Chapter 4 – The Mysterious Mr Hyde
Early the next morning, Jekyll began his work again. He would regret allowing Hyde free the previous day, but he possibly would have exploded with cravings otherwise. If that wasn't enough to scare his test subject off, he didn't know what would. He thrust his head into his hands in shame. Why couldn't he have just resisted it? For the first time ever someone had volunteered to be practised on and he went and ruined it by scaring her off with his own evils.
"You stupid fool!" Jekyll muttered to himself, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. The deed had been done and unfortunately the time traveller and his time machine weren't around to help change it.
Slamming his scientific journal shut, he paced to his bed and sat upon it. He couldn't work now. His mind was fogged up with the thoughts of Bet. The poor creature must be a nervous wreck. Why couldn't Hyde have gone somewhere else? He no longer cared about Skinner's visibility potion; all he cared about was curing himself from these evil cravings.
A knock came from his room door. The last thing Jekyll wanted now was to be confronted by Nemo about his rampage.
"Please go away!" Jekyll shouted. But the door still opened and Bet's head came around the corner.
"I'm sorry! 'Ave I upset you?" Bet spoke in a small voice. She looked small and frail, Jekyll thought; the appearance of Mr Hyde must have knocked her about. "If you what me to go I will…"
"No, no." Jekyll interrupted. "No, come in. I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else. Please, sit down." Bet smiled sweetly and came into the room closing the door behind her. She crept over to the chair by the desk and sat down. She was still wearing the dress she had on yesterday. "I'm sorry to hear you were unfortunate enough to meet my 'friend', My Hyde, last night." Jekyll apologised. "It is entirely my fault. I did not lock him up securely enough last night. I promise that I will not let it happen again." Bet looked at him.
"Not at all," she replied. "I though 'e was fascinatin'." Jekyll moved towards her.
"Really?" he mused. Bet nodded.
"Oh, yes! Never seen a creature so big. Enormous, 'e was, but there was somethin' strange 'bout 'im." Jekyll walked over and sat on the edge of the desk next to her.
"There's quite a lot strange about him." He added, but Bet shook her head.
"No, I don't mean that!" She stood and walked slowly over to the mirror. "I mean, you 'ear 'bout all these monsters and such, and 'bout 'ow they terrorise everyone and stuff. But," She turned to face Jekyll again. "It was different with 'im. 'E wasn't as monstrous as 'e first seemed." She looked down at the floor. "Some'ow… 'uman or somethin'. You know what I mean?" Jekyll stood, fiercely.
"No!" He cried. "If there was something human about him there would be some good." He paced across the room. "There is nothing good about him. He is pure evil." Bet stepped firmly towards him.
"I think you're wrong, Dr Jekyll." Here eyes were narrow and she had a bitter scowl on her face. "I think you're wrong. There is somethin' good in 'im. I don't know what. But I'm gonna find out." She stomped towards the door. "Where do they keep 'im?" Jekyll panicked. If she were to find out that he and Hyde were the same person, she wouldn't want to work with him. She would be afraid of what he may do to her. If she went off and asked someone about it, they would tell her the truth. He needed to stop her.
"Look," Jekyll said, walking towards her and leading her back into the room. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I really don't think it would be a good for you to see him now." They both sat down on his bed. "He can get extremely tetchy after he has been locked away again. But there is no other way we can control him."
"What's 'e need controllin' for?" she asked. "'E ain't done no 'arm!"
"Yes," Jekyll replied. "Yes, he has. I know that he has even murdered." Bet's eyes widened.
"I've seen murder." She whispered. "I never wanna see it again!" She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Dr Jekyll. I shouldn't a said anythin'. Of course, you know what he is better than me. But I can't 'elp feelin' like this." She sniffed quietly, and looked up at Jekyll. Her eyes were red. "I'm always doin' this. I forget where people stand. You're better than me, and I forgot. I shoulda listened to you." Jekyll was taken back by this remark. He put his arm around her.
"Come on," he spoke softly. "Stop this. You have every right to express your own opinions. But I'm telling you this. Hyde is bad. It's a fact. There is no other way about it. I'm sorry that I shouted at you, but you must believe me." Bet sniffed again.
"You right, Dr Jekyll." She stood up. "I'll leave you to your work now. I'll try not to disturb you again." She marched over to the door and left. Jekyll looked after her.
What was she talking about? What good could she have seen in Hyde? There was nothing about him that could possibly be considered good. That was the whole point of him. All of Jekyll's evil was taken from himself to be kept in one form. There was no good. Just evil. He strode back to his desk and opened his scientific journal. The sooner he could get rid of Skinner, the sooner he could work on his own cure.
