In The Fog of London

The Scientist

The two finished their meal in silence, only casting glances at one another on occasion. Once Kathrine had cleaned up their little area, she walked her guest up to the flat once again and brought him to her bathroom. Once there, she proceeded to explain how to fill the tub when she was interrupted. "I know how to fill a tub, Kathrine. Do you think my intelligence to be so low?" Edward grumbled, taking a large pitcher in hand, "You have a boiler, yes?" Kathrine nodded, "My father had one installed just before I moved here." She replied meekly. "Then just tell me where the pump for the blasted thing is and I can do it myself." She did as she told, although begrudgingly, and left the man to his own devices, before going down into her shop and opening it up for customers to peruse. About an hour later, during a slow-down in customer traffic, Kathrine started to wonder if that wretched man upstairs was alright. I can't believe I'm finding myself worried about him. She locked her shop door and trotted up the stairs back into her flat, entering the main area without a thought. She cleared her throat in the silence, furrowing her brow with concern. "Edward..? Are you alright?" She called, walking towards the bathroom door. There was a brief pause, then a sort of scrambling noise, before the door flung open. Hyde stood there, drenched, but wrapped in a towel, surrounded by crumpled and wrinkled shirts and shifts, seemingly unbothered by the indecency of his half-exposure. Kathrine clapped her hand over her eyes and stood aside, feeling a blush flood her cheeks. "I had forgotten about the fact that I only came here with one filthy set of clothes. None of your frilly things fit, but I'm not opposed to continue trying." He muttered as he walked past her and into her bedroom, making a beeline for her open wardrobe. Kathrine, still in shock, waved her free hand about for a moment in a panic. "No! No, y-you.. Don't touch anything!! I'll just.. G-get you some of John's spare things! So don't move!" She yelped, rushing over to a closet where a few old suits and folded shirts were. "Here! Here... Just, please cover up, I would prefer if you were decent while staying in my home if that isn't too much to ask." She blathered on before rushing back downstairs into the shop. Does that senseless man have no shame? If I didn't believe he was mad before, I certainly would now. She sat at her counter holding her face in her hands as she recovered from the shock. Only a few minutes later, Kathrine heard his uneven step making its way down the stairs, and lifted her head out of instinct to see how he looked. He had fitted himself in a clean button-down shirt with a black vest overtop. He had cuffed the bottoms of his black trousers only slightly and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, but overall the clothes fit well enough. He was adjusting his collar and a dark grey cravat as he walked into the shop. His hair was still damp, but looked brushed through and somewhat tidy, even though it had begun to curl at the ends. He cleans up well. Kathrine noted as she became aware that she might be staring. "I'd like to thank you for pointing me towards Utterson's little stash. This will do nicely." Hyde murmured with a pleased look upon his face. "Well, I'm glad. You look alright." Kathrine whispered. "Just alright? Well, who really cares what you think, I know I look dashing." He hummed snidely. Kathrine couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, suppressing an incredulous chuckle. "Now, er... I feel like you should go upstairs. Too many windows down here, you may be seen." She added, glancing out the windows at the sparse passersby. Hyde frowned, backing up into the shade of the stairwell, "This is quite unfair." He breathed. "Well, it's not about what's fair. You did this to yourself. Henry would probably still be here if you hadn't run amuck..." Katherine lamented, tracing her finger along the grain of the wooden counter. She took notice of Hyde's silence after she'd said that, becoming uneasy. She scrolled her eyes over to him, to find he was still there, but glaring at her with a stare that could cut like a knife. "He is here, Lynnie. He never left." He growled, "You'll see, one day. You'll get your precious doctor back... How lucky he is to have you so worried about him." Kathrine, for a reason that she could not quite grasp, felt embarrassed by his words, regretting mentioning Henry at all. That was until an idea struck her. "Edward, you were close with Henry, yes?" She asked the glowering figure on the stair who nodded in response. "Why was he locked away so much of the time? What was he working on and why did it make him so ill..?" Hyde's scowl took on an almost solemn quality before he spoke. "Some... Scientific drivel about mankind and the study of it. Sin, more specifically. He was quite fascinated by it, especially his own dark desires. He would stay awake for days on end, not sleeping a wink. That's how he got so ill... He was a bloody hypocrite." Kathrine was taken aback by the sudden accusation, standing up from her seat and taking a step toward Hyde indignantly. "How could you say such a thing about him? He's a reputable doctor with many good frie-" She piped and was suddenly cut off by Edward, who charged her and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "How could you have the audacity to defend a man you hardly knew?? Why would you speak half-truths in an effort to save his name? Henry Jekyll was no doctor, he was a blasted alchemist; a mad scientist