A/N: This is rather rough- I haven't written anything of substance in ages- but it was fighting to be written.
The italicized quote below is from FINA, and is not mine. Save for that excerpt, this story is told in sesquidrabbles.
Enjoy!
It appeared that within a very few minutes of our leaving, an English lady had arrived who was in the last stage of consumption... It was thought that she could hardly live a few hours, but it would be a great consolation to her to see an English doctor... The good Steiler assured me in a postscript that he would himself look upon my compliance as a very great favour, since the lady absolutely refused to see a Swiss physician.
"It's surely a ruse, Holmes. It is far too convenient in both timing and nature to be anything but." Holmes didn't seem to acknowledge what I'd said. "I won't be following it."
He looked up at that. "You can't stay."
"And why not, may I ask?"
His eyes were clearly pained as he answered me. "In ridding the world of Professor Moriarty, I will undoubtedly be sacrificing my life as well. This will be the crown of my career. If you were to be injured- or worse- helping me, it would be severely tarnished."
"That's not a terribly good reason, my dear fellow. Together we are stronger anyhow."
"And if there really is an Englishwoman dying back at the hotel?"
"Holmes, there will certainly be an Englishman dying here if I don't stay. I'll deal with certainties now and moral obligations later."