Trails of Intertwined Stars: Chapter 74 {Part 1}

~Chapter 100: Frankenstein~

The seasons changed once more, from autumn to winter, and manor life began to slow somewhat. Two more murders in Whitechapel had happened; five in total, and the newspaper were uproar about Jack the Ripper and who the next victim may be. Archie's death was talked about a bit among the town nearby, and it became a new legend that the Mohan manor was overrun by ghosts of the civil war soldiers, who tormented the family for surviving for so long. The curse of the red roses was what the town had started to call it. Luckily, as soon as the cold weather had begun, talk about Archie seemed to die down quickly; the people finding themselves much more preoccupied with how their sales would drop from the cold weather, rather than the manor house that loomed nearby; hidden from the world. November the sixteenth was when Julian appeared that day in Leora's bedroom, holding a wooden box of sorts; with metal rods poking out. He smiled, seeming quite excited to play with his new toy.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked, setting it on Leora's bedside table.
Leora stared at it for a moment, before shaking her head.
"Portable electroconvulsive therapy," Julian hummed, patting the lid fondly, as if a pet he owned," There's not many of these in the world. Luckily, your brother forgave you insolence quickly, remembering you're rather unwell and not yourself, and wants you to have the best treatment possible."
Leora sighed, glancing away," I bet he said that, didn't he?"

Julian opened the box and Leora peered at it curiously, watching as the doctor eagerly started preparing the odd contraption; giggling to himself like an excited schoolboy. Leora had read Frankenstein once when she was young, and she couldn't help but feel like Julian was quite like Doctor Frankenstein, and she was his plaything; his experiment. She glanced away, feeling rather unsettled looking at all the many pieces inside the box.
"You must be worried I have no experience in such treatment?" Julian hummed, preparing the machine.
"Admittedly, yes."
"If it's any consolation, I have a degree in such treatment. It's starting to become rather big in London, you know? Some say it's even cured their exhaustion. Fancy that. Perhaps electricity will simply cure the world one of these days."
Leora hummed allowed in response. In all honesty, it wasn't much consolation if Julian did know how to do such treatment, or if he didn't. She didn't trust him; that was that. Julian pulled his chair over to her bedside; fiddling with the device.
"All ready," He murmured," Roll up your dress a little bit, I think it's best if we do it on your legs."
Leora uncomfortably rolled up part of her dress up to her thighs. Julian took her legs and pulled them onto her lap. Funny; she couldn't recall doctors ever doing that in the books she'd read for electroconvulsive therapy?

He gently rubbed his fingers over her skin, testing for stiffness of the muscles, but Leora couldn't deny there was something odd about his gaze. She didn't press on.
"This may feel a little funny at first, tell me if it hurts, dear," Julian hummed, picking up the electrodes from the box.
Leora winced, expecting a great deal of pain. She was rather surprised to find it wasn't as dreadful as she'd imagined. Yes, there was a rather unpleasant sensation of warmth in her legs, and an even odder one of tingles throughout her body. But she'd argue the worst thing was having her legs on Julian Frost's lap.
"How does that feel?" Julian murmured.
"Weird," Leora glanced away," Like all of my body is buzzing alive, and a horrid warmth is filling it."
"Sounds like something else..." Julian smirked, blushing, pervertedly," Though, I'd hardly call that sensation horrid."
Leora nearly recoiled her legs back in disgust, but Julian held them in place and laughed.
"It's natural, dear, no need to be so flustered; we are humans, after all," Julian chuckled, before turning serious," Any pains?"
Leora bit down the urge to say 'you'," No; not at all."
"Good, good; tell me if it gets too hot."
She nodded, weakly, glancing away. After about five minutes of the odd machine stuck on her legs, Leora began to itch the skin around it; chewing her lip. Julian noticed this and took the electrodes off, turning off the device. Her shoulders sagged in relief, trying to fan her now reddened flesh.

"This should help," Julian muttered, holding her in place; putting some powder on her legs.
"Thank you," Leora muttered.
She went to move her legs off his lap, but Julian gripped them down suddenly. Leora felt her throat contract.
"What are you doing?" Leora whispered.
Julian didn't respond. He sat there, rubbing his thumb up and down her legs; holding her still.
"Tuberculosis truly is my favourite of all afflictions..." He whispered to himself, but Leora heard it.
"I'll scream, I swear I will," Leora muttered.
Julian's thumb traced upwards, under her dress. Leora lost it as she felt his horrible fingers on her thigh; terrified. She swiftly tugged her legs off, her breaths laboured, dreadfully pale.
Julian blinked slowly, startled," You're having a panic attac-"
"You think!?" Leora snapped; panting as tears filled her eyes," Don't look at me! I can't stand it at the moment! Don't look at me!!"
Julian turned to face the window, his expression unreadable," I'm not looking at you, Leora; I'm looking outside. I can see the frost starting to cover the grass, and now I'm wondering if the river will freeze over soon. It's getting colder, isn't it? I can also see the gardeners old hut, under the willow tree. It's ashame plants don't last the winter. May I look at you now?"

"No!" Leora cried, panting," Keep...keep talking..."
"Alright," Julian sighed; staring out the window," It's funny isn't it? As soon as we're told to keep talking, suddenly we have nothing to talk about. I'm much more suited to listening. It's part of my job, to listen. Some patients tell us too much, though, mind you, because they think we'll keep their dark secrets. I've known some doctors to leave their jobs because they couldn't handle how patients told them so much. Not me though. Knowing how pathetic humans are, it keeps me amused."
As soon as Julian heard Leora's breathing start to even out, he glanced back to look at her. Leora stared at her lap; she was still incredibly pale, and covered in sweat, but she was definitely much more calm.
"Then you'll keep this my pathetic, dark secret; alright?" Leora muttered.
Julian shrugged," As you wish. Though, you wouldn't want Jiu to kno-?"
"Especially not," Leora cut him off, rubbing her arms; trying to block out the concerned expression she'd seen on his face too many times, recently," He can't know."
Julian nodded," Very well."
"Leave."
"Very well."
Julian left the room without protest, shutting the door gently behind him. Leora snatched the bottle out of her bedside table drawer when she knew Julian was gone; unplugged the cork and downed the solution of river water and flowers with a shiver. She rubbed her face, feeling the colour slowly start to come back.