The Other Side - BBC Sherlock Fanfiction

Chapter 14 - Diagnosis

Angel

I am shaken awake by a solemn looking nurse holding a clipboard. "Angel?" She says uncertainly, as if scard that I might strangle her at a moments notice. "When your friends get back, we have an up date on the reason for your collapse." 

"Yeah, where are they Nurse..." I glance at her name badge, it clearly says Hawkes. "Nurse Hutchkins?" I ask. She smiles, the anger inside her shining through.

"It's Hawkes, actually." She practically spits. I throw her a disbelieving look, to piss her off further.

"Sure it is." She mutters something that sounds suspiciously like

"Should've given you a higher dosage." Which only confirms what I had suspected. She is not a real nurse but, in fact an imposter. 

"Excuse me." I ask sweetly, "Do I know you from somewhere?" I ask inching my hand towards the call button, so that they can send a proper nurse.

"No, I don't think-" I fake a hacking coughing fit which drowns out the buzz of the nurse being called. Wide eyed and clueless, the girl pats me on the back, as if that could help a cough.

Cue Sherlock, John and Jim, followed by a nurse - this time a real one. 

"Hello boys." I say in a sing-song voice. "Sherlock I need you to call one of your police friends, this nurse isn't a nurse." She opens her mouth to say something and I go into cop mode, my old habits coming back to be. 

”You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence." I then reach into the bag next to my bed and whip out a pair of handcuffs, which seems to surprise Jim. 

"Why are you carrying around a pair of handcuffs in your handbag?" he asks, looking bewildered.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I wink and wingle my eyebrows suggestively. I see the John out of the corner of my eye stifling a laugh, I suppose that everyone likes to see their enemies being made fun of. Getting back to the matter in hand. "Sherlock, m'darling do the honours would you?" I ask, handing him the handcuffs. He expertly cuffs her to the industrail stength curtain rail above our heads. 

Meanwhile the nurse who I summoned stands there wide mouthed and confused. We all seem to have forgotten her until she clears her throat timidly. Once she has gained our attention she proceeds with what she has to say. 

"Um, you pressed the call button so I came here, and also I have your diagnosis." She speaks quietly, as if put on edge by the people in the room.

"Wow, that was quick. It seems you were truthful about something then Nurse Hutchkins." In that moment I have a flash of realisation, the checkout girl at the shop where I bought the milk, that was the same girl! I rack my brains for the name badge which she must've been wearing at the time. It was Toni Hawkes, I knew the name Hawkes came into this somehow! "Nurse Hutchkins, or should I say Toni Hawkes?" I accuse in true moviestar detective style. The three men gathered around my bed roll their eyes and Toni looks fed up. 

I turn back to the waiting nurse.

"So you have the results?" I ask, she quickly confirms. "Impressively speedy work, it usually takes ages." I comment. John, being a doctor agrees with me. "How come? Oh, of course." I realise. "The Ice Man." I state, earning an amused look from Jim, who I can't deny, I had almost forgotten about. Even Sherlock can't help but let a mischievious glint into his eyes. 

"Can I see then?" I ask the nurse. She obliges but warns me that I may not be able to understand it, I assure her that that is unlikely to be the case. The paper is long and contains a lot of information that isn't even relevant to me but here's the gist:

Name: Angel Dirks 

Address: Unkwown

Symptoms: Slurring of words, making little sense, loosing consciousness, disorientation.

Diagnosis: Consumption of drugs: Blood test shows evidence of high concentration muscle relaxant (cyclobenzaprine); alcohol (including vodka). Suspected spiked food/drink within past 24 hours. 

I finish reading it and sit for a moment wondering how it could have happened. I haven't eaten out in the past 24 hours and the only people who've been in the house other than me and Jim are Sherlock and John, they wouldn't have done this. 

"What does it say?" One of them finally asks, I don't register who, I just hand over the document. 

How could I not have not noticed being spiked with vodka? I would've been able to smell it, surely? Then it dawns on me, you can't smell vodka if it's mixed in with milk and who was it that sold me the milk, our very own Toni Hawkes. 

"Toni, you little bitch!" I exclaim, earing a few shocked looks.

"Well done, genius. Got there in the end didn't we?" She smirks. I resist the urge to lunge forwards and wrap my hands around her neck. The smirk, I notice doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's scared, I guess.

A collective "What?" is expressed by the three men and the nurse, who subsequently leaves. 

"She spiked my milk." I explain, although it does little to wipe the confusion off their faces. 

"But how did you know that I was going to buy that exact carton, in fact how did you know I would be buying milk in the first place, let alone from that particular shop? Even I didn't know that. I could think of much easier ways to spike me, but I won't be giving you my tips, I'm afraid." I rant, leaving Toni looking nervous.

"I may as well tell you, I suppose, I'm going to kill you all anyway." She threatens, looking tearful and her voice cracking.

"First mistake, revealing your plan to the enemy. Second mistake, staring with the biggest threat. Now you've got nowhere to go. Silly girl, please continue leave out the boring parts." I say automatically, habits from my detective days with Sherlock creeping in. "Sorry, please tell us your story." I correct myself, smiling reasurringly. I'm curious to see what surprises she has in store for us.

Looking slightly put off but trying her best to hide it Toni Hawkes tells us her story...