Title: Limits

Author: Kate R.

Rating: PG-13 to R I suppose

Pairings: Giles/Ethan, Angel/Xander, Wes/Spike

Summary: Giles hits his limits and collapses; others hit their limits and deal with the ones who caused it.

Disclaimer: Most of them belong to Joss

Limits
by Kate R.

Prologue: E.R.

"Get a Crew here, stat!" the Medic yelled as they ran into the ER with the stretcher bearing the Librarian from Sunnydale high.

"What are his vitals? Diagnosis?" a doctor asked as he ran by the stretcher.

"Rupert Giles, Librarian at Sunnydale High. Collapsed while at work. Dehydration, sounds like he has liquid in his lungs, head injury from the collapse, breathing trouble, he’s been out since he hit the floor.
He’s got a fever, he’s malnourished and he’s exhausted. This is one sick Librarian."

"And he was working in this condition?" the doctor asked as they got Giles on to a table. The rest of the team came n and it was soon discovered just how bad he was.

"Get a respirator in here, now!" the doctor yelled when Giles’ lungs started to give. "His body is too weak to function."

The doctors worked hard, eventually having to put him on total life support while they worked to take the strain off his body. It was found he had acute Pneumonia so they had to drain his lungs an then put him on strong IV antibiotics. His body needed nutrients so he needed an IV for that.

"He’s stable," the doctor finally said. "We need to get him into a room and make sure the oxygen being feed into him is warm. He’s a half a step away from Shock s it is."

"Holy, shit, Doctor, he’s waking up!" one of the nurses exclaimed.

The man’s eyes showed fear and the doctor gently touched his chest.

"Relax, Mr. Giles. You’re very sick but we’re going to help you. Relax. You need to rest."

"Buffy," the man moaned. He seemed to be getting agitated by whoever Buffy was so the Doctor had him sedated. The fear in his eyes when he said her name though---, well, the doctor dearly wanted to know who she was just so he could have her arrested. She was the reason for this, he’d bet money on it.

Chapter 1: Collapse

Angel ran into the waiting room where he saw the group gathered.

Buffy and Willow were bitching about something, Joyce was standing looking angrier by the second, Xander was sitting by the window staring at nothing. Angel moved to his mate and sat by him. Xander looked at him and Angel suddenly had his arms full of distraught mate.

"What’s wrong?" Angel asked gently.

"G-Giles," Xander gasped out between sobs.

Angel looked up alarmed realizing he did not see the librarian. "What about Giles?" he asked.

"O-our f-fault," Xander sobbed. "W-we d-did it. W-we caused it. We wanted too much and he got sick and he’s in the ER now and he’s got to be serious because no one has come out and it’s our fault. All our fault."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked gently.

Xander stared at him with broken eyes. "He fell off the ladder in the library," Xander said. "But the
medics said it was worse. They said he had liquid in his lungs. They said he was malnourished and exhausted and had a fever and dehydrated. They said he was one really sick librarian and wanted to know why he was at work today. B-Buffy was y-yelling at him to get her out of the talent s-show. Willow was
screaming about stage fright. I asked if I could help in anyway. Too many questions and he’d answer one and three more would be thrown at him and he just---he seemed like he was shutting down and he hit his head on the railing when he fell and then he rolled down the steps and Buffy started yelling at him and she was going to hit him but Snyder stopped her and called an ambulance and we came here and no one will tell us anything and I just---it was out fault, Angel. It was u. We didn’t take good care of our Giles and he’ sick now. He’s really, really sick."

"Shhh," Angel soothed. "It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I promise. It’s going to be okay."

Angel looked up as a doctor came into the waiting room and looked at them.

"Are you all here for Mr. Giles?" he asked.

Joyce nodded. "What can you tell us?" she asked.

The doctor took a seat amid the gathered group. "You have one very sick Librarian," he told them. "He has acute Pneumonia, he’s malnourished, dehydrated, is running a high fever and is suffering from extremely severe exhaustion. I don’t know how he managed to get as far as he did for as long as he did. He’s going to be laid up for awhile. He is not going to be off the respirator for at least three weeks, possibly longer. His body is very weak right now. He’s not going to be allowed to wake up for several days at least. He needs to rest. He needs complete and total rest. After he gets released he will need 24/7 care for at least a month. He needs to regain his health and that means no work. He needs bed rest and
care. That is at least a month off though. I don’t even know at this point how much or how well he will recover from this. He was half a step away from heart failure. We’re putting him in a private room so you all can see him. If Buffy is here, she is not allowed in that room alone. I wont allow her to distress him."

"Yes, Doctor," Joyce, said.

She was looking hard at something in her hand and Angel chuckled being able to guess what it was. She was going to call in the second string watcher and from what Spike had told him in the last letter, under the tutelage of Hugh Pendragon, Wesley had grown strong and powerful.

"It’s our fault," Xander whispered after the doctor left.

