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“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I do believe it is high time I make my own demonstration.” Henry Jekyll announced, a confident smile painted on his face though inside, much like Hyde was, he was screaming.Jekyll was screaming because he was still unsure of two things. That this would even work, and that he should really show all of London this.Hyde was screaming because Jekyll would not tell him what the hell was going on. “Jekyll what the hell are you showing them? Why won’t you tell me?” The little blond demanded, running frantically around the stage while Jekyll stood in the middle, a needle and a vial in his hand, a cord tied around his left bicep, shirt sleeve rolled up to expose his arm.Henry Jekyll, of course, could not answer him. Not in the middle of the stage, he could not simply begin talking to himself.Not yet.Most of the preparations had been destroyed in the fire that had ravaged the society. Jekyll knew that even with Jasper having kept his notes, and doing a stunning explanation, and demonstration, of his knowledge on his own condition, and several other stunning presentations, London was not impressed.Not only were they the rogue science group now, they were the group whom had helped burn down a block of London.So they had to do more than just show off a few party tricks and expect to get money. They had to take it a step up and no one but Henry Jekyll himself had something that no one, not one person knew it, besides himself.Well, and Edward Hyde.Edward Hyde knew . “Henry Jekyll what are you doing?” Edward demanded, pushing himself into Henry's face. “You don't have any new research!” Henry smiled and shook his head. “I have you .” He murmured.Edward went pale. “You are not throwing me out here on this stage I am not dealing with the mob for you Doctor Jekyll!” Henry sighed. “You don't have to.” His performance voice came back in a hurry. “Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to witness something no one has seen before, not even my own Lodgers or friends. I have studied for years to isolate and remove the duality of man. And I have done it.”There was shriek in Henry’s ears but it wasn't out loud. “You're going to kill me on stage? Henry, I've done wrong but please you can't kill me please I don't want to die Henry…” “Shut your mouth, Hyde. You choose yourself over me all the time. Now I'm choosing myself over you,” Henry snapped, not bothering to be quiet. “I have long been able to separate the duality of man, my dear audience, some of you have perhaps met mine. He does not resemble me, he is a criminal wanted by Scotland Yard for arson. And today, I eradicate a human’s evil, in front of you eyes.”“Doctor of whom do you speak?”“This is madness!”“Someone call Bedlam Doctor Jekyll has lost his mind!”“Good people of London, why don't you want before you panic?” Henry asked pleasantly. “If I prove to be mad, then you may call the Bethlehem Royal Hospital. However, I assure you, I am not mad.”Edward was still screaming, begging, pleading, but to no avail.The crowd watched in awed silence as Henry filled the syringe carefully, mindful of air bubbles, checked for a vein in his arm, which had popped out nicely after being denied fresh blood and circulation for a few minutes, Hyde was trying to shift his hand but was failing, there were tears on the apparition’s face. “Henry please I don't want to die…” he begged, falling to his knees before the doctor when he realized he could not move Jekyll’s hand, giving up on anything. He was not spectral and ghostly this time, he was a solid person with a green glow. “Henry, please…”“I have to. I have nothing else to offer.” Henry replied, and plunged the needle into his vein.Edward howled the moment the plunger was pushed, screaming like he was being torn apart, like he was being submerged in acid, like he had been lit on fire.Rapidly, they had to see it all, Henry pulled a vial of HJ7 from his pocket and downed it, for dramatic effect like it slip from his hand and shatter on the ground as he hit his knees, gasping and coughing and choking and retching, green slop spilling from his mouth, his nose, his eyes.Edward Hyde was flickering, spasming on the ground, hoarse sobs tearing from his throat, tears streaming down his cheeks, he was stuck on his back could do nothing but thrash as fire coursed through his veins.Henry felt familiar pain coil through him, felt limbs shrinking, felt his soul being wrested from his body but then…Something was wrong. He was dragged back down to earth but something else was being torn from him. He didn't know what.Edward was still shrieking, fingers clawing at his skin trying to get the fire out of his skin trying to get everything to stop hurting but it wouldn't he was dying he was dying he was dying…But he wasn't. Suddenly it stopped and his chest was heaving, dull sobs shaking his shoulder, breath bubbling in the dribble from his nose, his arms were bleeding from long cat-scratches his fingernails had flayed into them, but the pain had stopped.“Doctor Jekyll? Who is that?”Henry groaned and sat up, wiped his face on the back of his sleeve, and glanced to where Hyde was lying, gasping and choking for breath. “Edward? Are you...”Edward did not reply, Henry poked him with the toe of his boot, the blond whined and shifted away.“You… you can see him,” Henry realized with a start that he had failed.Edward Hyde was not dead Edward Hyde was sitting in his own form. His own body. “Christ Edward you need to move!” He cried before realizing that there was no way Edward could do that after what he had just suffered.So Henry got to his feet and hauled the blond across the stage and behind him. “I…”“Doctor Jekyll!”Great. Brokenshire had spotted Edward. And Edward's name was not cleared the cackling blond from a few weeks ago was still wanted for arson.Henry planted himself directly in between the gasping blond and the police officer. “Sergeant Brokenshire, listen to me you can't hurt him,” he said quickly.