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Language:
English
Series:
Part 4 of Buffyverse Drabbles (2026 Otherworldly Chemistry Drabblefest) , Part 18 of Gift Fics , Part 11 of Team Dad Rupert Giles
Collections:
Otherworldly Chemistry's DrabbleFest 2026 Buffyverse Rarepair Event
Stats:
Published:
2026-01-14
Words:
100
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
6
Kudos:
14
Hits:
152

Nothing To Do But Wait

Summary:

A moment in Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, where Giles waits for news about Xander in the aftermath of the explosion.

Takes place in GravityTrips' "Where The Forgotten Lie" AU, which asks, among many things, "What if Xander and Cordie never broke up, and what if he didn't save the day in 'The Zeppo'?"

For Otherworldly Chemistry's 2026 Drabble Fest, using prompt 88, "Hospital."

Notes:

Me? Writing another fic taking place in this AU? More likely than you'd think...

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Xander's blood is on Giles' clothes. Beneath his nails. Xander's viscera, rent asunder by the explosion, stain the man's thoughts.

As he waits for news about Xander's prognosis, Rupert Giles realizes that he has become intimately acquainted with Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. He doesn't want to know its halls like the back of his hand. Would prefer to not be able to, without thinking, find his way to the Emergency Room, where Xander is being operated on. Alas. Beggars can't be choosers.

He hopes beyond hope that the boy will be all right. Until then, he can do nothing but wait.

Notes:

Man. This AU slaps. Anyway!! Thanks for Gravity for letting me play around a bit in their AU, and thank you for reading and for commenting!