"No, it isn’t," Buffy, said angrily. "It was not our fault. Giles is the only one at fault here. It’s his doing. He wants to punish me, that’s all. Well, I won’t let him. He’ll get up or---."

A slap filled the air and Buffy held her cheek staring at her mother in shock.

Xander spoke then. "Not our fault huh?" he asked. "Gee, Buffy, what do you call it when You and Willow demand so much of his time he has to schedule a nap for himself? And then, if you please, you storm into his office and wake him up. He only takes ten minutes. Buffy! That’s all he has time for between you and Willow and me. An, God I only asked him for 20 minutes at his convenience. You guys just want to take and take and take. You’ve killed him inside, Buffy and I hope someday, someone comes who can bring him back to life!"

"Buffy, is that true?" Joyce asked. "Do you take so much of his time he has to schedule a ten minute nap in for the sleep for the day?"

"Well," she began, "He’s my Watcher and if I want him he should be there."

The second slap shocker her more than the first one did.

"He’s a person, Buffy," Joyce yelled. "Get out of here, go home! You are so grounded!"

"But Mom!" Buffy whined.

"OUT!" that roar came from Angel and Buffy and Willow took off seeing the enraged gold glint in his eyes.

The doctor came in a few minutes later and led them to a private room. "Go in but be quiet," the doctor said. "He’s heavily sedated so he shouldn’t wake up but better safe then sorry."

They went into the room and all of them froze.

"Oh, gods," Xander whispered. "That’s not Giles. It can’t be Giles. Giles doesn’t look that close to dead. Please, Angel, tell me that’s not Giles?"

"I wish I could, Xander," the dark vampire whispered as his throat worked fighting back sobs of his own. "I wish I could."

Chapter 2: Connections

"Angel said I should explain the Darth Vader comment from last night to you, G-Man," Xander said as he sat by the bed. "He said you hate comparisons you don’t understand. I’m going to try to explain it and maybe when you’re better or at least awake we can watch the movies? Maybe? Yeah, as long as you can have your tea and scones, right? We can do that, I’m sure. You don’t have to worry about Buffy though because Mrs. Summers is calling Wesley. He’ll be here soon. I know it. He was loyal but he just didn’t fit here then. So, anyway, Darth Vader. Darth Vader is from the Star Wars movies. He had a complete body suit and his breathing sounded like this respirator thing you’re on. That’s why the comment. It’s hard to really describe. You have to see and hear it to get the comparison. Maybe when you get better?
Please?"

Xander was holding Giles’ hand, the one not inundated with IVs and wires, and rubbing the knuckles the hand. He felt his eyes tearing up, as he was afraid it would never happen. He was afraid Giles was never going to get well.

Xander jerked as he felt pressure against his hand. He looked down and felt his breath catch in his throat.

Giles’ hand was closed around his. The pressure was weak but it was there.

"Giles?" Xander asked as tears flowed down his cheeks.

The hand squeezed weakly and he understood. Giles was telling him it would be okay. Everything would be okay.

"You just rest, Giles," Xander said. "It’s okay. You just rest and get better."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Down the hall, Joyce was standing holding her cell phone. She opened it and dialed the number on the slip of paper in her hand. The phone on the other end rang three times before it was answered.

"Hello?" the voice she was hoping for answered.

"Wesley?" Joyce asked. "Wesley, it’s Joyce. We need you back here."

"Joyce? What’s happened?" he asked.

"Giles," she choked out. "Giles is---We need you and---."

"Joyce, JOYCE! Calm down. Get me someone who is a bit calmer. I need to know what Giles is. Can you get someone? Is Angel there?"

"Y-yes," Joyce said. "Hang on."

Angel was there a moment later.

"Angel, what’s happened?" Wesley asked over the phone.

"Giles is sick," Angel answered. "He’s in the hospital in a medically induced Coma while his body heals. He’s got pneumonia and is suffering from exhaustion. Wes, we really need you here. Buffy and Willow are the ones who did this to him. We need you here because I can’t cap the Hellmouth forever."

"We’ll be there soon, Angel," Wesley said over the phone. "As soon as we can. Take care of him until we get there."

"I will, Wes," Angel said as he hung up. "I will."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in Giles’ room, Xander was telling him about Star Wars and doing sound effects. He was still having his hand held by the unconscious man.

Maybe physically unconscious by the mind was there. The mind and Spirit of Giles was stronger than the illness and he was trying to comfort his boy.

"I have to go to school today," Xander said. "Snyder is getting my work for me but I have to pick it up myself. I’ll be back soon though," he said as he finished the story.

The grip released and Xander knew Giles was telling him to go get his work and do it. It wasn’t as if Giles was going anywhere after all.

Chapter 3: Agitation

It was late when she slipped in to the hospital. She was feeling pretty smug. Think they could keep her away from Giles, not a chance. Giles was Hers. He was hers and she wanted him. And, thanks to Willow using magic on the doctors so they didn’t notice her, she would have him soon.

