Mrs. Holmes [Book III]

Abnormal Reactions {Susanna}

25 April

I rub my eyes and cheeks as I make my way down to the Mortuary. I pulled another all nighter at the lab to finish analyzing a shipment of bacterium-laced powders that were found by Mi6. Now I have to compare the results of the Toxicology tests for the powders to a few bodies, suspected to have died from the airborne pathogens carried by the powder.

I've practically been living in my lab for the past week, dealing with an influx. Sherlock even begged me to come home last night and relax, but after several more negative test results over the past couple weeks I didn't have the stamina to rush back just for another Not Pregnant to slap me in the face. Working twenty four hours every day for the past six days has helped me get my mind off of the negatives and I've actually gotten into a mental zone- which is more relaxing than Sherlock might believe.

"Good Morning, Susanna." Percy greets as I exit the stairwell. I wave tiredly and smile.

"Morning, Percy. I'm here to-"

"Examine the corpses?"

"Yes."

He nods, looking as tired as I probably do, "This way. They came in this morning."

"Alright then." I follow him to the freezer wall and he pulls out the first and freshest of the bodies. A young female, likely of african descent.

"Jada Cunningham. Mi5."

"Okay. Start with the stomach, then."

We move her body to the exam table and I check her over for signs of exposure to the pathogens I discovered in my overnight rush analyses. Sure enough, she was exposed. I have Percy open her up so I can check her organs and have the slightest feeling of nausea. Nothing troubling, I don't typically enjoy cutting into others and seeing their internals, unlike Sherlock or Molly. I haven't had breakfast either. And didn't sleep.

The feeling vanishes as quickly as it came and I focus on the task at hand. Once I've confirmed she was exposed to a fatal amount of the powder, we put her away and get out the second.

This one, a middle aged caucasian man from Mi6, is slightly less fresh. The nausea returns, a little more present and intense than before. Again, within a minute, the feeling subsides and I'm able to refocus, "Confirmed, he was exposed as well but it wasn't what killed him."

"Okay," Percy puts him away and I record the information, "Fair warning, this one was recently recovered after having gone missing for a while."

"Thanks for the heads up, Percy."

I turn away from the desk and a hot yet cold wave courses over me. This body is barely recognizable as even female- so decayed. I take a deep breath and approach. Percy sighs, "Mi6 too."

"Very well. Now I-" All at once, the combined odor of chemicals and solvents with this female's rotting body causes my stomach to churn and my head to spin. The nausea returns full force and I run for the lavatory on pure instinct.

"Susanna!?" Percy follows after but I don't respond to him or care as I fall to my knees in front of the toilet and retch. The dry heaves quickly turn into full fledged vomiting. It isn't anything but clear bile since I haven't eaten since yesterday, but my body aches the entire time. Luckily my hair is already up so that's not in the way, but Percy brings cool, damp cloths and presses them to my neck and forehead, "Susanna? Are you alright? You haven't reacted like that before."

My body calms down enough for me to back away from the toilet bowl and look at him, "It's probably just stress, Percy."

He furrows his brows and helps me clean up before calling Zuke down and sitting me in his office while he puts the body away for later. When he comes back he refreshes the cloths, then looks at me almost awkwardly, "Could you... be pregnant, Susanna?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not. I've taken several tests and they've all come out negative."

"Why?"

"Long story short, Sherlock and I want to start a family."

"Oh. Well, I think Zuke should give you a blood test at least. What exactly made you get sick?"

"The smell. Of the flesh and the chemicals. The other two made me a little nauseous but the third..."

Percy hums, "Would you like Zuke to give you a blood test? Even if you aren't pregnant, it's possible that you contracted a pathogen."

I consider it, "Alright."

Zuke arrives and they whisk me up to his lab, where he takes a blood sample for analysis. My heart starts racing. What if I am pregnant?

What if I contracted a fatal pathogen?

What if it's just stress and I'm being a total wuss at my work?

I'm resting in his office chair, head on his desk, when Zuke and Percy come back with the analysis report. I sit up, "So..?"

"We haven't looked. Here. It's not for us to reveal." Zuke hands me a folded paper and I take a deep breath before unfolding it.

Thanks for reading!!