Margaret

1 Electric Lights

TW: graphic suicide, self harm

Jan 12- Sherlock was bent over the microscope like he usually is in the morgue sector of the hospital. Watson sat in the corner, on a wooden uncomfortable looking chair with his hand pressed to his forehead in frustration and boredom. Sherlocks brows were pressed together in deep concentration as he peered at the blood sample under the microscope. Molly walked in with a pretty girl following behind her. "This is Katherine", she said, waiting for Sherlock to notice. Katherine had on a red hoodie and black jeans. Her hair was dyed blonde and her roots were growing in. It was styled into 2 very long french braids. She had freckles and piercing green-gold eyes that wandered around the room, taking in her surroundings. Sherlock turned to look and his eyes locked on the girl. He immediately saw all the information swirling around her. he took it in and carefully pieced it together. She seemed to glow with new information, an electric current flowing around her silhouette lighting up Sherlock's brain. He saw the indicators for self harm and suicidal tendencies and anxiety by her tugging her left sleeve lower and the way her roots had grown out with little care. He saw that she had cut down her stomach and thighs too by the way she held herself up in a steady, but cautious not to let her skin rub on the fabric of her clothes, way. He saw that she was attracted to him by the way her pupils dilated and the way she maintained steady eye contact. "Hello" Sherlock barked and then turned back to the blood sample. Molly cleared her throat. "She is the new intern. She hopes to go into a medical field of study." "Hi" Katherine's voice broke. " Hello Katherine." Watson got up to shake her hand and nodded in greeting and respect and sat back down. "John, very sorry to bother you, but can you come examine the body with me." Molly said. "Oh, of course, anything to get me out of here. Hes been in his mind palace all morning." Watson replied, relieved. He and Molly exited through the door and let it swing closed behind them. The room was awkwardly quiet when Katherine slowly said "Mind palace?" Sherlock looked up "Its a memory technique." "That's not a lot of information." Katherine shot back. "Its a huge palace in my mind where I deposit memories." Sherlock stated. "Oh." The room became quiet again. "What was your name?" Sherlock suddenly asked.

"Katherine."

"No, it isn't."

"Why would you say that?"

"I can tell when people are lying, and you most definitely are. What is it?"

"That's personal."

"Your name is too personal? You must hate me."

"My real name is too personal. I changed it for a reason."

"That's fair. Here's my number."

"Your number?"

"Text me."

immediately after Sherlock handed her the thin slip of paper with a quick scribble of numbers on it to Katherine, Watson and Molly walked in deep in conversation about what the murder weapon could be.

"Personally, I believe it was a shoelace."

"How could it be a shoelace? It was very obviously a blunt trauma wound to the head."

"It was a hardcover copy of War and Peace. Sit down." Sherlock interrupted. The two fell silent and Watson returned to his position in the corner. Molly tapped Katherine's shoulder. "Come on, lets leave them to solve this case." Katherine followed her out of the room and glanced back at Sherlock. He was still intently staring into the microscope as if nothing had happened.

Jan 14- Sherlock was sitting at his desk with his fingers crossed under his chin as Watson made tea in the small kitchen nearby. Sherlock's phone buzzed three times consecutively. "Who's buzzing your phone? Its been going off since Tuesday and I know for a fact you and Mycroft arent that close." Watson questioned. "Nobody." Sherlock responded.