Losing You, Chapter 7
Jun. 4th, 2012 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crossover_chickAnd here's the last chapter! Setting the scene for what comes next. . .
Chapter 7
March 28th, 1875
Burtonsville, England
5:42 P.M.
“Master Van Dort?”
Victor looked up from his sketchbook to see Barry standing in the doorway. “Your parents request your presence in the east drawing room,” the butler said. “As soon as possible.”
Victor nodded. “Tell them I’ll be down in just a minute – I’m almost done.”
“Very good.” Barry turned and hurried away.
Victor sighed, then looked back at his drawing. It wasn’t really anything special – just him doodling some of the things and people he saw on the street below. But it was something to do – something to keep his mind off the fact that he was alone in the world. Ever since he’d realized Emily was gone for good, he’d been under a dark cloud of depression. He didn’t have anyone he could turn to – anyone he could even talk to. He’d tried writing a letter to Victoria, but he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that it wasn’t right to write so familiarly to a married woman. Besides, thinking about her with Christopher still caused an ache in his heart. If he was ever to contact her again, he needed a little more time to heal. So he’d retreated inward. He spent most of his days hiding away from the world now, drawing or playing the piano. It was all he really had the energy for.
He set down his sketchbook and pushed himself off of his stool. It wouldn’t do to keep his parents waiting. They’d left him alone lately, more or less – they’d brought in one more doctor, but they hadn’t tried to force him to speak to the man. Victor appreciated it. Honestly, if they just wanted to ignore him for the rest of their lives, that was fine by him. It was much better than being lectured or glared at. I wonder what they want to see me about now, he thought, heading downstairs. I was enjoying the quiet.
His parents were sitting on the big couch in the middle of the room when he entered, talking to each other quietly. His mother was the first to notice him. “There you are,” she said. “Have a seat. We’ve got news.”
“News?” Victor repeated, sitting down in one of the armchairs. Oh God. Don’t tell me she’s somehow found a new bride for me. I can’t take going through another arranged marriage – especially so soon.
William nodded solemnly. “Victor, we’re worried about you,” he said, leaning forward. “All you’ve been doing for the past few days is moping about. And you’re still not letting any of the doctors we’ve brought in have a proper look at you.”
“They can’t help me,” Victor said quietly, looking at his feet.
“Quite right,” Nell said, causing him to look up in surprise. “They can’t help you because you won’t let them help you. But I think we’ve found someone who can. Was recommended to us by one of the others. Apparently he specializes in stubborn cases like yours.”
Oh lovely. Victor sighed. “So when d-does he come here?”
“Oh no – you’re going to him.”
Victor’s eyes went wide. “What?! You’re sending me away?” A sudden cold chill went down his spine. “To – to an a-asylum?!”
“Not an asylum, not really,” William said, with a small smile. “Just a – home away from home. He runs an orphanage which specializes in children with troubled pasts. You’re not his usual sort of client, but when we wrote to him, he assured us he could take you on.”
“He’s apparently something of a miracle worker,” Nell agreed. “I think he’s just the person to help you forget this ‘corpse bride’ of yours.”
Victor felt a burst of anger at how his mother said those words – like she was trying to get a bad taste out of her mouth. “I’m not going to forget her.”
“You say that now,” Nell said dismissively, waving her fan. “He’ll make you see sense. I’m sure of it.”
“You need help, Victor,” William added, shaking his head a little. “This man will be able to give it to you. He’ll wipe those horrible thoughts of yours right out of your mind. And after a few months, I’m sure you’ll be a fit member of society again.”
“It’s already all settled,” Nell said, cutting off Victor’s protests before he could even begin. “We’ll be taking you up to London very soon.”
“And if I d-don’t want to go?” Victor managed to say.
Nell glared at him. “You don’t get a choice in the matter,” she snapped. “You’ve already ruined my biggest chance at being somebody. I’m not going around with the stigma of having a mad son on top of that.”
“Victor, it’s all for your own good,” William said, like he was speaking to a child. “We want you to be well. We want you to have a good marriage someday.”
Yes – a good marriage you’ll arrange for your own benefit, Victor thought angrily. All of this is just for your own good, not mine! “I’m not m-mad. I don’t need this.”
“Yes you do,” Nell said shortly. “You’re not getting out of it, Victor. And if you even think of running away, we will hunt you down and drag you there. You are getting your head screwed on right whether you like it or not!”
“Don’t get all aflutter, dear,” William said soothingly, patting her arm. To Victor, he added, “But she’s right. Whatever it takes to get you there, son. We’re willing to do it.”
Victor believed him. He knew how stubborn his parents could get. He sighed deeply. Well, maybe it would be good for him to get out of this house and this village. Even if he was stuck getting therapy he didn’t need. “All right. I w-won’t make trouble.”
“Good.” Nell smirked in triumph. “We’re leaving in two days at the latest. So you might want to start getting ready. Look around your room and see what you want to take.”
“Yes, Mother.” Victor slowly got to his feet. “I’ll g-go do that now.”
“Oh, don’t sound so depressed,” William said, with a hopeful grin. “You might like it there! New place to live, new people to meet – you might make some new friends! And you’ll be in very good hands with the doctor.”
“Oh yes,” Nell agreed with a nod. “He’s quite respected in the medical community. Does amazing work. If anyone can fix you, it’s him.”
Victor strongly doubted that, but he didn't dare say so. "W-who is he?"
“His name is Dr. Angus Bumby.”
The End
I'd really like a comment or two on the ending -- I'm not sure it's quite up to snuff. I know I want to keep it with Bumby's name as the last line/words in the story. You know, shock value. For anyone who doesn't already know where this is going.
And that's that! I'm still working on "Finding You" -- finished either the first or second chapter. Depends on how I'll be splitting things up. I might share some first drafts of Alice finding the Victor memories, though. We'll see.
