Disclaimer: Not mine. The ideas about Sally's choices and bravery come from wellington goose's tumblir essays.
How Anderson Came to Appreciate Even Sherlock Holmes
The Freak. That's what Sally calls him and it's certainly tempting. Back from the dead, he's as insulting as ever. Poor Sally gets the brunt of it. She risked everything, first keeping quiet to help Lestrade and then going over Lestrade's head. Now that he's back, well, I can't say I liked thinking him dead, especially now that we know it was Moriarty, but there are times I would cheerfully kill him.
He's a self-styled sociopath – we all know it. He was bound to snap sooner or later and whatever he did in those three years that was hushed up by his so convenient older brother, well that would have just whetted his appetite. Wouldn't it?
Because he is certainly ready to kill now and if it weren't so amusing and if the subject of his ire weren't even more annoying…I know, I know, it's hard to imagine anyone more irritating, get in your face and humiliate you, than Sherlock Holmes. But the day DS Gerald Bright transferred to Lestrade's team was the day I discovered that if Sherlock was an itching flea bite, Bright was a rash.
Maybe I was hoping that Sherlock would take him down a peg, the way he floors everybody with his genius – and yes I admit, reluctantly, he is brilliant. But the insults just rolled off Bright's back like water on a duck. And when Sherlock wasn't around, we all had to deal with the oh-so-charming, too helpful, and annoyingly confident Bright.
Everything changed when Sherlock did his usual saunter into the morgue, preceding the rest of us as he demanded access to the body from Molly Hooper. Poor Dr. Hooper. Or maybe I shouldn't say poor Dr. Hooper considering the Holmes brothers managed to extricate her from any legal irregularities and criminal charges she faced after helping the consulting detective. Regardless, it is rather sad watching her watch him. Like John Watson, she follows him unquestioningly. Unlike Sherlock's ex-flatmate, she seems to get little out of it.
At any rate, Sherlock was focused on the corpse when Bright sort of sidled up to Molly and introduced himself. It wasn't really the fact that he introduced himself. That's perfectly appropriate. But he sort of interrupted Sherlock's monologue in order to chat the pathologist up.
I noticed Lestrade's expression. Gossip was the Detective Inspector had briefly thought about asking out Molly Hooper. Something about the way she looked in a black dress. But everyone knew that despite failed dates with murderous master criminals, Molly Hooper was for all intents and purposes Sherlock Holmes. It was creepy how set she was on Sherlock. She even used to blog about him. Which I guess made her no less weirdly loyal than the doctor. She lied for three years to everyone. And even then the detective didn't seem to have sense enough to grab a cute girl who adored him and didn't mind dead bodies.
As Sally says Sherlock Homes is a freak.
But today he seems to be suffering from an all too typical emotion for a detective who prides himself on his lack of sentiment. Hey, I have never denied my humanity and I have no problem watching as Holmes and Bright get what's coming to them.
Not that Sherlock has cause for jealousy. Anyone can see that Molly is just being polite. Sure she is smiling at Bright, what girl doesn't like to be flattered? But we all know who has her heart. Except Sherlock doesn't seem to be focusing on that. He is glaring at Bright. I imagine he is outraged that anyone dares approach what is his … and for all that he hasn't allowed himself to have an adult romantic relationship it's been clear for years, even before his death, that he considers Molly his and not just his pathologist. Oh yes, Sherlock Holmes is about ready to let loose with a truly stunning rant.
Only Bright is agreeing with Sherlock. He's praising the detective for realizing that he used to play rugby before getting injured, that he left Brighton after an embarrassing incident with the very married wife of a prominent citizen. Although, he assures Molly, it really wasn't completely his fault. He wishes he had had Sherlock's deductions to save him from that mess. Claims he couldn't help being caught in a femme fatale's coils. Says it was too intriguing. Then, he smiles at Molly and confesses he prefers nice women with a good head on their shoulders now that he's put that schoolboy fantasy to rest.
Is Dr. Hooper blushing? I've rarely seen her blush for anyone besides Sherlock. It's certain that Sherlock is seething. And even if Bright didn't mean to compare his indiscretion to Sherlock's painful fascination with Irene Adler, oh we all heard about that personalized ring tone, Sherlock's expression shows that Bright scored a hit.
John is looking on with fascination. I mean we all are. But I can't help wondering what John thinks of Bright's chances of survival. It helps that Dr. Hooper hasn't said yes. She's laughing at Bright's jokes. But she hasn't yet agreed to dinner. And why does that word in particular make Sherlock even angrier?
She's turning Bright down. And he's making an ass of himself. Saying how about coffee then? Claiming he'll win her over. After all, he says, she's not married or dating anyone. Why not see if she can stand an evening with a good guy with a decent sense of humor?
And that's when Sherlock interjects that Molly is not free.
Every head in the room, including the pathologist's, turns towards Sherlock. Oh, he tries to back out of it. The detective makes a lame quip about Molly's taste in men, which only causes tears to well up in the pathologist's eyes. I almost feel sorry for her but what can she expect pining after the freak. Lestrade groans, John seems ready to elbow Sherlock. And Bright, well even Bright can occasionally live up to his name.
"Oh, I didn't know you two were a couple" he blunders. "I guess you've kept it out of the papers for privacy and all. Sorry about that." And he leaves the morgue. Unbothered by Sherlock's insults and still breathing.
Nothing ever quite works out the way I think it will.
Meanwhile, a red-faced Dr. Hooper is frozen. We can all see the "no" formed by lips. The "no" which now turns into even a suppressed sob as she heads to the locker room.
Sherlock looks after her clearly confused.
I see my chance and walk up to the consulting detective. But before I can think of something appropriately witty or cutting, Sherlock stalks out.
…
Sally told me the freak has decided to give sentiment a chance. Apparently, he and Molly are now conducting experiments together. John had complained to Lestrade after walking in on them one too many times. I sympathized. No way would any one wish to subject his eyes to that.
Dr. Hooper is glowing. So I guess Sherlock must be doing something right. Or more probably Dr. Hooper has such low expectations even him speaking to her… Ok. Yeah. Not quite fair to the poor pathologist.
And at least Bright is gone. Someone, gossip says a nosy member of the British government, got the annoying DS to be transferred yet again. So maybe I should be thankful to Sherlock Holmes' jealousy.
Then again, he just insulted my competence. Freak.