover while glancing back at her innocently. At least, I take it the blurry figure is Faith.

"Thank you," I nod at her. Oh that was a bad idea, now the fuzzy world is spinning. "Isit foggy in here?" Maybe it is, I don't know. That would explain a lot though. And since when has drinking just a bloody cup of water become so difficult? Sighing, I look down at the mess I've made and scoot under the covers, grumbling under my breath.

"It's the cups fault," I Insist, running a hand over my face. "Ow...bloody hell." This is quite annoying. Next time I see Buffy I'm might forget all about the re-ensouling. Perhaps it would be better not to run into her for some time. "The cup wasshaking. You saw it shake." So tired, maybe I should get some sleep.

[prodigal_slayer]

Setting the cup down on a nearby table, I sat down again in the hard plastic chair next to his bed and was quiet for a minute. He was babbling and all doped up and I was no help at all. I mean sure, I managed to save his ass from whatever B had in mind for him but there was nothin' much I could do now. They were gonna keep comin' and I was gonna keep losing. That was the score. I always lost, and Buffy always won. It was the way things were supposed to be between the two of us. At least I was smart enough to recognize it.

"It's not foggy." I mumbled quietly under my breath. Except it was always foggy, because nothing was ever clear or cut and dry. "Maybe you should sleep." I suggested again, at least that would stop him from yanking on the tubes that were connected to his skin. I wasn't sure what those tubes were doing only that he was wicked banged up and I didn't know what else to do for him.

"Just sleep, and everything's gonna be cool. I promise." I'd make sure nothing else touched him, and it hadn't escaped my notice that the reason I was so damn protective of him was because I'd already hurt him enough for two slayers. He didn't need big sis coming after him now. We still hadn't talked about that, about what had happened right before we went into the clink. I was hoping to avoid that topic altogether with him. "Sleep."

[_wes_pryce_]

"Are you su-sure it's not foggy?" It all looks blurry to me, what else could that be but fog? It's these blasted medications. Good thing I've worked that out, just a few moments and they won't be bothering me anymore.

Sinking back in the bed, I look down at the stupid hospital gown. Gingerly I pull at it as it scratches over my skin. "You should go see how the others are," I point out, suddenly having some trouble keeping my eyes open. "And...could you ask Cordy to-to get me some clothes?"

There was something else wasn't there? "Is Xander back yet?" Didn't he bring Dawn to the airport? Was I supposed to call Giles? "Oh yes," I wave my hand in her directions while trying to pry my eyes open. "Be nice to Cordy. She broke her hand. The wall..." Blinking, I try to look at her, "it's hit back," I whisper. "Shhh, don't tell anyone."

So tired, can't seem to keep my eyes open. The edges are getting dark and I can hear Faith's voice coming from far away. "You just go home and make sure they're alright." Yawning, I scoot further under the covers. Why is hospital linen so stiff? "I'll be right over after my...my nap." Sleep. Yes, I'll sleep a bit and then everything will be fine when I wake up.

[prodigal_slayer]

"She broke her hand on the wall?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction. Was that just more random babbling or had Queen C actually bruised her perfectly manicured hand on a wall? I had a hard time swallowing that one. Although people change, I was living proof of that.

"I'll call over there again and make sure everything's cool. But I'm not leaving you here alone. Hospital. Public building. The last thing we need is Buffy and Angelus to have an easy target. So I'm staying. Get over it." I said a little bit too sharply. Couldn't help it, I was all worked up. Maybe I need a little of whatever they'd been doping him up with.

Narrowing my eyes at the bed, I realized he was already sleeping. Figures. With a sigh I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes for a second. I'd already called Xander and left a message. No one had answered and that was making me a little nervous. But Cor and Xand could hold their own...I hoped.