ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

CHAPTER 142 - ASSESSING

AUGUST 12, 2009
TUESDAY
5:30AM

William awoke slowly, and for a half a second, thought about the fact that they would be in Michigan that evening, eating ice cream at the little store. He started to smile, and then the nightmare rushed in. He tried opening his eyes, but found that he could only open one; the other once again, sealed shut by goo. Next to him, Elizabeth lay, her face partly concealed by the pillow, but enough for him to see that her face was black and blue, dried tears on her cheek.

Guilt and despair shook him, seeing her that way.

With supreme effort, he rolled over, and every bone and muscle in his body screamed in pain. He managed after some effort to get himself sitting up, on the edge of the bed. He groped for the cup of tea from last night, but it wasn't there.

Holding onto the bedside table, he managed to stand up. He started to walk towards the bathroom, but his legs wouldn't support him and he fell.

A loud thud startled Buffy awake. She looked over to where William was, then heard him moaning.

"William," she croaked out, as she scrambled out of bed, her own legs still shaky.

She managed to get down on her knees next to him, before collapsing herself, "What happened? Are you hurt? Are you okay?" she asked.

He had gone over on his side, and now he pulled his legs in, and pushed with his arms, trying to sit up. Buffy put her arms around his back, giving him leverage.

"What happened?" she asked again.

"Bathroom," he croaked out.

"You were trying to make it to the bathroom?"

He didn't reply.

"Can you get up, if I help you?" she asked.

He nodded and she got behind him, and rose from her knees, while he pushed on the floor in front of him. They wobbled back, the wall preventing them from falling over.

"There, that wasn't so bad," she said, trying to make a joke, as she helped him over to the bathroom door.

"Maybe you shouldn't go in alone right now. I could help you..."

"Bathroom," he said tersely, shaking her off and managing to get in and close the door on her.

Managing to get his sweatpants pulled down, wincing in pain he put one hand on the wall behind the toilet to steady himself, as he tried to relieve himself. Frustrated, he collapsed onto the toilet, unable to stand any longer. Still unable to urinate, he shakily stood up, stumbling over to the basin. He held onto the sink with one hand, and turned on the cold water, filling a tumbler that was on the sink. He brought it to his lips and drank it down in one gulp. It hit his stomach, making it queasy, but he didn’t care. He filled the cup again and was about to drink, when he caught sight of his reflection. He stopped in shock, at what he saw. The left side of his face was black and blue, and his eye was swollen shut, pus caked around it. His lips were parched looking and cracked and his neck had a large bandage on it.

Shaking he pulled off the tape and looked under the bandage. Gagging he gripped the sink, as he threw up into it; water, followed by bile.

“William!” Buffy called from the other side, trying the handle, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Un the the door!”

She heard his body hit the door and slide down it, followed by the sound of his weeping.

“William” she said, her voice breaking along with her heart, “please, open the door...please!”

There was no response except for the sound of his sorrow on the other side of the door, and she soon followed it with her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Buffy, what’s going on?” Clem called after being awakened by the noise coming from the bedroom.

Wearily, Buffy pulled herself up and went over to the bedroom door, opening it. “He’s locked himself in the bathroom,” she said, barely noticing that Clem was looking human again.

Clem started to say something, but just then they heard the crunch of gravel as Dawn and John drove up.

“I’m going to let myself out the back, Buffy.”

“But you look human again...oh, you probably have things to do, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t know how long I can keep this appearance. It’s been harder than normal this morning; and I don’t want it to be a problem for Dawn with John. Plus, I figure it will be easier on William if I’m just not around right now. I’ll be back later with some food.”

“You don’t have to...”

“Yes I do, you don’t have anything, besides, I want to do something to help,” he said, looking forlorn.

“You are Clem. You did; I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been here last night...”

Clem sniffed, then patted her arm, before walking out to the kitchen. She heard the back door open and close, just as Dawn was walking in the front door.

“My God, Buffy!” Dawn said, seeing her standing there in her pajamas, her face black and blue, looking lost.

“Dawn,” Buffy almost whimpered, as Dawn came up to her and hugged her tightly.

“It’s okay Buffy, we’re here,” Dawn said to her, letting her cry.

