Title: Beyond Control
Summary: Watson is hypnotised into attempting to assassinate Holmes.
Spoilers: Both films
Spot the shameless homage to Supernatural... ;)
Sherlock locked eyes with Watson, and for a moment recalled the instant their eyes had met before he plunged into that waterfall. It was a similar feeling of imminent danger, of adrenaline rising in preparation. But it was different this time. Then, he had seen shock, fear, horror; now, only coldness. The gun in Watson's hand was not to protect him, it was aimed at him.
His own face, he knew, was a mask of control and calm. Inside, he dismissed the feeling of betrayal that had unconsciously risen up; this was not Watson's fault, it was not in Watson's control.
He had been hypnotised.
"Watson. You are not thinking clearly- put the gun down and consider the facts." Holmes said calmly, though he suspected there was nothing he could say that would get through.
"The facts are as follows, Mr. Holmes" Watson started, voice steely and unmoved. "You are a self-absorbed, immature, arrogant, insensitive and reckless man who has consistently put me and many others in danger. You have no comprehension of the destruction and chaos you leave in your wake. " Watson intoned mechanically.
Holmes spoke quickly, but calmly, maintaining eye contact.
"All valid points I've no doubt- but you are not a killer Watson."
"I am killing a cancer - as any good doctor would."
The shot rang out suddenly and Holmes fell to the ground. Watson stood frozen to the spot for a moment, before his eyes became stunned, uncomprehending of what had just happened. It was as though he had been sleepwalking, and he had just woken up. He dropped the gun in shock. Holmes coughed and struggled to sit up, eyeing Watson at the same time.
"Are you back with us, Watson?" He wheezed out.
Watson rushed to his side, confusion on his features as he examined the wound. But there was only a tiny amount of blood - more than anything else, there was salt. It took his confused mind a while to comprehend that the bullet had been salt, not a standard lethal, metal bullet. It was just salt.
What troubled him was that when he had aimed it at his best friend and pulled the trigger, he had believed it to be a genuine, lethal bullet. He felt sick and stayed kneeling on the floor as Holmes stood upright.
Holmes leaned heavily on the edge of a table, coughing.
"Experiment, partial success. Next time, flour." he muttered to himself.
"Holmes..." Watson whispered "My God Holmes, I shot you.."
"Yes, but with a non-" Holmes coughed again before continuing "a non-lethal bullet! One of my own design, I might add." despite the pain he was obviously in, Holmes still managed to look smug.
At the coughing Watson looked at the wound and moved to auto-pilot, guiding Holmes to a seat and unbuttoning his shirt to take a closer look. Fragments of salt had embedded themselves into the detective's skin, radiating out from an ugly, swelling bruise right over his heart. Holmes flicked some of the salt off him then did the buttons up.
"I've had worse in the ring." he dismissed. "Watson, you look ghastly. Perhaps you are in need of fortification." he stood and went to pour them both a drink, handing one to the doctor and tactfully ignoring the shaking hands that received it.
"I apologise that once again you are made an unwilling participant in a case." Holmes said, taking a couple of seconds to observe his friend, who still looked shaken. They sat down and Watson took a deep breath and squared up somewhat.
"What case?" he asked.
"Moriarty may be dead, but his methods live on. These are dangerous times, Watson. That is why I commissioned two irregulars to keep an eye on you, at all times, and report to me should anything seem to be...amiss."
Watson raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"This morning they reported you visiting a patient..."
Watson thought back but the memory of that morning seemed strangely out of reach, as though he were just on the verge of remembering but couldn't quite recall.
"Nothing unusual in that of itself. However, this patient, Sanford Ellicott, is one of Moriarty's associates...currently under the leadership of Colonel Moran. Dr. Ellicott is also a world-leading hypnotist."
"He...hypnotised me into trying to kill you?"
"One of a long line of rather dull and obvious attempts by Moran to assassinate me. He lacks the imagination or skill of his predecessor. In fact it's becoming rather tiresome."
"Holmes." Watson said, suddenly. "What I said, while hypnotised..."
"Honestly, Watson! Do not dwell on such a trifling matter when there is a case at hand." To Watson's astonishment, Holmes sounded genuinely irate.
"But Holmes-"
"Watson, when dealing with the uglier side of human nature, such events are unfortunately made inevitable. Even I do not have an entirely perfect record. After all, I did get you blown up. And land us in prison..."
"Need I remind you that I dropped a building on you?" Watson said in exasperation.
"I threw your wife out of a moving train."
"I shot you!"
"I ruined your honeymoon."
"You...I shot you Holmes!" Watson said incredulously, not letting Holmes get away with such a comparison.
"It isn't a competition you know." Holmes sniffed.
Watson let out a frustrated sigh. Danger was just a game to Holmes...and while sometimes that appealed to the adventurer in him, this time was a little too personal for him to take lightly.
"When I heard that you had visited this man, it was hardly difficult to deduce his designs. I made some non-lethal bullets and swapped them as you were walking down the busy streets of London. You may not remember the man with the grey hat and long overcoat who bumped into you by the music shop..."
"That was you... you swapped the bullets ..."
"Rather a good disguise I thought. I may use it again."
Watson stared at the glass in his hands a moment, swirling the contents slowly as he thought. He stopped and met Holmes' eyes.
"Nothing I said while hypnotised was true."
"On the contrary Watson." Holmes smiled ruefully at him. "Your character study was markedly accurate. Ellicott must have built on pre-existing feelings to achieve such a strong hold on you. However, the fact that you choose my company on a regular basis induces me to believe I have other, more positive attributes which overcome my deficiencies."
Watson examined his friend, gauging the detective's sincerity. He wasn't sure he deserved such casual forgiveness, but would take it willingly. Holmes cared more for the big picture, and it was to Watson's advantage this time. It was the details, Watson knew, that would haunt him in the nights to come. The feeling of pulling the trigger on his finger, the single minded thought of murder, the complex expression in the eyes of his friend. He'd been irrevocably involved. The rage he felt at the thought of Ellicott and Moran trying to use him as a weapon to kill Holmes was almost frightening. He may not be Holmes, but he wasn't someone who would allow such trespassing. He sat up.
"Tell me about the case..."