Summary: "John's been shot."

Characters: Sherlock, John, and Harry (Harriet)

Rating: PG

Author: ELLYNARA3

"John's been shot." Sherlock mumbled to himself in disbelief as he sat outside the injured man's room. "John has been shot. John has been shot." Sherlock said tears coming to his eyes as he realized it was his fault.

It was his fault that John had been shot by the mass murderer they had been chasing. He should have been shot. The man had been aiming at him. But no, John jumped in front of the bullet just as it was fired at his heart.

Sherlock sighed to himself. That man was too loyal for his own good. Sherlock would happily die if it meant that John could live.

John was his only friend as he'd told the man just a week ago. 'I don't have friends... I only have one.' He had said. And now his one and only friend had jumped in front of a bloody bullet to save him.

A few tears had actually escaped the green eyes man by now. Leaking down his face in lukewarm trails.

"Just don't die John." He said quietly as Lestrade came to stand next to him.

"He'll be fine Sherlock." The DI said. "He's had worse if you'd recall."

"Yeah. He'll be fine." Sherlock said, trying to convince himself but not believing it.

Sherlock was actually surprised by who arrived next. It was Harry. John had had barely any contact with his sister in months.

Sherlock had never met her obviously but he recognized the similar face and body structure that they shared.

"Harry Watson." Sherlock murmured standing and offering a hand, which she took after a moment. "Nice to meet you. Shame it couldn't be in better circumstances, I'm Sherlock Holmes. Family only if you want to go in." Sherlock said pointing at the door that would lead to John with a sad smile.

"Yeah nice to meet you." Harry said already moving to the door of her brother's room. "Mum died yesterday morning so this is a little bit of a blow so soon after that." A few tears came to her eyes as she looked over at Sherlock, mumbling, "He doesn't know about her yet, I was planning on telling him today. We had a visit planned."

Harry opened the door and as an afterthought almost asked quietly, "Come in with me?" The look in her eyes seemed to say, 'I need someone there when I see him.'

Sherlock moved quietly to her side and in a quiet voice as they walked in, closing the door as they went. Sherlock said, "I'll here to help in any way I can Harry. I'm sorry for your loss." Sherlock said, he remembered that this was one of those sensitive times that he was very bad at and tried to remember what John would do when someone close to someone died.

He looked over at John, who was almost as pale as the sheets underneath him. The older male had drips and cords running from his body in almost every direction pumping a million chemicals, antibiotics and blood into his body.

"I'm sorry for this." Sherlock said quietly to Harry.

"What? This is your fault? I thought it was a criminal that shot him." Harry said, anger in her tone and her fists clenching.

"It was a criminal... technically. But it's also my fault. The bullet was aimed at me. But your brother, the brave and loyal man, decided to jump in front of it." Sherlock felt more tears falling down his cheeks and he wiped at his eyes. "So I'm sorry."

"Sounds like him." Harry said fondly, sadness also tainting her voice, while quietly walking over to his bed and sitting on one of the hard plastic chairs by the bed.

"Yeah. Bravery is probably the kindest word for stupidity." Sherlock said going and sitting on the other chair next to Harry just as John opened his eyes.

"Sh- Sherlock?" John stuttered out as his flat mate was the first thing he saw.

"John." Sherlock said, relief tangible in his voice as he took his friends hand, "Yeah it's me. Harry's here too."

John's eyes flickered to his sister and he blinked to focus on her. "Hi Harry." John mumbled a small smile coming to his face as he looked back and forth between his best friend and sister.

"Not the best time for you two to meet." John said a small laugh coming from his mouth before he winced and coughed.

Sherlock was standing almost immediately, asking, "Are you alright? Do you need someone? Do you need me to call a doctor?"

"Sherlock!" John said a smile on his face, as his usually calm friend panicked, "I'm fine. I'm lucky but the bullet hit a rib and shattered the bullet cartridge. Cracking the rib before the bullet got to anything major. They managed to get out all the shards and I'm gonna be fine. So no need to panic Sherlock."

Sherlock visibly calmed but his response was just, "What are you talking about? I knew you were fine all along."

John just smirked and muttered, "You could at least show some gratitude to the person who saved your life."

Sherlock actually had the decency to look just a little bit ashamed, "Sorry John. I thank you for your sacrifice, even though my life is not worth your body coming to harm."

"It's not? Your life is more important to me Sherlock. I would never let you die. Even if I have to save you with my last breath." John said tears coming to his eyes as he talked.

"I would rather die than see you be harmed John." Sherlock mumbled. With a small sniffle.

"It seems we're at a cross roads." John said a small smile on his face. "Neither of us will let the other harmed but to stop the other we're gonna be hurting ourselves. Don't you see the stupidity in that?"

"You should have just let me die John. That way you wouldn't be hurt and in pain." Sherlock said.

"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying? Your life means more to me then my own." John said with a small groan.

Sherlock blinked and mumbled, "And you mean more to me than my own life. We are never going to be able to sort this out and put ourselves before the other are we?"

"'Fraid not Sherlock." John said, a grin coming over his face.

"Okay then." Sherlock mumbled before turning his attention to Harry and saying under his breath to the woman so that John couldn't hear, "Do to wanna tell him now?"

"Y-Yes." Harry mumbled back. "Yeah I do."

So Sherlock stepped off to the side while Harry took John's hand.

"N-Now. I was gonna tell you at lunch today but... mum, um, mum," Harry glanced at Sherlock desperately, he gives her a head nod and a slight gesture to carry on, "well, um, mum's... She- she died yesterday morning. I'm sorry."

John stares at his sister, mouth gaping like a fish as she finished telling him.

"H-How?" He eventually managed to work out from between his lips. "How did she die?"

"Overdose." Harry said after a long while, "Heroin."

John started crying and Harriet followed shortly after. The two siblings clinging to each other as Sherlock came over. Hugging them, Sherlock tried to comfort them as much as he could.

They stayed like that for what seems like hours. Crying silently until John fell asleep from exhaustion.

Then and only then did Harry and Sherlock let go of the injured man.

"Goodnight John." Harry said kissing John's forehead before leaving Sherlock to say goodnight.

"Sweet dreams John." Sherlock mumbled pressing a feather light kiss to the edge of John's lips. "Good night brave soldier."

Sherlock smiled and swear he saw a hint of a smile on John's lips as he left.

"Get well soon John." He mumbled as he shut the door on his sleeping friend.