John was looking through Sherlock's things like Mycroft had told him too. Mycroft had explained that it was completely necessary to keep Sherlock safe, and if he was a real friend, he would do it.
John had never felt guiltier. He was Sherlock's friend, for god sakes, and he didn't even trust Sherlock enough to tell him if he was back on drugs. Of course, john knew that Sherlock would never tell him something like that with the intent of getting help, and that just made this more important.
He had been riffling through Sherlock's room when he found the boxes. A whole closet filled to the brim with cardboard boxes, and the boxes were full of Sherlock's childhood.
"It's important" He had told himself, "Even if he does find out, he'll have to forgive me." The first box was labeled 3RD GRADE. Inside was a report card, and it shocked John to see that Sherlock had gotten all F's. The comment from his teacher was: Sherlock is very stubborn and aloof during class. He has no friends in or out of the classroom and has no respect for the classroom aid.
Next was a notebook. On the first page Sherlock had drawn a picture of what John could only assume was his teacher. Dead.
He shuddered, and moved on. At the very bottom of the box was a metal lunch box.
"The perfect place for hiding drugs." John told himself. Maybe this was necessary, though it looked like the box hadn't been opened in years. After brushing away the dust, John realized that it was a Spiderman themed lunchbox. The front had several dents and John wondered if that had been done by bullies, or Sherlock himself.
Carefully, John opened the metal lunchbox. He had been expecting rotten food, drugs, or nothing at all, but inside was a little notebook and a broken pencil. The notebook was full of mathematical equations far beyond 3rd grade level.
"Of course." John chuckled. He wasn't sure why he found this funny, but he did. John put lunch box back into the box and realized that it wasn't, in fact, at the very bottom of the box. Under it had been a thick file labelled William Sherlock Scott Holmes; ages 7-8. John raised his eyebrows, not having known that Sherlock's first name was really William. He would have to use that sometime.
The first page looked incredibly professional. So professional, in fact, that it made John afraid to hold it. He set it down on the floor and began to read. The first section was labeled:
Reason for Admittance.
Admittance to what?
William Sherlock Scott Holmes has been admitted to the home for troubled and dangerous children because of behavior he has shown at school. Several teachers have reported seeing him yell at, hit, and bite other children. They have also reported that when upset, it was necessary to call his brother in to calm him down, not his parents.
"Oh" John said quietly. His parents had sent Sherlock to an insane asylum. How nice.
Reading on, John became more and more shocked and horrified. Treatment had been anything from isolation to shock therapy. No one seemed to recognize Sherlocks' genius. They just thought he was some crazy kid.
The file ended with a summary of how Sherlock had "Progressed" from all the treatment. It seems that William Sherlock Scott Holmes has become more hostile towards adults and other children. He does not need his brother anymore and expresses the need for solidarity. William Sherlock Scott Holmes has also stopped biting out of rage. This is a big milestone, considering that biting has been an ongoing struggle for him since a very young age.
Disgusted, John threw the file back into the box, and the box back into the closet.
"No wonder he does drugs." John murmured as he looked under Sherlock's' pillow.