I was so absorbed in the novel Sherlock had lent me I didn't notice him moving to the table with a microscope, a set of beakers and a bunsen burner among other scientific equiptment. I glanced over at one point when I heard him muttering to himself and that's when I noticed the statue in his hands. My eyes narrowed at him but he didn't seem to notice, fully concentrating on the item in his hand. Shaking my head I resumed reading slightly wounded that he'd taken it from me.
Even when John returned a few hours later I kept my head down my eyes focused on the words on the page. John stared at Sherlock who barely looked up then at me but I just gav him a quick nod, giving Sherlock another frown before I returned to my book.
"Did I miss something, Holmes?" Watson asked his friend who finally looked up.
"Oh there you are, Watson. So far my analysis of the statue has come up with nothing of interest. I'm still not convinced it can allow someone to travel through time. It is unheard of." He told Watson and I slammed the book closed, causing both men to turn their attention to me. "Is something the matter, Katherine?"
"Call me a liar to my face why don't you?" I snapped, setting the book on the floor beside my chair. "Hmph I should have known your kindness towards me wouldn't last. I saved your life and this is how you repay me?"
"Katherine, I never said I thought you were a liar." Sherlock replied, setting the statue down on the table. "But I still find it improbable." Shaking my head at him I climbed to my feet instantly feeling woozy and within moments Watson was at my side. I took his offered hand and after he helped me back into my chair I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders, gasping a little.
"Yet here I am, Sherlock." I pointed out with a weak smile, breathing a little harder than normal. "Or am I a figment of your imagination?" I teased and he gave me a smirk, Watson grinning.
"No one could have thought you up, Katherine. Not even me." Sherlock replied after a pause and I giggled, Toby letting out a bark at that.
Reaching over I retrieved the book I'd dropped and as I returned to reading it Sherlock turned back to the statue, Watson watching on silently.
Hours passed and after fighting it I began to fall asleep, not noticing when the book slipped out of my hands. But Sherlock noticed and he caught it before it hit the floor setting it down on the table before he looked back to Katherine. Eyes shut she sighed in her sleep and Sherlock couldn't help the tiny smile that made his lips curl up.
Finally asleep. Maybe now I can interrogate those two men and be back before Katherine wakes. I still need to figure out just how they managed to get this time-travel device to work. If I leave now I should have enough time to travel there by cab and be back before Katherine notices I've gone.
Sherlock headed to his room to retrieve his coat but as he started for the front door he couldn't help looking back at Katherine, her head now resting on one of the armchair's armrests. Nearly a minute passed until Sherlock realized how long he'd been standing with his hand on the doorkob and with a frown he headed towards the top of the stairs, the door closing stirring me from my dreams to find only Toby in the room.
It took me a few seconds to clear my head and once I did I sighed to myself, knowing that he'd left me again.
If I could walk I would walk straight out of here. But then where would I go?
With those thoughts in my head I leant back, the edge of the blanket between my fingers as I fiddled with it.
I saved his life, I took a bullet to the hip for him and yet he doesn't seem to care that now I'm stuck here until I'm healed. I can barely stand without help.
As if he could sense I was upset Toby wandered over to me, whining softly and I gave me a tiny smile. Reaching down I gave his head a scratch and he stared up at me with his head tilted slightly to one side. "I don't know how you can stand that detective. He gets so focused on his case that he forgets other people exist. Dogs too." I added and Toby barked, wagging his tail. "You know what? I'll give him a taste of his own medicine and see how he likes being ignored." I told him and Toby barked, making me smile. "Thanks, Toby. You're a really good boy."
Right now Sherlock was in Scotland Yard and as he walked slowly towards the cells at the back his hand went to his coat pocket again, his left hand brushing the statue concealed there.
I should interrogate Jaime first since he seems to be the one in charge. If he wouldn't talk there's always Taylor.
"Constable, please bring this man in for interrogation." Sherlock asked once he reached the cell containing both men. Jaime sneered at the detective but Taylor avoided his eyes, staring at the floor at his feet instead.
"Now...Jaime, was it? Why did you kidnap my client?" Sherlock asked, arms crossed as he stared down at Jaime. The man just glared at him, copying Sherlock instead of answering. "I know you were trying to steal the statue at the museum. The young woman we ran into told us that much."
"It was ours and she stole it from us." Jaime shot back and Sherlock just shook his head, waving his hand in the air. "I'm not telling you anything else."
"She took the statue that you and your acomplice tried to steal. She was set on giving it to the authorities until she saw the gun. So she ran and you gave chase. What I don't know is what happened between the point she escaped and when she ran into Watson and I. Would you like to fill me in on that?"
"You'll get nothing from me, Holmes. Lock us up if you want but eventually we'll be released. It's her word against ours and there's no evidence we shot her anyway aside from that flesh wound. I bet you didn't find the gun?" Jaime taunted and Sherlock just paused, rubbing his chin. "Of course you don't. While you were distracted I pulled it apart, smashing the pieces so you or anyone else wouldn't be able to reassemble it."
"So you had this all planned from the start?" Sherlock asked and Jaime just laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Clever but you're still going to jail for kidnapping."
