The Detectives Daughter

Chapter 61: His Last Vow: Isabelle Ryan

~ (3rd POV) ~

Sherlock crept up the stairs and walked down the hall.

"What-what-what would your husband think, eh? He ... your lovely husband, upright, honourable ..." Sherlock Heard Magnussen say. He looked through the door and saw Magnussen on his knees with his hands behind his head. "... so English. What-what would he say to you now?"

Sherlock looked into the room and someone dressed all in black and holding a pistol at Magnussen.

"You're-you're doing this to protect him from the truth ... But is this protection he would want?" Magnussen asked.

Sherlock slowly walked into the room. "Additionally, if you're going to commit murder, you might consider changing your perfume... Lady Smallwood," He told her.

Magnussen straightened a little. "Sorry. Who?" He asked shakily. "That's ... not ... Lady Smallwood, Mr Holmes."

Sherlock frowned. The person in black turned to face him and aimed the pistol at him. Sherlock looked at... Mary Watson.

"Is John with you?" Mary asked softly.

"He's, um ..." Sherlock uttered in shock

"Is John here?" She asked firmly.

"He-he's downstairs," Sherlock told her.

"And Brooke?" She asked.

"W-With John," He told her and she nodded. "Mary, whatever he's got on you, let me help." Sherlock shifted his weight onto one foot, ready to take a step towards her.

"Sherlock, if you take one more step I swear I will kill you," Mary told him.

Sherlock shook his head.  "No, Mrs Watson," He said softly. Mary stared at him, her mouth opened a little. "You won't."

Sherlock started to take a step Mary pulled the trigger!

The bullet hit his lower chest...

Mary sighed regretfully as  Sherlock looked down at the bullet hole and after a moment blood begins to pour from the hole. "I'm sorry, Sherlock," Mary said tearfully. "Truly I am."

--------- (SHERLOCK'S MIND PALACE) ---------

Pain.

Pain is the only thing Sherlock felt and it burned...

Suddenly Sherlock was in the mortuary leaning on some draws.

"It's not like it is in the movies. There's not a great big spurt of blood and you go flying backwards," Molly said; She was wearing her lab coat and smiling? "The impact isn't spread over a wide area. It's tightly focused, so there's little or no energy transfer. You're almost certainly going to die, so we need to focus!"

Molly  slapped him hard across the face. Sherlock sucked in a huge breath, his eyes snapped open.

"I said ... focus!" Molly demanded and slapped him a second time. "It's all well and clever having a Mind Palace, but you've got only three seconds of consciousness left to use it. So, come on – what's going to kill you?"

Sherlock looked down at his dead body for a moment and then raised his head again.

"Blood loss," He stated

"Exactly. So, it's all about one thing now," Molly told him. "Forwards, or backwards? We need to decide which way you're going to fall."

"One hole, or two?" Anderson asked

Sherlock frowned. "Sorry?" He asked in confusion.

"Is the bullet still inside you?" Molly asked. "Or is there an exit wound? It'll depend on the gun."