Numb and Number: Chapter Sixteen
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Title: Numb and Number
Rating: PG
Warnings: Major character death
Summary: Three men have to band together when everything around them falls apart. Set practically post-NFA.
Disclaimer: I own none of BTVS or ATS
Comment: Pretty please!
Previous chapters here
Spike stared at his hands. He wondered what it would be like to have red and black marks over his skin that had turned blue. Did they burn, were they poison? Wesley had only just woken up and now would he ever wake up again?
Oz glanced over at Spike and noticed him staring at his hands. He imagined the same questions were running through Spike’s head as his own.
“Excuse me, are you family?” came a doctor’s voice, strange English words with an Italian accent.
“No,” Oz shook his head as they stood.
“Is there family here? The information must be released to them first.”
“He doesn’t have any bloody family!” Spike said shortly. “We’re what he has.”
The doctor nodded, realizing the futility of arguing with William the Bloody.
“We’ve treated all his physical wounds, his swelling has gone down, but the…marks are not…dissipating and we don’t know what they are. Could you perhaps tell me about the accident?”
“It was an explosion,” Oz explained after Spike continued to just bore holes in the man’s head. “Gas line leak. You’ll have heard about it because it wasn’t contained.”
“Yes, I have heard. But all the victims from there have regular burns, this man does not. How is this to be explained?”
“He’s just lucky,” Spike told him. “Is he awake? What’s gonna happen, doc?”
“He is not awake. Until we can get him there or get rid of the…marks, I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.”
“We need Giles,” Oz muttered. Spike nodded.
“Thanks, doc, go save someone.” The doctor left and Spike marched up to the counter.
“Looking for the room of Rupert Giles, big, brooding lug brought him in.”
“Spike!”
Spike looked up to see Angel hissing at him from the doorway to the waiting room.
“Never mind,” Spike sighed as he beckoned to Oz and they went to meet Angel.
“Giles is upstairs,” Angel assured them. “Where’s Wes?”
“Coma again,” Oz filled him in. “Don’t think it’s self inflicted. Can Giles talk?”
“He’s awake,” Angel answered. “Come on, let’s go. Maybe he can help.”
“He better,” Spike mumbled. They all headed upstairs to where Giles was looking rather disgruntled at the pinstriped hospital gown he was currently wearing.
“Illyria hexed Wes,” Spike said without preamble. “How do we undo it?”
“I’m fine, thank you, Spike,” Giles said. “Well, I should go take a look at him. I don’t know if they’ll allow that, um…” Giles looked around for any nurses.
“We’ll get you there,” Oz assured him. Covertly they pinched a wheelchair and Angel reluctantly gave Giles his coat and donned a blue orderly shirt Spike grabbed from a hook in a supply room and they were off.
Wesley was located in the emergency room, but since he was stable and non responsive, he was in the quieter, semi-private portion.
Giles took one look at Wesley’s face and open eyes and turned around to face Spike.
“Where’s the coal?”
“Uh.” Spike looked at Oz. “You grab it?”
“I think Wesley was still clutching it at the grabbing point.” Oz thought back. “He had it in the van. Where are his clothes?”
“Over here.” Angel gestured at the back wall. They quickly rummaged through his clothes and came up with not a lump of coal, but a beautiful glistening diamond.
“That’s different,” Oz commented unnecessarily.
“Yes, it was cleansed,” Giles said as he inspected the diamond. “Right, Spike, Oz, you’ll need to do exactly as I tell you.”
“What?” Spike asked. “Why us?”
“It’s connected to the three of you,” Giles explained patiently. “No one but you can use it.”
“But we don’t do spells,” Oz said. “It’s Wes’ thing.”
“Besides recalling a certain black ritual all I have to say to that is if you ever want him to do it again, you’ll bloody get over here and use it,” Giles said, losing his patience.
Spike and Oz glanced at each other and then stood awkwardly next to Giles.
“All you have to do is hold it, concentrate all your energy on it, point it at Wesley and say ‘Restorum.’ “
“Um, okay,” Oz said. The two grabbed hold of the diamond and pointed it at Wesley. Concentrating what they assumed to be their energy, they haltingly spoke the incantation, trying to say it at the same time and failing utterly.
