Partners
Watson looked over the hospital bed where his cousin Claire laid, her hair spread in an arch over the pillow. The surgeon had done an excellent job of removing the bullet for her shoulder, it had been lodged deep. Watson put a cool hand on her forehead only to feel the warmth emanating from it, he pulled back her sheets to reveal her body bathed in sweat. "Nurse! Fetch Dr. Brett immediately!" Watson yelled as he pulled the soaked sheets from the bed. "Hold on, Claire. I am going to take care of you, just stay strong." Watson whispered into her ear as the doctor came running to his side.
Watson looked at him square in the eye, "She is suffering from a fever, probably a reaction to the morphine. We need to bleed her to reduce the fever, get me the equipment. I will do this myself." Watson's heart was hammering with fear, but his resolve was steady. As he carefully cut, Watson watched Claire's forehead continue to perspire with sweat. He ordered for light blankets and a luke warm cloth for her forehead. As they worked, Watson could only hope that Holmes was getting better results at the station.
Holmes slammed his fist on the wall of the cell of Alexander, outraged by this man's audacity. Alexander had refused to talk to anyone but him and now he was only answering in riddles. "Mr. Knight, you agreed that you would give information in exchange for mercy. All you have given me is trivial information on where some more common thugs are located. I need to know what he is planning and when this is going to happen." Holmes brought his eyes close to the prisoner's face.
Alexander looked at Holmes with a bemused expression, "You have no authority to grant me anything. I only wanted to speak to you to tell you that you are out of your depth. The professor may retreat now that you have me but, he will come back. It may be years before he acts, but once he does I will be content to know you will be gone. You may have won this round Mr. Holmes, but it is not the end. This murder was only to square the quarrel between Miss. Claire Watson and myself. In shooting her, her death will console me before I am hung." Alexander let his tone drip like a poison to bait the great detective.
Holmes did not yell or react violently, instead he spoke in a very harsh whisper. "You think that you can draw me in like snake? You are much mistaken Mr. Knight, if your employer will strike as you say then it is my duty to stop him from succeeding. Don't pretend you are important here, you are nothing more to me than a traitor. Miss. Watson is not dead, your aim was not as deadly as you wished it. It seems to me that your heart was not as ready as your mind was. If she was here, Miss. Watson would have you flogged within an inch of your life and I would grant it to her. You have caused her more misery then I thought possible, and I only hold back because I know that is what you want. I leave you to die, Mr. Knight." Holmes turned around with conceit in his voice and left the wretched man alone.
The detective made straight for the hospital, he didn't want to go back to Bakerstreet just yet. If he did, he knew that the urge for the syringe would overtake him. As the cab rattled through the streets, the detective's mind now returned to the thought of Claire Watson. Now, that he knew of her feelings towards him, he was unsure of how to proceed. If he cast them aside like he had done with so many women he would lose her. They always argued about how distant he was after they laid together. They wanted more of him than he was willing to give, women always wanted more than what they had. This logical thinking was stopped by his heart, it brought up an observation he had long forgotten. Claire Watson had stayed in his life these past three years regardless of his distant nature, even if he insulted her. Miss. Watson stayed despite a trifling relationship with his brother Mycroft and being in harms way once or twice. Holmes's mind was resistant to this exception to the rule, but as the cab stopped. Holmes's mind gave way and let the realization flood him with warmth.
There was a light in his hazel eyes as he ascended the stairs, ready to come to terms with these emotions at long last. As he rounded a corner he saw a nurse run into the room where Claire was being kept. He followed, in hope that there was no cause for alarm. Holmes stopped dead in his tracks, Watson was pouring tepid water over a cloth and laid it on Claire's forehead, there was a porcelain basin covered in her blood. The doctor looked up to see the surprise and anguish in his friend's face. Watson motioned him forward, his face pulled tight in concentration. "I hope you come with good news, old boy. Claire has been battling a fever these last few hours, we bled her and tried to keep her warm...There is not much more we can do..." Watson bit his lip as Claire flinched in her sleep.
