Despite the Odds

Chapter 11: Puzzle

About two hours later

John drank the aspirin, wincing as his head continued to pound.

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Hudson asked and John just hummed from his seat at her kitchen table, incapable of replying properly.

Mrs. Hudson sighed: "It's just like old times, having you back here. Thought I'd make your favourite, one last time."

She placed a full English breakfast in front of John kindly and John murmured: "Oh..."

He cleared his throat, trying to sound normal as he said: ""Don't sound so... final about it. I will be visiting, you know."

"Ooh, I've heard that one before!" Mrs. Hudson scoffed and John replied: "Mm, no, it's different now, though, isn't it? It's different to when we thought we'd lost him."

He lifted a piece of toast with baked beans to his mouth but paused.

"Well, marriage changes everything, John." Mrs. Hudson replied, oblivious to John's discomfort as he held the food before his mouth, lowering the fork slightly.

"Does it?" John asked absentmindedly as he tried not to hurl.

Mrs. Hudson was saying: "Yeah. You might not think it, but it does. It's a different phase in your life."

John placed his fork down, pushing the suddenly unappetizing plate a little away as Mrs. Hudson continued: "You meet new people 'cause you're a couple."

"Mmm." John replied and Mrs. Hudson sighed: "And then you just... let your old friends slip away."

"It won't be like that." John replied firmly and Mrs. Hudson sighed: "Well, I suppose it's different since Sherlock has Rose-Marie, too. But until he joins you in husband-hood-"

"Well, that might be a while away. It is Sherlock." John pointed out and there was a pause as the two sat and thought about that thought for a moment.

Mrs. Hudson then continued, picking up where she'd left off: "Well, if you've found the right one, the person that you click with, it's the best thing in the world."

"Well, I have. I know I have." John said firmly and with a happy shrug.

Mrs. Hudson sighed happily: "Oh, I'm sure. She's lovely! I like her as much as I like Rose-Marie!"

"Yeah. I think so, too." John murmured, before he looked at Mrs. Hudson curiously.

"What about you?" He asked and the elderly woman looked at him in surprise as she asked: "Me?"

"Did you think you'd found the right one when you married Mr Hudson?" John asked, and Mrs. Hudson laughed as she replied: "No. It was just a whirlwind thing for us. I knew it wouldn't work, but I just got sort of swept along."

"Right." John nodded, but Mrs. Hudson continued: "And then we moved to Florida. We had a fantastic time, but of course I didn't know what he was up to."

John cocked his head confused and Mrs. Hudson whispered: "The drugs."

"Drugs?" John repeated incredulously, before he winced as his migraine returned a little.

Mrs. Hudson carried on, not noticing: "He was running a... um," Mrs. Hudson pursed her lips in thought as she tried to think of the word. "Oh, what d'you call it? Um, a... cartel. Got in with a really bad crowd."

"Right." John said slowly, trying to think around the headache and Mrs. Hudson carried on: "And then I found out about all the other women."

John looked at her in surprise and sympathy.