Fragile

10

I opened my eyes to a white hospital room. As I looked around, I saw Sherlock crouching next to me, holding my hand in his. I probably would have smiled if the circumstances were different.

Sherlock looked up with wide eyes and beamed "You're awake"

"Impressive deduction" I groaned, my voice hoarse.

Sherlock chuckled at my ability to joke even though I'd just woken up in a hospital bed "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not really sure...what happened?"

"You just passed out as we were walking out of the hospital, you've been asleep for half a day"

"Half a day?!" I panicked and tried to sit up but the tubes coming out of my arms prevented me from going far, causing me to wince in pain. "Is the baby-"

"Fine" Sherlock said with a half smile "The baby is fine. It's you I'm concerned about"

I breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down, squeezing Sherlock's hand.

"So you don't know why I fainted?" I asked him.

"No...not yet. The doctors said they'll come and see us when they know whats wrong"

"And it's already been half a day? It's taking them a long time isn't it?"

"Just sit tight, I'm sure they'll discharge you soon. They're just taking precautions because you're pregnant"

"Yeah, okay"

Sherlock looked at me with a smile that melted my heart. Even though we'd been together for more than a year, I fell in love with him more and more each day. He started to stand up.

"I'm gonna go and get some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"Get me some chocolate, or something sweet. Please?"

"No problem, I'll be right back okay?"

"Okay"

*30 Minutes Later*

Sherlock returned from his trip to the shop with a steaming coffee in one hand and a plastic carrier bag in the other. I smiled to myself and wondered what I would ever do without him.

As he walked over to my bed, he leant down to kiss me gently on the forehead. I breathed in as he did so and the pungent smell of tobacco ash filled my nostrils. I looked up at the detective and frowned.

"Have you been smoking?"

Sherlock's eyes widened, as if he wasn't expecting me to notice that he smelled like an ashtray.

"Uh...um"

"Sherlock you were doing so well!"

"Oh shut up" He grinned slightly "I know that you used to smoke"

"Wait..." I paused "How did you know that?"

"We've been together for longer than a year and you really still need to ask how I know things?"

"You're such a smart arse" I laughed

"Not just a smart arse..." Sherlock started "a smart arse with sweets!" he pulled out a bag of skittles from behind his back and waved them around like he was some sort of magician.

"Ooooh!" I giggled with mock awe

Sherlock pulled up a chair next to my bed and opened the packet of skittles. He poured them out onto my bed and spent the next minute arranging all of them in colour order so that they were perfect before we started to eat them.

I grabbed a handful of the purple ones and shoved them into my mouth as quickly as I could.

Sherlock looked at me, poker-faced.

"Those were the best ones and you just ate all of them" he scowled

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" I raised an eyebrow whilst chewing my mouthful of sweets.

Sherlock answered my question by simply leaning in and pressing his lips against mine, capturing us both in a sickly sweet blackcurrant flavored kiss that couldn't have ever lasted too long.

Sherlock pulled away from the kiss but stayed close so that our foreheads were touching.

"I cannot wait to marry you, Margo" he whispered.

Our sweet moment was interrupted by an awkward looking nurse holding a clipboard.

"Excuse me...sorry...the doctor is ready to see you now" she said with a squeaky voice.

Sherlock and the nurse both helped me to my feet, and we walked down a few corridors before we reached our destination. Sherlock held onto my waist tightly the whole time, as if he was never going to let me fall.

The nurse led us into a room where a friendly looking male doctor was sitting behind a desk with a file in his hands. When he saw us enter the room he put down the file and smiled slightly. He gestured to two seats in front of his desk and me and Sherlock sat down.

"So...Margo, correct?" the doctor said with a slight smile

"Yeah, that's me"

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay."

The doctor looked at the ground for a second and rubbed his hands together, he glanced at me, then at Sherlock, then back to me again. I started to wonder what he wanted to tell us that was taking so long.

"We ran some tests after your fall outside the hospital and unfortunately it's not good news" the doctor said, trying his best to maintain eye contact with me.

"What's not good news?" Sherlock interrupted, sounding a bit demanding.

The doctor looked at Sherlock, a bit surprised, but he then looked back to me with solemn eyes and spoke:

"You have Leukemia"