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Sherlock is annoyed and he can’t find the new pathologist. The great lab they had here made him keep coming back but he will not be tamed by something trivial like fidelity. The arrangement with Greg was mutual beneficial and of course murders were potentially less boring. Although, despite of his brother’s recommendations, why should him be tied up to one place?
“Simple risk management, even you aren’t free of basic security protocols, brother mine” simply ghastly.
And that was exactly one of that occasions that annoyed he so much. Discreetly Mycroft has pick up personally this new pathologist, of course he didn’t know, or the people of the hospital, or should himself. He has deduced this and rolled his eyes to brother. ‘It must be someone clever, and easy but where the hell is he hiding?’
The victim was already released to the family and he needed the observations about something so superficial that wasn’t even in the report. So began his chase to Dr. Hooper. Morgue, laboratory, office, pathology office, coffee machine, canteen, rest medical room, internship office, three smoking hiding places. ‘Oh the anatomy laboratory, no one ever goes there since the university has the larger one. Worth a try. Hate new people!’
This lab was in the end of the corridor near the biohazard control, was a practical engineer choice, they need an industrial special oven to cook the flesh and produce the bony pieces. From the entry of the corridor the lights seem off but he keeps going. When he approaches he sees through the glass door that just the light in the end of the lab is on.
‘Someone comfortable with the anatomy lab must be there, if is Dr. Hooper dammit I will give him the shock of his live, and then deduce him. First impressions are very important.’ He chuckles amused to himself and enters noiseless on the room.
Well, if he was quiet, now even his heart stopped his beating with the view.
A petite woman with a lab coat was standing in the last balcony of the room, she was on her profile, uplifting (by the color) a rather new piece of skull. Her profile, against the dramatic light made up a perfectly balanced picture with all the elements combined in harmony. Posture of a ballerina, smooth, high ponytail, well molded head, upturned almost graphic nose, and the rash contrast with a skull. It was breathtaking beauty. And then his Galatea started to talk.
“So Charlie, I know you aren’t upset but what should we do now? You don’t deserve to be one orthodontic piece. Shh! Don’t tell them. They would eat me alive!”
She had a beautiful voice, ‘Wait! What? Deduce her to stop this madness!’
She lowered the skull to start to talk more intimately, with the other hand in her hip.
“You know I watched one of your lectures Charlie? You inspired me. You were the best. So distinguished and neat. Oh! and your voice. Aaaah. You know that your voice did things to people. And here I am, deciding what to do with you.”
“Doctor Hoo-”
“AAAHHH” she threw the skull to the air and catches again sometimes before had her balance again. Well, success.
“For goodness sakes you frighten me!”
“Well, that’s what you gain to stay in an abandoned lab in half lights.” She was pressing the skull in her chest, ‘the bastard’. She gestured to the switch and he turned the others lights. While he had the back to her she started to talk.
“I am not- ah.. the doctor... I mean, please, I say…” She stuttered with her face and neck completely red, witch suites her very well. ‘Why on earth such a beautiful woman had low esteem I would never know’. Very quickly she looks to his eyes, his mouth, quick micro expressions quite amused. ‘Oh she is attracted to me. This could be useful.’ She clasps the both hands in the skull in the middle of her body, and resumes her talking.
“You must be Mycroft’s brother, Sherlock Holmes. I’m Molly Hooper.” She reaches a hand for him and they shake.
“Doctor Hooper, I didn’t want to interrupt but”
“Please don’t call me doctor”
“But you are doctor, doctor Hooper”
“In my first year all the class made that joke, even saying that will be never a girl doctor, please call me Molly.”
“Where did you did medical school? It must be females doctors there! Utterly unbelievable.”
“Ugh, you didn’t know The doctor?” Witch he rolled his eyes, “ugh pop culture reference, always miss.” she didn’t mock him but started to talk to the skull again.
“No he doesn’t, Charlie.” she faces Sherlock again “Sorry, I know it’s weird.”
Of course he will forgive her she already accepts his uniqueness and besides, this particularity was one that he had himself, so instead he encourages it.
“Did you knew him?”
“Oh, no, I mean... a little? I am in his place, you know.” She grabbed the lucky skull again and started to talk looking right to the orbital plate, like she couldn’t look straight to the eyes of the living being right there. “Since he worked he, he donated his body specifically to be used just in Bart’s, one of his requests was that his body must be used to the same thing he done time to time.”
The story was picturesque like many of his cases were not “Which was?”.
“Teach how to prepare an anatomical piece with his body at least one time.”
Sherlock made a snare to that, just to be surprised on how she could already read him well.
“Exactly, look here” she turned the skull in lateral view pointing to where the jaw connects the head “they damaged the mandibular so it doesn’t have the perfect fit. You see, Charlie was meant to be in the first balcony of the anatomy lab. But now his skull is damaged and will be stored until his body doesn’t have use any more. A real waist. Such a good skull, don’t you think?” She raises the piece in front of her.
“I keep him.”
“Oh?” she is surprised, but he raised a hand to grab the skull to what she held it protectively.
“You knew him? Charlie, I mean.”
“We were professional colleges Charlie and I.”
“You were friends? They said you fought all the time that I should step back from you”
“They do, don’t they? We just argue because he was clever or I wouldn’t waste my time.” Sherlock flexes his fingers while raise a single eyebrow, she gets distracted caressing the top of the skull and he take advance. “And Mycroft, what did he said?”
“Nothing important.”
“He is paying you to talk about me.” Molly made the most adorable “O” mouth he ever saw in his life, and then recovers.
“Not your problem.” He tries another approach, if he wins this one, this could be the most satisfying of the professional’s agreements ever.
“He will be fine with me, Molly.” By the sound of her name she softens a little and holds the skull to her cheek. Like two friends in a selfie.
“No, we shan’t be apart. I like him, he made my first interview here.” Sherlock gives a step further, hands in his pockets looking straight to her eyes.
“This isn’t allowed. Even to you.”
“But you can, if you feel you must.”
“Yes. What do you need him?”
“Charlie will be stunning in my mantel piece. It I’ll impress the clients.”
“Oh, you live alone. So, will you talk to him?”
“How do you kne-.” Clever girl, so fast deduced him.
She handles him the skull not before give Charlie a fast peck on his teeth.
“One condition. Please change his name, you know that he was gorgeous and had a great voice, but isn’t ethical to call study pieces by theirs living name. We must protect his identity.”
Sherlock stops with his new toy in hand. He blinks quickly. ‘So, pathologist, by option, her dream since high school, unmarried. Not alive, or near relatives. Baker, the kind that stress bakers. Date on friday, she will cancel it. Loves her profession, scientist whore, proud geek, should read less romances tough. Millions of years of evolution to produce such eyes and hair like that, up twenty years of education to be the youngest pathologist Bart’s ever seem, eager to be better, to shine bright in a male field, and nonetheless it is an ethical problem to name the skull and not to give him to a lonely fella? What the universe was plotting to put this nymph in his path?’
Sherlock perceived he had stopped for some time now.
“Oh Kay.”
“So how do you will name him?” He strained his back and grabbed the skull mimicking her, ‘If I wasn’t Sherlock I could ask her out, if only I was just William.’
“William it’s a good name…”
“Yes it is! A lovely name.” She smiles and tilts her head, so her ponytail fails to her front. “Goodbye Billie I wish you’d be very happy in your new home.” She takes Billie from him. “I will wrap it for you.”
“So, Molly, actually I’ve come here to ask you a question.”
“Sure, Sherlock, anytime.”
‘Yes’ he thinks, ‘this will work’ and they walk to the corridor.