Everybody Leaves

Chapter 26

Chapter 26: All That Glitters

Sherlock is not quite sure when he got used to John Watson.

He is not sure when Johns house becomes home, when his room became their room, or when John stopped being his history partner, or even when he stopped being his friend.

John is now just simply... John.

Which he cannot allow to happen. Because right now John is his, and he will be until he decides he doesn't want to be anymore, or until something comes up and snatches him.

Dear John, with your heart of gold, how do I stop this? How do I forget you?

He doesn't know; doesn't know.

***

The stolen ambulance, unfortunately, gets them no where.

It was stolen from the hospital a week before the murders, and nobody even noticed it missing until the next day. There was no found evidence left behind, and the ambulance is still gone, although police looked through all of the places where vehicles are usually abandoned. Authorities never actually wrapped up the garage where the ambulance had to have been stolen from, so anything they might have missed would be long gone, trampled over by more ambulances and paramedics.

Still, Sherlock keeps the file in Johns room, along with the medical records of the victims.

He is sitting crosslegged on John's bed, staring at the wall of data and thinking of how useless it all is. Dead end, they are at. There is absolutely nothing.

He can hear footsteps on the stairs and then there is a small pause outside the door before it slowly creaks open.

"Hey," John says as he enters. "We have to leave for school soon."

"You go, I'm busy."

He walks fully into the room and shuts the door behind him before going to sit on the bed next to Sherlock. "Look, I know that this is important to you, but you can't keep missing school, you'll get into trouble."

Sherlock doesn't say anything, hoping that John will just leave. He doesn't. Instead, John winds his fingers through his and leans his head on Sherlocks shoulder and breaths deep. Sherlock wishes he would stop.

***

John does eventually leave for school, confirming to his mother that Sherlock is ill, which leads to Sherlock having to lay in John's bed with the covers over his head and breath deeply so that he feels warm. Mrs. Watson actually calls out of work- which is ridiculous- to fuss over him and bring him tea which he then dips the thermometer into when she's not looking.

"Oh, my poor boy, you're absolutely burning up!"

"Yes, and I'd hate to get you sick, so it's probably best for you to leave and not come back." He says, coughing feebly.

"Oh, don't worry love, I got the flu vaccine a week ago, so I'll be fine! Now you just lay there and relax, and I'll go and get the heated blanket."

Sherlock sighs as he watches her leave the room. This, he decides, is going to be a rather long day.