The Warning
Holmes' POV
I had returned to my shared rooms after a long and
tiresome day. It was a fruitless effort that yielded nothing
except exhaustion upon my part. I trudged up the stairs,
divested myself of my hat and coat, threw my stick in the
corner {where it landed with a satisfying thunk }, and headed
for my chair before the fire.
In a few minutes the heat and noise of the fire had almost
lulled me to sleep. I was pulled back to wakefulness as the
sitting room door flew open and Mrs. Hudson entered with a
tray. It was our supper tray, and this she placed on the table
and she began to arrange the dishes and the cutlery on the
table, chattering happily as she did so.
"The color of your dress becomes you.....is it a new one?
It must have been, for I did not remember her wearing it
before.
"Why, yes, Mr. Holmes, it is." Then she asked me what I
thought of her hair. I paused, incredulous. Something was in
the wind, and it could only be.....
"What is his name, Mrs. Hudson?"
"Edward. Edward Baker, sir. We met at the market when
we both tried to pick up the same bunch of carrots. {She
giggled and blushed very prettily here} He is to take me to
the theater tonight, and drop me off at the station so that I can
catch the train to Hearthstead to visit my sister. I'll be there
the weekend, and I should be back by Monday noon, sir."
She headed toward the door, but then turned. "Oh, and
when the doctor comes in, would you try to get him to eat a
bit? He's been looking a bit peaked lately. Good-bye, sir."
And then she was gone.
Watson's POV
The afternoon's patients had filed slowly out, leaving just
one lonely soul left, waiting his turn to see me. I beckoned to
him, and he got stiffly to his feet. He walked toward me with
a crab-like shuffle.
When he was a pace or two from me, he fell over
something, and plowed into me with more force than I could
credit that small frame with. As I grabbed the doorframe to
steady myself, I felt something rather solid connect with my
head.
When I came to myself, I found to my mortification, that I
had been securely trussed up and was lying face-down on my
own examination table. I can attest to it that this is not a very
dignified position to be in. I tried to be as observant as
possible under the circumstances, but all I could see was pant
legs and old shoes.
" Who are you, and what do you want?"
Nervous giggling answered my questions. Then I felt my
shirt being cut away. "Hang it all, that was a new shirt! Stop
this insanity....."
"Nothing insane about it, old boy." My captor had finally
decided to speak. " I need to write a note, and I think you'll
do fine as my paper. Now, stay still, or I shall be obliged to
cross out and begin again."
Well, this was quite inconvenient, but maybe it would not
be quite so bad-- that was when I realized with a thrill of
horror that a scalpel was working its way across my back.
Holmes' POV
About a quarter of an hour after the door had closed after
our esteemed landlady, there was a loud banging upon the
front door. Remembering that I was on my own after the
departure of Mrs. Hudson, I sighed and descended the stairs.
I hoped that Watson would hurry, supper looked good.
When I opened the door, all thoughts of food were driven
from my mind.