TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Sat, 29 Aug 16:45 GMT
SUBJECT: Hello! from Rwanda
Hi Sherlock,
How was your flight back to London? Did you get stuck sitting next to someone chatty on the plane? I always seem to find myself seated next to the most talkative people. Most of the time I don't mind it – I love talking to strangers and getting a glimpse into their lives. It's funny though, finding yourself intimately part of these strangers' lives for such a brief moment of time, only to get up from your seat after landing and never see them again. Sometimes, in the week following a flight, I would think back to that person, and wonder what they were doing. It used to be that way, during my time in Afghanistan. I'd treat soldiers, sewing them up and sending them on their way, never to (hopefully) see them again. I think back, now and then, to the more memorable patients, and wonder where they are now, or what they're doing?
Blimey, that took an unexpected turn! I had meant for this to be a casual, "Hi! How are you?" sort of email, but I just dove right on into the heavy stuff, didn't I? How is home? How is London? Is the heat awful? I had a note from my mum last week and she said that it hasn't rained in what seemed like ages, and that the heat was taking a toll on her back garden.
What have you been up to? Are you settling back into life? Preparing for the new term?
Well, I had better sign off now. Write when you can. Things are rather dull around here.
Cheers, John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Sat, 29 Aug 23:17 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: Hello! from London
John,
My flight was interminable. I was seated next to the most tedious German frau who insisted in cataloguing each one of her precious dogs. Apparently she breeds Affenpinschers and thought perhaps I would enjoy a description of their lineage. I tried to explain to her that I was disinterested in any conversation with her, but it wasn't until I reminded her of her sister's recent brush with the law in America that she let the rest of the flight pass in silence. (Since I know you would have asked – a ticket stub from a parking garage at the Municipal Court of Atlanta dated three weeks ago, American Traveller's cheques tucked into her passport, a stopwatch in her handbag for timing phone calls with her sister's solicitor, and a pen with the law office's name.)
I typically do not enjoy flying, for a myriad of reasons. It's not so much that I am nervous, or afraid of the act itself. In fact, the certain death that accompanies plane crashes is far less nerve wracking than the uncertainty of other types of transportation fatalities. No, the reason I dislike flying is the boredom that accompanies it. No matter how much tempting reading material I pack, I'm never inspired to read once I'm in the air. I cannot sleep in such uncomfortable and confined spaces. I much prefer travelling over long distances by train, but as you know, Africa's rail system is about as developed as America's.
Your mother is right—it is insufferably hot here. Yesterday it was near 30 degrees. I've asked Mycroft if there is nothing in his power to do about it, but he seems unmotivated to help.
The fall term begins in a couple weeks. Most of my fellow faculty have returned to UCL from their summer holidays. In fact, I must end this missive here as I have a faculty meeting in fifteen minutes.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Fri, 04 Sept 06:07 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ explosive lakes
Sherlock,
Sorry for the delay in writing. The rainy season has begun here, which has meant an increase in cases of malaria in hospital. The staff has been kept busy for the past four days and I've barely had time to sleep and eat. Fortunately we had a new batch of WHO staff arrive last week so they were fresh off the plane and ready to work. Unfortunately, that meant that some folks left for home or another posting. Thankfully Adelaide and Mike are still here and we're trying to show the newbies the ropes in the midst of the influx malaria.
Last week, before the craziness began, I went fishing with Daniel from the village and his brother Ibrahim on Lake Kivu. There was little to catch that day, and Ibrahim admitted that the lake's yields have been in decline over the last several years, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. While we were out on the water, Daniel and Ibrahim told me about Lake Kivu's fascinating history. Apparently it is susceptible to limnic eruptions, where CO2 trapped in the deepest water of the lake escapes the water in large amounts, basically suffocating all of the life around it. Have you heard of this? Apparently Kivu is one of three lakes like this in the whole world, all of them are in Africa. One such eruption occurred at Lake Nyos (in Cameroon) in 1986 and killed 1700 people and 3500 livestock. It's horrifying, for sure, but still extremely fascinating!
What I think is especially eerie about this is the lack of warning that comes with limnic eruptions. There's no noise, or preceding sign that alerts the oncoming disaster. There's no way to predict when an eruption to occur. All this time, I've been living just kilometres from a ticking time bomb and had no idea. It's a little jarring to suddenly be walking around with this knowledge, but I suppose it's not so different from Afghanistan, is it?
Are you looking forward to the start of term? What are you teaching? If you don't here from me by next week, I've probably either contracted malaria or been suffocated by a killer lake.
Cheers, John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Sun, 06 Sept 19:13 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ Molly says "hello"
Killer lake? Really, John?
