Headful of Ghosts, pt 23

[wesleysgirl]

"Angel?" Doyle's turning Angel's face to look at him, but Angel's off again, eyes focused on nothing. "Angel?"

"Something in his head's not right," Spike offers, going over to where he has a change of clothes and starting to pull them on.

"Thanks for that insightful deduction," Doyle snaps. "This has happened before?"

"Plenty of times. And usually when he comes out of it is when things get bad," Spike says. "Worse," he amends, and sighs as he fastens his jeans. "Come on, I'll help you get him up on the bed."

"Five minutes ago you could barely stand up," Xander says, looking at Angel nervously.

Spike puts a t-shirt on, ignoring the pain. "Doesn't take much." he says, getting a hand around Angel's upper arm. "Up." He tugs on Angel's arm a bit and Angel gets up. "See? Just got to order him around."

"Under the circumstances, you'd think I'd be glad," Xander says.

"But you're not?" Spike glances at him sharply.

Xander shrugs, and Doyle glares at them both. "Well, good to know you're both finding this situation so entertaining." His accent is thick, and it reminds Spike of something.

"Doyle!" he says. "You're Doyle." Spike scratches his head. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"I was," Doyle says. "Now I'm back. I think it's to help Angel."

Spike looks at Angel, who's standing there next to the bed without even enough to sense to sit down unless someone tells him to. "Good to see that's working out so well," Spike says.

Doyle mutters something under his breath and touches Angel's arm gently. "Angel? Sit down." Angel does without protest, his movement the only sign that he's heard and understood what was being said. "Does he need blood?" Doyle asks.

"No," Xander says, his tone a bit angry. Spike sees Doyle look at Xander and note the scabbed-over bite marks on his throat, then nod.

"There has to be something I can do," Doyle says.

"How are you at running?" Xander asks.

"I'm not leaving him," Doyle says. "I don't care what he's done or what either of you say. I'm staying."

Spike glances at Xander, who, he notes, isn't saying that he'll stay, too. "Suppose I might as well stick around, then," Spike says.

It's late, and they should all get some sleep if they can. Between them, Xander and Spike manage to wrestle a mattress into the room, and Spike collapses down onto it with a weary groan. Xander comes back with a pillow and a blanket, but settles himself over against the wall.

"Plenty of room here," Spike says, indicating the mattress.

Xander shakes his head, gaze going to the curve of Angel's shoulder. "I don't want to be that close to -- " He stops, tries to cover up what he'd been about to say. "You," he finishes.

"You're not that good looking," Spike says. It's not true, but if it puts Xander's mind at ease, it's enough. They've all got more than enough on their plates as it is.

"Neither are you," Xander says.

On the bed, Angel stirs and Doyle murmurs to him softly.

Comments

[mpoetess.livejournal.com]

*nibbles fingernails*

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

"You're not that good looking," Spike says. It's not true, but if it puts Xander's mind at ease, it's enough. They've all got more than enough on their plates as it is.
"Neither are you," Xander says.

That one spark of humor illuminates and expands the darkness.

How doi you do that?

Julia, permanently gobsmacked

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

>>"You're not that good looking," Spike says. It's not true<<

heh. i love the give-and-take between the four of them, the sort-of arguing and the little undercurrents and "aren't you supposed to be dead?" "i was...."

and i'm guessing spike doesn't know angel got the visions?

[princess-s.livejournal.com]

I'm about to cry!! Can't wait for the next bit!!

[greenstone-j.livejournal.com]

Still loving this to pieces...which considering the broken pieces of the characters seems very approriate.

[chlare.livejournal.com]

What a fabulous last line. And Doyle, the only person to really understand what's going on. Sad.

[minitrog.livejournal.com]

This is brewing up nicely! *g*

Enjoying the ride hon. Cool stuff.

[piratepurple.livejournal.com]

*fidgets* Umm...

*chews nails*

Yeah, I'll just be waiting for the next bit...

Right here.

[goddessleila.livejournal.com]

I love how you have tiny bits of humor in the middle of this. It makes what would be a total angst-fest much better reading.

[cafedemonde.livejournal.com]

When I picture Spike all broken and bruised and looking just as edible as ever I want to just cry.

I love how you snuck the visions in on us. I didn't see that coming (no pun intended). Genius!

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Wow. This just keeps getting more intense! I wish I could cone up with insightful comments, but just know that this fic is *riveting*!

[cindershadow.livejournal.com]

I agree--the flashes of sardonic humor ("Does he need blood?" Doyle asks. "No," Xander says, his tone a bit angry.) are the bits of light which show how dark this darkness truly is. Wonderful writing!

[tabaqui]

Ahhhh...yerss.
Angst and despair, pain and confusion, for some reason i am loving every damn word of this.
Wheeee!
:)