She found her way to his room, private of course. Giles needed rest and peace and quiet. That wasn’t going to happen anymore. It was time her Watcher got back on the clock.

She got into the room and saw him resting, attached to the respirator. An Act, she thought. Giles was fine. He was just playing.

She walked over to the bed and looked down at him. He looked so peaceful lying there. Buffy smiled as she slapped him hard.

"Wake up," she hissed. "Dammit, Giles, I know you can hear me now Wake. Up!"

She slapped him again and got a sort of reaction. Good, he was waking.

When his eyes opened and focused on her, she saw him start to struggle. He jerked his head away from her trying to reach the call button.

Buffy slapped it out of his hand and then forced him to lie back. She smiled darkly as she looked down at him. He was afraid, good.

"Time to get back to work, Giles," she said. She grabbed the tube that was taped to his mouth and yanked, pulling it out.

The reaction was immediate. Giles began to thrash as he tried to breathe. She slapped him again, grabbing him and holding him down on his back.

"Stop playing, Giles. I don’t fall for this ‘I’m sick’ shit from you. You will get up and you will stop this game. You are My Watcher. It’s time you got back to Watching."

Buffy was standing watching him asphyxiate when she was grabbed and throw across the room by Angel.

Doctors swarmed in and got Giles rehooked up to the respirator and Angel snarled as he dragged Buffy out of the room.

The Doctors were saving Giles, now Angel was going to protect him.

"Stay out of here, Buffy," he growled. "I mean it. I will invoke Master’s Rights in this place and have your ass barred from this place. Giles is sick. He needs to rest. If you ever want him back as your watcher
you will never try this shit again. Now, Get. Out."

Buffy stared at his golden gaze and started backing up.

Angel looked angry and that was never a good sign.

She’d had the displeasure of making this angry once before and she still had a bruise from it. Right on her
ass where he’d kicked her when he caught her slapping Giles around. He’d been furious about that. He’d warned her and that had been a day or so before this had happened.

Buffy was staring with hate at the room window when she got outside. Giles was so going to pay for this. Just wait until she got him alone.

"You are so going to regret this, Giles," she said. "Just you wait."

Chapter 4: Arrival

Xander was sitting with Giles a week later. Wesley, Spike and the others in their group had been held up by something. A little girl had gone missing, believed to have been taken by her abusive grandmother. Xander knew Giles had understood when he’d signed to him when he woke up again. Yeah, Giles was allowed to wake up now. His body was still held relaxed so he didn’t fight the respirator but other than that he was awake for a few hours a day.

The doctor was talking about taking him off of it for a few hours a day starting tomorrow. Giles was healing faster than they thought he would.

Xander knew I was because he’d been allowed to sleep for a solid week. Xander was glad.

The circles were gone from his eyes. His body had totally rested and was now rebuilding itself. His lungs were clearing up thank god. Xander was glad.

"What do you want, Buffy?" he asked over his shoulder as Giles had signed ‘Hey, look it’s Bitchy.’

Giles finger-spelled since Xander was holding his one hand too tightly to let him use it for sign language. They both knew it. Xander grinned at Giles before he spoke.

"I want my Watcher back on the clock," Buffy said snidely. "I’m tired of this act he’s got going on. I want my Watcher back now."

"Tough shit, Miss Summers," a voice spoke from behind her.

Xander grinned. Wesley was back. And with him was Spike, a man he didn’t know and Ethan.

Ethan knocked Buffy out of his way as he walked to Giles.

"Damn, Ripper," Ethan whispered as he took the second chair. "You really did it this time. Les see what I can do about that, eh?"

Giles signed something to fast for Xander to follow and Ethan laughed.

"Yes, Ripper, I know. No, you may not get Rat Arsed as soon as you get out of here. Not even I can heal enough for that to be possible. But, I make you this promise: As soon as you are better, we’ll go home and hit every Bar we come across, okay?"

Giles nodded and Xander couldn’t help smiling. Ethan made Giles so very happy.

"I’ll get to work on healing shortly, Ripper," Ethan said. "I need to know what all you are on so I don’t do something to make you worse. Now, you relax and let me sit here with you for a bit. Miss Summers, you can leave now."

"Not unless he gets his ass out of that bed and comes with me. I want my Watcher back on duty now."

"You have one," Wesley said as his voice dropped to Arctic chill. "Get your ass moving girl, you have patrol tonight."

"Right, you’re going to make me move?" Buffy demanded.

She yelped in pain as Wesley grabbed her neck painfully and frog marched her out.

"Oh, you bet your snot nosed Ass I will. Move it you little bitch!"

Buffy moved because Wesley was hurting her and Giles was smiling even with the tube.

"He grew up," the unknown man said. "Hugh Pendragon. My father asked me to teach Wesley. Spike and Ethan were part of the bargain but we were wondering why the hell you weren’t with them. Father is not pleased."

Giles signed something and Xander looked at Hugh.

"He wants to know---"

"Who my father is," Hugh said. "I know. Lord Hades."

END PART 4