Chapter 11 – Confrontation
A long black coat floated into Jekyll's room and sat down of the bed. Slowly, Jekyll closed the door and moved to his desk. He didn't want to speak to Skinner now. It would only create tension. If he could make it appear that he was working maybe Skinner would go away. Besides, he had to start on finding a cure. He could bear Skinner being invisible, but he couldn't just leave Bet like it.
"So," Skinner started. "What's upset Bet then? She sounded distraught." Jekyll didn't reply, but sat down at his desk and picked up his pen. Skinner stood up "In a sulk are we, doctor? I thought you cared for Bet."
"I do care for her," Jekyll replied fiercely. "But I don't care for you, so, kindly leave me in peace." Skinner crept over to Jekyll and leant over his shoulder.
"You seem to forget that you're not the only one who cares for her." Jekyll stood and stormed over the room away from Skinner. How could he care for her and treat her the way he had? Skinner was only here to cause trouble. To find out why she was angry with Jekyll and to rub it in his face. Skinner continued. "Now, if you'd just tell me why Bet is so upset, I may be able to offer her some comfort."
"I thought I'd told you to stay away from her." Jekyll growled. "You wouldn't comfort her. You would only make her worse." Skinner resumed his seat on Jekyll's bed. "I've discussed Bet's profession with her and she is reforming. There will be no more… secret rendezvous. She hated it! If anyone's made her miserable it's you!"
"Easy, Jekyll." Skinner replied calmly. Jekyll was becoming fiercer. He was arguing back more than he used to. "I didn't come here for an argument. Besides we can't keep bickering over such a small thing forever. I mean…" Jekyll spun around to address him.
"You call abusing a sweet, kind young girl a small thing?"
"Look," Skinner shouted. "Just tell me about Bet and I'll leave. Otherwise," Skinner removed his coat and tossed it onto Jekyll's desk. "Otherwise, you won't know whether I'm gone or not." Jekyll's eyes darted across the room. There was no way he could risk Skinner staying longer than necessary. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was filled with anger, such that he hadn't experienced until the past few weeks. He would have to calm down if he was to get rid of Skinner.
"I've completed the first draft of visibility potion," Jekyll started. "So, Bet and I turned her invisible and tried it out." Skinner sniggered.
"Oh, she just doesn't want to leave me, poor dear," Skinner joked. "Can't bear to go now that this is all over." Jekyll was silent. Skinner continued to laugh, but realising that Jekyll had returned to his desk and had his head in his hands, faded away.
"It didn't work." Jekyll whispered softly. There was another silence between them. Jekyll was the first to speak.
"So… now you know why she's upset."
"Well," there was a slight shudder in Skinner's voice. "I hope you realise what you've done to her!" Jekyll rose.
"What I've done?" He replied. Skinner strode towards him and placed a hand on Jekyll's shoulder.
"You could have made sure that it would work, rather than just giving it to her!" Skinner broke away from him.
"She is a test subject. That's what she is for!" Jekyll shouted. "I'm doing this so I don't end up killing you!"
"Have you no heart? She is a human too!"
"Well, you're the one who wants this idiotic potion. If you could just put up with it like the rest of us has to put up with our faults."
"You can't blame this on me!" Skinner objected.
"I can and I have!" Jekyll paced over to the door and flung it wide open. He felt the draft from the door brush past him. "Get your coat and get out" Jekyll yelled at the top of his voice. The coat rose from the bed and was placed around Skinner's shoulders.
"This isn't the last of it." Skinner shouted at him. "I'll make you realise that you've ruined her life." He stormed out the door and down the corridor. Jekyll slammed the door.
"You think I don't know that!" he screamed to himself. His head was spinning. How dare Skinner accuse him of being deliberately horrid to Bet after what he had done to her! He wasn't going to get away with it! Jekyll had craved him so, and even though he knew he shouldn't, only Hyde would make Skinner see sense.
Jekyll grabbed the box of vials and threw it on the bed. It made a loud clatter and his bed shook slightly. Taking the formula out of the box, Jekyll threw the cork to the floor and swiftly tipped the contents down his throat.
Letting out a horrific scream, Jekyll's transformation began. He thrashed about as he tried to keep a hold on himself. Skinner was going to regret everything he had done!
"Dr Jekyll!" A voice came from Jekyll's bet. It was Bet. Hyde turned around to face the empty pace. Bet picked up the bed sheets, revealing herself.
"Bet…" Hyde growled.
"Dr Jekyll" What… 'Ow… oh!" Bet leapt from the bed. The door flung open and she raced down the corridor.
"Looks like you've got a problem, Henry." Hyde muttered to himself.
