A Case of Advancement.

Chapter One. The Girl.

The day was unusually bright for the time of year. It was December and the weather was bitter cold, but the frost on the ground of Baker Street sparkled in the winter sunshine. I gazed upon it quite fondly, remembering the days of my youth and school days in the frost and snow. Quite lost in my thoughts, I did not hear Holmes approach behind me, yawning and looking suspiciously over my shoulder, one eyebrow raised. He made some noise that was meant to engage my attention. Smiling I turned to him.

"Sorry Holmes, I did not see you. Good morning." I brushed past him to take a seat at the table, intending to partake in the lovely breakfast Mrs. Hudson had just left.

"Mmm…" he mumbled again, pulling his dressing gown tighter around himself, he left the window and took a seat opposite me, looking at me through heavily lidded eyes; he finally made some coherent sense.

"What on earth has made you so cheerful on this ghastly morning?" he asked yawning once more and tucking his legs underneath himself. He looked almost comical squeezed on to the small chair.

"Ghastly?" I replied, leaning forward, "You call beautiful sunshine and sparkling winter frost ghastly?"

Holmes groaned and flung his head back.

"Oh Watson you are an incurable romantic. It is cold and miserable and I am bored!"

I chuckled, taking out the newspaper I decided to ignore Holmes' bad mood and began to read.

"It is not a laughing matter!" He continued, sounding somewhat like a petulant child.

"Of course not Holmes, I am sorry." I struggled to hide my smiles. Holmes groaned again,

"Oh for Goodness sake what is it? Are you in love?" He said the last word with disdain and I could not help but laugh.

"No I am not, I just feel slightly nostalgic today and old, I miss my youth."

"And this makes you smile?" Holmes said sipping his tea and eyeing me over his tea cup.

"Yes, because it makes me think of happy times, when I was a boy, at school, meeting you."

Holmes smiled,

"Yes well, I can't say my boyhood was anything to write home about but our meeting was certainly an advantageous one."

I smiled back and returned to my paper. Holmes had risen to depart to his bedroom to dress when Mrs. Hudson burst through our door in a state of extreme anxiety. Rising I took her arm and led her to a chair, pouring a cup of tea for her which she waved away frantically.

"What is it Mrs. Hudson?" Holmes asked, dropping to one knee in front of her and taking her hand. Looking into his eyes she composed herself and began to speak. It always infuriated me how a man with so little experience with woman and no interest in them could be so understanding of them and have a way with them that I would have killed to possess.

"It's a girl Mr. Holmes." The poor woman spluttered, her hand in Holmes' visibly shaking.

"A girl? What girl?" Holmes raised an eyebrow but kept a firm grip of Mrs. Hudson's hand.

"Downstairs Sir. She collapsed sir, oh there was a terrible commotion outside so I opened the door to have a look and there she was, in the yard, bleeding and looking a deathly white. Oh it's awful sir, just awful."

"How long has she been there?" Holmes asked her, always practical in the face of adversity.

"I don't know sir, it can't have been long. That commotion I heard, it must have been to do with her mustn't it?"

Holmes nodded, but said nothing. I could not stand by while a woman was bleeding to death on our very doorstep. I made to go downstairs when Holmes stopped me.

"Wait for me Watson, I want to see this girl." He rose from his knees and released Mrs. Hudson's hand, "Stay here, we will go and see to the girl."

Mrs. Hudson nodded, her sobs catching her words in her throat. Picking up my medical bag from my chair, myself and Holmes advanced to the kitchen. On approaching Mrs. Hudson's back door we saw the girl which had so scared her. She was lying on her back, conscious, but only just, entirely covered in a fine layer of blood. Holmes stood in the doorway, simply staring at the girl. Placing my hand to her neck, I felt a faint pulse, surely all this blood could not be hers? Raising her to a sitting position, her eyes fluttered open and she coughed. At least she was alive, taking her into my arms I carried her to the kitchen, I placed her upon the cleared kitchen table and proceeded to wipe some of the blood away from her. Holmes watched me through this entire process without uttering a word.

"Is she alive?" Holmes asked, not advancing towards me, but watching from the far side of the kitchen.

"Yes, but only just." I had now removed the majority of the blood and found that it indeed was not hers, although weak and barely breathing, she was not in any way wounded. Holmes walked around the table to stand by the girl's head, placing a hand on her chest, he pressed down, immediately a small amount of blood rose to the surface of her skin. Amazed I watched as he did it again and more blood spilled from some unseen wound.

"How on earth?" I started, but Holmes silenced me, motioning me toward him. I stood behind him and watched as a perfect S. H formed upon the girl's skin.

"My God," I exclaimed in a whisper, "Who do you think sent her? And why her?"

"That, my friend, is what we must endeavour to find out. Attempt to stop the bleeding and tidy her up, you may put her in my bedroom until I can figure out where she came from."

I nodded and began to inspect the wound which was minute in it's detail.

"Where are you going?" I asked the retreating figure of Holmes, who turned at my voice.

"I think I may need some help with this, this person, whoever they may be is certainly not averse to killing innocents to gain my attention. Well I will not have it Watson, so I am going to fix it." He announced with finality, turning on his heel and slamming the door behind me. I looked at the poor figure in front of me and hardly knew how to begin. Where had she come from? Who had done this to her and why? So many questions flew around my mind that I felt rather dizzy. As I tended to her wounds and carried her upstairs to Mrs. Hudson's violent hysterics, I wondered what our world was coming to, that murderers and criminals had so advanced in their techniques of depravity that even Holmes was appalled and shocked by their actions. Maybe this time he would fail? The thought left my mind as quickly as it had entered it, no, if the criminals were advancing then I could imagine Holmes would rise to the challenge.

I placed the girl in his room as instructed; I had bandaged the wound up as best I could although the initials of my friend were still visible on the girl's chest. I shuddered at the thought of such a callous act. Her breathing had returned to normal with the brandy I had given her and the sleeping draught had calmed her. Her eyes fluttered gently in her sleep but sleep she did and her skin began to return to it's normal colour. Mrs. Hudson appeared behind me.

"How is she doctor?" She said in a hushed voice placing a hand on my arm.

"She will live."

Mrs. Hudson nodded; she then noticed Holmes' initials eerily showing through the girl's bandages and gasped. To prevent questions that I was too tired to answer, I ushered her out of the room and closed the door.

"I recommend you get some rest Mrs. Hudson, you've had a nasty shock."

"The good woman nodded, it is not the only shock I've had living with Mr. Holmes." She smiled up at me, obviously remembering her time as a spy for my friend; in which she had encountered many dangers. I smiled and patted her hand.

"Yes, we are none of us as young as we used to be however and I advise rest."

"Of course doctor, I shall take your advice of course."

She smiled once more, before leaving me alone to await Holmes' return. My eyes grew heavy as I peered into the fire Mrs. Hudson had made up and very soon I found myself drifting off, it was a move which very nearly cost me my life.

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A brand new story. This, I am hoping, will turn into something quite long, so with that in mind please do not expect regular updates! Although I will update whenever I can. I have always wanted to do a Holmes novel so here it is, I'm trying it out on you lot! Reviews would be greatly appreciated, as would any ideas or comments on my writing. I'm not sure where this is going so I'll take it slow. Please enjoy and remember I own nothing but the plot!