The flat was silent save the quiet clicking of John's fingers against lap top keys. He was writing up their latest case, stolen diamonds, it hadn't been particularly exciting but they hadn't had a case in almost a fortnight and Sherlock had been grateful for the distraction. The thundering sound of footsteps up the stairs made John jump. He recognised the steps as children, so it must have been the Irregulars, but there was a strange thumping, like somebody was being dragged as well, that was worrying. The door flew open just as Sherlock had gotten to his feet, Lisa flew across the room and jumped right into his arms, she was crying.

"Dad you gotta help him! Help him please!" She sobbed

John's eyes found Joe and Ricky supporting an unconscious Dan.

"He came home late looking all sick" Ricky supplied, "Then he just fell down and wouldn't wake up!"

"We've tried everything" Joe panicked. Sherlock as always stayed calm but his eyes were sharp and his face deadly serious.

"Lay him down on his side, on the couch" He ordered, he was using that strong tone that meant he was being completely serious, full on father mode had been activated.

"Look him over John"

The doctor knelt by the boys side first he checked his pulse, which he had expected to be light but instead he found it was racing. His skin was pale and cold with the exception of his face which was flushed and boiling, but for some reason the boy wasn't sweating as he should of. His breath was deep, but not clear and his wheezing increased with every breath. John bit his lip, he really hoped that for once he was wrong but as he pulled back the boys eyes it was all confirmed.

Dilated, unfocused eyes rolled back into his head, not seeing anything.

Drug overdose.

For gods sake! Dan was eleven! How did he even get his hands on anything? Well he needed help, so no point in lying to Sherlock, not that he could if he tried.

"Drug overdose" He sighed, Lisa gasped, "I'd say something fairly strong, cocaine or heroin are my first guess"

Sherlock made a sound that was somewhere between a growl, a sigh and a sob. He turned to the other three who had all paled.

"Go home, search the entire house, if you find anything, syringes, pills, powder, canisters, anything. Get rid of it" He ordered, they all nodded and flew out the door. Lisa paused to look back at Dan for a few minutes before biting her lips and running down the stairs after the others. Once they were gone the air seemed to electrify.

"Can you treat him here?" Sherlock asked hurriedly, John nodded.

"I've got charcoal pills in my medi bag but I don't know how many he will need" John replied getting up and collecting the bag from under the couch. It had been there ever since Sherlock had decided to throw knives at the wall the other day and cut his hand.

Sherlock lifted the unconscious boy up carefully, leaning him against the couch's arm, shaking him.

"Wake up for a moment, Dan" He called, "Come on…"

The boys eyes cracked open slightly, but John could see he wasn't aware, that didn't matter he didn't have to be. Quickly he dropped three charcoal pills in his mouth and made him swallow. He hoped it was enough.

Sherlock then laid him down, covering him with his coat, as there were no blankets in the immediate vicinity. John gathered up a cool cloth and water to try and induce sweating to flush out the fever. That's how it was all night, Sherlock sat by Dan, changing and re soaking the cloth and laying it against the boys head. By the early hours of the morning the fever had broken and soon we was sleeping normally. The pills had worked, the drugs was almost out of his system. Now they just had to wait for him to wake.

…

"Oh…My head…" Dan groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes. Sherlock stood over him, he'd sent John away, he wanted to talk to Dan himself.

"How'd I get here?" The boy muttered sitting up, or at least trying to before his aching muscles began to cramp and he was forced to lie down again, "Dad?"

"Yes" He said simply, "Riley, Joe and Lisa bought you after you collapsed last night. Drug overdose"

"What did you take?" Sherlock continued, Dan's eyes widened.

"I didn't mean to" He whispered, "I was, investigating…"

"Investigating what exactly?" Sherlock didn't mean to add the harsh tone to his voice but it just happened.

"If it's possible to navigate the city and get back home if I'm disoriented" Dan said pathetically, "When Joe got that fever in winter last year he couldn't even think straight or find his way home to get help, but I could"

"And what if you had been wrong?" Sherlock snarled, "What if you had collapsed in an alleyway?"

"But I didn't" Dan pointed out

"But you could of!" Sherlock yelled, "Do you not realise you could have died!"

Dan's nervous swallow showed he hadn't.

"Had John not had the proper medicine, or if your siblings hadn't bought you here in time you could be stone dead, right at this moment!" Sherlock growled, "What have I told you before about risks?"

"You take risks all the time!" Dan argued

"Necessary risk!" Sherlock countered, "This was not necessary Dan, it was stupid and arrogant"

"You're arrogant too!" Dan yelled

"I am intelligent!" Sherlock glared, "I know what my body can take, you're a child Dan, just a child and don't you forget that!"

Dan gave a frustrated yell and ran up to John's room, locking the door behind him. Sherlock could easily pick the lock to get in but he knew the window to John's room was deadlocked so he couldn't get out and John had his gun hidden in the strong box under a loose floorboard. Dan would be safe in there, so Sherlock decided to let both of them cool down.

…

When John returned from his walk Sherlock was still angry, he explained the argument and Dan's reasoning, not really giving John a chance to speak. He raved for a good five minutes about how stupid and dangerous the act had been, Sherlock hadn't shown this much emotion in a long time. Finally John left the detective to angrily pluck his violin strings while John went up tot his room. As expected the door was still locked.

"Dan, It's Uncle John"

No reply.

"Come on, let me in, I promise I wont yell at you"

Silence.

"Come on Dan, it's my room after all"

"Go away…"

"Let me in, I just want to talk to you"

After a few moments of silence he heard the lock click and the doctor slowly opened the door. Dan sat down on his bed against the headboard. His eyes were shining, but no tears were on his face. John sat down next to him and for a while they stayed in the quiet, the only sounds were of Sherlock's violin wafting up the stairs.

"Is…he going to get rid of me?" Dan said finally, that shocked John.

"Of course not" He replied

"He was really angry with me…"

"He was angry because he was worried" John smiled, "He could of lost you last night you know"

"I bet he'd trade Sam for me if he could" Dan's voice cracked, "Sam would be better"

"Dan, Sherlock cares about you, he'd never send you away" John implored

"I just wanted to prove I was strong and smart like he is" Dan looked away but John saw the solitary tear run down he cheek.

"Dan, you're young, everybody makes mistakes, especially as a kid" John insisted, "IU know I did"

"I bet dad didn't" Dan said bitterly, John chuckled, "Trust me, you and your father are a lot alike, Sherlock made plenty of mistakes, trust me"

"Really?" Dan questioned, whipping his face, he looked bewildered that the idea of Sherlock Holmes making mistakes.

"Really" Sherlock confirmed apparently materialising in the doorway, "John, perhaps I should speak to Dan now"

John nodded and left the two alone, knowing full well what story Sherlock was going to tell.