Chapter 3: Incubus

Sleeping on the large armchair that he pulled into the bedroom, Godley woke to some kind of noise which he turned to investigate.

Abberline was fidgeting in his bed and moaned, "no..." His head rolled to the side and then halfway back.

A nightmare? Godley contemplated. He wasn't tossing and turning. More like a vision? Either way, the inspector needed the rest so badly. Should he wake him up so he can settle down? Godley stood, hesitating till he heard that pain filled moan. He didn't want to add to his distress, so he called his name as softly as he could. However, he had to become louder, grabbing both his arms till he got some kind of response in the form of Abberline gazing at him long and unfocused.

"Abberline," he tried again. Maybe waking him wasn't such a brilliant idea after all.

It took about a minute for Abberline to become completely cognizant of his surroundings, but then his behavior changed dramatically. His eyes mirroring churning emotions, he jumped up, "where did you put my shoes?" He rummaged under the bed, then in the wardrobe, only to pull out a hidden bottle from the top shelf that read Laudanum, Warning: Poison and before Godley realized what was happening he took a swig from it, hardly caring how much or if it was a deadly doze.

Only then could Godley snatch it off him, horrified, "do you want to die like this in front of my eyes? Do you not care?"

"I do care, how much I take," he pushed Godley out his way to the other room forcefully, "because I need to be alive when I get there."

"Get there? Where? You can't go after her just yet. Warren was happy giving me the time off to look after you, it suits them us not being around, but they're still watching you."

"I would never go after her. They'll be watching, forever, it's a matter of royal survival, they'll be watching I can assure you. And yet, she'll not make it onto the board of the ship without me. They'll ask her about her husband, her traveling alone and with baby. I've seen it."

"What ship?"

"I don't know what ship. Maybe for Ireland. But I have to find her before they do. Will you help me get to the harbor?"

"How?"

"The location of my shoes would be a start, then that bottle back, Godley I swear I know how little to take when, but I need it if I'm to survive this night helping her and alive without a trip to the den. Please Peter." By now he was cockily smiling at him, his voice filled with blissful agitation, rather than genuine fearfulness for any life in fact, proof that the gulp had been a tad too much already.

Godley produced the shoes from behind the couch, but was again, clueless as to what was the right thing to do here. Abberline did probably know how much of a drug was enough and how much was too much exactly to the milliliter and he did want to save this girl, unfortunate or not. It was madness though, going against the corruption amongst the lines of the police, against the interests of the throne if what he was saying was true. But he didn't have to give his answer as there was knock on the door. "I should open that at this time of the night!" Godley suggested, "for all interests, you are ill in bed."

Abberline nodded and lay back down, for all interests, being forced to delay action for a little while. He looked at the visitor and his heart stopped beating for a few good seconds. "The stupidest thing you could've done, oh no! We could be in oversight here!"

However, Mary Kelly gave him a compassionate smile, "you're poorly," she stepped closer, shoving a sleeping baby into Godley's clumsy hands.

Abberline sat up and took her hand to put it on his cheek, feeling her, taking deep breaths. When he finally looked up into her eyes energized by her closeness he was determined, like never before, "the Etruria Ocean liner is set to leave this morning. We will be on it and safe if we change identities in America."

"America?" Mary was surprised, "I thought we were going back to Ireland."

"No, too dangerous, I wasn't thinking big enough and I wasn't thinking the three of us. But I am now. Godley, my friend, will you please look out to see if there's anybody around? And Godley, we don't have much time and you'll probably never even get a postcard, but thank you for keeping me alive for this." He hugged his friend briefly, much more showing of affection was not right, even if he felt in Godley's debt a lot more than that. He gently took the baby from the sergeant, a small smile flashing up on his face for a second. But Godley saw it. That was the last thing he'd ever seen him doing, the last he had ever heard of any of them. America was this new big place, there would be opium too, but Abberline would never have a reason to smoke that with a family or endanger them in such way. It wasn't about the addiction for him as such. Godley trusted they'd be safe and happy.

The End.