Hey guys, I'm back... This one is a change of pace for me since this will be my first time writing a fic where Willow and Tara aren't in a relationship at the beginning. This one starts after the season 4 episode 'Wild at Heart'... everything happened the same way as it did in the episode with one major difference that will become clear right away...

Also: My mom was in a wheelchair when I was growing up so I helped her with that when I was kid, but it's been a long time since I've dealt with a person in a wheelchair, and I don't mean to offend anyone that has been in one/is currently in one.

There was a steady beeping somewhere behind her and it was making her head pound painfully as she rose to consciousness slowly. She raised one hand to swat at whatever was making the noise, but the attempt sent sharp pain through her arm. Quickly there was a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder, holding her arm against the mattress.

She could hear a voice and she knew that she knew the speaker, but it took her several seconds to recognize the other person. "Buffy?" she groaned out, trying to force her eyes open.

"Willow, it's me, I'm here." She felt Buffy brush hair back from her face, and she managed to get her heavy eyelids to obey her. The Slayer was obviously worried, and didn't appear to have showered in a few days.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice hoarse and rough.

Buffy looked decidedly guilty, her fingers pushing at her own hair now. "We're at the hospital, Will. How much do you remember?" she asked gently.

Willow tried to think, her brain still fuzzy. The first thing she remembered was Oz, naked and curled around that wolf woman. She dimly remembered fleeing, tears blinding her. She'd made it out of the graveyard, remembered bumping into someone on the sidewalk, remembered hearing Buffy scream her name, but then nothing…

"What happened?" she asked hoarsely, feeling pain radiate in her chest as she coughed.

Buffy helpfully held a straw to her lips, prompting the hacker to drink. Willow took long sips of the cold water as Buffy tried to gather herself, tears in her eyes.

"I couldn't get there fast enough, Will. I'm so sorry," the Slayer apologized. "Riley tried to pull you back, but we were too slow…"

Willow swallowed her water, mustering the courage to look down at herself. She couldn't move her neck far enough to see anything and it occurred to her that she was in a neck brace.

"You got hit by the car, Willow," Buffy said, her tears streaming down her face.

Willow let her eyes close, sucking in a deep, shuddering, painful breath. She could hear Buffy crying and she wondered how long the Slayer had been there, watching over her.

"How bad?" she asked simply, not opening her eyes.

Buffy pulled herself together, sniffling as she spoke. "You cracked a bunch of ribs, and your right leg is broken in four places and they had to put some pins in it, or something. Your right arm isn't as bad, but it'll be in a cast for a few weeks." She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "The doctor says you'll walk again though. You'll be in casts for a few months, and after you get them off you'll have to use a wheelchair or a cane or something until you finish physical therapy." She smiled weakly, repeating herself anxiously, "The doctor said you should be able to walk again though, it'll just take a while and you'll have to be careful from now on."

Willow surprised Buffy and herself by laughing softly. "I can handle that. I was never much good at sports and stuff anyway."

Buffy let out a sob even as she laughed, and she couldn't restrain herself from leaning over to press a kiss to Willow's forehead. "Willow," she started to speak, stopping as Willow shook her head as much as she could.

"Buffy, please don't," Willow pleaded with her, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. If Buffy lost it, there would be no way to stop herself from completely collapsing. "How long have I been here?" she asked, voice cracking.

"You were in surgery for eight hours the first day, and you've been asleep since then. Three days total," she answered. "Riley went to all of your professors, and he's getting all of your assignments though, so don't worry about that."

"What about your classes?" Willow asked, smiling weakly. Buffy blinked in surprise, smiling guiltily. "You're looking kind of rough, Buff." She coughed as she finished speaking and Buffy held the cup of water for her to drink again.

The Slayer grimaced, letting out a deep breath as Willow finished drinking and Buffy let her hands turn the cup absently in her grip. "I didn't want to leave you here." She hesitated. "Your parents…"

"They're not here," Willow guessed knowingly.

"Not yet," Buffy agreed. "Xander's been coming and going only because they would only let one of us sleep here."

"And you're staying because you feel guilty," Willow guessed again, cracking a smile as Buffy sighed but didn't argue. "It was an accident, Buffy."

"You're my best friend, Willow! I should have gotten to you! I should have been there!" Buffy said vehemently. The plastic cup in her hands creaked as she unconsciously tightened her grip and she hesitated again, her eyes lingering on the cup. "Willow, Oz, he hasn't…he told Xander you wouldn't want to see him."

