The rest of the day passed quietly. Molly slept for a couple of hours, John drank several cups of coffee to stay awake. Dr Channing visited often to check up on Sherlock. Each time his vitals remained strong and when he did wake it was brief, but it was obvious his thoughts were coherent.
Dr Channing handed over to Dr Rayabov later in the day, and around 8pm Molly and John left Sherlock for a time while he slept. They headed back to 221b where Mary and Mrs Hudson were waiting for them. John had also text Mycroft and he text back straight away to say his parents had returned home for a while so he would come to 221b too.
When John and Molly walked into the house they could smell home cooking. Up in the flat Mrs Hudson had prepared a warm stew for them. The weather outside was still very cold, and dark, and it was just the kind of hearty meal they all needed.
"So, tell us about how Sherlock is" Mrs Hudson asked as she was dishing out the food
"He's woken a couple of times, and we've had conversations with him. They were brief conversations but definitely coherent enough to know that he's still there." said Molly with a smile
"And?" asked Mrs Hudson, her focus fixed upon Molly with interest
"Well, he remembers me. He smiled at me. He held my hand." Molly couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. The warmth she felt spreading across her inside. Her Sherlock had remembered. He knew her. He still wanted her. She had been so afraid that he would forget. That the wonderful time they had had together would be for nothing. She had feared he would just return to being the 'same old Sherlock' and she would be the one watching him, trying to make him remember. Desperately trying to recapture what had been. But she didn't have to worry. He was still there. He was still very poorly but underneath it all he was still there, and she would wait. She would wait as long as it took to get him back to full health.
They sat at the table in 221b and started to tuck into the very welcome food. Just as Mrs Hudson went to sit down, the front doorbell rang. She headed down stairs to open it, and she was surprised to see Mycroft at the front door, and behind him Lestrade. She welcomed them both in, and ushered them up the stairs. She eyed them both up with interest. Something had changed between them both.
Once in the kitchen she asked them if they had eaten They hadn't so she soon dished them some food out too. Mycroft and Greg headed down to Mrs Hudson's flat to grab two extra chairs and soon the six of them were tightly sat around the table, enjoying the wonderful food Mrs Hudson had prepared for them.
John sat next to Mary and underneath the table he nudged her knee. He then flicked a glance across to Mycroft and Lestrade. Mary knew in an instant what John was referring to and she let out a little nod. The knee nudge then transferred from Mary to Mrs Hudson, who reacted in exactly the same way with a nod.
The conversation got round to Sherlock and some of the cases he had worked on. They all laughed at some of the antics he had got up to - the diving into rivers for clues, working through skips and rubbish dumps, spending hours not talking while visiting his mind palace. But he nearly always came up trumps and managed to find the one key thing that the others just could not see. And when he was beaten, or so it seemed, he'd suddenly stumble across something months later which was the key to solving the crime. His brilliant brain always saw that which others did not.
It was a lovely conversation. Mycroft was even joining in freely. The others couldn't help notice the glances Mycroft and Greg threw each other occasionally. They also couldn't help noticing how Mycroft opened up, so much for the better, when Greg was with him. It was like they were able to forget what Mycroft was usually like, and he was just one of them - up for a good laugh. There was a tinge of sadness that Sherlock was not with them. It was like a part of the group was missing.
When the meal was over, the six of them cleared up and then settled into the lounge with drinks. It was around 10pm when Molly stood up.
"I'm heading back to the hospital. I just want to go and see if he's OK." John also stood up to go with her "No, you stay here John. Stay with Mary tonight. I'll go back and see him on my own. If there is anything to report, I'll call you. I'll text you when I arrive anyway to let you know how he is."
John nodded and walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek "Give him our love. I'll be over first thing in the morning to see you both."
Molly hadn't said anything about staying the night with Sherlock. She didn't need to. They all just knew the reason she was heading back was so she could sleep in the chair next to him. She needed him as much as he needed her.
Molly hailed a cab from outside 221b. The night time traffic in London was always heavier than she expected but for some reason tonight it was particularly bad. She found herself impatient for the traffic to clear and to get back to Sherlock. The cab just could not move fast enough for her. She wondered whether she'd have been better just walking. Perhaps the journey might have moved a little quicker then.
The journey up to Sherlock's room seemed to take an age too. The lift stopped at literally every floor. She stopped for a moment to reflect. Why was she feeling like this? Why was the normally calm, reliable Molly Hooper so impatient. Then she realised. She was excited to see him. She wanted to get back to him, to be with him. She missed him. She didn't even stop to pick up her usual coffee on the way up. She just had to get there, to be with him, to be by his side.
Walking through the door of his room she felt her body relax. He was fast asleep in bed. She glanced over at the monitors. Everything was stable. The readings were was she had hoped. She sat herself down in the chair by the bed, ready for another night spent by his side. She quickly text John to let him know all was well before she took out her book and started to read.
She had read 20 or so pages when she became aware Sherlock was stirring. She looked over to him and he was slowly opening his eyes. He was lying on his side, and his eyes looked straight into hers. She smiled at him, and he immediately returned the gesture. Their eyes met for quite some time, until he very gently raised his left hand and tapped it on the bed. Molly knew what he meant. He wanted her to lie next to him.
"Sherlock, I can't" she said "You've got too many tubes and things."
"You can you know" came a voice from behind her. It was Dr Rayabov who had obviously sneaked in quietly and was doing Sherlock's obs. "You can't hurt him. In fact it'll probably be better for him if you do."
Molly didn't need telling again. She stood up out of her chair and her and Dr Rayabov helped Sherlock to move over slightly in the bed to give Molly room. Dr Rayabov raised the sides of the bed so that two of them could safely be together, and then Molly gently crawled into the bed along side Sherlock.
The feeling was indescribable. Her whole body felt light and alive as she felt his body warmth next to her. He looked into her eyes again and she wrapped her arms softly around him. It was the most natural thing in the world to kiss him. He was obviously weak as the kiss which came back from him was soft, but she could tell he was trying to put everything into it. Her heart wanted to jump for joy at what was happening. They pulled apart and after a fleeting glance, Sherlock closed is eyes again. He was exhausted but Molly was bursting with joy. She snuggled in next to him and allowed sleep to over take her. As she drifted off, she wondered if she would ever feel that content again. Happy in the knowledge that he was pulling through, happy in the understanding that remained unsaid between them both.
It was around 8am the next morning when John, Mary, Mrs Hudson, Mycroft and Lestrade all arrived at the hospital. They'd ended up drinking a bottle of whisky late on into the evening. Mycroft and Lestrade had stayed in Sherlock's room and Mary and John in John's old room. As Greg, Mycroft and Mary were all due into work, they'd caught an early taxi together to go and see Sherlock.
They didn't know whether they were surprised or not when they found Sherlock and Molly fast asleep in bed together, their arms and legs entwined and their heads pressed against each other.
Dr Channing had just returned onto shift and he popped his head in around the same time. He smiled "I think Sherlock might be ready to move out of ICU and on to High Dependancy don't you?"
