I had had a lot of patients in my day, but the worst by far had to be Holmes. After I had returned with Mrs Hudson's tea, he had curled himself into the chair, knees drawn up to his chest, his head resting atop them. His clothes were still wet from the rain he had so carelessly walked home in, as was his hair which clung to his forehead, and he was shivering constantly. Needless to say, he looked utterly pathetic. Maybe it was the care taker in me, but some part of me found him to look quite adorable in this state. This train of though was cut off quickly by a series of loud sneezes that had exploded forward, catching even my friend off guard. "HeTiSHOO! HaiCHOO! Huh... HAtSCHoo! EeeeTCHOO!"

"Here," said I, setting the tea down on the table and offering my hand out to him. "Let's get you changed into something a bit dryer, hmm?" He took my hand and stood, with a muttered "Yes, nanny."

After he had gotten changed and was no longer shivering, I guided him back to the sitting room and thrust the cup of tea into his hands. He lifted the cup to his lips and drank is silence for a moment, before setting it back on the table. "Watsod, I dod't udderstadd what the big deal is. It's just a sibple cold." At this, his breath began to hitch and he pulled out his handkerchief, just in time to catch three rather wet sneezes. "..AhTiSCHOO! HaaaptCHOOO! AAATCHOOO!" He rubbed his slowly reddening nose and sniffed a few times.

"Bless. And the 'big deal' is that you went out like this! How long have you been ill, Holmes?" He avoided my eyes and said nothing. "Holmes." I said, a bit sternly. "Answer me. How long have you been ill?"

"A few days..." He admitted quietly.

"A few days! So you knew you were ill when you went out on the stakeout! Why didn't you tell the Inspector you could not come? You've got to take better care of yourself!" It was that moment it had dawned on me that Holmes had not been wearing a jacket when he had came through the door. I sighed frustratedly. It was like he was trying to get Pneumonia! I stood and walked to the coat rack, grabbed Holmes' jacket and walks back over to him.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked.

"...My jacket?"

"Oh, so you do know. Why do you not wear it then?"

"I didd't thigk it was that decessary. The tebperature wasd't all that low whed I had left..." He sniffed heavily again, scrubbing furiously at his nose.

"But you're ill! You should have had the common sense to not go at all, or at least stay bundled up when you did go!"

He sighed dramatically. "Watsod, cad we please skip the lecture? I'b dyigg!" Groaning, he stretched and laid sideways in the chair of dramatic affect. I rolled my eyes at this and smiled slightly. His dramatic act was made all the more convincing when he was over taken by a fit of coughing loud enough to wake the dead, which quickly turned to a sneezing fit.

"Heh... hih... AISHOO! HetCHOO! HeIhITchOO! Hah... heh... hIIIIItCHOO! HuRRASHOO! HEhTNgXxnT! NxGXnT!...Ugh... HAtCHOO!" He blew his nose into the handkerchief and glanced at me wearily. "...If you dod't bidd, Doctor, I fully surredder byself to your care, just bake this stop!"

I could not help but chuckle at this. "I will, Holmes, but it takes time. You know what helps? Rest. And I think you're much overdue for it. When was the last time you slept?"

"About the sabe tibe as the odset of this wretched cold."

Of course. "Well then, let's get you to bed." He responded with another dramatic groan. "My bidd rebels at stagdatiod. Sleep is the furthest thigg frob be at this bobedt... EhHItCHOO!"

"Do you want to get well again sometime soon?"

"You dow what, I'b suddedly begiddigg to feel sleepy."

"I thought you would."