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The large oak doors of St. Jude's Hospital swung open, and Dr. Henry
Jekyll hesitantly stepped over the threshold of this once friendly
establishment. His cool, dark eyes perused the hallway before him,
as though he were looking for someone ... or dreading someone. The corridor
remained empty however; the accusing glares of his colleagues would
not be a factor of today's visit.
Slowly, running a hand across his
troubled features, he began to follow the winding corridor. The purpose
for this impromptu visit to the
hospital filled his heart with anger and sadness, which made the corridor
seem darker and more upsetting than usual. His quick, graceful strides
clicked
audibly on the wood floors, and the sound reminded him of the large
clock that had once rested on his mantelpiece. It had been a gift from
his father;
passed down from father to son throughout the Jekyll family, but several
days ago he had ... awakened one morning to find it smashed on the floor
of his
study. When he thought all the things Hyde had taken form him--his
life, his heart, his friends--this clock seemed a trifle, but the memory
of his
father's approving smile had been smashed along with the vestige. Hyde
was gone, damned to rot in his own perfect hell, yet the effects of his
presence still haunted Jekyll immensely.
Passing room after room of helpless
patients, Jekyll unconsciously cringed at the thought of his failure. How
many people might he have
helped, had his experiment's not gotten out of hand? One? Fifty? If
only the damn Board of Directors had answered his plea! Had he been allowed
to
safely continue his research, he could have been at the hospital on
this day to bring his father home ... instead of to collect his father's
belongings. He
had failed, and ruined his life in the process! And because of his
formula and that bastard Hyde, he had not been there when his father passed
away.
Not a day had gone by that Jekyll didn't think of his father, alone
in the cold, dank cell where he was doomed to spend the last weeks of his
life. Every
night he dreamt of those last moments-of the emptiness and the darkness
of the room creeping closer to his father soul. Had he regained consciousness
before slipping away? Had he wanted his son? Had he realized Henry
had not been at his side? Every night was a new unspeakable scenario. Jekyll
would never forgive himself.
As he approached the door of the
room where his father had spent his dying days, Jekyll's heart wretched
with the realization that the bed
would be empty. His father was gone. He slowly turned the knob and
entered the room, where silence hung like cobwebs from the ceiling. The
bed
was made, the linens new, and in one corner all that remained of his
father's belongings were folded on a chair. He sighed sadly, his breath
filling the
room with audible grief. The silence was driving him mad! And at the
thought of his darling father lying alone in this ... this tomb as life's
precious
breath slipped away, a solitary tear slipped down the doctor's cheek.
"Father." He whispered to himself.
"Please forgive me." The words echoed back in a voice not his own, rather
in Hyde's voice, accusing him
of deserting his father. "Edward Hyde. We both know why I wasn't here,
don't we? I know what you were doing, Hyde! You had to see to a death of
your own..."
Suddenly, as clear as day, he remembered
how
he had awakened on the day following his father's death. On the floor of
his laboratory,
covered in sweat and blood, he awoke in a large brown fur coat that
was not his own. There was lady's rouge on his face and shirt-and small
scratches
covering his chest and neck like small signs of a futile struggle.
It was not until he was fully awake that he realized what Hyde had done.
Not until he
had touched the small fingernail marks, and heard her scream for mercy--not
until he had tasted the blood in his mouth, and saw her broken body
bleed. It was then he knew that Lucy was dead, and that her death had
been his fault. Shortly after, he had found the letter Utterson had delivered,
crumpled in the coat pocket, and on it scribbled the words "You can't
win, Jekyll." Hyde had to be stopped ...
"Dr. Jekyll?" The softly spoken
words ricocheted off the cell walls, yet he remained with his back to the
voice, as though he had not heard.
"Dr. Jekyll ... Henry."
Gasping, not realizing he had been
holding his breath, Jekyll snapped back into reality at the familiar sound.
He spun around, saw who it was,
and exhaled sharply. "Ms. St. Just ... Helena ... I'm sorry. I didn't
hear you behind me ... I didn't know anyone had ..." He saw the look of
understanding in her eyes, and relaxed. "I was lost in thought."
