Non-vampire, plus two.
Hi.
Man, Buffy. My whole life just flashed before my eyes. I gotta get me a life.
- What are you doing here? - What are you doing here?
- I'm patrolling. - Buffy, you're sick.
No, I feel fine. I mean, the world's spinning a little bit, but I like it. It's kinda like a ride.
Half the school's out with this flu. It's a serious deal.
We're all concerned about how gross you look.
I'm touched. Really. But I have work to do.
Buffy, come on. One night of rest is not gonna kill you.
- No. But it might kill somebody else. - You mean Angel might.
Buffy, this is not the time to challenge Angel.
- He's at full strength. You're half a slayer. - But I'm still the Slayer.
As long as I am, Angel's not gonna kill anybody else.
Ah, come on!
Just one more.
Not feeling well, lover?
That helped.
You know, you being off your game's taken the fun out of all this.
Nope. Still fun.
Uh-oh. This does not look good for our heroine.
Take a walk, overbite.
We'll have to do this again sometime.
Buffy, are you OK?
I told you guys to leave. I... I...
Buffy?!
Buffy?
- We need help! - Somebody, please!
What happened?
- The flu, fainted and fell. She's sick. - It's gonna be OK. Let's get her up.
The patient's unconscious. Pupils are unequal and unresponsive.
- Is she gonna be OK? - Please, give us some room.
- What do we have? - High-grade fever, possible fractures.
Get her into Trauma One. Give her a CBC, chem seven, type and screen.
- I'm sorry. You can't go any further. - Someone should be with her!
I'll call Giles. Call Buffy's mom. Tell her... not what happened. Just get her here.
- Where is she? - She's still in the emergency room.
- I wanna see her. - They won't let us in.
- Ms Summers? - I'm Dr Wilkinson.
- Is Buffy OK? - We were able to stabilise...
- Is she OK? - She's going to be fine.
- Thank you. - Good. Good. That's good.
I wanna keep her here a few days, though. She still has some healing to do.
Buffy? Hi, sweetheart.
Hey, Buffy. We're all here.
Hey. Here we are.
It's all of we. Are we taking me home?
No. Buffy, you need to lie down, honey.
Uh... lie at home. My bed is better than any bed that's not my bed.
- She's still a little out of it. - Shh. Hospital zone. No singing.
- She'll feel better after being here a while. - No. Let me go. I wanna go.
- No! No! Let me go! Stop it! - Hold her steady!
Giles, tell them! The vampires! I need to kill the vampires!
This'll help you relax.
- No! No! - Easy.
- Gotta be the fever. - It made her delusional.
- They're out there! - Yes, we'll, er...
..we'll get those vampires later.
- I hear it's best to play along. - Honey, listen...
- I wanna go home. - It's gonna be OK. I promise.
- Please don't make me stay here. - I promise.
That was a new experience. I'm not used to seeing Buffy scared.
Yeah. She just hates hospitals.
- Since she was a little girl. - What happened?
When she was eight, her cousin, Celia, died in a hospital.
- Buffy was alone with her at the time. - Yuck.
- Yeah. They were very close. - When she was eight?
Well, it looks like she's asleep. I should go call her father.
Erm, I think there's a phone.
Thank you for coming. I really appreciate the way you look out for her.
All of you.
We're, er, we're very fond of her. The, er... the telephone.
I, I... I hope I'm not out of line, but...
..I wanted to say how sorry I am about that teacher, Ms Calendar.
Buffy said you were close.
Thank you.
Buffy's been so down since it happened. I mean, she never gets sick.
I'm sure she'll be... she'll be fine.
I'm sorry. I... I babble when I'm nervous. I just wanted to...
Well, if you need anything.
Thank you. Thank you.
- D'you think she's gonna be OK? - I don't know.
Lysette got her nose done here. She came in for the Gwyneth Paltrow...
- ..and it looked more like the Mr Potato Head. - Cordy.
Buffy's not in here for cosmetic surgery.
No, but while she's in here, she might as well get that thing done.
You know, that thing on her face?
- You know that thing. - Do you think Angel will attack Buffy here?
- He can come in. It's a public building. - That's true.
Am I the only one that's noticed that thing?
Is that better?
Man, I hate it when you lose the young ones.
I'm just saying, step back on the dosage until we can analyse the results.
There isn't time. That should be clear to you.
- The normal course of treat... - They aren't responding. They're worse.
- Raising their temperature... - Dr Wilkinson...
- ..I have the consent of the parents. - They're desperate.
If you have a problem with my methods, speak to the board.
I have.
He comes at night. The grown-ups don't see him.
He was with Tina. He'll come back for us.
- Who? - Death.
