Disclaimer: Jekyll and Hyde is the coolest concept ever. Sadly, I do not own it. No, I have
nothing to do with them. And now I am depressed.
Chapter Two: Crime
It was a clear day, not a cloud in sight, when I left the house that morning. I was in high
spirits, almost too high, and Mr. Poole had kept a close eye on me during breakfast. He was
always thinkin' I'd be overstepping myself. Hmph. But my mood was not to be spoiled. I had
plans for this day: get me duties over with as quick as possible, while doing a fine job of it too o'
course, and after I was done for the day, sneak into the library and read something. I let myself
into the laboratory and went to the "Animal Room", as I called it. There were two cats, seven
rabbits, ten mice, two dogs, and a goat. If ya didn't keep a handle on it, the smell could get
somethin' awful, but I kept it as clean as I could. Working in the Animal Room was one of my
favorite duties.
On this particular day, the animals were pretty quiet. I reckoned Dr. Jekyll had spent the night
working with them, as he was prone to do. I checked on all the animals first, making sure none o'
them were sick, and then started cleaning out their cages--my least favorite part of the Animal
Room.
The cats were my favorite, I usually worked the hardest on their cage and tried to sneak them
scraps o' real food as much as I could. I started thinkin' as I worked, not about anything in
particular, just daydreaming. But I guess I got really into it, 'cause the next thing I knew, Dr.
Jekyll was standing next to me and inspecting my work.
"Excellent, Kieran. You've got a talent for working with animals," he said. Dr. Jekyll had a
quiet way of talkin', he was very direct, and his voice was almost piercing.
"Thank you, sir," I said, all submissive and properlike.
He turned to look at me directly. Inwardly, I winced. I was never sure how to handle it when
Dr Jekyll looked straight at me. Was I s'posed to look down, or look back at him? I opted to
inspect the floor this time.
"What would you do, Kieran, if you had no boundaries?" he said. "What would you do...if
you weren't held back by your station? Granted, you can't do much now, you're only a boy...but
if you were an adult? Then what?"
His question caught me by surprise--my eyes flew up to meet his. "Sir?" I choked out. I
didn't know if I could answer his question truthfully...my dream was definitely not something that
a boy of my status should be dreaming.
"Surely you know what I mean, Kieran. If there were no rules, no social classes, no
boundaries for you, what would you do? What would you become?"
Nah, there was no escaping the question for me. And I'd made it a practice never to lie.
"Well sir...I reckon if I could, I'd...want to....well, to be a doctor, sir." I winced as I said it.
That was probably one of the hardest things I'd ever said in me life. Admit my dreams of being a
doctor to a...well, a doctor?! It was insane! If Mr. Poole had overheard...oh, I'd be in such
trouble. How could I be so stupid? I quickly shifted my gaze back to the floor, preparing for the
beating I surely deserved for being so rash.
"A doctor?" Dr. Jekyll slowly repeated. This was my chance to redeem myself, while he was
still in shock from my impetuousness.
"I guess I'd just like helping people, sir. I mean--"
"I think it is an excellent idea, Kieran, and it would certainly be an attainable goal for you."
I just about fainted right there. A good idea?
"A doctor...hmm..." Dr. Jekyll glanced once more around the room, and then at me again, and
then left, as quickly as he'd come.
"Kieran."
At the sound of my name, spoken from behind in that grave, serious voice I had come to
dislike, I turned. Mr. Poole. I winced.
"You have committed a grave error, young man," said Mr. Poole. "You have overstepped
yourself. Dramatically. A doctor? You? Ha!"
I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to talk back so badly, but it wouldn't fare well for me if I did.
I'd probably be tossed out on the streets with not so much as a shilling to my name.
"Such hotheadedness deserves punishment, young man," continued Mr. Poole. "Your
punishment will surely teach you a thing or two about your place in life. There will be no meals
for you for two days, and in addition to extra duties today, you will scrub the outer courtyard
floor, even if it takes you all night." He turned in a fury of black cape and left.
The outer courtyard...what a nightmare. It was huge! I could handle the lack of food, no
problem, but scrubbing the courtyard floors all night? I mean, I had no choice, my new duties
now were going to take me all day, so I'd have to start tonight.
I slowly finished with the animals. "'bye Cinders," I told the girl cat. "Reckon I shoulda kept
me mouth shut, oy?" The cat looked at me impassively. "Reckon that was a yes."
I trudged out of the laboratory and looked up at the sky that had been so bright this morning.
