Surprisingly John has enough time the next day to write a reply, sitting on a stool inside the medical tent while on a break, he pulls out the notebook that Sherlock sent him for Christmas. It's not as shiny as it used to be, and seems to have a permenant layer of sandy dust on it. Still, once he leans over the counter he hesitates, thinking about the last letter and frowning as he remembers what the detective said about being injured, he knows how to start his letter.

~oOo~

Dear Sherlock,

I hope you're taking care of that cut. Even if the doctors let you go home, you're going to need to keep the cut clean, keep your bandages changed and clean. This advice may be too late, as you may be mostly healed by the time you get this. Still, reading that you were injured set off pretty much every Doctor alarm I have. I hope you haven't done anything to make it infected, and that it's healing properly.

When I got your last letter, I was sitting at the edge of camp and saw another Caracal. It looked at me like it knew exactly why I was there and even sympathized with me, then it just left. Maybe I've been out here too long or I'm reading things into the things that I see. I suppose most likely it's that the caracal thought it would find easier prey somewhere else.

I'm not sure what to say to how easily you picked me out of those pictures. I might think that the tattoo would be more of an indication but I'm not the only male member of the RAMC here, so it could have been someone else. There must have been more to your deduction than what you said. I'd like to hear the whole thing if you don't mind. Otherwise I'm going to think you've cheated somehow and Googled me.

As far as being in good health, I am. Relatively. I've started to get a cold recently but I'm already taking the precautions to try and head it off, and keep it from hitting full force. That's the last thing that I need out here is to get a cold. It's pretty miserable whenever I get sick, though it doesn't happen too often. I'm guessing that one of the newbie's brought something in with them.

What is new in London? Do you have any park around your flat? I hope that just because you're able to do other things such as your experiments and cases with the Yard that you're not giving up on your sketching, I still have the ones you sent me, though I wish I could keep them somewhere safer, I'm always worried about them getting torn or something, though they should be safe. You really do have a talent there Sherlock, I hope you won't give up on it, even if it's not your number one passion.

I got a letter from my sister the other day. Did I tell you that I had a sister? Anyway, apparently she's met someone new and is happy with her, etc. I'm not sure how to reply, she hasn't written me in years. It was rather odd and at first I thought you had written me back sooner than expected, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. That's a horrible thing to say about a letter from my own sister, but I guess that's just how it is. Doesn't mean that I don't care about her, we just don't get on.

What you said about Adam, the black haired Asian man in the pictures, is a little concerning. Considering he's a good guy, I'd like a little more information than you think there is something sinister about him. You're going to have to give me something more to base it on before I change my opinion of the man.

Tell me more about these cases you're working, if you can, they sound intriguing. Better than any detective novel I've read.

My break is over, so I'll finish this up and then send it off with the mail this afternoon. Thank you for still writing, I look forward to your letters. Take care of yourself.

Sincerely,

John

~oOo~

Sherlock gets the letter and reads it but unfortunately the same day he gets a case that requires him to fly to Florida and help a certain woman out who had requested his help in ensuring that her husbands gets the death penalty. It's not a difficult case and he does not enjoy the travel but it keeps him occupied enough that he forgets about John's letter for a while a he gets rather single-minded about the job.

Uh-oh. Sherlock is being Sherlock, but what consequences will that have for the two? We'll find out soon enough! :D

Hope you enjoy!

Comments/Reviews welcome!