All Disclaimers Applypart three
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As it turned out Rovello Drive had been a bust. Buffy hadn't been home when I'd gotten there, so I'd opted to leave a note on the door with my name and phone number written on it.
Having nothing else to do this afternoon, I decided to go back to my office at The Center to do a little paperwork. I was never the paperwork type, so it was forever piling up on my desk. This would be a good opportunity to get some of it filed away.
But as I soon discovered, it wasn't going to be as easy as I had envisioned it.
I eyed the stack of papers that was living on the far corner of my desk, then I began the task of Mentally organizing them by order of importance. I would do the section on the top first and then....But being the procrastinator I am, I was easily distracted.
My attention was quickly directed away from the large stack of paper-work. My wondering gaze landed on Willow's folder. I touched the edge of the stiff paper with the tip of my finger. I was biting my bottom lip. I moved my finger up to trace over the letters spelling her name at the top of the folder. Just as I was about to open it, the secretary from the front office poked her head around the doorway.
"I'm sorry Tara, your 4:00 o'clock is here."
"I'll be right there...Thank you Holly." I took my hand away from Willow's file. There would be no time to open it now. As I left my office, I was a bit disappointed.
I didn't want to admit it but curiosity was beginning to get the better of me. I came to the determination that tomorrow, even if I hadn't gotten into contact with Buffy Summers I would go back to the hospital and meet with Willow.
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I arrived at the hospital at 11:30 the next morning. I wanted to make a quick stop by Dr Marlow's office to make sure all the paperwork had found it's way into the right hands and that I was approved for my meeting with Willow. As I stepped through the door, Mary greeted me with a welcoming smile.
"Couldn't stay away huh?"
"I guess not." I replied. Pulling out the chair opposite Mary's desk, I sat down.
Handing her my visitors pass, I watched as she slipped the paper with my name and picture on it out of the plastic sheathing. She turned the card over and initialed the back. She handed the plastic slip and the card back across the desk. I took it and slipped the paper back into the see-through holder. I pinned it to my shirt with the metal clip. My fingers were shaking slightly as I did this and my stomach felt as if there were a million pebbles tumbling around in it.
To say I was nervous would have been an understatement. I was absolutely petrified. If someone was to ask me to explain the reason though, I strongly doubt that I could've.
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Dr. Marlow had insisted on accompanying me to the upper ward. I was a bit put off by this, but I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice as we walked down the hallway. I would have preferred to meet Willow for the first time on my own. However, I knew Dr. Marlow was just being nosy, and I didn't want to offend her as she was a good friend. But still, I couldn't help wishing she had stayed in her office.
I had always gotten the feeling that Mary thought I was a bit too even tempered; so much so, that she seemed to take great pleasure in catching me off guard. It was a secret game she played, but I had figured it out years ago. There wasn't much that she could do to surprise me these days...or so I thought.
The first thing I noticed about Willow was her hair. It was as red as flames. Neatly brushed, it hung in long red wisps that ended just below her shoulders.
Dr. Marlow was looking at me and I got the feeling she was gaging my reaction. Not wanting to give away too much of what I was feeling I acted as if I didn't know she was studying me.
Willow was in a chair, It didn't look to be the most comfortable of chairs, it was wooden and had very little padding. Willow's back was to me. Her chair sat in front of a big picture window.
We were on the tenth floor so there was a pretty good view of the grounds, but Willow's gaze seemed to be concentrated on a point straight ahead of her.
The way she was looking intently out the window made me want to believe that there was something out there worth so much attention, but I knew if I were to look, there would be nothing but blue sky and clouds.
My heart suddenly went out to her. I approached, but she didn't acknowledge my presence.
I nodded for Mary to leave us alone for a moment. I was thankful that the room was nearly deserted. It was a large, cold room. The linoleum was a stark white as were the walls. The only evidence that someone had tried to make the space feel cozy was an over-sized yellow and green rug in the center of the room. I wondered then, what it must be like to live in a place like this day in and day out. There was one other person in the room with us, but she inhabited the far corner of the room and seemed quite occupied with the television set.
I knelt down next to Willow's chair. "Hi Willow." I said this as if I really expected her to answer me. She didn't answer me.
I noticed the stunning, deep emerald of her eyes. They were the largest eyes I had ever seen. They seemed to dance as the glare from the window reflected light onto the surface of those green orbs. This was unsettling. It gave her a spark that only added to the strangeness of her immobility.
I noticed also, the fact that she wasn't rigid. Her muscles were relaxed as if she were just sitting quietly, and at any moment she was going to get up and go do something else. Except, for her, that moment never seemed to come.
I knew that if I was going to help Willow, I'd have to start right away. As of this moment I had the upper hand. She had never seen me before and didn't know what to expect. I could use this to my advantage. "Hi Willow" I said again. I smiled brightly, even though she made no move to look in my direction.
"Mind if I sit down next to you?"
No response.
I pulled a chair from a nearby table over to where Willow was sitting and sat down.
A comfortable silence fell over me as we sat there. I still had no way of knowing if she even knew that I was there, but somehow I got the feeling that she did. Maybe it was wishful thinking. "You don't feel like talking huh?" I asked. I opened my back-pack and pretended to search around in it as if I were looking for a special treasure. I pulled out a spiral note-book from the bag. "Maybe you feel like writing?" I held the book out to her and only when it was obvious that she wasn't going to reach out and take it did I set it in her lap. " I love writing." I said, trying to keep the one-sided conversation going. She didn't move a muscle, she did nothing to let me know she was hearing me, yet I got a sense that she heard and understood everything I said to her.
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"Well?"
Dr. Marlow was looking at me expectantly. "Well what?" I said. I knew what she wanted me to say, but I wasn't going to give her the professional satisfaction of admitting that I may have bitten off more than I could chew. "I don't know....there's something about her Mary..." I paused, searching for the right words. "I think she's in there somewhere. I just have to find her."
"You'll take her case, then? Officially?"
I couldn't miss the pleased expression on Dr Marlow's face. I nodded, a smile breaking across my lips. "Did you really think I wouldn't?"
"No... I knew you would...once you saw her. "
"How do you mean?"
"You've always had a thing for red-heads."
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TBCxoxo
Emms
I can wax philisophically on a variety of different subjects...that doesn't,however, mean that I have anything constructive to add to the conversation.
--- Me
Edited by: MissKittys Ball O Yarn 
at: 4/14/05 5:37 pm
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-Cameron
more. Update soon.
Edited by: 
must give me an invite to walk around. 
too much tonight and my wee little fingers hurt. I will, however get replies out tomorrow. I love you all and thank you for reading. Without further ado, here's chapter 2
), this is a great start, please continue.
. Love sam xx
how sweet of you... cause with the reading of one of my other fics... which one pray tell?
<------- this cow has gum 
*passes out tissues* All better now? 
you can have the jumping banana because I don't know what else to do with him, and I'm afraid he'll spoil. 
not that one! I said door number three! door number two's the bathroom 
hehe... I need a sign for that door.... (I'm sorry if that made very little sense.)
I so... don't have much in the way of writing talent... 
*walks away from computer mumbling something about eyebrows)
<------ I don't know why I added this guy... but I get the feeling he's spent his life full of fascinating premises. 
ur amazing! I don't usually hook into a fic until the third or fourth chapter! Be prrrrroooouuud! haaha
