Sowing a Seed

[capt_facepalm]

Title: Sowing a Seed
Author: capt_facepalm
Rating: PG
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Gaslight ACD)
Characters: Grammar school age John H. Watson, Matthew McGill, OC
Summary: It may take a village, but it starts in the library
Warning: (none)
Word Count: 100
Author's Notes: July 28th 2018 prompt: Include a parent or parental figure in today’s work.

.oOOo.

As master of the reading room, Matthew McGill had seen hundreds of students come and go throughout the years and he considered himself a good judge of character. Currently, his attention was drawn to the little boy looking, longingly, out the window.

‘Watson minor, isn’t it?’ McGill inquired.

‘Aye, sir,’ the boy replied.

‘Why aren’t you playing rugby with the others?’

‘My brother says I’m tae small, tae scrawny.’

‘Well, if you like to read, I’ve got something most adults would find challenging. Are you interested?’

‘Sure!’

‘Here ‘tis.’

Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical, by Henry Gray.

The boy's eyes widened.

.oOOo.

Please sign the guestbook

---

Supplementary Notes: “There Is Danger For Him Who Taketh The Tiger Cub”.

Comments

[gardnerhill]

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed."

[capt_facepalm]

Ohhh! I like that. I have to use it in the future. Thanks!

[bwblack]

A seminal moment!

[capt_facepalm]

Seminal moment, yes. As is this, from 2012: A Winter's Tail
Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

And so it begins:-)

Mrs P

[capt_facepalm]

It's a good start. I can imagine young Watson overcoming the intimidation of all the Latin and the frightening imagery, and at that age his mind would be like a sponge.
Thanks!

[med_cat]

Quite plausible ;)

[capt_facepalm]

:-)

[pompey_01]

Aww, little-and-Scottish Watson is adorable!

(Can I pretend that your Professor McGill is related to James McGill, the man the university in Montreal is named for?)

[capt_facepalm]

Young Watson was too Scottish for his own good! People thought he had a speech impediment but it was just his accent. A total embarrassment to his older brother, to be sure.

The drabble did not give me a chance to further describe McGill. He was a sergeant who lost his left arm below the elbow at Balaclava. He is not a professor as such but he does run the reading room. Could he be related to James McGill of the Montréal University??? Perhaps a cousin, many times removed.

Thanks!