Left Behind (johnlock)

Left Behind

Running through the streets of south London is always so exhilerating, but then I realise that my partner isn't with me. I quickly remember that John had been complaining of a sore head all day but I'd thought nothing of it, just a simple migrane, that knowledge now fills me with worry as to where John is.

I run back to see where he's gone. John is leaning against the fungus covered wall, gripping his head and softly whimpering in pain. I run over to him immediatly, placing my hands over his, trying to get him to answer my questions, "Are you alright?!" I ask, "John, tell me what's wrong! Tell me what hurts!"

In reply I recieve a strained, "M-my head, it--It hurts, it hurts so much!"

Tears fill my doctors eyes, hastily blinked away but the action causes the reverse effect, a single tear drop runs down the tanned and wrinkled face. Keeping my hands over John's, I wipe it away with the pad of my thumb.

"John? Come on, we have to go back home." John doesn't seem to register what I had said, his hands slide out from under mine, falling uselessly limp by his sides. I'm so worried as to what's wrong, John's eyes close and his head lolls to the side beneath my hands. I try shaking him gently but I only gain an incoherent mumble in return.

"Can you walk, John? John, please answer me?" John merely stays the same, swaying slightly on his feet. I come to the obvious conclusion that no, John can't walk. So, I pick him up in a bridal style fashion and carry him to the main road.

Once I had hailed a cab and reached 221, I carry John up the stairs, placing him on the sofa.

Kneeling in front of the sofa, I once again try to waken him, this time, finally, with some sucess.

"John? Can you hear me?" I try to make my voice as soft as I can, considering John has a headache.

"mmyeah?" A mumbled recognision is all I had needed to know that John is at least conscious.

After a few more minutes of probing, John sits up groggily and I retell him what happened.

"Do you have any idea what might have caused that? Symptoms that it reminds you of?" I thought that maybe it was just the flu or a common illness. Soon I find out how wrong I was.

John shakes his head, an action he immediatly regrets as his face crumples in renewed pain.

"Wait, you're sure you don't know any illness that has headaches and blackouts as symptoms?" I find it very hard to believe that that was the case.

"No, there are many illnesses with those symptoms, just none that go along with lumps" John whispers, too tired and strained to do much else.

"What lumps? Where?" I reach over and place a gentle hand on John's head. John places his icy cold hand over mine and guides me to the back of his head where there were two fairly large lumps.

"What are they?" I don't even want to hear the answer.

"I've done as much research as I could and I don't know. No one knows what it is." John's sighs in resignation as my brain clicks in realisation.

"You've known about this for a while," It wasn't a question but I recieve a slight nod in confirmation, "Do you have any options or areas left to research? Anyone you could go and see to get checked out?"

John can't look me in the eyes, his head facing the ground. I bring my hand from his head to his cheek, then to his chin, I gently raise his face to look me in the eyes. John's eyes fill with renewed tears, the sight of which causes my own eyes to tingle with the feeling of my own tears. I know by John's face there and then what the answer was.