“Where’s William?” John asked, which only made Buffy cry harder.

“He wouldn’t let me help him into the bathroom a while ago, now he’s locked himself in, I don’t know what’s happening!”

“Both doors?” John asked.

“Huh?” Buffy asked, confused.

“Did he lock both doors to the bathroom?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Buffy said, suddenly remembering then that the spare bedroom, also had a door. “I didn’t try it...he was upset, I think he’s sitting on the floor still...”

“I’ll go see to him,” John said, patting her on the back, while taking a close look at her face. “Then we’ll see about you, too.”

“Thank you,” Buffy said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John quietly walked into the spare bedroom and made his way over to the bathroom door. He heard muffled sobs coming from the other side. He tried the handle and found it wasn’t locked. Keeping his hand on it, he said, “William? It’s John. Buffy called last night and told us you and her had been attacked,” he said.

The crying stopped, but he heard no response. “I’m going to come in now William,” he said, pushing the door open slowly.

William sat with his back against the other door; his legs splayed out in front of him like a small child would sit. His head remained down, as John approached slowly and knelt down in front of him.

“William, can you hear me?” John asked, waiting for a reply.

William made a short nod with his head, letting out a small, shuddering breath he seemed to have been holding.

“Good. I know you’re in a lot of pain; that’s why Elizabeth asked me to come with Dawn, and to take a look at you.”

William didn’t say anything, but his head shook slightly. John correctly interpreted that he was confused. “I think I told you that time we watched soccer at Dawn’s, that I was in a medical residency program, before going into psychiatry. That’s why Elizabeth called me, if I didn’t make myself too clear at first; I’d like to assess your injuries to see how bad they are, medically speaking.” He then reached out his hand, putting it on William’s shoulder. “And non-medically speaking; as your friend, I wanted to be here for you, to do what I can for you and Elizabeth.”

William’s eyes filled with tears. John knelt there, rubbing his shoulder until they subsided.

“Elizabeth?” he managed to croak out, “how...how is...she’s hurt...”

“Yes, I saw that. Her face is bruised, but otherwise, she seems to be alright. I promise you that I’ll take a look at her, as soon as I’m done attending to you, okay?”

William nodded.

“Good,” John said, “now lets see if we can’t get you back to bed.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later Buffy sat quietly across from Dawn nursing a cup of coffee, which Dawn had made her.

“He’s been in there so long, I think I should go...” Buffy said, starting to get up.

“No,” Dawn said, Buffy by putting her hand over hers to stop her, “let John do his job, I’m sure...”

Just then they heard the bedroom door open, and rose as John came into the kitchen.

He nodded to them.

“How is he?” Buffy asked, her face showing her anxiety.

“He’s in quite a bit of pain, but it doesn’t appear that anything is broken, or that there are internal injuries. Of course, the only way to know that, would be to take him to the hospital for them to check him out,” he said, looking at Buffy.

“You think I should do that?”

John shrugged his shoulders, “I think that we can watch him carefully over the next 24 hours. Ifthinthing were going to show itself, it would most likely happen in that time period. But, I think that it’s fairly safe to let him recuperate here at home.”

Dawn had come over to where Buffy was standing and gave her a hug.

“As for his injuries...Dawn could I bother you for a cup of that coffee?”

“Oh, sure,” she said, leaving Buffy’s side.

Dawn brought him a cup, and he sat down, motioning Buffy and Dawn to do the same.

“As for his injuries, I examined his eye the best I could. From what I could see, his retina is scratched, but otherwise intact. I put some antibiotic eye-drops in it, which should take care of any discharge. I also suggested to him, that he keep it covered for a few days so it wouldn’t become irritated. Since I didn’t have a patch, we improvised with some gauze and tape. You’ll have to put eye-drops in his eye 3 times a day. Just change the gauze when you do that.”

Buffy nodded. “Can I see him?”


“He’s asleep right now. He allowed me to give him a sedative, so I could...” he looked at the girls. “William was unable to urinate, due to the groin injury you told me about," he said, nodding to Buffy. "I told him, that until the swelling went down, I could help relieve the problem by temporarily catheterizing him."

"And he agreed?" Buffy asked.