Willow squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming faster now. She tried to move her arm again, frustrated by what she now realized was an IV tube in her wrist. Her other arm was in a cast from fingers to shoulder, and she couldn't muster the strength to lift it.

She heard herself whimper in pain, but she wouldn't have been able to say if the pain was physical or emotional. "I can't, not yet," she groaned. "She was there, that morning, that wolf, Veru…" she choked on the name and Buffy put together what had happened.

"Willow, I'm so sorry." Buffy felt her eyes slide closed. "God, Will, I'm sorry."

Willow opened her eyes as she heard Buffy suddenly moving quickly around the room. "Where are you going?" she asked weakly.

"I'm going to find her and finish this," Buffy said ominously, lifting the phone at Willow's bedside and starting to dial. "I'll get Xander to come sit with you."

She stopped as Willow's hand closed over her wrist, the redhead hissing in pain at the motion. "Please stay with me," Willow requested, tears sliding quickly down her face. "I…please, Buffy," she pleaded, hiccupping back a sob.

Buffy dropped the phone back into the cradle, leaning over to wrap her arms around Willow gently, letting the redhead cry against her, sobbing her pain into her shoulder. The Slayer soothed her gently, her fingers sliding through her friend's short red hair. "I love you, Willow. I'll do anything you need me to. Anything you want me to do," she breathed, feeling Willow tremble against her, her small body racked with pain as her tears finally slowed.

Buffy's fingers found the button on the side of the bed to trigger the painkiller, and she felt Willow relax suddenly against her. She pulled back as she heard the door open behind her. A glance over her shoulder revealed Xander in the doorway, Willow's parents in the hall behind him.

"Just a second, Xander," she said quickly, grateful when he nodded and shut the door without comment. "Will," Buffy prompted her, snatching tissues from the box on the bedside table and gently wiping the tears from her friend's face. "Your parents are here. Do you want me to let them in?"

The witch squeezed her eyes closed tightly, more tears sliding down her face. Buffy wiped them away with the tissue, her brow furrowed in concern. "They can come in," Willow gasped, her voice still rough and hoarse.

"Want me to stay?" Buffy asked.

Willow took a deep breath, her eyes still closed. "I want you to stay, but you need to take a shower my friend," she said, a weak smile rising to her lips.

Buffy snorted in laughter, feeling something like relief that Willow was joking with her. "I love you, Willow," she said, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I love you too, Buffy," Willow said, her eyes opening slowly. "You'll go home, right? Don't go after…"

The Slayer sighed, nodding reluctantly, her arms crossing over her chest unconsciously. "I'll go home Will, but I'm coming back after I get a shower and grab a change of clothes."

"You need to patrol, Buffy," Willow objected.

"I've already failed you once this week, I'm not just going to leave you here alone," Buffy denied.

Willow sighed. "You didn't fail me, Buffy. It could have happened any time. I learned a long time ago that you're supposed to look both ways before you cross the street."

Buffy grimaced, knowing Willow was right, but shaking her head. "I'll patrol, but I'm sleeping in that chair," she said firmly, pointing at the chair in the corner, the cushions obviously the subject of some recent abuse. Willow's mouth opened to protest, but Buffy cut her off. "Listen, Will, I know you're going to say I should go home, but I can't go back to our room when you're here. You're my best friend, the closest thing I have to a sister, and I need to be here with you."

Willow stared at her in silence, taking a deep breath, and finally nodding. "Thank you, Buffy." There was a long silence and Willow smiled wearily. "You can let my parents in now. Go home, take a shower, and I'll see you later."

Buffy leaned over, pressing a kiss to the redhead's forehead. "I'll be back soon, I promise. I'll make sure Xander is going to stay the whole time your parents are here, okay?" she offered. "Do you need anything before I go? Is there anything I can bring back for you?"

"I'll be fine," Willow breathed unconvincingly. "And you don't have to come back."

"I'm coming back," Buffy reiterated firmly. "I'm going to stake some vampires, and then I'll be back to spend the night. I'm not out of this hospital until you are."

