Clique of 221B

Chapter 19: The Hospital

John looks towards the door and you open it to see Molly stood outside wearing her lab coat over her clothes.
"Um, hello. Is, uh ... I'm sorry, Sherlock asked me to come." An ambulance is parked in the driveway of the house opposite.
"What, two weeks ago?" You ask, rather annoyed.
"Yeah. About two weeks." John nods at you and Sherlock stumbles out into the hall,
"If you'd like to know how I predict the future-"
"I don't care how." John interrupts angrily. Sherlock holds his hands up,
"Okay. Fully equipped ambulance, Molly can examine me on the way. It'll save time. Ready to go, Molly?"
"Oh, well..." She says confused.
"Just tell me when to cough." He smiles falsely and walks out the door. "Hope you remembered my coat."
"Wh..." She turns to John and you. "I... Sorry. I didn't know that you were gonna be here." You glance towards Sherlock as he walks round the front of the Aston and almost falls off the kerb before heading to the ambulance. "Absolutely no idea what's going on." She adds.
"Sherlock's using again." You tell her. Her smile fades. Behind her, you see Sherlock climb into the back of the ambulance.
"Oh God. But, um, are you sure?" She asks. Mrs Hudson comes and stands just behind John and you.
"No. It's Sherlock. Of course I'm not sure." John says as he glares towards Sherlock then says more quietly to Molly, "Just check him out." Nodding, she turns and heads across the road. Mrs Hudson leans towards us and says quietly,
"Is Molly the right person to be doing medicals? She's more used to dead people. It's bound to lower your standards."
"I don't know. I don't know anything any more." John says. She laughs sympathetically. "Mrs Hudson. As ever, you are amazing." He tells her. She laughs,
"No! You're going to have to buck up a bit, John." You both turn and look at her. "You know that, don't you? The game is on!" Does everyone use that catchphrase now?
"I'll do my best." John says. She puts an arm around him.
"Anything you need, any time, just ask. Anything at all." He smiles at her.
"Thank you." Patting his arm, she steps back. John heads out of the house but then stops and turns back to her.
"Sometimes, can I borrow your car?" He asks her. She thinks about it for a split second then shakes her head.
"No." She turns away.
"Okay." You shrug at John.
"Worth a try," He smiles at me then walks forward again towards the limo. You turn to Mrs Hudson,
"Can I borrow your car?"
"Of course, dear." You smile at her,
"Thanks Mrs H." You pause then ask her,
"Actually can you just drop me off somewhere?"

