Chapter 12 – More Secrets
Jekyll woke up very groggily the next day. He wasn't sure what Hyde had got up to, but he didn't want to find out. His head was spinning and he felt as though he had a rock tumbling about in his stomach. Turning over in bed, he groaned. There was no way Nemo was going to ignore it this time. Hyde had only ever encountered Skinner and Bet on his previous rampages. But Jekyll had the feeling that Hyde had disturbed everyone last night.
He leant over to his bedside table and checked his pocket watch. He had overslept. Sleepily, he pulled himself out of bed and began to dress.
A knock came at the door.
"Who is it?" Jekyll called.
"It's me." Bet replied. Jekyll froze. "I think we need to have a chat, don't you?" He wasn't sure what to do. How should he approach her? She was obviously surprised to realise that he and Hyde were the same person. Was she angry or just shocked? Jekyll couldn't tell yet.
"Hold on a minute," Jekyll shouted through the door. "I'm just getting dressed. I'm running a little behind this morning." He continued to dress.
"'Ad a rough night, did we?" Bet asked, bitterly. He didn't reply. She was angry with him. But he could never had told her himself. How are you meant to tell someone you're looking after that occasionally you turn into an evil monster?
"Look," Bet continued. "I'm not askin' for an explanation. I just wanna… talk." Jekyll opened the door to reveal Bet's dress floating in mid air.
"Well," Jekyll muttered. "You'd better come in then." He stepped aside to allow her past him.
Bet strode into the room, making a beeline for Jekyll's desk. Upon it were strewn his notebooks and three empty vials. She picked up the empty vial of Hyde's potion and held it to the light. Jekyll walked to his bed and started to make it.
There was a heavy silence between them. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. Neither of them was sure what to say. Bet replaced the vial on the table and walked over to Jekyll. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her.
"I think you'd better tell me exactly who Mr 'yde is, eh?" Bet stepped back from him, eager to listen to what Jekyll had to say. Jekyll didn't move but took a deep breath.
"Well," he started. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you. When I was younger, I had a vision. Like most young people I wanted a world free of evil and wrongs. A world where people would get along with each other. So I set out to make a potion that would separate the good and evil of a person in the hope that I would be able to destroy the evil. After many unsuccessful attempts, I finally managed it. Mr Hyde, as you know him, is all the evil that is within me. However, once I had separated the two I was then unable to destroy the evil. So Mr Hyde remains a part of me." Bet turned and sat on the bed.
"So why do you still take the potion?" She asked.
"Once the potion is used, it leaves the most unbearable craving to take it again." Jekyll paused. "And I am too weaker man to stand up to it." He paced to his desk and sat down. He placed his head in his hands.
"Why didn't you say this before?" Bet asked, quietly.
"Similar reason to why you didn't tell me about your…" Jekyll stopped. "I was in desperate need of a test subject. The last thing I wanted to do was scare you away as soon as you had arrived." Bet rose and moved towards him.
"But you 'ad a chance to tell me!" She sat on the desk. "No more secrets… remember?" Jekyll turned away.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. There was another short silence. "You remember I told you that you could stay once this was all over."
"Mm-huh," Bet nodded her head.
"I think it would be best if you didn't…"
"But, Dr Jekyll!" Bet interrupted. "You can't make me go back there. You can't! You said I could stay 'ere. What 'arm could I do?" Jekyll rose.
"It's not what harm you could cause that bothers me." He shouted. "It's what harm Hyde could cause. You'd be safer in London." "But I don't wanna go back to London! I wanna stay 'ere with you." She answered back. "And Mr 'yde."
"No! I won't let you." Bet rose and walked towards Jekyll. He held her arms, tightly, to stop her. "I will pay you twice… three times the amount of money you were promised for this and you will be able to live a better life in London. I cannot offer you a proper life here."
Bet didn't reply. She just stood there looking at him. Jekyll was looking straight through her. It felt strange, as though he had been talking to someone else.
Jekyll started to feel uncomfortable. It was easier to look at an invisible Skinner. He had never known what he looked like. But to look at Bet without seeing her was wrong. He loosened the grip on her arms.
"I apologise." He spoke softly. "I should never have offered it in the first place. It would never have worked."
"You were wrong in not tellin' me, Dr Jekyll." Bet replied to him. "But I forgive you, 'cause you 'ave done everythin' for me. If it weren't for you I would still be stuck in that 'orrid place. I thank you for that." Jekyll smiled. "And I respect that you don't want me 'ere no more. It is your decision after all."
"Its not that I don't want you here," Jekyll started. "It's just…" Jekyll felt Bet place her hand over his mouth.
"Don't say it." She whispered. Bet moved her hand away from Jekyll's face. "You will solve this. You're Dr Jekyll. You can do anythin' you want." Jekyll smiled.
"I wish I could see you again." He whispered. Bet took his hand.
"Close your eyes." Bet told him. Jekyll did so. She placed his hand on the face. Jekyll could feel where she was. He moved his fingers across her cheeks, and eyelids and lips. He began to build a picture of Bet in his mind. He felt her smile at him.
"You can do it, Dr Jekyll." She whispered. She placed her hand on top of his again. "I believe in you." She stepped away from him. Jekyll took her hand.
Carefully, leading Jekyll across the room, Bet opened the door and stepped outside.
"You can do it." She repeated. Jekyll raised her hand and softly kissed it. Bet smiled, affectionately.
"I can do anything with your help." Jekyll replied. He opened his eyes and released her hand. "Good day, Bet."
"Good day, Dr Jekyll." She replied, and left down the corridor.
