The Holmes Called A [Sherlaide III]

Their Pink-Nosed Puppy

By some miracle, the veterinary clinic was still open when they got there and they were rushed back as soon as the Vet Tech could have Adelaide fill out the basic paperwork. Sherlock meanwhile took his turn holding the puppy and to his relief, he remained quite calm despite shaking, even giving the detective a few nervous licks and nuzzles as they walked to the exam room.

The Tech weighed him and gave a basic examination. Another nurse brought in a small dish of water and some food for the starved pup. He went for the water first but had to be coaxed into eating by both Adelaide and Sherlock, who resorted to slowly feeding him one piece of kibble at a time.

Finally Doctor Bailey Routledge entered, "It's certainly good to see you again, Miss Cavanagh-"

"Holmes. It's Holmes now," Adelaide corrected, making Sherlock smile for a moment from pride, "It's good to see you as well. I just wish that the circumstances were different for this puppy."

The veterinarian nodded as she shook hands with Adelaide, "Indeed, Missus Holmes. And I suppose this is your husband then?"

"Yes. Sherlock Holmes."

"The actual-?" She questioned while shaking his hand. He sighed and cut in.

"Yes. The Sherlock Holmes. But shall we get on with the check up for the dog?"

"Of course," Doctor Routledge responded and then focused on the Doberman puppy, who was still shaking and began to cower as she neared and let him sniff her before gently beginning her more thorough exam. She was as gentle as she could be, humming to soothe the frightened pup as she probed him, "Mmm,.. Nothing broken or bleeding internally from what I can tell. His mouth and ears are remarkably fine. But Doberman tails are extremely thin and fragile and his is damaged."

"A surgical docking would be the best course of action for him then?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes. He has a valid medical need for it so we can dock it and get a waiver, as the practice is banned in the UK. He is also malnourished and most likely the runt, so he'll need a fortified diet for a while to get his immune system up and help him fill out. Full grown he'll be on the small side but he should be healthy once we start feeding him up properly," Doctor Routledge looked up at the two, "Are you two planning to keep him? Foster or adopt him?"

Adelaide stammered a bit, glancing at Sherlock, "W-Well, I'm not sure. I'd love to keep him but we haven't discussed it with our landlady and-"

"I just did inform her and she has no qualms about us adopting him," Sherlock explained without missing a beat, "And seeing as this puppy would attract owners based on his breed's reputation, I believe he would fare better with us." Adelaide's eyes lit up.

"So,.. you're wanting to adopt him?"

"Yes." The answer came in unison.

The Vet smiled warmly, visibly pleased, "Excellent! I'll have that put down on the paperwork. Now, since he's already been neutered I know that he's been seen by another vet, so I can probably get ahold of whomever cared for the litter and see if I can pull any vaccine records or otherwise. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay then," The Vet nodded and stepped out. Adelaide was silent for a moment before turning around to face her husband, "Seriously, Sherlock? You actually want to keep him?"

"Yes, Love. He has obviously developed an attachment to you and you to him, and he seems to be keen on me as well. I see numerous benefits from adopting him, both short and long term."

She caught on and nudged him a bit, "Like what, Darling?"

"Well, for one, I deduce he'll be a loyal and intelligent companion to you. Second, being able to train and work with him now will prepare him to be a wonderful companion to the next generation of Holmes."

"Awww, Sherlock..," Adelaide purred and leaned over, kissing his cheek, "That's very sweet, Darling. But it is going to be-"

"A great responsibility, yes. Perfect prerequisite to a child," They both chuckled and turned their attention back to the puppy, who had let out a whine for attention, "I suppose we must name him, then."

"Yeah, we should... Hmm," Adelaide gently scooped the puppy up into her arms and he flipped his big paws over her shoulders, twitching with glee as she scratched his ears. He rewarded her with a slew of doggy kisses, making her giggle, "He's definitely one for affection once he trusts you."

"Mm. A boring tough dog name would not suit him."

Doctor Routledge walked back in with a smile then, interrupting their discussion, "Good news! I was able to get a record for him. Lucky for you he's already been neutered, as well as had most of his vaccines. So all we need to do is give him the last couple and microchip him if you would like. The bad news is that he will need surgery to dock his tail. His entire litter had incredibly brittle tails so it would be in his best interest."

"Whatever is needed to ensure his health, do it." Sherlock stated.

By the time they had gotten all the paperwork sorted and had everything arranged, it was late. The clinic decided to keep the dog overnight for the surgery on his tail as well as give him his vaccines, so the Holmeses had to leave without the adorable pink nosed pup.

They flagged a cab and on the way, they called about names and what they'd need to purchase before bringing the puppy home. Adelaide insisted on Teddy, a good fit for the cuddly pup, and then Sherlock as a joke suggested they name him something scientific, like Atom because of his recently discovered energy. By the time they'd gotten home, they'd agreed on the name.

Teddy "Proton", for their positively charged, cuddly red Doberman who would soon be scampering around 221B, to hopefully be joined soon by a new Holmes.

I meant to update yesterday but I hope it was worth the wait! Thank you so much for 1k reads!! ❤😘 I love you guys!

Teddy "Proton" ->

Shout out to mmkn2005 and spoopyperson1992!!! 😘💕