Safe And Sound?

He sighed, his eyebrows furrowing in concern, though whether it was for her, or for himself, remained unknown, even to him. "You c-can go now, if you’d like."

"okay"

"S-sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to snap like that."

"yea..." 

"I did know that," he quipped, "I just chose not to comment on it."

"I can see why that would be… nice."

"I heard," he cleared his throat, fruitlessly trying to rid himself of his growl-y voice, "that you and jay were getting along?"

"Thaddeus? No, I… he’s not my patient," he muttered, "sorry, Mickayla."

"We c-can sit here quietly if you’d prefer that."

"Anything you like," he said, moving to sit in his chair, relieved now that he was sitting down. His head seemed to spin less when he did so.

"I dunno what to talk about" Mick mumbled softly 

"Yes, t-talk. Is that his name? The blonde?"

"No, that’s alright," he sighed, "Wh-why don’t you sit down? W-we can talk until that man leaves."

"Talk?" Mick looked up at him "You mean Caleb?"

Howard didn’t say anything, looking slightly (well, more than slightly) uncomfortable.

"I can leave"

"I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to continue, Mickayla."

"Okay....."

"I suppose not, I’m- I’m fine," he lied, "And it’s not you I’m afraid of…” he trailed off, not wanting to add, that at the moment, the thing he was afraid of was himself.

"Afraid of?"

"Aren’t… I supposed to be asking you that?" he asked, taking a large step back.

"Yea but that doesn't mean I can't ask" Mick looked at him "I'm not dead, I am very much alive"

Suddenly, the man looked frightened, his expression one of a deer in headlights, "What did you say?" he asked, his voice still that broken, scratchy sound, as if a lizard had crawled down his throat and built a den in his voicebox.

"I asked if you were okay"

"Right, good… might n-not help me sleep better, b-but at least I know I’m s-safe at home."

"Are you okay?" 

"I do know, but— I- truthfully, I don’t know much a-about demons. Do you mean to say they can’t… wander?"

"Wander? you mean leave the grounds" Mick shook her head "No they can't wander. They can't leave the grounds unless it's halloween or a rare occasion that their invited to a wedding" She recalled what Wesley told her