Willow knew she should argue with the Slayer, but she honestly couldn't muster the willpower. The truth was, if she was trapped in the hospital, potentially going to be stuck in a wheelchair, she didn't want to be alone. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Buffy nodded, squeezing Willow's shoulder gently before she moved to answer the door. Willow's parents pushed into the room, leaving Xander and Buffy in the doorway. A doctor followed them into the room, and Willow's parents gave him all of their attention, barely giving their daughter a perfunctory glance and nod.

Xander and Buffy exchanged looks, the young man crossing his arms over his chest. He gave Willow a sympathetic glance, letting out a deep breath. Buffy guided him out of the room by an elbow, giving Willow an encouraging smile.

"How is she?" he asked, anxiety and concern on his face and in his voice.

Buffy sighed, glancing through the doorway. "I don't think it's all hit her yet," she said, wincing before the statement was even out of her mouth. "You know what I mean," she said almost guiltily. "She told me what happened with Oz."

Xander's arms loosened from across his chest, swinging anxiously at his sides. "What did she say? What happened?"

"That chick Veruca is a werewolf. She was in the cage that morning when Willow went to see Oz…"

Xander grimaced, groaning. "He didn't…" Buffy just nodded, glaring at the smooth linoleum of the hospital floor. "He did…" Xander corrected himself. "Willow caught them…"

"And left crying and got hit by a car," Buffy finished the statement. "I know you saw Oz once since the accident, where was he?" she asked.

Xander glanced at her, surprised. "He found me at the bar," he said. "I had a shift the other night and he came in. He didn't mention that Veruca girl though, just told me Will wouldn't want to see him."

Buffy shuddered, glaring at him. "I thought you were going to quit working at that place," she grumbled. "Did Oz say where he was heading?" she asked.

"No. Why? You going werewolf hunting?" Xander asked, frowning.

Buffy sighed, shaking her head. "No, Will asked me not to. And it's not a wolf night anymore. I was just hoping that if I bumped into him on the street, I could justify kicking a little wolfy butt," she confessed.

"If you find Veruca, I think you should go nuts, full moon or no," Xander said bitterly.

Buffy nodded firmly. "Definitely." She took a deep breath. "Will's sending me home to take a shower and a patrol, but then I'm heading back here for the night. Will you stay with her while her parents are here?"

Xander nodded. "Of course. I should probably get back in there for moral support. You be careful on patrol," he said, giving Buffy a stern look. "I can't look out after both of you if you end up in here too."

Buffy nodded, clapping him on the back. "I'll be careful. You'll stay until I can make it back?"

He nodded. "Yeah, no problem."

Buffy gave one last glance into Willow's room, the diminutive redhead looking smaller than ever in her hospital bed surrounded by wires and casts, and Buffy had a flash of memory of Willow's last incarceration in the hospital after the library had been attacked by Angelus' men a year and a half before. She heaved a heavy sigh before setting off down the hall.

Willow was asleep when she returned, but Xander was as good as his word and was still there. He had turned off the lights to allow the witch to sleep, and was reading an old magazine in the light from the lamp. Buffy handed him a cup off the cardboard tray in her hand and dropped a brown paper bag into his lap.

"I brought some dinner," she said quietly, perching herself on the armrest of the chair.

Xander took a long sip of his drink, holding one of the sandwiches out to her. "Did you already eat?" he asked, keeping his voice down as well.

Buffy shrugged. "Not really hungry. I should have gotten to her, Xander. She shouldn't be here."

He looked at her in silence, her eyes lingering on the body of their friend. She looked down at him as he pushed the food into her hands firmly. "Take the sandwich, Buffy," he ordered as she opened her mouth to protest. "What happened to Will was a horrible accident. It wasn't your fault." She still looked ready to argue with him and he pressed a hand against her knee. "You can't help her get better if you're beating yourself up over this. She's going to need us, and we need to be there for her."

Buffy wilted, her shoulders slumping suddenly, and she picked up the sandwich, unwrapping it slowly. Willow stirred as the paper crinkled, a short moan tearing from her lips as she moved, and Buffy and Xander both moved quickly to the bedsides.

"Will, you awake?" Xander asked, one of his hands finding her fingers where they stuck out of her cast, the plaster leaving only her ring and pinky fingers free. The digits twitched under his touch and her eyes cracked open slowly.

"Hey, Xander," she greeted him softly, voice thick with sleep and pain. "You're still here."

He nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yeah, of course I am, Will. And Buffy's back," he said, gesturing to the other side of the bed.