Jekyll woke up very groggily the next day. He wasn't sure what Hyde had got up to, but he didn't want to find out. His head was spinning and he felt as though he had a rock tumbling about in his stomach. Turning over in bed, he groaned. There was no way Nemo was going to ignore it this time. Hyde had only ever encountered Skinner and Bet on his previous rampages. But Jekyll had the feeling that Hyde had disturbed everyone last night.
He leant over to his bedside table and checked his pocket watch. He had overslept. Sleepily, he pulled himself out of bed and began to dress.
A knock came at the door.
"Who is it?" Jekyll called.
"It's me." Bet replied. Jekyll froze. "I think we need to have a chat, don't you?" He wasn't sure what to do. How should he approach her? She was obviously surprised to realise that he and Hyde were the same person. Was she angry or just shocked? Jekyll couldn't tell yet.
"Hold on a minute," Jekyll shouted through the door. "I'm just getting dressed. I'm running a little behind this morning." He continued to dress.
"'Ad a rough night, did we?" Bet asked, bitterly. He didn't reply. She was angry with him. But he could never had told her himself. How are you meant to tell someone you're looking after that occasionally you turn into an evil monster?
"Look," Bet continued. "I'm not askin' for an explanation. I just wanna… talk." Jekyll opened the door to reveal Bet's dress floating in mid air.
"Well," Jekyll muttered. "You'd better come in then." He stepped aside to allow her past him.
Bet strode into the room, making a beeline for Jekyll's desk. Upon it were strewn his notebooks and three empty vials. She picked up the empty vial of Hyde's potion and held it to the light. Jekyll walked to his bed and started to make it.
There was a heavy silence between them. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. Neither of them was sure what to say. Bet replaced the vial on the table and walked over to Jekyll. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her.
"I think you'd better tell me exactly who Mr 'yde is, eh?" Bet stepped back from him, eager to listen to what Jekyll had to say. Jekyll didn't move but took a deep breath.
"Well," he started. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you. When I was younger, I had a vision. Like most young people I wanted a world free of evil and wrongs. A world where people would get along with each other. So I set out to make a potion that would separate the good and evil of a person in the hope that I would be able to destroy the evil. After many unsuccessful attempts, I finally managed it. Mr Hyde, as you know him, is all the evil that is within me. However, once I had separated the two I was then unable to destroy the evil. So Mr Hyde remains a part of me." Bet turned and sat on the bed.
"So why do you still take the potion?" She asked.
"Once the potion is used, it leaves the most unbearable craving to take it again." Jekyll paused. "And I am too weaker man to stand up to it." He paced to his desk and sat down. He placed his head in his hands.
"Why didn't you say this before?" Bet asked, quietly.
"Similar reason to why you didn't tell me about your…" Jekyll stopped. "I was in desperate need of a test subject. The last thing I wanted to do was scare you away as soon as you had arrived." Bet rose and moved towards him.
"But you 'ad a chance to tell me!" She sat on the desk. "No more secrets… remember?" Jekyll turned away.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. There was another short silence. "You remember I told you that you could stay once this was all over."
"Mm-huh," Bet nodded her head.
"I think it would be best if you didn't…"
"But, Dr Jekyll!" Bet interrupted. "You can't make me go back there. You can't! You said I could stay 'ere. What 'arm could I do?" Jekyll rose.
"It's not what harm you could cause that bothers me." He shouted. "It's what harm Hyde could cause. You'd be safer in London." "But I don't wanna go back to London! I wanna stay 'ere with you." She answered back. "And Mr 'yde."
"No! I won't let you." Bet rose and walked towards Jekyll. He held her arms, tightly, to stop her. "I will pay you twice… three times the amount of money you were promised for this and you will be able to live a better life in London. I cannot offer you a proper life here."
Bet didn't reply. She just stood there looking at him. Jekyll was looking straight through her. It felt strange, as though he had been talking to someone else.
Jekyll started to feel uncomfortable. It was easier to look at an invisible Skinner. He had never known what he looked like. But to look at Bet without seeing her was wrong. He loosened the grip on her arms.
"I apologise." He spoke softly. "I should never have offered it in the first place. It would never have worked."
"You were wrong in not tellin' me, Dr Jekyll." Bet replied to him. "But I forgive you, 'cause you 'ave done everythin' for me. If it weren't for you I would still be stuck in that 'orrid place. I thank you for that." Jekyll smiled. "And I respect that you don't want me 'ere no more. It is your decision after all."
"Its not that I don't want you here," Jekyll started. "It's just…" Jekyll felt Bet place her hand over his mouth.
"Don't say it." She whispered. Bet moved her hand away from Jekyll's face. "You will solve this. You're Dr Jekyll. You can do anythin' you want." Jekyll smiled.
"I wish I could see you again." He whispered. Bet took his hand.
"Close your eyes." Bet told him. Jekyll did so. She placed his hand on the face. Jekyll could feel where she was. He moved his fingers across her cheeks, and eyelids and lips. He began to build a picture of Bet in his mind. He felt her smile at him.
"You can do it, Dr Jekyll." She whispered. She placed her hand on top of his again. "I believe in you." She stepped away from him. Jekyll took her hand.
Carefully, leading Jekyll across the room, Bet opened the door and stepped outside.
"You can do it." She repeated. Jekyll raised her hand and softly kissed it. Bet smiled, affectionately.
"I can do anything with your help." Jekyll replied. He opened his eyes and released her hand. "Good day, Bet."
"Good day, Dr Jekyll." She replied, and left down the corridor.