Elixir For The Undead Ch 06

The two blondes got out of the rental car at San Francisco Memorial Children’s Hospital about an hour after landing. Buffy thought to herself that it was sure lucky that they didn’t have any trouble with security.

“Where do you think we should start?” The vampire asked breaking into her thoughts.

“I think we should start by talking to the doctors who head the Organ Transplants Center. The news clips state one doctor… Um… Dr. Shapiro… Yeah, that’s it. He gave a statement for the Hospital.” Buffy reiterated.

“Good idea Slayer… How do we find him?” Spike asked.

Buffy walked ahead of Spike, into the lobby of the hospital and up to the front desk.

“Hi there. I was wondering if you could help me? I’m looking for a Dr. Shapiro?” Buffy asked the nurse.

“May I ask what this is regarding?” The nurse inquired.

“My colleague and I are investigative reporters from Los Angeles and we are doing a story on the strange events regarding the brutal murders at this and other hospitals in the area, and we would like to talk to the doctor who has been giving statements to the media. Is that possible?” Buffy finished.

“One moment please… I will see if the doctor is available… May I have your names please and agency that you are from?” Asked the nurse.

Buffy looked at Spike with wide eyes, pleading for him to think of something, then Spike gave a dashing smile to the nurse and said,

“I’m William Giles, and this is Elizabeth Summers, we both work for the LA Tribune.”

“Have a seat and I will see if I can contact the doctor for you.”

Spike and Buffy took a seat in the waiting area. There were a few patients in the waiting room hoping to be seen next.

Spike noticed a woman sitting opposite him with a towel, all bloodied, around her hand. He sniffed the air, smelling antiseptic and blood and death all around him. He narrowed his senses to the blood that was no more than 3 feet away from him. He heard his stomach growl from the heady scent of the blood. He had to close his eye to calm the demon in him.

Buffy saw the torment in Spike, she put her hand on his shoulder and he stared back at her as if her was going to faint.

“Are you okay Spike? Do you want to go outside for a breather?” she gave him a half smile.

“Yeah Pet! I think I need it at the moment. ‘Sides I need a smoke.” The vampire got up to leave the hospital, and the blood that he couldn’t indulge in.

Buffy watched as he walked through the automatic doors and veer left to the side of the building.

“Ms Summers?” The nurse called out.

“Yes?” Buffy got up to walk over to the front desk.

“The doctor won’t be able to see you now, but he can make an appointment with you for tomorrow at 11 am.”

“Oh. I guess that will have to do. Thank you for your help. My associate may not be able to make it… he has to develop some film… But I will be able to. See you tomorrow.” Buffy responded all disappointed and turned to leave when the nurse stopped her.

“Um.. Ms Summers? I’m going to be taking my break momentarily if you would like to meet out back around the D wing of the hospital. I might have some news that you and your colleague may be interested in.” The nurse lowered her voice so that only Buffy would hear.

“Oh really. Um ok… I just have to go get my colleague and we can meet you out back in say… 10 minutes?” Buffy sounded intrigued with what this woman might have to say. “Nurse..ahh..”

“Tracey Logan.” The nurse replied.

Buffy smiled and went to go see if Spike was doing any better.

Nurse Logan watched the Slayer disappear out the hospital doors, as she laughed to herself in the demonic voice that had taken over her body,

“Yes slayer… I will meet you out back… it will be the last meeting that you will ever encounter…”

And the nurse/Bolvarga demon slipped out the back entrance to hide in the shadows and await the battle.

*****

Outside she found Spike sitting on a bench having a cigarette; he looked up when he heard her approach.

“How’s it goin’? Are you alright Spike?” She asked with concern on her face.

“Yeah, it just gets me every now & then… The smell of human blood… I couldn’t stand to be sitting that close and not do anything… I’m sorry Slayer; I can’t help what I am… It’s what I’m supposed to do…” He trailed off, taking a long hard drag off his smoke and staring off into the opposite direction.

“I know Spike, I know it’s hard for you, but you were able to fight the urge in there… You walked away, and you can’t tell me that was anything but courageous.” Buffy soothed.

“Yeah.” Spike replied, not sure if she was telling the truth.

“Yeah, I think there are very few people who can walk away from temptation, especially when it’s dangling right in front of your face. Spike look at me.” Buffy put her hand on his face in order to make him look into her eyes. “I’ve seen such a change in you over the last few months, that it seems you have more soul inside you than ever… And plus without the pesky curse to boot.” She gave Spike a kiss on his nose and said, “Ok, we have to go around to the “D” wing corridor. That nurse may be able to help us out. Are you ok to join me?”

Yeah.. I’m good now.” Spike stamped put his cigarette and gave his woman a hug. “Let’s get this show on the road! I need to work off this energy”

“Well… depending on how late we will be with Nurse Tracey… we may be able to work it off at the hotel…” The slayer grabbed the vampire’s hand as they walked toward the back of the hospital.

As Buffy and Spike were heading toward the D wing alleyway, they noticed it was empty.

“I wonder where she is?” Buffy questioned.

“Maybe she got held up at the front desk?” Spike answered.

They looked around the dimly lit alley to see industrial garbage bins, smoke butts, and broken panels that looked like they were from the apparatus to view X-ray negatives.

After they finished scoping out the place out, the door opened to the hospital and out walked Nurse Logan.

“Spike, this is Tracey Logan,” turning back to face Tracey, Buffy said, “Ok, what can you tell us?”

The demon started to say in the voice of the stolen identity of the nurse “I… I… wanted to tell you that…” Now the fully morphing into the Bolvarga demon visage, “You are going to die tonight Slayer!” Taking a swing at Buffy’s head.

Buffy was startled for a brief second to see the change from woman to beast, before she ducked out of the way of the demon’s arm.

“I don’t think so mate,” Spike ground out before sending a kick into the demon’s mid-rift.

Buffy took in the appearance of the beast, it was scaly, yet slime. It looked to be over 6 ½ feet tall, its eyes were red orbs and it’s arms were long and at the end of the looked to be sharp talons. She figured that is how it would dissect the victims.

Buffy came up with a left hook, spun around with a kick to the Bolvarga’s head. The Bolvarga demon didn’t even look like it was being affected by the assault.

Buffy remembered the only way to kill this thing was to behead it. Letting Spike take out his energy on the beast, Buffy tried to find something sharp, since they had left the big weapons in the car. She had spotted the x-ray panels leaning against the wall.

“Those will have to do!” she said grabbing the biggest piece and yelling to Spike, “Duck!” He did and the demon turned in surprise to see this sharp glass fly through the air to slice off its head. The monster teetered a bit before it fell in two pieces to the ground. The greenish-blue liquid that oozed from the demon’s neck bubbled like acid once it hit the ground.

“Well I guess we don’t have to go visit any other hospitals tonight eh Pet?” Spike surmised.

“Nope,” she answered, wiping the beads of sweat off her brow, “I guess this means more time for sightseeing in “lovely” San Francisco!”

“Yeah! ‘Lovely!’” Spike replied his voice dripping with sarcasm; he quickly changed the subject, “So... Luv… What do we do with this mess?”

“Well, we could burn it in the garbage bin, but then I don’t really want to draw attention to the hospital with this. Hmmm… I say we take it to that forest that was a few miles back and bury it… I think that will be our best bet… I’m sure we can find something in these bins to carry it outta here. Why don’t you go get the car and bring it back her… It’s a good thing we got the car with lotsa trunk-space.

TBC...