Hounds Experiments & Relationships (A BBC Sherlock Fan-fiction)

6. Bad Woman

Some time later at Henry's house, Henry, Elisabeth, and John hurry indoors. Sherlock isn't with them.

"Look, he must have seen it. I saw it – he must have. He must have. I can't ... Why? Why?" Says Henry

He stops in the doorway of the sitting room, turning back to John in anguish.

"Well, I didn't see it either." Says Elisabeth

"How? Why would you say that? It-it-it-it-it was there. It was." Says Henry

Taking off his gloves, John ushers him across to the sofa.

"Henry, Henry, I need you to sit down, try and relax, please." Says John

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Says Henry

"Listen, I'm gonna give you something to help you sleep, all right?"

He looks around the room and sees a bottle of water on a bureau nearby. He goes over to get it, while Henry unwraps his scarf from his neck, smiling.

"This is good news, John. It's-it's-it's good. I'm not crazy. There is a hound; there ... there is. And Sherlock – he saw it too. No matter what he said, he saw it."

Later, Sherlock is back at the inn. Sitting in an armchair by a roaring open fire, his face is still full of shock and disbelief. Unaware of his distress, other patrons sit at nearby tables having their evening meal. John and Elisabeth come in and sits down in the armchairs on the other side of the fire.

"Well, he is in a pretty bad way. He's manic, totally convinced there's some mutant super-dog roaming the moors." Says Elisabeth

With his hands in the prayer position in front of his mouth, Sherlock glances nervously at Elisabeth for a moment, then continues to gaze in the direction of the fire, lost in thought.

"And there isn't, though, is there? 'Cause if people knew how to make a mutant super-dog, we'd know." Asks Elisabeth

Sherlock clasps his fingers together, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as if trying to fend off a panic attack.

"They'd be for sale. I mean, that's how it works."

John remembers something and reaches for his notebook.

"Er, listen: er, on the moor I saw someone signalling. Er, Morse – I guess it's Morse." He Says

Sherlock blinks rapidly and repeatedly.

"Doesn't seem to make much sense."

Sherlock pulls in a sharp breath through his nose and then blows the breath out again through his mouth.

"Er, U, M, Q, R, A. Does that mean ... anything ..."

He finally realises how distressed his colleague is looking and pauses for a moment. He puts his notebook away and sits back in his chair.

"So, okay, what have we got? We know there's footprints, 'cause Henry found them; so did the tour guide bloke. We all heard something."

Sherlock blows out another shaky breath. Elisabeth looks across to him and frowns momentarily.

"Sherlock, are you okay?" Asks Elisabeth

"Henry's right." Says Sherlock

"What?" Asks Elisabeth

"I saw it too." Says Sherlock, his voice shaking

"What?"

"I saw it too, Elisabeth."

"Just ... just a minute."

She sits forward.

"You saw what?" She Asks