Killer Nightmares

Henry was sleeping.

Henry was screaming.

Skinner was watching.

"No! …Edward you can't! … Don't! … Lucy, get out! … Go Lucy, while you can!" Henry cried, violently shaking, tossing and turning, while all Skinner could do was helplessly watch. "No! … Edward! You can't do this! … Please don't do this… I won't let you do this!"

"And how are you going to stop me!" Growled the voice of Edward Hyde.

Suddenly Henry stopped moving. Blood was seeping out from his nose and mouth. He had been knocked unconscious. With a start Henry started fitting, fighting for breath. He was choking, (or perhaps he was being choked.) Henry was trying in vain to fight an invisible force that had a tight grip around his neck but what little fight there was in him to begin with was rapidly draining away. Henry had stopped fighting; Henry had stopped moving: Henry had stopped breathing. Skinner was still watching, unconsciously holding his own breath.

The seconds passed but to Skinner it felt like hours. Unwilling to break his cover but unable to stop himself he shook Henry's limp body, trying to shake some life into it. Henry still wasn't breathing. Skinner was shaking him vehemently before whispering Henry's name, the volume gradually increasing as the time passed. Henry's face had gone from red to blue.

"'enry! Cum awn man! Yer've got ta wake up! 'ENRY!" Skinner begged.

At the very last possible second Dr. Henry Jekyll jerked awake, (or rather he was released.) Henry was fighting for breath. Skinner released is body, trying to sneak off unnoticed. But despite gasping for breath Henry still managed to speak, although every syllable made him weaker.

"Mister…" Henry choked out. "Skin…ner?"

Skinner found a leather jacket he'd left in Jekyll's room from previous night and put it on. Skinner didn't know why as Henry's eyes weren't even open but it just seemed the right, though in reality Skinner was just stalling. He knew he could simply say it was him and Henry wouldn't ask any questions, but Skinner wanted to find a suitable reason as to why he was in Henry's bedroom watching him sleep. He couldn't. He could only say why he was caught.

"I … 'yde were killin' ya." Skinner stated, trying to keep the emotion from his voice. It didn't work.

"Please … excuse me … for a minute …please." Skinner watched as Henry rushed out of sight and into the bathroom, quickly followed by the sounds of him retching uncontrollably. Skinner winced at the sound. He knew Henry had told him to stay there but he wanted to comfort his friend. He also wanted to reassure himself that his friend was all right, or at least rejoice in the fact that Henry was still alive. Skinner slowly entered the bathroom.

He thought Henry was being sick because he'd just come back from the dead but apparently not. In-between retches Henry was muttering apologies to some girl called Lucy, silent tears running down his face. Still retching although nothing was left in his stomach to dispose of. Skinner placed a soothing hand on Henry's back whilst Henry was doubled over retching. Henry didn't flinch.

"I'm sorry … about this … Mister Skinner." Skinner didn't reply knowing full well that Henry had absolutely nothing to apologize about. In fact Skinner just wished Henry would concentrate getting his breath back instead of being so damn polite! But instead of saying this Skinner just got a glass, filled it with tap water and passed it onto Henry once he'd finished retching.

"Thank you." Henry said breathlessly, with a small and polite smile. Skinner gritted his teeth and just watched as Henry took small polite sips of water. Skinner couldn't even gather enough energy to be angry anymore, anger had turned to concern. Skinner repeated his earlier statement.

"'yde were killin' ya." Skinner's voice was oddly strained. Henry didn't respond. He just returned back to his bedroom, still clutching the nearly full glass with both hands. When Skinner followed belatedly into the bedroom he found Dr. Jekyll sitting cross-legged on the bed. He'd placed the glass of water on his bedside table and now was clutching a pillow close to his chest. He was shivering. Skinner took his leather coat off and draped it over Henry before sitting on the bed opposite him.

"'yde were killin' ya." Skinner softly but insistently repeated. After a long pause Henry replied.

"He would never … kill me. He needs … this body, this shell, to commit his … evil deeds." Henry was still fighting for breath but the Doctor had returned to his pale and wan colouring.

"'e were still killin' ya."

"Perhaps. But he would never let me … die. That would be no fun for him. Besides, I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to."

"Dunt ya wanna?" Henry fell silent. "'enry?"

