Mirror Mirror

Chapter 3

Mirror Universe: Mirror Sherlock's Point of View

Sherlock had finally found the files and hurried down the three sets of stairs to the bottom floor of the orphanage. The place stank of urine and harsh cleaning chemicals. The children's dorms were all on the second and third floors while the cafeteria and common rooms resided on the ground floor. He crept past a sleeping attendant without waking her and left through a fire door. The building had served as a boy's school before this section of London had fallen into decay. However, no matter how grim this place was, the orphanage had to be better than living on the streets for these children. He bared his teeth at the thought of Jameson and his mistress, if a dumpy, 45 year-old-cleaning lady could be called a mistress, siphoned off government money from these abandoned kids. If he had a moment alone with the man, he'd see how much physical damage he might do without anyone noticing.

He clutched the files under his trench coat and made his way to the Boar's Head where John would be anxiously awaiting him if he knew his sub. With the case practically solved, he could turn his attentions back to the doctor's act of insubordination. He knew the two of them had strugged lately to find the rhythm they'd once enjoyed at the beginning of this partnership. So Sherlock had tried to fix things by tightening his control. He wasn't sure if it was the right tactic, but he knew he'd never give up on John Watson. The solider had been as true to him as he could have ever wished and he felt an overwhelming affection for the man. However, Sherlock found he didn't just want John's obedience anymore. He wanted..." he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't say what was wrong between them, nothing should be wrong, yet the dynamic they'd shared for over two years now felt off kilter. Out of sorts.

When he rounded the corner of the alley, he saw a flickering light shining out of the pub's barred windows. What the devil was John thinking turning on lights, and was that music he heard coming from the old pub? Had the doctor gone insane? He hurried to unlock the back door and let himself into the store room. He arrived just in time to see a bandaged Jameson handcuffed to a chair in an awkward crouch over a prostrate John. It looked like he'd dragged himself across the room to either help John or finish him off.

It took him only a second to see the situation. In the flickering light, he could see two electrical cables touching the doctor's legs pushing current into his twitching form. He gave a shout and looked about for anything he could use to push the biting electrical snakes off of him without succumbing to the current himself. He knew he couldn't touch them, or he'd be fried as well. He began to panic and thought about pushing Jameson into the doctor in the hopes of dislodging the cables from his flesh, but, the problem resolved itself when the circuit breaker spat out a sizzling flash and the room went dark again.

John's body stopped convulsing and lie still. Jameson's injured head snapped up, and he cowered away from the detective.

"I didn't do this!" he said. "Dr. Watson accidently leaned against the circuit breaker and turned on the power. He stepped on those..." he pointed his chin at the now dormant cables.

Assured that the current was indeed off, he knelt down by John's side. "Get away," he shouted at Jameson who hastened to return to the corner he'd been in previously and huddled back on his wobbly chair.

Sherlock brushed a hand over John's face pushing back his long fringe. The skin felt cold and clammy. He felt for a pulse and almost sobbed in relief when he felt a strong, thready beat. Unfortunately, his mind palace had no information on what to do for an electrocution victim. He'd have to wait until John told him what do when he woke up.