"Hey, Will," Buffy said, trying to force cheerfulness into her voice.

"The doctor said I can go home in a few days," Willow said.

Buffy smiled genuinely at that news. "Really? That's good, right?"

Willow nodded as much as she could. "Yeah, and they're taking the neck brace off tomorrow. They want me to sleep in it tonight, but the x-rays are back and my spine isn't broken, so I can go home once they're satisfied that there's no internal bleeding. I need to stay for observation, but I should be able to leave by the weekend."

Buffy rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "That's great, Will. And we'll have the day off to help you move your stuff."

Willow frowned in confusion. "I know I got hit by a car, so my brains are a little fuzzy, but I think I missed a step there."

"You said you're going home," Buffy said, confused herself.

Willow snorted, immediately grimacing as pain spread through her chest. "I didn't mean I was moving back in with my parents, Buffy. They're leaving to go back to wherever they were on Sunday. They would never let a little thing like getting hit by a car cause me to drop out of school, even just for the rest of the semester."

Buffy exchanged looks with Xander, grimacing apologetically. "Sorry, Willow. That's kind of harsh."

Willow shrugged as much as she was able under all the bandaging, coughing weakly. "I'm not surprised. And you know me, I'd be going nuts if I didn't have something to do while I'm going to be trapped in a wheelchair. Schoolwork will be a good distraction."

The little redhead was yawning before either of her friends could think of anything to say in response. "I should let you get some sleep," Xander said. "I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll come back in the morning," he offered, getting a weak smile from Willow. "I'll bring doughnuts," he said.

"Thanks, Xander," Buffy murmured, smiling over the bed at him.

Willow's eyelids were dragging, and she muttered something unintelligible, her two fingers curling around his. Xander leaned over slowly, pressing a kiss to his oldest friend's cheek.

He collected his sandwich and the jacket he'd been wearing, lingering in the doorway. "You're sure I can't stay?" he asked.

Buffy followed his eyes back to Willow. "You know I would appreciate it, and so would Willow, but that night nurse is a real stickler," she complained. It was not the first time that the Slayer had faced off against this particular night nurse, and their efforts to insist that both of them should be permitted to stay had only ensured that the nurse checked every night to make sure that only one of the Scoobies had stayed.

He sighed, nodding. "Fine, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow," he said, sliding one arm over her shoulder in a sideways hug. "You get some sleep, Buffy. The shower helped, but you look almost as bad as Willow. Just, you know, without all the casts and stuff." The blonde sighed heavily, another wave of guilt washing over her and Xander squeezed her again. "Stop it," he said seriously before her expression could change. "Sleep good, and I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and walked him out, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. Willow looked pale and shrunken in the dimness, and the sight sent an almost physical pain through Buffy's chest. Her steps were silent as she crossed the room, clicking off the lamp and curling herself into the armchair that had been her bed for the last three days, her eyes watching the steady breathing of her friend in the darkness.

The sun was bright enough to make Willow's eyes water when Buffy eventually wheeled her out of the hospital Saturday morning. The doctors had finally relented to Willow's claims that she was feeling as well as could be expected and that there was no reason for her to remain incarcerated in the hospital.

"You're sure you're ready to go?" Buffy checked a final time, hesitating at the top of the wheelchair ramp.

Willow sighed, nodding eagerly. "Yes! Please! How are you not going crazy to get out of here? We've been in here for almost a week! You haven't left since Wednesday!"

Buffy shrugged. Honestly, she had been getting antsy in the hospital room, but she was determined to stay until Willow got to leave too. "I just want to make sure you're ready for this," the Slayer said, seeing her mother's Jeep pull into the parking circle. Buffy guided the chair down the ramp, Willow unable to drive the chair for herself because of her right arm's cast from shoulder to fingers.

Joyce was already out of the car when they reached her and she leaned over to kiss Willow on the cheek. "I'm glad you're finally out of the hospital, Willow dear," she said sincerely.

The redhead nodded, smiling gratefully. "Me too. Thank you so much for the ride, Mrs. Summers."

Joyce nodded. "Of course, Willow," she said, opening the door to the car for Buffy.

The Slayer studied her friend's wheelchair for a long moment before she leaned over, sliding one arm around Willow's shoulders, the other sliding under her knees. "You ready?" she asked, waiting for Willow's nod before she lifted her friend.