“You told me that man was a street urchin who worked for you, Doctor Jekyll! Apparently, he's a part of you!” Brokenshire snarled, running up to the stage, trying to push his way passed Henry Jekyll to get at the blond behind him.Edward Hyde was scurrying away from them both on the palms of his hands and his heels. His breathing was panicky and scared, coming in sharp gasps. His hands slid out from under him several times, he crashed down onto his elbows but kept moving.“Brokenshire, please.” Henry held his hands out in front of him as a gesture of peace, “He is panicking please understand this was not what was meant to happen…”“You tried to kill me,” Edward said in a dull voice, “you… you tried to kill me, doctor!”There was blood running down Hyde’s arms, a shocked look on his face. He sounded utterly destroyed.“And it failed, Hyde, you are breathing and you have your own body, I would not complain. Now, if you don't let me talk we will both end our day in jail so shut up.” Jekyll took a step back. “And get on your feet.” He instructed, this time there was no complaint from the blond. He got to his feet, though he was trembling, teeth chattering. One more step back from Jekyll and arms latched around his shoulders because even if Henry had just tried to kill him Jekyll was a constant in Hyde’s life and wasn't Brokenshire. He was safer than the police. His knuckles were white, locked into the fabric of Henry's waistcoat, face buried in the back of his shirt, blood soaking into the white sleeves. His hands shook.“Do you want to explain yourself, Doctor Jekyll?” Brokenshire asked pointedly. “At the very least I’ll be taking Mister Hyde for questioning.”Henry reached up carefully and squeezed one of Hyde’s hands, the blond didn't respond. “He's not an arsonist Sergeant Brokenshire I told you he was because I knew I could keep him away from you. You have to listen to me neither one of us were prepared for this as he has pointed out I meant to kill him, he thought he was going to die. He needs a safe place away from you and I, I will not allow you to take him.”“And what are you going to do to stop me, Doctor Jekyll?” Brokenshire scoffed.“Edward, run. Get backstage.” Henry instructed, prying Edward’s fingers off his waistcoat. “Kaylock, Ito, Sinnett and Luckett, keep them away from us. Do whatever you have to.”Edward turned and ran. Bang! A gun fired. There was a sharp cry of pain and a dull thud and Edward fell into the curtain, at least having the sense to roll under it and vanish backstage, leaving a blood splatter behind.Jekyll was about to go after him, words, directed to Rachel, of “Go and find Lanyon” on his tongue when the gun cocked again.He froze. “You shot him.” Brokenshire had shot Edward Hyde the blond could have already bled out behind the curtain.“He ran.”Like a guardian angel in the form of a giant wolf, Jasper lunged and tackled Brokenshire into the ground. Sinnett and Luckett had matching explosives, Ito her chemicals, to keep the rest of the police at bay. “Go to him, Jekyll!” Virginia yelled.“Rachel find Lanyon tell him I need him say whatever you have to in order for him to listen!” Jekyll shouted and ran behind the curtain.There was blood all over the floor, Griffin and Archer already had Hyde up on a table, a white sheet pressed into a wound in his leg. “Doctor Jekyll? I’ve never seen you two in the same place before! Either way, what happened to him?”“Sergeant Brokenshire shot him and you haven't seen us at the same time because it hasn't been physically possible,” Jekyll explained, “I will explain later right now we need to save his life.”“Henry? Miss Pidgley told me you were hurt!” Robert raced backstage.“If you were watching my production you know that in a way, I am.” Henry replied, motioning to the little blond on the table. “Listen whether you like him or not he is dying and you are the only doctor I could think of.”Robert bit his lip and walked over. “How is he hurt?” He asked, concerned.“Brokenshire shot him. The Lodgers can’t hold the police off for long we need to move,” Jekyll replied.“We can’t, Mister Hyde is in no state to be moved. Send someone out to pacify the mob I want you in here helping and explaining that the fuck just happened.” Robert ordered, racing over and pushing Hyde’s leg up, looking to Archer. “Hold his foot in place so that the wound stays higher than his heart.”Archer nodded, holding onto the foot while Robert snatched a pair of tweezers from a table and pushed them into the wound, digging through flesh and blood and sinew to reach the bullet that was stuck into Hyde’s leg. The blond shrieked, thrashed, Jekyll ran over and held him down by the shoulders, forcing all of his weight into Edward’s thin shoulders, pinning him to the table. Tears ran freely down his cheeks, he wailed as the tweezers pushed further into his leg, his chest heaving, hoarse sobs torn from his throat.“Got it!” Robert cried triumphantly, tugging the piece of metal out and pushing a bandage into it. “Get me another sheet I am going to tie it to his leg to cut off the circulation, to keep him from losing too much blood. He will die if we don’t.” The doctor ordered.Griffin ran off. Henry stood by Edward’s side, brushing tears away from his face. “Edward, you are going to be alright I am sorry I should not have done this to you I am sorry I am so sorry…” He murmured, brushing fingers through the fluffy strands, smoothing them out against the table. “I am so sorry Edward just please get through this…”Griffin returned with a sheet, Robert Lanyon snatched it from him and tied it tightly around Edward’s thigh. “Alright. Now we get him to the hospital,” he declared, “he can be moved now. Jekyll, you carry him and tell me the story on the way.”Henry went to lift Edward from the table but Hyde shied away from him, green eyes wide with pain and fear. “I should not… I tried to kill him on a stage, Robert. Griffin, you carry him. He is lighter than he seems he should be.”Griffin nodded, carefully lifted the blond off the table. They left a huge blood puddle behind.