The Labyrinth of Fragile things

Chapter VI - A trip to Bartholomew

"Please Lord hear our prayer. Help...." I rolled my eyes as I passed a hospital room. Why are humans so ignorant and weak? I felt the urge to just shout at the fools surrounding the patient. I would of it weren't for John's voice in the back of my mind. If he were here he would tell me to respect the opinions and beliefs of others, and all that lovely stuff John says. I clenched my fists and continued walking, ignoring the chanting of a prayer, which soon turned to a faint murmur. St Bartholomew's Hospital is just like every other hospital; sterile, bleak, desolate. I would know, I have had my share of hospital visits.

I located Mike's lecture room easily enough. I stood by the doorway, listening to Mike's deep voice, booming off the walls. The room was full, medical students listening earnestly. Well, not all of them. You'll always have the sort that are just in the crowd. The sort that drift aimlessly in life, but others still believe that they're perfect, all because they follow the crowd. They're doing what everyone else is doing so they must be right. That's the sort of thinking that I want to exterminate.

Everything Mike said was correct, but his teaching methods could be perfected. He had the content, he just had to execute it better.

Once the lecture was over (which luckily for me, was soon) a herd of young adults left the room, staring at me with vacant expressions. Mike was packing up when I climbed down the winding stairs.

"Sherlock!" He looked up from his bag with a startled expression. His lips soon formed a smile, his cheeks creating dimples. He had considerably aged since I last saw him. His usually rich brown hair was losing its colour, the bags underneath his eyes, and as he was packing, sighed for longer than he should have, conclude that Mike's been working longer hours. This is because he's in need of money and fast. His clothes have been worn for at least four days of this week, and his carry bag was in stitches. It was only when he noticed me that he composed himself after his fatigue state.

"Mike," I forced a smile.

"I can't believe you're here! I mean, I've known all about your resurrection because of the papers, but it still is surprising to see you."

"I wish I could say the same." I despise small talk, and that's exactly what this conversation was becoming. "I came in hopes that you would enlighten me on John's disappearance."

Mike's entire body immediately stiffened at the mention of John. He continued packing his bag. "A horrible case. Someone as nice as John." He pushed his glasses further to the bridge of his nose. "He didn't deserve it."

"Do you think he's been taken?" That certainly was what he was alluding to. Though, I knew better.

"Oh, I don't know. You're the detective." He chuckled nervously, finishing with his bag. He's hiding something. He dances around the question as if he's guilty. "You must miss him. Seeing as you lived with him. You two got rather close, didn't you?"

Instead of answering the question, he directs a new one to me. "It is quite difficult. It's bad enough that I haven't seen him for two years, and now I return and he's gone." It wasn't hard giving Mike what he wanted as I did feel... different without John. I just had to make sure to control it. All I need is for him to make one mistake. "I'm doing everything I can to find him. That's why I'm asking you."

Mike clenched his jaw and swallowed. He was arguing with himself. I could tell by the way his eyes twitched, and that he never looked at me for longer than a second.

"I am glad that I played a role in the meeting of you and John. You have a friendship that people don't come by often." Good, he's feeling guilty. "Before John left... I spoke to him briefly. He never doubted you. He was so certain of your return. It was his confidence that really struck me. I asked him why he was so sure. He just smiled, and said "because of a friend." See, he'd recently got in touch with his sister Harriet. He was spending an awful lot of time with her." Mike looked at me, and then his gaze reached the ground once again."I wouldn't be surprised if she had some part to play in this case."

I didn't realise I was smiling until I saw that Mike was too. "Thank you, Mike." I left with a smile and shouted once I was out the door. "You won't regret it."

I was still in the hallway when I received a call from Mycroft.