"Thank you so much Mrs Hudson. I'll see you later. Pop in at Baker Street, I haven't caught up with you in ages." You say, getting out the car. Saint Caedwalla's Hospital. I've heard it's pretty decent as hospitals go. You walk inside and head towards 'The Culverton Smith Wing'. You see John stood with a nurse near the toilets and head over to him.
"You involved much?" You hear the nurse ask him.
"Sorry?"
"Um, with Mr Holmes. Sherlock and all his cases."
"Uh, yeah. I'm John Watson." She nods and looks at him with a 'yeah whatever you like' kind of look,
"Okay."
"Doctor Watson." John says, not quite believing her.
"I love his blog, don't you?"
"His blog?"
"Oh, don't you read it?" This is funny.
"You mean my blog." Sherlock comes out of the toilets.
"Say what you like about addiction, the day is full of highlights." I can't believe him.
"Oh, Mr Holmes. You feeling better?" The nurse beams at him. He's on drugs! What a brilliant nurse she is.
"Psychedelic!" He tells her.
"I was just saying I love your blog."
"Great. I-"
"It's my blog." John interrupts.
"It is. He writes the blog." Sherlock admits.
"It's yours?" The nurse asks John.
"Yes."
"It's... gone downhill a little bit, hasn't it?" John smiles tightly at her. You shake your head. "Oh, it's this way, then." She tells you all, turning around. You follow her into a room full of children sat down in various places and a couple of nurses are stood around. They all applaud when you enter. A nurse smiles as we walk past and says to Sherlock,
"Oh my God! I love your blog!" Sherlock points his fingers at her,
"You're welcome!" As Culverton introduces them you stand at the doorway and watch,
"Right, here he comes, the internet 'tec! You all know Sherlock Holmes!" The children applaud louder.
"Hello!" Sherlock says to them all. As the applause dies down Culverton adds,
"Oh, and Doctor Watson, of course." The applause is much quieter for John. Ouch. "Mr Holmes. I was wondering – well, we all were, weren't we? Maybe you could tell us about some of your cases."
"No." Sherlock answers instantly.
"Yes." John tells him.
"Yes! Absolutely yes!" He steps forwards. "The main feature of interest in the field of criminal investigation is not the sensational aspects of the crime itself, but rather the iron chain of reasoning, from cause to effect, that reveals – step by step – the solution. That's the only truly remarkable aspect of the entire affair. Now, I will share with you the facts and evidence as they were available to me, and in this very room you will all attempt to solve the case of Blessington the Poisoner."
"I think you slightly gave away the ending." John tells him.
"There were five main suspects-"
"One of then called Blessington."
"...but it's more about how he did it."
"Poison?"
"Okay." The children laugh.
"Drearcliff House. Remember that one, John? One murder, ten suspects." He excitedly puts up his ten fingers up.
"Ten, yeah."
"All of them guilty."
"Sherlock..." Sherlock is starting to lose his concentration.
"Uh, wh-wh-wh-what did you call that one, John? Um, something to do with murder at the zoo."
"Yeah, I called it Murder at the Zoo." You smile, he always did good titles.
"Or- or was it The Case of the Killer Orang-Utan?" The audience goes quiet. "So, any more questions?"
"No." The children answer simultaneously.
"No? Good, then I'll just..."
"Mr Holmes?" Culverton asks him. "How do you catch a serial killer?"
"Same way you catch any other killer."
"No, but most killers kill someone they know. You're looking for a murderer in a tiny social grouping." The nurse who brought us in interrupts,
"Um, Mr Smith. Um, I'm just, wondering. Maybe this isn't a suitable subject for the children." Really? I thought children loved serial killers.
"Nurse Cornish. How long have you been with us now?"
"Seven years." She answers. He's just used a classic intimidation tactic.
"Seven years." He repeats. She smiles nervously. "Okay." He turns his attention back to Sherlock. "Serial killers choose their victims at random. Surely that must make it more difficult?"
"Some of them advertise."
"Do they really?"
"Serial killing is an expression of power, ego, a signature in human destruction. Ultimately, for full satisfaction, it requires... plain sight. Additionally, serial killers are easily profiled. They tend to be social outcasts, educationally sub-normal."
"No no no no no. You're just talking about the ones you know, the ones you've caught." Sherlock frowns. "But hello, dummy, you only catch the dumb ones. Now, imagine if the Queen wanted to kill some people. What would happen then?" Did he just call Sherlock Holmes a dummy? "All that power, all that money. Sweet little government dancing attendance." Woah woah, what? Did he just call the government 'sweet' and 'little'? Excuse me, as an important part of that 'sweet' 'little' government can I throw you out a window. Seriously! This guy is creepy and getting on my nerves! "A whole country just to keep her warm and fat. Hm." Weirdo. He looks round at the kids, smiling. "We all love the Queen, don't we? And I bet she'd love you lot!"
"Uh, it's all right, everyone. I can personally assure you that Sherlock Holmes is not about to arrest the Queen." John says.
"Well, of course not! Not Her Majesty!" He pauses. Is he ever going to shut up? "Money, power, fame. Some things make you untouchable. God save the Queen!" He looks round at the kids. "She could open a slaughterhouse and we'd all probably pay the entrance fee!"
"No one's untouchable." John tells him. I think John's realised why Sherlock is obsessed with this man being a serial killer - he seems the type.
"No-one?" Culverton asks. He looks around the room. "Look at you all! So gloomy! Can't you take a joke?" Oh yeah, murder! So funny! I love murders! He stands up. "The Queen! If the Queen was a serial killer, I'd be the first person she'd tell! We have that kind of friendship." He turns around and chuckles, "A big round of applause for Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson! Come on! Wonderful! Thank you so much for coming. Thank you." John and Sherlock exchange a look. John turns to you and you nod. We're on his tail now.