This my entry for Watson's Woes Challenge 007, and since it placed first I thought I'd share it with you all. I'm splitting it into four parts because of its length (3,700 words), but it is complete so do not worry about me leaving it unfinished. The prompt for this challenge was that Watson had to be embarrassed in some way. Since I hate embarrassing characters, I tried to find a more serious and meaningful way to do it. Enjoy!
Rating/Warnings: Rated T for inferences of scandal and talk of suicide.
He had failed. Failed miserably. He knew that well enough.
He didn't need Sherlock Holmes to tell it to him all again when he got back to Baker Street.
Holmes immediately deduced where he had been -- deduced that he had gone off to attempt to work things out on his own, and had made a horrible muddle of it. But could the detective bother to read the look on his face and see that he was already well aware of that fact? No.
"Watson, you have destroyed everything!" he shouted, throwing the 'M' volume of his index across the room, dangerously close to where the doctor stood in the doorway. "All my careful planning! Can't you see that it can't be repaired now? You've ruined the case, and because of you a violent criminal will escape justice -- possibly permanently!"
"Holmes..." Watson mumbled.
"Leave the thinking to me, in the future!" Holmes continued, as if he hadn't heard. "Since you obviously are incapable of it! Never, never, never do this again, you fool!"
Watson felt the burning in his cheeks, not so much from the anger he would normally have expected himself to feel, but at the utter shame of it. He had blundered, certainly. He had been wrong.
Without looking at Holmes, he walked slowly over to his desk, removed his revolver, and laid it in the desk drawer. Removing his hat for a moment, he examined it, and then placed it on his head again.
"I'm going to go visit Mary."
"Good!" Holmes snapped. "I have no desire to see you in Baker Street this evening!"
But Watson was already through the door, leaving the barb to plant itself in his retreating back.