Keeping the Strength to Fight

Chapter 24- Sherlock

"Sherlock... Sherlock, wait!"

He heard John shout as he reached the road. He knew what was about to be said, but he let him speak anyway.

"Stop dodging this topic, Sherlock! I deserve to know what is going on."

Sherlock glanced at John, and he knew he needed to tell him.  Tell him why he left. Tell him why he hadn't shared what he knew. Tell him the truth.

"Yes. You do."

It would be an understatement to say that John was slightly taken aback.

"Not here though. Come on."

He strode off towards the end of the street and rounded the corner by a wall. He had hoped to tell him back at the flat, or at the morgue maybe - somewhere more comfortable - but this would do.

John appeared round the corner a second later, face questioning.

"Ok listen, I left for good reason, and you'll be glad I had when you know why; but I'll come to that. Right now, the most important thing you should know is that Charles has already got what he wanted."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Ok think, what was the one thing he said he would do that he never came through with?"

"He... he wanted us dead?"

"Exactly. I couldn't understand it at first; why he would all but promise to kill us then decide to let us go. But then I realised."

"For gods sake Sherlock, just tell me!"

Sherlock looked sombre. He took a breath.

"John... we're already dead."

John shifted on his feet and took half a step back, cane clacking on the tarmac. He studied Sherlocks face for a couple of seconds to see if he was joking.

He wasn't.

He tucked his chin down and frowned slightly, then looked back up at Sherlock.

"Sherlock... are you feeling ok?"

"Yes of course. Well, for now."

John continued to frown.

"I don't... you're not making any sense."

"He didn't need to kill us, John, because he already had. We've been poisoned, I dont know how yet, but I know we have. That body was the only proof I needed."

He watched as realisation dawned on John. He looked scared, which was unusual for him, and it managed to make Sherlock just the tiniest bit worried.

"The microscope...?" He breathed; the statement sounding like a question.

Sherlock nodded vacantly, glancing away to make sure no one was around.

John pursed his lips and nodded to himself, like he was accepting his fate. Then when he was composed, he got back to business.

"So what's the point? By not getting rid of us he's just giving us more time to stop him. And then why place that body here? He would know you would see it. It like he's leaving us breadcrumbs."

Sherlock nodded, "I know, things still aren't adding up. I'm hoping I'll know more once I identify the poison; at least then we can work out what kind of time frame we're working with."

Sherlock said it as calm as he could, but it still managed to unnerve John; he saw it past his stony demeaner.

"John, I... I'm sorry."

"For what?" John questioned, "You couldn't have predicted this."

"No- I- You know what I mean!" Sherlock hissed, exasperated.

John looked conflicted; "Yeah, yeah I think I do."

Sherlock frowned and went to explain when John stopped him with a raise of his hand.

"No. You're right. This isn't the time or place for this, we have much bigger things to deal with right now."

Sherlock admired his resolve. He nodded and went back to discussing the case.

"There are several things we need to work out. Firstly being what we were poisoned with, and when. Then what this body is doing here and the circumstances of his death."

"And what Moriarty's grand plan is." John chipped in.

Sherlock gave a choked laugh, "That too." He agreed with a tilt of his head, "The list goes on."

John sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It seems like the more we learn the less we understand. We're just going round in circles."

"Maybe that's his point..." Sherlock mumbled, zoning out momentarily as John waited for him to elaborate, as usual.

"He feeding us false information along with truth, hoping to confuse us, disorient us."

"And its working." John said through a sigh, "How can we tell the truth from the lie?"

Sherlock gave him a look.

"Oh, of course, you already have."

Sherlock grinned, John frowned.

"When are you going to start telling the-"

Sherlock started walking back to the road,

"We need to get back to our flat, view this footage," He held up the CD, "And get a full picture of what went down. Maybe it'll give us some leads."

"Good. Well. I'm glad you've got you're priorities straight..." John muttered, following that impossible -sorry, improbable- man wherever he led.

As was usual.