The third time was not even a bit noticeable. They weren't on a case, but they were on the way to one. John insisted that they stop by the hospital to fill out a form he had apparently forgotten to fill out.
Sherlock grumbled on the way there, speaking of wasted time, claiming that if they just quickly nip over, he could at least have something to think about as John fills out the paper work.
"It'll only be a minute, Sherlock, surely you can wait that long," John said, glancing over at him. "Would you like a puzzle to figure out instead?" Sherlock was silent for a moment.
"A puzzle?" he asked, quirking his head to the side and looking at John sitting next to him in the cab.
"Yes, here, try this one…" John shifted in his seat and turned towards Sherlock a bit, clearing his throat. "It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Right, okay… I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?"
"The letter "E." Honestly, John, at least make them challenging."
"What begins with T ends with T and is full of T?"
"A teapot, Joh-"
"Where does the general keep his armies!"
"In his sleevies," Sherlock snickered in reply. John sighed.
"Well, at least I can say that I tried," John retorted in a somewhat disappointed voice. He was upset that he didn't even slightly faze Sherlock with his riddles.
Sherlock turned away with a very loving grin. Although the riddles were easy to figure out, he loved the fact that John at least tried. No one else was as patient as this man. No one else was as compliant, amusing, quirky, amazing, and just so damn patient as the man sitting next to him.
When they arrived at the hospital, John hurried in as Sherlock asked the cabby to wait there. He swept into the hospital after John and leaned against the counter next to him.
Sherlock watched him carefully, the way his hands flipped through the papers to find the paper he needed. The way he opened the pen and began to write – but – no – it wasn't working, so he licked the tip a bit. Sherlock held back a grin when John grumbled about the pen and got a new one, and he began ringing on the desk bell quite quickly again and again "I love you" in Morse code.
.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- .-.-.-
.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- .-.-.-
.. / .-.. - ...- . / -.- - ..- .-.-.-
"Yes, yes, alright, Sherlock, I'm hurrying!" John snapped. Sherlock stopped tapping with a frown. He had assumed that John might know Morse code. But it left his mind when John got his attention by grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the hospital to the cab on the way to the case.