“I will go and tell Jasper, Virginia Sinnett and Luckett to save themselves.” Rachel shouted and ran off.“Henry, Griffin, with me.” Robert ordered, ran them out the side exit of the stage. Edward Hyde cried out with every jostle of movement, skin pale and dampened with sweat.“Henry start talking, now. I was not watching the stage my father and I were arguing.” Robert ordered. “Where did Edward Hyde come from and why is everyone acting like his appearance is the end of the world?”“Because I’ve been lying to everyone about what my scientific research is, Robert, and truly, it was the separation of the duality of man, one side good one side evil. In all, it was a failure, however it left an effect I did not get rid of, as it seemed too cruel. The effect was another living person inside my head, who came out whenever I drank the original formula. His name is Edward Hyde.” Henry said as quickly as he could, not wanting to leave room for questions. “I was going to get rid of him today. On the stage. The formula was meant to kill him it was all that I could think to do that might win over the public, if I could prove that I had fought the duality of man and won. However… it only separated the two of us. As I had followed your advice and given Edward Hyde’s name and description to the police as our arsonist, and they had just witnessed me pull him from myself Brokenshire wanted to take him for questioning… I… I told him to run and Brokenshire shot him.”Robert walked in silence out to his carriage, loaded Henry, Griffin, who was still carrying Hyde and himself into it, directed the rest of the lodgers to take other rides.“Are you…”“I do not know how to deal with this information, Henry, for now we should focus on saving Mister Hyde and we will worry about everything else later.”“I am sorry, Lanyon, I did not know how you would-”“Shut up, Henry Jekyll! I do not know what to say to you, be grateful I am willing to help your abomination rather than allowing him to bleed out!” Lanyon snarled, tone suddenly vicious and angry.“He’s not an abomination! He is a human being, just like the rest of us!” Henry shouted in return.“You did not seem to believe that when you tried to kill him on a stage for funding! I will only tell you once more before I throw you out of the carriage and make you walk to the hospital, shut your damned mouth, Henry Jekyll!”Henry closed his mouth, the carriage rocked to life. Edward cried out in pain.Robert turned to face his patient. Bit his lip. Pressed both hands firmly against the sheet that was tied to the wound to apply more pressure.Griffin slapped a hand over Hyde’s mouth to stop him screaming again.Pulled it back a few seconds later, bleeding. “Ow!” He cried, glaring down at the blond.“For God's sakes, he's scared and in pain don't put your fingers near his mouth, Griffin!” Jekyll scolded.“Henry Jekyll what did I tell you?” Robert Lanyon roared. “However, he is right. Animals bite when they're scared.”“ Animals bite! Hyde is a person!” Griffin complained.“Well that's debatable, he never seemed very human to me, and it's not like he can do much else, you shouldn't be surprised. Besides, look at his teeth. He can't have trouble drawing blood,” Lanyon remarked.Henry peered over. As usual, Hyde’s teeth were snaggly and somewhat pointed.Great, so he had kept that trait.He wasn't crying out in pain with every bump anymore.He didn't actually seem conscious. “Lanyon!” Jekyll said urgently.“I know, Henry, I can't magic him into staying alive if he dies before we reach the hospital there is nothing I can do!” Robert snapped.Henry bit his lip. Held onto the blond’s hand. Edward was pale, fingers cold. His breathing barely stirred his thin chest.There was blood around his mouth, on his teeth. Soaked into the duplicate of Henry’s pant leg, thank God he at least had clothes, even if they were copies of the doctor’s.“Lanyon are you certain you cannot help him?”“Yes! God, you have changed from wanting him to die not twenty minutes ago!” Robert retorted. “I can't do anything more to help him until I get to the hospital.”Jekyll’s teeth continued to worry at his lip. “Is he going to die?”“I don’t know yet.”“Robert. Is he going to die?”“I don't fucking know, Jekyll! Now stop talking!”The carriage pulled to a halt. “Griffin, give him here.”“I thought you said that was a bad idea.”“I have to do something. ” Jekyll explained, pulling Hyde away from Griffin, curling the blond against his chest, and getting to his feet. Hyde didn't move, didn't make a sound.“Get him inside. He will need a blood transfer. Jekyll, I can guarantee no death through whatever it is kills blood transfusion patients if I use yours, there is no way that you and he have factors in your blood that could kill each other,” Lanyon said quickly.“Deal, you may do it. I was hazard to say our blood may be identical,” Henry agreed.“Hyde’s life depends on that,” Lanyon said. Henry bit back doubt, looked down at the small, pale blond in his arms.“Can you take enough without killing us both?” Jekyll asked.“I don't know. I know when I have to stop taking from you and have to see if it will be enough for Hyde. I'll need to stop his bleeding, first.” Lanyon explained, rushing them into the hospital and down the hall to a vacant room.“I'm not the palest one anymore…” Griffin was trying to make a joke but it just sounded terrifying since he wasn't wrong, only Hyde’s skin had pigmentation in it. He looked mostly grey and blue. Washed out.“Doctor Jekyll! Doctor Lanyon! Get in a room and stay there the police are on our tails!” Jasper shouted down the hall.“I swear to God if that was a pun, Kaylock!” Virginia shouted.“Yeah come on, Kaylock, people are dying!” Sinnett scolded.“Only one so far!” Luckett corrected.Lanyon grabbed Jekyll’s arm and dragged him into the nearest open room, let Griffin in and slammed the door behind them, jamming the lock into place.