Early the next morning, Jekyll began his work again. He would regret allowing Hyde free the previous day, but he possibly would have exploded with cravings otherwise. If that wasn't enough to scare his test subject off, he didn't know what would. He thrust his head into his hands in shame. Why couldn't he have just resisted it? For the first time ever someone had volunteered to be practised on and he went and ruined it by scaring her off with his own evils.
"You stupid fool!" Jekyll muttered to himself, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. The deed had been done and unfortunately the time traveller and his time machine weren't around to help change it.
Slamming his scientific journal shut, he paced to his bed and sat upon it. He couldn't work now. His mind was fogged up with the thoughts of Bet. The poor creature must be a nervous wreck. Why couldn't Hyde have gone somewhere else? He no longer cared about Skinner's visibility potion; all he cared about was curing himself from these evil cravings.
A knock came from his room door. The last thing Jekyll wanted now was to be confronted by Nemo about his rampage.
"Please go away!" Jekyll shouted. But the door still opened and Bet's head came around the corner.
"I'm sorry! 'Ave I upset you?" Bet spoke in a small voice. She looked small and frail, Jekyll thought; the appearance of Mr Hyde must have knocked her about. "If you what me to go I will…"
"No, no." Jekyll interrupted. "No, come in. I'm sorry; I thought you were someone else. Please, sit down." Bet smiled sweetly and came into the room closing the door behind her. She crept over to the chair by the desk and sat down. She was still wearing the dress she had on yesterday. "I'm sorry to hear you were unfortunate enough to meet my 'friend', My Hyde, last night." Jekyll apologised. "It is entirely my fault. I did not lock him up securely enough last night. I promise that I will not let it happen again." Bet looked at him.
"Not at all," she replied. "I though 'e was fascinatin'." Jekyll moved towards her.
"Really?" he mused. Bet nodded.
"Oh, yes! Never seen a creature so big. Enormous, 'e was, but there was somethin' strange 'bout 'im." Jekyll walked over and sat on the edge of the desk next to her.
"There's quite a lot strange about him." He added, but Bet shook her head.
"No, I don't mean that!" She stood and walked slowly over to the mirror. "I mean, you 'ear 'bout all these monsters and such, and 'bout 'ow they terrorise everyone and stuff. But," She turned to face Jekyll again. "It was different with 'im. 'E wasn't as monstrous as 'e first seemed." She looked down at the floor. "Some'ow… 'uman or somethin'. You know what I mean?" Jekyll stood, fiercely.
"No!" He cried. "If there was something human about him there would be some good." He paced across the room. "There is nothing good about him. He is pure evil." Bet stepped firmly towards him.
"I think you're wrong, Dr Jekyll." Here eyes were narrow and she had a bitter scowl on her face. "I think you're wrong. There is somethin' good in 'im. I don't know what. But I'm gonna find out." She stomped towards the door. "Where do they keep 'im?" Jekyll panicked. If she were to find out that he and Hyde were the same person, she wouldn't want to work with him. She would be afraid of what he may do to her. If she went off and asked someone about it, they would tell her the truth. He needed to stop her.
"Look," Jekyll said, walking towards her and leading her back into the room. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I really don't think it would be a good for you to see him now." They both sat down on his bed. "He can get extremely tetchy after he has been locked away again. But there is no other way we can control him."
"What's 'e need controllin' for?" she asked. "'E ain't done no 'arm!"
"Yes," Jekyll replied. "Yes, he has. I know that he has even murdered." Bet's eyes widened.
"I've seen murder." She whispered. "I never wanna see it again!" She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Dr Jekyll. I shouldn't a said anythin'. Of course, you know what he is better than me. But I can't 'elp feelin' like this." She sniffed quietly, and looked up at Jekyll. Her eyes were red. "I'm always doin' this. I forget where people stand. You're better than me, and I forgot. I shoulda listened to you." Jekyll was taken back by this remark. He put his arm around her.
"Come on," he spoke softly. "Stop this. You have every right to express your own opinions. But I'm telling you this. Hyde is bad. It's a fact. There is no other way about it. I'm sorry that I shouted at you, but you must believe me." Bet sniffed again.
"You right, Dr Jekyll." She stood up. "I'll leave you to your work now. I'll try not to disturb you again." She marched over to the door and left. Jekyll looked after her.
What was she talking about? What good could she have seen in Hyde? There was nothing about him that could possibly be considered good. That was the whole point of him. All of Jekyll's evil was taken from himself to be kept in one form. There was no good. Just evil. He strode back to his desk and opened his scientific journal. The sooner he could get rid of Skinner, the sooner he could work on his own cure.