"Well, as I pointed out to him, it was either that, or he'd need to seek help for that at the hospital."

She nodded in understanding. After what had happened to him last summer, she wasn't surprised at all that William would be afraid of hospitals.

John patted Buffy’s hand, “It’s okay, it’s quite common in men for something like this to make it temporarily difficult for them to go.”

“Is that it, then?”

“I also started an I.V. on him. Just Ringer’s Lactate, in order to get some fluid into him; he’s a bit dehydrated. Oh, and an all-purpose antibiotic I added to it. Plus I’ll be able to tell...gotta have a good input and output, right?”

Buffy nodded, “Where did you...how?”

“Got the things I thought I might nerom rom the hospital last night, after your call. When you mentioned the severity of the groin injury, I brought the necessary supplies.”

“How long will he have to be...?”

“I’m going to remove it before he awakens, so he won’t...become upset,” John shook his head, not liking to have to try to be both doctor and friend to them.

“And if he still...can’t?”

“Then I’m afraid he’ll have to go to the hospital. I only brought one and I can’t reuse it... But let’s cross that bridge when, rather if, we get to it,” he said, seeing her worried face. “Most times, that’s all it takes. I gave him something for pain and inflammation, so that should probably take care of the problem. And we’re applying some ice to the area. Brought some of those little ice packs with me, too.”

“I’m impressed. That’s some fservservice doctoring,” Buffy said, almost grinning.

John returned it, wearily, “If it’s just the same to you Buffy, I’d much rather get back to the full-service friends part of my relationship with you guys.”

“Agreed. I really can’t thank you enough for doing this.”

“It’s alright. I wasn’t fishing for compliments or suggesting that I’m not glad to be able to help, because I am. You know how much I care for you and William, right?”

“I do, and we feel the same about you.” HellHello, sister right here,” Dawn said.

Buffy managed a grin, “Sorry, and you too, of course!”

“That’s better.”

Buffy stopped grinning suddenly, as if she had forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to right then. Like how one catches oneself, almost acting ‘normal,’ at a funeral, before the reason you’re there, suddenly floods back like a rushing river, right into your stunned consciousness. It brings you up short, taking your breath away in its sudden cruelty clarclarity.

“I still want to see him,” Buffy said, turning to John, ‘I promise, I won’t disturb him.”

“Under one condition, “John said, once more putting on his doctor’s persona, “you let me examine you, first.”

“I don’t need...”

“William was concerned about you, and I promised him I’d take a look at you, after I took care of him. You don’t want me to break my promise to him now, do you?”

Buffy sighed and shook her head. “Where do you want me?”

“I think the couch would be best,” John said, rising, holding out his hand to Buffy. She took it and they went to the other room.

“It would be best if you lay back,” he said, when she sat on the couch.

He examined her, making sure that nothing was broken.

“I’m sorry,” she said to him and Dawn.

They both assured her that there was nothing to be sorry for.

“Well, you look pretty good. A bit banged up, but nothing needing much attention,” John said to her, “your face will probably turn all other lovely colors within the next few days, but otherwise there doesn’t appear to be any damage; just bruising. Put cool compresses on it, to keep the swelling down.”

She nodded, and started to get up, but he stopped her.

“One more thing,” he said, and his hand went to the bandage that she had on her neck.

“That’s alright, it’s nothing...”

“Then you won’t mind my looking,” John said, already pulling it back.

Like William’s the skin was ripped, and there were two puncture marks, the same distance apart as his were. Unlike his, hers appeared to be healing faster.

He nodded, then replaced the bandage, after applying some antibiotic ointment, which Dawn brought him.

Buffy felt his questioning eyes on hers, but she avoided his look. “Can I go see him now?”

courcourse,” John said.

Buffy stood at the door of the bedroom for a couple of seconds, trying to compose herself, then opened the door.

John looked over at Dawn, who had been sitting in the chair next to the couch.

“Dawn,” John said, gently.

“What?”

“I have a difficult question to ask you, but I’d like an honest answer,” he said, as he looked into her eyes.

Dawn swallowed, “What is it?”

“Were William and your sister ever involved in a cult?”

END CHAPTER 142