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"Holly…"
"Not now, Duke. Just… just stay near me, okay? I need to know the kids are okay before I—" She broke off with a sigh. Duke nodded, taking her hands in his, and pressing a kiss to them. He knew full well that, even though she was clearly not okay, there was no use pushing her to talk until after she'd made sure all the kids were okay. She worried about them — they both did, but she even more so. It was as if she'd taken on sole responsibility for them. Or perhaps she thought that, since she was the one with the most knowledge of magic, it was her fault that they kept getting into scrapes, never mind the fact that terrible things happened in Hatchetfield everyday, and the kids were far better off with her than on their own. Duke knew she felt a responsibility to them, and as such would always prioritise their well being above her own. It would be sweet if she weren't always the one most hurt, physical or otherwise.
Miss Holloway shot him a grateful look, removing one hand from his grasp, but keeping the other firmly in his. She led him through into the main diner, where the kids were all slumped in booths or chairs, quietly checking up on each other. It was a rather motley crew they had managed to assemble; they of course had Hannah, as well as Sophia and Daniel from the Roller-Rama, and a more recent addition: the self described "nerds" from Hatchetfield High. Miss Holloway had helped them the previous summer with the ghost of a classmate. Fortunately, he had been stopped before any serious injuries had occurred, but it was a close call. Ever since that incident, the students had been hanging around the diner more often, and appeared to have made friends with those already a part of this 'magic group', as Holloway often called them.
"Everyone okay?" Miss Holloway called across the diner, loud but not startlingly so. They had already confirmed that any injuries were minor, so Duke and Miss Holloway went around, making sure every scrape and cut was seen to, calming down the more nervous of the kids, and making sure they were all alright, especially from an emotional point of view. Duke knew all too well how an experience of this kind could affect a person, both from his own time spent dealing with the supernatural, and the countless tales Miss Holloway had told him, often after a violent nightmare of hers that left them both lying awake in fear. Every time Duke thought he knew everything about her, she would tell him another harrowing story, with details that made his skin crawl, before shrugging it off like it was normal. Duke hated it when she did that. Like she thought her past didn't matter to him, that her pain wasn't worth being acknowledged. It was something he was working on, trying to get her to express when she was in pain, when she needed help, even if it was just someone to listen to her, and to provide comfort.
After ensuring that everybody was okay, Duke helped Miss Holloway with the task of setting up beds for everyone. The kids had either told their parents they were at a sleepover or something, or their parents didn't care. In any case, they needed a place to crash for the night, and the diner was as good a place as any. Miss Holloway kept blankets and such in her apartment above the diner for this very purpose. They got everybody settled and only when Miss Holloway was certain they were all asleep, and weren't likely to require anything until the morning did she finally allow Duke to take her upstairs.
Once they were inside her apartment, Duke led her to a sofa. "Sit here for a minute, okay? I want to have a look at your shoulder. I can bring Rosemary over if you'd like?" Miss Holloway nodded silently, all traces of the caring concern from earlier melting from her face. Now she just seemed… numb. Tired, certainly, but also just a little bit empty. As if all of her energy had been spent on other people and now she was just hollow.
Duke picked up the slightly squirmy black cat that had been slinking around the apartment, and deposited her on Miss Holloway's lap. She instinctively cradled the creature. Duke hoped it would provide some measure of comfort whilst he got things ready. He'd pulled the first aid kit out from under her sink, and began to dab some antiseptic on her shoulder. Miss Holloway winced, but other than that stayed silent. Duke continued to clean the wound, then placed a dressing over it. "Is that better?" He asked quietly. Miss Holloway hummed affirmatively; evidently words were too much for her right now.
She can't keep doing this. She gives every ounce of her energy over to helping other people, then crashes because she can't then help herself. And maybe that worked when she was cursed, when her magic would just heal her. But she's mortal now. And I'm terrified one day she'll push herself so hard she'll break. That one day she'll use everything she has on everybody else and she won't have anything left of herself.
Duke pushed down the thought. A conversation for another time. He turned back to Miss Holloway, who seemed to be slightly more aware of her surroundings, even if she wasn't entirely so.
"Do you feel like you could eat something?" Duke broached the subject carefully, knowing both that she needed to eat, and also that the adrenaline from a near death experience often curbed her appetite somewhat. He had long since learned that the goal was not that she eat a full meal, but that she ate enough to keep her going until the morning, where she would feel well enough to keep down something more substantial.
Miss Holloway made a noise of tentative agreement. "Some toast, maybe?" She asked quietly. Duke nodded, digging through the relevant cupboards of the kitchenette to find what he needed. A few minutes later, he handed her a plate of plain toast, with some apple slices on the side, in an attempt to get some sugar into her. She took the plate gratefully, and began to nibble at a piece of toast as Rosemary jumped down from her lap in search of a corner to curl up in.
All told, she managed half a slice of toast and several segments of apple, which Duke considered a win. He could tell she was loosing the battle to stay conscious, so quickly shuffled her off to bed, letting her curl into his arms as they slept.
He knew that in the morning, she would wake up apologising for needing his help, ashamed that she needed help. He would reassure her, and several nights later his nightmares would arrive and she would sit with him through each one, soothing him back to sleep several times a night until he finally settled. He would remind her of this every time she told him she felt like a burden, reassuring her that this was a two way relationship, and that he never felt like he was being asked to do too much.
That was their dance. It was certainly no show stopping number, but it was theirs and it worked. Though it had taken a while for them to find the right rhythm, they'd got there eventually, and Duke couldn't imagine life without it anymore.