Watson's POV:

"Good afternoon Doctor! It's been such a long time since you've come to visit!" said Mrs. Hudson. She gestured me inside. "Mr. Holmes is upstairs as usual."

I thanked her and walked up the familiar steps of my old flat. I thought of all the good memories of living here with my friend, Holmes. It was so difficult for me to leave him, emotionally and physically. On the day I departed he clasped to my arm like a small child begging me not to leave. But I had to. I had to start my new life with Mary. It seemed like a great idea for her and I at the time, but since we moved in together, things just began spiraling downward in our relationship.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I knocked on Holmes's door. I heard the sudden clinking of glass and other various breaking sounds when I realized Holmes was rushing to answer the door. The doorknob wiggled a bit, then the door was opened to show Holmes staring at me with his deep, brown eyes. He looked at me in disbelief, then, suddenly, he wrapped his arms around me and embraced me. He held me tight as I stood there for a couple seconds, and then he let go.

"Watson, I… uh… sorry."

"It's quite alright, old boy," I said, "I too have missed you very much."

He looked as me with an awkward half-smile. I saw a glimmer of joy in his eyes and knew he was happy to see me. He then motioned for me to enter the room.

It was a mass, as I had suspected. There was clutter everywhere, old newspapers articles, and what I assumed were tools he used for his experiments. There was also an odd scent in the room, as if he had been working with some chemicals. I took a seat in my old chair, which sat in the same position that it had when I lived here. I so greatly missed those old days.

Holmes sat in a chair across the room from me. He picked up a newspaper and began to skim through the pages.

"What brings you here, Watson?" He was obviously trying to avoid making eye contact with me. "I thought your new life with Mary was too busy to set aside time to visit me."

"I have come to tell you something important, Holmes." I did not wish to comment on his last line. "I will explain but first may I kindly ask you how you've been?"

He took a moment to glance up at me from his paper. He set his newspaper down on a table beside him. He said, "How do you think I've been, Watson?" I noticed that the twinkling in his eyes had faded. He stood and walked over to look out a window at the dreary, gray sky. "How would you feel if the person whom you trusted most left you alone while they went on to a better life? A life, where they completely forgot about you." My insides churned at this sense of guilt.

"My best…no, only friend in this world left me. I know have to pay the rent myself, which I can barely afford alone. I have also lost the comfort of knowing that there is someone who actually cares about my health and well-being."

It was then that I realized how skinny Holmes was. He was pale and looked very unhealthy. My eyes quickly glanced around the room until I saw it. On the table lied a bottle, and a syringe.

"Do you know how difficult it has been for me to find a way to stimulate my mind since you have left?" He turned and looked at me with watery eyes. "Don't you know how long I have been waiting just to see you again?"

There was a long silence. I watched a tear drop from his eye. I took a breath and found my throat to be very dry. I said to Holmes, "I wanted to tell you that I am leaving Mary. We are getting a divorce."