The Engineer’s Thumb: Over Breakfast

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Engineer’s Thumb
Title: Over Breakfast
Author: Mafief
Rating: G
Warnings: Implied drug use
Author’s Notes: He received us in his quietly genial fashion, ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal.

I covertly search for fresh evidence of his usage and spot Holmes mindlessly scratching his forearm. He catches me looking and adjusts his dressing-gown sleeve. We make eye contact and I raise an eyebrow. He dismisses my concern before focusing on a rasher. I purse my lips, drop my gaze, and replay the rest of tired exchange in my mind.

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Neat observation!

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Aw. Yeah, that sucks, but very plausible.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

This is such an interesting idea.

ENGR begins 'not long after [Watson's] marriage' - and of course SIGN ends with Watson's engagement and that iconic scene of Holmes reaching for the cocaine bottle. And ENGR also begins with an emphasis on the fact Watson is a doctor. Now you've pointed it out, it just seems so obvious that Watson would still be worried about Holmes' drug use at this point in the canon but I'd never considered it before.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ach. The downside of knowing each other all too well.

[debriswoman]

Nicely done

[mafief.livejournal.com]

So, starting out, I’ve been trained not to talk in absolutes. On top of that, there is interpretation of a text, which just compounds and makes my thoughts more wishy-washy. I’m using other’s inferences that make sense to me depending upon how I am interpreting the characters or the reliableness of Watson as a narrator.

As for Holmes’ drug use, Watson mentions that he helped cure him of that in MISS. From SIGN to just after the Hiatus, he is using and he was likely using before SIGN. For this, I’m of the opinion that Holmes’ drug use created a lot of tension between the two characters. Watson hates it, worries about him concerning his use, and has probably lectured him on it numerous times. Holmes ignored his opinions on it completely or listens slightly. It seems a likely place where tension could occur. As others have pointed out, it wouldn’t be unreasonable that Holmes’ use increases without Watson there. So, it’s how you view why he’s taking the drug. Is it just to stimulate his mind or is there more to it? If there is more to it, then something like Watson leaving will probably not cause him to stop but continue or increase. They haven’t been apart for that long, maybe 6 or so months, so I think there is still some level of adjustment going on.

Ep! Sorry, that got long. All of that to say, yup, it's possible.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

There is a certain skill and familiarity to have a nonverbal argument while the other breakfast companion has no idea what is going on.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Oh, it totally sucks and they probably had that exchange happen multiple times.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) I'm excited that I'm starting to see potential background stories behind what is going on in the text.