Chapter 36- Reset

When Anthea finally returned with the 'invited' Sarah in tow, they were hastily showed up the stairs by a flustered Mrs. Hudson. The poor woman had been trying to keep her hands busy with tea making, as the three men each selected a different wall in the flat to silently stare at.

'They've all been sitting around like bloody statues,' the landlady complained in a distressed whisper, as she waved at Sherlock sitting on top of his armchair in the living room, and then at Mycroft who was seated more conventionally, just outside the doctor's room.

'John!'

Startled by Sarah's surprised shout, they all looked on as the woman ran up to her work colleague, who was still sitting on his bed. Without thinking, she enfolded him in her strong arms, and John returned her hug with a sense of bemusement. He was of course happy to have her here and to witness her obvious concern for him.

'Are you hurt?' she exclaimed as she sat on the edge of the bed and snatched her stethoscope from her medical bag that Anthea carried. 'Why did you faint? Did you hit your head? When last did you eat?'

'I'm not hurt,' John sighed as he lay down on his pillow, and obediently followed her finger from left to right.

'He did not hit his head,' Mycroft answered on his behalf as he stood and hovered in the doorway, 'and he ate dinner at around seven. Is he alright?'

Silence fell as every eye focused on the female doctor, while she checked John's blood pressure. But even as she frowned and absently draped her stethoscope around her neck, it was John who answered.

'I'm fine,' he reassured the room at large; waving energetically at Mrs. Hudson who wrung her hands nervously, 'I just had a bit of a shock.'

'What kind of shock?' Sarah prodded curiously.

'Well, maybe shock isn't the right word.'

'What is the right word?' she pressed persistently, shooting hostile glances at those looking on.

John glanced up to observe Mycroft guilty staring off into the distance. There was a part of him that felt sorry for Sherlock's brother. If the agent had just waited a little bit, John would have found out about Sherlock's flirtation with drugs some other way and then all of this, would have been someone else's problem to deal with. John wasn't upset or angry at Mycroft for what he had done. This had not been a personal attack on him, and it was only deep concern for his little brother that had pushed the government agent to relentlessly corner them both in the flat.

'For a moment, I thought that a good man had betrayed me,' John finally explained to Sarah in a halting voice, trying to find the right words. 'It was an extraordinarily stupid thought which I am very embarrassed to have entertained, and one that I wish I could permanently wipe from my mind.'

Sherlock materialized in the doorway so quickly that it was apparent that he must have been standing right outside; eavesdropping on the diagnosis. Instinctively, everyone froze in place as the two men faced each other; sensing if not quite knowing that this was important.

'Hey,' John greeted him in a choked voice, trying not to laugh at how the man's curly hair stuck out comically in all directions, 'did you hear what I just said?'

The detective nodded absently, his expression half surprised and half amused. Now that he and Mycroft were standing next to each other, John could better see the resemblance in their coloring, height and of course, their twin looks of concern for him.

'That's a relief,' John sat up, feeling suddenly energized, 'because it's highly unlikely I could have said all of that to your face. Are you speaking to me?'

'I am,' Sherlock said quickly in a gravely voice that hadn't been used for many hours. 'I never stopped.'

'Oh yeah,' John gave him a grateful nod, 'I heard you. That was amazing! Could you teach me? I can play a little.'

Somehow, it didn't surprise Sherlock that John understood that he sometimes spoke through his violin, because the doctor had showed a marked understanding about important matters since day one. The detective didn't respond, but threw John that odd exuberant wink from the first time they had met in the lab.

Do you remember this one?

John snorted softly at the detective's cocky mannerisms, and suddenly, everything just sort of clicked back into place; like a reset button.

What the hell was he thinking? He was Sherlock's doctor. He had taken an oath to care for those in need. He couldn't let Sherlock just wander off without him if he was in trouble.

John swung his legs over the bed and stuffed his feet in his shoes. Mycroft might be the best person to look over his little brother and ensure he didn't get high, but John was convinced that Sherlock would listen to him too. Besides, two pairs of eyes were better than one; and he wouldn't be able to rest at all wondering what was going on at Mycroft's house. 'I'm going with you, Sherl. Do you have a comb? You need to do something with your hair.'

