Chapter 11 - Feel
As dusk fell, Katrina found herself laying in her bed, arm in arm with Tara, who played with a Rubik's Cube, a gift she got from Sherlock just weeks before his death. He had always seen great potential in her and Katrina couldn't deny it. Tara was extraordinarily smart for her age, asking the right questions at just the right time. Or she kept silent, when it was better to keep silent. Now she laid there, her face relaxed yet concentrated and within minutes she solved her cube over and over again, what she happily announced with a loud "I did it!". Ciri seemed already unimpressed, as she probably already understood that her happiness was related to the little toy in her hands.
"How were the first few weeks with Sherlock, Mom?", she suddenly asked. The sounds of the clicking of the cube were still hearable.
"What do you mean?", Katrina asked surprised.
"Were you two in love from the very beginning?"
"Oh! Well, I always wanted to ask him about that, but I never managed to. But what I can say is, that there has always been an interesting bond between the two of us."
"How did you realise that?", now the little girl turned her head towards Katrina. The clicking stopped.
"I might be blind, but I am still quite aware of what is going on around me.", she laughed, hugging Tara a bit tighter.
"Did he flirt?", Tara chuckled.
"Well, I wouldn't call it that. Let me tell you more about that."
—-
It was difficult to get into the pace in which Sherlock did his job, especially since Katrina was used to writing protocols ever since she got back to work after her service in the army. He hated waiting, obviously, that's what she realised when sometimes he complained about John being not here immediately when he wanted him to. With her, though, he was behaving differently. For their first case, he even picked her up by taxi, leading her to the seat right next to him, helping her with the seat belt.
"So, what is this all about?", she asked him, when the driver started the engine.
"What do you think?", he asked, with almost no emotion in his voice.
"Well, I am quite aware that we are going on a case. But why? How did you get to choose this, well, interesting occupation?", Katrina asked, looking towards him.
"You want me to explain to you why I didn't become a government official like my brother?"
"No, of course not! I want to get to know you!"
"Don't you think it's boring to just sit in some chair, signing some documents and listening to the boring lectures of some guys sitting around you, who think they are more clever than you?", he asked, looking at her direction.
"Well, at least it would spare my eyesight.", she chuckled, and to her surprise, he joined in.
"Come on, we are almost the same. We love the thrill of danger, we love violence, we love the big unknown in front of us. And yes, we might get injured because of that thrill, but at least we are living!", he exclaimed.
"Do you know how annoying it is to not be able to see what the waiter in a restaurant brings to your table? Oh God, I've never been so disgusted by eating some things, ever since I am so aware of how they feel in your mouth."
They both laughed out loud. They didn't even realise the confused look in the driver's face about what she just said.
"My dad is blind, too and ever since he is, he became vegetarian. We all don't know if it is because of his stubbornness at his age or his blindness.", the driver suddenly added and Katrina laughed even more. For her it was the first time to joke around about her disability and it felt so good, nothing could make this day go bad.
When they arrived, Sherlock once again helped her out of the taxi, offered her his arm and led her into some building. Seeing the questioning look on her face, he started to explain to her how the place looked like and what they were here for. They entered an old factory in which DI Lestrade and his people were already waiting for them. They stood around a corpse, probably not laying there any longer than 2 days, that's what Katrina immediately stated when she smelled the air. There were no hints of decay, but the scent of bodily fluids, which naturally would leave the body after death, were still in the air.
"I can scent something else in here…", Katrina said, when she stepped closer to the dead body in front of them. Vomit, but mixed with some strange smell. And even though she was disgusted, she went on her knees to breathe in a bit more of the stench.
"There is some kind of substance in there. It might be some poison, but you better go check it at the morgue.", she stated, looking towards the direction of Lestrade and Donovan.
"Clever…", Sherlock whispered to her. He also went on his knees to inspect the body, murmuring the deductions he made. She took out some rubber gloves, slipped into them and touched the neck of the body. She felt the cramped muscles around, a sign of a fight for death while the body was trying to get rid of the poison.
"Do you still believe that this is some kind of coincidence, that so many people at the same time die in a strange place because of some poison? That it's just some suicides which have nothing to do with each other?", Sherlock went back on his feet, looking at inspectors from Scotland Yard.
"Okay, okay, let's assume these are no coincidences. But who might have interest in killing some random strangers?", Greg asked, despair was in his voice.
"That's what we will find out. Come on Kate, we got a job to do!", Sherlock exclaimed, grabbed her arm and dragged her away, back into a cab, which brought them right back to Baker Street.
"Jesus, what are we doing here?", she asked him, when they climbed the stairs and reached his rooms. John was waiting in his chair by the fire, Sherlock joined him, after he took another one for Katrina.
"Solving a case!"
It was a long first day for her and Katrina yawned when they were back in the taxi to bring her back home. The air was chilly outside and the moment her head touched the window next to her seat, she shivered.
"You are cold!", Sherlock noticed and before she could answer anything he removed his scarf and laid it around her neck. She smiled.
"I am sorry it took so long today, but believe me, you are a great help. I hope you are not averted by all you've experienced today.", he said silently. The sound of the engine was humming in her ears. She smiled.
"Oh, no, absolutely not. It was an interesting day. I've never had so much action ever since I've returned from war!"
Chuckles filled the area in the back of the car.
"Sherlock?"
"Hmm?"
"May I touch your face?"
No answer. Katrina felt fear creeping up her spine, wondering if she might have scared him with that question.
"I- I… Since I can't see your face, I would love to still be able to know what you look like. Would you allow me to see you with my hands?", she asked again, this time more silently, looking towards her thighs, hoping he wouldn't notice her blushing.
But before she could add anything more, he took her hands and placed them softly on his face, one hand on the right, another one on the left side. And so, with his permission, she softly slid her fingers over his soft and smooth skin, feeling the little beard stubbles of a shaved man, the long nose, the high cheekbones. And she smiled when she felt those curls on his head, which were rebelliously getting over his broad forehead. She held back shortly, before she dared to touch his lips with her thumbs, feeling their softness. What felt like just a second and and also an eternity later, she removed her hands again, folded them on her legs and looked towards him.
"You may also touch my face now if you like.", it was the first time she had offered that to someone. Butterflies appeared in her abdomen, as she waited for his response. But soon after that, she felt two warm and soft hands cupping her face. They were so big, they covered her face almost entirely. She now felt his thumbs feeling her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. They both were silent, while they got to know each other better.
Before she could get used to his warm hands on her face, the taxi stopped and they both realised their arrival at Katrina's place. Sherlock cleared his throat when he took his hands away from her face and opened the car's door, immediately rushing to her side, helping her to get out.
"I will send you a message, probably already tomorrow.", he said.
"Thank you.", she still shivered, but smiled.
"You are cold, come get inside, it's dark and you need some sleep."
"It was a great day, Sherlock. Thank you for believing in me, even though I am blind."
"I couldn't wish for anyone better.", he said and went back into the taxi. She waited for the engine to roar, then made her way towards the front door, where she was hugged by Tara.
—-
"So he was a real gentleman!", Tara exclaimed excitedly. Her head was now laying on Katrina's chest.
"You could say so, yes.", she smiled, caressing the little girl's hair.
"But let's sleep now, this baby in there is draining all my energy.", Katrina chuckled, rubbed her belly, kissed Tara on her forehead and switched off the light, after they've wished each other a good night.
That night she dreamed again about Sherlock. They were standing in front of each other, caressing each other's faces.