Close At Hand
The many reasons it's a good idea to keep a trusted doctor close at hand when you are Sherlock Holmes. Inspired by Mrs. Pencil. All of the following ideas can be used by you in other stories, just please let me know so I can make a note of it.
Fight
He had worried about how well the retired army man could hold up during their first hand-to-hand combat with some thugs, but he found that though he was 'retired' he had not lost all his fight yet.
Stop
After a poor choice of words when describing his biographer's latest publication, he hastily amended the idea that he wanted the man to stop writing.
Weary
He had intended to go out again that evening to continue to follow the threads of the case, but his colleague looked so weary that he decided to call it a night and begin afresh tomorrow.
Effort
Those first few presents he purchased for his fellow lodger were not always the most ideal items, but the effort was always warmly appreciated.
Laugh
His companion had become glum as a long winter extended into April, but when he suggested a walk, a slippery patch of ice and an awkward save caused the doctor to laugh heartily.
Revolver
He had kept a small pistol on hand in case of great need, but the retired Army Surgeon's revolver (and good aim) Holmes trusted with his life on more than one occasion.
Collapse
He was known to go without food or sleep during cases, and so the doctor learned to be able to judge just how far it could go before he would collapse.
Patiently
He was growing sicker as the day went on, but he futilely tried to hide the telltale signs from his friend, who simply waited patiently waited until he was ready to accept help.
Touch
The hallucinations became more and more vivid, sending him into fits of terror, but he was calmed by a familiar touch that told him everything was all right.
Forgive
He had finally pushed Mrs. Hudson to her limits and was currently getting the dressing down of a lifetime when his fellow lodger spoke up on his behalf, imploring her to forgive him once more.
Danger
He was a master at getting into trouble, but when the doctor was with him, he was less enthused about confronting danger.
Pain
Hiding his pain was something he had become rather good at, or so he thought, but he soon realized that hiding that from his Boswell was like trying to hide sugar from ants.
Shivers
It wasn't the chilly night air, so much as the thrill of the hunt, that made him shiver, but he was offered (and kindly refused) his companions scarf nevertheless.
Crippled
He was able to defend himself and did so whenever it was necessary, but when the doctor informed him that he had unintentionally crippled his opponent, who was only twenty-two, he was sorry he had landed the blow.
Breathe
He was sure he was about to die as he blacked out from a lack of oxygen underwater, but he was brought into wakefulness by his loyal comrade's terrified voice shouting at him to breathe.
Hold
The pain was excruciating and he unintentionally squeezed his companion's hand, but was told to go ahead if he needed to and he was very glad to have a steady hand to hold.
Grasped
He was sure he was going to fall as the board gave way and gravity did its work, but he was halted as a hand firmly grasped his arm.
Silent
He had ranted for several minutes about the stupidity of one of the Scotland Yard inspectors when the doctor, who had been listening quietly the whole time, finally made a point so strong that the detective fell silent.
Trapped
One unwise action can have a variety of unpleasant results, as when the detective trapped himself on the stairs because his arm was trapped between the balusters, but none of which his friend was unwilling to [try] to fix.
['The Perfect Crime', Chapter 55]
Clenched
He was about to run after the man, regardless of his injuries, when he felt his shoulder firmly clenched and he met the firm gaze of his ally that told him not to go.
Expected
Somehow his friend had expected those insults to bother him, and quickly responded to the offensive client with callousness that the detective had never heard from him before, but the client was, thankfully, gone.
Choke
He never expected to die while eating breakfast, but when he started to choke due to his hurried eating, the doctor was acted quickly to save him and taught him how to eat properly in the future.
Light
He was desperately trying to pick the lock in the middle of the night, when suddenly there was a burst of light as his companion wisely struck a match to aid his endeavor, regardless of who saw.
Peaceful
Work always came before entertainment, but when he cancelled his evening plans due to his flat mate's illness, he found he had no greater pleasure than seeing the peaceful face of his patient sleeping after he'd played his violin.
