Vampire Nurse

By SpiderQueen

Title: Vampire Nurse
Author: SpiderQueen
Disclaimer: Don't own them.  Just playing.  Promise to give back.  No
profit.
Feedback: Always a wonderful thing.  It makes me write faster.
Distribution: My site. (http://www.dreamwater.com/spiderqueen)  If
you've got
any of my other stuff, then feel free to take.  If not, then just tell
me
that you're posting it.
Spoilers: Fourth Season...Up to and including The Initiative
Rating: PG (just to be safe...a couple bad words...shame on me)
Summary: Everyone's favorite witch is a sick and quite contagious.
Vampires
don't get sick, right?  Guess who has to play nurse.
Author's Note:  There is a mad case of tuberculosis going around in my
brothers' school and I'm paranoid that they'll catch it and bring it
home to
little old me.  That's how this idea came to me.
 

Willow rolled over and groaned.  The blanket was tangled around her
legs and
the pillow had fallen off the bed into the floor.  She felt horrible,
and she
had the feeling that she looked just as horrible, if not worse.

The red head had made her way to Giles' house and nearly collapsed in
his
doorway.  He had to lug her up the stairs and into his spare bedroom.
Willow
was coughing, feverish, and felt just plain bad.  After a talk with
Giles,
the Watcher quickly left the room.

Willow skipped class that day to go to the hospital.  She was feeling
sick
and decided it was the only option.  Buffy was stressed out over an
upcoming
test, as well as a research paper, so Willow went by herself, as not to
worry
her friend.

The doctor told the witch that she had contracted tuberculosis.  Willow

thought back and remembered a member of her Math class that had been
coughing.  The doctor explained that her repeated exposure to the
classmate
was the cause of her illness.  He also told her that anyone who had
frequent
contact with her would most likely contract the tuberculosis virus as
well.

Willow's plan was to stay at home since her parents were out of town.
However, after a few hours, she realized that particular arrangement
wasn't
going to work.  She was far too weak and feverish to take care of
herself.
So, she asked to stay at with Giles in his spare bedroom.  The witch
thought
that if he could occasionally slid food and drink into the room, then
she
could handle everything else herself.  The last thing she wanted to do
was
pass the virus onto her friends.

As soon as Giles had left her, Willow had fallen into a fitful sleep
with
much tossing and turning.  A few moments ago she had woken up when she
heard
voices outside the door.  She grimaced at the dryness in her mouth and
rubbed
the sleep out of her eyes.

The door slowly creaked open and a platinum blond head poked in.
Willow
struggled to sit up.  "Spike, don't come in.  I'm sick.  You'll catch
it.
Didn't Giles tell you?"

Spike stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.  "You don't
look
all that good, Red."  He said, walking over to the bed.

Willow collapsed back onto the mattress and pulled a blanket over her
head.
"Thanks, Spike."  Her sarcasm was evident.

The vampire grinned and sat on the edge of the bed.  "I didn't mean you

looked that bad.  You just look sick.  Which you are."

"Thank you Mr. Doctor."

"I try, pet."

"Spike, leave.  You're going to get sick if you breathe my air."  The
quilt
over her head muffled Willow's voice.

Spike chuckled lightly.  "Red, I don't breathe.  Vampire, remember?
That
also means that I don't get sick from…well, from whatever you have."

"Oh."  Willow muttered under the blanket.  "What are you doing here
then?"

"They're making me."

"Making you what?"  Willow peeked out from under the blanket.

"Take care of you."  Spike answered, pulling the blanket off of the
witch's
head completely.

"Don't!  I look horrible."  She covered her face with both hands as
soon as
the quilt disappeared.

Spike gently uncovered her face and grinned.  "You don't look horrible,
Red.
You like tired and flushed.  Probably because you've got a bloody
fever."  He
rubbed her cheek with his cold hand.

Willow sighed and leaned into the cool caress.  "That feels good."  She

mumbled.

Spike's hand felt like it would burn because her skin was so warm,
exceeding
the normal human's body temperature.  "You're hot."  He said, pulling
out the
thermometer that the Watcher had given him before he entered the room.

"Here."  He offered the thermometer to Willow.  She slowly opened her
mouth.
The vampire delicately placed it under her tongue and sat back to watch
her
while the digital temperature taker beeped, working its magic.

