Dorian hadn't slept. At first, he refused to sleep with the thought of keeping watch to ensure Mabel's protection. The wards would alert them upon someone's intrusion, yes, but he didn't have complete faith that there would be enough time for her to escape through the floo before being caught. However, as the first rays of dawn crossed the horizon and he began to accept that no one would be foolish enough to break in during the daylight hours, he still hadn't been able to succumb to the exhaustion aching in his bones. For one, he was terrified he'd somehow oversleep and miss the appointment he demanded Sterling make for them. He doubted he could with Mabel also in the house, but he still didn't feel comfortable taking the risk. 

Then, there was the other issue pulling him from sleep. Mabel was in his home, in his clothes, in just the other room, and while Dory didn't believe anything physical would happen between them again, he ached to hold and comfort her through the trauma she just suffered. He wanted to be that person for her, he wanted to be permitted to love her. 

They were just friends, though. 

Just friends. 

Eventually, the sun crept high enough into the sky that Dory could justify the risk of waking Mabel as he readied himself for the day. Unlike his typical routine, he dressed for work before venturing out to the washroom to take care of his needs. Then, after what he hoped was a quiet enough stint to not wake her, he headed back into the living room. 

It was obvious by how her clothes had suddenly disappeared that she was awake. So instead of heading back into his office to do more work he once again set the kettle to boil and was in the process of tidying the living room when she came back in. “Morning,” he greeted easily despite the very complicated situation that had created their impromptu sleepover. “Did you sleep okay? I'm sorry if I woke you.”

---

“Yeah, fine,” he lied with a shrug. The book in his hands was one of his favorites and, much to his embarrassment, had a familiar looking ribbon sticking out for her to see. “I don't generally eat breakfast at home these days, I'm afraid.” Dory then added as the start of an explanation. “We'll have to stop at a teashop before venturing into the ministry if that's alright.”

---

“I have no patience for cooking in the mornings.” He explained as he tucked the book on the shelf in the hall before settling at the table. “I'd rather spend the coin and get a few minutes of extra sleep.” To this he shrugged. Sleep was a precious commodity these days and with no family to care for he had little worries about his finances. 

All thoughts of sleep and coin vanished at her mention of work. 

“I'm sorry, did you say work?” Dory asked before he could think better of it. His entire posture tensed, his eyes widened. Weren't they just discussing safe houses only a few hours ago? Wasn't the whole reason she couldn't go home because Coyle and Chetwold would be looking for her? It was one thing to be naive and trusting, that was forgivable. What wasn't forgivable was being a complete fool and refusing to recognize the danger she was in.

---

“You can't be serious.” Dory managed through his shock that was quickly giving way to anger. He'd spent half the night plotting the sick and evil ways he was going to tear the two men limb from limb, and she was yawning and prattling on about going to work! “Mabel, you have to know how brilliant I find you, but this … I'm sorry but going to work is absolutely fucking foolish.”

---

“It isn't a matter of winning!” Dory heatedly exclaimed. The patients, reports and staffing issues were the hospital's responsibility, not hers. They would pull mediwitches from Hogsmeade or have healers fill in temporarily. There were options that didn't involve Mabel risking her life in such a ridiculous manner. 

He drew in a deep breath before continuing. “How many cases have we worked where it was just you and I? How many hundreds, if not thousands, of patients have you treated while alone in the field?” How was she not getting this? It didn't make any sense to him that they were even having this argument. “They can find you there! And then what?!”

---

“That's exactly what you'll do!” He yelled, his temper getting the better of him. “Damn it, Mabel! Don't you get it? You sitting here means that you're alive to do so!” Dory stood from the table to lean against the counter. Sitting while this infuriated had never gone well for him. 

“I can't-” lose you. The words almost flew out of his mouth, the statement another would-be burden on her. Dory tore his gaze from her, fixating on a loose nail in the floorboards. “You cannot go to work. Not if you want to avoid a repeat experience of that. There's no telling when they'll try to grab you again.”

---

Dory was fuming at her recklessness. She may as well have simply gone home if she had that little regard for her life. Coyle and Chetwold would corner her enough sooner or later and she'd have to repeat the experience time and time again. And that was assuming they allowed her to live! But surely work was more important than mitigating those risks.

He refused to look at her, as he didn't want to see the anger on her face and allow it to contribute further to his own. Already, it was taking considerable restraint to not release the fury within him in some sort of physical manner. Mabel deserved better than to be traumatized by him on top of all that had already happened.

Dory would have stormed out of the kitchen – out of the flat entirely – were she not blocking his path. Non-negotiable. Her survival was the piece that was non-negotiable, not that she was seeing any reason on that front. “You are being reckless.” Dory angrily accused. “Reckless and too fucking stubborn for your own good.” 

He barely softened at her compromise. The hospital was, perhaps, the only compromise they could possibly agree upon. But, even that had its potential for danger. Coyle had met Mabel at the hospital, hadn't he? He knew where she worked and what shifts, more than that Coyle was capable of getting himself injured enough to require Mabel's help. Then what? She couldn’t refuse a dying or injured man, that was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place! Dory tightly gripped the counter behind him to stop from slamming his fists down upon it. “The hospital wards, and you can never be alone with any patient.” Dory finally bit out. “You don't know who is involved in this.”

---

“Fine.” Dory agreed, though his tone reflected just how genuine that fine was. None of it was fine, but short of holding her hostage as Coyle had done there was nothing else he could do. 

With a flick of his wand the table was cleared and the dishes piled into the sink once more. “Do you still want breakfast?” There was still a bite to his words, his anger obviously still simmering beneath the surface. Later, they would work this out later. Besides, with any luck Sterling would reveal just how perilous this situation was and Mabel would have no choice but to go into hiding temporarily.

---