Angel walked down the white sterile hallways, afraid of what he would find. “Seven years?” he asked, still in shock.

“Yep. Seven.” Said Cordelia with a sigh. “Awful isn’t it.”

“And she doesn’t get any better?”

“Sometimes she’s shown progress but she always regresses again. About a year ago she seemed to be coming out of it again but then… I don’t know.” Cordelia shopped him in the hall and faced him. “She wont recognise you Angel. She won’t speak to you, she wont react at all. She’s catatonic, has been for almost a year.”

Angel nodded, trying to match a catatonic Buffy to the girl he had known.

Cordie carried on walking and Angel followed her.

“You come here often?”

“Not as often as I should. We came all the time originally, the doctors said it would help. And every time she’s been making progress we came back. All her friends are on the visitors list so we can come and go as we want but… It’s… It’s just too painful to see her like this.

She stopped outside a room, she took a deep breath and opened the door to go in.

“Buffy!” she said as she entered. “It’s good to see you again.” She said as she brushed a few stray strands of hair off Buffy’s face. “I have a visitor for you. It’s Angel, he came to see you. Isn’t that nice?”

Cordie stepped back and Angel got his first good look at Buffy. She was lying on her side, facing the door, curled up in the foetal position. Her eyes were closed. If it weren’t for the rise and fall of her chest he would almost believe she was dead.

“Angel, say Hi to Buffy.” Cordie prompted.

Angel gingerly stepped forward. “Buffy? Buffy can you hear me?”

Seeing a chair next to the wall he put it by the head of the bed and sat down. “Buffy?” He gently took her hand and clasped it between his own hands, she didn’t offer any resistance. She looked so frail. “Buffy? Buffy, I know you’re in there. I’m sorry I left Buffy. I should have come back but I didn’t know… Please Buffy. If you can hear me let me know. Blink or something. Buffy… Please.”

He gently wiped the hair away from her face. “I know you’re in there. I know you remember me. Come back to Buffy. Let me help you.”

Finally Angel’s tears began to fall. How could this have happened? She was so vital, so alive.

“Buffy.” He sobbed, bring her hand to his cheek.

Almost imperceptibly he felt a squeeze on his hand. “Buffy? That’s it Buffy. Come back to me.” The grip strengthened but there were no other signs she even knew he was there. But Angel knew.

“Cordie, get a doctor.” He ordered.

“Sure.” She said leaving.

“I’m here now Buffy. We’ll work this through together. I’ll never leave you again. I promise.”

“Mr O’Connor?” Angel turned to the voice. “I’m Dr Lansing, Buffy’s primary doctor. How can I help you?”

“Doctor, she reacted to me. She’s squeezing my hand.”

The doctor ventured further into the room to check, sure enough he could see Buffy's knuckled were white through gripping his hand so hard.

“Indeed.” he said with a sigh.

“Well this is good right?”

The doctor sighed again. “Perhaps we could talk out in the hall.”

Angel looked back to Buffy. He didn’t want to leave her but he had to know what the doctor had to say.

“Buffy. I’m going out into the hallway. I’ll be able to see you the whole time. OK?” she gripped his hand harder, almost to the point of pain. “I have to go Buffy, but I will be back in just a minute. I’m not leaving you. Not ever again.”

Buffy still didn’t release her grip so Angel had to pry himself out of it. Once free Buffy whimpered and pulled her hand close again. It broke angels heart.

“This way.” Said the doctor.” As he ushered Angel into the hall. Cordie was waiting there for them.

“Doctor, surly this is progress?” he asked.

“Perhaps, but she’s been much more lucid than this before and she always reverts back to her world.”

“Her world?”

“Yes. She’s created an internal world for herself. She’s some kind of superhero, battling monsters and what not.” The doctor paused to collect his thoughts. “I don’t mean to be blunt but I think the chances of ever getting her back are virtually zero.”

Angel leaned against the wall, thinking. “There’s still a chance though?” he asked.

“We never give up hope.”

“I want to take her out of here.”

“This is the best facility in California, she wont get better help anywhere else.”

“I know. I don’t want to send her to another institution. I want to take her home.”

“I don’t think that’s wise. Buffy has been violent on occasion and she requires round the clock care.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“Including physiotherapy to ensure her limbs don’t atrophy and constant medication.” the doctor paused. “I really don’t feel moving her is the best move.”

“I can handle that. It wont be a problem.”

The doctor became agitated now. “Sir, I really don’t feel that you understand the severity of her condition.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Said Angel, now determined. He had learnt from the legal profession that the more someone didn’t want you to do something, the more important that something turned out to be. “Who is her legal guardian?”

“Her parents but I doubt they’ll let you take her out.”

“Watch me.”

“Then it’ll be against medical advice.”

Angel ignored him, took his cell phone out and placed a few calls.

The doctor looked stern and tried to stare Angel out. He didn’t have courtroom experience though and Angel won the contest. The doctor simply turned and strode off down the hall, muttering to himself.