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The Rehabilitation of Dr. Joan Watson	By : LadyLaran Category: 1 through F > Elementary Views: 4616 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own "Elementary" nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter List
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- 6
Author’s Note – I have finally finished with my Hobbit Big Bang project so I’m now able to turn my attention to the WIPs I have going. This chapter is short, but I wanted to get something out for everyone to enjoy.

Disclaimer – I do not own “Elementary” nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter Six – Steps to Progress

The next few days were rather harrowing for both occupants of the brownstone. Sherlock had not made progress with the database, and Joan was suffering from nightmares every night. He would go into her room, calling her name until she woke from the terror that had held her dreams captive. She was obviously tired, needing several nights of restful sleep, and he just needed and wanted a way to help his friend.

The former physician went to her therapist to seek help in dealing with the trauma of what she’d been through. The Englishman wasn’t a proponent of such activities but knew they could be useful to others so he kept his silence whenever she returned from an appointment. When Joan had asked him to go to her next meeting with her, he’d been stunned into silence for several long moments.

“Why does she wish for me to be there,” the detective asked his friend.

“She wants to speak to the people who have been helping me through this,” Joan replied, voice soft as she played with spoon she’d been using to enjoy some ice cream she’d brought home after her latest appointment.

“I see,” Sherlock answered, looking a bit baffled and concerned. “Am I the first to be asked?”

“She wanted to speak with you first, but I recommended she start with Ms. Hudson since it’d take you some time to decide if you wanted to come or not,” the former doctor told him. “She agreed but asked again today if you were going to meet with her.”

“This will be pertinent to your recovery,” he asked, giving a quiet sigh when she nodded. “Right then, I shall be there. When is your next appointment?”

“Friday,” Joan informed him. “She’s got me seeing her three days a week until she’s satisfied that I’m making progress.”

“Remind me when the time for the appointment draws near,” the detective requested. “Since this is important, I do not want to forget it if something should try to distract my attention away from that day.”

“I will. Thank you, Sherlock.”

The Englishman waved off her thanks and went back to the essay he was reading. Though he was not comfortable with the idea of being in front of Joan’s therapist, he would do as much as possible to ensure that her recovery went as smoothly as it could.

Friday, Joan introduced him to her therapist before the woman instructed the Asian-American female to wait in the lobby so she could chat with her housemate. Once they were alone, the therapist turned her attention to Sherlock.

“Thank you for making time for this, Mr. Holmes. Joan has said your schedule tended to be erratic due to cases arriving at odd moments,” Dr. Clarice Whitman began.

“To ensure her recovery goes as smoothly as possible, I will do whatever is within my power to help her through this trauma,” Sherlock commented.

“I am glad to hear that, Mr. Holmes, because victims of assaults of this nature,” she started but was interrupted by the detective.

“Watson is not a victim, Dr. Whitman. She is, in fact, a survivor,” the man informed her. “My partner would never allow herself to become a victim. Judging from the expression you just gave, I see you believe the same thing and was testing me.”

“I was,” the doctor told the other. “It is my experience that survivors are able to overcome the trauma and live their lives with courage and dignity. Victims are rarely so self-assured, even with the help I provide. I needed to determine how you saw Joan because you are the main provider of support for her.”

After Sherlock nodded, the psychologist continued, glad to see that her patient had such a strong supporter at home.

“I wanted to talk to you today about Joan and see where your concerns are,” she told him. “I have a few suggestions that might help her as well. Why don’t you tell me what worries you about your friend?”

“While I do not require much in the way of sleep, I know she needs a certain amount of hours of rest throughout the week and she is not getting them. Every night, I have to wake her from the nightmares she’s had,” he informed her.

“I don’t want her to try pharmacology yet since there may be other means of attacking this issue,” Dr. Whitman replied. “Do you know much about meditation?”

“I do,” he answered.

“Perhaps spending time each evening in meditation with her might help her relax enough to rest properly. Nightmares are often nature’s way of helping the survivor cope with the attack so unless it becomes out of hand, I don’t want to intervene with that. Meditation will clear her thoughts and allow her to relax before going to sleep.”

