So, this takes place after Study in Pink. Hope you like, all usual disclaimers apply. Thanks for reading!

ML

x

x

Ella sat behind her desk, finishing up the paperwork of her previous patient. The day had been long and she could feel a mild headache in the back of her head; she only hoped that it wouldn't turn into a full-fledged migraine later in the evening. She filed the papers away and leaned back in her chair, stretching her legs as she did. Rubbing her temples she glanced at the clock on the wall; it was five to three PM. She had only one patient left, surely she would get through that. For a few seconds she allowed herself to think about the night ahead and muse on the relaxing solitude that was waiting for her - the husband was away on business - but quickly returned her focus on the present.

She turned to her computer and with a few clicks had the files of the day's last patient in front of her. It was John Watson, an army doctor recently demobilized from Afghanistan, suffering from PTSD. Quickly Ella restored the main points of their previous session from her memory; it didn't take her long to dig up the image of the man in question from their first meeting two weeks ago. John seemed to be a quiet, somewhat reserved man with quite traditional values and a solid look on life, now shaken by the experiences he had had in the war. Ella had found him to be intelligent and cordial, to the point of appearing stiff; but she had thought that there was something else underneath the surface, something that John Watson was, if not hiding, at least keeping to himself.

There was a knock on the door that woke Ella up from her thoughts. The clock of her computer said it was three o'clock; the punctuality of a soldier didn't fail.

"Come in, John." She didn't turn her eyes from the screen as she was just closing the files she had been going through. Instead she heard as the door opened and Dr. Watson walked in; and in a second she realized from the even pace of his footsteps on the hard-wood floor of her office that his limp was gone.

She looked at him with interest as he walked to the chair next to the window; perfectly balanced gate, no sight of any limp whatsoever. His posture was straight as it had been on the first meeting as well - Ella had paid attention to this - but now there was an aura of ease on him, something that most certainly hadn't been there before. Dr. Watson remained standing next to the chair, looking at her, his hands on his sides, as if waiting for her next move. Ella stood up herself and walked to him, offering him her hand to shake.

"John, good to see you." There was genuine warmth in her voice as she greeted him. His handshake was firm and short and the look in his eyes very calm and very solid; this man was all about getting straight to the point but always with the courtesy of a gentleman.

She let go of his hand and looked at him from head to toes. "I see that you are well?" She nodded towards his leg.

John smiled a bit, his face gaining youthfulness as he did. He patted his thigh. "Yes, I am indeed." The smile on his face coloured his voice and Ella found herself to like him a bit more.

Smiling Ella gestured him to sit down. "Please."

Ella took out her notepad and leaned back in her chair. She spent a few seconds observing the man in front of him, and could only confirm her initial feelings as he had walked in; there was definitely something changed in him. John appeared to be more relaxed, his shoulders were not tense anymore; he didn't fold his arms in a defensive gesture as he had the previous time but allowed them to rest on the armrests. As he sat there, looking at her with that calm look on his face, his whole body language was oozing of a new kind of energy.

Ella clicked her pen and smiled at him. "So, what happened? I see the limp is gone."

John grinned at him, looking very boyish as he did. "It is, yes. I sort of... forgot about it." He shrugged his shoulders as if to emphasize the casualty of the matter.

Ella raised her eyebrow in a silent question. "Forgot about it? What do you mean?"

John stayed silent for a while as if he had been thinking; but the smile still flickered in the corner of his mouth. "Well, I met this man - he is my flatmate now, actually - and - I know this is going to sound odd, but we sort of chased someone and I just forgot about the limp." John had an expression of "what-can-I-say" on his face.

Ella wrote down the words flatmate and chase?. Then she raised her eyes from the notepad only to catch John staring at what she had just wrote down. "It is not rare, actually, for a psychalgia to heal like this. People often think it takes a lengthy process of therapy and even medication, but sometimes a change in conditions is all it takes. So tell me more about this man, this- I'm sorry, I didn't catch his name? Ella paid very close attention to John and his reactions; they didn't reveal much at the moment.

John sifted a bit but the expression on his face didn't change. "Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes."

Ella wrote the name down. "And you said he is your..flatmate now?" Her tone was very neutral.

John nodded. "Yes." And then, as if he had thought of something, he added, "It's nothing like that, though, we're just flatmates."

Ella tilted her head a bit. "Like what, John?" Of course she understood what he was talking about; but it was interesting that he would emphasize the fact so strongly. In fact, it was now for the first time during the whole time Ella had spent with Dr. Watson that his cool had broken down a bit.

John shrugged. "You know. Like he would be my boyfriend."

Ella nodded. "OK. But you are friends?"

John looked slightly hesitant, so she continued. "The reason I'm asking because it is good if you make new social contacts. It will significantly help you to adjust to civilian life."

John rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I don't know if he can actually be called a social contact." He articulated the word "social" very carefully.

Ella looked surprised. "Why do you say that?" It was a peculiar statement to make of someone, and Ella couldn't help wondering what type of man this Sherlock Holmes actually was.

John crossed his fingers on his lap and leaned back in his chair. He stayed silent for a while as if thinking of what to sat; and when he finally spoke his voice had thoughtfulness in it. "He is not like anyone I have met before. He is terribly intelligent, to the point of being intimidating, and lacks most of the basic social skills the rest of us have. But he is... fascinating to be around with." John's eyes were directed somewhere behind Ella's left shoulder.

Ella wrote the characterization down and lifted her eyes back to John. "Sounds interesting. What does he do?"

John shook his head and looked back into her eyes. He appeared to have gained back his calm. "I'm not exactly sure. He says he is a consulting detective, whatever that actually means."

"Consulting detective? Like a private eye or something?" There was genuine interest in Ella's voice. This was certainly something you didn't come across with every day.

"I'm not entirely sure. But I guess I will find out, eventually." John's words were accompanied with a small smile that seemed to say "oh-you-know-what-it's-like".

She didn't, actually, but it didn't really matter. "Well, I think it is very good that you are making new contacts. And obviously Mr. Holmes had his part in you getting rid of your limp, so I can only support this kind of development. Which brings me to my question about the future of our sessions - do you wish to continue? The army has already paid for four more times, but it is up to you if you want to see me again. I personally think it might be good, but like I said, it is entirely up to you."

John looked thoughtful for a moment and then replied, "I might as well. Can't hurt."

Ella smiled a warm, open smile. "I'm glad. So, shall we talk about what else you have been up to besides chasing people with your new flatmate?"

x

x

x

After the session was over and John had left, Ella sat down in her chair and thought about him. He was an interesting man, reserved but genuine; and there had been a visible change in him since their first meeting. It wasn't only due to the lack of the limp; there was different kind of energy in him, a whole new level of vitality. She couldn't quite tell what the cause of it was but suspected strongly that this Sherlock Holmes might have something to do with it.

During the rest of their appointment Dr. Watson had returned to Sherlock a few more times; it could easily be interpreted as him making quite an impact to John. On what way, Ella couldn't tell - based on what John had mentioned Mr. Holmes seemed to be quite an eccentric, exceptional human being, and it could be that only the unusual manner of his character caused John to talk about him that much. It could also be that because of the military service, John had been somewhat deprived of the normal type of human contacts for so long that now that he had one it gained more importance; perhaps he had been lonely. It was also possible that John harvested feelings deeper than friendship for the man, but that was also something Ella had no way of knowing based on one conversation.

Whatever it was, Ella had a feeling this wouldn't be the last she would hear of Sherlock Holmes.