"He what?" Watson raised himself up a little in the bed, drawing back. "Do you mean to say that he knew?"

He couldn't have hidden the agony in his voice for anything. All of the sympathy Mycroft had offered, all of the support, all of the help -- for what? Had the man been laughing at him secretly? Was it just pity that he felt?

"Holmes..." Watson felt completely lost, and he wasn't sure what to say. "Why?"