It was starting to rain.
nothing to do with them. And now I am depressed.
Chapter Two: Crime
It was a clear day, not a cloud in sight, when I left the house that morning. I was in high
spirits, almost too high, and Mr. Poole had kept a close eye on me during breakfast. He was
always thinkin' I'd be overstepping myself. Hmph. But my mood was not to be spoiled. I had
plans for this day: get me duties over with as quick as possible, while doing a fine job of it too o'
course, and after I was done for the day, sneak into the library and read something. I let myself
into the laboratory and went to the "Animal Room", as I called it. There were two cats, seven
rabbits, ten mice, two dogs, and a goat. If ya didn't keep a handle on it, the smell could get
somethin' awful, but I kept it as clean as I could. Working in the Animal Room was one of my
favorite duties.
On this particular day, the animals were pretty quiet. I reckoned Dr. Jekyll had spent the night
working with them, as he was prone to do. I checked on all the animals first, making sure none o'
them were sick, and then started cleaning out their cages--my least favorite part of the Animal
Room.
The cats were my favorite, I usually worked the hardest on their cage and tried to sneak them
scraps o' real food as much as I could. I started thinkin' as I worked, not about anything in
particular, just daydreaming. But I guess I got really into it, 'cause the next thing I knew, Dr.
Jekyll was standing next to me and inspecting my work.
"Excellent, Kieran. You've got a talent for working with animals," he said. Dr. Jekyll had a
quiet way of talkin', he was very direct, and his voice was almost piercing.
"Thank you, sir," I said, all submissive and properlike.
He turned to look at me directly. Inwardly, I winced. I was never sure how to handle it when
Dr Jekyll looked straight at me. Was I s'posed to look down, or look back at him? I opted to
inspect the floor this time.
"What would you do, Kieran, if you had no boundaries?" he said. "What would you do...if
you weren't held back by your station? Granted, you can't do much now, you're only a boy...but
if you were an adult? Then what?"
His question caught me by surprise--my eyes flew up to meet his. "Sir?" I choked out. I
didn't know if I could answer his question truthfully...my dream was definitely not something that
a boy of my status should be dreaming.
"Surely you know what I mean, Kieran. If there were no rules, no social classes, no
boundaries for you, what would you do? What would you become?"
Nah, there was no escaping the question for me. And I'd made it a practice never to lie.
"Well sir...I reckon if I could, I'd...want to....well, to be a doctor, sir." I winced as I said it.
That was probably one of the hardest things I'd ever said in me life. Admit my dreams of being a
doctor to a...well, a doctor?! It was insane! If Mr. Poole had overheard...oh, I'd be in such
trouble. How could I be so stupid? I quickly shifted my gaze back to the floor, preparing for the
beating I surely deserved for being so rash.
"A doctor?" Dr. Jekyll slowly repeated. This was my chance to redeem myself, while he was
still in shock from my impetuousness.
"I guess I'd just like helping people, sir. I mean--"
"I think it is an excellent idea, Kieran, and it would certainly be an attainable goal for you."
I just about fainted right there. A good idea?
"A doctor...hmm..." Dr. Jekyll glanced once more around the room, and then at me again, and
then left, as quickly as he'd come.
"Kieran."
At the sound of my name, spoken from behind in that grave, serious voice I had come to
dislike, I turned. Mr. Poole. I winced.
"You have committed a grave error, young man," said Mr. Poole. "You have overstepped
yourself. Dramatically. A doctor? You? Ha!"
I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to talk back so badly, but it wouldn't fare well for me if I did.
I'd probably be tossed out on the streets with not so much as a shilling to my name.
"Such hotheadedness deserves punishment, young man," continued Mr. Poole. "Your
punishment will surely teach you a thing or two about your place in life. There will be no meals
for you for two days, and in addition to extra duties today, you will scrub the outer courtyard
floor, even if it takes you all night." He turned in a fury of black cape and left.
The outer courtyard...what a nightmare. It was huge! I could handle the lack of food, no
problem, but scrubbing the courtyard floors all night? I mean, I had no choice, my new duties
now were going to take me all day, so I'd have to start tonight.
I slowly finished with the animals. "'bye Cinders," I told the girl cat. "Reckon I shoulda kept
me mouth shut, oy?" The cat looked at me impassively. "Reckon that was a yes."
I trudged out of the laboratory and looked up at the sky that had been so bright this morning.
It was starting to rain.
