Chapter 13 – Resisting Temptation
There was a loud, repetitive rapping at the bedroom door that awoke Jekyll the next morning. He looked at the time on his pocket watch. It was very early, even for him. Usually nobody managed to awake in the morning until he had been working for a good hour. He had been up late the previous evening working on Skinner's visibility potion. He no longer cared about it for Skinner's benefit; he just wanted to return Bet to her normal state.
The door flung open and Bet fell into the room. She had white cream on her face and a pair of tatty ladies gloves on her hands.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd be up by now!" Jekyll rolled over in bed and sat up.
"No…" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "No, it's still a little early for me." Bet raced over to Jekyll's desk and sat upon it.
"I'm sorry," she apologised again. "I just could go back to sleep. I've been thinkin' 'bout you all night. You and Mr 'yde, that is…"
"Bet," Jekyll interrupted. She stopped mid gesture and looked at him.
"Dr Jekyll?"
"Would you allow me to get dressed, please?" Bet's eyes widened. She leapt up from the desk.
"Yes, sorry. I 'adn't realised…" She edged out the door and closed it. Jekyll took a deep breath and climbed out of bed. Bet continued to babble through the door as he grabbed his dressing gown and put it on. "Oh, but Dr Jekyll. I've been thinkin' and I wanna 'elp you with everythin'. I don't know how I'll be able to 'elp you exactly, but I'll think of somethin', you just wait…"
"Bet," Jekyll called to her. "Just calm down? What has got into you this morning?" He opened the door and let her back in. She swept into the room and resumed her seat on the desk.
"Everythin'!" She enthused. "Everythin's got into me! After you told me 'bout Mr 'yde last night, I just wanna 'elp you." Jekyll stood there puzzled.
"I don't think you understand completely. You can't help me with Hyde." Jekyll ambled around the room. "At the moment, I can't help me with Hyde. The cure is too complicated." Bet shook her head.
"No, I don't mean that!" She laughed. "I mean, I wanna 'elp you when 'e comes again, you know!" He walked over to her and sat on the chair.
"Explain it to me." He leant towards her in anticipation. She took a deep breath and leant back.
"About 'ow often is it that you let Mr 'yde out?" She asked. Jekyll thought for a moment.
"It depends on how I feel, I suppose. About one or two times a fortnight when I'm feeling well, but much more frequently than that when I'm not." He looked at her inquisitively. "Why?" She shuffled on the desk and moved into him.
"Well, next time you need to let 'im out, tell me. I can stay with you until it's all over." Jekyll stood up and broke away from the conversation. "It may be more bearable if two of us are there." He shook his head violently.
"No, that's not safe." He turned to look at her. "Do you know how much he could hurt you?"
"I can be invisible, he won't even know I'm there!" she argued.
"But I'll know you're there." Jekyll replied. "I can't risk Hyde finding you by mistake." Bet stood up from the desk.
"Even if he does, it will be okay." She smiled. "Skinner taught me a few tricks when I first arrived."
Jekyll stood there for a moment unable to reply. He didn't want Bet to be put at risk; she could be really hurt. However, the though of company through such an awful transformation would be comforting.
"Please let me." Bet asked. Jekyll sat on his bed.
"I suppose we could try the once," Jekyll agreed reluctantly. "If you must." Bet let out a loud squeal of excitement and rushed over the room and flung her arms around Jekyll.
"Thank you! Thank you!" She babbled. "You won't regret this. I'll 'elp you through it. You won't need Mr 'yde no more. I can 'elp you not need him no more!" Jekyll put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back.
"Be careful." He warned her. She sat beside him on the bed.
"Oh, you don't 'ave to worry 'bout me! I'll be fine." She laughed. "I can 'andle 'yde!" Jekyll laughed, awkwardly. He hoped she was right.
"You know you said that I couldn't stay cause Mr 'yde might 'urt me?" Bet asked quietly. "Well, if this works, and he gets used to me or somethin', can I please stay?" Jekyll shuffled uncomfortably on the bed. Bet held his hand. "I really don't wanna go back there!" Jekyll sighed.
"We will have to see. I suppose if everything turns out alright, it would be safe for you to stay." Bet smiled, broadly.
"Oh, Dr Jekyll. I can't thank you enough!" She leant towards him and gave him a quick peck on he lips. Slightly surprised, Jekyll looked her straight in the face, with a startled look on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry…" Bet apologized and turned away.
Jekyll touched her chin with his finger and turned her to face him again. Nervously, he kissed her. He pulled back. "Don't apologize." He whispered. Bet smiled at him.
"You're too kind to me, Dr Jekyll. I don't know what I'd do without you." She moved in closer to him and placed her arms around his neck. Jekyll moved in towards her and hugged her.
"You deserve every bit of kindness you can get." Jekyll whispered in her ear. "I'll be here for you, even if no one else is."
At that moment the door flung open, but there was no one at the door. Both Jekyll and Bet turned.
"So it was you who nicked off with my cream, then!" Skinner spoke. There was a short silence, as if he was taking in the situation. "Oh," he exclaimed. "I'll erm… come back later shall I." The door closed and silence filled the room.
Bet looked at Jekyll and started to giggle. He smirked to himself, as he pulled her back into his embrace.
