Sherlock lay on the sofa with his body stretched out and stared at the ceiling. Again and again the image of Katie came into his head when he found her.
Greg had managed to knock the kidnapper down with the help of the other officer. Sherlock then went into the room where he heard her voice before. It was dark and he could only make out the outlines. He groped for the light switch and a little later he could see that he was standing in a room with slightly decomposed pig carcasses. Detective Reid lay unconscious and with an injured shoulder in front of him. His gaze wandered further through the room and there at the end he could locate her. She was tied with her arms above her head. Her body was hanging limply from the ceiling. Under her a dirty bucket. He could not see what the contents were in it. As he stepped closer, he saw that a tube used to take blood was sticking out of her throat and blood was dripping down. He accelerated his step and had reached her in a few seconds. He felt her pulse and noticed that she was only unconscious. When he touched her and shook her shoulders, he felt that she was freezing cold. Without hesitation he took off his coat and laid it gently over her freezing cold body. She opened her eyes but said nothing. He released her from her bonds and lifted her into his arms. A few seconds later she was unconscious again.
He quickly walked out of the building to the emergency team that had rushed in. They immediately wrapped her in a rescue blanket and put her on the stretcher. He couldn't have noticed them staring at him questioningly when they discovered the tube on her neck. Sherlock just shrugged and they continued their work.
He stood outside the closed doors of the ambulance for a while when he saw Detective Reid coming out of the building supported by Greg. What he immediately noticed was that he didn't take a worried look at the car Katie was in. He moaned, probably in pain, and let Greg lead him to the second ambulance that was called.
Sherlock was able to accompany Katie to the hospital a little later. He did not hesitate when he was asked. As he drove, he noticed that the paramedics ran frantically through the transport compartment of the car, shouting repeatedly to the driver to go faster. His heart stopped when he suddenly heard that she had stopped breathing. Panic rose in him. It didn't subside until hours later when the doctor said she was stable.
He was torn from his thoughts when he heard dull, heavy footsteps on the stairs and an angry John stormed into the room. Mary came after him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he shouted angrily.
Sherlock kept staring at the ceiling.
"I couldn't do it."
"Couldn't do what? See her, talk to her? Help her come out of the coma?!"
"I just couldn't see her like that. She triggered something inside me and I don't know what it is. But I do know that I don't want to lose her. John, I saw her in that ambulance fighting for her life! And if I hadn't turned her away she wouldn't be there now and she's in a coma now," he said softly.
John sighed, stroked his face with his hands and then pulled himself to a chair.
"Sherlock. She needs us now - all of us. And I can tell you what that is. It is love, my friend! You love her!" he said, now in a less angry tone. Mary stood beside him and squeezed his shoulder.
Sherlock jumped up and then sat upright. Looking down. He gave a long and deep sigh.
"What happened to me, John? Years ago I was completely disconnected from feelings. And I had been happy"
"How can you know that? You were disconnected from your feelings. So how do you know if you were happy?" asked John.
Sherlock sighed again. Now he slowly raised his eyes.
"I don't know. I mean, I could always think rationally. The solving of crimes has always been my top priority."
"Feelings are part of life, and also you, Sherlock, are a human like I."
"But it wasn't always so. You, Mary, Molly and Katie have literally poisoned me with emotion. I was completely satisfied but now, now I'm constantly feeling these strange disgusting emotions rising up inside me and I don't know how to deal with them.
And yes, you're damn right! I think I love her," it burst out of him.
"Then get the hell over there and tell her!"
It was Mary who now screamed.
"But how? She's in a coma and yet she's also with this Reid guy?"
"But only because you hurt her. She does not love him. She loves you," she replied.
Sherlock was just about to say something when the ringing of his phone interrupted her.
It was Greg who asked to see him at the yard immediately. Sherlock said yes, got up and left the room. The phone still in her ear.
John and Mary were still there, looking at him in wonder. Then they both shook their heads in disbelief and then left Baker Street.