Holmes touched her cheek which blazed with heat, "That evil man only wanted me so that he could try to frighten me. He told me of his employer's wrath and how I would be unable to escape it. He then talked of Miss. Watson as if she were already dead, I wanted to take a swing at him. To see her insulted in that manner, made my blood boil Watson." He continued to stroke Claire's forehead in hope that she would recover.
Watson watched Holmes's eyes soften in grief just as his own had. "I would hope that when that time comes we will be able to face it, together...I think Claire would want us to see it through the end." Watson's voice caught in his throat and he had to stop himself from abandoning all decorum.
Holmes watched his friend and came to his side and put a hand upon his shoulder. "If Miss. Watson is anything like you, she will conquer this fever. I have to believe that this will pass and we can all move on." Holmes sat down next to Watson, his heart now heavy with sadness.
Watson smiled faintly at Holmes's enthusiasm, he wanted to hope with him, but he was still uncertain. "I can only hope you are right, Holmes. I only wish I had been there..." Watson drifted off, his mind tired of fighting the wave of sadness.
Holmes found Claire's hand and covered it with his own, thin hand. "There is something you should know Watson. Remember what I said yesterday about Miss. Watson's feelings towards me?" Holmes took great care with his words, for he needed Watson to understand.
Watson nodded, surprised that Holmes would bring that up again. "Yes, you said you believed she was in love with you. I only wish that you could feel the same way, Holmes. Otherwise, I am afraid she will be found wanting in that regard." Watson looked at his friend's face, in hope of some show of emotion.
Holmes glanced from Claire's sleeping form to his colleague looking bewildered at him. "You are right, Watson. The feelings between Miss. Watson and I are not the same. I can only hope that she realizes how her feelings won't be returned by me." Holmes fought the icy feeling in his chest as he focused on Dr. Watson.
John Watson was flabbergasted among other things at Holmes's cold, indifferent attitude towards his cousin. "How can you say that Holmes? After what just happened, she took that bullet for your benefit. You realize what this will do to her?" Watson's tone had turned from concerned to angry and his face was turning red from anger.
Holmes let the words sink in before he spoke, Watson was angry as well as he should be. He hated having to lie to both Watson's but this was for their safety. "Don't think I don't realize how tender the situation is, Watson. That is why I must ask Miss. Watson to leave as soon as she is able to. If she stays here with me there is no guarantee that she won't be shot again. I need her to be safe Watson, and we both know that London isn't safe anymore for her. You are right, she did take a bullet for me, so this is the least I can do for her. And, when she leaves... I want you to go with her." Holmes's tone was no longer cold but still indicated he was holding something back.
Dr. John Watson couldn't breathe at the thought of leaving Holmes alone for any reason, they had been through bad crimes before and he wasn't going anywhere. He tightened his fist and glared at the detective he once considered a partner. "You aren't sending me away; you said you would never do that to me. If you want Claire gone, fine but there is no way I am leaving you to deal with this gang alone."
Holmes was taken aback from this fierce loyalty Watson had to him that even superseded his own family. His heart swelled for a moment before a slight movement from the lady in the hospital bed brought it down again. "I am always astounded at your loyalty, Watson. I will be happy to face these adversaries with you beside me. But, as for Miss. Watson, we both know that she won't go quietly or willingly. I will assure that she doesn't have a reason to stay here much longer, but you need to assure me that you won't be fooled by my act. I know that you know how much I care for her but this is too dangerous for those emotions to be stirred. You need to convince her that time away from London is essential to her health and being rid of me. Can I count on you to do this, Watson?" Holmes's eyes went soft for a moment but he did not let that emotion get the better of him.