March 28th, 1875
Burtonsville, England
5:42 P.M.
“Master Van Dort?”
Victor looked up from his sketchbook to see Barry standing in the doorway. “Your parents request your presence in the east drawing room,” the butler said. “As soon as possible.”
Victor nodded. “Tell them I’ll be down in just a minute – I’m almost done.”
“Very good.” Barry turned and hurried away.
Victor sighed, then looked back at his drawing. It wasn’t really anything special – just him doodling some of the things and people he saw on the street below. But it was something to do – something to keep his mind off the fact that he was alone in the world. Ever since he’d realized Emily was gone for good, he’d been under a dark cloud of depression. He didn’t have anyone he could turn to – anyone he could even talk to. He’d tried writing a letter to Victoria, but he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that it wasn’t right to write so familiarly to a married woman. Besides, thinking about her with Christopher still caused an ache in his heart. If he was ever to contact her again, he needed a little more time to heal. So he’d retreated inward. He spent most of his days hiding away from the world now, drawing or playing the piano. It was all he really had the energy for.
He set down his sketchbook and pushed himself off of his stool. It wouldn’t do to keep his parents waiting. They’d left him alone lately, more or less – they’d brought in one more doctor, but they hadn’t tried to force him to speak to the man. Victor appreciated it. Honestly, if they just wanted to ignore him for the rest of their lives, that was fine by him. It was much better than being lectured or glared at. I wonder what they want to see me about now, he thought, heading downstairs. I was enjoying the quiet.
His parents were sitting on the big couch in the middle of the room when he entered, talking to each other quietly. His mother was the first to notice him. “There you are,” she said. “Have a seat. We’ve got news.”
“News?” Victor repeated, sitting down in one of the armchairs. Oh God. Don’t tell me she’s somehow found a new bride for me. I can’t take going through another arranged marriage – especially so soon.
William nodded solemnly. “Victor, we’re worried about you,” he said, leaning forward. “All you’ve been doing for the past few days is moping about. And you’re still not letting any of the doctors we’ve brought in have a proper look at you.”
“They can’t help me,” Victor said quietly, looking at his feet.
“Quite right,” Nell said, causing him to look up in surprise. “They can’t help you because you won’t let them help you. But I think we’ve found someone who can. Was recommended to us by one of the others. Apparently he specializes in stubborn cases like yours.”
Oh lovely. Victor sighed. “So when d-does he come here?”
“Oh no – you’re going to him.”
Victor’s eyes went wide. “What?! You’re sending me away?” A sudden cold chill went down his spine. “To – to an a-asylum?!”
“Not an asylum, not really,” William said, with a small smile. “Just a – home away from home. He runs an orphanage which specializes in children with troubled pasts. You’re not his usual sort of client, but when we wrote to him, he assured us he could take you on.”
“He’s apparently something of a miracle worker,” Nell agreed. “I think he’s just the person to help you forget this ‘corpse bride’ of yours.”
Victor felt a burst of anger at how his mother said those words – like she was trying to get a bad taste out of her mouth. “I’m not going to forget her.”
“You say that now,” Nell said dismissively, waving her fan. “He’ll make you see sense. I’m sure of it.”
“You need help, Victor,” William added, shaking his head a little. “This man will be able to give it to you. He’ll wipe those horrible thoughts of yours right out of your mind. And after a few months, I’m sure you’ll be a fit member of society again.”
“It’s already all settled,” Nell said, cutting off Victor’s protests before he could even begin. “We’ll be taking you up to London very soon.”
“And if I d-don’t want to go?” Victor managed to say.
Nell glared at him. “You don’t get a choice in the matter,” she snapped. “You’ve already ruined my biggest chance at being somebody. I’m not going around with the stigma of having a mad son on top of that.”
“Victor, it’s all for your own good,” William said, like he was speaking to a child. “We want you to be well. We want you to have a good marriage someday.”
Yes – a good marriage you’ll arrange for your own benefit, Victor thought angrily. All of this is just for your own good, not mine! “I’m not m-mad. I don’t need this.”
“Yes you do,” Nell said shortly. “You’re not getting out of it, Victor. And if you even think of running away, we will hunt you down and drag you there. You are getting your head screwed on right whether you like it or not!”
“Don’t get all aflutter, dear,” William said soothingly, patting her arm. To Victor, he added, “But she’s right. Whatever it takes to get you there, son. We’re willing to do it.”
Victor believed him. He knew how stubborn his parents could get. He sighed deeply. Well, maybe it would be good for him to get out of this house and this village. Even if he was stuck getting therapy he didn’t need. “All right. I w-won’t make trouble.”
“Good.” Nell smirked in triumph. “We’re leaving in two days at the latest. So you might want to start getting ready. Look around your room and see what you want to take.”
“Yes, Mother.” Victor slowly got to his feet. “I’ll g-go do that now.”
“Oh, don’t sound so depressed,” William said, with a hopeful grin. “You might like it there! New place to live, new people to meet – you might make some new friends! And you’ll be in very good hands with the doctor.”
“Oh yes,” Nell agreed with a nod. “He’s quite respected in the medical community. Does amazing work. If anyone can fix you, it’s him.”
Victor strongly doubted that, but he didn't dare say so. "W-who is he?"
“His name is Dr. Angus Bumby.”
I'd really like a comment or two on the ending -- I'm not sure it's quite up to snuff. I know I want to keep it with Bumby's name as the last line/words in the story. You know, shock value. For anyone who doesn't already know where this is going.
And that's that! I'm still working on "Finding You" -- finished either the first or second chapter. Depends on how I'll be splitting things up. I might share some first drafts of Alice finding the Victor memories, though. We'll see.
