reality_bends | No longer sleeping the day away.

No longer sleeping the day away.

Continued from here.

A little thrill went through Spike every time he heard those words. "I love you, too. So much. The thought of losing you was - " He broke off, not wanting to put that burden on Wesley. It wasn't his fault or his problem. "Let's just say I'm glad you're as strong as you are."

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"You're taking it very well," Spike said, looking suspiciously at the three of them. Since Wesley obviously had no intention of letting go of his hand, he went back to holding it more securely.

"Believe me, lover boy, I'm going to be crying into my glass later on tonight," Lorne said. "But right now it doesn't seem real, and we've got other things to worry about." He smiled down at Wesley.

"They giving you morphine?" Gunn asked, nodding to Wesley's IV bag. "I remember you liking it after you got shot." He seemed a bit stiff, but at least he was making an effort.

"Yes," Wesley said, letting the word answer both the question and the comment. He was starting to feel the sharper edge of the pain again, but he wanted to get through this with as much of his brain working as possible.

"Anyway," Fred said, glancing at Lorne and Gunn again. "We wanted to let you know that we understand. About Connor, and... well, what happened. And a lot's happened since then, and..."

"What Fred's trying to say is that we forgive you for not coming to us and telling us what was going on," Lorne said.

"Not that you need us to," Fred added quickly. "I mean, you were just doing the best you could in a bad situation, and that's all anyone can expect from anyone, right?"

Wesley had no idea what to say.

"I'm glad you lot seem to have gotten through with your senses intact," Spike said, rather relieved by their reaction. The last thing Wesley needed was his friends angry with him.

"Not that we're happy, and not that we don't think some things should've gone differently over the past couple years," Gunn said, "but we get it."

Wesley's face was beginning to look slightly pinched with pain, and Spike silently encouraged the nurse to hurry back.

"Anyway, we just..." Fred smiled crookedly and rather unconvincingly. "We should probably go, you need your rest."

"I'm glad you came by," Wesley said. "Really."

"We wanted to see how you were doing for ourselves," Lorne said. "Angel might be a Champion, but he's no communicator. Getting details out of him is harder than getting on the good side of Mr. Blackwell's list."

"We still don't know much, but the doctor seems happy," Spike supplied.

Gunn nodded. He seemed the most distracted of the three of them, and Spike wondered if he'd had too many changes in his brain in too short of a time. "They've got good doctors here. You're in good hands. Okay, maybe 'good' isn't the right word. Skilled."

The door opened, admitting the nurse again.

"I really am going to have to insist that you leave," she said. "His rest is very important right now."

"We'll stop by again, if that's okay." Fred looked tentatively between Spike and Wesley for approval. "When you're doing better."

"That would be nice," Wesley said, more relieved by everything that had just transpired than he could have put into words. Doing his best not to lose his composure, he looked up at Spike.

Seeing the emotion in Wesley's eyes, Spike squeezed his hand before turning back to the others. "Thanks for coming," he said quietly and sincerely.

Gunn nodded. "I'm glad we could get in for even this long."

"Take care of yourself," Lorne said, patting Wesley gently on the leg. "Both of you."

Fred put her arm around Spike's back and gave him a half hug. "Call us if you need us, all right?" She added pointedly to Spike, "And don't forget to eat and sleep and stuff yourself, too."

"I'm fine," he assured her.

"Of course you aren't, but you will be." Fred squeezed him again, gave Wesley a fairly warm smile, given the confusion in her eyes, and left with the others.

"We should be able to get rid of some of these machines soon," the nurse said as she checked them over. "Are you ready for your medicine now?"

Wesley waited until the door had closed before answering, "Yes. Thank you." He closed his eyes, feeling that if he looked at Spike's kind, worried face again, he might be overwhelmed by his emotions.

They forgave him.

The nurse finished fiddling with the IV and said, presumably to Spike, "See that he gets some rest."

"I will," Spike replied and then went back to trying to read Wesley's expression, which seemed to be wavering somewhere around pained. He suspected that Wesley was trying to keep down what he was feeling, but Spike had no particular interest in letting him. As the door clicked shut behind the nurse he quietly said, "It was good they stopped by."

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No longer sleeping the day away.

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