I ran away seeing Holmes turn and yell in my direction as the house behind us exploded in a huge fireball sending shards of wood and glass everywhere. Everything went into slow motion as we ran. The explosion hit me causing my body to lurch forwards. I tried to scream yet nothing would come out. Holmes hit the ground feeling the sting of the shards. He coughed feeling the tiny cuts on his back and arms. He got up looking back at the house seeing it was engulfed in flames. He limped over seeing me lying on my stomach.
Turning me over he saw I was bleeding from my mouth looking pale and deathlike.
"Russell!" He yelled, touching my neck.
He leaned down putting his head to my chest then he lifted his head looking at me. His hand went to my hair.
My mind went back to the explosion then a light appeared. I walked towards it only to feel as if I needed to be elsewhere.
Watson sat down in a chair beside my bed in his spare room. He watched me looking at the bandages around my head and over my body. He sighed getting up walking to the window taking a breath.
"Mmm." I moaned, moving my head. Watson walked over leaned down touching my limp hand.
"Mary?" He said, gently.
I slowly opened my eyes seeing him. He watched me blink focusing on his face.
"Mary, can you hear me?"
I looked at his lips seeing his mouth moving, but I could not hear him.
"Can you talk?" He asked, as he squeezed my hand.
"I….I can't….hear you." I said, weakly.
He sat down looking at in concern. His hand went to my hair.
Holmes came into the house seeing Watson come down looking sad.
"Watson, has something happened?" Holmes asked, as he walked over slowly.
Watson sat on a step sighing as he took his glasses off.
"She can't hear, Holmes. I think it is permanent."
Holmes looked at him then he looked up stairs.
"It could come back."
"I examined her ears and the eardrums have suffered damage."
Holmes watched him put his glasses on and stand looking at him. He put his hand on his friends shoulder then he walked past him to the sitting room. Holmes came up the stairs to the room I was in. He came in seeing I was sleeping in bed. Walking over he watched me then he sat down on the bed. I jumped blinking seeing him. He touched my cheek letting his finger glide down it slowly.
A few weeks later I sat in the garden at my house. Holmes came out shutting the door seeing with sadness that I did not hear it. He saw the note pad beside me on the table with a pen. I jumped seeing him appear. He smiled waving before sitting down near me in a chair. He took the pad and pen looking at me before beginning to write. I sat up stopping him taking the pad I wrote.
"I know why you have come." I wrote
He took the pad writing.
"Why have I come?"
"You came to say you don't want to see me anymore." I wrote
He looked at me before writing.
"Why would I say that?" He wrote
I sighed looking down.
"Let's not treat this as if it was just a temporary problem. I can take the truth. I know this has become a problem between us that is why you have stayed away."
He looked at the pad taking the pen from my hands.
"Russell, I stayed away because I did need to think about this. You are not the only one that has suffered a hardship here. I thought about it and the truth is I love you more now than I did."
I looked at what he wrote then I stood walking to my rose bush. Holmes watched me pick at the leaves. He put the pad onto the table standing walking over to me. I felt him turn me around looking into my eyes. I looked at his mouth say I love you. A tear went down my cheek as he pulled me closer pressing his lips against mine.