Flesh and Blood

13

"Giles!" Dawn screamed, frantically looking around the infirmary, but the head watcher was nowhere to be seen, likely busy with the oncoming wave of injured slayers. Her sight was obstructed by walls of watchers filing in to aid the wounded. She swore she had just seen Xander, or at least Faith, but no matter how loud she screamed for help, it seemed that her voice didn't reach anyone. Her heart was racing, banging against her lungs in her chest. It hurt to breathe. Spike's collapse left her too stressed to think straight. She'd never before seen a vampire look so... dead.

Then Xander turned his head to follow the faint sound of Dawn's voice that pierced through the commotion in the infirmary, his only eye spotting Spike's lifeless body sprawled on the floor. Just a moment ago, Xander had seen him carrying in slayers and was confused to find him in this state. The boy's first instinct was to roll his eyes and reassure Dawn that Spike would be okay since he was a vampire—everyone was always so worried about Spike since he had become a good guy, and Xander grew tired of treating him like he's fragile—but the fear in the girl's eyes made his disdain for the vampire temporarily dissipate. "Dawn, what's happening?" he called from a couple cots away.

"Where's Giles? Willow? I need someone!" Dawn shrieked across the room; her voice broke as she hurled the words from her chest. Injured slayers laying on cots turned in her direction to see the scared girl frantically whipping her head around the room in search of the watcher.

"I don't know; he was here a minute ago. I'll give you a hand." As Xander moved away from the injured slayer he was tending to, there was an influx of new patients being carried through the door. He lost sight of Dawn as Faith and Rona rushed in with the last of the fallen, the infirmary now becoming too packed to find her. The two slayers barely paid Dawn any attention as they tried to find room to set their injured.

The young girl looked to the sick vampire in her arms and gave him a shake. He was unresponsive. "Giles!" she cried again, desperate for her father figure to come to their rescue. "Giles!"

Buffy soon came rushing in with her infant daughter cradled in her arms. Although she was relieved to see her niece, Dawn wished she was elsewhere taking care of Isobelle. Her eyes immediately locked on Spike, unconscious on the floor. Sweat was accumulating at his hairline, and he was even paler than normal. Her eyes widened with panic, as she had only seen a vampire look this ill one time before—when Angel was poisoned by Faith.

"What happened?" Buffy demanded, stumbling at the idea of losing Spike again. She narrowed her vision on the vampire, wanting to help, but times were different now as she held her daughter in her arms. Isobelle began crying. The shrill noise made Buffy flinch; she wasn't used to hearing her cry. And boy, Isobelle was upset. Buffy felt helpless now that two of her loved ones were in distress.

"He didn't look good and he just... fell!" Dawn stuttered, trying to be heard above Isobelle's shrieking and the moans of their fallen comrades. The little sister was growing overwhelmed, but she could see her older sibling on the verge of breaking down as well. Too many things were happening at once, too soon.

"Let me take her," she offered, holding her arms out to accept her niece. Dawn was helpless when it came to Spike; the least she could do was calm Isobelle. The slayer's sister rose to her feet.

Buffy looked at her daughter hesitantly. She was afraid to let go. She just got her back, but the head slayer knew that she was needed in the infirmary. Dawn was right; the young girl was no use in this situation. She gave Isobelle over to Dawn, and the new aunt disappeared upstairs with Isobelle still wailing in her arms.

"Giles!" Buffy yelled as she knelt over her wounded lover. She put a hand on his cheek and gave him a hard push in hopes to wake him up. Xander grabbed the vampire's feet and helped Buffy carry him to the dining room table. There was still no sign of her old watcher. She started screaming out names. "Giles! Angel! Willow!"