She came towards him, and taking
his hand hers, she wiped the stray tear from his cheek-then one from her
own. "I am so deeply sorry,
Henry. I realize how close you were to your father, I know you will
miss him very much." She smiled then, and he wanted so badly to embrace
her-this woman with whom he shared his secrets. As though she read
his mind, and with shyness all too uncharacteristic, she hesitantly pulled
him
close and hugged him fiercely. He cared so much for her, this darling
girl who had never doubted him, nor thought him crazy, even in the worst
of
times. He loved her as much as his darling fianc*e, yet in a way he
had always found indescribable ... it was as thought the two were soulmates.
She had
become his greatest colleague in the short span of their acquaintance.
The two had met during her first
week at the hospital, where she had acquired a nursing position. After
having spent the entire day trying to
achieve the proper mixture of chemicals for his formula, Jekyll had
gone to see his father, and pay vigil to his unnatural slumber. Exhausted,
he had
fallen asleep in a chair by the bed, and it was she that had awakened
him the next morning.
At first, because of his disheveled
state, she had thought him a patient that had escaped his room ... but
after shaking him awake and seeing his
face she had exclaimed: "Oh, dear, your not a loony at all-are you?"
"On the contrary, madam." He had said, hastily pulling his unkempt hair back into a ponytail. "I am quite the loon-but I am also a doctor."
"Dr. Henry Jekyll, I presume! I don't believe we've met, but I've been an avid follower of your work for some time . . ."
And thus their friendship blossomed.
Her sheer brilliance, wonderful energy, and kind heart astounded him. Still,
he was also astounded by
the lack of respect she received form the stuffy Board of Governors.
They refused to promote her to a rank higher than nurse, although she had
proven
herself more knowledgeable then even some of his male colleagues. Despite
the board's disapproval, under the secret guidance of Sir Danvers Carew,
he had instantly adopted her as both an apprentice and a friend, and
in return she devoted her studies solely to his cause-joining his quest
to eliminate
the evil in man. Jekyll had spoken to her at great length about his
love for his father, and often she had sat beside him patiently, as he
read aloud at his
father's bedside.
She alone knew of his terrifying
secret, that his evil persona had gained a life of it's own, and in turn
attempted to gain control of the body they
shared. There was a time when he had truly believed he could shield
her from the monster he had become. He had tried to hide it ... hide him
from her,
but her attentiveness led her to the truth. He had questioned her safety
in his company, and rightly so, until he awoke one morning in his bed with
a
pounding headache--and Helena by his side. As she slowly and methodically
dressed a large cut on his forehead, she explained how she had
encountered Hyde, searching for something in the laboratory. She had
instructed him to leave at once, but he had laughed at her attempt at authority.
Instantly attracted to her elegant features, Hyde had violently assaulted
her in his usual lustful manner.
Jekyll had been shocked to hear
this, and immediately feared the worst. Yet smiling slyly, she left his
side and returned with a broken
oversized beaker, saying: "And the same should happen to you, should
you ever forsake your darling Emma and proposition me, Dr. Jekyll!"
Collapsing back against the pillow with a grin, it was at this moment
that he knew he would never encounter another soul like her. She was so
strong,
so in control of herself and her dreams. He could always turn to her
for guidance or trust. And now she was here again-comforting him when he
needed her more than ever. "I've missed you, Henry. I was afraid Hyde
had driven you away ... quite literally."
He stepped away from her; full
of news, yet anxious to leave the oppressive atmosphere of the stuffy room.
He had many things to tell her,
but things he could not say here, where the accusing eye of his father
hung like an oppressive weight. He quickly retrieved his father's belongings-his
clothes, a pocket watch, and his journal-and left the room, taking
Helena's arm.
"Hyde is gone, Helena." He whispered excitedly as they entered the hall.
"Oh, Dr. Jekyll! That's wonderful! You've reversed the formula then? Why did you not inform me of this breakthrough?"
"No . . . had I corrected the formula,
don't think for a moment I would forget to share it with you, Helena! It
would be as much your
discovery as mine ... but instead, in the days since we last spoke;
I have driven him away - into the deepest reaches of my soul. I truly believe
he will not
return Ms. St. Just, and that I will now be able to reclaim my life
as it once was."
"So it's over then?" She asked.
"Yes, I truly believe our terrifying journey has come to an end."
A wistful smile of both relief
and sadness flitted across her features. "What will you do with yourself
now, Dr. Jekyll, now that you no longer
need ... pursue your truths? Most certainly, I should think, you will
obtain a private practice-I know you too well to think you would beg for
the
forgiveness of the Board." Her voice was truly filled with concern
for his future in medicine, but he was able to detect a hint of sorrow
for herself as
well. Without him at the hospital, she would be reverted back to a
lowly nurse, unable to exercise her knowledge as she had done at his side.