I am not looking forward to the start of classes. Sometimes I truly resent having to suspend my research to prepare for the term. The only upside this year is that Lestrade has just been hired on by the faculty in the archaeology department. He, at least, is bearable, and not impossible to work with unlike the rest of the faculty.
Lestrade has encouraged me to take on a graduate research assistant. I informed him that students, even moderately intelligent graduate students, don't like me and are a waste of my time. He reminded me that I would need a few students to write letters for my tenure file and that calling them all imbeciles, even if deserved, wouldn't garner me any favours. And so, I have a new lackey. Mr. Wiggins is helpful occasionally, and is expedient in his coffee and tea fetching, so I suppose I can tolerate him for a little while.
Molly has insisted we meet up for lunch on a regular basis. I am allowing this in exchange for access to her lab, which has just received a new Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 SE that I am eager to use. She sends her regards and hopes that you will let her take us out for drinks when you arrive in London. I've told her not to get her hopes up, that I'm sure we'll be too busy for drinks with her.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Thurs, 10 Sept 14:02 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ oesophageal ulcers!
Sherlock,
I think you barely tolerate me, so I have a hard time imagining you working with students. It's a shame I'll be home during the school holiday; I'd love a chance to see you interacting with your students.
Yesterday I had a surgical case, which as you know are pretty rare around here. A young male patient, 16 years old, presented with problems swallowing and breathing. I suspected an upper GI blockage and prepped the young man for an upper GI endoscopy. An hour later, I had cauterized a rare oesophageal ulcer and assured my patient he would make a full recovery. Not a glamorous or especially thrilling surgery but was happy to have the chance to help him.
There isn't much else to report here; one of the other British doctors has taught the women who cook for us how to make cheese toasties. It was a delicious break from the usual menu, but it's been five days in a row now of cheese on toast, and I never thought I'd wish for a bowl of yam and pigeon pea stew.
The lake remains dormant for another day, and I remain malaria free. There have been reports over that last few weeks of increased sectarian violence in the DRC. This isn't anything all that new, and it's far across the border. The WHO sends out these safety memos about once a month, so there's not really anything to worry about.
Tell Molly I said 'hi' and that I'd love to get drinks.
Cheers, John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Sun, 13 Sept 02:44 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ Russian classical composers
Sometimes, when I'm alone in my lab in the basement of the Archaeology department, I conduct entire symphonies. The ideal time of day for this is late at night, as it is now. I've finished my work for the day and am debating on getting a taxi home, or just sleeping in my office before the lab I have to supervise at 9 AM. But I digress.
One of my favourite composers is Alexander Borodin – a Russian chemist and doctor-cum-composer. His compositions are extremely mathematical and yet retain an air of mystery that is entirely unexplainable. Math and science are precise; their existence based wholly on proofs and certainty. Yet Borodin is able to combine two such antipodal elements: the free spirit and expressive nature of music and the rooted-in-facts essence of science. His music is such a beautiful contradiction.
Please stay safe, John.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Mon, 14 Sept 23:27 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ TOO MUYCH WHISKKEYY
Sherlockk!
I miss you! Is it ok if i say that to you? Africa is boring without you here and I wish you were here instead of in London teaching your swotty students.
I'm a little drunk, if we're honest with ourselves. One of the doctors got a birthday package from his mates in America and they sent him a bottle of whiskey from his hometown in Kentucky. I like whiskey, do you like whiskey?
Rwanda is so so boring. I miss being a surgeon. I miss the trauma. I miss you and your pretty eyes. Adelaide says our eyes are a mark of our personality. She says that your eyes are stormy and that it reflects your deep running passions. I told her she sounded like a limp teen mag and to shut it, but then she said my eyes meant that I was strong and dependable and I thought maybe she was onto something? I can't wait for December to get here. It's so far away before I can see you again.
Please don't be cross that I got drunk and sent you an email. I don't want to send this to you, but Adelaide is sitting here and she is going to make me hit 'send'.
Bye Sherlock! ;p
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Tues, 15 Sept 10:05 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ complete and utter shame
Dear Sherlock,
I sodding hate whiskey. I sodding hate Africa. I sodding hate Adelaide and Dr. Wilson whose birthday prompted whiskey and its consumption.
I am so embarrassed. Will you please do me a favour and delete that email and pretend that I never sent it?
Can't talk for long. I have to crawl back to bed and die from embarrassment and/or this sodding hangover. Shall email again when you've discovered time travel and we can go back to a time when I didn't send you that email last night.
Miserably, John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Tues, 15 Sept 21:19 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ family is tedious
You're right, Adelaide does sound like a limp teen mag and her views on many things should be taken with as much credibility as one places on the latest issue of Bliss or Shout. Perhaps you should stay away from the liquor for a bit? ;p ;p
I am having lunch with my mother tomorrow. Hopefully Mycroft won't be there, otherwise I may have to fake a latent illness. Do you know of anything that I can pretend to have contracted in Africa that has an incubation period of twenty days? He recently received a promotion and will no doubtedly be insufferable as a result. Correction: more insufferable than usual.