“Better hope we have everything.” Jekyll muttered. “The lodgers won't let them in but we’re trapped. Until they back off.”“I seem to remember threatening you with throwing you out of the carriage if you didn't shut up. Now I have a needle and thread,” Robert said darkly.“You can't just tell me to be quiet and pretend I never told you what I did!” Henry spat, laying the little blond out on the cot, clinging to his ice-cold hands. “Whether you like it or not this is what I've been doing for the passed two years and you have to accept that, or don't, but don't keep shutting me out!”“Do you want to know what my problem is, Henry? You didn't tell me until now. I could have helped you, and you kept it a secret! Edward Hyde is part of you and you didn't tell me?”“I didn't want you to hate me like you do him. I may have told you but your first encounter with him ended badly.” Henry explained, looking over at the sheet tied over the wound. It was stained in dark crimson.Robert walked over with gauze, something to clean the wound with, scissors, a needle and thread. “Don’t you dare turn this on me, Henry, you're the one who split your head into two people! Excuse me if I thought the evil one was a brat!”He cut the sheet away, and then up the leg of Hyde’s trousers to get to the wound.It had mostly stopped bleeding. He sapped the blood away with the gauze, rubbed the ointment onto the wound and stitched it closed. Bound it tightly in fresh bandages. “There. Now…” he started pulling drawers open, rifling through cabinets, trying to find something.“Griffin? How is your hand? I am sorry for snapping.” Jekyll said quietly.“Mostly finished bleeding, and I would probably bite if someone put there hand over my mouth too. He's not as inhumane as he seems.” Griffin replied.“Got it! Henry, you need to sit above Mister Hyde.” Robert instructed.Henry simply sat on the edge of the cot, as he was sitting up and Hyde was laying down, he was automatically higher up.“Okay… how does this work?”“If I do it right, and for you it really… should work either way with varying degrees of success, his I have to get right, one end goes into one of your arteries, the other goes into one of his veins, that way we shouldn't have backflow from him... and then basically your heart, if I get an artery, will do it for us. It sciphons blood from you over to him. If I get a vein we may have problems,” Robert replied. “We start with you or he might get an air bubble in his vein and die.”“Where… where is the intravenous going?”“In your necks. Easiest vein to find is the jugular and the carotid artery doesn't hide very often.” Robert explained, sighing. “Yeah, I know, it’s risky but they both can handle and have high blood flow-”“Robert. Just save his life,” Henry instructed. “I don't care how.”Robert nodded. “I'll need you to tell me if you start to become unreasonably dizzy or lightheaded, Henry.”He nodded, felt something cold swap across this throat, there were a few moments of deliberation and then the sharp sting of a needle. “Ha. Got it.” He said with a grin, let blood fill the tube before carefully poking the second one into a vein in Hyde’s neck.“This feels really weird.” Henry remarked.“It tends to, yes.” Robert agreed, feeling for a pulse on Hyde’s neck. “Thank god, it’s getting stronger…” he muttered to himself. Adjusted how fast the blood could flow into Hyde’s throat with a little dial at the end of the tube.Jekyll did have a hard time focusing on what was going on, it felt really weird to have blood pulled from his throat, but managed to sit and watch the colour return to Edward Hyde’s skin.“Henry remember to tell me when you need to stop. Otherwise we might just lose both of you. I'll have to stop the bleeding in your carotid and his jugular still so be careful, it’s not worth pushing,” Robert warned.“A little longer won't hurt. Is he alright?”“A little more won't hurt him.”After another minute, Robert cut off the flow entirely, eased the intravenous end out of Hyde’s neck, pressed gauze to it but it didn't bleed much. Robert tapped the gauze there and walked over to Henry.“Lay back, chin up.” Robert instructed, Henry complied, the bed was not quite wide enough for both him and Hyde, but he simply hung one shoulder off the edge. Tipped his chin upwards, let Robert deftly extract the intravenous and quickly staunch the blood.Looked over at Edward just in time to see his green eyes pry themselves open.Jekyll sat up quickly. “Henry, get back down! You should have something sweet, you both should, but I don't have anything to give you. So both of you stay down. Mister Hyde, good afternoon to you. I know you don't want to see Doctor Jekyll but he did just give the blood to save your life so suck it up.”Jekyll nor Lanyon missed Hyde curling in a little closer on himself to avoid touching the doctor, even just with a shoulder. His breathing was laborious but stronger than it had been.His forearms were still oozing blood. With a completely new attitude now that his patient was awake, Lanyon pulled up a chair, holding a roll of bandages and some sort of cream. “Mister Hyde? I'm going to put something on your arms, is that okay? This will fight any sort of infectivity, whatever scratched you scratched deep,” Lanyon was blatantly ignoring the blood crusted under Hyde’s nails and the fact that he knew the wounds were self-inflicted, “and the bandages will stop the bleeding. Is that alright?”Edward swallowed hard and nodded, held out the arm closest to Lanyon.With surprising gentleness, Robert smeared the ointment down his arms and wrapped them in bandages. Carefully did the same with the second.“Well, Henry, I saved him from dying from blood loss. Now you need to work out how to save him from the crowds tearing him apart.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Henry sat and stared at Edward Hyde for a few minutes, after sitting up again, ignoring Robert’s instructions. Hyde gazed fearfully back at him, unable to move away from him. He was too weak, too afraid. His hands shook.
