Title: Requiscat in Pacem
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: PG
Length: 347
Summary: Sherlock Holmes' day nurse has come to take over from the night nurse
A/N: The companion piece to Nunc Dimittis And equally sad.
Also written for watsons_woes WAdvent Open Day Post #5

The sound of female voices reached Holmes as he lay in his bed.  Mrs Farrell, the day nurse, had arrived and was talking quietly with Mrs Green, who had spent the night in an armchair within calling distance of his room.

Holmes could hear the sounds of Mrs Farrell hanging up her outer garments and then changing her boots.  “It was a rough night last night,” she said.  “Did it trouble you much?”

“No,” Mrs Green replied.  “Fortunately the wind was blowing from the north-east and did not blow the rain onto Mr Holmes’ window.  Such sounds seem to disturb him badly, I imagine it must bring back some of his past cases.  From the tales Dr Watson wrote he went out in all weathers.”

“My Fred said it had been sleeting a little in the night too.  Definitely not a time to go outdoors.  And how was our patient’s own sleep?”

“That too was rough, although I would not blame it on the weather.  He is finding it harder to breathe and I had to go into him a couple of times.  But there is nothing wrong with his mind and he even tried to apologise for disturbing me.  Of course I assured him this was no problem, for I will sleep quite well once I am home.”

“Well, don’t let me detain you.  I shall go in to see Mr Holmes and then make him his breakfast, although I doubt he will have the strength to take anything.”

Holmes smiled weakly at his day nurse, as she came into his room, and croaked out a greeting.  Then he lay back on the pillows and looked across at the mirror which hung on his bedroom wall.  For the last few days he had thought he caught a glimpse of Watson in the mirror.  Initially the image had been rough hewn, but each time he saw him it grew clearer.

And now in the mirror he could see not just Watson, but himself.

He did not hear Mrs Farrell calling out, “Mrs Green, Mrs Green, come quickly.”