Chapter 2 – The Subject
The Nautilus had been docked in the Thames for a whole week before Jekyll had heard anything from Skinner. It had been very peaceful and he had been able to continue with his work well, but still no progress was being made. Since he wasn't able to find the reason for these cravings to release Hyde, how was he ever going to stop them?
Jekyll looked at the box that contained the formula. Hyde hadn't been released since before Skinner had asked him about the visibility potion, and Jekyll was feeling the strain. He ran his fingers over the lid. How could he resist? It was stirring deep inside of him. He could feel the evil within him wanting to escape on its own once more. He carefully opened the box and looked over the formula. If he just had one now… Surely he could keep Hyde under control for a short amount of time, if he only had a bit of the formula.
He took one of the potions out of the box. Gently, he uncorked the top and placed it to his lips. At that moment the door flung open. Catching Jekyll by surprise, he dropped the vial. It smashed on the floor and the formula spilt out. He bent down towards it, as if he was able to retrieve it, but it was no use.
"Careful, Jekyll." Skinner's voice came from the open door. For once, he was dressed in his long coat and covered in his white cream. "You don't want to be making a mess in front of our new guest." Skinner stepped into the room.
A young lady followed him and leant against the doorframe. She was about 20 years old. She was very untidy and had long, dark, tangled hair and deep green eyes. She wore a long grey dress, which was tattered and torn, as if she owned no other.
"Allow me to introduce Bet. Your wiling subject." Skinner said. She nodded at him.
"What ever you need," she spoke with a broad cockney accent. She looked at Skinner. "As long as I get paid." She walked into the room and sat herself on Jekyll's bed.
"Yes, Bet and I came to an agreement." Skinner came into the room and sat beside her. "There is no end to her generosity." He placed a hand on hers. She looked at him briefly before turning away. "I met an old Jew, Fagin, in the Three Cripples pub. He was in a similar occupation to my own and was intrigued by my rare, shall we call it, talent. I agreed to work for him for a week if he were able to find a suitable person for what I needed. He suggested Bet."
"And you are prepared for what may happen?" Jekyll asked. She looked him straight in the eyes. She had a roguish feel about her.
"I'm ready for anythin' you're able to chuck at me." She relied.
"And if you wanted to earn an extra bob," Skinner drew close and whispered into her ear, "You know where to come." She blinked, turned to face him and forced a smile. He stood up and walked towards the door. As he did so, he noticed the box of vials. He turned back to face them.
"Oh, and Bet, I believe there is something you should know about our Dr Jekyll." Jekyll followed Skinners gaze to the box. He rushed over to in and snapped it shut.
"You may go, Mr Skinner." Jekyll interrupted. "You are no longer needed." Skinner looked at Jekyll.
"On your head be it, my dear." And he left closing the door behind him. Jekyll turned to face Bet. She raised an eyebrow at him and nodded her head towards the broken vial.
"'Ad an accident, did we?" She asked. He crouched to the floor to pick up the glass.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." He replied. She stood up from the bed and bent down to help him. He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"No," he cried. "Just leave it. You'll cut yourself." If she got some of the formula on her, who knows where it would have ended up. She stood up again and looked down on him.
"I've done worse than that in the past, trust me." Jekyll continued to clear up the mess. He tried hard not to look at her. She made him nervous. What money would Skinner give her? Why did she seem uncomfortable with him?
"So, what is it I must know about you then, Dr Jekyll?" She asked, cheekily. "'Ave some dark secret, do we?" Jekyll stood up and faced her. She had a smirk on her face.
"No, no." He muttered. "You know what Skinner's like by now, surely." She stopped smiling.
"Yeah, quite a character isn't 'e." She moved away. "Still, I've known worse." She sat once more on the edge of the bed. Jekyll joined her.
"I've asked Nemo, and you've been assigned the room just across the corridor. So if you'd like to collect all your belongings you can…"
"What belongin's?" She asked. She pointed to what she was wearing. "This is all I 'ave. I ain't got no more" Jekyll placed a hand on her back.
"Well, I'm sure Mina will be able to lend you something." He encouraged her to the door. "I will get her to send you something later." She turned to face him.
"Thank you for 'avin' me." She spoke softly. "I needed to be away from all o' that. I think I can survive if it's only Skinner." She hurried off down the corridor. Jekyll looked after her.
"What do you mean, 'only Skinner', Bet?" But she couldn't, or didn't want to hear. Jekyll closed the door and looked at his box of formulae. Now he was on his own again he could bear it no longer. He quickly uncorked one of the vials and downed the contents.
