When Mrs Hudson and Lestrade came by later that afternoon Sherlock was still asleep. Lestrade brought an extra chair in from the hallway and sat with the others by the table in Sherlock's room.

"How bad is the damage to Sherlock's brain?" Lestrade asked John.

"It's difficult to say." he explained. "There is a small area of his brain where the signals aren't as you'd expect. The problems might just be because of the swelling or they might be caused by damage to that area of the brain. Until the swelling goes down completely we can't tell."

"But the only thing affected is his ability to make his deductions?"

"So far that's the only thing he hasn't been able to do. He's very lucky really when you consider what could have happened but as you can imagine he doesn't see it that way." John sighed. Lestrade could see the concern on the doctor's face and he understood. Sherlock lived for his work. It was hard to imagine how he'd cope without it.

Mrs Hudson sat quietly looking at Sherlock peacefully sleeping. Her poor boy, she thought. Her poor boys, in fact, because she knew this was hard on John too. John interrupted her thoughts when he asked "Mrs Hudson would you mind staying with Sherlock for a little while please? I could do with popping back to Baker Street but I don't want him waking up alone."

"Of course dear. Is everything alright?"

"Yes everything's fine. I'm trying to find ways of helping Sherlock exercise that part of his brain and I could do with picking up a couple of bits from the flat."

"I'll give you a lift if you like." Lestrade offered.

"Thanks Greg that would be great."

As they both got up to leave Mrs Hudson spoke. John could see the tears in her eyes as she asked "Will we ever get the old Sherlock back?"

John walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. "We will if I have anything to do with it." he answered. Mrs Hudson could hear the determination in his voice and smiled at him warmly. He really was the best friend Sherlock could ever have she thought.

"So what's the plan" Lestrade asked when he was driving through the London streets towards to Baker Street.

"Basically I'm trying to get Sherlock to relive some of our old cases. I have no idea if it'll work but I'm just hoping that by remembering his thought processes on those it might start to get things working again." John sighed and rubbed his face.

"Hey, you're doing a great job." Lestrade told him. He could see how worried John was. "No one could be working harder to get Sherlock back to his old self. You're doing everything you can and don't you forget it."

John smiled. "Thanks Greg but it doesn't feel like it. I'm a doctor for god's sake and I can't help the one person I really want to."

"You are helping him. You're keeping him going. He'd have gone mad by now without you beside him and you know it."

"But what if it doesn't work Greg? What if he can never work again? I'm not sure how he'll cope and I'm not sure what I can do to help keep him together."

Lestrade pulled over by the side of the road outside of 221b and looked at his friend. The fear was evident on his face. "You'll work it out. And I'm always here to help. Anything you need, just ask. OK?"

"Thanks."

Lestrade sat in the car and waited while John went into the flat. A few minutes later he emerged with a bag of clothes and a box file in his hands and climbed into the car. "Get everything you wanted?" Lestrade asked.

"Yes thanks. I just wanted a few clothes, my old mobile phone and this box of Sherlock's case notes. I figured reading his old notes might brings things back to him." He shrugged.

"Why the old mobile then?" Lestrade questioned, confused.

John looked fondly at the phone. "This was the first great deduction I ever saw him make. He told me all about Harry from looking at this phone. How she'd left her partner and how she was an alcoholic, all from this." he said waving it in front of him.

Lestrade smiled. "Come on we better get you back then."

Back at the hospital John and Lestrade found Mrs Hudson talking to Sherlock although it was unclear if he was actually listening or not. Mrs Hudson on mute, John thought, some things never changed.

"Where have you been?" Sherlock demanded when he saw John in the doorway.

"Oh Sherlock." sighed Mrs Hudson. "I told you he'd gone to Baker Street to pick up a few things."

Sherlock snorted. "So what was so important?"

"Well I've fetched us some more clothes and I brought you this" he passed the box file to Sherlock "I thought maybe reading through your old case notes might help."

Sherlock took the box and smiled at his friend. He really wasn't sure this was going to help him but John was working so hard he had to at least try. He felt so useless without his intellect. What would he do if he never got it back?

John noticed the shadow of doubt pass over Sherlock's face. "We'll get there Sherlock, I'm sure we will."

"Of course you will." Lestrade encouraged "Do you really think that brain of yours is going to pass up the opportunity to show me up at a crime scene?"

Sherlock frowned at Lestrade but John laughed. Must have been a joke then, he thought. "Well Mrs H are you ready to get off?" Lestrade asked.

"OK then." she replied. She went over to Sherlock and gave him a hug. "Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow." As she passed John she gave him a hug too. "You make sure you take of yourself too. You're looking tired."

"I'm fine." John reassured her. Sherlock looked at his friend, he did look tired. He's so busy taking care of me, thought Sherlock that he's not looking after himself.

After Mrs Hudson and Lestrade had gone John took his old mobile phone from his pocket. He held it up in front of him. "Remember this?" he asked Sherlock, smiling.

"It's a mobile phone."

"It's my old mobile phone. The one you used to send a text when we first met. Do you remember how you told me all about my sister from this?" He tossed the phone onto Sherlock's bed.

Sherlock picked up the phone and examined it carefully. He did remember. "The inscription telling me that she had left her partner and the scratches showing she was a drunk." As he looked at the phone he remembered how impressed John had been. He remembered how impressed John always was when he worked. He wanted to see that look on John's face again. He would do whatever he had to, to make that happen no matter how much practice it took.

John noticed the look of determination that had appeared in Sherlock's eyes and he smiled. This could only be a good thing he thought.