with a skewed moral compass! He'd be better off dead!" Kathrine stared at him in stunned silence. "Him and I might as well be one in the same... We're no different from one another." He added, his voice softening as he raised a hand to her cheek and pressed his thumb down on her lips before they could part. "Before you say a word, I can see the disbelief in your eyes. You don't need to tell me what a heartless wretch I am. But what I speak are truths, no matter how horrible they may be." Kathrine felt her stomach twist in knots and tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "No, I understand," She muffled from under his thumb's restriction, "I didn't know him. Not like you must have." The tears overflowed and gently trickled down the sides of her face and Kathrine closed her eyes. "I just find myself caring for him more than I have for anyone before. Aside from my family, of course. I don't know why his absence bothers me so... And somehow, I see bits of him in you. That's probably why I haven't thrown you to the dogs. I hate it, oh how I hate it... I want you out of my life, but as long as Henry isn't here, I am unable to let myself push you away." With her eyes shut, she heard Hyde sigh before moving his thumb across her face to wipe away one of her tears. "Such a sad little thing... How I wish I could ease our shared agony." He mumbled, leaning close to her face, "It may not fix the pain in your heart, but consider this a gift... From Henry." Just then, he closed the gap between the two, pressing his lips into hers. Kathrine, caught completely off-guard, tensed up before melting into the kiss and returning his embrace. The two stayed like that for a moment before they parted, still holding each other. Kathrine dared not look him in the eye, refusing to believe she really gave in to such feelings. However, Hyde felt no such reluctance and took her chin once more, forcing their gazes to meet. "Seems we've reached a common ground, have we, Lynnie?" He purred, pecking her forehead. Kathrine, who was blushing redder than a rose, collected herself and whispered, "Whatever do you mean?" Hyde chuckled and slowly led her up the stairwell, speaking all the while, "Months ago I told you that I knew, deep down, you were in love with me. Now I know how right I was." He blathered until they had reached the top step. "Well that's a bit petty." Kathrine muttered before he closed the stairwell door behind them both and cornered Kathrine against it, placing his hands at either side of her head to keep her from escaping. "I'm surprised you expect anything more than pettiness and cruelty from me." Hyde rumbled drawing slightly nearer to her. "W-well, to be fair, you've only been a nuisance to me as of late. You gotten better at socializing since we first met." Kathrine teased nervously, and Hyde ceased his advances for a moment, "You seem hesitant to go along with this, love." He hummed softly, "Are you still afraid of me?" Kathrine exhaled through her teeth and cast her eyes to the floor, "No.. Not anymore. I just thought I'd save myself for... For Henry." She explained sheepishly. Hyde frowned and slowly stepped back. "I had a feeling you wouldn't understand," He growled and Kathrine looked up at him, confused, "I don't blame you, my dear. It's hard to believe and equally as hard to explain with words." He crossed the room to her bed and pulled the case she'd hidden for him out from underneath it. "You won't believe me unless I show you. I'm already sick and tired of riddles and my patience is already growing thin... I saved one kit. Just one. For you." Kathrine shuffled towards him slightly, confused, "What are you on about? What riddles? What don't I understand? What does this have to do with that case?" She questioned, trying to keep herself from losing her composure again. Hyde had opened the case on her bed and took out a few different vials labelled with numbers along with an empty graduated glass. "Lanyon couldn't grasp it. And the brilliance of the discovery killed the bastard. Balderdash, he said, well his whole pissing life was balderdash." He snarled as he mixed the powders and chemicals, now more talking to himself than to Kathrine. "Your mind is healthy and your body is much younger than that old fogey's was. You'll live, even if the horror of it all leaves you scarred, at least you'll live." The solution he made effervesced and changed in color a handful of times whilst spewing a vapor from the top of the graduated glass. "Wh-what's going on? Edward Hyde, explain yourself, please. N-now your beginning to frighten me..!" Kathrine pleaded, stepping back as he turned to her, holding the glass in front of him as the fizzing reduced and the rising brume ceased. He looked to be on the brink of hysteria. "My dearest Lynnie, I've been meaning to share this with you since our meeting by firelight. The bearing of my soul to you and to heaven and God and all of his Angels. Lanyon saw this, but his witnessing of my darkest truth means nothing to me. You, my trusted friend and sweetest love, mean more to me than my home, my livelihood, and now, my immortal soul. I am damned, but your compassion towards me has finally allowed me to recognize how truly valuable you actually are... To both of my halves. Let this final sinful antidote be my confession to you before your love for me causes you any further suffering. Let this be what heals your broken heart. Let this..." He held up the glass up over his head, looking skyward, "Be what sets us both free." And with that, he drank the contents of the graduated glass.