Resume

[leone]

Title: Resume
Author: leone
Rating: G
Character(s): Neville St. Clair, John Watson
Summary: Neville St. Clair's job history did not do him any favours.
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: Fill for July 23nd prompt: "You must rewrite the end scene of a case, in any universe you choose (book, movie, television) - and in any way you choose. If you want to make it angstier, feel free; if you want to add a gratuitous wrap-up scene that really needed to be in there (or delete the ennnnndless exposition), go for it; if you think it was unrealistic and want to just kill off all the characters, now's your chance. Pick a story/episode/movie, and end it differently than the original."  This addresses the end of The Man with the Twisted Lip
Word Count: 100

"It must stop here, however," said Bradstreet. "If the police are to hush this thing up, there must be no more of Hugh Boone."

"I have sworn it by the most solemn oaths which a man can take."

Of course, it did not stop there. Unable to provide any evidence of recent employment, Mr. St. Clair returned to his work at the paper, at two pounds a week. He could not support his wife and children at their former standard—or, in the end, at all. It was ironic that necessity now forced him to retread the same path that inclination had once led him down. It was tragic that he never matched the success of Hugh Boone. Watson, however, knew his readers well enough by now to lay down his pen before the end of the story.

Comments

[gardnerhill]

Poor schmuck.

Now if I recall the Victorian hierarchy of employment, he can only go from begging to dockside prostitution - and if that fails, acting.

[leone]

Hah! Thank you for reading.

[methylviolet10b]

Oh, that is tragic. No wonder Watson didn't tell the rest of the story. Nicely done.

[leone]

Thank you.

[(Anonymous)]

Depressing - but very believable, probably more so than the 'abridged' version Watson put down!
Nicely written.

[leone]

I'm glad you liked it, anon! I find it very satisfying to "fix" endings to the canon in this way--i.e., sadly.