It was tricky with both Willow's right arm and right leg frozen with no flexibility, but Buffy managed to get the redhead into the backseat without jostling her too bad, her injured leg lying flat across the backseat. Buffy carefully shut the door, giving Willow something to lean on, and she broke down the wheelchair as quickly as she could and stuck it inside the cargo area at the back of the car.

Joyce had the car started when Buffy got into the front seat, and the Slayer leaned over into the back to buckle Willow's seat belt for her, the redhead unable to reach it. Willow gave her a grateful, if frustrated smile, and Buffy nodded as she turned back forward in her own seat.

They rode in silence and Buffy carefully lifted Willow back into her chair when they reached the UC Sunnydale campus. Joyce gave them both another kiss on the cheek before leaving them, and Buffy pushed the chair into the lounge of their dorm.

It was only then that Willow remembered that their room was on the second floor of Stevenson. "Buffy," she started, looking over her shoulder questioningly as the Slayer pushed the chair through the lounge and down an unfamiliar hallway.

The Slayer seemed to be counting in her head as they walked down the hall, and she pulled the chair to a stop outside of a room. She leaned over Willow's shoulder to knock and gave Willow a reassuring smile. The door opened a second later and Willow was surprised to see that all of her and Buffy's belongings had been transported into this new room.

"Ta-da," Buffy announced dramatically. "I got us switched to the ground floor so you wouldn't have to count on that questionable elevator," she said.

"And it might have been suspicious if Buff had to carry your chair up the stairs," Xander agreed as he came into the hallway, careful to keep his voice down as Riley came out after him.

Willow giggled, seeing Buffy wink at her as she pulled Xander into a hug with her good arm. "You guys, thank you," she said sincerely, pulling a flustered Riley into a hug after she released Xander.

"I think we've mostly got everything the way it was upstairs, but check it out and let us know if we messed anything up too bad," Riley offered, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

Buffy gave him a grateful smile as she pushed Willow's chair into their new room. Everything looked the same as their room upstairs, and she smirked as she noticed the strap of her weapons bag sticking out from under her bed, smiling sadly as she saw the Dingoes poster on the wall.

"It looks good guys, thanks a lot," she told them as the boys followed them back into the room. Something occurred to her suddenly and she smirked, resolutely pushing the problems with Oz to the back of her mind. "How did you get our clothes down here?" she asked, gesturing to the bolted down dressers that each room was equipped with.

Riley blushed and Xander shrugged. "We didn't look at anything!" he denied loudly. "We switched the drawers! And look!" he exclaimed, pulling a flattened pizza box from somewhere. "We used this to cover the top of them so we couldn't see anything!"

Willow and Buffy exchanged glances and grins, laughing. "Well, we appreciate the discretion," Buffy said, stepping forward to pat each of them on the chest, and standing on her toes to give both of them a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for doing all this for us."

"No problem, Buffy," Riley said, his eyes dropping lower to find Willow. "I'm glad you're going to be okay," he said, giving her a smile. "I hate to rush off, but I've got some work due for the professor, so I need to go, but all of your assignments are on each of your desks whenever you're up for it," he said, gesturing to the stacks of papers on either side of the room.

"Thank you, Riley. I really appreciate it," Willow told him. He nodded, giving Buffy a final smile as he slid out the door. Buffy was staring after him and Willow twisted herself slightly to poke the Slayer with her cast. "Go on," she prompted with a smile. "Xander's here to make sure my chair doesn't tip over or something, and I won't be responsible for what I do if I have to put up with the sighing for the rest of the day because you didn't get to see Riley," she said, laughing as Buffy threw her arms around the wheelchair bound witch before running out the door after Riley.

"I'll be right back!" they heard Buffy call over her shoulder.

Xander grinned as he took a seat on the corner of Willow's bed, uncomfortable looming over her since she couldn't stand up. "That was nice of you," he said.

"Yeah, well they're completely obviously crushing on each other," she said. "And I've been keeping Buffy away from her life enough."

Xander frowned at her. "You and Buffy need to stop it with the crushing guilt thing you're both doing," he chided. "You feel guilty that she's trying to take care of you, and she's guilty that she didn't somehow stop that car from hitting you." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You might not like it, but we're your best friends and we are going to help you through this. Just let us try at least?" he requested, one hand coming to rest on her good knee, careful not to squeeze it, the skin still covered in scratches and yellowing, slow to fade bruises.

