The Science of Starting Again//Book Five

Chapter 20~ Sweaty Palms

Teddy's P.O.V

As I had a counselling session anyway, I thought it good for me to go visit Sherlock in hospital. I picked up a few items from the shops on my way, little things I thought would pass the time for Sherlock, as well as some sweets (If he wasn't going to eat the hospital food then he could have sweets instead, just as long as he was eating).

"Hey Julie," I said when I arrived, greeting the nurse who looked after Sherlock's floor. Julie seemed surprised to see me-

In fact, she seemed almost fearful.

"Miss Holmes! I- we weren't expecting anyone," she said, glancing down the hallway to where Sherlock's room was directed. I frowned, studying her carefully. Although it was true that my alcohol consumption had dimmed my deductive skills over the years, I still knew when information was being withheld.

"Julie, what's going on?" I asked, giving her a chance to come clean with me. At first it didn't look like she was going to break, but I watched her shoulders slump in defeat.

"He told us not-" she began, before a shrieking alarm went off on the monitor behind her, a single red light flashing, indicating the room in which the danger was occurring. I leaned forward to read the number before stumbling backwards in shock and fear.

"That's Sherlock room!" I cried, panic setting in. I stared at Julie, waiting for her to race down towards Sherlock's room to find out why his monitor was playing up. She didn't though. She just stared at me in open mouth shock.

"I- I can't-" she gasped, shaking her head. I glared at her, anger beginning to take hold of me. I stepped forward, throwing my arms up.

"What do you mean you can't?! You're the nurse, something is wrong with my brother, help him! He's dying!"

Yet again Julie just shook her head. With a small sob of rage and fear I spun around and began racing down the hall towards Sherlock's room, ignoring Julie's cries. I sprinted as fast as I could, heart hammering at what I might find. He could be dead, I couldn't help thinking. He could be dead and no-one even tried to help him. It's like they hate him, like they want him to die, like they were told not to-

This last thought entered my head just as I burst into the room, realization suddenly dawning on me. My wide eyes stared at my brother, still alive, still breathing, but not alone. Because next to him sat the man who had- in a few short days- suddenly become the villain in this fairy tale.

"Ah, Miss Holmes," Charles Augustus Magnussen purred, eyebrows raised in surprise at my sudden entrance. I frowned, eyes flickering from my brother to Magnussen before returning to Sherlock.

"Are you all right?" I asked him, stepping into the room and coming to stand at the end of the bed. I was aware of Magnussen's eyes on me but I tried not to show my discomfort. Sherly nodded in reply.

"Your brother and I were just having a little chat, Miss Holmes. I had hoped for it to be a private one but... it seems as though the nurses did not receive my message," Magnussen continued. I noticed the way his face darkened in displeasure and suddenly I realized why Julie had been so frightened.

"Leave them alone, they warned me. They tried to stop me, I didn't listen," I told him, eyes sharp and glaring. Magnussen chuckled, shaking his head .

"Bad girl, Miss Holmes. You may just have to be punished for that," he murmured, before standing up. "I will have to speak with you another time, Mr Holmes."

Without another word he began heading towards the door before pausing, as though just remembering something.

"Walk with me, Miss Holmes."