Erna took a hot bath and changed the bandage on her arm. There was some redness but she felt fine. As she finished drying her hair there was a knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Greg. She opened the door.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Sherlock said I should stop by and check on you. He said you never went to a doctor about your arm?" he said.
She smiled, "Really? I'm fine."
"You do look a bit feverish. I can just run you quick to the doctor?" he said.
Suddenly she felt flush and a bit dizzy.
"Erna?" he said taking notice.
"I'm fine." she said. "Just a buay day." she said as she felt a bit faint. "Please come in." she said walking to the couch. As she neared it her knees buckled. Lestrade caught her before she fell.
"Humor me." he said. "I'll drive."
He drove her to a local clinic. "I know the G.P. here."
They went in and were seen right away. "Dr. Watson." said Lestrade shaking his hand. "Been awhile. How are you?"
"I'm here." he said. "Who's this?"
"Hi. I'm Erna Halbeck." she said shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you. Looks like you have a fever and by the look of your arm a slight infection. Were you seen at the time of injury?" he asked.
"No." she said.
"Well, I will prescribe some antibiotics and clean this wound and we should see you back in two days to monitor." he said working in her arm.
"Sherlock told her to get it looked at." he said.
Dr, Watson paused, "You know Sherlock Holmes?"
"Uhm, he stopped a man who was mugging me." she said.
"I see." he said resuming his work. "Well, just a personal note, but I'd steer clear." he said wrapping a bandage around her arm. "There you go and here are some antibiotics. The receptionist will set you appointment for the follow up. It was nice to meet you and good to see you, Greg."
Greg took her back to apartment to setltle in. "Good thing Sherlock tipped me off to come by." he said as she sat on the couch.
"I would've been fine, really." she said.
"Well, rest up amd call me if you need anything." he said.
"Of course." she said walking him to the door. "Thank you."
No sooner than she had shut the door her phone signaled a text.
"Glad you're ok-SH"
Erna took note it was the same number that had texted to stop her research. She felt it was best not respond. She did not quite understand Mr. Holmes reasons for any contact outside of their sessions. She needed to keep clear boundaries.
"My mother thinks I should study aboard but I don't want to." said Jen, a client she saw once a week.
"And what is your greatest fear if you tell her that?" asked Erna.
Jen looked at her near tears, "She says she will make me move out."
"Ok, would you like me to ask your mother to come to a session so I could ask her some questions?"
"I'm not sure." she said apprehensively.
"I would just ask her some questions to work on opening up communication. No charge." said Erna smiling.
"Let me think about it." said Jen.
Erna gave Jen some homework to jounal and share at her next session. Erna felt it helped prime the mindset for their time. Maybe one day she would get to that point in a session with Mr. Holmes. She scolded her thoughts for fixating on him when she had many other clients. Although he was a different breed in relation to her caseloads. She had a whole hour before her next appointment. She walked to the small room down the hall to grab a tea,
"Erna." called Sandra. "Detective Inspector Lestrade to see you."
"You can show him to the office and I'll be right tbere." she said. She grabbed a cup of tea and made her way to the office.
"Erna, how are you?" said Lestrade standing.
"I'm well. Thanks." she said.
"I was in the neighborhood and wanted to check in." he said.
"I'm glad you did." she said smiling. He smiled back. She got the feeling his interest in her may be more than a friendship but for her, friendship was the only path to anything else.
"Would you like to have dinner Friday?" he asked.
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "As in a date?"
He looked a bit nervous, "Maybe." he said finally.
She laughed at his hesistance, "That's cute."
"What? That I'm nervous? Thanks," he said.
"I'm teasing. You just ask for a dinner companion. We can leave it at that." she said hoping to lighten the mood.
"Well, I'm looking forward to it then, my companion." he teased.
"Be careful out there." she said smiling.
"Same to you." he said smiling at her as he left.
Sherlock received messages regularly from his homeless network of Erna's goings on. She seemed harmless. It came as no surprise Lestrade was taking a healthy interest in her. He was confident in their short relational timespan given Lestrade's track record and Erna being utterly out of his league in all aspects. Lestrade was more suited to a school teacher or human resources administrative assistant. An American therapist in pursuit of their doctorate degree was not an even match. Erna was clearly a unique individual. She was not your typical play by the book therapist. She played by rules but not by the rule book. She worked off of inuitive instincts not some Freudian or clinical doctrine. He respected that. She did what was needed, directed by the moment. As for her past, he could see she was haunted. He saw a drive within her that was not her own. Perhaps the expectations of her parents or competing with a sibling. There was a past and it drives one. Sometimes even overrides one's true self. He had a sense Erna was hiding in plain sight overshadowed by a motivation not her own.