They were in a car. From his limited field of vision he could tell he was lying across the back seats, looking at the black ceiling as Sherlock cradled his head. One of the medics from earlier was holding a plastic oxygen mask to his face. There were loud noises, beeping and shouting. Then the darkness returned.
He was lying on his back again, but the ceiling had changed colour this time. Grey tiles. Everything was still fuzzy...something pinched at the back of his hand. A female voice spoke 'It's alright John, just the antibiotics going in now.' He felt himself relax. His eyes drooped, everything would be fine...
The ceiling blurred into focus again, the same grey tiles. Another voice, male this time, something in his frazzled brain liked it. A warm hand touched his. He faded out again.
Then the nightmares came back. He didn't remember exact details, but they woke him – sweating and panting, the grey tiles there to reassure him that – no, he wasn't in Afghanistan. The female voice always came when they happened, floating in, wiping his head and making comforting noises until sleep returned.
When consciousness finally returned to him properly, it was like being hit by a train. John gasped air, filling his lungs until his chest felt like it was going to burst. A bleeping went off by his right ear, the grey tiles were still above him, but now they were clear and detailed – he could see properly at last and looked around to orientate himself. White room, hospital bed, tubes up his nose and in both arms. It was all familiar to the doctor. There was a chair in the corner that he hadn't noticed at first and when he twisted his head to get a clearer view the figure on it stirred.
'Sher...lock' John muttered, not realising how dry his mouth was. How long had he been out?
'John!' Sherlock rushed to his side. He handed him the glass of water that was on the bedside cabinet and John gulped it down hastily.
Before he could say any more a nurse entered the room...followed by Mycroft. She checked him over while Mycroft went through what had happened to him in a matter of fact tone. He'd had a heart attack, brought on as a delayed reaction to whatever drug Moriarty had pumped into him. Mycroft ran through a list of what they'd found in his blood samples, but John wasn't concentrating, just quietly observing Sherlock. His expression was hard, but there was worry in his eyes. John pushed himself upright, his aching body protesting. He felt weak, and didn't like it.
'Your muscles are weak, I'd say you haven't done any form of exercise for a while, or got the right nutrition.' The nurse spoke up and John recognised the voice that had come to his aid through the nightmares, 'although I suppose that is a side effect of being kidnapped by a psychopath...'
'Thank you Mary, that's enough' Mycroft drawled.
Mary threw a cheeky grin at John as she finished fiddling with the bags of fluid attached to his tubes. He instantly decided he liked her, she wasn't afraid to joke about subjects other people would be cautious about. As she walked out of the door John caught a glimpse of a pair of armed guards outside.
'Why are they here? You mean...you haven't found him? Moriarty!?'
'Not yet.' Sherlock's tone was clipped and harsh. 'But when we do I'm going to kill him, slowly.' There was venom in his voice.
'Get in line' John muttered.
'Do you want to know what happened?' Mycroft spoke, 'during the months you were missing, as I'm informed you have no recollection of events.'
'I don't remember anything involving Moriarty...' He glanced across at Sherlock; his knuckles were white from where he was squeezing the fabric of his coat. Whatever they'd done to him had obviously been bad enough to affect the unemotional Sherlock. That thought churned his stomach. 'I think I'd rather not know'
'I thought that might be the case. I'll leave you two now.' He checked his pocket watch 'need to speak to Chan about the Korean elections...' He smiled thinly and stalked out, back straight and umbrella clicking along the linoleum floor.
A/N: IM SORRY FOR HURTING JOHN, it's kinda becoming a habit with my fics ...again sorry it's a short one, things will get interesting next chapter - stay with me folks! Please review, they make my day. Thanks for the follows and favourites and for reading it
