Spike awoke with a uncharacteristically clear head. Blinking, she became aware that she wasn't in her cell anymore. Regrettably, this didn't mean she was free. Thick straps held her down, keeping her limbs spread, her head fixed to the examination table.

"Good. Now we can begin." There she was, just out of the corner of Spike's vision. That damn doctor.

"You." she growled.

"Me." she said, smiling sweetly. "I do hope you're enjoying your stay at Dr. Steph's Special Hospital."

"Fuck. You."

"Now, now," the Doctor tutted. "we can't have that." She held a syringe up to the light, examining it.

"W-what's that?" "The reason you're lucid enough to use such foul language. Regrettably, it needs a clean system to work properly." She drew closer. "Allow me to explain. The drugs we've been giving you degrade the outer coating of the cells in the hippocampus, that is, the part of the brain responsible for memories. That allows this drug" -she held the vial up in front of Spike's eyes- "To latch on to the effected areas, allowing them to be targeted and destroyed." She grinned. "But that doesn't happen until the final phase. Shall we?"

"No! Don't you fuckin' dare! Don't you stick me!" The tip of the needle drew ever closer to Spike's exposed flesh. "No!" she screamed, her voice breaking, tears running down her face. "No...please...don't do it...please..." The Doctor looked Spike in the eyes and smiled as she emptied the syringe into her arm.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" she said, sweetly. "The nurses will be along to take you back to your room once it's taken effect." Spike heard the door slam shut. Lying there, she didn't feel any different. But as the nurses placed the mask over her face, she knew that it was already too late. Whatever damnable seed the drug had contained was planted, festering, in her brain. Her eyes welled with tears, then gently fluttered shut as the gas took her away.