Fic: Timing: Gen
Aug. 12th, 2021 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stonepicnicking_okapi posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
holmes_minorTitle: Timing
Characters: Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson
Length: 500
Rating: Gen
For: my gen prompt bingo O-2: trauma and the monthly prompt: timing
Summary: After the trauma of being shot by Garrideb, Holmes finds something to aid Watson's convalescence.
Holmes held the thin flat box and knew that in this, as in so many things, timing was everything.
It was the morning of the second day of Watson’s convalescence after being shot by the man who went by many names including John Garrideb.
Despite the superficial nature of the wound, Watson was achy the first day after. He remained in bed for most of the day, only coming downstairs, slowly and gingerly, to take tea in the afternoon.
On this second morning, Holmes had convinced Watson to come down for breakfast. Mrs. Hudson had done her part in rewarding Watson’s effort by featuring smoked kedgeree among the table’s delicacies.
When they’d finished eating, Holmes dug his surprise out of the debris on his desk. He held it in his hand, then strode to Watson’s side and placed it beside him on the table.
“What’s this, Holmes?”
A foolish question as Holmes had purposefully left it unwrapped, but he forebear to say so.
“Jigsaw puzzle.”
Watson’s lips curled into a smile of soft amusement, and Holmes knew his timing had been good when
Watson said,
“Seems like a good thing to do on a day like today. Will you help me get it set up?”
And just like that, the breakfast table was clean (Mrs. Hudson was later to remark dryly it was astounding how apt Mister Holmes was at housework given the right motivation) and the puzzle pieces were spilled upon it.
“Are you going to help?” asked Watson.
“Perhaps. I have some reading to catch up on first.”
Holmes wisely knew that if he set his mind to the puzzle, it would be complete in far shorter time than desired, with the added unwanted aspect of making Watson feel uncomfortable.
But Holmes kept his eye on Watson the whole time, while reading and pretending to read and while tackling some of the correspondence jackknifed to the mantelpiece.
Every now and then, Holmes would stride over and place one or two pieces in place and make some encouraging comment on Watson’s progress.
The scene was cottage garden and back door. There was enough distinction to make the puzzle interesting but not so much as to overwhelm. Holmes had chosen carefully. Not too many pieces, not too few. A quiet but not tranquilising landscape. Rich colours which might appeal to Watson’s artistic sense, which on a visual scale was much more sophisticated than Holmes’s own.
Holmes played his violin and paced about the room.
Just before supper, Watson placed the final piece in the frame.
“Ha!” he cried in triumph.
“Well done, Watson.”
“It is a lovely scene, Doctor,” added Mrs. Hudson, who seemed to be beaming approvingly at both of them.
They eased the completed puzzle onto one of Mrs. Hudson’s largest baking sheets and set it aside to have supper.
“You know, Holmes, I think I should like to go out tomorrow.”
“Anywhere in particular.”
“No, just a ramble.
“You feel it’s time?”
“I do.”
So did Holmes.
Characters: Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson
Length: 500
Rating: Gen
For: my gen prompt bingo O-2: trauma and the monthly prompt: timing
Summary: After the trauma of being shot by Garrideb, Holmes finds something to aid Watson's convalescence.
Holmes held the thin flat box and knew that in this, as in so many things, timing was everything.
It was the morning of the second day of Watson’s convalescence after being shot by the man who went by many names including John Garrideb.
Despite the superficial nature of the wound, Watson was achy the first day after. He remained in bed for most of the day, only coming downstairs, slowly and gingerly, to take tea in the afternoon.
On this second morning, Holmes had convinced Watson to come down for breakfast. Mrs. Hudson had done her part in rewarding Watson’s effort by featuring smoked kedgeree among the table’s delicacies.
When they’d finished eating, Holmes dug his surprise out of the debris on his desk. He held it in his hand, then strode to Watson’s side and placed it beside him on the table.
“What’s this, Holmes?”
A foolish question as Holmes had purposefully left it unwrapped, but he forebear to say so.
“Jigsaw puzzle.”
Watson’s lips curled into a smile of soft amusement, and Holmes knew his timing had been good when
Watson said,
“Seems like a good thing to do on a day like today. Will you help me get it set up?”
And just like that, the breakfast table was clean (Mrs. Hudson was later to remark dryly it was astounding how apt Mister Holmes was at housework given the right motivation) and the puzzle pieces were spilled upon it.
“Are you going to help?” asked Watson.
“Perhaps. I have some reading to catch up on first.”
Holmes wisely knew that if he set his mind to the puzzle, it would be complete in far shorter time than desired, with the added unwanted aspect of making Watson feel uncomfortable.
But Holmes kept his eye on Watson the whole time, while reading and pretending to read and while tackling some of the correspondence jackknifed to the mantelpiece.
Every now and then, Holmes would stride over and place one or two pieces in place and make some encouraging comment on Watson’s progress.
The scene was cottage garden and back door. There was enough distinction to make the puzzle interesting but not so much as to overwhelm. Holmes had chosen carefully. Not too many pieces, not too few. A quiet but not tranquilising landscape. Rich colours which might appeal to Watson’s artistic sense, which on a visual scale was much more sophisticated than Holmes’s own.
Holmes played his violin and paced about the room.
Just before supper, Watson placed the final piece in the frame.
“Ha!” he cried in triumph.
“Well done, Watson.”
“It is a lovely scene, Doctor,” added Mrs. Hudson, who seemed to be beaming approvingly at both of them.
They eased the completed puzzle onto one of Mrs. Hudson’s largest baking sheets and set it aside to have supper.
“You know, Holmes, I think I should like to go out tomorrow.”
“Anywhere in particular.”
“No, just a ramble.
“You feel it’s time?”
“I do.”
So did Holmes.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 09:55 pm (UTC)I particularly liked the line: And just like that, the breakfast table was clean (Mrs. Hudson was later to remark dryly it was astounding how apt Mister Holmes was at housework given the right motivation) and the puzzle pieces were spilled upon it.
(Incidentally, it belatedly occurs to me that your author tag is still under your older name. Would you like the mods to alter that? ^__^ I mean, I could make a new tag "author: stonepicnicking_okapi" and change all the "author: okapi1895" tags to that. Or I could make a new tag and you could carry on from the next fic as "author: stonepicnicking_okapi" while leaving your previous creations with the old tag. Or I could leave things as they are, if you prefer ^__^ Let me know!)
no subject
Date: 2021-08-12 11:27 pm (UTC)But thank you!!
I would say just leave it. I mean, anyone who matters knows who I am :) I think it's the last vestige of my LiveJournal days.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 07:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-13 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-17 12:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-17 02:31 pm (UTC)