This is my first Sherlock fic and I hope it's not too OoC.
Hope you enjoy reading and reviews are greatly appreciated!
"Mr. Holmes?"
Something wasn't right. The voice was familiar but somehow unrecognizable, it sounded off.
"Sherlock?"
Ah, that sounded better. The tone wasn't entirely right but an improvement. I struggled against the heavy weight that seemed to be pressing on my eyelids and forced them open and immediately squinted under the florescent light. Based on the smell and steady beeping, John had taken me to a hospital.
"Good, you're awake. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"
My head was pounding but it was hardly a sensation I was unfamiliar with and certainly not something worth making John worry. Or start a tirade over. Everything was already hazy enough without having to filter out his voice.
"John," I could make out his face now as my eyes slowly adjusted to the glare. Lab coat, neutral expression, steady breathing, steady hands, lack of eye contact, overall lack of inflection in his voice; as if studying a new patient. What was he playing at. "What's going on?"My mouth felt as if it was full of cotton as I worked my tongue around the words. I could already assume he must have found me after an overdose given the massive headache.
"Dr. Watson if you how are you feeling?"
Dr. Watson? Now he wanted to play doctor? Was this his new way of showing displeasure over the drug use? I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of all this.
"Like I just woke up from a fitful sleep. Now stop being ridiculous. There is work to do." I struggled to sit up and was surprised to find myself restrained to the bed. "What-"
"Mr. Holmes, if you would please stay still." He finally looked up from his damn clipboard, no indications of recognition. Unease stirred in the pit of my stomach and I twisted enough to watch as John, no, Dr. Watson, stood from a chair and adjusted the drip on one of the clear bags beside me. I tried to identify what the solution was but couldn't spot a label. Probably morphine.
"What is that?"
"Just something to help you relax." Definitely morphine.
I glanced at the clipboard that John left on the bedside table. Patient is exhibiting confusion and disorientation. Possible delusions. May not be fit for questioning at this time. Something was very off. I could feel the morphine kicking in, making it hard to focus. I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Jo-Dr. Watson, why am I here?"
I bit back a snarl of frustration as John settled back in his chair and picked up his clipboard to jot something new down without answering. "It seems I am suffering from a bit of memory loss due to the drugs. Can you tell me why I'm handcuffed to a hospital bed?"
John scribbled for a bit more before finally bothering to look at me. "You're currently in custody at the Broadmoor Hospital."
"Custody? For what?" I could hear the beeping of the heart monitor accelerate.
That seemed to catch the doctor's attention and he stared at me in surprise. The first emotion he's expressed since I woke up. "The-the murders." My chest tightened."Mr. Holmes, you don't recall any of this?"
"What are you talking about? What would that have to do with me." But even as I asked, I was already piecing things together.
"Mr. Holmes, you are suspected to be responsible for the deaths of several individuals and the obstruction of justice." One day we'll be standing around a body and Sherlock Holmes will be the one that put it there.
My breath came out in short pants and the incessant beeping increased. "That can't be right. It's not. It can't. I didn't kill anyone." That's not true. I could hear the crack of a gun going off, the gun I had pulled the trigger on. But that was different. That was to protect Mary, to help Mycroft, to protect my friends.
I turned to stare at John, desperate for any sign that this was a horrible joke. "We're friends, John. This is all wrong, a mistake. We're friends!" I don't have friends! I started twisting in the bed, desperate to get free, to set things straight and figure out who would frame me like this again. "This is Moriarty, he must be behind all this."
"Mr. Holmes, please calm down or I will have to sedate you again." He's a psychopath, and psychopaths get bored.
"We're friends, aren't we?" My voice was weak, drowned out by the echoing voices in my head. I don't have friends. I don't have friends…
"Mr. Holmes, I believe you are suffering from confusion. I'm just going to sedate you so that you calm down." John was up again and adjusting the bag.
I could feel my eyes getting heavy and my movements slowed. "This is all a mistake. It's all wrong…"
-oOo-
Sherlock jerked awake, twisting fervently in the bed before the darkness of the room sank in and he realized where he was. He untangling himself from his own sheets and kicked them onto the floor. He pulled himself into a sitting position, drawing his legs into his chest with a shuddery breath. He stayed still, breathing slowly as he focused on slowing his still racing heart rate.
In.
120 beats.
Just a dream. None of that was real. You are at home. Home at Baker street.
Out.
105.
He's a psychopath, and psychopaths get bored.
His breath hitched.
110.
Not real. Not real. Not real. Focus.
Out.
102.
Better.
In.
Out.
98
Just an irrational nightmare.
In.
Of course… You're my best friend.
He finally let out a long sigh and reached over to the nightstand, fumbling slightly in the dark until he had his phone.
"Sherlock? Do you have any idea what bloody time it is?"
"John." His voice wavered and he swallowed thickly as he closed his eyes and savored the annoyance present in John's voice.
"Sherlock? Are you alright?"
He cleared his throat. "Fine John, just fine." His voice was steadier this time.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, quite. I was just calling to remind you that there is a case I would like your assistance on tomorrow. It seems I must have lost track of the time."
"You could have texted that."
"Yes, I suppose. Have a good night John." His heart rate steadied.
"Yes, well... If you, ah, if you need anything I'm always here."
"Yes, I know."
Sherlock hung up and dropped his phone back onto the nightstand.
I know. Thank you.