It Started With Stealing | Sherlock Holmes

67 - Long Night

A/N - Apologies for the low quality pic 😂

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Safe to say everyone in Sherlock's life was stunned or shocked to some extent when they had heard about Sherlock's run-in with the gang.

They were even more so worried when his surgery had taken longer than the doctor's had said it would take.

Elizabeth, who now had a white cotton blanket drapped around her, was sat on one of the hospital waiting room chairs, arms resting on her knees and head resting on her clasped hands. In her head she just kept repeating he'll get through this, he has to. The world wouldn't be the same without Sherlock Holmes. She wouldn't be the same without him.

And neither would John who was stood, biting his thumb nail, staring off into space, guilty for not being honest with Mycroft who may have been able to prevent this from even happening. Of course, the one time he had trusted Sherlock he had to go and get hurt didn’t he?

Rita and Mycroft were stood together talking in hushed voices. If one listened closely, they may have heard the rare, grateful thanks from Mycroft to Rita who had near enough saved his brother's life and the lives of the Sandborns single-handedly.

Lestrade burst in when he had heard the news, drawing John back into the world of the aware. Elizabeth didn't react to the sound of the doors wildly flinging open. Rita and Mycroft looked away from each other and at the detective.

"What the bloody hell's happened then? I've got three bodies sat in the morgue here and two men with security keeping an eye on them in hospital beds."

"Inspector." Lestrade was beckoned over by Mycroft who quietly explained the situation.

Rita left the two men and went to sit down beside Elizabeth.

"How are you doing?"

"I can't lose him." The thief muttered without looking up.

Rita had no response. As a doctor she knew one couldn’t make promises in this profession. Everyone's conditions were temperamental; some were just lucky. Dr Rahat placed an arm around her new-found friend, and gently hugged her.

John spoke up with a pained sigh, "This wouldn't have happened if I had just stopped him."

"No one could have stopped him." Mycroft replied swiftly as he and a solemn Lestrade joined the three, "My brother has a mind of his own. Attempting to tame it has proven to be futile. Sherlock makes his own choices."

John couldn't argue with that.

Lestrade noticed the ragged, dark bruising around Elizabeth's throat and opened his mouth to speak up. Rita caught this though and gently shook her head. It wasn't the time to remind the thief of that trauma.

A surgeon finally exited the operating theatre drawing all their attention to him.

"Is he okay?" Elizabeth was the first to question.

The doctor nodded, "We almost lost him but he's stable now. Without your work Dr Rahat, he would have been dead by the time we got him on the table. Good job."

Rita smiled softly, glad she had done something sufficient enough.

"Can we see him?" John asked.

"He won't be awake yet and visiting times - "

"Can continue for us and you will find you and your team will be paid extra by morning." Mycroft interrupted, "We'd like to see him now."

"I - okay. I'll get a nurse to take you to him." The surgeon nodded and left.