Power of three Chapter 5
Mary went to sleep and remembered when she and John had been in an informal discussion with one of the doctors responsible for administering the trial. This had intended to make sure any questions they had were answered and also to discuss the risks and benefits of the new technique. John had asked a lot of medical questions, about the trials conducted on animals and what percentage had successful outcomes. Mary was beginning to get another headache. She was never as interested as John in the technical aspects and had only wanted to know why she had to come in weekly for scans and tests. She was worried about her mother and only wanted a normal pregnancy. They had been giving her hormones, in order to harvest as many of her eggs as possible and the hormones had not made her feel well.
The embryo had not been yet implanted and she had been impatient to be ready for the procedure. They had signed all the forms put in front of them and she just wanted to get out of there. It had been different with Sherlock, Mary remembered. He had been extremely interested in all the scientific procedures, talking about all of this with John in the living room later on that day. Anything to do with ethics Sherlock always left to John but he seemed very interested in their baby. He even had a few suggestions to improve upon their work and success rate and said he wanted to be present in the lab when fertilization was taking place.
The trial doctors unusually allowed them both to come along but Mary had not wanted to, to keep the mystery. How Sherlock had got permission for that was also a mystery. Everyone involved with dealing with Sherlock had been unusually co-operative and John had insisted. There was more to this, Mary thought as she fell into a restless slumber.
….
At the fertilization centre it had gone a bit awry however when John had to stop Sherlock peering over the lab technician and trying to direct him in what he was doing. John had told her all about how Sherlock had somehow managed bully the poor technicians to let him be allowed to peer down the microscope and see fertilization actually taking place. He had been asking all sorts of technical questions, some of his knowledge surprised John who was allowed to look into the microscope too. Sherlock was demanding, arrogant and he had eventually been asked to leave the laboratory, in fact John had to almost drag him away. He finally was made to leave but was still in high spirits when they left that evening, giving a little jump into the air as they made their way back to Baker St.
That had been a few days ago. They had picked the viable embryos and had frozen some for later, if this implantation failed.
….
What John had not told Mary however was that that was the second time that day that Sherlock had caused him embarrassment.
The ruckus up at the laboratory had not been anything , compared to getting Sherlock to give his donation, earlier on that day.
Just after the eggs had been harvested, John had phoned Sherlock to come into the Islington Clinic. He had met John outside the sepulchral door.
The two of them had sat, waiting in the room with other expectant couples before Sherlock was called. John settled down to wait for his friend as Sherlock left with the nurse.
"John, you will come in with me?"
John remembered Sherlock appearing back in the waiting room minutes later, holding a paper cup with a confused look on his face. John had put a hand over his eyes. This was going to be embarrassing.
He felt everyone was looking at him. He really wished he was somewhere else at that moment.
"No, Sherlock. No way, you do this on your own. I take it you do know what to do?"
"Of course I do John, This does not alarm me. I know what is expected of me."
"Good, well, err, good luck, you know it's not too difficult. They've already got mine. I've had to do this lots of times. It's fine. There are magazines in there and stuff so if you want anything, just ask."
…
John had been still sitting waiting for the detective for well over an hour, and a half looking at his watch periodically when the clinic nurse came up to speak to him.
"Sir, the doctor is still waiting for your friend's sample. The timing is important and we need his sample now. Could you check? He seems to be having some difficulty."
John swore under his breath.
"Does he need a tablet? I take it you have Viagra?"
"He has taken one sir, he is asking for you."
"Right," John got up. He soldiered to the door. It was partly open. He put on his captains authoritative manner and called out.
"What do you want Sherlock? If you are not able to do this then you should have told me. We would have got someone else. The doctor can't wait much longer for this sample and I am not -I repeat not -coming in there, you got it?"
"Just want your phone John," came the muffled reply.
"What's wrong with yours?"
"My number is on the website, yours is less traceable."
"Right, calling a sex line then? I'm not stupid enough to put my phone number on my blog, get loads of weirdos probably. So, I take it you don't want anyone finding out you called a sex line. Fine, I'm handing mine though the door. Just hurry up, will you? No pressure, but..."
The phone was taken from him and the door closed. Right.
…
Sherlock had finally given his sample and John had his phone back. After Sherlock had gone home that evening, John checked the last number dialed, out of curiosity. Mary was having a bath. He was amazed that Sherlock had not used his phone; no number was showing up as being phoned that morning.
"Mustn't of needed it after all," he mused. He idly fiddled with his phone. He had 240 photos of crime scenes on for his scrapbook and a memory aid for his blog. Suddenly he remembered what Sally Donovan had said to him once
"He doesn't get paid or anything for helping us,"
John had remembered what she had chillingly added next, "He gets off on it"
Bloody hell Sherlock, I hope you don't, didn't that is, he thought. What if that was why he had wanted the phone? Visual stimulation -his photos.
"Are you nearly ready John? Mary asked as she got out of the bath. He had decided to take her out. Make up for what he had been putting her though.
"Er yes, just looking at my photos on the phone, ought to, delete some really. Bit gruesome some of them."
"Well don't delete those ones your sister took last Christmas, they're cute."
"What? Oh those ones when she was drunk and I'd had a bit too much as well, oh come off it Mary, we were messing about like kids again. They are silly, there's one of me just in my underpa…"
"Yes John, I had got you that bottle of whiskey for Christmas before we were married and you told me she'd drunk half of it before you even got to it so you drunk the rest, you told me."
"Yes, well, you weren't to know about Harry then, and it was a bottle of Talisker. I was so impressed you just happened to pick my favourite."
"Sherlock mentioned it would make a good present so, you ended up playing that game you used to play as kids you said?"
"Yeah, the one where we were both knights trying to rescue the princess and fighting with pretend swords, what did we use? Oh yes, cardboard tubes from her wrapping paper, that was it. I had come down stairs cos she was making a racket.
"And she took loads of photos of you in those red pants ! Dead sexy, some of them. I know you were only messing about but don't delete them honey. You said we could keep them. They are quite a way back from your later crime scene ones, you've probably forgoten you had them, you never look at those old photos, I do, I often sneak a look at them, my sexy man, she was so drunk she even took some close ups of... What's the matter John?"
"Sherlock told you to give me that whisky, while I was staying at my sisters over Christmas?"
"What? Oh yes. Why, do you think he had some sort of ulterior motive? Did he know about your sister? John, you look a bit angry, what's up?"
"Nothing."
"I'm nearly ready, just putting my skirt on. What does one wear on the last night before getting implanted? It's like a ceremony isn't it. I, Mary, accept this tiny baby into me…"
"Embryo."
"Yes, John you are looking very funny, are you sure you're all right, we don't need to go out if you'd rather stay in?"
"No it's fine, yes I'm ready now, let's go".