Watson stood as if he was being given a medal and looked at Holmes squarely in the eye. "You can count on me, old boy." He said with a slight smirk despite the guilt that was now resting in the pit of his stomach. But, He was Holmes's partner and knew that he was going to be by that man's side no matter what. Even if that meant deceiving his own cousin, but Watson hoped that Claire would see through the deception and leave London for her own good. The doctor looked down at his cousin's heart shaped face and touched it with his palm. The fever had broken and she seemed to be alright. His heart was over-joyed despite the shadow of Holmes's promise to break ties with her. Watson knew this would be hard since he had to help Holmes keep this lie until all was clear. Claire's sweaty forehead wrinkled as she opened her eyes slightly to see the two men she loved and cared for.
Holmes saw her eyes open and look at him, but not the way she did when she kissed him. Her eyes looked dazed as if she was still in that fever. "Good to see that you have awoken at last, Miss. Watson." Holmes made himself smile despite the effect those blue eyes had on his heart.
Claire smiled back at him, "I am glad to see you here, Mr. Holmes as well as you, John." Her speech was slow and in a whisper. But, Holmes knew that she would get well from the fever soon. As for the wound in her shoulder and the one he was about to give her, he was more unsure about her braving those trials. Before anyone could speak, Inspector Lestrade strode in with two police officers. Claire, Holmes and Watson were all perplexed to see the waif-like Lestrade in the hospital.
He looked at the three faces before him and then spoke with a deliberate tone, "I am here to tell you that, Miss. Claire Watson is summoned to the court to act as a witness for the prosecution. The court date is to take place two weeks from now at four o'clock." Lestrade's grey eyes saw the alarm in Claire's eyes. He waited for a response, expecting her to lash him with her razor-like tongue.
Instead, Watson took the opportunity from Claire and spoke with great concern. "Claire isn't in any condition to testify before a court, Inspector. She just got over a fever, and will be in too much pain to go anywhere." Watson leered at the Inspector and his blue coat.
Lestrade turned to give Claire a closer look, her eyes were a cloudy blue and there were a few strands of her brown hair plastered on her face from sweat. Her left shoulder was wrapped in a sea of bandages and looked very painful even to sit up against. "What do you, think Miss. Watson? Do you agree with Dr. Watson or do you think you can serve your country by testifying?" Lestrade tried to be sympathetic but his last words made Claire glare at him.
Claire's eyes were now clear as she glared at her one time boss. "Don't try to seduce my cooperation by saying it will serve my country, Lestrade. You used the same logic on me to get me to sign off on working with Alexander in the first place. Dr. Watson is right about my being in pain being a detriment to my testifying though. However, I will go to the trial, but not for your or this country's good. I'm going for my own benefit; I want to see the look on Alexander's face when he realizes that I'm not dead." Claire smiled in such an evil way, that Lestrade took a step back from her bed. Watson felt his pride swell towards Claire as the Inspector took leave and left the three alone.
Watson went for the Doctor to tell him the progress of Claire and Holmes sat down next to his assistant. "I expected you to spit at Lestrade, and would have held back the two others from stopping you." Holmes mused as Claire glanced at her bandaged shoulder.
Claire smirked and glanced into Holmes's eyes before returning to her inspection. "I found it an insult to our history that he would try and tell me to do my duty again. I hope I see him less in context with this case. It was his fault for the inception of our partnership and he knows it. Now, in order to ease his guilt, he is having me testify." She shook her head as she drank a glass of water that was on her side-table.
Holmes wanted to tell her right then and there that he had to let her go in order to protect her. But, Watson would suggest he wait until after the trial. So, instead Holmes made do with a comforting hand on her wrist. "At least you will be rid of Alexander, which is all that matters." His comforting tone seemed to ease Claire as she sank back onto the bed. Holmes got up and walked into the hallway where Watson was talking to the doctor. He gave him a reassuring nod before bounding down the steps to the street. There was so much to do, and little time to do it in. Holmes's mind clamped down on any reservations he might have had a flung him into the planning stage of his attack.