WORD ASSOCIATION
(Sherlock is going through a psych evaluation before he reveals himself to those he cares for dearly, not to mention the world. Mycroft handcuffs him to a chair and it begins.)
Well this came from a place. Not sure what place but a place. Enjoy if you can. – day
xx
"You're familiar with this, aren't you?" The psychiatrist asks him as she settles into the chair in front of him. Sherlock's eyes are shut. He doesn't want to be here, that is clear. He looks better than she had been expecting she doesn't jot that down.
"Being shackled to a chair by my brother, of course. Being evaluated by someone who loves to pick brains; a few times. Can we get this over with?"
"You're eager. Good, I'm sure you've done this before but concerning your time away and what has been implied we only want to be sure that you are clear mentally to be around the people who you left to save. Your friends."
"Friends?" He tested the word on his tongue as he sat there. It wasn't like he hadn't used it before. Only about three times ever but he wasn't counting it. Counting, he had begun to slip into his mind palace in the morgue door where counting meant something entirely different than it used to.
"Yes. I'm going to say a name and you're going to say the first one that comes to mind, okay?" Sherlock scoffed but opened his eyes and sat up a bit straighter as he knew he was supposed to do this to return to his normal life.
"Fine." He stated.
John Watson.
"Best Friend."
Greg Lestrade.
"Adequate."
Mrs. Hudson.
"Family."
Molly Hooper.
She watched him, noticing how he seemed to not know what to say. She repeated her name again. Still nothing.
"Sentiment." He said finally.
She went through it again, just to be sure that he wasn't going to change his answer somehow.
John Watson
"Loyal."
Lestrade
"Good man."
Mrs. Hudson
"Home."
Molly Hooper.
"Love."
She was writing and he was watching her as his brain rattle from the overexertion that he was causing whenever it came back around to Molly Hooper. It was confusing him. He didn't know what love was but he said that that's what she was.
Why was that?
"Your answers stayed relatively the same but you veered when it came to Molly. Have you changed your mind about her or your relationship with her?"
"I don't have a relationship with Molly Hooper." He stated calmly.
"She saved your life, do you feel that you owe are anything?"
He stayed quiet.
The doctor let out a sigh. "Moving on, who do you expect to have a more outlandish reaction to your return?"
"John."
"Why?"
"He's going to punch me."
"How do you know?"
"He's done it before, he'll do it again." He sighed.
"I'm going to say a word now and you tell me who it reminds you of. Okay?"
"Yes."
Fall.
"John…and Molly."
Forgive.
"John."
Forget.
"No one."
She paused, he could hear her scribbling down on my clipboard.
IOU.
"Moriarty."
Support.
"All of them."
Food.
"Mrs. Hudson."
Coffee.
"Molly. Black, Two Sugars."
Force.
"Lestrade."
Acceptance.
"John and Molly."
Gunshots.
"Mrs. Hudson."
Sniper.
"No one."
I'm sorry.
"Everyone."
Important.
"Everyone."
"Who is more important, Sherlock?"
"I can't say."
"Can't or won't?"
"Both. This wouldn't solve anything."
"Okay. Then tell me about two. Start with John."
"John Watson is a soldier, a warrior in the darkness of life. He protected me when I didn't see a need for it. Alone protects me, he shot people for me…he shot things. I almost got him killed and for that I struggle with. He will punch me and I will take it. I miss him."
"When do you miss him?"
"Every day."
"Tell me about Molly."
He took in a deep breath before beginning. "Molly Hooper is a pathologist at St. Bart's Hospital. She's good at what she does but she does have an odd fascination with cats. Moriarty dated her once, she dumped him. She has nervous energy that seems to make her stutter when around me."
"She fancies you."
"She did. I don't know if that's the same anymore."
"Because she hasn't seen you since your death."
"Because of what I have done since."
"Killing people."
"Yes."
"Wouldn't that make them all fear you, not just Molly Hooper?"
"The others wouldn't be subjected to the notion of that. She already knows. She sees more."
"What do you mean she sees?"
"She sees me."
There was a pause.
"Are we done?" He didn't seem all that deterred by the fact he had admitted one small weakness.
She nodded her head and pressed a button on the side of the chair. A man came through with a key, he bent over to unlatch the handcuffs that were restraining him.
He headed for the door when she said one more word. "Counting. What does that mean?"
"Why?" His head turned down, his teeth gritting against each other.
"It's just a question."
"No." He stated before walking briskly out the room.