Chapter Three - Definitions
A/N This chapter is dedicated to Starrysummernights. Happy Birthday!
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"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else."
- Gandhi, Mahatma
"Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom."
― Sandra Day O'Connor
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By age twenty-five, Sherlock Holmes had screwed up his life spectacularly. He had managed to accrue an early education file over an inch thick, been expelled from a prestigious prep school, and kicked out of no less than three universities. The problem wasn't academic, he had top marks. His problem was boredom and lack of acceptable social behavior. He saw little need for manners or cooperation. In short, he wasn't a team player.
There were thick medical files filled with neurological exams, psycho-analysis, and practically every test known for identifying mental problems following him about. The results were always inconclusive; suggesting everything from Asperger's Syndrome to varying degrees of psychopathy. There was never a concrete label identifying his problem, but everyone consulted agreed there was definitely a problem.
He started using drugs. Cocaine helped him focus. It allowed him to think without distraction. But soon addiction became a spiral of downward destruction. Repeated rehab programs failed. It seemed hopeless.
His salvation was crime. Not committing it, but rather crime detection. He began following the police reports, showing up at crime scenes. Most police officers were wary; several attempted to pin the crimes on him. One officer was different. Inspector Greg Lestrade noticed something beyond the obvious needle scars, general neglect and rude behavior. He looked at Sherlock Holmes and saw brilliance.