Visiting hours are over.
- Well, I'm pretty much family. - Yeah.
Why don't you come back during the day? Oh, gee, no. I guess you can't.
If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond...
..that you could stop me?
Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either.
Or those cops. Or the orderlies.
But I'm kinda curious to find out.
You game?
Buffy's white knight.
You still love her.
It must just eat you up that I got there first.
You're gonna die.
And I'm gonna be there.
Tell her I stopped by.
Help me! Help! Avalanche! Help! Help! I'm trapped!
- Avalanche! Help! - Power Girl to the rescue!
Help me! Help! Help!
- You saved me! Thank you, Power Girl! - You're safe now.
Good morning.
- Could've fooled me. - How are you feeling?
- Looks like your fever's gone down. - Oh, good! Thanks for having me.
- Let's try and keep in touch. - Not so fast.
- Hmm... - Good "hmm" or bad "hmm"?.
- The swelling's... gone. Does this hurt? - No.
- Amazing. - Then I should probably go.
No. Soon. We have to make sure that fever is gone.
That's a strong virus you have. Maybe not as strong as you, but...
Is that the same virus the kids have?
May we come in?
Please. Maybe you can keep our patient from bolting.
Rest. Hmm?
Flowers for milady.
- I think they call those balloons. - Yeah, stick 'em in water, maybe they'll grow.
Not to be outdone.
- Homework? - It's my way of saying "get well soon".
You know, chocolate says that even better.
I did all your assignments, so all you have to do is sign your name.
Chocolate means nothing to me.
Nobody told me I was supposed to bring a gift. I was out of the loop on gifts.
It's traditional among, erm... people. Erm...
Grapes.
Well, did you pass the night well enough?
Not really. Something happened I thought you...
You know what? Let's take a walk.
- Now this part I could get used to. - Do you want me to go real fast?
- Not that I would. - You were discussing, erm, stuff?
Yes, stuff. Um...
- You know a girl died here last night. - How?
Well, the flu.
- Flu? Doesn't exactly sound monsterrific. - I know.
But there's this Dr Backer, and he's been giving them these experimental treatments.
I'm not sure what he's up to, but he's a little creepy.
Then there was this kid, Ryan. He said he saw something.
- Saw what? - Death.
- Death? - The Death? As in "It is your time"?
- Buffy, a frightened child... - But I thought I saw something.
- I'm not sure. I was really out of it, but... - But you do know that you saw Death?
- Did it have an hourglass? - If he asks you to play chess, don't do it.
- The guy's like a whiz. - Maybe it wasn't Death.
- Maybe it was something else. - This isn't about being afraid of hospitals...
..cos your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster you can fight...
..so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?
- Cordelia, have you ever heard of tact? - Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass.
- Your mom did tell us about your cousin. - This has nothing to do with that.
This little boy, Ryan, is afraid of something. Something real.
As long as I'm forced to stay here, I'm gonna find out what.
So is this the part where we say "What can we do to help?"
You had to ask that, didn't you?
It'll be cake. We just gotta figure out what killed this little girl, Tina.
We'll be out. Five minutes, tops.
This is what happens when you're compassionate to sick people.
They take advantage of you.
Uh-huh. Buffy almost died just to put you out.
I didn't want to be the first one to say it.
- You there. Me here. - Right.
What are you doing here?
- So, where do we start? - Hmm?
Oh, I don't know. Er, maybe look into the history of the hospital...
- ..bizarre incidents, that sort of thing. - I'm sensing less than full committal here.
I suppose so.
Cordelia may be Homerically insensitive, but she may also be right.
Death and disease are things - possibly the only things - that Buffy cannot fight.
It's only natural for her to try to create a defeatable opponent.
Especially now, after...
..after Jenny.
That's true, but on the "we live on the Hellmouth" side...
..these kids may have seen a monster.
Well, a... a monster that grown-ups can't see?
Doesn't ring a bell.
- Unless... - Unless?
Sometimes small children do see something we adults don't.
Us. Our true selves. Our... our hidden faces.
So, the kids might be afraid of a regular person?
- Like the weird doctor. - Stanley Backer was his name, no?
Let's look him up.
Most people think that security guards are just guys that failed the police exam.
But that's not me. This is my career.
Stereotypes are so unfair.
I did take the fireman's exam, though. I didn't do so good.
Oh, well, you know, I think that security guards are way sexier than firemen.
They're all sooty.
Well, this is where all the action is, anyhow. I'm all the time restraining people.
Hmm. How thrilling.
Do you ever get scared?
"Fear is for the weak." That's my motto.
Either that, or "Live in the now." I haven't decided yet.
I bet you see a lot of tragedy. You know, like that little girl.
