Chapter 1: Reset

He grunted as the pain slowly faded, but he knew this wasn't over. They had blindfolded him; he couldn't see anything. Cold water dripped from his face as he sat there, panting, glad that they had stopped.

"Again" growled a voice.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

It was another, ordinary day for John Watson. As usual, he forced himself to get up, get dressed, and make his breakfast. Eggs on toast. Yum.

He sat at his computer for a few hours, staring blankly at the screen. His psychiatrist had told him that writing everything that happened to him would help. Well, he'd done just that. Woke up, made breakfast, ate. Wrote on blog. He stared at his work with mock pride before sighing and closing his eyes.

After a while, his mind began to wander. Eyes still closed, he thought back on the war. He could sometimes still remember how it felt. The hot sun beating him down. The sound of his superiors shouting orders at him. The sense of danger around every corner.

The unbridled joy of something...different every day.

John sighed and opened his eyes. Nope. It wasn't working today. Maybe he'd go out for a walk.

John grimaced as he got up, hobbling across the floor with his walking-stick to get to the door. On the doormat lay more bills; he didn't bother with them. He knew there would be something there demanding he pay for some utility or other that had already been cut off.

John clumsily made his way down the stairs, gasping every time he almost lost his balance on his bad leg. Damn this leg, he thought for the god-knows-how-many-th time that morning. He hobbled across the lobby of the building, out into the gloomy London morning.

It was a beautiful day. Just like the two before it. Unprecedented really; stable weather in London. Who knows, maybe it'd actually be warm this summer?

John found himself walking through the park. He tried to enjoy himself. It really was a great day. He could stop and smell the roses. His leg didn't hurt that bad today. Maybe he'd go to the cinema later.

John chuckled to himself. Who was he kidding? Today was going to be more of the same, grey days he had ever since he got back from the war.

"John?"

Yes. Ever since he got back. He never really thought of it that way befo-

"John Watson?"

Wait. That was his name. John turned to a portly man, wearing glasses, a cream-coloured overcoat and a horrendous orange-and-yellow tie.

"Stamford," said the man, smiling with recognition at John, "Mike Stamford, we were at BARTs together."

"Yes," said John, finally placing the man. It had been years since he'd last seen Mike. He fumbled with his walking stick as he moved to shake his hand.

"Ye-sorry, yes, Mike. Hello, Mike," He's gained a few pounds ,thought John.

"Yeah, I know," said Mike amicably, "I got fat."

"Oh," said John, slightly embarrassed at his thoughts. He looked away, not really wanting to talk with his old friend.

"I heard you were abroad somewhere, getting shot at!" said Mike, smiling, "What happened?"

John stared at Mike for a second, before swiftly replying:

"I got shot."

That seemed to puncture the mood a bit. Mike's face became slightly more "understanding," as John was now used to calling it.

"Listen, I'm on my break. Do you want to go get coffee or something? Catch up, y'know?" said Mike jovially, evidently trying to make up for his previous blunder.

John thought. He didn't really want to speak with his old friend. Then again, there wasn't really anything more he could do for the day. What could be the harm?

"Sure," said John, "Where to?"

"Again"

FLASH

John found himself walking through the park. He tried to enjoy himself. It really was a great day. He could stop and smell the roses. His leg didn't hurt that bad today. Maybe he'd go to the cinema later.

John chuckled to himself. Who was he kidding? Today was going to be more of the same, grey days he had ever since he got back from the war.

"John?"

Yes. Ever since he got back. He never really thought of it that way befo-

"John Watson?"

Wait. That was his name. John turned to a portly man, wearing glasses, a cream-coloured overcoat and a horrendous orange-and-yellow tie.

"Stamford," said the man, smiling with recognition at John, "Mike Stamford, we were at BARTs together."

"Yes," said John, finally placing the man. It had been years since he'd last seen Mike. He fumbled with his walking stick as he moved to shake his hand.

"Ye-sorry, yes, Mike. Hello, Mike," He's gained a few pounds ,thought John.

"Yeah, I know," said Mike amicably, "I got fat."

"Oh," said John, slightly embarrassed at his thoughts. He looked away, not really wanting to talk with his old friend.

"I heard you were abroad somewhere, getting shot at!" said Mike, smiling, "What happened?"

John stared at Mike for a second, before swiftly replying:

"I got shot."

That seemed to puncture the mood a bit. Mike's face became slightly more "understanding," as John was now used to calling it.

"Listen, I'm on my break. Do you want to go get coffee or something? Catch up, y'know?" said Mike jovially, evidently trying to make up for his previous blunder.

John thought. He didn't really want to speak with his old friend. Then again, there wasn't really anything more he could do for the day. What could be the harm?

"Sure," said John, "Where to?"

"Again"

FLASH

"Yeah, I know," said Mike amicably, "I got fat."

"Oh," said John, slightly embarrassed at his thoughts. He looked away, not really wanting to talk with his old friend.

"I heard you were abroad somewhere, getting shot at!" said Mike, smiling, "What happened?"

John stared at Mike for a second, before swiftly replying:

"I got shot."

That seemed to puncture the mood a bit. Mike's face became slightly more "understanding," as John was now used to calling it.

"Listen, I'm on my break. Do you want to go get coffee or something? Catch up, y'know?" said Mike jovially, evidently trying to make up for his previous blunder.

John thought. He didn't really want to speak with his old friend. Then again, there wasn't really anything more he could do for the day. What could be the harm?

"Sure," said John, "Where to?"

"Again"

FLASH

"I got shot."

That seemed to puncture the mood a bit. Mike's face became slightly more "understanding," as John was now used to calling it.

"Listen, I'm on my break. Do you want to go get coffee or something? Catch up, y'know?" said Mike jovially, evidently trying to make up for his previous blunder.

John thought. He didn't really want to speak with his old friend. Then again, there wasn't really anything more he could do for the day. What could be the harm?

"I'm sorry," said John, "I really..should be going..."

He started making his way along the path. Mike's face fell.

"Oh," he said, obviously disappointed, "Well, maybe next time."

"Yes, yes, definitely," said John, turning away, "Bye."

Something felt off. A blanket of uneasiness fell over John, making him stop. He turned to where Mike had been, but he had already left. Maybe if he ran...no. No, what was he thinking? He couldn't just go after Mike, not after blowing him off like that. Shaking his head, John turned away, off on his walk.

But his unease wouldn't go away.