4th November 2005
Sherlock's POV
Today is his last meeting with John as a patient. He's both excited and terrified. They're friends, and he wants to stay friends, but he's not sure how to be friends with anyone. According to Jim and Jasper, they're friends as well. So he has three friends? After today's meeting he won't have a sitter any more, which is just a conclusion to the slow withdraw back to regular work as an agent that Jim has been doing.
He's nervous, he realizes, scared of what will happen next.
Only, he tips his head as he stares out the window of the car, if he wants something more with John, he has to not be a patient. Jasper was pretty clear with that when they discussed it a few weeks previously. Right now it would not be anywhere near ethical for something to happen, and John is the most ethical one in their small circle.
That is a very true fact. Beyond being the most ethical, John's also the most honest and caring.
He closes his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to clear his mind before the car pulls to a stop.
"Ready?" Jim queries, not yet reaching for the door.
"Yes," he agrees, eyes opening as he opens the door.
The two of them slip from the car, heading into the building while it pulls away.
"Jasper's hosting dinner tonight, once you two are done come over." Jim almost orders him, lilting voice full of good humor.
"Okay," he agrees, heading inside while the psychopath takes off in a different direction.
He no longer has a sitter, he thinks as the door closes behind him.
—Hello Ella,— he greets the receptionist.
—Good afternoon, go on back, he's waiting for you.— She replies with a warm smile.
—Thank you,— he responds as he walks past her. He's the last appointment of the actual work day.
He's been here a lot in the months since his brother decided that this would be the best treatment for him. Spent more time here than any other patient from what he has gathered. Of course, he also knows that most patients are evaluated by John and then passed on to one of the other doctors, with John looking in on their care and recovery or adaptation during their treatment occasionally. John only has two other patients that see him only.
When he had first learned that he was jealous, right up until he discovered that the first patient was a ten year old boy who lost his hearing due to trauma, while the other is an older woman who has difficult time because she has been slowly losing her hearing to a genetic condition, and is getting help before it's totally gone.
Pressing the button outside the door, he waits for John to turn it off before slipping in the office.
—Hello John,— he happily greets the blonde doctor.
—Good evening Sherlock, please, sit, — John replies with a smile.
Nodding, he settles in his seat, and waits for the doctor to finish what smaller man was working on.
Less than five minutes later, John closes everything down. —Well Sherlock, it's been almost five months since you first came here as a patient. —
He nods in agreement.
—Would you like me to set you up with one of the doctors who works with those fighting depression? — John asks gently.
He shakes his head, —No. I,— he pauses for a moment, —I don't think it will be much of a problem now that I have a, — he pauses again, —support network. It's nice having friends. — He blushes as he admits that fact.
—Yes you do,—the doctor agrees with a grin, —and yes it is. —
They sit for a few minutes in peace and quiet, something he appreciates about his relationships with John, Jasper, and maybe Alec. All three accept just being in the same room without speaking. He's noticed that John and Jasper tend to keep working on whatever they were doing. Alec would watch a movie or listen to music.
—How do you feel about your relationship with Mycroft? — his friend asks curiously.
He shrugs, thinking about it before trying to come up with more of an answer. His relationship with his brother has changed a lot over the last eleven months from the time that Mycroft found him to now. They're almost friends. Of course he thought that once before, and look where that got him. Only, he hesitates, this time his brother is actively trying even if he doesn't understand why. It's something he has wondered about since Mycroft brought him home and took him to see John that first time.
—It's better? — he slowly answers, —I thought we were friends before, and,— he shrugs, at a loss for words to explain it.
Slowly John nods in understanding, —Things didn't go the way you expected. You were betrayed by someone who you trusted.—
—Yes. — that he can agree with wholeheartedly.
Several more minutes pass in silence as he continues to think about the situation between him and his brother. At one point of his life, he wanted his brother to care about him more than anything. Now though, well, he would like to be friends with his brother but at this point it isn't necessary.
—Have you had any urges to find drugs lately? — his friend asks.
He shakes his head, Jim, Jasper, and Lestrade have been keeping him occupied in order to keep him from that. — No. I've had too many other things to think about.—
—That's a good thing,— John remarks with a nod.
—Yes,— he agrees with a nod. —I like having puzzles to solve. Most of the puzzles Lestrade bring me are not all that challenging, but they give me a reason to do experiments.—
—That's good. — the doctor comments, then curiously asks, —Do you have a favorite case or situation so far?—
Does he have a favorite case? He muses about that question. There have been several different cases he found intriguing until realizing how dull they really were. So far he hasn't been asked to work on any new cases. He's sure that Lestrade is just waiting to see well the evidence and proof he provides through deductions work in court and then maybe he'll be allowed fresh crime scenes.
Biting his lip, he realizes another reason Lestrade might not have let him on new crime scenes: he's a recovering drug addict. No never mind it's been eleven months since the last time he got high. Maybe the detective is waiting to see if he relapses again. Sadly, he can't say it's not possible, as he is well aware he's come close on a few occasions only to get stopped by Jim or Jasper. But it's been months since the last time he tried.
Once he started going over cold cases and doing in between for the network and the cops, he stopped thinking about that actively. He can't say he's been craving free, only that he's been able to push it away and focus on other things.
—Triple murder locked room case, — he eventually answers. —It was the teenage daughter.—
John nods thoughtfully, asking, —How was it a locked room murder if it was the teenage daughter? —
He grins, launching into an explanation about how she set the entire situation up to keep it from being solved and how close she was to succeeding since it has been several years since the murder. It all came down to a single air vent.
—That's brilliant, you figured the entire situation out from notes and pictures?— his friend asks curiously.
Nodding, he answers, —Notes, pictures, and a few samples someone was bright enough to get. Although Jim made noises about it being sloppy.—
The blonde chuckles, because they have both gotten a chuckle out of Jim's rants about people not smart enough to do something properly. If you're going to break the law, at least do it in a manner that isn't easily solved or interesting. Also, emotional reasons for killing are bor-ring, so they need to just stop.
—Well Sherlock, I think I can sign off on the release paperwork the rehab center was concerned about regarding you with a clear conscience.— John tells him as he opens a folder and signs a few documents, —I'd like to remain friends and still see each other socially.—
If someone was to ask, he wouldn't be able to explain how that statement made him feel relieved. He was worried, whether or not he wanted to admit it, that he was going to lose his first friend as he stopped therapy.
—I'd like that,— he agrees with a grin.
—Great,— there's a pause as both their phones chime at the same time. Although John's also vibrates so he can feel it since he can't hear it. —Apparently Jim wants to know how much long this is going to be.—
—He left to cause mischief, I'm sure that Pike has told him to collect us for dinner since I was supposed to extend an invitation.— he responds with a snicker.
—Well then, we best not keep our friendly psychopath waiting too long, he might cause more mischief.— His friend jokes as the blonde stands up.
—Hungry?—he asks as they leave the office, happy that this part of it is done, now maybe he can work on changing John's perspective of him from patient –friend to something more intimate.
I write do commissions for those who are interested, the info can be found on my tumblr JaimiStoryTeller under Donations, Commissions, and Cosmos
I love reviews, comments, and any other sort of communication, feel free to stop in to say hi