There was a loud, repetitive rapping at the bedroom door that awoke Jekyll the next morning. He looked at the time on his pocket watch. It was very early, even for him. Usually nobody managed to awake in the morning until he had been working for a good hour. He had been up late the previous evening working on Skinner's visibility potion. He no longer cared about it for Skinner's benefit; he just wanted to return Bet to her normal state.
The door flung open and Bet fell into the room. She had white cream on her face and a pair of tatty ladies gloves on her hands.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd be up by now!" Jekyll rolled over in bed and sat up.
"No…" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "No, it's still a little early for me." Bet raced over to Jekyll's desk and sat upon it.
"I'm sorry," she apologised again. "I just could go back to sleep. I've been thinkin' 'bout you all night. You and Mr 'yde, that is…"
"Bet," Jekyll interrupted. She stopped mid gesture and looked at him.
"Dr Jekyll?"
"Would you allow me to get dressed, please?" Bet's eyes widened. She leapt up from the desk.
"Yes, sorry. I 'adn't realised…" She edged out the door and closed it. Jekyll took a deep breath and climbed out of bed. Bet continued to babble through the door as he grabbed his dressing gown and put it on. "Oh, but Dr Jekyll. I've been thinkin' and I wanna 'elp you with everythin'. I don't know how I'll be able to 'elp you exactly, but I'll think of somethin', you just wait…"
"Bet," Jekyll called to her. "Just calm down? What has got into you this morning?" He opened the door and let her back in. She swept into the room and resumed her seat on the desk.
"Everythin'!" She enthused. "Everythin's got into me! After you told me 'bout Mr 'yde last night, I just wanna 'elp you." Jekyll stood there puzzled.
"I don't think you understand completely. You can't help me with Hyde." Jekyll ambled around the room. "At the moment, I can't help me with Hyde. The cure is too complicated." Bet shook her head.
"No, I don't mean that!" She laughed. "I mean, I wanna 'elp you when 'e comes again, you know!" He walked over to her and sat on the chair.
"Explain it to me." He leant towards her in anticipation. She took a deep breath and leant back.
"About 'ow often is it that you let Mr 'yde out?" She asked. Jekyll thought for a moment.
"It depends on how I feel, I suppose. About one or two times a fortnight when I'm feeling well, but much more frequently than that when I'm not." He looked at her inquisitively. "Why?" She shuffled on the desk and moved into him.
"Well, next time you need to let 'im out, tell me. I can stay with you until it's all over." Jekyll stood up and broke away from the conversation. "It may be more bearable if two of us are there." He shook his head violently.
"No, that's not safe." He turned to look at her. "Do you know how much he could hurt you?"
"I can be invisible, he won't even know I'm there!" she argued.
"But I'll know you're there." Jekyll replied. "I can't risk Hyde finding you by mistake." Bet stood up from the desk.
"Even if he does, it will be okay." She smiled. "Skinner taught me a few tricks when I first arrived."
Jekyll stood there for a moment unable to reply. He didn't want Bet to be put at risk; she could be really hurt. However, the though of company through such an awful transformation would be comforting.
"Please let me." Bet asked. Jekyll sat on his bed.
"I suppose we could try the once," Jekyll agreed reluctantly. "If you must." Bet let out a loud squeal of excitement and rushed over the room and flung her arms around Jekyll.
"Thank you! Thank you!" She babbled. "You won't regret this. I'll 'elp you through it. You won't need Mr 'yde no more. I can 'elp you not need him no more!" Jekyll put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back.
"Be careful." He warned her. She sat beside him on the bed.
"Oh, you don't 'ave to worry 'bout me! I'll be fine." She laughed. "I can 'andle 'yde!" Jekyll laughed, awkwardly. He hoped she was right.
"You know you said that I couldn't stay cause Mr 'yde might 'urt me?" Bet asked quietly. "Well, if this works, and he gets used to me or somethin', can I please stay?" Jekyll shuffled uncomfortably on the bed. Bet held his hand. "I really don't wanna go back there!" Jekyll sighed.
"We will have to see. I suppose if everything turns out alright, it would be safe for you to stay." Bet smiled, broadly.
"Oh, Dr Jekyll. I can't thank you enough!" She leant towards him and gave him a quick peck on he lips. Slightly surprised, Jekyll looked her straight in the face, with a startled look on his face. "Oh, I'm sorry…" Bet apologized and turned away.
Jekyll touched her chin with his finger and turned her to face him again. Nervously, he kissed her. He pulled back. "Don't apologize." He whispered. Bet smiled at him.
"You're too kind to me, Dr Jekyll. I don't know what I'd do without you." She moved in closer to him and placed her arms around his neck. Jekyll moved in towards her and hugged her.
"You deserve every bit of kindness you can get." Jekyll whispered in her ear. "I'll be here for you, even if no one else is."
At that moment the door flung open, but there was no one at the door. Both Jekyll and Bet turned.
"So it was you who nicked off with my cream, then!" Skinner spoke. There was a short silence, as if he was taking in the situation. "Oh," he exclaimed. "I'll erm… come back later shall I." The door closed and silence filled the room.
Bet looked at Jekyll and started to giggle. He smirked to himself, as he pulled her back into his embrace.