Willow tried to mumble something around the thermometer, but didn't
succeed
on getting her point across.  "Shut your mouth, witch."  Spike smiled.

"You'll mess up the numbers if you keep talking."

She obediently shut her mouth tightly and attempted to massage her own
aching
shoulder muscles.  Spike saw her wince at the movement and rose to his
knees
on the bed.

"Here.  Let me."  He slid behind her and started gently massaging her
shoulders and neck.  Willow tensed up, but felt herself start to relax
as
soon as Spike's fingers began rubbing her sore muscles.

Suddenly the thermometer beeped loudly, causing Willow to jump.
Reaching
around her, Spike pulled the thermometer out of the witch's mouth
before she
had a chance to do it herself.  "Bit of a fever, luv."  Spike held the
small
screen in front of Willow, showing her the 102.3 reading.  "Watcher
said to
make sure you took your medicine.  This it?"  He gestured to the 3
bottles of
pills on the nightstand.   Willow nodded.

Spike left the room momentary and came back with a large glass of
water.
Meanwhile, Willow was attempting to open the bottles of pills with no
luck.
She was far too weak to accomplish the task.

"Here."  Spike sat the glass on the nightstand and took the bottle from

Willow.  He easily uncapped it and handed her one of the orange pills.

"Thanks."  Willow whispered, popping the pill into her mouth and trying
to
lift the glass of water.  She only succeeded in spilling part of the
water
onto the quilt.

Without a word, Spike took the glass from her shaking hands and lifted
it to
her lips.  Willow gave him a grateful look and willingly gulped the
water
down.  "Why are you doing this?"  She asked, taking the second pill
from
Spike's outstretched palm.

"Because you're sick.  And it's catching.  Except for me.  The Watcher
woke
me up and told me that you were contagious.  Said that I should come
take
care of you since I can't get sick."

"And…and you're actually going to do what Giles told you?"  Willow
asked,
surprised that he followed orders.

Spike handed Willow her last pill and lifted the glass to her lips once

again.  "He didn't tell me to.  He suggested."  The vampire answered.
"I
wanted to."

"You wanted to take care of me?"

"I owe you."  Spike pushed Willow down onto the bed and pulled the
blanket up
to her neck.

"No.  I'm too hot."  Willow pushed the blanket down to her stomach and
then
kicked it the rest of the way off.  "What do you mean?  You owe me?"

"You take care of me all the time.  Give me blood.  Stuff like that.
I'm
repaying the favor."  Spike looked to Willow's feet.  "You've still got
your
shoes on."  He slid down the bed and slowly removed the witch's shoes.
"Sit
up."  He gently commanded.

Willow struggled to a sitting position.  Spike slipped off her sweater,

leaving the t-shirt on underneath it.  "Better?"  He asked.

Willow nodded her head and collapsed back onto the bed.  She was
feeling
extremely tired.  Whether it was from being sick or from the medicine,
she
wasn't sure.  The witch heard Spike telling her to go to sleep just as
she
was drifting off to do just that.
*******

"The Slayer says hi."  Spike said once Willow opened her eyes.  He had
been
sitting on the edge of the bed watching her sleep for several minutes.

"Mmm…"  Willow smiled sleepily and replied, "Tell her hi back for
me."

"Feeling any better?"  It had been almost five hours since Spike had
given
the ailing witch her medicine and left her to rest.

"Yeah.  Drugs plus sleep…very good.  I'm good as new."  She coughed
and
winced in pain.  "Well, almost."

Spike retrieved a tray from the floor and motioned for Willow to sit
up.  She
propped herself on a pillow and looked at the items on the tray.  Two
pieces
of lightly buttered toast, a pile of scrambled eggs and a large glass
of
orange juice.

"For me?"

Spike nodded.  "I made it myself.  Well, the Watcher helped a little.
Thought you might be hungry."

"I am.  But breakfast?"  Willow tilted her head to the night sky
outside the
window.

The vampire shrugged.  "Easy to make.  Easy to eat.  Won't upset your
stomach."

"Oh."  Willow picked up a piece of toast and tore off a small portion.
She
popped it in her mouth only to realize that Spike had grabbed the
remaining
piece out of her hand.  "Hey!  I thought I was supposed to eat."