He couldn’t stop Henry if he tried to kill the blond again.
“Just stay put, Edward, all is well…” Henry promised. “I am sorry, I was wrong, I should not have tried to kill you I was wrong…” He murmured, reaching out a careful hand, gently taking one of Hyde’s in his own.
Hyde flinched and snatched it away, rocking himself backwards and nearly falling off the bed but Griffin caught him. “Careful, Mister Hyde. Doctor Jekyll, perhaps you had best take the chair. Where you aren't tempted to touch.”
Jekyll nodded, Lanyon helped him to the seat beside the desk, walked over and fussed over his patient, centering him on the cot and bundling him in the blankets. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, you’ll find you get cold quite easily,” Lanyon warned.
Griffin sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I'll keep an eye on him, Doctor Lanyon, Doctor Jekyll could probably use a hand with his plan,” he offered.
Hyde seemed alright with that. He shifted carefully to curl up on his side.
“Can you sleep, Hyde?” Jekyll asked suddenly.
“I don't see why he wouldn't be able to, and he won't find out if you keep talking,” Lanyon said in a gruff tone.
“He never could, Lanyon. I had to because Hyde couldn't.” Jekyll informed him, grabbing a paper, a quill and an ink pot.
“Well hush up and let him find out, perhaps that would be for the best.” Lanyon suggested, placing his hands in his hips.
Hyde didn't need encouraging. His green eyes slipped closed, and soon enough light snoring could be heard across the room.
“Thank God. He would have simply gone mad if he couldn't sleep,” Jekyll said.
“I think you need to take a step or two back from your involvement in his life, Henry,” Lanyon warned, “and if you won't do it willingly I will make you. He's my patient and I can force you to let him be.”
“You wouldn't!”
“I would. From what I see, you claim to have created a human being. Well, you seem to be quite abusive and controlling of that human being. He doesn't seem to want your presence, in fact, it scares him. That tells me that you need to be kept away from him.”
“I am not abusive!” Henry yelled, agitated, scrawling down a script for himself.
“I think you are,” Robert warned. “And I think you need to let him be, or I am going to make you.”
“How am I abusive?”
“He’s made it
very
clear, several times, that he does not want you near him and you keep approaching him,” Robert began, a snarl in his voice, “and you did try and kill him. From what I can tell you pushed him around and tried to reign over him while he was in your head, which can be taken into account since he is now his own person, so really, all you’ve earned yourself is the right to get him out of the trouble you got him into and leave him be.”
Henry gaped at his friend. “You’re siding with him?” He accused.
“Did you expect me to side with someone who not only hid this from me for years but I’ve now found out abused another human being?” Robert challenged. “Edward must be a human being since he is alive and you have given him a body, so your mistreatment of him can be held against you now. Perhaps I should introduce him to that old friend of yours, Gabriel Utterson. He’s still bitter about what you did to me, he is not your biggest fan, Henry.”
“We were in university, as a lawyer, he should not be allowing himself to hold a grudge for so long, it makes for biases.” Henry remarked, scribbling a few words down.
“One of your lodgers is in the room do you want to have this conversation? Because I haven’t fully forgiven you, either, and I will
gladly
expose that little incident to your resident gossips.” Robert warned, pulling Henry’s chair back and making the chemist look him in the eyes.
Griffin had perked up a little at the mention of gossip on the intouchable Henry Jekyll. All of their gossip on him had been proven false when he’d pulled Edward Hyde from inside of himself and landed him on stage, they would need more soon.
“No.” He said sullenly, sliding forward and returning to his paper. Robert was clearly not going to listen to him.
“I am going to stall the police. You two, three, if Mister Hyde wakes up, need to talk.” Griffin decided, and got to his feet. “I’ll tell them that if they interfere one or more people will die, they should back off and give you some time.” He continued, and left the room.
“It was years ago and it was a mistake!” Henry snapped the moment Griffin had left the room, getting to his feet and pushing himself up into Robert’s face, even though it wasn’t very intimidating, he was shorter than Lanyon. “I thought you were passed this, you’re married now!”
“It doesn’t mean that you having cheated on me with that werewolf didn’t hurt, Henry! It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still hurt!”
Edward groaned. “He’s never had anything to do with his wife. She’s gay. I bumped into her and she told me.”
“Of course, you wake up to gossip!” Henry complained.
“Your yelling woke me up, actually.” Edward corrected with a sigh. “I would have prefered to stay asleep. Besides, I already knew you shagged Morcant, we were the same person when you did it.” His voice was weak, but otherwise pretty steady. Very quiet.
“If you would rather have remained asleep maybe you should-”
“Henry!” Lanyon snapped. “He’s right. My wife is a cover for both of us. She has a girlfriend in Paris. So no, Henry Jekyll, I never did get over what you did to me in university.”
