Chapter 4
By LabRat
Dr. Jekyll's Laboratory, that same night
Lucy lifted the needle, studying the syringe, which was full of the red formula she could see within the beaker beside the journal. The colors were hypnotic, and she began to wonder how this beautiful fluid could turn the man she had fallen in love with into a mad man.
"Henry Jekyll…what would possess you…" Her words faded as she spoke aloud, her thoughts spinning, but then she realized why she was here, and set the needle down abruptly. The mere sight of it offended her eyes now, knowing what it had caused Henry to become. A strange, quickly written section of the journal caught her eye as she went to turn away, and she unwisely decided to subject herself to more of his anguish.
"A last request? No…Emma would not-nay, could not forgive me…Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…How the sweet curve of your body melts my pain…Lord deliver me! No more of these thoughts!! No more thoughts, no more pain…no more…I have heard, Dear Journal, that letting one's blood flow is the quickest way to a achieve a painless death- though one ought to wish me the most pain of all, seeing what I have done to those who gave me their love!! I am ever the coward, but rather I long for the blissful brevity of life's freeflow…oh, that I may sleep and never awaken to this world that I have given nothing but disappointment. Dearest father, forgive me…forgive your unworthy son, who has failed you this last time."
Frightened by Henry's harsh words, so many of them futile, she sighed, breathing in the dank air of the laboratory, and began to look around for any signs of his whereabouts…all this talk of blood had sent tremors through her. Her eyes lined the walls…shelves, tables, medicinal curiosities, books, glistening pools of liquid upon the floor, stocking feet-… Her breath caught in her throat when she discovered the fallen shape hidden by shadows in the corner of the laboratory.
From her place all she could see was a pair of men's feet in navy blue stockings, lying on the floor…the pant legs trailing into the darkness.
"Henry!!" She shouted, rushing over to the corner, where the weak candlelight offered her adjusted eyes a sight of the horror Dr. Jekyll had subjected himself to. As she scrambled to kneel by his figure, her foot sent a small object clattering, a knife, she saw, as it spun into the path of the lantern light. Her poor darling doctor had cut his left wrist, quite deeply, and tried, likewise, to slice the right, with minimal success…never the less, he lie in his white shirt...in his red blood, eyes weakly open, though he did
not see her if he were conscious.
No doubt, he had tried to make his way to the comfortable chair mere inches away from where he now lay, but had found himself to weak to continue.
"Oh Henry…what have you done?!?! Henry? HENRY?!?!" Lucy screamed his name, wrapping the copious fabric of her skirt around his left wrist, twisting it tightly. Her greatest fear was that he was already dead, and that she, Emma…fate…everyone had let this perfect man slip away so quietly in the night, with no one to hold him or comfort him-convince him to live. As she leaned in close, however, her tears wetting his face, she could hear him breathing raspily, and saw his eyelids flutter…
"Henry, answer me if you can…please…"
"…angel…"
"No, sweet thing, you're not dead…you're not dead yet…I'm here…I'm here with you Henry, I'm so sorry I blamed you…you're not alone…I'm here now, you'll never be alone…" She saw what she thought might be a smile grace his lips for an uncertain moment, before his eyes shut. She began to cry harder,
though she could still hear him breathing, and sitting up quickly she shouted, "SOMEONE HELP ME…THE DOCTOR IS DYING!!!! SOMEONE HELP ME SAVE THIS POOR MAN!!!"
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The desolation of the house was utterly confusing. Emma stood in the front hallway, disappointed that Henry was not to be found, after she had worked up the nerve to come here and tell him how she felt. In truth, she didn't feel it at all, but her father's persuasion as well as her own anger at Henry had caused her to go through with it. Now she was having second thoughts, but it was probably for the best that she was here to tell Henry tonight. He had a right to know her future plans…and he had a right to know that when Simon Stride proposed to her tomorrow-under the guidance of her father-she had decided to say yes.
There she stood, working out her hat pin in the dimly lit foyer, when she heard the bloodcurdling scream from the depths of the house:
"SOMEONE HELP ME…THE DOCTOR IS DYING!!!! SOMEONE HELP ME SAVE THIS
POOR MAN!!!"
Email: littllucy@collegeclub.com