He
smiled back reassuringly.
"Perhaps, Ms. St. Just, my stay
at the hospital in not quite through. I trust my marriage will change the
Board's view, for Sir Danvers has
always stood behind my work and I trust he should want me back."
"The wedding will go as planned
then? What a relief! I had so worried for your fiancee! Oh Dr. Jekyll,
how poor darling Emma must have
worried for your safety, with you cut off from all human contact! She
more than once beseeched an explanation from me, but rest assured I said
nothing. She has always spoken of her undying love for you . . . but
still I was afraid Hyde had done damage there as well."
"Emma knows nothing of him, and
she never will, Helena. I have told her one of my patients at the hospital
was gravely ill, and thus I could
not leave his side. She seems to have accepted this explanation for
my sudden withdrawal, and is contented once again to have me at her side.
Therefore, I am closing this horrible chapter in my life, and henceforth
it will read of nothing but happiness with my darling wife."
"The wedding is in three short weeks, still, how will you occupy yourself until then? You've never been an advocate of excessive recreation. "
"Ahhh, Ms. St. Just, I think I
should have no trouble enjoying this little hiatus from the lab. I need
time to rest, both my body and mind. I
must regain my strength, my tired bones are still weary of Hyde's ceaseless
escapades, I truly lack the strength to stand some mornings! I must also
regroup my thoughts and priorities ... and allow myself to grieve for
my darling father." They reached the massive oak doors, and he opened one
slowly,
blinking in the sunlight that invaded the foyer. In this light, the
layer of dust that covered the institution from floor to ceiling was clearly
evident. He
would be glad to return home, and he should think Ms. St. Just would
like to accompany him ...
"Let it be known that I humbly and graciously accept the wedding invitation I received . . . oh, so long ago!"
"And should you accept the one
at hand, I will have Poole set another place at our luncheon table. Emma
will be most pleased to see you,
Helena, and your accompaniment should put her mind at ease regarding
my trip to the hospital, on this warm spring day."
"I think I should accept, Dr. Jekyll,
it's truly been a while since I last spoke with you regarding trivial matters."
The two began down the steps
into the sunlight, chatting as they had done before the experiments
had gone awry. For both parties, it felt great to be back to normal. "I
trust your
tennis game hasn't improved, considering your lack of time for sports
in the recent past. Should I challenge you again, I doubt I need break
a sweat!"
"I'm afraid my poor tired arms
would not be able to hold the racket! However, when my strength returns,
I think you'll find-rather
unfortunately thanks to Mr. Hyde-my backhand has improved immensely."
A restrained smile slowly crept onto his features as he attempted to keep
a
straight face.
"Oh Henry! That's horrible!" She
cried, laughing as she swatted his arm. "Although I suppose for a man in
your delicate position, laughter
would be the best medicine." He cocked his head to one side, looking
at her curiously.
"I should think a well brought up lady such as yourself would admonish my rather black humor . . . I think you've been around me too-"
"Henry! Good God, what are those!"
She stopped him in his tracks with her sudden outburst, and now held a
delicate hand up to the scratches
on his neck, revealed by his peculiar glance. "It looks as though you've
been wrestling with an animal . . . goodness, they quite cover your neck!"
She
touched one gingerly and he reflexively flinched. The marks had ceased
to cause him pain long ago-but the memories they concealed hurt more than
ever. He would have to tell her, explain the final chapter of his experiments.
She had been with him the day Ms. Lucy appeared injured on his
doorstep, yet she had been on her way out and knew nothing of his role
in the attack or of Hyde's relations with the poor young woman. He would
have to tell her the truth; and get it out in the open before it ate
him alive. And she was the only one he could trust.
"Helena . . . please . . . stop!
They're fine!" Shocked by his change of tone, she quickly removed her hands
from his collar and ceased her
examination. "I have something I must tell you. I must explain the
reason for Hyde's disappearance . . . and the horrible act he committed
. . . I
committed." He lowered himself onto a bench nearby, covering his face
in his hands, summoning the strength to admit his guilt.
"Henry, don't! Don't ever blame
yourself for what that . . . bastard has done! Not now-not ever!" She sat
beside him and touched his shoulder
compassionately, but with firm resolution in her voice inquired: "Say
what must be said."
