I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 54 : Trying to coop.

What the DI had just seen inside the club had just made him lost the rest of confidence he had in human kind and he was now standing as far as he possibly could from the crime scene, his back against the cold stone of a restaurant's frontage, giving his orders to young constables who would probably be traumatized for life by what they would see this night and avoiding as much as he could approaching from the bloody part of the street, 50 yards away.
Most of the ambulances had now left the place,bringing the wounded to all the hospitals that had some empty beds and only a few paramedics were remaining, giving the first aids to those who weren't injured enough to be brought to hospital. And all over the floor, corpses were still lying. 187 corpses according to the first post-mortems called on location. A number that was to grow from the wounded who wouldn't make it and from the corpses that still hadn't been discovered or counted.
It was most certainly the deadliest attack London ever had to face and the British capital wasnow under a complete lock down, the army patrolling the streets andevery citizen being asked to remain at home until the police could besure that no more terrorists were to strike again.
The detective was getting an update from one of the forensics of Anderson's team on the explosive used in the trapped car when he heared a car parking behind him and recognise the typical sound of an umbrella ticking on the floor. Dismissing quickly the young policewoman, he turned to face his partner.
"How are you doing Gregory ?" asked the auburn, clearly worried about him.
"How do you want me to feel ? I'm trying to coop and to keep a straight face but I'm not as good as you Holmeses." answered the inspector honestly.
"As you are in charge of the investigation, may I ask you to update me about what had happened ?" wondered the official.
"Myc', you probably already know more than I do." remarked the yarder, not in the mood.
"Yes, I know the facts, but I would like you to show me the place so I could understand better." specified the elder Holmes.
"Are you sure you really want to see ?" inquired the policeman, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course Greg. I need to see if I want to do my job properly." nodded his boyfriend. "So, would you show me ?".
Without answering, Greg started walking down the street to the crime scene that could just be discerned in the distance. Despite the presence of his husband, the IceMan, by his side, the detective was feeling more and more dizzy as they approached and the smell of blood started tickling his nostrils. They could now clearly see the corpses lying on the concrete and the inspector felt his lover taking his hand and pressing it, as if he was seeking for comforting. They kept walking until they reached the white and blue ribbon the police had placed around the main area of the investigation. Then suddenly the official let the yarder's hand go and bent, throwing up the entire content of his stomach on the pavement. One of the paramedics who was adjusting bandages on a young woman few meters away dashed to the two men.
"Are you alright sir ?" he asked Mycroft, helping Greg sustaining him so he won't collapse on the floor.
"Yes, yes ... I'm fine don't worry." the auburn muttered, snivelling and wipping his mouth with his hand. "Go take care of the injured, it's all fine."
The doctor threw an interrogative look to the other man who nodded, allowing him to go back to the young woman, still looking worryingly over his shoulder to the elder Holmes who was still bent, his eyes closed and a hand rummaging through his eyebrows. The detective gently ran a hand on his boyfriend's back.
"Are you sure you want to go forward ?" he asked him, worried and completely forgetting about his own dizziness in the face of the distress his husband was in.
"I have nothing left to throw up so at least I won't contaminate the crime scene." whispered the official, getting up, trying to seem detached and uncaring as he was usually at work.
"If you are sure." agreed the inspector, seizing the auburn's hand and lifting the ribbon so they could pass under it.
The visit lasted for less than ten minutes, neither of the two men able to stand more, interrupting Anderson's explanation on what his team had just discovered to get back to the spot where Gregory was standing a few minutes earlier. Mycroft sat down on the steps before the restaurant, his legs unable to carry him longer.
Anthea, who had stayed in the car for all the time, brought her boss a bottle of water and a small towel to clean his face before informing him that the Prime Minister was awaiting him as quickly as possible. The official nodded to her before standing up and turning to face his husband.
"Be careful love." he whispered him.
The detective placed his hand on the other man's cheek, caressing the soft skin. "I will." he promised. "See you later."
The auburn entered the black Jaguar and Greg watched the car until it disappeared at the corner of the street before focusing back on his work. Sally was approaching with two constables by her side and an important stack of paper in her hands, probably the statements she had yet collected from the survivors of this hecatomb.