John had to raise his voice to be heard over the babble of protest, 'Alright! Thank you…thank you all for your concern. I am fine.'

'John, I really think you should rest for at least tonight,' Sarah pleaded, 'just in case.'

'I will,' he replied, 'but if there is any medical decisions to be made regarding Sherlock; I should be the one to do it.'

'Oh really?' Mycroft said confused, 'and why is that?'

'Because I'm Sherlock's doctor!' he roared back. John turned a pleading eye to Sherlock, who out of everyone in the room had remained silent. I am, aren't I?

'Quite right,' Mycroft said softly, as he exchanged glances with a smiling Anthea, 'I will not forget again.'

Mrs. Hudson, finally deciding that she had enough, threw up her hands, 'I don't know what is going on here. First the flat is empty and now it looks like a train station. I am going down to have some tea. It would be nice if someone comes and lets me know how many people are actually living in here! And as for you two...!'

Sherlock and John flinched as she pointed to them in an uncharacteristically stern manner, 'Friends stick together. ALWAYS! Do your hear me?!'

'Yes ma'am,' they both said in unison, as if they would really dare to contradict the woman when she was in this mood.

Mrs. Hudson beamed and gently patted their cheeks before leaving the room.

'John, who are all these strange people?' Sarah whispered.

'Sherlock's family, don't be alarmed.'

'I'm not!' she insisted as threw a glance over her shoulder. Anthea gave her a feral grin that seemed to hint that she would cheerfully break Sarah's neck, if one hair on John's head was out of place.

Mycroft cleared his throat; warning his personal assistant to stand down. 'Well...this has been quite an evening. Perhaps we should regroup in the morning after a good night's rest, and reassess if these changes in living arrangements are ...really necessary.'

John felt relief flood over him.

'Yes, please go!' Sherlock insisted in a rude voice, and the two brothers stared deeply into each others eyes; communicating without words as all siblings tended to do; regardless of their age.

Don't call us, we'll call you!

'My housekeeper will be relieved not to have you with us again, Sherlock' Mycroft remarked with a grin of amusement, as his brother tried to glare the soul out of his body, 'you always seem to have some sort of combustible accident in which ever room we have you in. John, you will be alright on your own with him, tonight? I am a phone call away if you need assistance.'

'I've got this,' John said firmly.

'I have no doubt that you do,' the agent replied with a calculating look and nod of his head, 'Let me borrow my dear brother for a minute. I will bring him right back.'

Sherlock let out a loud squawk of protest, as Mycroft dragged him out into the corridor by his shirt collar. Anthea promptly moved to the doorway, and even though her dress screamed super sophisticated and elegant; her present stance shouted her military training.

'This sounds like its turning into boy's night. No running around London, you hear me,' Sarah requested gently as she patted John's hand, which was lying across his heart.

'Thanks for being so great about all this,' John replied as he laced his fingers tightly through hers, 'Just so you know, I will be taking you out for dinner soon; just you and me. I can't abandon him tonight. He needs me...we need to be together. I can't really explain and no, we're not gay.'

The supervising doctor laughed quietly, 'I didn't think you were. My settee is always available if you need a break from all the madness.'

'Settee? That can't compare with the softness of my mattress. Perhaps some other night when you are over, I will let you try it out.'

John had made the offer with such a straight face, that it took the woman a few seconds to work out what he had just said. She smiled down at the man, charmed by his arch sweetness.

Leaning over she lightly brushed her lips over his, 'I look forward to it.'

As Sarah collected one last hug, Anthea winked at him suggestively over the top of Sarah's head, as if to say she was waiting for her mattress invitation too. John quickly looked away, with another small snort and a bright blush.

It was because of Sherlock that he had all these exciting (odd?) experiences and people in his life now; Sarah, Mrs. Hudson, Molly, Lestrade, Anton, Anthea... even Mycroft, as strange a bloke as any that John had met. At this rate, John now realised, he would need extra fingers to count all the people in his life who seemed to care.

As the room emptied of his new acquaintances, John absently hummed Sherlock's lullaby under his breath.