When John write back, it's nearly Valentine's day, though who decided to mention that around the base the doctor might never know. Either way it's not a great time, but he takes solace in knowing that Sherlock probably is having a bad time as well. The doctor amuses himself by thinking about what Sherlock must be going through with Valentine's Day, a day he surely hates and surely they have made him do some sort of event he'll complain about. He finally finds a few hours alone and sighs as he sits down to write his letter.

~oOo~

Dear Sherlock,

Don't give up. It's only a few more months and then you can go back to doing your detective work and your experiments. Maybe you shouldn't go to your Mind Palace so much if you get lost there. Maybe not lost, but if you'd rather be there in the real world, then maybe you shouldn't go there so much. Focus on your sketching, or perhaps you can write out your experiments, your theories. Design your experiments, it would give you something to do, a way to exercise your mind. Or maybe you could try something else, like writing fiction. Surely that's far enough outside your experience to offer you a challenge.

I wish I could have seen that snow, it sounds like it was beautiful. It's Valentine's Day soon, and for those of us without someone to celebrate it with, it's sort of a cruel reminder. Whoever brought it up at least. Still, I imagine that you have some interesting activities you're participating in right now. No doubt getting lots of Valentine's, hm?

I hope you're wrong about the new people coming in. I'm sure you have seen your fair share of people like that, who don't have the willpower, but I still hope you're wrong. I hate to see people destroy their lives.

I can see some of the other doctors and nurses getting burnt out. They'll request for a transfer soon or get cycled out. They can't take the battlefield. I seem to thrive in it. I never feel so alive as when I'm helping to save someone, or helping them to get better. Even if it is simply sitting by someone's bedside and talking to them so they don't lose hope. That is the real killer. Losing hope, losing your will to live. That is the worst thing that can happen to an injured man. I've seen it, a person on the way to recovering but they give up all hope and their body shuts down for no apparent reason. Medicine says that they should be getting better but they get worse instead, all because they stop fighting.

So I hope you don't stop fighting.

I had to stop writing after that last sentence, there was an emergency which I was needed for, sending more young men home. Why do I always see the young men? No, don't answer that, I know the answer. Because the older ones are smart enough to move, or they die first. And by older I mean the soldiers that are around my age or a little older. So not that old.

I think I'm going to finish this up, it's been almost two days since I started this letter, and I'm not really sure where I was going with it. I need sleep, but I wanted to get this out, since the mail pickup is today. I hope you are well. Happy Valentine's Day.

Sincerely,

John

~oOo~

Sherlock did indeed have a frustrating Valentine's day, but by the time he gets John's letter it's already passed, and he sigh as he reads through the letter, going back and reading some of the others, then he looks at the newest one again, reading it a second time. He can't help but smile softly since John is trying to comfort him through words, such a compassionate person, he muses.

Today, unfortunately, I am posting this to leave this message. I found out today that someone on another site plagiarized this story and posted it as their own. I wanted to tell you all that this is the only site I am posting this story on, and I have never posted a story under any other name than Pakmai. I am really quite frustrated/annoyed by this, but I am trying not to let it bother me too much. I will continue posting here since I have so much done on this story and I really do enjoy it. But please, if you think you see my stories on other sites, and they are no under the name Pakmai, know that they are not me.

Thank you to those of you who are still reading this, and I hope that you continue to enjoy it.

Comments/reviews welcome.