A long black coat floated into Jekyll's room and sat down of the bed. Slowly, Jekyll closed the door and moved to his desk. He didn't want to speak to Skinner now. It would only create tension. If he could make it appear that he was working maybe Skinner would go away. Besides, he had to start on finding a cure. He could bear Skinner being invisible, but he couldn't just leave Bet like it.
"So," Skinner started. "What's upset Bet then? She sounded distraught." Jekyll didn't reply, but sat down at his desk and picked up his pen. Skinner stood up "In a sulk are we, doctor? I thought you cared for Bet."
"I do care for her," Jekyll replied fiercely. "But I don't care for you, so, kindly leave me in peace." Skinner crept over to Jekyll and leant over his shoulder.
"You seem to forget that you're not the only one who cares for her." Jekyll stood and stormed over the room away from Skinner. How could he care for her and treat her the way he had? Skinner was only here to cause trouble. To find out why she was angry with Jekyll and to rub it in his face. Skinner continued. "Now, if you'd just tell me why Bet is so upset, I may be able to offer her some comfort."
"I thought I'd told you to stay away from her." Jekyll growled. "You wouldn't comfort her. You would only make her worse." Skinner resumed his seat on Jekyll's bed. "I've discussed Bet's profession with her and she is reforming. There will be no more… secret rendezvous. She hated it! If anyone's made her miserable it's you!"
"Easy, Jekyll." Skinner replied calmly. Jekyll was becoming fiercer. He was arguing back more than he used to. "I didn't come here for an argument. Besides we can't keep bickering over such a small thing forever. I mean…" Jekyll spun around to address him.
"You call abusing a sweet, kind young girl a small thing?"
"Look," Skinner shouted. "Just tell me about Bet and I'll leave. Otherwise," Skinner removed his coat and tossed it onto Jekyll's desk. "Otherwise, you won't know whether I'm gone or not." Jekyll's eyes darted across the room. There was no way he could risk Skinner staying longer than necessary. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was filled with anger, such that he hadn't experienced until the past few weeks. He would have to calm down if he was to get rid of Skinner.
"I've completed the first draft of visibility potion," Jekyll started. "So, Bet and I turned her invisible and tried it out." Skinner sniggered.
"Oh, she just doesn't want to leave me, poor dear," Skinner joked. "Can't bear to go now that this is all over." Jekyll was silent. Skinner continued to laugh, but realising that Jekyll had returned to his desk and had his head in his hands, faded away.
"It didn't work." Jekyll whispered softly. There was another silence between them. Jekyll was the first to speak.
"So… now you know why she's upset."
"Well," there was a slight shudder in Skinner's voice. "I hope you realise what you've done to her!" Jekyll rose.
"What I've done?" He replied. Skinner strode towards him and placed a hand on Jekyll's shoulder.
"You could have made sure that it would work, rather than just giving it to her!" Skinner broke away from him.
"She is a test subject. That's what she is for!" Jekyll shouted. "I'm doing this so I don't end up killing you!"
"Have you no heart? She is a human too!"
"Well, you're the one who wants this idiotic potion. If you could just put up with it like the rest of us has to put up with our faults."
"You can't blame this on me!" Skinner objected.
"I can and I have!" Jekyll paced over to the door and flung it wide open. He felt the draft from the door brush past him. "Get your coat and get out" Jekyll yelled at the top of his voice. The coat rose from the bed and was placed around Skinner's shoulders.
"This isn't the last of it." Skinner shouted at him. "I'll make you realise that you've ruined her life." He stormed out the door and down the corridor. Jekyll slammed the door.
"You think I don't know that!" he screamed to himself. His head was spinning. How dare Skinner accuse him of being deliberately horrid to Bet after what he had done to her! He wasn't going to get away with it! Jekyll had craved him so, and even though he knew he shouldn't, only Hyde would make Skinner see sense.
Jekyll grabbed the box of vials and threw it on the bed. It made a loud clatter and his bed shook slightly. Taking the formula out of the box, Jekyll threw the cork to the floor and swiftly tipped the contents down his throat.
Letting out a horrific scream, Jekyll's transformation began. He thrashed about as he tried to keep a hold on himself. Skinner was going to regret everything he had done!
"Dr Jekyll!" A voice came from Jekyll's bet. It was Bet. Hyde turned around to face the empty pace. Bet picked up the bed sheets, revealing herself.
"Bet…" Hyde growled.
"Dr Jekyll" What… 'Ow… oh!" Bet leapt from the bed. The door flung open and she raced down the corridor.
"Looks like you've got a problem, Henry." Hyde muttered to himself.