Willow sighed, nodding. "I know, I just already hate being in this chair, and I know it won't be easy to live with me, and you guys have already done so much."

"You're our Willow," Xander said simply. "You know that there's nothing we wouldn't do for you."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks, Xander. Can you do something for me now?"

He jumped to his feet with a wide grin. "Name it," he said cheerfully.

She giggled, nodding her head backwards at the desk. "Is my calendar still on the desk?"

He nodded, finding it quickly in the organization they'd duplicated on Willow's desk, taking care that everything was where it had been upstairs.

"Can you put these dates on it?" she asked, finding a folded sheet of paper in the pocket of the baggy sweatshirt she was wearing, actually one of Xander's if she wasn't mistaken. They had had to cut the right sleeve off the sweatshirt, but she was wearing shorts to accommodate the bulky cast on her leg. "And maybe get me a blanket?" she added. "My leg is cold."

He glanced around the room, finding a folded blanket at the foot of Buffy's bed and he rolled playfully across Willow's bed to get to it. Willow laughed, but gave him a kiss on his cheek as he tucked the blanket around her carefully, draping it over her bare toes as well. With Willow settled, he took his seat back on the corner of the bed, holding her large calendar in his lap. She handed him the folded paper, and he carefully transcribed the dates onto their respective days on the calendar.

"What are these?" he asked as he glanced back and forth between the paper and the calendar.

"Doctor's appointments, and tentative days when I can get casts off," she answered.

Buffy returned just then, flopping onto Willow's bed to read over Xander's shoulder. "Hey, you get your arm cast off in a month!" she said cheerfully. "That won't be too bad."

"And once it's off, I can start using crutches some instead of this stupid chair," Willow added.

"That's great!" Buffy agreed, nodding.

"Can you help me with something?" Willow asked, laughing as Buffy hopped to her feet as eagerly as Xander had. "Xand, where did my laptop end up?" He looked around, finding it tucked under the desk. Buffy retrieved it quickly, holding the case where Willow could see it. "Can you set it up on my desk?" she asked, struggling to turn her chair with only one hand. Xander abandoned his writing to help her, turning the chair so she could see her desk.

Buffy put the assignments Riley had collected neatly to the side and carefully set up the computer, crawling under the desk to plug it in. She grinned as she turned it on. "What's next, boss?"

Willow laughed, her good hand rising protectively to her ribs. "Xander, did you see a dark green backpack when you were moving the room?"

He thought for a second, tapping his pen idly against his bottom lip. "Yeah, I think it ended up in one of the closets."

Buffy nodded quickly, already moving to check in Willow's closet. "Found it!" she called from in the closet. "Do you need the whole thing, or just something that's in here?" she asked as she carried it into the room.

"There should be a microphone in there," Willow answered, using her good foot to scoot her chair closer to the desk, groaning as pain shot through her weak muscles at the sudden exertion. "And where are those pills the doctors gave me?" she asked, her hand covering her stomach now.

Buffy slapped the pockets of her jacket, finding the bottle quickly and shaking out several of the pills while Xander moved to the mini fridge and retrieved a bottle of water. Willow blinked as both items were thrust under her nose, taking them one at a time and smiling gratefully after she swallowed the medicine.

"Thanks, guys," Willow murmured, feeling almost embarrassed, and Xander went back to his writing without commenting.

"What do you want me to do with the microphone? Where did you get a microphone anyway?" Buffy asked. Barely a second later, she was slapping a hand to her forehead. "Oh, yeah, never mind," she commented sheepishly.

"Just plug it in," Willow directed, her voice hoarse suddenly. "There's a place for it on the side there," she said, pointing with her good hand before surreptitiously wiping her eyes and clearing her throat, blinking her eyes furiously.

Buffy found the spot and plugged the microphone into the laptop. The computer didn't do anything and she turned her eyes back to Willow.

"Move my chair over there, so I can reach it," Willow directed, taking a deep breath. Buffy tried to put the chair into a typical position at the desk, but was frustrated by Willow's frozen right leg. She finally ended up parking Willow's chair parallel with the desk and moved the computer to the edge of the desk so that Willow could reach it with her left hand.

The hacker did something, little boxes popping up on the screen, and Buffy tried to understand what her friend was doing, but she gave it up as an exercise in futility and went back to reading over Xander's shoulder as he finished up with the calendar to give Willow a moment of privacy, noticing the struggle on her friend's face. Buffy also noticed that the wolf nights were circled on the calendar, and she pointed at them, sharing a grimace with Xander as he stood up.

