Chapter Six. Unconscious
My eyes flickered and I forced them open, amazed sleep had found me so easily, I had not been aware that I had been so tired. My head felt sore and heavy, I hauled my weary legs off the bed and proceeded to stand, a more difficult enterprise that I had anticipated, I immediately fell to the ground with a clatter. Minutes later Mina appeared in the doorway.
"Doctor!" She exclaimed, putting her arms around me and helping me to my feet, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, perfectly, I managed to stammer out before leaning rather too heavily I fear, back upon her arm. She bore my weight with good grace and helped me to a chair.
"I'll fetch you some tea and Mr. Holmes, he'll want to see you."
"Where is he?" I asked, almost as desperate to see him.
"Asleep in my room."
With that seemingly perfectly innocent statement which nearly caused me to fall to the floor once again, I watched her glide off towards a staircase in the corner of the room and vanish from my view. I placed my head in my hands, a greenish light was swirling before my eyes and I felt very nauseous. I closed my eyes wanting to drown out the ringing in my head and could not. As a doctor I had to say I was somewhat concerned as to my condition, I did not recognise any of my symptoms and should a patient have come to me looking as bad as I did, I would not have known what to say. Before I could contemplate my doom any further Holmes was by my side, he took my face in his hands and peered into my almost closed eyes.
"Watson, can you hear me?" His voice was soft, and although he was close to me I could not focus on his face. I nodded to show my assent.
"Good, then listen to me. I fear you have been drugged, how they got to you I do not know, but I promise you Watson I'll find out what it is and I'll save you. I promise…"
Holmes' hands on my face became a blur and my eyes closed of their own accord, soon I could feel the air below me and after that…nothing…
"Watson?!" My blood froze in my veins as I watched him fall unconscious to the floor. Mina ran to him and checked his pulse, I only breathed again when she turned to me and smiled. Together we lifted him back to the bed; I unfastened his collar and felt his pulse, almost to reassure myself that he was indeed alive. It was fast and light, he had begun to sweat profusely and a red mark had begun to appear on his neck. I looked closer, the veins were inflamed and the skin burning. I could not stand to look at him.
"It is a good thing he is unconscious, the pain would be unbearable."
Mina said from behind me. I glanced at her, but did not smile.
"I have to go."
I took a last look at Watson, silently cursing my own need for sleep and brushed past Mina, who grasped my arm and spun me around to face her.
"You can't."
"I have to."
"But it could be dangerous."
I smiled and placed my hand over hers.
"My dear girl, my entire existence is dangerous."
"I have already lost one love; I do not intend to lose another."
Her eyes almost stopped me, so pleading and desperate were they. But Watson was dying and nothing was more important than that. I kissed her cheek and felt her tears on my skin. Without stopping and without looking back I left them both. Only God had any say over my life now and I prayed as I have never done before that my mission would be a successful one.
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Eek…Who will survive? The next chapter will hopefully reveal all! These chapters are unfortunately shorter than I would like but I'm writing them at work when…I'm supposed to be working…Please review and let me know what you think.
