Summary: Set during His Last Vow. The morning after the Watson's "domestic", Sherlock is back in hospital, John is more than a bit not good, and like it or not, Mycroft is forced to care for his little brother's goldfish.
Sherlock's hospital room. Morning light creeps through the half open blinds. Sherlock is back in the bed after his escape from the same room the previous day resulted in internal bleeding and a second round of cardiac arrest. He lies unconscious, hooked to a number of machines and monitors.
John is slumped in the chair by the bedside, anxious and at the same time utterly drained. He clenches his left hand repeatedly.
JOHN (muttering repeatedly to himself): Why? Why her?
He glances down, notices what his hand is doing and shoves his fingers down between the outside of his thigh and the chair seat to force himself to stop.
The door swings open and Mycroft enters, looking as dapper as ever, but with worry written all over his features. His eyes roam over the motionless figure on the bed, and the lights and numbers on the monitors, before his normal facade drops back into place. He nods at John.
MYCROFT: What's the prognosis?
JOHN (straightens a bit going into 'doctor mode'): He's stable, but not out of the woods. Luckily, the damage from the sutures he tore wasn't difficult to repair, but the internal bleeding was substantial. His blood pressure and pulse rate are both low. We won't know if there's any cognitive damage until he's conscious. But, (deflating a little due to exhaustion) Why are you asking me to repeat things you already know?
John slumps back into the chair with a desolate sigh.
MYCROFT (gives John a level look with no sarcasm): Survivor talk. Sometimes it helps.
JOHN (looks up in surprise, then shakes his head slightly in confusion and closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose): It doesn't. Listen, I'm too tired to have this conversation. We'll know more in a few hours. I'll phone you.
It's clearly a dismissal, which of course, has the exact opposite effect on Mycroft. He takes a few steps further into the room, leans on his umbrella and gives John an appraising eye.
MYCROFT: No, I'll phone you.
John's eyes pop open and his brow furls.
JOHN: What?
MYCROFT: You've had a trauma. You need to rest. I'll stay with him, John.
JOHN: I'm fine. I just need coffee.
He runs a hand over his face, pushes up out of the chair and takes one step before his right leg buckles. He grabs the chair back for support.
JOHN (under his breath and through clenched teeth): Damn.
MYCROFT (in a commanding tone): You are most decidedly not 'fine' and coffee isn't going to fix it. Your limp has returned. You're clearly on the verge of collapse. Go home.
At the last two words, John looks like he's been shot himself, clearly pained, and not bothering to hide it. Mycroft looks momentarily taken aback by John's reaction, then understanding dawns and he rolls his eyes.
MYCROFT: Baker Street. Reassure Mrs. Hudson. Eat. Sleep. Shower. (John shakes his head, but Mycroft continues before he can say anything) You're no use to him in this state. I dare say seeing you like this would do him more harm than good. Don't argue. Just go.
John takes a deep breath and looks over at Sherlock, allowing his shoulders to relax in acquiescence.
MYCROFT: (waves a hand toward the door): My car is waiting outside to take you. I'll ring you at the first sign of any change.
JOHN (with a small curt nod): I'll be back in three hours.
He takes a tentative step towards the door. He limps badly on his right leg and sucks in a breath, in obvious pain.
MYCROFT (holds out his umbrella): Make it four hours.
John huffs in frustration, grabs Mycroft's brolly and using it as a makeshift cane, limps from the room.
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A/N: This is a bit of a "fix it" for me because it always bothered me that one chase around London was enough to instantly cure John of his limp. So my head canon has always been that his limp came back to varying degrees whenever John was depressed or anxious. And I can't imagine anything more anxiety inducing than Mary's betrayal coupled with the threat of possibly losing Sherlock again (especially considering that Sherlock's heart has stopped twice within a very short span of time).