BBC Sherlock imagines

Don't Leave Me

John and Sherlock walked into the flat 221B after spending most of the day chasing after some criminal and grabbing chips on the way home. Sherlock had seemed a little off but John had just dismissed it.
John went into the kitchen to make them both a cup of tea and Sherlock sat down in his armchair, almost automatically going into his mind palace. John returned a couple of minutes later with the two mugs and sat down opposite with a newspaper. After a few minutes however, he was brought out of his reading and Sherlock out of his mind palace as four continuous sneezes burst there way out of Sherlock. John looked at him, trying to hold back a smirk as Sherlock flushed a light shade of pink. "Sherlock, are you sick?" He said, faking a surprised and sarcastic tone. "Absolutely not. I don't get sick, it's just...dust" he replied defensively, inspecting his surroundings. "Has Mrs Hudson dusted again?" he asked. "No, she hasn't, she's probably too frightened to after what you did last time. Sherlock, you're sick" John argued. "I am not sick!"
"Yes, you are. You just sneezed several times, you're even paler than usual and I'd bet that you have a headache? I'm a doctor, for gods sake" John stated. Sherlock fell silent, he couldn't argue with that. He then sneezed again and again. "Look, fine. Maybe I am a tiny bit ill. Just get me something to get rid of this headache, will you? I can't think straight. You are a doctor aren't you?" he said, moodily- he didn't like loosing an argument. John sighed but got up anyway and headed to the supply of medical equipment and medicine that he kept in his bedroom. After a few minutes of rummaging, he came back with a tablet and also grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen. "Painkiller, it should at least numb the headache" he said as he handed it to Sherlock, who took it quickly, before placing the glass down and returning to his mind palace- apparently something in the news had caught his eye and he needed to figure it out. John sat back down again with his newspaper. But, after just 10 minutes or so, Sherlock started sneezing again. "Oh for gods sake I was nearly there. John, do something. Just stop the sneezing" he wined before sneezing again and again. "What exactly do you want me to do Sherlock?" He said, getting slightly annoyed by his childish behaviour now. "I don't know, I'm not the doctor. Go and get some more medicine or something"
"Sherlock, I am not giving you medicine for sneezing, you're ill, you just need to sleep!" John argued. "I am not going to sleep!"
"You need to Sherlock!"
"No, I don't. I'm good for at least another two days!" He argued. Then he paused before saying more quietly and softly, "Please, John. This is important to me". John sighed heavily again but gave in, Sherlock never said please so he should at least be grateful for that. He got up and went back to his room to find a new pill that should work. After a little while he returned, handing the drug to Sherlock, he said: "this should help" and now took his laptop to the table and logged on. Sherlock went back to his mind palace and the sneezing ceased.

After a while, Sherlock was still in his mind palace, with his eyes closed as per usual. However, all of a sudden, his head lolled to the side and fell forward. This then brought him out of his trance and he sat bolt upright, furrowing his eyebrows. John glanced over to him with a massive smirk on his face. "What the hell?" Sherlock muttered before looking over to John. But when he noticed his expression, his own expression turned from confusion to annoyance and suspicion. "What have you done?" He asked, trying to sound stern and threatening but failing miserably. "Well I said that you needed to sleep." John replied sounding innocent. Sherlock narrowed his eyes at him so John explained further, "I gave you a sleeping pill. And you can't say I lied to you because I gave you something that will help you." Sherlock groaned loudly, "I am not going to sleep, I don't need to. I need to think, without some stupid drugs altering my mind and sending me to sleep!" He quickly thought of ways to keep himself up and soon was opening his eyes as wide as possible and pacing the room, figuring that he couldn't fall asleep standing up. "Sherlock, come on. That pill was double strength. You could really hurt yourself if you're standing up" John said, but Sherlock being Sherlock, stubbornly took no notice. John shut his laptop and stood up and walked over to Sherlock. He knew that Sherlock wouldn't listen to him so his next best option was to be next to him when he-and he would- fall over. The pills were designed so that you felt so tired and de-energised that you simply fell asleep, no matter what. Therefore, no matter how hard Sherlock tried, he would eventually feel so weak that he fell over and then fall asleep.

Sherlock continued pacing and so that was what John did too, always staying close enough to catch him if necessary. Suddenly, he stopped pacing. "Coffee. I need coffee." he said and began to make his way to the kitchen but he stopped wobbling slightly and John grabbed his arm to steady him. "Come on, Sherlock. At least sit down?" he pleaded. "No! I am fine" he stated as he pulled his arm away from John and took another step forward but this time, he couldn't keep himself upright and toppled backwards. John lunged forward and caught him just before he hit the floor. Sherlock let out a long groan as John pulled his arm around his own shoulder and lifted him up and lead him to the sofa, but he allowed him to take his weight nevertheless. John placed him down on the sofa and sat down next to him; "Now will you go to bed?" he asked. Sherlock sighed in defeat and went to get up and take himself to bed but couldn't even muster up the energy to lift himself off the sofa. He sighed again. "Here" John said as he got up and wrapped Sherlock's arm around his shoulder as he had done before and took Sherlock's weight upon himself. It was easy enough thanks to his skinny frame and very minimal diet. He lead him down the corridor to his bedroom and placed him down gently on the bed. Sherlock lay himself down and John pulled his duvet over him. He tried really hard to keep his eyes open, but the sudden comfort made it impossible. John went to the window and pulled the curtains closed and made his way to leave the room. He was just about to pull the door closed when Sherlock's voice came, in a quiet mumble "Don't leave me, John." John sighed and rolled his eyes but he couldn't help the corners of his mouth creeping upwards. He went back inside and walked around to the other side of Sherlock's bed and sat down, bringing his legs up. Sherlock just about managed to turn himself over to face John before he collapsed back down again. John smiled, bringing a finger out to move a stray curl that had fallen onto his face back into its place. "Thank you" Sherlock muttered sleepily just as his whole body relaxed and he fell into a very deep slumber. "You're welcome" John whispered as he sat back against the headboard.

He was planning on waiting a short while until he was certain Sherlock would not wake up. But he found himself captivated as he watched him sleep peacefully and soon became very tired himself. He was warm and comfy and didn't want to move so he stayed. It wasn't long before he too joined Sherlock in a deep sleep, still sat up with his head rested against the wall...