The Final Chapter

Waiting

John leaves slowly, shutting the door quietly behind him. I reach over and turn the morphine drip up, trying to dull the pain. Every time I move is agonizing, though staying still doesn't help much. Mycroft walks in, leading a tired looking William. I struggle up, trying to hide the pain movement causes me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not. What did he do to you?"

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"I dont want to talk about it in front of William. Don't ask right now, please."

"You're right. Sorry."

Mycroft brings William over, lifting him onto my bed when I ask. He immediately presses against my side, though it happens to be my injured side. I groan and Mycroft moves to pull him off of me, trying not to hurt either one of us.

"Leave him."

William slowly pulls away, sitting on my lap instead. He grabs my hand and asks about the bandages, tracing his fingers across the exposed inside of my wrist. I pull my hand out of his when he starts this, trying to avoid another panic attack.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm okay."

"What about Hamish, is he okay?"

"Yes. Hamish is okay. Have you seen him yet?"

"Yeah."

"How is he feeling?"

"He is sad that you are here too. He doesn't like the room."

"That's okay, he'll be back out of here soon."

"What about you? When are you coming back?"

"We don't know yet. Ill be back soon though. Lie down, you should try to go to sleep."

He lies against my chest, shifting painfuly close to my side. Mycroft pulls him off of me when he falls asleep, lying him in the chair.

"Lie back down."

"I'm fine."

"What did he do to you this time?"

I pull the sheet off of me, carefuly pulling my shirt off. Mycroft curses when I turn around, showing him my back.

"I'm sorry Sherlock, we didn't think he would come after you so soon. You should have had more time to get out."

"Where is he now? What happened to him?"

"I hurt him."

"Is he alive?"

"Obviously."

I reach for the controls to the morphine drip again, I need more.

"Stop it."

"Stop what? I'm in pain, fuck off."

"You are high, and want it to last longer."

"That's not what I'm doing!"

"Yes it is, and you know I know it. And if you dont stop now, I'm going to have one of the nurses take it away until you come off of your high."

"Fine."

He takes the controls from me quickly, threatening again to take it away if I try to up the dose again. Mycroft is right, I do want to stay high. As the drugs from Moriarty wear off, the impact of my injuries starts to sink in.

"Please Mycroft, just tonight. It hurts."

"No, you just got clean again. I'm not letting you mess it up again."