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Title: The Knitted Blanket
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: G
Length: 484
Summary: Mrs Hopkins has knitted an ailing Holmes a special blanket

 

I had not seen Holmes for three weeks.  I tried to visit him every week, to spend a couple of hours in his presence.  It was hard, for the illness he had succumbed to on his return from the continent had robbed him of his speech, and he had lost his old sharpness.    The privations on the continent, together with this illness had also taken a toll of his physical strength, and he spent most of his time in his chair, assisted as necessary by a companion who seemed to understand his wishes though he could no longer talk.

I myself had been laid low by a heavy cold, and not wishing to carry further ailments to Holmes I had waited until I was properly recovered before visiting him once more.  Our good friend Inspector (now Chief Inspector) Stanley Hopkins had increased his visits in my absence, so Holmes had not lost out on visitors.

Hopkins had told me his wife had knitted Holmes a blanket, with different coloured squares in memory of several of the cases we had been involved with.  I had been rather sceptical at the idea, but had held my tongue, for the thought was indeed an admirable one.

When I arrived at Holmes’ lodgings that afternoon I was pleased to see the blanket covering his knees, and I made a mental note to ask Hopkins to thank his wife for her gift, which was clearly appreciated.  Then I realised Holmes was plucking at the blanket in the way many invalids do, and my heart sank slightly, for I still thought him above the plight of many.

But then I understood Holmes was not plucking at the blanket, but instead pointing at one of the squares, a bright scarlet one.  And I understood. 

“A Study in Scarlet,” I said.  Holmes nodded and smiled.  My first story, and one which recounted our meeting.

We spent the rest of the afternoon working our way through the squares.  Some were easy to place: another red square was Jabez Wilson and The Red-Headed league; The Blue Carbuncle and The Beryl Coronet likewise were obvious.  There were four violet squares for the Violets we had met over the course of the years.  Others were slightly harder: a greyish-brown square, for instance, for The Hound of the Baskervilles.  Still others took me a while to identify: one with blue, red and white stripes confused me for some time, until I remembered The Six Napoleons.

Holmes was obviously delighted with the blanket and it had enabled me to reminisce about the past with much greater ease than on previous visits, for with the case as a starting point I was able to recollect even events which I had not included in my written stories.  The thanks I would be sending to Mrs Hopkins would not just be on Holmes’ behalf, but also very gratefully on my own.

 


Comments

mafief: (Default)
[personal profile] mafief wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 06:32 pm (UTC)
That was bittersweet and I teared up a little. ::sniff::: it’s a fact of life, but no one likes seeing their hero like that. I like that the blanket gave them a way to communicate again.

Sort of related, are you going to knit this blanket or am I going to crochet it? :) Because it should totally be made.
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson 221B)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 07:29 pm (UTC)
Thank you. I'm glad that you liked the idea, even if it was rather sad.

I can't see myself knitting a blanket in the near future, so you're welcome to the idea.
clarasteam: Maggi Hambling Scallop (scallop voices)
[personal profile] clarasteam wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 07:13 pm (UTC)
oh lovely, and so poignant. it's hard to see him like this, for the reader as well as Watson, but you write about it beautifully.

and [personal profile] mafief is right - this blanket should totally be made!
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson Granada)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 07:32 pm (UTC)
Thank you very much.

I like the idea of making the blanket, but don't see managing to do so in the near future.
gardnerhill: (Default)
[personal profile] gardnerhill wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 07:24 pm (UTC)
Adorable and poignant. Of course a master deducer can ascertain which square represents which case!

Also reminiscent of a lovely true story about the last days of Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & Hardy fame). He'd had a stroke that robbed him of speech - so his old acting partner and real-life friend Stan Laurel would visit and they'd have a full happy conversation in traditional theatrical pantomime.
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson Granada)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 4th, 2018 07:34 pm (UTC)
Thank you. I think the challenge would have appealled to Holmes.

That's a lovely story too.
scfrankles: knight on horseback with lance lowered (Default)
[personal profile] scfrankles wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2018 12:04 am (UTC)
What a lovely concept - though so poignant as well of course. But I can absolutely see Mrs. Hopkins' beautiful blanket in my mind's eye.
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson Granada)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2018 07:02 pm (UTC)
Thank you very much - I'm delighted you can visualise it.
exbex: (Default)
[personal profile] exbex wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2018 03:15 am (UTC)
My heart; this is so beautiful and so poignant
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson Granada)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2018 07:03 pm (UTC)
Thank you very much - I'm so pleased you liked it.
alessnox: Aless Nox - A writer (Default)
[personal profile] alessnox wrote:
Feb. 6th, 2018 09:58 pm (UTC)
Lovely!
smallhobbit: (Holmes Watson Granada)
[personal profile] smallhobbit wrote:
Feb. 6th, 2018 10:20 pm (UTC)
Thank you!

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