[Johnlock/Mystrade] Tears in rain

Chapter 1

2025 London November 6th   John 30 years old   5th year of the end of the Great Purge

Dr John Watson's 30th birthday came rather uneventfully.

When he walked into the emergency centre with his usual precision, he didn't even remember what day it was until he saw the small birthday card on his desk, that he realized, "Oh, so it's my birthday."

He noded and smiled at Sally, the only one who remembered the doctor's birthday and the only one who knew that he didn't like to make a big deal out of it. Sally was now working at the rescue centre as a security guard, and had long since moved on from their previous grudges, becoming a close friend and confidant.

The people at the centre misunderstood their relationship for some while, but they never explained.

Certain things cannot easily be explained in just a few words.

Especially for people like them who had survived that purgatory.

This did not prevent John from becoming the youngest lead doctor at the centre.

His precise skills, his fine ethics and his gentle and courteous manner made the people of the centre love and admire the doctor wholeheartedly.

At noon, there was a minor rush at the centre when several teenage boys got into an armed fight, causing one fatality and three injuries of varying degrees.

John paced into the kitchen, it was already late for lunch. He was surprised to see a lunchbox that Sally had left for him. Inside was a delicious slice of caramel cake, clearly made by the mixed-race girl.

John wheted his appetite and bited off half the cake.

"Don't choke," Sally laughed, handing John a glass of water.

Since coming out of that 'place', John's stomach could no longer endure any strong foods. So he had to gave up his favourite coffee and tea and drink only juice or water.

Looking up, he saw the ugly scar across Sally's neck, once John suggested a plastic surgery, which Sally declined.

She often caressed the scar unconsciously, gently as if she were caressing her lover.

John knew what it was so he never suggested surgery again.

Sometimes John found it funny what fate brought, as if the time he and Sally were at odds with each other, had been in another life. They were the only friends who had any connection to that past, so they cherished it.

The two remained in silence, each mindful of their own thoughts.

John allowed himself to recall something, to miss someone , someone that he only allowed missing on this day of the year, his birthday.

"You promised me yesterday that you wouldn't go to work today." He whined, wrapping his lengthy legs firmly around John refusing to let go.

It was the same every morning, waking up always turned into a tug of war.

John sighed and made a huge effort to pluck the human octopus off himself, "I hadn't promise you that, you're just saying that yourself."

"I don't care, I don't have a case today, you have to stay with me, ring up and ask for a day off. Now." His cheekiness and irrationality had reached a whole new level.

"As I told you yesterday, I have a very important operation today for a patient to have a heart transplant. And I'm sure you've deleted that information already, so I admire myself for actually still engaging you in this nonsense. Now, let go at once!" John were glaring at him now, a warning sign of anger.