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Mina sat back in her chair, breathing hard (like when she’d climbed the steps that night in Whitby on her way to find Lucy in the graveyard, if only she’d known then), head spinning, heart pounding.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
Lucy had spent her last moments of clear awareness alone and terrified.
She, or at least her form, had been… used, by a monster, in the service of evil, to harm children, what would sweet Lucy say if she knew, did she know?
Could Mina have prevented this? Goodness knew there had been enough signs of something amiss. And if she hadn’t taken Lucy to that graveyard, maybe she wouldn’t have gone back in her sleep, maybe the monster would never have…
“Mina!” The call from Dr. Seward shook Mina out of her thoughts.
Mina tried to raise herself to look, but found she couldn’t move. She was in a paralysis of misery.
Now he’ll think I’m weak.
I’m fine, she tried to whisper as Dr. Seward brought a bottle of brandy over and poured some out for her, but it only came out as a soft, choked noise.
“Shh. It’s all right. Drink.” He raised the brandy to her lips.
Mina acquiesced, knowing it would do more harm than good to object. Wonderful. He definitely thinks I’m weak.
You’re not a child anymore. No one is going to throw you out because you don’t earn your keep.
I’m here to do a job. For Lucy. Oh God, Lucy…
Mina took a deep breath as another wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. She was trying to process so much painful information at once that it felt like she was suffocating.
You’re here to do a job? Then drink the brandy, take a moment to recover yourself, and do it.