Sinnerman - Sherlock (BBC)

Act 1: Scene 1 - It's Always Around Me

The pain overwhelmed her senses. It felt like her blood was red hot molten metal forcing itself through her veins. Her body had been shattered into dozens of painful pieces, including her still-broken mind, and was now piecing itself back together again, cell by cell. Unable to move, unable to speak, Lizzie held herself in a silent scream. It ripped through her body and mind like a tsunami, louder than an aeroplane taking off, quieter than the vacuum of space. 

As the scream cleared in her mind, she began to make out more noises around her. Above the sizzling sound of her pain she could hear voices. Unrecognisable yet undoubtedly there, the voices mumbled in a sound of panic. They were accompanied by an unnatural beeping that pulsated in rhythm with the drum weighing down her chest. As the sounds around her increased in volume, the volume of her pain decreased. Soon it was simmering quietly enough for her to feel the air rush through her nose as she breathed. She could feel her mind piecing itself back together again; she was becoming herself once more. 

Like creatures stepping out of the shadows, the voices began to clear and become whole. Soon whole sentences were gracing her ears. 

"Sie ist wach." 

"Sagen sie Herr Holmes." 

However she could barely acknowledge their contents regardless of the language they were spoken in. That was until one voice spoke louder than the rest. 

"Miss Parker, are you awake?" The feminine voice was heavy and comforting, like that of a parent. "Miss Parker," She began again. "Can you hear me?"

The rest of the world was dulled, like it was underwater. All Lizzie could hear was this single voice. "Are you with us Miss Parker?"

From the chaotic depths of her waking mind, a part of her acknowledged what she needed to do. A thought began to manifest itself however it didn't feel like her own. It was as though someone had implanted their own thoughts into her to help her. Soon the thought stood boldly and spoke loudly in a deep masculine voice she distantly recognised. 

Move

For some reason the thought managed to convince her to do exactly that as, almost instantly, she focused on her fingertips. The amount of energy to move her fingers seemed equal to that which would move mountains. A monumental force in her mind overtook everything. Like an elastic band being stretched, energy piled into her fingers yet threatened to spring back at any moment. Just as she thought the elastic band would snap, the thought sounded again. 

Move

With that she felt her fingers press together and painfully curl inwards at a pace only she could acknowledge. Before long she felt her fingernails dig into the palm of her hand releasing a pinching pain that flung her back into reality. 

Suddenly she could hear and sense everything. Suddenly she was back. Suddenly she was alive. 

Around her the voices continued to sound. She became aware of the mattress beneath her pressing its warm comfort into her aching body. All about her body, tubes threaded through her and around her, keeping her alive like a float keeps one above water. Relief spread through her; she was safe. 

"Miss Parker are you there?"

Almost without thinking about it, Lizzie's eyelids peeled open at the sound of the comforting German voice. Light poured in, almost blinding her. Wincing, she wearily looked up at the woman beside her as though she was staring into the sun. 

The woman was young, not much older than Lizzie herself and had dark brown hair that was cut in a boyish pixie cut. The light seemed to focus on her like a spotlight and as she spoke; it was like she was a narrator introducing a play. Sharp shadows crossed her soft face making her look like a kind of film noir actress. Lizzie felt like she was looking at an angel showing her to heaven.

Relief flickered across the nurse's face as she made eye contact with Lizzie. Her voice had softened by the time she spoke next. 

"Thank goodness, we thought we were losing you there." She breathed out. "Can you here me Miss Parker?"

With monumental effort, Lizzie tilted her head in a nod, not once looking away. Not needing more of a answer, the woman continued. "You are currently in Salem-Spital Private Hospital, in Bern." She spoke slowly, letting every piece of information soak in one at a time. "Two weeks ago you were found on the bank of the river Aar near Brienzwiler. It's a miracle you survived Miss; you took quite a beating" 

"You have broken six ribs and your left leg just below the knee. It seems you landed on your left side as you fractured your collar bone on the left side and damaged your left eardrum. You are also recovering from a severe case of hypothermia. You're very lucky to have not lost a limb."

The woman took a moment to pause before starting again. Her tone had changed. "Your recovery may take up to three years and you may need a walking stick for a further few years. Unfortunately, Miss, your hearing may never be the same again." 

As she said these words, Lizzie's eyelid gradually closed again, tired of the light, tired of the colours. She listened and every word fully set into her mind. "Clearly you are extremely fatigued at the moment so I won't elaborate any further. Rest for now, Miss, you are in safe hands." 

What the nurse didn't understand as she walked away was that Lizzie's mind could not be further away from fatigued. It was racing at a speed faster than light or sound. Her mind was spanning across the Swiss landscape plotting the route her unconscious body had taken. She was tracing back over her last few steps and more importantly the last few steps of a certain Sherlock Holmes. 

As she lay there she became aware of a distant rumbling. It dawned on her that the sound of rushing water had been ever present as she awoke. For a moment she stopped thinking and listened to it. It was very quiet, like putting a shell to your ear and hearing the blood rushing through your head. However something made it stand out. Because, as she listened closely, she could hear vaguely familiar shouts through the sound of the water. It was only distant, any normal person could have missed it. But she could hear him shouting for her through the rush of water. 

Her vision was obscured by flashing light being reflected off the water that fell alongside her. Time had walked away and let her be. It felt like a whole lifetime. In that time Lizzie could do little more than realise what had happened. Although she had predicted it and understood its inevitability, shock still shook through her body like she had been struck by lightening.

Sound assaulted her ears as the water scratched at her skin and clothes. The coldness of the water soaked through to her bones and in and instant she was numb. But her mind was contributing to the numbness because for the first second all she felt was fear. Despite the numbness, the sensation of falling oversaw everything. However, she could barely acknowledge it. 

It was a fear far greater than anything she had experienced before. It froze her mind and blocked out all thoughts and memories. For the first second, she was nothing but fear.