On Observing Dr. Watson (m, Sherlock Holmes fic)

[Dusty15]

Ask, and ye shall receive! Just a little drabble to satisfy the Holmes lovers out there

'On Observing Dr. Watson'

by Dusty15

The wonderful thing about Holmes’ amazing powers of observation was that he could tell in an instant when his loyal companion and friend, Watson, was not quite himself. For example, if Watson tripped on the way to 221b Baker Street, Holmes would observe the small splatter of mud on his trouser leg and surmise that he encountered that puddle near the uneven bit of road just a few doors down. Or if Watson spent the morning attending to a patient with a chest infection, Holmes could tell in an instant from the bits of poultice stuck under his fingers and the faint smell from the plasters he’d applied.

And today, one thing was blatantly obvious to Holmes as Watson entered his chambers and sunk down into the chaise.

“You’re ill,” he said simply, crossing to one of his cluttered tables and toying with a bizarre looking instrument.

“What makes you say that?” Watson scoffed. “I’m perfectly healthy.”

“First, your nose is tinged red ‘round the edges from the irritation of blowing it. Second, you are carrying a handkerchief not only in your customary jacket pocket but also in the left pocket of your pantaloons and another tucked in your sleeve. Third, you are fevered; I can tell by the sheen of your brow.”

“Holmes, which one of us has ‘doctor’ affixed to his name?” Watson asked, leaning back in the chaise with a smirk. “I do believe it is me, and I shall make the judgment on illness.”

“Fourth,” Holmes continued, circling the chaise. “You are denying my allegations but I can clearly hear it in your voice each time you talk. Your timbre is all changed and your speech is muddled with congestion. Fifth, it is nearly May and a balmy day, and yet you have worn your jacket and I can deduce you’re unnaturally chilled.”

“For Christ’s sake, stop analyzing me,” groaned Watson. “Fine, you win, you petulant old chap. I feel bloody awful and I was up half the night with this ruddy thing. Even a doctor cannot cure a simple cold. ‘Tis mankind’s greatest failing in medicine, I believe.”

He extracted the handkerchief tucked in his sleeve and held it to his nose, blowing a loud and gurgling honk. Holmes visibly grimaced.

“What? You can exhume corpses and go gallivanting through graveyards without so much as a sniff but you make that face at a suffering gentleman clearing his nose?”

“It sounds bad, that’s all,” Holmes remarked, settling in a chair opposite Watson and lighting his pipe.

“Must you smoke that in here with my nose already irritated?” Watson asked, raising his handkerchief in anticipation of a building sneeze. His breathing became rapid and irregular, and after a moment his head snapped forward with a soft and wet Ehhtshiiiii!

“Bless you, my dear Doctor Watson,” Holmes said, snuffing out the pipe. “I’m sorry about the pipe, old boy.”

“It’s okay,” Watson said with a great sniff as he dabbed his nose with the sodden handkerchief.

“I think that’s the end of that one,” he said, inspecting the damp cloth before setting it aside on a table at the end of the chaise.

“If you leave that around, I shall have to perform experiments on it you know,” Holmes said with a grin. “Now, might I ask why you’ve come all the way here when you could be at home with a doting fiancée to tend to your pitiful, sniffling self.”

“Mary’s gone for the week up-country to visit her mother,” Watson said miserably. “And I let our housekeeper off for the week as I figured I would be too preoccupied with work to bother keeping her around.”

“And now you are miserable and alone and have come to your dear mate’s home pleading for attention, am I correct?” Holmes said with a wry grin.

“I haven’t the energy to play games with you, Holmes,” Watson said with a soft cough into his arm. “Really, I was hoping your wretched landlady would serve us some tea and I could kip on his chaise for a bit after.”

“That wretched landlady used to be your retched landlady, don’t you forget,” Holmes quipped. “Though she does make a fine cup of tea.”

Watson didn’t respond. Instead, he was hunched over, breathing deeply as another sneeze threatened to take over. Fresh handkerchief from his jacket pocket poised and ready, he buried his face in the silken cloth and released a volley of four congested, harsh sneezes. Hetshi! Ehhtschii! T’shhhii! Hehh’tsci!

“God save the Queen, and Doctor Watson,” Holmes declared. “Goodness, chap, you’re a right mess. Perhaps you should forgo the tea altogether and just take the kip. You could use my bed, though I don’t promise it’s entirely tidy.”

Watson looked up blearily from his perch on the chaise and coughed hoarsely a few times before clearing his throat and saying, “It’d be much appreciated old cock.”

“I think this time I am the mother hen, Watson,” Holmes said, gathering his dressing gown from the back of a chair and tucking it over Watson as the doctor lay down.

Watson turned his head into the pillow and muffled another tired, wet sneeze.

Ehhh’shhhh!

Holmes sighed as he watched his friend’s attempts to get comfortable. No matter which way the doctor turned, he was unable to breathe easily and was quickly becoming flustered. An idea came to the sleuth, and with a grin at the sleeping form of Watson’s bulldog (the ever-willing subject of Holmes’ experiments), Sherlock grabbed a small vial containing a soaked rag and crept up behind Watson.

Uncorking the vial, he held it below Watson’s nose and watched as the doctor fell peacefully asleep without so much as a squeak of protest.

“That’ll do for about five hours good rest. Case closed,” he said, smirking, as the soft sound of Watson’s snores filled the room.

[confetishcake]

[youkaineko]

Yay! Thank you!!! This is adorable! I love Holmes analyzing Watson's illness! X3

GREAT story, very well written, much in true Doyle style (minus Watson's narration--which is quite refreshing, as I am not at all a fan of first person POV)

[Cerulean Flower]

I love it, I love it, I love it! You have captured the film version of Holmes and Watson so well. I am very satisfied. Thanks Dusty15!

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Gotta just echo Char here----because my brain's too fried from the awesome to have anything else to say!

~Me

[*Dark_Side*]

aww that was so cute. I really enjoyed it.

[blackrose]

i was so glad to see this! i am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes!

[ID2006]

I just saw the movie and that is so them

[Quite Contrary]

I love Holmes' unorthodox methods of "caring" for Dr. Watson...

[meepsy]

Helloo. I'm new here (first post). I just wanted to say I enjoyed this fic very much! Sick Dr Watson is so very yummy!

[anon]

i LOVE this =] you got their banter so exactly right

[SomethingClever]

This is very cute ...

Just saw the movie yesterday, so this is the perfect compliment

also, loved the books once upon a time in about seventh or eighth grade...

[Selene]

This story was wonderful! Very well-written, with witty dialogue and a delicous cold, which is striking down a gentleman!

[Silent Sophie]

It was really adorable, I loved it!

Holmes is a very unusual mother hen.