Hell Is In the Details

Hell Is In the
Details – Chapter 9 – To Be Or Not To Be

Lorne awoke to the odd sensation of being watched. Slowly
and cautiously he rose from his rocking chair and headed over to the bed. Spike
hadn’t moved an inch from the position Lorne had left him in.

He tried to remain calm and soothing. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll
just bet you were checking out Uncle Lorne when my eyes were closed. It’s all
right, Spike. I’m just here to help. You can trust me.”

No reaction.

He sighed. “Didn’t think that would be enough to convince
you, kiddo – but you have to give me points for trying.
I’ll be back in a flash. Just gonna heat up some
breakfast downstairs. You’ve got to be hungry.”

When he was sure the demon had left the room, Spike opened
his eyes. He was weak – weaker than after that church organ honsionsigned him
to a soddin’ wheelchair for months. He’d be unable to
defend himself if this one wanted to hurt him.

But Spike knew he’d been with… Len?
No, Lorne – that’s what the other being called him – for hours already. He
hadn’t taken him or hurt him once since he’d regained consciousness. class=SpellE>Pret had never allowed him so much rest between
appointments before.

He attempted to test his limbs, to see his range of movement
and muscle strength.

Nothing.

Not so much as a bloody twitch.

What the fuck had they done to him?

Exhausted from his feeble attempts to move his body, Spike
barely heard the green-skinned demon re-enter the room in time to shut his own
eyes.

Lorne laughed, softly. “It’s okay,
Spike. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s safe for you to open your eyes. C’mon,
sweet-cheeks. Open up those baby blues and see if you recognize me. We’ve met
before, you know. Briefly.”

Spike opened his eyes again, and returned Lorne’s gaze as
the demon stood to the side of the bed, holding a mug of ~human, by the smell of it~ blood. Spike wavenovenous.

Lorne reached for a straw, and sat down on the side of the
bed, next to Spike. “Do you want to try and feed yourself, or do you want me to
hold the mug for you?”

Spike tried to do two things. First – to
raise his arm. Spectacularly unsuccessful. class=GramE>Second – to ask for the proffered help. The resultant croak
surprised both men.

“Never mind, sugar. You’ll be your
old self in no time,” Lorne soothed.

Spike’s eyes widened tremendously and he began to shudder.
Lorne blinked in surprise. An odd reaction – why would he be shaking his head
‘no’ at the mention of getting his voice back? Could they have damaged him more
than…?

He pushed on, trying to calm the beleaguered creature. class=GramE>“If you can suck this goop up through the straw, fine. If
not, I’ve got a spoon here with your name on it. You can thank me, later.”

Fear, then resignation skittered across the vampire’s face, reerinering
in the droop of his head and rigid body language.

Realizing that he’d been totally misunderstood, Lorne rushed
to set the vampire’s mind at ease. “Oh, Spike! No, no, no – I didn’t mean what…
oh hell no. No monkey business, I swear. I just meant you can show off your
party manners when you’re able to speak. So you can tell me what happened.”

Spike swallowed convulsively, trying to calm down. He’d been
prepared to vanish within himself again. There was no way he’d be able to
survive another round of ‘hurt me – fuck me’ the way he was feeling.

Lorne could see the incredible effort Spike was making to
stay with him. Such a bad choice of words to have panicked
him so badly, though he wasn’t sure what or why. Placing the mug down on
the night table, he fluffed a few pillows , and helped
prop the vampire up into a reclining position – all the better to drink if he
was able.

Lorne held the straw to dry lips, pleased when Spike managed
to open his lips to take it in. With an obvious effort, the sable haired
vampire managed to suck down half the contents, before closing his eyes from
exhaustion.

“You done, kiddo?” the empath
asked, moving the mug away.

Spike slowly shook his head ‘no’ and opened his mouth once
more for the straw. The rest of the mug’s contents were consumed rapidly.