“I can offer to do so with her when my schedule allows,” Sherlock said in response.

“Joan has also mentioned that you play the violin,” she asked him. “If you are willing, I have a suggestion to offer. She has said that she finds music to be relaxing, and I think that you playing for her might allow her to unwind after a nightmare. You can play various tunes and see what helps her the most, and then you can record those songs for her to listen to on nights where she needs it and you are unavailable to play for her.”

“I’ll begin on that today,” he promised, waiting to see what else the doctor had to suggest. So far, the woman was giving him good ideas that he would put to use immediately.

“The final two things are a bit trickier,” Clarice told him. “The first is being there to listen whenever she needs to talk. A lot of the time, you won’t have an answer for her but the fact that you are there and willing to let her vent what’s on her mind will mean a great deal to her.”

“I am willing to try, Dr. Whitman, but I am not the most patient or understanding of people.”

“The fact that you are willing to try will be enough to encourage her, Mr. Holmes. The last item is that she needs to return to as much of her normal daily routine as possible, and that means going back to work. Continue her training as a detective, give her cold cases and exercises to work through, and bring her with you on your current cases,” the psychologist instructed. “She needs to be treated as a survivor, not a victim.”

“Now that, I can certainly do,” Sherlock said with a tiny smile. “Are there any restrictions on the cases she can be involved in?”

“Let her be the judge of that,” the woman replied. “If it’s too much to handle, she’s promised me that she would let you know. All you need to do is not allow her to be treated as a victim and ensure that the ones you work with are told the same thing. All of you need to trust her to know her limitations and not coddle her.”

“I will ensure she’ll be treated properly,” the detective reassured her, rising to his feet when she did.

“First, here is my card. I have my personal cell number on the back, and I want you to call me if you have questions about Joan’s progress or if something happens with her and you need my help. I don’t care if it’s three in the morning,” Dr. Whitman told him as she handed him the card.

“I shall,” he promised, pocketing the card with a mental note to add the contact information to his mobile.

“I appreciate you coming in, Mr. Holmes,” she said, offering her hand to him. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise, Dr. Whitman,” Sherlock stated, shaking her hand.

“Would you mind sending Joan back in please?”

The Englishman nodded, heading out of her office and sending his friend back in to speak with her therapist. It was good to know that there were things he could do to help her, and it relieved him to have a plan to help Watson get through all of this.

While he waited, he called Captain Gregson and informed him that he and Watson would be available for cases. When the captain asked about Joan being ready for this, Sherlock informed him of what the therapist had said and stated emphatically that they were to trust her to know her own limits.

After listening to what the consulting detective had to say, the policeman agreed and promised to inform the other detectives who worked with them to do as Sherlock instructed. Then he filled the Englishman in on what had been discovered so far regarding Joan’s case.

When Gregson had mentioned that Bell had tried to speak with the Watson family once again, they had refused to talk to him since they had disinherited their daughter. There had been a complete lack of worry about her, and he told Sherlock that his detective had been ready to knock some sense into them.

“Perhaps a visit from you and me would be in order,” Sherlock suggested, smirking when Gregson agreed.

Once the date of the visit was arranged, the detective rang off and waited for Joan to emerge from the office. He wasn’t too satisfied with how the case was going, but he would be able to offer more insight later when he looked over the evidence collected so far.

If there was one thing he could do to ensure that his friend had closure, it would be to bring the one who had violated her to justice. A part of him wanted to do more than turn the fiend over to the police, but he tamped down on that as he knew Watson did not agree with violence of that nature. Sherlock would honor that but also knew that the police detectives might not feel the same as his partner.

He sighed, checking his email on his mobile. There was a lot to do, and it would take time to ensure that he put the doctor’s suggestions into practice. As long as Joan found them to be useful, Sherlock would make certain to carry out every suggestion. His friend deserved to heal from this and carry on as the strong survivor he knew her to be.

Author’s End Note - I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading and see you soon. ~ Laran
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The Rehabilitation of Dr. Joan Watson