Loving a Holmes

In the Cane

Of course, after the situation in the morgue Sherlock was admitted to the hospital, luck of us Smith didn't feel the need to press charges. Sherlock had asked John to bring him his old walking cane. John had gone to get it while I stayed with Sherlock in the hospital room. Before long after John arrived back, we were told that we weren't allowed to stay in the room overnight, so I decided to go back to the flat and John ops to come with me if for no more then to help me clean. Molly had gone to John's flat and had taken over for the babysitter. She had texted me and said that she had already planned to stay all night and to just take care of Sherlock. When we get back to the flat, we are met with the pleasant surprise of Mycroft and a few agents looking through the flat and even cleaning it up a bit. "Mycroft to what do we owe the pleasure."

"Madison, I half expected to hear you had left my brother after this little stunt of his."

"Never Mycroft. While I may not agree with his decisions, I still love him. Anyway, you didn't answer my question, Mycroft." 

Mycroft shrugs his shoulders. "Have you noticed your kitchen? It's practically a meth lab. I'm trying to establish exactly what drove Sherlock off the rails. Any ideas."

I give Mycroft a stern look, as John goes into the kitchen and turns back to Mycroft and me. "Are these spooks? Uh, are you using spooks now to look after your family? Hang on, are they tidying?"

"Sherlock is a security concern. The fact that I'm his brother changes nothing."

John walks past us and into the sitting room. "Yeah, you said that before."

"Why fixate on Culverton Smith? He's had his obsessions before, of course, but this goes a bit further than setting a mantrap for Father Christmas. Spending all night talking to a woman who wasn't even there."

I glance over to Mycroft and back over to John, but something behind Mycroft catches my eye for a moment. I could have sworn I just saw a woman with short blonde hair standing behind Mycroft. But when I look back there is nothing there. I must be losing my mind. John folds his arms in front of him.  "Mycroft, last time when we were on the phone..."

"No, no, no, no, stop. I detest conversation in the past tense."

"You said the fact that you were his brother made no difference."

"It doesn't."

"You said it didn't the last time and it wouldn't with Sherlock, so who was it the last time?Who were you talking about?"

I nod and step beside John. "I've heard you say that too, on a number of occasions."

"Nobody. I... misspoke." Mycroft straights up a bit.

As Mycroft says this I hear a woman's voice. "He's lying."

As I glance around it's clear that is was in my head, but it would appear that John had heard it too. "You're lying."

"I assure you, I'm not."

"Sherlock's not your only brother. There's another one, isn't there?"

"No."

I scoff. "You bastard. What is your other brother locked away somewhere?"

Mycroft raises his head and looks down his nose at John. I step forward and in between the two of them. "Mycroft Holmes, if you don't wish to talk to us about this you can tell me what all are these dreadful people doing in my house?"

"I apologize for the interruption. As you know, my brother has embarked on a programme of self-destruction remarkable even by his standards, and I am endeavoring to find out what triggered it." Mycroft smiles to Mrs. Hudson.