“Good job, mi amigo. You sleep now and let all that yummy
goodness work its magic on you. I’m off to the showers, then downstairs to try
and figure out our next step here, and I’ll be back to see if you need
anything, soon. Sleep well.”

~*~

Food
and rest.

Peace.

It would have been so
easy just to slip away again.

Who was this Lorne,
and why does he seem familiar?

Don’t care right now.
Want to trust him. Need to trust someone.

Sleep is… good.

~*~

Freshly scrubbed and dressed – totally blood and other
substances free, Lorne felt like a new man. A little breakfast settled his
nerves. A few moments reprieve from his patient upstairs were all he asked for.

It wasn’t as if Spike was much trouble. Outside of the whole
Nurse Lorne routine, with the added perk ofstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> removing the most horrific body accessories
he’d ever seen, Spike was not difficult to care for. Heating up a couple of
mugs of blood wasn’t an imposition.

No, what stressed him out wasn’t the physical work involved
in caring for the vampire – it was the emotional toll of seeing his suffering
due to the actions of another. A man he’d called a friend without hesitation
less than three days before.

If he felt
betrayed by Angel, he could only imagine how crushed Spike must have been upon
learning of his Sire’s treachery.

Lorne also knew that he couldn’t avoid Angel forever. style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>The best defense is – hell, the best defense
would be runningy, by, but since that wasn’t an available option – the best
defense is a good offense.

And so, though plenty nervous, the empath
called in to the office, in hopes of heading off any angry vampire vibes from
the boss.

“Hello, Angel-kins,” he chirped
before Angel could start talking – or ranting. “Just wanted to tell you how so class=SpellE>so sorry I am for not getting to party with you and your
little twinkie last night. My poor class=SpellE>Ramone was just a mess, and he needed me to…”

Angel’s glower could be felt through the phone. “Look, Lorne
– that was an important party for me. Buffy’s giving up the whole slaying deal
to be in my life again. I need my people to show a united front. To show Buffy
that Wolfram & Hart is more than just its evil reputation – that it’s about
family and friends.”

The emotionally overwrought demon snapped; the absolute
hypocrisy in Angel’s words made him ill. “What the hell do you want from me,
Angel? I’m tired. I’ve been up all damned night between Ramone
puking his gout out and askin’ for his mama. I’ve
already apologized for not being there to greet the little woman. Give me
another week or so and I’ll mount a damned musical number for everyone’s enjoyment.”

At the anger from the normally placid Lorne, Angel
backpedaled faster than a biker in traffic. “Whoa, big guy –
calm down. I didn’t mean to imply that you’re not entitled to a little
personal time. And tell Ramone I hope he feels
better. You’ll have to bring him around sometime, maybe to our next
fundraiser,” Angel demurred.

Lorne wilted. God, it all sounded so fake now. “No, I’m
really sorry, Angel-cakes. It’s been… a really long night,
and I just nee cra crawl into my little bed and…”

The door swung open at that moment; Lorne waved his hands
frantically, hoping Gunn would keep quiet until he got off the phone.

“Sorry for the interruption – the mailman was at the door. classllE>llE>Ramone, fundraiser, yeah – sounds good. Another time then,
boss?”

Paying no attention to Lorne’s farewell cue, Angel
continued. “Tell you what. I need a favor, and it’ll make things copasetic
between us. I’m going to be stuck in meetings all Friday,
and since your schedule is already freed up and if Ramone
feels better in three days, I’d like you to take Buffy out on the town for the
day. Some shopping, a little lunch – you know, schmoozing. As
a favor to me.”

~Shit, he should have class=GramE>known he’d get stuck chauffeuring
Angel’s trophy girl around like a glorified babysitter. He’d have to get Spike
to a healthier place before Friday if he had any hopes of leaving him alone for
hours.~ style='mso-spacerun:yes'> But what use fighting it? “Fine,
babe. Just tell me the when and where and I’ll pick the little lady up
and squire her around. Gottaclass=GramE> go now, lamb. Nature calls. Ciao.”

