Hi! Thank you for reading this so far! I'm sorry for what I am about to do.. There will be more information at the end... Please don't ...

x0x

It was nothing like Hamish expected it to be.

He expected an awake, unsmiling (this was Sherlock) face with maybe one or two wires on his arm. He expected his Dad to be sitting smiling or reading a magazine.

He did not expect blood.

He did not expect tears.

And he most certainly did not expect grim, unsmiling faces cowering over the bloody, pale and shattered body of his Father.

He blinked once.

He blinked twice.

He blinked three times.

The scene did not change.

Three -no four- nurses were standing around trying to wipe the dried blood off Sherlock's face. Two doctors were staring at what remained of his Fathers leg. What remained... It was too horrible. Hamish couldn't look at it.

He turned his back and walked away, disgusted at himself for feeling sick. In fact, at this moment he was disgusted at himself for being alive. Why should he be alive ?

Kicking the wall, Hamish covered his face and slid to the floor. He knew that he was stupid, and that it was not his fault that his Father was in there, but he still felt guilty. Because he should have been there. In his place. Broken on the bed.

"Hamish?" A hand rested on his shoulder. John's, he thought. "Hamish, I know it looks bad," Hamish let out a sob, "Hamish I know it looks bad but... It will be okay."

"How?" Hamish looked up. It was John. "How can it possibly be okay?"

John rubbed his face and slid down the wall next to him. Tears had stained his face and he was soaked from the rain outside. "Because... It's just his leg." He didn't sound too sure. "It's just his leg. They can fix legs, can't they?"

Hamish didn't know who the question was aimed at but replied anyway, "There was a lot of blood, dad. Why was there so much blood?"

"Because that is what happens... Happens when..." John sniffed loudly and closed his eyes for three counts. " That is what happens when you get.. Shot." The last one came out more high pitched than usual.

Hamish felt all the blood drain from his face and a sick feeling rolled over him. Shot? How did he get shot? Not his Father, his clever Father . It was too... Obvious. Too...

Hamish hugged John. Not only because he was his dad but because he (God it sounded so cliche) because he needed a hug. It was like they had lost someone. They hadn't lost him but Hamish wanted something to hold on to. John hugged him back;

"I love you Dad," Hamish whispered. "I love you and I don't want anything to change."

"Neither do I, Hamish, neither do I ."

x0x

Three hours later, There seemed to be a little more hope. Walking in Hamish first noticed how much cleaner his Father looked. The blood was gone from his body and he looked more asleep than dead. Until Hamish looked at his leg.

Where the bullet had hit was quite obvious. There was a huge hole in the centre of his lower leg, splintering the very visible bone inside. All that kept the leg together were a few feeble strings of skin and half of his calf muscle. Hamish could see the other side of the bed through the hole.

"Is he.. Is he going to loose the leg Dad?" Hamish whispered, looking now at His Father's face. He wanted to cry, he didn't look in pain, he just looked asleep. Like the days they had spent on cases where they had had to share a bed or a room. He just looked asleep. Peaceful, even. Asleep. Not about to lose a leg but calm. Why did he look calm? Hot tears rolled down his face. "Is he going to loose his leg dad?"

"I don't know, Hamish...I just don't know."

A nurse rushed in and without speaking tied Sherlock s leg up in thick bandages. When his leg was covered, she left again.

Hamish looked at Sherlock and bit his lip. "You said it would be okay, Dad. Why is it not okay?"

They were both crying now. "I don't know Hamish! I'm sorry, but however this turns out it will be okay. In the end it will be okay. I'm sorry."

Hamish hugged John, closing his eyes as the Doctor walked in. John looked up at the Doctor.

"What is going to happen?" He asked.

The Doctor looked at Sherlock briefly. " We had examined his leg, checked his vital organs and all of the appropriate medical procedures." John nodded. " He is now in a medically induced coma to help with the pain and blood flow. Having shattered all the bones in the lower half of the right leg and destroying half of his Achilles and Calf muscles we have reached a conclusion."

"And that is?"

"With your consent, as his husband, we have decided to amputate the lower half of the leg."

Shock numbed Hamish. He couldn't breathe , think or see. Amputate his Father's leg? But how would he run? How would he solve cases? How would he be Sherlock Holmes?

"And this is the only option?" Asked John.

The Doctor nodded. " We are very sorry."

He didn't sound very sorry. Hamish looked at him, "will he be able to run any more?"

The Doctor smiled at him, "not for a few months or a year."

As if that was a good thing, Hamish thought.

"How quickly can this happen?" Asked John.

"We need to sort a few things out first, but this is an emergency case. We will do it as soon as we can. "

John nodded and the Doctor left. With one last glance at Sherlock, Hamish turned to leave too. He felt completely dead. Unstable. He somehow got his shaking legs to the front desk. He could hear his Dad talking to Molly;

" I'm staying here tonight, obviously." Said John.

Molly nodded, " And Hamish?"

" Can't stay. Could you, Could you take him to school tomorrow? He needs a distraction from all this."

Molly nodded. "He can stay at mine tonight."

Hamish stopped listening. School? They expected him to go to school after all of this? School?

Not caring about the rain, Hamish walked out side. Within minutes he was soaked to the bone.

x0x

Firstly: I'm sorry! It was all part of the plan I swear! We will get some fluffy, happy scenes and just down to earth bog standard scenes in this fic! I promise!

Secondly: I know quite a lot about the lower half of legs, having had operations on both and years of therapy and appointments, but if I have got anything wrong please tell me in a review!

I WILL BE DOING HAMISH AT SCHOOL AS THAT WAS THE POINT IN THIS FIC!#

Please tell Me your thoughts/ideas and comments and thank you for reading!