What Providence Brought Together

DISCLAIMER: Sherlock Holmes and the entire genre/etc. connected to him do not belong to me. Their creator is the remarkable Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

KS: Welcome to chapter ten! I hope you're enjoying this fic so far. I'd like to thank bcbdrums for coming up with the idea that I should incorperate PGF's "First injury challenge" into this. It's not the longest chapter, but...well...that's all right. x3

As always, it's a look into Holmes and Watson's developing friendship pre-STUD.

Enjoy!

After Mr. Lestrade had left I descended to our sitting-room to find Sherlock Holmes busy searching through his many papers. So immersed was he that he did not even seem to notice my return, and I went over to my chair to continue a book I had begun reading the night before.

I could not concentrate on the novel for very long, however, as my new companion's fervent searching captured my attention. I had witnessed the ritual several times before: he would pore over his great books and collections of papers, being careful with each one, and even occasionally dissapeared into his room to search. I had no idea what these papers and books contained, so I had no clue as to what he was looking for, but I knew it must pertain to his 'business' that he would occasionally refer to.

After a few minutes of observing his intense search my eyes returned to the pages of my book, and as I went back to reading I heard a hiss of pain from Holmes. I looked up just in time to see a file drop to the sitting-room floor and my new friend clutch his finger. He muttered something quietly before grabbing a napkin from the dining-table.

"What's wrong, Holmes?" I asked, setting aside my book.

Holmes looked at me for the first time since I had entered the room, as if surprised to see me.

"Oh, Watson," he said. "I've just given myself a paper-cut, that's all." He turned his back to me and began to deal with the injury.

I stood to my feet and went to his side.

"Here, let me take a look at it--" I said as I reached for his hand, and to my surprise he drew it away from me promptly.

"It is but a scratch, you needn't concern yourself with it."

"Never the less, I would still like to take a look at it."

I gave him a concerned yet firm look, the same sort that I had given many stubborn patients before. Holmes returned my look with a rather firm expression of his own, but finally after a moment he sighed, removed the napkin from his finger, and held his hand out to me.

I turned his long, thin, acid-stained hand over in mine and examined his cut forefinger, and I felt my brow furrow lightly.

"It's a rather deep cut," I remarked. "You should let me clean it for you, or it may get infected." I released his hand. "Let me get my bag."

I walked past him and to my room without giving him time to protest and came back as quickly as possible. I found him trying to search through his papers one-handed, obviously not wanting to risk opening the wound again and getting blood on them. I sat my bag upon the table and drew from it a roll of bandages and the disinfectant.

"All right, Holmes," said I. "Let me see your hand."

Holmes tugged his sleeve down slightly and gave me his hand again. I poured a little of the disinfectant over a piece of cotton and thoroughly rubbed his finger with it. He hissed very slightly through his teeth at the sting, but other than that made no comment as I continued, wrapping his finger with a thin bandage.

"It should be perfectly fine now," I said.

Holmes flexed his wrapt finger once before lowering it to his side.

"You didn't really have to do that, you know," he said, taking up another file.

"Yes, I know, but it's better that I did."

"Well, thank you, Doctor," he said abruptly, and with that he continued with his search.

I returned the roll of bandages and the bottle of disinfectant to their place in my bag and shut it. I decided I would leave it in the sitting-room for now and take it up later, since I had no desire to climb the stairs again. I went back to my chair and sat, and I quietly resumed my observations of Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

KS: Thanks for reading! Please, don't forget to review!