“My thoughts were not as sewn together in university, his were still mixed in with mine!” Jekyll pointed at the blond irritably. “How do you know it we me?”
“Because we spent thirty-three years as the same person, just Henry Jekyll making good or bad decisions. I didn’t get a say. I just got those bad decisions and bad thoughts once we split,” Edward replied, tone smug. “Don’t you try to blame your mistakes on me.”
“Edward, if you aren't going to be helpful then can it!” Henry snapped. Hyde flinched backwards.
“Henry Jekyll if you don't stop yelling at my patient you can wait outside with the mob of police that are out for your blood!” Lanyon shouted. “If Edward has something to say, from what I can tell, his input is just as valid as yours in this matter.” The doctor walked over to the blond, felt for a pulse, the sudden movement making Hyde flinch, god, he was jumpy.
Lanyon sat down beside him. “You should rest, if you can.”
“Why are you defending me, I thought you hated me?” Edward asked softly, a little confused. He picked his head up off the bed, bracing himself with one hand, but made no move to sit up.
“Because you aren't the only one who has been hurt by Henry Jekyll, I have simply had longer to get over it. And if I don't defend you then I've failed the friends that defended me.” Lanyon replied.
“He is sorry about Morcant,” Hyde said in a hushed voice. “He didn't mean to hurt you.”
“Well he did,” Lanyon said angrily. “And I still supported your endeavors and I still reached out to be a friend when you had none and you turned around and used and abused another human being.”
Hyde flinched at the harsh rebuttle. “I only meant to help…” he said softly.
“Sorry. Just… I'm unused to having to acknowledge that you know this story as well.” Robert said with a sigh.
“I'll try and stay quiet.” Edward said in a quiet voice, rested his head back on the pillow.
“No one who gets a say right now asked you to do.” Robert told him reassuringly, pulling the blankets up around Hyde’s shoulders.
“He’s an insufferable gossip, he won't shut up even if I ask him to.” Jekyll muttered, scrawling something down.
“And you've no right to ask him to, so I'm glad. What is your plan, Jekyll?” Robert asked. “To get him out of this trouble? The trouble
you
got him in.”
“Now hang on a moment,
Saint Robert.
You are the one who
told
me me to go to Brokenshire and tell him that Mister Hyde was the arsonist!” Jekyll spat all of the sudden. “This trouble doesn't just come from me!”
Robert went silent. Hyde didn't need to interrupt and remind them that Henry was right, and that was good, since the little blond had drifted off to sleep again, shoulders rising and falling with every breath he took. He was still pale, still gave the visible appearance of being weak. “There's only one thing I can think of. We’re going to have to let Brokenshire in here, and I'm going to have to explain everything. Hyde isn't running this time, he's in no state, so he won't get shot again. And he shouldn't shoot either of us if we don't try to fight.”
“Or you arrange that he can come in if he leaves the gun outside. Let him bring another man since there's two of us, hell, if he wants, let him bring two, in order to make up for Hyde even though we know Hyde isn't much of an asset right now,” Robert suggested. “Are you sure you can get him out of trouble?”
Jekyll glanced back over to the sleeping blond, curled into the blanket, one arm wrapped around the pillow that was under his head. “Let’s hope.”
He got to his feet, straightened out his clothes, there were large spots of blood on his nice shirt, others on his pants and waistcoat.
“Ugh. There goes this pair of clothes.” He muttered, and walked to open the door.
Hesitated before turning the knob. “Do you really think I can convince them?”
“I'm beginning to realize that I don't know you well enough to make that judgement,” was Robert's only reply.
Henry sighed and opened the door. “Don’t shoot, it's Doctor Jekyll. Sergeant Brokenshire, I have a deal to offer you.” He announced, stepping into the hallway.
It was mayhem. Sections of the ceiling were on fire, chemicals spilled all down the floor, sloshing together with blood. Bullet holes peppered the walls, several of Cantilupe and Lavender’s creatures swooped and scurried the halls, Jasper was still in his wolf form.
The police were holding their own, but there was more where the lodgers were getting their weapons. Swarms of mechanical bugs flew through the air, Jekyll heard the telltale squeaking of Griffin’s invisible mice.
Archer and Bird were using their plant specimens, the milder ones, to their credit, to stick people to the floor, or cause a nasty rash or two.
Virginia Ito was nowhere to be seen, but that just meant she was about to sneak up behind someone with some potion or another. The spills across the floor could be attributed to her.
“Enough. All of you, back off.”
The lodgers stared at him. Jasper was the first to obey, shifting back was not something he could
quite
do at will, but he sat down. Rachel stuck her knife into the pocket of her apron and stood beside him, stroking the fur on the top of his head.
“Are you sure, Doctor?” Archer asked, though he placed the plant back where he had just pulled it.
“Yes. Sergeant Brokenshire, with no guns and two of his men, is going to come with me, we’re going to have a talk. Don’t push for more people, there's an even amount of both of us, Sergeant, and Hyde is drifting in and out of the conversation and the waking world. He lost a lot of blood.” Jekyll said with his most pleasant smile resting over his blunt and pointed words.
Brokenshire frowned. “You sound like you want an apology. He ran, I believed him dangerous."
“You could see as well as anyone else that he was nothing short of terrified!” Jekyll retorted. “The only reason I convinced him to run was because part of him believed me a threat! If I had been someone he trusted, he wouldn't have ever let go of me to run. In fact, make it three men. Rachel, leave the knife and come with me.”
