Chapter two: Skinny love

He couldn't concentrate on the organisms. He tried, but he failed miserably. His mind was running around focusing on dozens of things that weren't of any consequence. His phone beeps and he looks at it. It's from the Yard telling him that he doesn't need to come in until 10:00 as another co-worker needed to work those two hours. He sent a reply, saying it was all right with him because he was working on a project, which was a lie of course. A lie that killed his phone. The moment he sent the text, his phone died. He groaned and reached into his briefcase to get his extra chord to charge it.

Once he got it charging, he pulled out a Rubik's cube. This game always calmed him down, gave him a sense of some control in his life, but today, it wasn't possible. He wanted things back to normal. Father and mother, snapping witty comments at each other that made absolutely no sense. Father subtly lusting after mother with his eyes while she was simply reading a book; or she was sprawled on the couch listening to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Moments of father pulling her down beside him on the couch without breaking eye contact from the wall's stare because his mind was elsewhere.

The sounds of music as mother sang at the top of her lungs and father shouting out what note she should be singing but wasn't. The scent of her homemade pizza, suited to everyone's tastes. That was the one time they both worked together and with all the tasting they did together, it was a wonder they had any room to eat their pizza. The odds of them getting germs was likely since father would feed her a pineapple or she'd give him a pepperoni and neither would bother to wash their hands after placing a finger or two in each other's mouth.

He looked down at the cube, irritation flooding him. He threw the cube across the room at the wall as the door opened. Lisa Walker, Molly Hooper and Charles Walker's daughter entered the room. She frowned and picked up the cube, being careful not to spill the coffee she held in her hand.

She shook her head and walked up to him, holding out the coffee mug to him. "I brought you this, but I'll give it to you if you promise not to throw it at me."

He holds his hand out for it. "Promise."

She glances down at the Rubik's cube in her hand before trying her hand at it. He watches her out of the corner of his eye as she makes several stupid moves. She's obviously making it a bigger mess than any progress, but when he can concentrate again; it'll be another minor challenge for him.

She looks at him sideways for a moment before speaking. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No."

She frowns. "You should eat."

"I'm not hungry."

She nods. "Ok." She looks back down at the cube. "Any change with your mother?" He tightens his grip on the mug at her innocent question. "My parents were wondering."

Her tone, though soft, is irritating towards him. She looks like her mother, except she has her father's wavy, dark brown hair and green eyes. Her face isn't as mouse-like as her mother's is. Mr. Walker had been somewhat of an influence on his wife during their marriage. According to his father, Molly was an annoying mouse-like person. She was timid and quiet, no backbone to her at all. Lisa was like that, but she wasn't timid and did have a backbone. She's a little more curvaceous and taller than her mother. Her clothes are certainly more stylish. She preferred fun and vibrant colors to muted ones.

"No change." He responds tightly before sipping the coffee.

"I'm annoying you, aren't I?" He almost spits out his coffee at her words. He looks at Lisa; she doesn't look hurt, but just being observant. She hands him the cube, an eyebrow subtly arched. "Promise not to throw it at anything until I've gone. Don't want to become a suspect for any broken materials in here. Make sure you don't aim it at anything that can break."

He takes the cube and exhales. "Look, I'm sorry."

"Don't bother." She says with no malice in her voice. "Your mother is in the hospital, unconscious and here I am making small talk. It's bound to upset you, especially when you haven't eaten yet. You need something in your stomach, even if it is just a piece of fruit."

He exhales. "Thank you but….I really don't need anything."

She nods as the door opens. He turns as his eyes fall on the partial cause of his troubled soul. Mary Ann Watson. She's wearing pale pink scrubs, which look simply dreadful on her. Her face has a faint coloring about the cheeks and she's wearing a pale pink lipstick. With her blonde hair pinned back in a severe ponytail, she looked like a matron for an old school advertisement. Her hair used to be very wavy once upon a time, or was it curly? He couldn't remember. She flat ironed it now.

She cleared her throat. "Sherlock….your mother is awake." Relief washes over his soul as his mind takes in the words. "She seems to be suffering from no adverse affects."

"Thank God." Lisa hugs him. "I'm so glad!" He smiles broadly, as joy fills his soul. He returns Lisa's hug and spins her around in the air for a moment. She laughs and arches her brow as she pats his shoulder. "Now, there's the Sherlock I know!"

He laughs as he turns and walks towards the door. "My mother is well again and father will be coming home sometime soon to resume his role as the man of the house." He groans. "Congratulations to my mother for raising all of us rather well, considering how annoying we've been. Frankly, I'm ready for both of them to come home." He reaches out and hugs Mary. "And thank you for-

"Don't touch me!" The words burst out of Mary so sharply that he jumps in surprise at her. He looks down at her and sees that her eyes burning and brimming with tears. "Don't!"

He steps away as she rubs her arms. "All right, I apologize." He mentally curses himself for forgetting that Mary is still very sensitive around men. "I'm sorry."

"Mary," Lisa says gently. "he was just happy. He didn't mean anything by it. You know Sherlock, he rescued you, he'd never hurt you."

Mary shivered and rubbed her arms harder. If Sherlock didn't know any better he was sure that, his rescuing her made it worse for her. They saw each other frequently, but rarely spoke two words to each other. He was sure every time she saw him, she remembered her horrible ordeal. Lisa touched her shoulder just as Mary began crying. He shifted uncomfortably, not sure of what to do. How could he have forgotten her traumatic ordeal so quickly? Mary was just now being able to look him in the eye. And he had to go and hug her. He turned and walked quickly away. He moved towards his mother's room, desperate to see her smiling face.

He pushed the door open as he heard his mother ask. "Where are my sons?" He enters and finds his mother holding one of his sisters. She looks weak and tired, but she is smiling brightly. "Hello!" He pauses for a moment, drinking in the moment, committing it to his memory. "What have you been up to?"

He hesitates for a moment. "Nothing." She frowns slightly and he glances around the room hoping to avoid her searching eyes. He sees Uncle John standing in the corner and clears his throat. "Uncle John, I think Mary needs you. She's in the lab with…Miss Walker."

Uncle John frowns. "What's wrong?"

He instantly takes a blank face as he shrugs. "She's upset about something."

Uncle John doesn't ask any more questions. He just moves towards the exit to see to his daughter. Feeling all eyes on him, he walks up to his frowning mother and hugs her. "Hello mother." He inhales her in, she still somehow smells of Elizabeth Taylor perfume. "You look much better now."

"Yes." She pulls away and studies him. "What happened with Mary? Is she ok?"

He straightens up and shifts uncomfortably. "Yes."

She's silent a moment before saying. "Have a talk with your father as soon as possible." He groans in aggravation. Why did mother have to be so smart? "I'm your mother. Don't try hiding things from me, it doesn't work."

Scott and Alexander enter the room and Sherlock backs away, allowing them to surge towards their mother. As everyone talks, he glances at his father. He's gained back five years of his life now that she's going to recover. He watches them carefully before glancing at Linda and Clark. Linda's smiling brightly and Clark has a hand on her waist. He watches the two couples. Could anyone look any happier than couples in love when the family crisis was over?