Two weeks after New Year's, John was back working at the surgery, filing through a day list which contained nothing more exciting than sniffles and sick notes, when his eyes rested on a name just before lunch. "Maria Smith", appointment type "Private". Unlike the first time she'd done this to him, John now knew most of Lucy's alias, and this was her favourite by far. So he spent the morning wondering why she had made an appointment to see him at work, normally this was because she didn't want Sherlock to find out, or genuinely wanted medical help.
At 12.30 he asked reception to send her through, and after a few moments the door knocked. He hadn't seen her that morning; she'd been sleeping in her own room at the top of the house. As she came through the door, he wondered when the last time he'd actually looked at her properly was. Sherlock had been given a case on New Year's Day and he and John had been gone for a week, when they returned Lucy had been sleeping upstairs. He hadn't really thought anything about it, especially when Simon had told him she'd been unwell. However the creature stood in the doorway looked awful, surely he thought, he should have noticed.
"Come in Lucy" he called to her "what are the symptoms?"
"Actually John, I…I…I think I know what's wrong?" she stammered "erm but …."
"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly very concerned
"I think I'm pregnant" the words rushed out and ended with a sob.
John looked at her for moment, unbelieving and then his brain started racing, thoughts swam so fast he couldn't capture one coherent thought.
"You have an implant?" he floundered
"Yes, as my Doctor do you think you could check this out, is it possible?"
"Well it's not unheard of, I'll take some blood and then I'll get one of the nurses to remove the implant."
"John?"
"hmm?"
"Am I pregnant?"
"You're being sick? You're late? You've had unprotected sex since your last period?"
She coughed and looked him in the eye, causing him to blush again.
"Shall we just say it sounds likely? Would you have any idea…I mean…which…Oh God!"
"No, and I haven't told Sherlock."
"He'll know"
"Yes I suppose."