Oh, one of Dr Backer's patients. Dr Backer's a great man.
He understands the real truth about children.
- What's that? - Sometimes they die.
What was that?
Uh, you know, I didn't hear anything. You know, you have the most...
..perfect nose I've ever seen.
You must work out.
Yeah.
Could you make just a little more with the touchy-gropey?
- Jealous? - Of Rogaine Boy?
- I don't think so. Here, take this to Giles, OK? - What about you?
- I'm gonna stay here. - Your obsession with protecting Buffy.
Have I told you how attractive that's not?
- Cordelia, someone's gotta watch her back. - Yeah, I've seen you watch her back.
- What is that supposed to mean? - I was using the phrase "watch her back"...
..as a euphemism for looking at her butt. You know, sort of a pun.
Oh. Right.
- Hey! - Well, you do.
Jealous?
Fine. Watch my back.
Hey. Remember me?
- You shouldn't be here. - Why not?
- Contagious. - Nah. I already got what you got.
What? You think because I'm a grown-up? Believe me, I'm not that grown-up.
He'll come again tonight.
Ryan, listen to me.
I'm not gonna let this thing hurt you. Any of you.
Grown-ups don't believe you, right? I do. We both know that there are real monsters.
But there's also real heroes that fight monsters. And that's me.
You can't fight Death.
Well, Dr Backer has something of a rap sheet.
Reprimands for controversial experiments, risky procedures, a malpractice suit...
Looks like it was dropped suddenly.
Factor in Buffy's observation that he gives her the, erm, wiggins.
This may be our death guy?
I just wish I knew what he was doing to these children.
506...
Yes...
Yes.
- Well, it looks as if you were onto something. - I know.
The, uh, the girl, Tina, erm... It's apparent that she died of the fever, simple enough.
But her records show her improving and then suddenly deteriorating...
..without any apparent cause.
So we checked Dr Backer out. This guy was not a solid citizen.
It wasn't Backer. He was clean.
- What do you mean, clean? - What do you mean, was?
He's dead. This thing killed him, and not with kindness.
- You saw it? - No, it's invisible.
I saw Backer nearly shredded and then it knocked me down. But it's real.
Which means I get to fight it.
Er... this is your work?
- No. One of the kids. - Oh, er...
Erm... well, it would help if we knew what it was.
It's invisible to you, but the children can see it.
- You did see something the other night. - I was delirious. It doesn't make any sense.
- Why would I see it then and not last night? - Good morning.
Ooh, looks like I interrupted a secret meeting.
You sure didn't.
Honey, I just talked to the doctor and she said I can take you home.
No. I should stay here.
- But I thought you'd be ready... - I think my symptoms are flaring up.
- She doesn't look well. - Cos I'm not well. I feel all ooky.
Increased ooky-ness. That's a danger signal.
- Are you sure? - Oh, yeah. But just for a day... or so.
OK, well, I'll, uh.. I'll talk to the doctor.
So, what's the drill?
Giles, see if you can get a mug shot. I need to know what I'm fighting.
- Right. - I'll check Backer's office.
See if I can find any Post-its marked "Why a monster might want me dead."
Sounds like a plan.
If I find anything, I won't know what it means, so, Will...
Oh, yeah, I'm good at medical stuff. Xander and I used to play doctor all the time.
No. She's being literal. She had these medical volumes, and diagnosed me with stuff.
I couldn't tell her she was playing it wrong.
Wrong? Why? How did you play doctor?
I... never have.
Erm... fascinating though this is...
Yeah. Right. Go.
- We'll call you if we... know something. - Know something soon.
I'd best head to the library. Research beckons.
I'm on sentry duty. Angel won't show till sundown, if at all.
- Maybe I'll get lucky with this death guy. - He's invisible.
Yeah, but if I see a floating pipe and a smoking jacket, he's dropped.
- You two stay alert. - Finding out who this thing is takes priority.
- Cordy, you should go with Giles. - Why do I have to have...
Good thinking. I could do with a research assistant.
Let's go, Tact Guy.
Yes.
Be careful.
It's weird going through his things.
Look. He didn't finish his coffee.
- Guess he won't. - Yep.
Another person I wasn't in time to save.
It's too bad Angel didn't put me in the hospital sooner.
There's something I never thought I'd hear myself say.
- Hey, wait. I think I have something. - Mm. Sherlock.
OK, this makes sense.
Dr Backer was trying to inoculate the kids...
..with a controlled dosage of the same virus they already had.
Raising their temperatures to burn the fever out of them.
- Would that work? - According to this, it was starting to.
- So he really was trying to help the kids. - Until that thing stopped him.
Eww! What does this do?