You mention being bored and missing trauma surgery. Have you considered what you might do when you finish up this rotation?
Time travel is dull. You should really be more excited for the discovery of travel between alternate universes. I frequently wonder what all the other versions of myself are getting up to. When I was too young to know better, I wanted to be a pirate. I wonder if there is a version of myself out there that is currently swashbuckling across the high seas. Whatever his occupation, I hope that at least one other version of myself has a similarly alternate John Watson for company.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Sat, 19 Sept 06:31 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ some introspection
Sherlock,
I haven't thought much about what I'll do after this rotation ends. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't dissatisfied with the way things are currently (probably shouldn't be saying that via official email, but I've seen some of the photos that Adelaide sends her partner back in Australia. It's downright filthy.) but I don't imagine that my desire to help others will vanish as soon as I step back on British terra firma. I imagine a lot of this will depend on a series of conversations that you and I have. Not to put any sort of pressure on the situation, of course.
How was your lunch with your mother? Do you get on well with her? I've always been close with my mum. She doesn't like that I've been away for so long – first Afghanistan and now this. I think it would be nice to be closer to her and my sister's family. I don't know my nieces very well and would like to be a bigger part of their lives as they grow up.
Its difficult to balance all of the expectations in our lives—what I want from myself and my career, the expectations from my family and what they need/want from me, and the expectations of friends and co-workers. Eventually, I imagine there will be expectations from a partner or spouse that will need to be considered as well.
After I came home from Afghanistan, I saw a therapist for a little while. She said that I put too much pressure on myself to conform to the expectations of others. I suppose I've just given proof to that theory, eh? She said that I am, to a fault, a chronic people-pleaser and she encouraged me to try harder to please myself and take the things that I want before deferring to the wants of others. My time abroad has definitely been against the wishes of my mother, but there were others who I would say influenced my decisions.
Anyway. What are your plans for the weekend? I hope you don't spend all of it in the lab.
Fondly, John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Tues, 22 Sept 11:34 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ Molly is my human relationship counsellor
John,
I would not say that I am close to my mother. She has always been overbearing and seeks to have undue influence over my life. That being said, she has always encouraged me to pursue my interests and is rarely critical of my life choices. She and I get along better than Mycroft; Mother has always struggled with understanding Mycroft's drives and personality. He is, as I have been told, very much like my father was in temperament and passions, which frustrates my mother.
The other day, while at lunch with Molly, she explained that when it comes time for you and I to have the discussions you referred to in your previous email, that I ought to offer some concessions of my own. She described relationships as equal partnerships in which both parties have an equal and vested interest. So you may want to be thinking about such things.
This being said let me be clear about one thing: I have no desire to influence or exhort you into making a decision about your future career plans. I know that we will have to have this conversation if we wish to begin things as we mean to go on. If there are sticking points for you, or things you might need for us to compromise on, than I of course am open to hearing those suggestions and may be willing to discuss them.
Molly also said we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves and begin this discussion via email. Not only is it perhaps premature (a point which I agree with), but this should really be discussed face to face. Unless you have other things to add at this time, I suggest we table all talks of this nature until we can have them on the same continent.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Fri, 25 Sept 14:57 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ childhood injuries
Did I ever tell you about the time I broke my arm? After Harry was old enough, my mum would leave the two of us home by ourselves during summer hols. Mum didn't work very far away, so if there had been an emergency, she was close by. But one summer, I was eight or nine, Harry had just gotten a new bike for her birthday. With her new mode of transportation, she gifted me her old pair of roller skates. But as I had yet to learn how to skate, she offered to pull me behind her bike. This worked fine for about a block and I'm sure you can deduce what happened next. Fortunately I had sense enough to let go of the towrope and escaped with minor scrapes and a broken right arm. I spent the rest of the summer collecting autographs from my mates and shoving lollypop sticks down my cast to scratch the skin beneath.
It's been pretty quiet here this week. One of the young girls from the village fell out of a tree she had been climbing in and broke her arm, which made me think of my story. After I set and cast the arm, I gave her a marker and explained to her about collecting signatures.
Adelaide and a few other doctors leave middle of next month. I'll be sad to see them go, but am taking solace in the fact that soon it will be my turn to leave.
How are you getting on with your young graduate assistant? Have you chased him away yet? Any recent cases with the Met?
John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Sat, 26 Sept 07:02 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ stubborn grad students
John,
I am beginning to suspect that my grad student is a glutton for punishment. Perhaps he is a masochist? I am not purposely trying to drive him away; it can't be denied that he is worth keeping around. He knows my coffee and tea preferences and fetches them with little complaint. Occasionally he brings pastries as well. His competency with the research aside, he's worth having around purely for the baked goods.
