John let his head rest on Sherlock's pillow, settling comfortably into the space next to him. "When I'm with Mrs Hudson, just be good for the nurses, alright? No getting out of bed or anything. They won't let me come back afterwards if you do that."
"Of course, I'll wait like a good patient." Sherlock smirked, "You really think I'm so stupid as a to try getting out of bed again? Even if some of the ...after effects... were to my liking."
John could feel himself turning pink. "You didn't need to nearly kill yourself to get any of that..." he mumbled. "Would've done it anyway."
"Oh really?" Sherlock put on a mock air of innocence, "And how would you have propositioned me?"
"Dunno," he shrugged. "Didn't really proposition you this time, did I? Just invited myself onto your bed. You could always have propositioned me."
"You didn't really invite yourself you know... and how was I supposed to proposition you Dr "I'm-not-gay" Watson?" Sherlock chuckled, clutching John closer to his chest, "Though I suppose that is true..."
"I'm not gay," John insists, though the evidence behind that argument was looking pretty weak right now. "How would you have done it, then?"
"Since you didn't properly answer my question I don't see that I have to." Sherlock pecked a kiss at John's neck on instinct, "No doubt that will leave you to wonder over it."
"You should tell me, it'll give me something to think about when I have to go back next door," John said. "Please? Kissing me, nice as it is, won't make me forget about it either."
"Humph... I bet it could make you forget about it..."
"That wasn't a challenge," John smirked, kissing Sherlock briefly anyway.
Sherlock kissed back then withdrew, "Really?" he arched an eyebrow, "Shall I make it into one?"
John couldn't say no to that. "Just try and remember we are in a hospital, Sherlock."
Sherlock leaned in kissing John's jaw and whispered, "I'll just leave it for now then..."
"When we get home, yeah?" Suddenly ten days seemed a lifetime to wait. "So...back to my question, how would you have propositioned me?"
Sherlock heaved another sigh, "Yeah... at home..." He closed his eyes thinking and breathing John in. He really hadn't thought about how he'd realistically proposition John, even in his hopes and dreams there had been the faintest reminder that John wouldn't accept his feelings and he'd long since decided against any of it in favour of keeping him safe and happy.
John kissed along Sherlock's shoulder and collarbone, giving up on asking Sherlock for the time being. He'd get an answer out of him eventually, and no doubt it would be something totally insane but somehow endearing too.
Sherlock held John there for a moment but grew more aware of the time passing so with a heavy heart noted they should probably call someone to take John back to his room.
"I don't want to go," John said sadly. He didn't see why Sherlock couldn't just see Mrs Hudson - she'd be thrilled he was back and even happier at whatever-it-was that was going on between them. Scared of upsetting him again though, John decided not to mention it and just quietly sulked about having to leave.
"I don't want you to go either so don't sulk, I'm sure you'll be back in here in a couple of hours..." Sherlock pouted then smiled sadly as he moved away out of their embrace.
John grabbed hold of Sherlock and pulled him back. "Hold on," he muttered, and gave Sherlock one last, slow kiss for the time being. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he rolled himself over and back onto the gurney then, as carefully as he could, lowered himself back into the chair.
Watching as John lowered himself down Sherlock was hit by how brave a soldier John was, forever fighting against the pain or even showing he felt any. "John..."
John looked up, smiling as much as he could. "Yeah?"
"See you soon yeah?" He asked it almost timidly, wondering how long John was going to be away from him, whether the doctors would let him return tonight or if he would have to wait till the morning to see his wonderful blogger again.
"Of course you will," John smiled. "Press the buzzer for a nurse, I'd better get going."
Sherlock pressed the button calling the nurse to them, "You better do."
The nurse arrived soon after and looked startled at seeing John in the wheelchair, "What's going on?"
"I've got a visitor coming at six," John explained to the nurse. "I'm going back to my room because Sherlock doesn't feel quite up to seeing anybody else yet."
"Ah, so you want me to wheel you? Sure, ready to go now?" She set too seeing he was comfortably in the chair as Sherlock watched a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Please," John said, reluctantly. He hated admitting that he couldn't just take himself back there - it was only a few metres down the corridor, after all.
"Off we go then." The nurse proceeded to push John into his own room, parking him by his bed ready to help him into his own bed. "We'd best check you over, it seems you haven't been in here for quite some time."
John waved at Sherlock on the way out, slumping forwards in the chair as soon as he was out of view. He was so exhausted, so groggy, but he hadn't dared show any of that in front of Sherlock. It was almost a relief that he could drop the façade for a few hours, get a bit of his strength back. Getting into bed looked like a momentous enough task right now.
The nurse noticed his reluctance to use the effort getting into bed with a frown knowing he'd pushed himself too hard. "Shall we just take your tests with you sat there until you feel up to getting into bed?" She didn't wait for a reply but instead started altering his medication which had all but run out.
John shook his head, taking some deep breaths. "No, get it over and done with," he said, checking the brakes on the chair. He counted himself in under his breath, then pushed himself up with his arms, swivelled around and let himself collapse backwards onto the bed.
The nurse tutted at him, "You should really let me help with such things it would put a lot less strain on your leg."
"I have to get used to using it again if I'm going to be looking after Sherlock," John reasoned, breathlessly. "Just sort my medicine out, please," he asked, a slight note of desperation in his voice.
She quickly finished off with the medicine still giving him reproachful looks, "Really now, your only concern is looking after yourself, you're both in our care we're supposed to be looking out for the both of you, there is really no need to interfere." She scorned him as she set up the machines to check him over properly.
John just sighed loudly at that. He wanted to argue but, with as little energy as he had right now, it wasn't worth the effort, not when Mrs Hudson would be here so soon. All his energy had to be conserved for going back to Sherlock later, so he didn't even bother making recommendations to the nurse when his observations flashed up on the machines.
Meanwhile Sherlock had relaxed back into his bed feeling an irrational sense of abandonment. He supposed now he had time to mull over what exactly he was going to do, what with John, Mycroft and Moran he was certain that this little break in hospital would be the only rest he'd find in the coming months. He felt little courage at the prospect of the task at hand knowing he'd have to do so without his brave heart and moral fibre by his side. But be that as it may he had to do it, if only to serve the purpose of getting back to John indefinitely. Knowing he'd only made John leave so that Mrs. Hudson didn't happened to catch a glimpse of him he knew he had to do something about the windows and doors of his room. Sherlock sighed as he pressed the button again, summoning another nurse.
"What can I do for you?"
"Close all the blinds." He snapped irritable by his circumstances, then remembered John's teaching in social norms and added a hurried "please."
She did so, then set to checking his medicines and noting things from the machines like John's nurse had no doubt finished by now.
John watched his nurse scribble notes down onto his chart from the machines, eyes drooping closed under the combined force of his exhaustion and the medication. He had to stay awake for Mrs Hudson's visit, but he had to get rest so he could return to Sherlock sooner. If they'd just give them a room together, things would be a lot easier.
"There all done, you should be fine with a bit more rest... Visiting hours start in 5 minutes so I've no doubt your visitor will be along very soon after that. Do try not to strain yourself further." and with that the nurse left John to go back to her other duties.