"I can't."
"You can, and you will."
"It hurts, Helena . . . the guilt grows worse with each breath!"
"Henry, tell me! The guilt will go . . . I'll help you heal! Emma will be your wife and you will soon forget!"
"No! I'll never forget! I'll never allow myself to forget!"
"Forget what? I can't help you until you help yourself!"
"Hyde killed Lucy Harris."
Her breath caught I her throat
as he spoke these startling words. Lucy Harris had come to Jekyll for help!
Had she fled the arms of one
madman into the clutches of another? First that monster who had brutally
beaten her, then Hyde! Oh, how horrible he must feel!
"Henry, it wasn't you . . . it was Hyde. It wasn't you."
"It was!" He cried, face buried
in his hands, back pitching with sobs. "It was Hyde that beat her that
night, he was with her all along! Those
horrible, grotesque wounds we're the work of my hands! And she came
to me for help . . . I tried to help her." He lifted his head to look at
her
wearily. "I sent her a note telling her to flee London, even money
to make her way! But by that point I could control him no longer . . .
he went to find
her and she was there, note in hand." Once again he could meet her
gaze no longer, and rested his head in his hands once again. "Hyde killed
her to
spite me . . . his idea of a joke, no doubt!"
"How could you have known? You
were not able to recall your actions when he was in control! You can hold
yourself responsible, Henry, for
a crime you didn't commit! How can you be sure she's dead? Perhaps
she's fled, as you instructed her to!"
"She's dead, Helena. This I know
. . . I saw it . . . like memory of a dream, that bastard wanted me to
remember! I awoke covered in blood, I
thought it might have been my own-but then in a flash I could hear
her screaming and myself laughing . . . I could feel the knife in my hand,
her
fingernails resisting my touch . . . I could see it all . . . "
"Henry." His anguish had extracted
tears from her own eyes, and for the first time she was truly speechless.
What could she possibly say to
end his suffering? How could you console a man who was his own worst
fear? "What you must do now is find a way to put these nightmares behind
you. You have to move on, with your loving wife and new work! Each
day the pain will hurt less, and there will be a day when you don't awaken
to
thoughts of Hyde-and you will be free."
"If I move on, I fear he will return."
"Why? What caused him to retreat in the first place?"
"I threatened him . . . with my own life."
"Suicide? Henry, what were you thinking?! You're playing his game . . . he's not gone at all-"
"DON'T SAY THAT!" He screamed,
leaping from his seat furiously. Helena gasped, and for a fleeting moment
she was almost sure it was
Hyde standing before her. Dr. Jekyll had never raised his voice at
her, even in his worst of moods. His temperament had truly been worn thin.
"Helena, I'm sorry! Please forgive me, I'm afraid I'm more tired then
I let on to be." She stood to meet him, gently taking his arm.
"If you truly believe he is gone, then it must be so. You know more than I." She answered delicately.
"I have to believe he is gone.
If I believe he is gone, perhaps I can live again . . . but I can never
FORGET! The instant I let my guard down,
who's to say he won't return?" He met her eyes, pleading with his own
for understanding. Now it was his turn to wipe her tear from her cheek,
trying
his best to smile.
"There. It's done, and now there are no secrets between us."
"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
She asked, attempting to meet his change of attitude. She knew he could
beat this, if he kept his sense of
humor, and his love--and he concentrated his energy on the future.
It would take time, but all he had was time.
"Not exactly simple, but quite
refreshing. However, if we don't take our places at the dinner table soon,
I fear Emma may send for Scotland
Yard!" The two started towards the Jekyll estate once again, this time
walking with visibly less gaiety than before.
"Oh dear! We mustn't keep her waiting, the poor girl's liable to find another fiancee!"
"So true . . . she has been nothing
but wonderful thus far, I only hope I can live up to her dreams regarding
a husband with only one
personality." Again, the smile crept forth.
"Henry! You are horrible! Truly, this black humor must serve a purpose . . . "
"I know, laughter is the best medicine! The truth is, I derive a sick pleasure from hearing you say: "Henry! You are horrible!""
"I'll regard these comments as nothing more than the whim of an overtired mind."
"You are very wise, Ms. St. Just. Perhaps a nap after lunch is in order."
"Why the rush? You've got three weeks!"
"The remainder of the time I'll
spend cleaning my laboratory, what a mess . . . "