- What? - What does this do?
Er, it, er, extracts vital organs to replenish its own mutating cells.
Wow!
What does this one do?
Erm, it elongates its mouth to engulf its victim's head with its incisors.
Ouch. Wait, what does this one do?
It asks endless questions while it's supposed to be working so nothing is getting done.
Boy, there's a demon for everything.
I don't even know if we're on the right track.
Since this, er, miscreant has only been seen by select individuals...
..there's a chance we won't ever find a picture of it.
Well, it's not in here.
- It's called "Der Kindestod". - Who is this?
- It's me. I've got your monster. - Where's Giles?
- Looking up stuff. - Well, can you put him on?
- Hey, I found your guy, OK? Just listen. - Right.
The name means "Child Death".
It says that he feeds off of children by sucking the life out of them,
Ugh! But anyway, afterwards, it looks like they died because they were sick.
- So, it did kill Tina. - That's my take,
Cos it would be looking at the children's ward as an all-you-can-eat kind of thing.
Backer was curing the kids and taking away its food.
- Hence the sliceage. - I got a picture of how it kills. Let me talk to...
- Oh, eww! - What?
Oh! You should see this thing! The way it does its thing, I mean... eww!
Why do I let you guys drag me into this stuff?
- Buffy? Are you still there? - Hanging on every "eww".
Erm, the, erm...
The Kindestod gorges by sitting atop his prey, pinning it down helplessly.
Then he slowly draws out the life,
It must be horrifying for the victim,
Buffy? Hello?
Celia?
What's wrong?
I don't know what to do, Celia!
Help! Help! Help!
Somebody, help!
Come on, Celia!
Buffy, what is it?
Thanks.
- It killed Celia. - Your cousin?
We have to get this thing. Before it gets any more kids.
- You will. We will. - But how? I can't even see it.
- You saw it once. - Did I?
Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I was crazed with that fever. Who knows...
- Buffy, think about this. - I have. Lots of thoughts.
- It's crazy. - The fever. It's how you see the Kindestod.
That's why Celia could see it. That's why Ryan still can. It's the only way.
But how are you gonna fight this thing with a 107° temperature?
- I guess we'll find out. - Buffy!
I'm going to do this.
Buffy, that's 100 per cent pure. It'll kill you in an instant.
Oh. They really should put that on the label.
It needs to be diluted.
OK, but this better work fast.
Faster than that.
Here's to my health.
Oh, God. I'm not sure this was such a good idea.
- Hang in there. You'll be OK. - OK. I'm OK.
The kids.
They're gone.
Come on! Hurry! Keep quiet!
- What could've happened? - I don't know. Maybe we're too late.
Maybe they moved. Maybe I don't... I'm burning up.
- Will? - What?
I think it's in there.
He's going after them! We've gotta get him.
- OK, we'll get him in a second. - What's wrong?
- Uh, uh... she's not feeling well... again. - You should be in bed.
- No, it's not that bad. - No, you're coming with me.
She's sorry.
Security. Come to the children's ward. We have a situation.
OK, come on, now. We can do this the easy way.
Frogs! Frogs! Get 'em off of me! Oh, my God! Frogs! Get them off of me!
Please help! Get 'em off! Frogs! Frogs!
- Oh, my God! Horrible frogs! Get 'em off! - Not her! The other one!
- No more frogs. - Come on!
- Buffy, are you OK? Did Angel...? - No. We need to get to the basement.
Come on.
- It's cold. - Here.
- Here. We're gonna be safe in here. - Look out!
What? Oh!
- You don't know how to kill this thing? - I thought I might try violence.
Solid call.
Help!
You make me sick.
Come on! Come on! Come on!
Are you OK?
Actually, I think I'm starting to feel better.
Let's... Oh.
He's dead, right? I heard something snap.
- That would be his neck. - You're not gonna yak on me, are ya?
Here you go, honey. Peanut butter and jelly. Without the crust.
- Just the way you like it. - And the juice?
- Two parts orange, one part grapefruit. - That's my drink.
I measured it exactly.
Oh, Mom?
- I wanted crunchy peanut butter. - Oh. Sorry.
And I said extra jelly.
Anything to help my daughter get well.
Oh, and while you're up, could I get a refill? It's just, I'm so comfortable.
- Of course. - Thanks.
Oh ! Oh ! Oh ! And another bag of Chee-Zee chips.
- Uh, you ate the last one. - Another bag's hidden behind the raisins.
I'm on it.
Your mom's trying to bogart the Chee-Zee chips. What's that all about?
Oh, Buffy. Here. Um, this came in the mail.
- It's from Ryan. - The boy from the hospital?
Oh, he drew you a picture. How...
..nice.