Patchwork - Sherlock Holmes (BBC)

Chapter 23

This is it guys...the final instalment! Thank you all so much for sticking with me, through thick, thin, six month waits and spelling mistakes ;) it means so much to me that people want to read my story and share my love for all things Sherlock, and I hope you've enjoyed reading Patchwork as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

All my love, happy reading,

LyricHeart xxx

She woke slowly from a warm, delicious sleep that held her gently in it's grasp. Her eyes, fluttering open, shut quickly once more as sunlight suddenly pierced her vision, blinding her. Wincing, she peered out from between her lashes, blearily taking in her surroundings.

For a moment she tensed, the clinical coldness of the room filling her with dread which her sleep-befuddled brain didn't immediately understand. Then she relaxed; the warm duvet, the open window and - she sniffed appreciatively - the huge bouquet of roses beside her bed were all reassurances that she was no longer a prisoner.

Gingerly, she reached under the covers to where David's bullet had hit her. Instead of hot blood there was a large dressing, and the awful, ripping sensation that had caused her so much pain had been replaced by a dull, more irritating than painful ache that intensified only if she moved. Satisfied that she was no longer at death's door, she leant back against her pillows once more and turned her eyes to the bouquet beside her, a smile spreading across her face as she admired the beautiful, velvety red petals which spread before her. She spied a card nestled in their midst and retrieved it, wincing slightly at the movement. It was plain on the outside, and she almost expected it to be empty - but, opening it out, she saw that there was one word scrawled across the thick card - Sorry. S.

Sofia's sense of contentment disappeared, and she quickly pulled the red attention cord. Almost immediately, the door to her room opened.

"John!" Sofia cried with a pleased smile.

"You're awake!" The doctor said, looking ecstatic. "It's about time too!"

"Sorry, have I been keeping you waiting?" Sofia laughed.

"You could say that," John smiled. "You've been out of it for nearly two weeks. It was touch and go for a while." Sofia's mouth fell open.

"Two weeks?" She gaped. "I was that bad, huh?"

"You lost a lot of blood," John nodded. "Which combined with the illness your torture had induced, meant that your body was very weak. We didn't think you were going to make it."

"We?"

"Me, Molly, the police, the other doctors..." Sofia could tell John was avoiding saying Sherlock's name.

"And Sherlock?" She probed.

"And Sherlock," John agreed, looking uncomfortable.

Sofia decided to let it slide for the present.

"What happened?" She asked. "After I passed out, I mean." John relaxed slightly.

"The police and I were in the building when you were shot," John said. "We heard the gunshot. It just took us a little while to find you, because the place was like a maze and Anderson has the navigational skills of a goldfish. When we arrived, both you and David were in a very bad way. I had to operate on you there and then to try and stop the bleeding. It was a good thing we were in a hospital."

"Every cloud, eh?" Sofia said, attempting to smile. "Did...did David make it?" For a moment it looked like John wasn't going to answer. Then he sighed.