Mercy
He had never felt compelled before to show mercy to someone who was clearly undeserving of the favor, but when his comrade begged him not to kill their antagonist, even after the man had tried to kill them, he did as he was asked.
Hide
No matter how well he could hide behind disguises, there was one man who could see through every single one of his schooled expressions and glimpse the emotion behind.
Confidence
He was loath to admit that he was lost, and continued forward with false confidence, but the Doctor knew better and had the sense to stop at the next country inn to ask for directions.
Cries
It was not the sound of his own cries, but rather the concerned voice of his friend and biographer, that woke him on that terror-ridden nights.
Bitter
When their kind landlady went on holiday, the food declined in quality to the extent that, after one very bitter bite of food, the good doctor insisted on going to Simpsons.
Evil
He had met many types of criminals in his time, some just foolish and others purely evil, but it gave him strength to know that there was still good – proven by his selfless fellow lodger.
Fluttered
In the grips of a fever his eyelids fluttered briefly to reveal the doctor right there beside him and he knew he would be all right.
Motionless
And just when he thought he had no fight left in him, his ally was knocked down by a heavy blow and laid on the ground motionless, and suddenly he found the strength of ten men.
Spy
Though his friend didn't observe much that was helpful to the cases when he was sent to spy, the amateur soon learned that he was often being studied by those caring eyes, and the doctor saw a good deal more than any other man.
Whispers
After a series of late nights when the sleuth would unintentionally fall asleep in the sitting room, he was awoken with gentle whispers and urged to retire to his bedroom.
Home
It just wasn't home without his usual fellow-lodger, and so the cot in the doctors consulting room was far more comfortable than his bed at 221B.
[Reference to Granada's The Empty House]
Helpless
His friend and colleague not only knew when he was injured or ill, but also knew he hated to feel helpless, and went to great lengths to make him as comfortable as possible.
Embrace
His normally detached and unemotional attitude melted when his concerned companion, who had feared the worst when the oncoming train nearly hit him, pulled him into a warm embrace.
Guilt
He was helpless to prevent his antagonists from harming his friend, so he gave into their demands, knowing he would be unable to bear the guilt if he had been the cause of pain.
Support
His pride wouldn't let him admit he needed help until he was too weak to deny it, but the doctor simply stopped asking if he needed help and just leant him support.
Victorious
The doctor would never admit failure, simply ask him yet again to give up the cocaine for good, and no one was less surprised than the detective when the doctor finally came out victorious.
Relief
The coughing was bothersome, but his sore throat made him so uncomfortable that he was willing to try any of the doctor's treatments to get some relief.
Falling
They had often boarded the train's last minute in the past, but when he noticed how unsteady his partner's gait was, he decided to simply wait for the next, rather than risk him falling.
Trust
It was not in his nature to rely on someone else to see to an important matter if he could do it himself, but he came to understand that his trust in the doctor was not misplaced.
Injuries
There was a wide-range of injuries that the detective acquired over the many years of work, including several painful splinters in his hand and an eye full of sand, but his trusted doctor was there to cure it all.
Rescuer
He took blow after blow from the ruffians, who insulted him to add to his torture, but suddenly the night exploded into gunfire as his rescuer arrived with the police.
Right
He was arguing with the Doctor once again about the state of his health, but he stopped when the Doctor finally asked the detective why it was such a struggle to believe that he may be right about something.
Work
He never minded his created profession's numerous risks and frustrations, but the work of his closest friend kept him worried about the health of the surgeon.
Emotions
It is only human to have feelings, and his fellow-lodger was one of the few people that had the opportunity to witness his emotions when he let his carefully constructed mask slip.
Alone
Even in the worst of situations, he knew they would always make it out alive, even if wounded, because the detective wouldn't let fatal harm befall his companion and he knew that he wouldn't die until he was alone.
Love
Though the Holmes brothers were friends with one another, it took someone who was not their kin to show the detective the true meaning of brotherly love.