JWP 2019 | Day 27

[thesadchicken]

Title: Blind, or in death, or at the end of the world.
Author: thesadchicken
Rating: G.
Universe: ACD.
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes.
Summary: Watson receives a strange yet familiar patient.
Word Count: 280.

Author's note: I stole the last sentence from Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles". It's such a beautiful quote, and it works so well with Holmes and Watson.

Prompt: A Most Unusual Patient: Watson receives an unusual patient whose presence inspires today’s work.

I had rarely received so odd a patient. He knocked at the door with the urgency of a man choking, but when I asked him what ailed him he simply shrugged and said he was here to have his chest examined. I patiently welcomed the stranger in.

He wore a long burgundy coat with rusty fringed shoulder pads, brown breeches and a pair of black boots. He looked rather like an actor, or a lion tamer. I showed him inside and helped him undress. Beneath his extravagant coat was a simple shirt. He unbuttoned it, and I examined him, smiling to myself the entire time.

He had a slight cough, nothing a few days by the sea wouldn’t cure, but I prescribed a treatment all the same. He thanked me, patting his pockets – I told him not to bother, that it was my duty to heal and care for those in need. He smiled at this: an endearing half-smile that made my own chest ache. He picked up his coat and bowed like a circus performer before leaving.

I watched him stroll down the stairs and out into Baker Street. I closed the door behind him, shaking my head. He was pleased with himself! I myself had to admit that the fake nose, eyebrows and beard were very convincing. Once more he thought I hadn’t recognised him, and once more I let him believe it.

But what he didn’t know was that I could recognise him by touch alone; by smell. I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Lovely. Perfect response.

[thesadchicken]

Thank you very much! I liked the idea of Watson actually knowing it was Holmes behind the disguises, but pretending he didn't recognize him.

[monkeybard]

I like this so much. Clever Watson, playing along. And the quote is lovely. Song of Achilles is an amazing book.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

What a great scene and a great quote!

[mafief]

Beautiful. He would know him anywhere.

I had so many feelings with Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles". The quote brings me back.

[capt_facepalm]

Strange patient indeed!
Lovely entry.

[methylviolet10b]

This is utterly lovely. Well done!

[gardnerhill]

Maybe this is how those two crazy kids spice things up when life gets boring.

[debriswoman]

Lovely:-)

[thesadchicken]

Thank you! ♡ I really like the idea of Watson being more clever than anyone suspects.
And oh, yes, it's a wonderful book, isn't it?

[thesadchicken]

Thank you so much!!

[thesadchicken]

Me too!! I cried a lot reading that book ~

[thesadchicken]

Thank you very much! :D

[thesadchicken]

Awww, thank you very much! ♡

[thesadchicken]

Ooooh I love that idea!

[thesadchicken]

Thank you very much!!

[monkeybard]

Soooo good! In fact, I'm wary of reading her second book, Cerce, because it cannot be as good.

[thesadchicken]

I've actually read Circe and it's amazing. Definitely different from The Song of Achilles, but just as good, trust me. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

[monkeybard]

Right on. That's good to hear. I'm wary of second books by authors who hit it out of the park on their first one.

[mightymads]

I share your headcanon that Watson, knowing Holmes so well, can recognise him in any disguise but happily plays along :)

[cuddyclothes]

This is so sweet...I almost want to say pretty, but that sounds odd. Watson playing along with Holmes's delight in disguises is, to be redundant, sweet.

[thesadchicken]

Yey! I'm glad you do :D It just makes sense, doesn't it? And it's adorable too hehehe

[thesadchicken]

Awww, thank you very much!
I really like the idea of Watson just playing along because it makes Holmes happy ♡