Chapter 10-Mrs. Hudson
It took Sherlock all of two minutes to realize that something was wrong. By his standards, this was positively sluggish. He had been puzzling over why John was leaving so early when it hit him. He raced up the stairs to John's room and found his fears confirmed. The alarm clock on the bedside table read 7:13 am. He glanced at his own watch and saw that it was really only 5:57. Someone had changed the alarm clock after Sherlock and John had gone down to the sitting room. This same person must also have altered John's watch, although he wasn't sure how the intruder had accomplished this. There was only one person who would go to so much trouble to kidnap John. Sebastian Moran. As Sherlock raced back down the stairs he realized that he had never heard the front door close, and John always closed it quite loudly. He hurried down just to check and saw that it was indeed halfway open. He yanked it all the way open and ran out into the street, startling a pair of cats that were fighting over a scrap of meat. He glanced up and down the street, but it was too late. Whoever had taken John was long gone. Sherlock went back inside, slamming the door behind him in frustration. He leaned back against the door and placed his hands together, furrowing his brow in thought. He was startled out of his reverie by the sound of shattering porcelain followed by a small squeak. He looked up to see Mrs. Hudson standing before him, one hand on her chest, with a shattered teacup on the ground at her feet. She stared at him for a long moment, unable to say a word and he rushed forward to help her into her sitting room. He sat her down in a chair and knelt in front of her, checking her pulse and her temperature.
"Really, Mrs. Hudson," he said, leaping to his feet and surveying her from his towering height. "I don't know what's gotten into you. Your pulse is a bit high, but you aren't running a temperature, and in every respect seem perfectly healthy. So why the dropped teacup and the sudden inability to speak? It isn't some disease you contracted while I was away?"
"Away?" she finally managed in what was almost a squeak. "Away? My goodness, Sherlock, you're dead!" Sherlock sighed impatiently.
"So everyone keeps telling me, and yet here I am. Do use your senses, Mrs. Hudson. They will all inform you that I am alive and well and standing in your sitting room."
"But you've been gone for three years! You fell from the roof of that hospital. How on earth…?" Her question trailed off as if she didn't know how to end it. Sherlock got down on one knee in front of her and took her hands in his.
"Mrs. Hudson, I need you to focus now. We can talk about all of that later, but right now I need you to focus. I'm going out for a bit. If anyone calls to talk about John, I need you to call me immediately. Do you understand?" She looked at him, a bit bewildered.
"Isn't John here? I was just taking him a nice cuppa tea."
"No, John's just been taken. That's why I need to go out so that…"
"Taken!" Mrs. Hudson interrupted. "Taken where? Who took him?" Sherlock closed his eyes to hide his frustration.
"If I knew that, Mrs. Hudson, I wouldn't need to go out looking for him." He stood up. "Now please, do as I ask and keep an ear out for the…" Again, he was interrupted, but this time by a buzzing in his jacket pocket. He whipped out his phone and saw a new text message from a blocked number.
I have John. Do as I say or he will be hurt.
"Well, as threats go, not particularly original, but then again this isn't Moriarty, only one of his henchmen. Well Mrs. Hudson, it seems I have detained you for no reason. I must be off. Don't wait up!" He dashed out of the room and into the hallway.
"Sherlock!" cried Mrs. Hudson. "Sherlock, what's going on?" He let out a boisterous, slightly mad laugh as he walked back and took her by the shoulders, mimicking his actions on that first day with John, the case with the lady in pink.
"Oh, don't you see? Don't you get it? The game, Mrs. Hudson, is on!" With one more laugh he bounded out of the house, shutting the door firmly behind him.