"Go to bed."

"No."

"Go to bed."

"No."

"Sherlock-"

"I don't want to!"

John sighed, throwing down the magazine. "You look exhausted, your headache's back, you keep sniffling and you're clearly miserable again, so go to bed!"

"I don't want to," Sherlock repeated stubbornly, drawing his knees close.

"You shouldn't have gone out on that case. I knew it, and I should have stopped you. But you said were feeling better and you looked like you were, so I let you go gallivanting about and now look. You feel terrible again."

"I'm fine," Sherlock muttered.

"Okay." John stood up, hands clenching into fists and unclenching again. "Okay. Stay up. Be miserable. Fine."

Sherlock looked up at him. "Can you get me a cup of tea?"

"No, I'm bloody well not getting you a cup of tea!" John exclaimed.

Sherlock cringed delicately, frowning. "What? Why not?"

"If you're not miserable enough to go to bed, you're not miserable enough for me to make you a cup of tea!"

"Stop yelling," Sherlock muttered.

"I'm not yelling. How am I yelling? If I'm yelling, it's to ensure that you're hearing me!"

"My head hurts, John," Sherlock complained, drawing his blankets closer.

"Go to bed!"

"I don't want to go to bed!"

"Then don't complain!"

Sherlock resisted the urge to groan at the intensifying pain that the shouting was causing, mainly the pulsating throb beneath his temples. He wanted to go curl up in bed and bury himself underneath the blankets... but he wouldn't give John the satisfaction of winning the argument.

Instead, he just squeezed his eyes closed and sniffed, shivering a bit more than he had been.

John sighed after a moment. "I'm sorry. I'm just... not used to taking care of you when you're sick. Not used to taking care of you at all, frankly."

Sherlock didn't open his eyes, just continued to shiver and wishing he had an extra blanket. "You're a horrible doctor," he mumbled. "And a lousy friend."

"I'm sorry," John repeated. "Really." Creaking of the sofa as John took a seat next to him. "What do you want? You said a cup of tea? Anything else?"

Sherlock opened his eyes slightly, looking miserably towards John. "Another blanket?"

"And paracetamol," John said. He stood up again. "Just give me a few minutes."

"Maybe the travel package of tissues that you keep in the first-aid kit upstairs?"

John frowned. "Travel pack... oh. I forgot I had those."

"Emergency supplies, John..." Sherlock mumbled, closing his eyes again. "They're there for a reason..."

"Yeah, I know, but I forgot. Hang on."

Sherlock closed his eyes again, but he heard the kettle click on, heard John ascending the stairs, and then descending. There was another blanket settled around Sherlock's shoulders and the crinkling of what Sherlock (correctly) assumed was the package of the travel tissues.

"Here. I'm getting you your tea and paracetamol now."

Sherlock nodded a bit. "John?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not a rubbish doctor..." Sherlock mumbled.

John sounded surprised as he said "I know I'm not. You just don't feel good. Besides, I rarely take anything you say to heart."

"Great..." Sherlock muttered, snuggling into the blankets.

John sank onto the sofa next to Sherlock after the kettle had boiled and the tea had brewed.

"Here. Meds and tea."

Sherlock took the teacup gratefully, swallowing back the medication with a large gulp of perfectly sweetened chamomile. "Thanks..."

"Not a problem." John paused. "I will give you this, though: you are a rubbish patient."

Sherlock looked at John again. The doctor smiled tiredly and Sherlock smiled faintly over his cup of steaming tea.


First, I have to give my utmost thanks to InaZumaElle, who mentioned John snapping at Sherlock/Sherlock reacting like a child in review, and her comment just stuck in my head and I had the best picture (well, I like this chapter, anyway), so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. You made my muse very happy, without even trying, you lovely person!

Secondly, there's probably three chapters left in this story. I've written two more already and it seems like a wrapping chapter is in order. But, like I said, I have three more stories to post, so I'm ready for this to wrap. :P

I do not own Sherlock. Thank you!