A small white light glimmered in the depths of the diamond. It grew larger and larger and finally directed its beam toward Wesley. The light played on his face and danced along his skin before seeming to settle and then be absorbed.
“Done now?” Spike asked nervously.
“You’re done,” Giles told him, rolling his eyes. They dropped the diamond and watched.
Wesley’s skin didn’t seem to change, but it did. The blue faded, his eyes closed.
“What about the red and black?” Angel asked.
“It will happen,” Giles assured him. Slowly, it did, the red and black marks disappeared and though extremely pale, Wesley’s skin looked normal.
“Will he wake up now?” Spike asked.
“Soon,” Giles answered. “Now if you don’t mind, I believe I have over reached my limits. Perhaps you’d be so kind as to return me to my room.”
“I will,” Angel said, feeling in the way. He left with Giles while Spike and Oz stood over Wesley’s bed, watching and waiting.
Three weeks later
“Will there ever be a time in my life when I’m not recovering from a coma with you chaps yammering in my ear?” Wesley grumbled. Spike laughed as Oz tried to force feed another bite in Wesley’ s mouth.
“You’ll never get it that way, mate,” he chuckled.
“He has to eat,” Oz reminded him.
“I shall eat on my own,” Wesley said primly.
“Demonstrate,” Oz said, handing him the fork. Wesley started to take tiny bites while Oz watched approvingly and Spike laughed.
“Now you have to change the dressing on your leg,” Oz turned to Spike who abruptly stopped laughing.
“Who died and made you mum?” he growled pleasantly. “We only just got rid of the Watcher and the Tall Skulking One has gone off with his son. Sides, don’t you have a rather nasty burn?”
The phone rang and Spike practically ran to get it. But as soon as he put it to his ear, the ground started to quake and a shimmering light hovered in the air.
“What the bloody hell?” he asked in amazement. Then a hole opened and Dawn stepped through into the room.
“Surprise!” she said happily as she came in. “I came back, tell me everything.” Spike’s face had fallen the moment he saw her. The moment he’d been dreading had now arrived.
“Uh, Bit,” he shuffled his feet slightly. “We got to talk. I have to tell you…something.”
Dawn’s grin started to fade.
“Where’s Buffy?”
***
Wesley glanced at the door.
“He’s been gone an awfully long time. Should we be worried?” he asked Oz.
“It’s hard news to tell, give him time.”
They waited a long time before Spike finally came out.
“She’s gone,” was all he said before he sat down.
“What happened, Spike?” Wesley asked in concern.
“She doesn’t want to deal with it. She’s going to see…the grave and then go back to wherever she’s been. She says she’ll check in.” Spike’s face was twisted and tight and pain was evident. Wesley could see that he’d been avoiding thinking about Dawn which helped him avoid thinking about Buffy.
“We need time,” Oz suddenly spouted. The other two looked at him.
“Time?” Spike inquired dryly.
“We’ve all lost things. We can’t do anything without closure. Let’s go away, each of us, and then we’ll come back. Back to the museum.”
“I do like the museum,” Spike said softly. “Lots of atmosphere.”
“I’m well enough to fend for myself,” Wesley agreed. “See you soon.”
***
Wesley stood in a burnt down building. Spike stood high on a hill in a graveyard. Oz sat in a van in an alley. They were alone. They were together.
Three days later
“What should we do?” Wesley asked idly. They sat around the museum after having said their hellos with no explanations.
“Let’s travel,” Spike said. “We got our magic diamond, what else would we possibly need?” His sarcasm was not lost on the other two, but the idea was catching.
“Evil abounds all over,” Oz agreed. “We should get to that.”
“Agreed,” Wesley said, the enthusiasm rising in his voice. “We have the means and ability and the desire. What are we waiting for?”
“Certainly not another bloody apocalypse to come to us,” Spike said, standing and grabbing his coat. “We’ll be back home sometime.”
And then they left.