"You are.  But you're too weak."  It was more of a command than a
question.

"Then how am I supposed to…."  Willow stopped short when Spike's hand
shot
out to hold a piece of bread crust centimeters from her lips.

The witch slowly opened her mouth.  Spike's fingertips brushed her lips
when
he pushed the crust onto her tongue.

He continued to tear off small portions of the toast to feed Willow.
When he
finished, he picked up the glass of orange juice and offered it to her.
 She
gratefully drank a third of the liquid.

This is what Spike had wanted.  To take care of someone.  He missed
caring
for and watching after Drusilla.  Plus, he wanted to repay the witch
for her
kindness.  Countless nights when he woke up, she had been there,
cheerfully
holding a cup of blood.  She would chat about her day and slowly tip
the mug
to his lips.  Now that they had unchained him, he missed the intimacy
of
feeding time with the red head.  However, feeding her was just as good.

Spike carefully scooped up some scrambled eggs and held the fork-full
to
Willow's lips.  She hesitantly engulfed the fork of eggs and slid it
out of
her mouth.  Spike's eyes were so riveted on her lips that he forgot to
continue feeding her.

Willow smiled.  "Don't I get any more?"

The vampire shook his head, as if to knock out the invading thoughts of

kissing her, and offered her more eggs.  After the eggs were gone, the
other
piece of toast was finished off and Willow emptied the glass of orange
juice
Spike was holding up to her mouth.

"I'm not that helpless."  She said softly as Spike took the tray off
her lap
and sat it on the nightstand.

"Quiet, Red.  I want to feel helpful."  Spike mumbled, dropping his
eyes to
the floor.

Willow smiled.  "You are helpful."

"Yeah?"

"Yep.  I'd probably be all by my lonesome, trying to take my medicine
without
spilling the glass of water all over me if it wasn't for you."

Spike swelled up in pride.  "So you don't mind me…fussing over you?"

"Not at all.  Nobody's ever fussed over me before.  I've been fuss-free

before now.  It feels kinda nice.  Now I know what the big deal about
fussing
is."  She was quiet for a minute and then spoke up.  "Why are you doing
this
for me?"

"Because I want to."  Spike answered softly, looking at the carpet
between
his feet.

"So, you don't mind taking care of me?"

"Of course not, Red!  I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to."  Spike
reached
his hand out slowly and cupped Willow's blotchy and flushed cheek.
"You're
hot."

Willow nodded.  "Your hand feels good.  It's cool.  These sheets and
blankets
are burning me up."  She started to kick the bed linens away from her.
Spike
aided the witch by pulling them to the foot of the bed.  "Thanks."  She
said,
collapsing back onto the mattress.

Spike slid up next to her and placed his hand on her forehead.  "You've
got a
bit of a fever."

Willow nodded under his hand and sighed.

"Sleep."  He demanded.  She nodded in agreement.

Spike stood up and started to leave, but stopped when he heard her weak

voice.  "Spike."

"Yes, luv?"

"Would…  Um, would you stay with me?"  Willow requested timidly.

Spike flashed her a reassuring smile.  "Of course, luv."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand.

"Don't watch me when I sleep."  Willow laughed weakly, turning her head
away
from the vampire.

Spike chuckled.  "What do you want me to do then?"

"Just lay down next to me.  You're cool.  You feel good."

If Spike's heart could have beaten, then it would have started pounding

overtime.  He slid into bed next to her and felt her wrap her tiny arms

around his waist.  Willow sighed in contentment.

"Luv?"  Spike asked, looking down at Willow's head, shoved into his
chest.

"Hmm?"  She asked as she lifted her face to look at him.

Spike bent his lips down to Willow's.  As soon as his lips touched
hers, she
pulled away.  "You'll catch tuberculosis."

The vampire smiled.  "Not possible, Red.  Vampire, remember?"

Willow grinned and initiated the second kiss, sliding her tongue into
his
mouth.  Spike returned the favor and finally the two pulled apart.

"This is going to sound really bad, but I hope you're sick for quite
some
time."  The blond vampire smiled, kissing Willow's forehead.

"Everyone should have a vampire nurse."  She giggled and snuggled into
his
arms, letting sleep claim her.  **I could get used to this tuberculosis

thing.**  She thought.
 

--THE END--