Honorable Sons: 4
by
Josie_h
Notes
“C’mon luv, please drink, c’mon…” It was Spike’s turn to be near tears as he stood wrist open, dripping blood across his Sire’s lips, and yet the older vampire still resisted.
The frustration and worry of running for the last eight months had been relieved, but sadly had simply brought the very critical nature of Angel’s condition into sharp focus. With a reliable supply of human and animal blood delivered on demand, things should have been easier. Instead Spike found himself drinking the precious liquid then near force feeding his Sire. Twice on the previous day, he had found it necessary to deliberately hurt the invalid as a way of forcing the demon to the surface and appeal directly to the most primitive survival instincts in order to have Angel feed.
Angel had been strapped onto the turning bed in the morning of their first day. Despite the ability to now rotate his dear maker, even allowing him to spend some time on the second evening in an upright position (something that had not been an option for three quarters of a year), Angel had stopped eating again. Relieving the pain had only served to highlight his own state of acute neediness and lack of recovery to the elder vampire.
“You leave me draining onto this floor and I will bloody well sling that thing so’s you’re upside down for the rest of the day… you stupid, self indulgent ponce!” He shoved the wound directly onto his Sire’s tightly pursed lips, “At least have the decency to lick it closed.” The last statement came as a quiet plea and finally the older vamp’s tongue emerged to clean away the stream of blood and lave the wound until it partially healed.
Spike heard a tentative knock at the front door of the apartment, patted his Sire on the arm and wandered out to see who it was.
Opening the door resulted in an armful of rather incoherent, redheaded witch.
“Oh Goddess! Oh G….. it is you… I mean, I knew it was, but now it really is… And Oh Goddess!”
Spike simply stood hugging the woman to his chest until she calmed. Willow pulled away slightly, gave the vampire a dazzling smile and said rather sheepishly “Um Hi”, then turned, pulled her luggage inside and closed the door.
“So um Angel?”
“In the other room pet, although I’m pretty sure he’ll be having a snooze so why don’t we get you settled first. Your room is through here…” Spike rolled the suitcase to the guest room, idly noting that the witch had more luggage for her three week sojourn than the total of all the possessions he and Angel had moved into the apartment with.
“Drink or anything? I imagine it’s been a long day.”
“Um yeah, love some water if you don’t mind. Was an OK flight, only really one stopover in New York so that was fine – longest bits seem to have been the car rides at either end! And by the way mister, since when could you afford to hire limo? Or this apartment? You guys didn’t go all grrr on someone rich did you?”
“Not recently pet. We’ve had some money put aside for a while now.” The answer was deliberately not intended to inform so she did not press the matter further.
She followed Spike out into the kitchen, gratefully accepted a glass of water and wandered out onto the balcony.
She stood on tiptoes, then a patio chair until satisfied that she could indeed see the bay, and called back to Spike, “This place is gorgeous.” Receiving no reply she headed back inside toward murmuring voices and a low growl coming from the study.
Approaching the door she made out Spike’s firm but sympathetic tone of voice pleading with Angel.
“C’mon Sire, she’s gotta see you eventually, else ways how’s she gonna fix you.”
“But….”
“No more buts ya git, ‘s better now whilst you’re on that thing and we can move you around a bit.”
Willow stood at the door observing the extreme care with which Spike rotated the bed ninety degrees until Angel was again face up, undid the head strap and watched the tender touches as he brushed a stray lock of long hair from his Sire’s eyes and gently kissed his forehead. The figure on the bed did not look like Angel other than in his gaunt face. Even clothed, the obviously wasted limbs, prominent hip bones and emaciated torso caused Willow to hitch her breath and pause in her approach to the bed.
Abandoning the intended cheerful, chirpy hello, she instead moved behind Spike put her arm around his waist in a reassuring hug, then leaned forward to kiss Angel on cheek.
“Hey sweetie, it’s just me! Spike asked me to come see if I can help.”
“Oh God, Willow!” Angel closed his eyes, squeezing out tears that streaked down into his hair.
Willow stood with her arm still around Spike and petted the long dark hair in silence.
“I’m going to have to examine your injuries Angel. Angel? Is that OK?”
A small nod came from the older vampire although his eyes remained closed.
Spike unhooked the straps holding Angel’s head and upper body then eased the invalid’s arms out of the old baggy sweat shirt and with a minimum of movement, pushed it carefully over his head. Meanwhile Willow retrieved a number of crystals and a magnifying glass from her bag.
She held back a gasp as she approached the sickly vampire. The naked torso was a far cry from the perfect male specimen she remembered, and she knew that without establishing the cause of the malady and curing him quickly, there could be only one dusty outcome. She marveled at Spike’s ability to care for one so ill for so long, and on the run, from what he had told her on the phone days earlier.
Willow stepped up to the sickbed and began to look in earnest. The scarring from the dragon’s talon was a purple and whitish stripe running diagonally down the previously unmarked chest, but what really caught her eye was an area near the base of the scar which seemed distinctly darker. She focused on the spot with the magnifying glass and noted that the odd coloration was caused by a number of tendril-like blue veins that were apparently fanning out from that point.
Selecting a pinkish crystal from her collection, the witch held it over the region and chanted quietly for a few seconds. Spike watched as the crystal glowed pink then went fiery red and finally black at its core. As Willow took it away from the body it returned to its original powder pink color.
“Can you roll him now so I can see his back please?”
Spike returned the straps to their stays and as he secured the two across his Sire’s chin and temple, he saw the tears start again.
“’S alright pet, Willow’s the best there is, we all know that – she’ll have you right as rain an’ off this thing in a jiffy.”
Spike rotated the bed again but this time removing all the straps, then stood near Angel’s head stroking the soft hair and noting the tears still splashing onto the floor below the bed.
Willow ran her hand gently down the spinal cord noting a definite misalignment in at least two places.
She looked over at Spike with undisguised distress mixed with a measure of hope, “Crystal confirmed it, the dragon talon was carrying a poison not too dissimilar to a blue ringed octopus. It spreads from a localized area and attacks the central nervous system. I don’t understand how, but here it seems to have stayed festering in the wound so Angel’s body can’t get rid of it and recover. It just keeps pushing more toxin into his system.”
“I’m fairly sure we can fix this, but… we’re going to have to open the wound up again and not just once but several times over a series of days so it can be treated direct with the antidote.” Willow’s voice dropped almost to a whisper, “And Spike….we can’t use an anesthetic.” The blonde simply nodded with a look of pained resignation and continued to pet his Sire’s hair.
“I think to speed the back recovery and make sure it aligns properly, we’d be best to get him onto a traction bed for at least some of the time. I guess you can get hold of one but it might be best to have a demon doctor to set it up properly. Do you know any here or do you want me to contact the coven?”
Spike continued to look down at his Sire and said simply “Coven.”
Willow brightened, “Right, well I need some supplies – couldn’t bring half the stuff I wanted with me – bit hard to explain to the customs officials why you have toad eyes and bat bits in your bag.”
“Nearest magic shop is near the university, s’not too far. Best one around is in Chinatown. ‘pparently both will still be open.”
“Well sounds like I’m going out for a while then.”
He listened to the girl bustle around readying to depart. Taxi was ordered, money found, different pair of shoes put on and makeup reapplied. In no time she was at the sickroom door again.
“Um, can I get you anything while I’m out?”
“Pack of fags would hit the spot if you would, luv.”
“Back soon.”
“Hey Pet?” Willow stopped mid stride.
“Thanks.”
He heard “You’re very welcome” as his favorite redhead smiled sweetly and departed.