He barely had time to close out the phone call when Gunn
grabbed his shoulders>

>

“Man, I thought you’d never get off the damn phone. I’m class=SpellE>tellin’ ya, we’ve got a big
problem. You an’ me were all over Spike. And last
night, despite several showers, Angel was sniffing me up and down like I was
the only available fire hydrant around for miles. It freaked his little girl
out.”

Jamming his hands into his pockets, along with his phone,
Lorne couldn’t contain his curiosity. “So dish, cookie. What’s class=GramE>the what with little Miss Buffy Summers?”

 



Both men were startled by the crash from upstairs, complete
with breaking glass. Bounding up the stairs two at a time, worried as to what
they would find in Spike’s room, they were met with one very pissed off vampire
leaning back against the pillows, and the bedside lamp, knocked down and
shattered on the floor.




 




Gunn smiled broadly. “Look at you, man! A bath, a night’s
sleep and a little blood and you’re a whole new vamp.”




 




Spike stared at the man. His eyes flashed from blue to amber
and back again, a low growl emanating from deep within his chest.




 




Gunn held up his hands in mock surrender. “Take it easy,
dude. I’m safe – promise. Lorne and me? We’re the ones
who got you out of that hell hole. Not gonna hurt you
now.”




 




Lorne moved cautiously to the bed. “Come on, dumpling. You
want me to tell you where we met before?”




 




Spike nodded, slowly.




 




“You’ve got to keep calm about it – I promise I’ll explain
fully, and you really can trust us, okay?”




 




Once more, the vampire nodded.




 




“Gunn and I work at Wolfram & Hart, for Angel. We were
there when you first popped out of that amulet in his office.”




 




Spike’s growling resumed, louder now – irises a solid amber
but gameface held at bay by sheer will; his body
tensed for betrayal.




 




Lorne was stumped. What could he possibly say to ease the
agitated vampire’s mind – to disassociate themselves from Angel’s deeds and to
prove they were on his side?




 




“Alright, Spike. I understand we’ve got a bit of a lack of
trust situation here. I suggest a truce for the time being, until it’s all
sorted out. Can you handle a truce? Understand neither me nor Gunn will hurt
you in any way, or inform Angel that you’re here?”

 




Spike hissed, possibly in an effort to actually say ‘yes’
and nodded in acquiescence.




 




Lorne motioned for Gunn to come closer to his side of the
bed, so the vampire could see them both at the same time.




 




“Before we get into the questions – both yours and ours, are
you hungry? Would you like another mug of blood?”




 




Spike managed to hold up two fingers. Obviously that last
mug of blood had done him some good.




 




Gunn snickered. “Man, after working with English for so
long, I need you to clarify your response. Do those two fingers mean you want
twos, os, or you want us to fuck off?”




 




It was the humor that finally broke the ice. The amber bled
from Spike’s eyes, leaving them a deep shade of blue – as his lower lip curled
up in the subtlest of smirks. This time, he held up one finger, indicating
Gunn’s first choice.




 




“Cool, dude. Be right back with the liquid refreshment.”




 




When they were alone, Lorne turned back to face Spike. “It
seems as if your healing’s kicked in, boy-chick. You
certainly weren’t able to move the last time I saw you. Question is – can you
talk? Say something to me, crumpet – anything.”




 




Thmpirmpire’s good mood vanished abruptly, as he thumped his
hand against his chest, eyes flashing amber once again with his agitation. With
a voice as raw and creaking as a rusty hinge , he
gritted out a single syllable – “ike,” almost too
softly to be heard.




 




Lorne edged closer. “Would you mind
repeating that, kiddo? I know it’s been awhile, but I’m not sure what
you’re trying to say.”




 




Faster than the empath thought
possible, Spike grabbed onto his shirt, fisting the material and not letting
him go. “Spike,” he said, still rough, but clearly this time.




