The Endgame (BBC Sherlock) -3-

18. Yay, Another Hospital (Cue Sarcasm)

For a scary moment, I thought I was dead. Or still in the hands of Moriarty.

When I woke, hearing a beeping monitor, I knew I was safe. I was in a hospital. But does that mean I'm really safe?

The first thing I noticed was a vase full of flowers, fresh and far from drooping. I smiled at the gesture. In the chair beside the flowers was Bayley, who was sleeping. I sighed heavily.

Bayley started, and he became more alert when he noticed I was up. "How do you feel?"

"Better," I croaked, clearing my throat.

"Good." He scooted the chair as close to the bed as possible, grabbing my hand. "They kept you overnight as a precaution. You should be out sometime later today."

"Mm, good." A guilty pit settled in my stomach. I looked at my fiancé softly. "Bayley..."

"I was told everything. Sherlock filled me in. He told me what you did."

"I'm not proud of it."

"As bad as this will sound, I am. I'm proud that you ended him, Rachel."

Okay, not the discussion I expected. "Good or bad, I still spilled blood, Bayley. Don't try and justify it."

"Don't tell me you didn't feel an ounce of something good when he didn't move."

I put my hands to my ears. "Okay, enough, please. Yes, I'm happy that he's dead. I'm not happy that I...did it."

"I'm sorry about Amanda."

I burst into tears, which alarmed Bayley.

"What's wrong?"

"I—I did it, Bayley. I killed her. I killed Mandy."

"Rachel, no, you didn't."

"Y-you weren't there. You didn't wake up near her body," I wailed.

"Darling, listen to me." He took both my hands in his. "You did not kill Amanda. The place was still standing, not all of it became rubble. Scotland Yard did a thorough sweep and found a room where they had security footage. Moriarty made you think that you killed her. Someone else did it, not you."

"He—he put her blood on me, Bay. He made me think that I..."

"Shh, I know. I'm so sorry."

"W-why are you apologizing?"

"The torment that you went through...we could've stopped it sooner."

I shook my head. "You were doing all you could. I'm grateful for that, really. H-has anyone else come to visit?"

"Mrs. Hudson dropped those off." He nodded towards the flowers. "She's expecting us for dinner one day soon." He chuckled. "Mary popped her head in and took Rosie back from Mrs. Hudson. John came in, by himself."

"Without Sherlock?"

Bayley dipped his head. "When I said he told me everything, I meant everything."

I swallowed. Here it comes. I could feel the tears in my eyes again. "I wish you wouldn't think it's true."

"Rachel, I can't ignore something like that."

"I know." I pulled my hands away from him to rub my face, groaning.

"I thought we were done with the deception, Rach?"

"I was hoping the circumstances would justify it."

"Darling, you cheated, with Sherlock Holmes, a man who was incapable of human emotion at the time! What circumstances justify cheating of any sort?"