Hypocrites: Jekyll and Hyde x Reader

Behind the Facade

Neatly placed above her bedside table, this morning's paper rested. The grotesque image of Beaconsfield printed below the large headline for all the world to see. I winced at the memory of last night's outlet of frustration. The concussion did no help to my willpower to keep Hyde at bay. If anything, it may have made it much easier for him to roam so freely.

Dread and frustration amplified in my head and I desperately tried to keep it in. Even the slightest inconvenience would increase my negative moods and give that man another crack to leak out from. Unable to internalize it, I began to speak to Ms. (L/n) in an attempt to distract myself.

"I have made the arrangements, and I believe everything should be ready in a week's time," I blurt out, beginning to put away my things. I had prayed my voice wasn't too shaky before I heard a soft exhale. She had sighed, the gesture clearly conveying as "I wish you hadn't spoken again." Although I did not care for the attitude, I could only be grateful for the sound as it took focus from the ringing that was starting in my ears.

She seemed determined to make as little noise as she could today, responding only with a nod. Whether it was to bite her tongue and keep the peace or due to her weariness from the sedatives, I would never know. Regardless, my only hope for a distraction was abandoning me.

"Are you alright?" another attempt at conversation, "To be quite frank, if I'd known a glass to my head was all it took to placate you I could've offered it sooner," I internally winced after speaking. Would she even take this as a jest or would this only discourage her further? Pessimism would suggest the latter, knowing her opinion of me. I could feel my heart sink in fearful disappointment. Panic, desperation, and a looming feeling of something escaping overtook my thoughts as I struggled to ground myself.

"Cat got your tongue?"

The voice came out, rough and raspy that I could feel my throat ache. I could barely breathe as I felt the soreness creep up my head, thrumming, aching to be broken open.

(L/n) snapped quickly to look for the voice, eyes wildly searching for it. I could barely notice her avoidance to look at me as I wanted to scream from the ever increasing pain. A slow swallow to stifle the painful whimper, I watched my knuckles turn white while I gripped onto my clipboard. I began to count and control my breathing. Praying to an unhelpful god, I could only wish that-

"Did you hear- Hey! Doc, woah, JEKYLL!"

The room twisted, blurring from the speed of my fall and my warping vision. I'd feel nauseated if I wasn't preoccupied by the constant banging in my brain. Gasping for breath, I could only hold onto the bedsheets to keep myself from lying on the floor. Death, it felt like I was mere breaths away from my last as I clenched my eyes shut in terror.

I could hear a whisper in my ear. A beckoning, bargaining to let him in. Pressuring to give up or face even harsher pains. Along the whispers was the screaming, the panicked concern as a useless girl tried to call me.

The ringing returned, drowning out both (L/n)'s and, thankfully, Hyde's voices. There would be no time to think whether this was a blessing or curse as the beating continued. It was suffocating— this room, the ringing, my limited breath, and the rhythmic waves of pain in my head.

Unbeknownst to me, a loud 'bang' rang through what would've been the quiet room. As my breathing only continued to quicken, my blurry vision could only make out a small figure, crawling— dragging itself towards me. By now, a steady beat accompanied the high pitched sound in my ears. Uncertain whether it was my head or my heart, I could only try to ignore the feeling as a shaky, cold hand met my flush skin.

Flinching from the chill, I instinctively recoil only to be pulled back. Another moved to touch my neck then my head, the scratchy texture of the palm overstimulating my panicked state. I wished to yell and protest if only my lungs would allow me to breathe normally. Muffled words began to break out from the loud tune in my head as the hands began to cool my feverish face. Just as suddenly as the hands touched my cheeks, it immediately moved to cover my mouth and pinch my nose. It was nothing less than suffocating, I looked in horror as my lungs burned from the lack of air. Before I had the chance to struggle, it had moved to stop pinching.