“Got it, Doctor.” Rachel handed her knife to Ito and walked into the room.
Jekyll sighed. “Choose your men and come in.” He instructed, looked over at the lodgers. “And you lot, unless the police attack you, stand down,” He ordered. “You’ll forgive them for fighting you off to save a life, I am sure, Sergeant.” He said with a smile, turned on his heel, and walked into the room.
Rachel was already sitting in Lanyon’s spot, running her fingers gently through Hyde’s tangled blond hair. Just as Jekyll had predicted, Hyde had shifted to be laying down as close as he possibly could to the cook.
Rachel treated him like a little brother. She was finally someone he trusted. His green eyes were open again, but he seemed relaxed.
Relaxed and utterly exhausted.
And shot up, immediately started wavering in his posture until Rachel caught his shoulders, he likely got a bought of lightheadedness by sitting up, when the sergeant walked in. “You couldn't quit!” He gasped, green eyes wide, looking between Brokenshire and Jekyll. “You let him in here to finish the job here and-" he squirmed but Rachel had him by the shoulders.
“He left the gun outside, Master Hyde. We're all here to talk, four of Jekyll’s allies, four of Brokenshire’s.” Rachel assured the little blond. “No one is here to hurt you.”
He barely seemed to believe her. She sighed, pulled him backwards to lean against her chest. “You just relax, Mister Hyde. Get some more sleep if you can.” Lanyon instructed.
Hyde nodded, but kept watching Brokenshire with wary eyes. He looked increasingly more and more nervous as the other officers stepped into the room. Like he wanted to bolt, but couldn't.
Rachel sighed and turned her hold into more of a hug. “You're alright, Master Hyde, no one is here to hurt you.”
“You told me he was guilty. You signed a paper saying you would testify against him in court. He's our arsonist, is he not?” Brokenshire demanded.
“No. I told you that for several reasons, but he is not wholly guilty like I painted him to be.” Jekyll started with a deep breath. “One, he was involved in the fire. He dropped the caber down on Doctor Moreau to stop him killing the creature that you had locked up. Moreau was holding the flamethrower. But he wasn't aware that the flamethrower would blow up.”
“Were you?”
“...Yes.”
Brokenshire raised an eyebrow. “Then he should have been, too. Does he not have your PhD?”
“I’m
Doctor
Jekyll’s assistant,
Mister
Edward Hyde. Sound like I have a PhD?” Hyde asked quietly. “I was drunk and I tend to try and forget what Jekyll’s degree has us know, it doesn't apply to my life so I forget it.”
“And I didn't get the chance to warn him. As much as I told him to let the fight well enough alone, he wanted to help.” Jekyll explained. “Arson means he had intention to burn down the block. He didn't. He was trying to help, he's just misguided in it. Besides. The only reason I didn't tell you it was Moreau was because I feared people would not differ from Moreau, a doctor exiled from London and the scientific community, from my lodgers, and we had our Exhibition coming soon. I didn't want our presentation tarnished by Moreau’s lunacy. And… I believed I could keep Hyde away from you until the manhunt died down. He didn't like it but he didn't have a choice.” Jekyll continued. “That's why you haven't seen him, Rachel. As you predicted, if he was really going on the run he wouldn't have only come to me, he would have gone to you as well. He took the potion to avoid arrest by becoming me, and I didn't take it again until today.” Jekyll finished.
Brokenshire put his face in his hands. “You know I can't just take that. Even if I wanted to. Your man here blew up the flamethrower. People want answer people want someone to rot in jain and Moreau will absolve himself. He looks like the victim here. I can't pin the blame to Moreau he didn't drop the caber on the flamethrower.”
“You can't take Master Hyde he won't last a week in jail, Sergeant!” Rachel cried. “He's young and-"
“He only looks young, Miss Pidgley, he's my age though he’ll never tell you that.” Jekyll corrected with a sigh. “Either way, she's right. You know that, Sergeant, and someone in prison is going to kill him or worse. You can’t send him there.”
“What else do I do?” Brokenshire asked. “I can’t just let everyone off the hook for burning down a block of London shit doesn’t work that way.”
“I don't know I only know that I can't let Hyde go down for something I framed him for, Sergeant. It was an accident, all of it.” Jekyll replied. “I made Hyde suffer enough I can't standby and let more happen.”
Brokenshire sighed. “There's only one way that's going to work. A court case and testimonies. By more than just you. In fact, yours won't really count for much if Mister Hyde speaks.”
“Why not?”
“In the eyes of the public, you're not a witness you're the accused. Just like Mister Hyde.” Brokenshire replied. “You can convince them you're different when he's proven innocent.”
“House arrest.” Hyde said suddenly.
“Pardon, Mister Hyde?” Brokenshire asked.
“I'll go on trial and prove the fire an accident but put me on house arrest before the trial, not a cell. I'll go mad trapped in one little room.” Hyde offered. “And I'm currently at risk of dying so it's best if I stay somewhere safe.”
Brokenshire looked up. “I would need Doctor Lanyon to agree to watch him, not Doctor Jekyll.”
Robert sighed. Edward gazed fearfully at him. He didn't want to go to jail. He couldn't go to jail.