The Nautilus had been docked in the Thames for a whole week before Jekyll had heard anything from Skinner. It had been very peaceful and he had been able to continue with his work well, but still no progress was being made. Since he wasn't able to find the reason for these cravings to release Hyde, how was he ever going to stop them?
Jekyll looked at the box that contained the formula. Hyde hadn't been released since before Skinner had asked him about the visibility potion, and Jekyll was feeling the strain. He ran his fingers over the lid. How could he resist? It was stirring deep inside of him. He could feel the evil within him wanting to escape on its own once more. He carefully opened the box and looked over the formula. If he just had one now… Surely he could keep Hyde under control for a short amount of time, if he only had a bit of the formula.
He took one of the potions out of the box. Gently, he uncorked the top and placed it to his lips. At that moment the door flung open. Catching Jekyll by surprise, he dropped the vial. It smashed on the floor and the formula spilt out. He bent down towards it, as if he was able to retrieve it, but it was no use.
"Careful, Jekyll." Skinner's voice came from the open door. For once, he was dressed in his long coat and covered in his white cream. "You don't want to be making a mess in front of our new guest." Skinner stepped into the room.
A young lady followed him and leant against the doorframe. She was about 20 years old. She was very untidy and had long, dark, tangled hair and deep green eyes. She wore a long grey dress, which was tattered and torn, as if she owned no other.
"Allow me to introduce Bet. Your wiling subject." Skinner said. She nodded at him.
"What ever you need," she spoke with a broad cockney accent. She looked at Skinner. "As long as I get paid." She walked into the room and sat herself on Jekyll's bed.
"Yes, Bet and I came to an agreement." Skinner came into the room and sat beside her. "There is no end to her generosity." He placed a hand on hers. She looked at him briefly before turning away. "I met an old Jew, Fagin, in the Three Cripples pub. He was in a similar occupation to my own and was intrigued by my rare, shall we call it, talent. I agreed to work for him for a week if he were able to find a suitable person for what I needed. He suggested Bet."
"And you are prepared for what may happen?" Jekyll asked. She looked him straight in the eyes. She had a roguish feel about her.
"I'm ready for anythin' you're able to chuck at me." She relied.
"And if you wanted to earn an extra bob," Skinner drew close and whispered into her ear, "You know where to come." She blinked, turned to face him and forced a smile. He stood up and walked towards the door. As he did so, he noticed the box of vials. He turned back to face them.
"Oh, and Bet, I believe there is something you should know about our Dr Jekyll." Jekyll followed Skinners gaze to the box. He rushed over to in and snapped it shut.
"You may go, Mr Skinner." Jekyll interrupted. "You are no longer needed." Skinner looked at Jekyll.
"On your head be it, my dear." And he left closing the door behind him. Jekyll turned to face Bet. She raised an eyebrow at him and nodded her head towards the broken vial.
"'Ad an accident, did we?" She asked. He crouched to the floor to pick up the glass.
"Yes, I'm afraid so." He replied. She stood up from the bed and bent down to help him. He put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"No," he cried. "Just leave it. You'll cut yourself." If she got some of the formula on her, who knows where it would have ended up. She stood up again and looked down on him.
"I've done worse than that in the past, trust me." Jekyll continued to clear up the mess. He tried hard not to look at her. She made him nervous. What money would Skinner give her? Why did she seem uncomfortable with him?
"So, what is it I must know about you then, Dr Jekyll?" She asked, cheekily. "'Ave some dark secret, do we?" Jekyll stood up and faced her. She had a smirk on her face.
"No, no." He muttered. "You know what Skinner's like by now, surely." She stopped smiling.
"Yeah, quite a character isn't 'e." She moved away. "Still, I've known worse." She sat once more on the edge of the bed. Jekyll joined her.
"I've asked Nemo, and you've been assigned the room just across the corridor. So if you'd like to collect all your belongings you can…"
"What belongin's?" She asked. She pointed to what she was wearing. "This is all I 'ave. I ain't got no more" Jekyll placed a hand on her back.
"Well, I'm sure Mina will be able to lend you something." He encouraged her to the door. "I will get her to send you something later." She turned to face him.
"Thank you for 'avin' me." She spoke softly. "I needed to be away from all o' that. I think I can survive if it's only Skinner." She hurried off down the corridor. Jekyll looked after her.
"What do you mean, 'only Skinner', Bet?" But she couldn't, or didn't want to hear. Jekyll closed the door and looked at his box of formulae. Now he was on his own again he could bear it no longer. He quickly uncorked one of the vials and downed the contents.