A Mad Man's Clause

Prologue

1896

Raindrops beat heavily down the grimy buildings, washing away the filth along the streets. Vermin and street folks alike ran haphazardly, seeking shelter from the droplets. Chester swore loudly as the roof of his Daimler provided little cover from the rain. His coat was collecting more water than the damned roof. He was rather in a hurry to get to the asylum. Henry was up to one of his antics again and he had to stop him. He swerved at the bend, ignoring the shouts of insults thrown his way. All he could do was pray he wasn't too late.

A sigh of relief was released as the tall gloomy building that housed England's craziest of crazies, Hellingly Hospital came into view. He drove through the foreboding gates, parking right at the entrance. Without hesitation, he ran up the short stairs and banged on the door. He shivered slightly, holding his coat tighter to his body not that it was doing him any good. A loud thunder boomed, suddenly startling him. It was followed by cynical shrieks of laughter from somewhere beyond the doors. Just as he raised his hand to bang on the door again, it was pried open by a familiar face.

"Mr. Malley!" the orderly exclaimed, surprise marring his face. Clearly he wasn't expecting to see him this night or any other time for that matter, considering he was on vacation.

Chester, not in the mood for pleasantries, brushed past him. "Where's Hen- Dr. Jekyll?"

"In his office."

"Okay, thank you, Fred. Please ask Nurse Marge to meet me there."

"Yes sir!" Fred sprinted towards the direction of the nurses' lounge to relay the message. Chester marched along the familiar halls of his workplace towards Henry's office on the first floor. It was already past bedtime so most of the patients were locked in their rooms. Just a few orderlies and nurses lurked around the dark spaces, making sure each patient was in bed. Once he stood in front of the door with the name plate, Dr Henry Jekyll, he knocked but there was no answer. He tried again but still no answer. He exhaled out in frustration.

"Chester?" A tiny voice called out to him from the distance. He turned to see Marge walking towards him, looking prim and proper though it was late. She was a sucker for orderliness. It was almost impossible to see her disoriented. It was such character that made her the head nurse of the hospital.

"Have you seen Henry, Marge?" he asked, unable to hide the worry and fear in his voice.

"No! What happened?"

He groaned, pushing damp hair from his face. "Nothing, I'm hoping. He called me an hour and half ago, sounding crazy."

She frowned, "Crazier than usual?" He nodded.

"Said he had finally done it but I don't know what exactly. I really need to find him, Marge. Fred said he was in here but clearly he's not." He huffed in barely concealed frustration.

Marge remained calm and collected as always, "Have you checked the lab in the basement? He mostly spends his time there."

Palming his forehead, Chester exclaimed, "The lab! Of course! Thanks, Marge." He bolted towards the lab housed at the bottom of the building. It was practically Henry's sanctuary where he conducted his experiments. Of what? No one knew or bothered to know as long as they weren't on the patients.

Henry Jekyll was an unusual man. He seemed to always have something up his sleeves and stayed mostly away from the staff. He did get along quite well with the patients. When he wasn't meeting patients, he was locked up in the lab conducting experiments. These experiments he had professed to Chester countless times could save a lot of patients. Now Chester was more of an administrator so he wasn't too familiar with or curious about Henry's ramblings most of the time but as long as he didn't touch any of the patients or almost burn down the building again, he was fine with these experiments. It was what gave Henry some semblance of normalcy after all.