Sherlock: Relations

Chapter One

Sherlock unzipped a body bag.

"How fresh?" He asked.

"Just in." Molly Hooper replied. "67, natural causes. Used to work here. I knew him, he was nice."

"Fine. We'll start with the riding crop."

***

Molly winced each time Sherlock hit the corpse with the riding crop, despite this being a normal site. 

"So, bad day, was it?" Molly asked.

"I need to know what bruises form in the next twenty minutes. A man's alibi's depend on it. Text me." Sherlock demanded.

"Listen, I was wondering. Maybe later, when your finished..."

"You're wearing lipstick. You weren't wearing lipstick before." Molly did not know how to answer.

"I, uh, I refreshed a bit."

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"I was wondering if you would like to have coffee?"

"Black, two sugars, please. I'll be upstairs." Sherlock misunderstood.

***

Sherlock was focusing on his work as John Watson and Mike Stamford walked into the lab. Sherlock noticed them, but paid no mind to acknoledge them.

"A bit different from my day." Said John. 

"Mike, can I borrow your phone?" Sherlock asked. "There's no signal on mine."

"And what's wrong with the landline?" Mike asked.

"I prefer to text."

"Sorry, It's in my coat."

"Here," offered John. "use mine."

"Oh," Sherlock said, slightly surprised. "Thank you."

"This is an old friend of mine: John Watson." John handed Sherlock his phone and Sherlock opened the extended keyboard.

"Afghanistan or Iraq?" Sherlock asked. John thought about what he had just asked.

"Sorry?" John said. Sherlock makes eye contact with John.

"Which was it, Afghanistan or Iraq?" John looked at Mike's sly face in shock.

"Afghanistan. Sorry, how did you know..." Molly entered the lab.

"Ah, Molly! Coffee, thank you." Molly handed Sherlock a mug of coffee. "What happened to the lipstick?"

"Uh, it wasn't working for me." Molly answered.

"Really? I thought it was a big improvement. Your mouth is too small, now." Sherlock turned his attention to John. "How do you feel about the violin?"