"Like I said it's her word against mine. I'll be back on the streets in a few days and there's nothing you can do about it, Holmes." Jaime choked out, tears of laughing running down his cheeks. Shaking his head at the criminal, Sherlock left the room as the officer outside returned to escort Jaime back to his cell.
I cannot believe that this criminal had the foresight to discard the gun he intended to use to murder me. He wouldn't have had time to discard it competely before Inspector Lestrade arrived so where could the pieces be?
Sherlock thought about this as he headed back towards the front of the police station instantly stopping as an idea formed in his mind.
Of course! The abandoned warehouse where we rescued Katherine may still contain the missing pieces of the pistol. All I need to do is locate them and this case is solved. If Watson is back by the time I return to Baker Street he can assist me.
With the ghost of a smile on his face, Sherlock headed outside to call a cab back to his apartment. At the same time as the cab pulled up outside Scotland Yard, Watson arrived back at Baker Street and I raised my head from my book.
"Afternoon, John. If you're wondering where Sherlock went I have no idea. He left before I woke up." I told him as I set my book down beside the armchair. "I guess I wasn't important enough for him to tell me anything." I answered with a loud sigh.
"Don't take it to heart, Katherine. Sherlock takes a lot of getting used to." John told me moving to my side. "Now how are you feeling?"
"Not too bad. The cuts on my cheek itch a bit though." I replied and he gave me a nod. "I've been trying not to scratch them but it isn't easy. My hip itches a lot more."
"You should leave them be. Otherwise they won't heal properly." John explained as he set his medical bag down on the table beside the chessboard. "Is there anything you need?"
"A bath would be great right now. That and a clean pair of clothes." I told him after a few seconds of thought. "Of course it might be a little difficult with a bandaged hip." I admitted, leaning back with a slight frown on my face.
"If you can't bathe I can at least get you some clean clothes." John suggested and I nodded, sitting straighter with a tiny smile. "I'll speak to Mrs Hudson." He added as he started to head for the door, newly repaired since our break-in. He returned a few minutes later with something in his hands just in time to nearly be knocked off his feet by Sherlock.
"Where's the fire?" I commented and both detective and doctor gave me a blank stare. "It means...never mind. Did you interrogate those two monsters?"
"How did you know that, Katherine?" John asked and I nodded towards Sherlock who raised an eyebrow at me, a slight smile on his lips.
"Jaime and Taylor are in Scotland Yard so it makes sense that's where you would head next. Though it would have been nice of you to tell me before you left." I explained, rubbing at my cheek. "It's only polite."
"Did you learn anything useful from them, Holmes?" John asked as Sherlock crossed the room, heading to the window.
"The pistol used wasn't picked up by Inspector Lestrade. After an interesting word with Jaime he admitted taking it apart and discarding the pieces. Therefore it must still be somewhere in the warehouse they brought you to, Katherine." Sherlock explained, looking out the window for a moment.
"Geeze that's actually pretty smart." I commented, rubbing at my cheek again. "I can't believe I just complimented them." I grumbled and at my side Toby wagged his tail.
"It doesn't matter. All I need to do is find the gun. Watson, will you acompany me to Whitechapel?" He asked, making a bee line for his room before John had time to come up with an answer. As he disappeared inside John shook his head and I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth, stifling a laugh when John threw his hands up in defeat.
"Is he always this annoying?" I asked as soon as I was sure Sherlock was well out of earshot. Getting a nod from John I looked towards the bedroom door, snorting as Sherlock reappeared wearing a scarf wrapped securily around his neck. "So you're leaving me again? Oh well Toby's better at looking after me than you are, Sherlock." I told him and he just shrugged apparently not at all bothered. Crossing my arms I watched them both leave me with Toby for company.
How does John and Mrs Hudson put up with Sherlock? He might be a genius detective but he clearly has no idea how to talk to a woman. Oh hell I forgot I was supposed to be ignoring I forgot to ask John about the clothes.
But as I started to sit back I noticed something lying on the table. I leant forward as far as I could without toppling over to find a pile of clothing sitting neatly folded, the same ones I remembered seeing gripped tightly in John's hands.
Knowing I couldn't stand without the risk of hitting the carpet I gripped the armrests and Toby watched in silence as I shifted the chair forward four times, leaving me a little winded. Once I got my breath back I leant forward, grabbing the clothes with the tips of my fingers and pulling them towards my lap.
"These are some nice clothes." I whispered, looking over the black shirt for a few seconds before I set it back down on my lap. "Wow now this is pretty." Holding up an ankle-length skirt I turned it around with a grin, admiring the shade of purple. "Huh I'm surprised Mrs Hudson had these clothes."
Shaking my head I carefully set them over my shoulder before I tried to rise from my seat, my legs shaking as soon as I lifted myself up. "Oh wonderful. How am I supposed to change if I can't even...hello, what's this?" I muttered to myself, reaching towards something resting against my armchair. With a shake of my head I retrieved the cane sitting there and after taking a deep breath I made another attempt to stand, using the cane this time.
This time I found myself standing and as I hobbled towards the bedroom to my right, my change of clothes draped over my shoulder, I couldn't help a tiny smile.