Half past 10. A time at which 221B would normally be alive and awake. Instead, the only sound was the regular ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece. Every now and then, a lacklustre sigh could be heard from the man sitting in the corner armchair, staring blankly at the door to the next room. He had been awake since 8, and two and a half hours later, was starting to worry about the lack of movement from his lodgers room.
"Holmes is always up by now" Watson thought. "Even though he's not on a case its unlike him to be doing nothing at this hour."
A half an hour later, he could bear it no longer, and marched up to the door that had been the object of his attention for the last 3 hours.
"Holmes"
No reply.
"Holmes, are you alright in there? Its 10 'o' clock, breakfasts been and gone… I know you've nothing to do now, but at least come and eat, or talk a walk, its not healthy locking yourself up in there"
Again, no reply.
"Holmes, I'm coming in"
He opened the door a crack, and peered in. The room was different, quieter. It somehow seemed eerier, and darker than normal. Watson opened the door as far as would go to allow the light from the sitting room to pour in.
His heart seemed to stop.
What looked at first glance seemed to be a shadow, was in fact blood. Everywhere. Over the pillow and sheets and splattered on the wall.
However the source of it was what really caught his attention. Holmes could have been sleeping, were it not for a dark patch staining his head, the liquid oozing out of a small gunshot wound on the cheekbone.
A second of stillness…
Then the panic kicked in. His first thought was to go to the Police, no Scotland Yard, and get there as quickly as was humanly possible, but as he fumbled down the stairs, eyes wild, and clothes disordered, he was faced with a familiar figure.
"Mrs. Hudson, what are you doing?"
The 2 figures couldn't be more contrasting, one wild and panic- striken, and the other, calm and composed.
"Just taking some more tea up – I daresay the last pot's gone cold!" Smiling cheerfully, she took a step forward.
"Erm.., er…no- thank you" the Doctor replied "Tea is the last thing we need now…"
"Come now Dr, one can never have too much tea" And she proceeded to continue ascending the stairs.
He blocked her path.
"Its Mr. Holmes, he's…"
"Nothing that can't be sorted out with a nice cup of tea! He'll be right as rain after he's got something hot to drink!"
She somehow managed to slip past her, and made her way up to the room.
"No, please, Mrs. Hudson, don't go up there!"
But he was too late.
She opened the door… to reveal Holmes, dressed in his old mouse coloured dressing gown sitting quietly by the window, carelessly smoking his old pipe, with no sign of any injury.
"Happy April fools day!" Mrs. Hudson exclaimed to me, then turning to Holmes "I'll bring a cloth to clean that ink up in your room" And, smiling at me, she bustled out of the door.
Needless to say, Watson was not amused.
Authors note
Here in England, I'll admit, its after 12.00 which is, apparently, when you cant trick anyone, but hey ho! :P
Just to say a massive thank you to everyone who's reviewed! I've not been on here long, and some of the comments are really lovely and encouraging to me!
annie :)