Yet, it has been three weeks and Mr. Wiggins hasn't thrown me over for a different tutor. The other two students I have taken on this year (I know I haven't mentioned them before which is because they're not worth mentioning. Only of average intelligence.) have stuck around because they're afraid of me and because I'm brilliant enough in my field. I am a difficult person to work with, as many can attest. What's more, few people would claim to enjoy my company—I know that I have a prickly personality. Why Mr. Wiggins, and to a greater extent, you, John, are willing to put up with me, is beyond my understanding.
There is a hint of fall in the air today. The temperatures at night are consistently cool and the leaves in Regent's Park are starting to take on an autumnal hue.
Until December,
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Fri, 03 Oct 16:25 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ a rushed quickie
Hi Sherlock!
Just dropping a quick note to let you know that I'm alive and that I haven't forgotten you. It's been madness here. A few weeks ago, one of the rebel groups in the DRC staged a fairly bloodless coup in Bukavu. Bukavu is a bigger city just across the border in the DRC and this ordinarily wouldn't be such a big deal (I wasn't kidding about bloodless, only 4 people were killed), except now the UFDLC is using Bukavu as a sort of capital and ranging out into the DRC countryside, decimating smaller villages and mining towns. Again, while this is a tragedy, we're hardly impacted here. Except on Tuesday we began seeing a few refugees from the villages closer to the Rwandan border. As one of the bigger municipal buildings on this side of the country, we've had a good number of refugees show up here seeking assistance. The hospital has turned into a bit of a de facto refugee triage centre. I've stopped counting how many people we've seen, but I think the hospital administrators are estimating over five hundred since Tuesday morning.
Obviously the hospital isn't really equipped to handle this, but we're making do. The WHO has sent another shipment of food and supplies from Kigali, and the hospital staff are all having to pull extra shifts. This has been my first moment to sit down and breathe since Wednesday lunchtime. Remember when I complained a few weeks ago that I was bored? Definitely not anymore!
I need to run off. I've got a few hours to shower, eat something, and hopefully grab a bit of sleep. I will try and email you again as soon as I'm able.
Bye! –John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Sun, 04 Oct 08:32 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ a decided lack of sectarian violence
John,
I'm glad things have picked up at the hospital, but I await your reply to say you're still safe. These rebel groups are hardly predictable in their violence. Are you treating many patients? Seeing many injuries?
I won't prattle on about my trivialities. Healing refugees and facing off armed African rebels makes my faculty meetings and lab report grading seem paltry and insignificant.
Send me word as soon as you're able, even if it's just a quick note.
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Wed, 07 Oct 13:03 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ a hospital waiting room full of refugees and 2 goats
Things are still a bit pear shaped here. It's mostly dehydration and the odd cuts and bruises coming, but still people are coming here because they have no idea where else to go. Once we're sure they can make the journey, we're attempting to send people to either Cyangugu (40 km away) or Gisenyi (150 km away). We've seen a decrease in the number of people we receive each day, and those that we've talked to have said that the UFDLC seem to be withdrawing back into Bukavu in the DRC. It's still not clear to me what this group is doing, but what are any of them doing? The WHO isn't talking about pulling our people out, and I just got off the phone with the British Consulate in Kigali and they're not threatening to send us home yet either. The WHO team leader with us here is "monitoring the situation and will make a decision to evacuate when it becomes necessary to do so."
I'll email again when I can.
John
TO:
FROM: sholmes2 .uk
Thurs, 08 Oct 23:16 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from London w/ a decided lack of goats and refugees
I had my monthly unavoidable lunch with my brother today. He was his usual deplorable self. As he has his hands in many an international pot, I inquired about the UFDLC and their current conflict. He reiterated that the situation seems to be managing itself and that the Western regions of Rwanda seem to be in no immediate danger.
I have taken on a new case this week. A developer has just broken ground on a new Argos in Lincolnshire and they found a few remains. I've been called up tomorrow morning to investigate and excavate. The developer is obviously quite motivated to be on with his superstore construction, so I don't imagine this will take very long. I'll let you know what I find, shall I?
Be safe,
SH
TO: sholmes2 .uk
FROM:
Sun, 10 Oct 18:45 GMT
SUBJECT: RE: RE: Hello! from Rwanda w/ a goat free hospital waiting room
Sherlock,
Things seem to be getting back to normal (such as normal is around here) and we haven't had a new refugee since yesterday morning. It seems as though things did indeed sort themselves out.
I've just popped back to my room to shower and change my clothes. I told Adelaide I would have a drink with her tonight in a sort of celebration to the end of the crisis. Definitely will have a chance to write more tomorrow before my shift.
Until then,
John