 




He tried to remain calm, unwilling to goad the vampire’s
demon with a show of fear. “I know you’re Spike, crumpet. Real
clear on that fact.”




 




Surprisingly strong arms shoved Lorne away and he staggered
a few steps, just far enough to be clear of the flying debris when Spike hooked
his arm around the nightstand and yanked it away from the wall.




 




Spike – still yellow eyed – again jabbed his fingers towards
his chest, then pointed at Lorne. Lungs heaving from the effort of drawing in
enough air to form words, the vampire snarled “You. Call.
Me.class=GramE> Spike. M’not food,” as tears
coursed down his face, from both frustration and not a little pain.




 




Serendipitously, Gunn chose that moment to arrive with the
vampire’s heated blood, and immediately




noted the tension in the air and
Spike’s tear streaked face.




 




“There a problem here guys? Something in particular set off
the weepy?”




 




Abashed, Lorne took the first mug from Gunn’s grasp and held
the straw out for Spike. “Just me sticking my size too big
foot in my mouth. Sorry, Spike. Ask anyone – pet names are just so me.
Wolfram & Hart is one big bakery where I’m concerned. Confections and
endearments are just second nature to me, but I promise to try and remember to
use your name, since it so obviously upsets you.”




 




His head never lifting from the straw, Spike nodded his acceptance.
He drained the contents of the mug quickly, then turning to Gunn, rasped, “class=GramE>More, please,” and reached out for the remaining mug.




 




“You sure you can handle this yourself, Spike?” Gunn was
dubious, but unwilling to refuse the rapidly healing vampire anything.




 




“Need to try.”




 




“You got it, dude. Don’t worry if it drops – there’s plenty
more downstairs.”




 




Two shaking hands reached out and grasped the mug, its
contents sloshing slightly, but not spilling over. Carefully grasping the straw
between his lips, Spike managed to drain the second mug.




 




Lorne grabbed the mug before it fell from the exhausted
vampire’s grasp.




 




“Can you talk for a bit, class=GramE>swe.. Spike?
I know you’re pooped, and I’ll stop if you need to sleep, but I’d like some
answers if you can.”




 




“Yeah. Try to.”




 




“What happened with my poor lamp? Was it sacrificed to get
my attention?”




 




Spike managed a small smile at the demon’s mournful
expression. “Yeah, sorry. Heard you two class=GramE>talk – party?” At Lorne’s incredulous expression, he added,
“Vamp hearing,” pointing at his head.




 




“Eeeesh, that’s
scary – no hiding things around you, then.” A twinkle in his eyes
assured Spike of his good humor.




 




Gunn crossed his arms and thought before speaking. “You class=SpellE>wanna know what’s the w/spa/span>
regarding that party you know who had last night?”




 




Spike nodded.




 




“You ever heard of Buffy Summers?”




 




The vampire cocked his head, looking at the man as if he’d
grown a third eye in the middle of his shiny forehead.




 




“Bloody hell... bastard never told you? Me
an’ the Slayer – six years. Knowin’ an’ class=SpellE>fighin’ – helpinclass=GramE>’.”




 




Gunn was visibly upset. “Since the day you disappeared,
Spike, he’s not mentioned your name. Told us you’d toddled
off to find your good times elsewhere.”




 




Spike’s bravado faded at that last lie, the remnants of his
strength deserted him and he seemed to vanish back into the pillows.




 




Gunn and Lorne engednged glances. Something more going on
here than met the eye, and they’d have to find out
what. Lorne picked up the blanket from the foot of the bed, settling it over
Spike’s body and tucking it around his shoulders.




 




“You need your sleep now, cru – Spike. Sorry, habit, as I
might have mentioned. Before we leave you to your beauty rest – is there
anything we can get for you?”




 




Looking up at him with unfocused eyes, already halfway
asleep, Spike murmured a single word:




 




“Buffy.”