"I deserve it! I couldn't stop him! Perhaps one of these days he will get carried away and go too far and kill me too. But if he kills me from the inside he'll get control of this body. I don't think he knows that yet but then again he knows all I know, he's probably only keeping me alive to torture me. But I deserve it."

"'enry! Ya dunt deserve it. Nobody deserves bein' half-killed and tortured like tha'!" Henry nearly choked on the words coming out of Skinner's mouth before gathering himself to politely talk to Skinner.

"Mister Skinner … I was dreaming tonight. I don't suppose you heard?" Skinner nodded before realising he was invisible. Henry had been making perfect eye contact with him Skinner really believed Henry could actually see him. "It wasn't a dream. It was a … memory. I killed a girl. I deserve to die! I deserve to hang!"

"It were Edward that killed Lucy, not you. Not you!"

"I couldn't stop him! But there is one way that I can. I can stop him forever."

"Suicide! 'enry, ya can't!"

"No. The League needs Edward. I'd let him kill me but then he'd have full control and I can't bear the thought of that. Mister Skinner, Edward felt so alive when he was killing Miss Harris. Lucy. Mister Skinner, I never want to feel that alive. I know the League needs Edward but nobody would miss me. Perhaps the League could control Mister Hyde. I just can't go on like this Mister Skinner. It's too painful. I want peace: I want to die."

"I'd miss ya 'enry. Yer the only one who dunt treat me like the low-down thief which I am. Yer me best pal. Yer the only one who even treats me like I exist. All the others just look fru me, even wiv me make-up on. Wivout you I'd disappear inta fin air."

"I'm not that important Mister Skinner."

"Yer bloody well are. Tu me ya are. 'enry, ya a better person than ya fink."

"I'm a murderer and a criminal and I deserve to be hanged! Mister Skinner, nobody would miss me. Mister Sawer is too busy flirting with Mrs. Harker. Nemo is busy keeping his Nautilus afloat. You'll do fine without me, you'll do better without me and my baggage Mister Skinner. Please, Mister Skinner." Henry pleaded and Skinner understood imeadiately, albeit with shock and even anger.

"Yer asking me ta let ya die? To let ya kill yerself! Nah! I can't let ya do that? I dunt want ya ta do tha'. Ya don't have ta die. Ya don't deserve ta die!"

"Lucy Harris didn't deserve to die either! I didn't give her a choice! I have to die Mister Skinner, there's no other way!"

"'ow will killin' Doc 'Enry Jekyll fix anyfin! 'Enry, list'n ta me 'n' list'n good! 'Enry, we dunt need ya just cosa Edward, we need ya cosa you. Yer the kindest, most compassionate man I know. Wivout yu this League'd fall apart!…"

"Yes." Dr. Jekyll interrupted in a rather ironic tone. "Without Tom smirking at me, without me stalking Mina, without Nemo always worrying about the beast roaming free on his ship. I'm sure I keep the League together (!)" Skinner hated the tone of Henry's voice. It was all bitter, twisted and full of anger all directed inward to himself. But then Henry's tone grew more composed, more final. And Skinner hated that even more considering the words. "I do wish you weren't my friend Mister Skinner. It would make this so much easier."

"I can't believe this! Ya must must know how important ya are. Tu me. Please."

"I would like to be on my own now, please Mister Skinner. Please leave. I'm going to try and get some sleep. Perhaps when I wake up things won't seem as bad. Please leave. Please?"

"I dunt wanna 'enry."

"Please Mister Skinner just go. Edward is getting very angry and I don't want him to take his anger out on you."

"I dunt want him ta take his anger out on you 'enry."

"Just go! Leave!" Jekyll pleaded with a Hyde-like growl. He then gained back control and apologised, desperately pleading with Skinner to leave. Skinner didn't want to but the look in Henry's eyes was so painful that he had to do as Henry asked.

After Skinner had left Henry waited, fighting a battle inside his own head. Jekyll won and pulled a gun out from the drawer in his bedside table. He cocked the gun and put it to his temple. Hyde was growing more and more distraught.

"This is for you Lucy." A pause. "I'm sorry Rodney."

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the Nautilus and when it reached Skinner's ears his blood froze and his heart broke. Silent tears ran down his face. Skinner wanted to run but his feet were stuck to the floor. That gunshot killed more than one man.