Extrication

[capt_facepalm]

Title:  Extrication
Author: capt_facepalm
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Gaslight)
Characters:  Sherlock Holmes, Dr John H Watson
Summary:  Aftermath of an opium den altercation.
Warnings:  Black eye
Word Count:  221 (According to Microsoft)
Author's Notes:

~For Challenge 016 at  watsons_woes
~New and improved with goldvermilion87  beta! All hail! 
 

 

May 13, 2011 - Thank you very, very much!



.oOOo.

‘My dear fellow, how did you come by that magnificent black eye?

‘Holmes, you’re awake at last!’

‘I seem to remember some sort of altercation... my head aches, Watson. What happened?’

‘Slowly… take your time. What do you recall?’

‘Not much.  It was dark. There was a sickly sweet fragrance…’

‘Yes, the opium den. Can you remember anything else?’

‘Nothing except being attacked… I never saw the blow that felled me… Did we prevail in the end?’

‘Yes… we did…’

‘But, why were we there?  I cannot recall the case…’

‘You have not had a case in three weeks… No, one of my patients had been in there for days… His brother contacted me…’

‘Not that Whitney, again?’

‘No, not him. Not this time.’

‘Honestly Doctor, I’ll never understand why you don’t cut such people loose.’

‘I cannot do that, Holmes. Not when I care for them.’

‘Always the Good Doctor, eh? Even to wretches who do not deserve it! I trust you gave a good accounting of yourself?’

‘Indeed, I did. The fellow only managed one blow.’

‘Ha!  Good old Watson!  I hope the scoundrel is truly sorry.’

‘I wish he were, but he doesn’t remember much; being under the influence of the damnable drug at the time. Rest now, my friend. I hope tomorrow finds you feeling better.’

.oOOo.

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Comments

[baileyhix.livejournal.com]

why not add a line indicating that those opium dens are really hard to see and that they accidentally where fighting each other?

The ending seems anti-climatic as is.

Bart

[philena.livejournal.com]

Ah--I get it now! Very good. I do hope Holmes doesn't work it out when he feels better; he'll be dreadfully embarrassed, and he doesn't do embarrassed too well.

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

Brilliantly subtle, and subtly brilliant!

Seriously!

:-)

[baileyhix.livejournal.com]

Ah I get it now....wow am I dense...forget the previous bumbling...

Bart

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

That's rather brilliant, actually. Well done!

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Thanks for giving it a second look!

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Good thing Watson isn't the kind of person to kick someone when they are down, because he would be well justified to tell Holmes off, instead of talking around the situation. Thank you for commenting!

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

You spoil me!
Thanks again for your eleventh hour beta, especially since March Break should be more fun. Unless you think grammar is fun... hmmm... nevermind! :D
(Thanks. Seriously!)

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much!
How could such a simple little 221B end up a multi-hour, hair-pulling nightmare? Thanks for commenting!

[adidaspie.livejournal.com]

I'm very much agreed.

[baileyhix.livejournal.com]

You do know that in the movie "The Case of the Silk Stockings" Holmes starts out in an opium parlor. As familiar as I am with that movie and I missed that it was Holmes he came in after...big DUH!

Bart

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

That's OK. Holmes still hasn't figured it out!

[med_cat]

Ah excellent ;) Just like some others who commented, I didn't realise it was Holmes himself Watson went after.

Very well-written :)

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!
It is strange... the readers who identify with Holmes don't get it right away. Those who identify with Watson do. With that in mind, it all makes sense on subsequent reads. (I could not have anticipated that when I first wrote it.)

[med_cat]

Interesting, because I don't identify myself with Holmes at all...

[hardboiledbaby]

Oh, nicely played! I liked that a lot; thanks!

[autumnatmidnite.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I got a little stab of pain at the end for the poor doctor... This was surprisingly poignant for something so short. Well done!

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Poor Watson. He cannot bring himself to tell Holmes the whole story. Holmes is oblivious and Watson has to keep his pain to himself.
Thank you for commenting!

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for commenting!

[dork-nerd.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Way to make my heart hurt for poor Watson. Why not 'cut such people loose', indeed? Is it weird how much I love your stories where Holmes is such an idiot?

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it is weirder to like reading the stories where Holmes is less than stellar, or to like writing them! I appreaciate your support.

Poor Watson indeed. He can do nothing but sit back and watch as his best friend's drug habit ruins his life. Telling Holmes what actually happened when Holmes is just becoming lucid again would be nothing short of hurtful. Poor Holmes. Poor Watson.

(Naturally, the challenge was primed for humour and crack, and this is what my muse gives me!)

[random-nexus.livejournal.com]

Oooh, clever. I hope Holmes will be duly ashamed of himself when he realizes. As much for his missing the truth as well as for striking Watson.

Excellent ficcery, as usual.

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Ohh! You're right. All I was considering was how hard this was on Watson. Holmes angst is harder for me to comprehend, but yes, having Holmes realise what his drug abuse has led to... I see him quitting the drugs, not because of the effect they had on him (he thought he could handle it) but because of the hurt he was causing Watson (emotionally even more than physically).
Thank you for commenting!