“Very well. I will watch after him if you confine him to the Society.” Lanyon agreed.
“I’ll need you to come to the station and sign papers. Or, actually, I will bring them here, I do not believe your patient should make the trip to the station.” Brokenshire remarked, looking over at Hyde.
“He should not. I shall keep him here at least overnight.” Lanyon decided. “And I'll have to change the sheets on the bed before then they're a mess.”
They were soaked in blood. Henry bit his lip. “If we’re finished here, I'm going to get someone to find Mister Hyde and I something to eat. Doctor Lanyon, you had mentioned something sweet? I am still a tad lightheaded and I imagine Hyde is worse.”
“Don’t walk far, Doctor Jekyll, have someone else find something. A lodger, perhaps. Not Miss Pidgley, she can stay with Mister Hyde,” Robert replied.
Jekyll left the room.
“Did they have a fight? They never call each other Doctor Jekyll and Doctor Lanyon, most it's Robert and Henry from them,” Rachel whispered to Hyde. The blond nodded, but didn't divulge about what.
University, besides what Jekyll had already told Rachel, was not for the lodgers to gossip about. Besides. There was a copper in the room. As upset and shaken Hyde was he didn't want to rat Jekyll out about his sexuality, and especially not his unlikely ally, Lanyon.
Besides. Jekyll would just retaliate by pointing out that not all of Hyde’s partners followed the laws of what was acceptable.
It was not something he could win. Best to avoid, though Rachel was clearly disappointed not to receive any gossip from him.
Brokenshire looked over to the blond. “If the fire really was an accident, you have nothing to fear.”
“It was, I forgot I should have payed attention…” He was exaggerating a little, at the time he hadn’t cared, but the only person who could rat him out for it was Jekyll. “I just… Jekyll and I wanted to protect the Creature and Jekyll told me not to do it but he tells- told, me to do or not to do a lot of things and then… I-”
“Why did you announce that you had meant to light the fire?” Brokenshire asked. “You shouted to the whole world that this was what you had meant to do.”
“I… I…”
“Master Hyde doesn’t like to admit that anything he does is a mistake, Sergeant Brokenshire. He’s gotten many a vial, beaker or wrench thrown at his head by pretending that he broke or spilled something in someone’s lab.” Rachel said quickly, hugging the blond a little tighter.
“Can you confirm this, Doctor Lanyon?” Brokenshire turned to the doctor.
“He has wrecked a number of my things and proceeded to tell me that he did it on purpose,” Lanyon confirmed. “That’s how he and I met. He knocked a microscope on the ground and shattered it. Instead of apologizing and keeping a little respect, he told me that he had meant to do it and informed me that Doctor Jekyll would handle the replacement. It was a bad start.” The doctor decided with a shake of his head.
Hyde let out a little laugh. “I did mean to break it! It was old and Henry got you a new one!” He laughed.
“No, you didn’t.”
Hyde sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t mean to break the microscope, I was still unfamiliar with my own body a little bit and didn’t know my hand was about to knock into it.” Hyde confessed, looking at his hand. “I get it a lot more now.”
Brokenshire looked around the room. “I need the paperwork from the police station, to release Mister Hyde into your custody, pending trial.” He decided, addressing Doctor Lanyon.
“Of course.” Lanyon agreed.
Jekyll walked back into the room. “Miss Ito is finding something for us both, Mister Hyde.” He said softly. “I need to sit down.”
“Chair is open for you if you wish.” Lanyon offered, leaning back against the desk. Jekyll flopped into the seat.
Brokenshire waved and left the room.
“Well, we did it. Out of death’s path, out of, well, not quite, but we’ll prove the fire was an accident and everything else about this can be taken in stride.” Lanyon said with a smile. “I’d say that’s a success.”
“There’s one more thing.” Jekyll decided, got back to his feet. Reached into his coat pockets, remembered that he had nothing in it that was symbolic anyways.
Chewed on his lip. Walked over to where Rachel and Hyde were, keeping a wary gaze that flickered from Lanyon to Hyde, watching the blond’s reaction to approach. He shifted closer to Rachel, green eyes full of fear. “I’m not going to hurt you, Edward.” He promised, hands lifted into the air.
Hyde only relaxed a smidgen.
Jekyll took a deep breath. “Listen… I… I… Lanyon was right. I did a lot of terrible things to you, a lot of things you didn’t deserve. I could understand if you never wanted to see me again, and if that’s the case, I’ll keep out of your way and keep your apartment for you for once your name is cleared, don’t worry about the rent. That’s on me. But… you have a lot of friends at the society. If you want to keep things how they are, then that’s fine too.”
Hyde stayed silent.
“And… I’m sorry.” Jekyll added. “I keep saying it when you’re unconscious or not listening to me because I’ve tried to make an excuse, but there isn’t one. I’m so, so, sorry.”
Hyde sighed. “I can’t make a decision like that right now, I need a bit to adjust. And… I can’t forgive you just yet. I did a lot of things you didn’t like but I never tried to kill you. I can’t just sweep that under the rug with the promise of rent money and an apology. But… you have yourself a start. I think that’s more than fair.”
“That it is, Edward.” Jekyll agreed.
The two fell silent, sitting on the little hospital cot, Rachel smiling to herself behind them.