They looked around for somewhere to hang it so that Willow would be able to see it and Buffy found a nail in the wood of the window frame. It was nailed in too high for the chair though, and she pulled it out, Xander's eyes widening at the display of strength. His jaw dropped when she pushed it back in lower down on the frame with only her thumb.

"That is so not fair," he grumbled as he hung the calendar so that it was hanging between the two beds at a height that Willow would be able to read from her chair.

They both turned in surprise as they heard Willow speak behind them. "Testing, testing. Wheelchair, banana, elephant, psychology," she was saying into the microphone.

Xander and Buffy glanced at each other, both shrugging. "Whatcha doing there, Will?" Xander asked as they moved closer, leaning over to look at her computer.

"I set it up so that whatever I say into the microphone is typed into the computer," Willow told them, smirking proudly. "This way I won't have to figure out how to write with my left hand, and Buffy won't have to type up my homework for me," she said, laughing as the Slayer threw her arms around Willow's neck.

"Oh, you are just the best!" Buffy cheered.

Willow nodded, yawning suddenly. "I can just dictate my papers into the computer and print them out," she said, her eyes drooping heavily. "Buffy, you might still have to go turn them in for me though," she said slowly.

Buffy and Xander exchanged looks again as Willow's head dipped against her chest. "I think those painkillers are also knock-out drugs," Xander guessed.

Buffy found the bottle on Willow's bed where she'd dropped it and read the label. "You're right. Let's get her in bed."

Xander quickly cleared off the bed and pulled the covers back while Buffy guided the wheelchair next to the bed. She carefully deposited the mostly unconscious Willow into the bed, covering her protectively with the blankets.

Willow moved slowly, her eyes managing to flutter open. "Buffy," she said lowly, and the Slayer leaned close to hear her. "Wicca group, in lounge, can't go," she managed before the drugs took her and she was unconscious.

"I think she wants you to tell the witches that she won't be joining them," Xander guessed with grin.

Buffy smirked, but nodded. "I think you might be right, but I can't just leave her in here alone. What if she rolls out of the bed or something?" she asked.

"I'll stay with her," Xander said easily. "I don't have to be at the bar until five, so I've got some time."

Buffy stared down at Willow, nodding finally. "Okay, thanks, Xander."

"No problem. I think I have some walkie-talkies at home too, I could bring them over tomorrow and that way you can leave the room without being scared she's going to fall or something," he suggested.

Buffy smiled at him gratefully. "That's a good idea, Xander. That would be great," she agreed.

It only took her a few minutes to walk from Stevenson to the academic building where she knew the Wicca group normally had their meetings. They were already in session when she arrived, and she lingered at the edge of the room, waiting for a moment to interject.

The women finished praying, or whatever they were doing, she wasn't really sure, and Buffy cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the group. "Um, hey, I don't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to let you know that Willow, you know, the little red haired girl that's normally here, she won't be able to join you all for a while."

"Communion with your sisters is very important to a Wicca's aura health," one of the girls informed her haughtily. "Why would sister Willow put herself at risk like that?" she asked, and Buffy had to fight an urge to smack the girl in the head.

"Willow would be here, but she got hit by a car last week and she's in a wheelchair right now," Buffy informed her, struggling to not be sarcastic. "She'll be back as soon as she can be."

She turned to go, but was stopped by the speaker's next sentence. "We will gather around our stricken sister, lend her our power in her time of need. Does anyone know where sister Willow lives?" the presumptuous girl asked the group.

"Um, we're in Stevenson, 112 I think, I'm not really sure, we just moved, but Willow just got out of the hospital this morning and she's taking it slow, and she's got these really strong pain meds that just knock her out, so it's not a really good time right now, but I'll be sure to let you know when she's up for company."

The witch seemed to consider Buffy's statement and nodded finally. "That seems wise. We will form the power circle here, and concentrate our energies on speeding sister Willow's recovery," she decided.

Buffy let out a deep breath, satisfied that her room wasn't about to be overrun by haughty wannabe witches. "Thanks," she said over her shoulder as she turned to go back to her room, missing the lingering blue eyes that followed her out of the room.

Next Time: Willow makes a new friend, and an old enemy makes trouble…