smallhobbit | Out of the Frying Pan

Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Molly Hooper, Greg Lestrade
Rating: PG
Word Count: 460
Prompt: two lines from Meeting at Night, by Robert Browning
"Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch"
Notes: Written rapidly for the ninth day of the July Writing Prompts on

watsons_woes

Follows on directly from Accident!

Meanwhile, Sherlock was engaged in a fascinating but basically pointless conversation with Sebastian Moran in the first class carriage. As he had expected Moran was waiting for him in the quiet carriage, but had indicated that Sherlock follow him into the other first class carriage. Not that this one was exactly noisy, but it did mean they could pursue their conversation.

When the train juddered to a halt Sherlock went to leave his seat, but Moran stretched his legs out, trapping Sherlock in the corner.

“I don’t think we need to worry ourselves about this, do you?” Moran said. “Although in a few minutes you may be ready to do business with me.”

Sherlock realised that Moran was covertly looking out of the window and glanced carefully himself. Three fields to cross till a farm appears. “You may find that you have under-estimated me,” he replied.

#####

As soon as the train stopped both Greg and Molly stood up. They were part way down the carriage by the time the train manager made his announcement. Neither believed that this was just an accident and both of them were concerned for John. They found him out cold at the start of the first carriage. Molly checked but could see no serious injury, although there was the beginnings of a bruise on the back of his head. Clearly, whoever it was hadn’t intended to kill him.

“What do we do now Tigger’s lost his bounce?” she asked Greg.

“We could try to get off the train.”

“Is it safe?”

“Not necessarily, but I’m not sure that being stuck on the train with some potentially murderous bastards is going to be safe either.”

Greg tried the door, which swung open. It looked as if the lock mechanism had been forced.

“Right, I’ll jump down and then you can help to drag John towards the doorway. From there I should be able to carry him,” he said.

Molly did as she had been instructed. The railway embankment was covered in bushes, so Greg led her partway up it to where they could conceal themselves from the sight of anyone who was looking out of the train.

“Stay here with John,” Greg said. “I’m going to see if I can spot Sherlock.”

He set off along the embankment, using the bushes as cover until he reached the far end of the train. Peering round a bush he saw Sherlock apparently talking to someone. He crept down to the train and along it until he was beneath Sherlock’s window. Then he gave a tap at the pane. In reply Sherlock made a quick sharp scratch.

Inside the carriage Sherlock stood up. “This has all been very instructive, but I think it’s time for me to go now,” he said.