Sherlock - The Game Is On!

The Lying Detective- Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Third POV

Saint Caedwalla's Hospital

The Watsons stand in a corridor with a blue-uniformed female nurse. Near them is the plaque beside which Smith stood when he opened The Culverton Smith Wing. To the right of the plaque is a large photo of Smith just about to cut the ribbon, and to the right of that is another photograph, of him smiling.

The nurse looks at John. "You involved much?"

"Sorry?"

"Um, with Mr Holmes; Sherlock and all his cases?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm John Watson and this is my wife Mary." The nurse looks to him as if his name held no meaning to her. "Okay."

"Doctor Watson." He reiterated. "I love his blog, don't you?" She turns to Mary. "His blog?" John repeats. "Oh, don't you read it?"

"You mean my blog." John corrects.

Sherlock comes out of the nearby toilets. "Say what you like about addiction; The day is full of highlights."

"Oh, Mr Holmes. You feeling better?"

"Psychedelic!" He mocks too cheerfully. "I was just saying I love your blog."

"Great. I..."

"It's my blog." John interrupts. "It is. He writes the blog." Sherlock agrees. "It's yours?"

"Yes."

"You write Sherlock's blog?"

"Yes." Sherlock briefly closes his eyes and then widens them, blowing out a long breath. "It's... Gone downhill a little bit, hasn't it?" Mary smiles tightly to herself. "Oh, it's this way, then." Sherlock blows out another breath and he and the Watsons follow her.

Smith stands in the middle of a play area in a children's ward. Child patients and their nurses and other support staff are sat and stood around him. He turns and everyone applauds as Nurse Cornish leads the trio into the room. Another nurse smiles at them as they walk past. "Oh, my God; I love your blog!" Sherlock points both index fingers at her and smiles. "You're welcome!" He puts a friendly hand on her shoulder as he walks past. John looks at them straight-faced.

"Right, here he comes, the internet 'tec!" Sherlock continues into the room, mock-gaping at the sight. "You all know Sherlock Holmes!" The children begin to cheer and applaud harder. "Hello!" Smith walks closer to him as the applause dies down. "Oh, and Doctor Watson and his wife, of course." The audience clap again, far less enthusiastically this time. John presses his lips together. Mary stands closer to him. "Mr Holmes. I was wondering, well..." He turns to the kids. "We all were, weren't we? Maybe you could tell us about some of your cases."

"No." Sherlock responds.
"Yes." John answers.

"Yes! Absolutely, yes." Sherlock changes his time. Going into lecture mode, he walks forward into the circle of children. "The main feature of interest in the field of criminal investigation is not the sensational aspects of the crime itself, but rather the iron chain of reasoning, from cause to effect, that reveals step by step the solution. That's the only truly remarkable aspect of the entire affair. Now, I will share with you the facts and evidence as they were available to me, and in this very room you will all attempt to solve the case of Blessington the Poisoner."

He wanders back to John and Mary. "I think you slightly gave away the ending." Mary stated, lightly smiling. "There were five main suspects..." Sherlock spoke to the audience. "One of them called Blessington." John adds whilst he throws a look towards him. "But it's more about how he did it."