Mycroft opens the door to his brother's hospital room, the smell of antiseptic stinging his nose.
He never did like hospitals.
John is sitting in the chair next to Sherlock, staring at him. The rise and fall of his chest. The bandage over his wrist. The bag of blood dripping into his arm.
"You look tired doctor, you should take a rest" Mycroft smiles.
"I don't need a rest" john snaps back, never taking his eyes off his friend, lying stiffly in the hospital bed. Relaxing as he realises the intruder in the room is Mycroft.
Mycroft sighs and walks over to where john is sitting, flicking his umbrella up. He can see the bags under his eyes, his fist clenched, the tremor in his leg. And the walking stick leaning against the chair.
"John…"
"Mycroft I need to stay here, I need to stay wi-" john looks down at his fist, breathing in deeply and then looking back up at Mycroft. "I need to make sure it's all… going to be okay"
The older brother smiles, studying the tip of his umbrella sentiment he thinks. "It is all going to be okay, you heard what the doctor said, he just needs to rest. Like you"
"I don't trust that doctor" john clenches his jaw, staring intently at the bandage over Sherlock's wrist. That's been done wrong…
"no, you don't trust anyone to look after him but yourself, get some rest doctor" Mycroft purrs, knowing he's right "you know you need to sleep, you've stayed up all night, and most the night before, you're not like him" he points his umbrella towards his sleeping sibling "you need sleep"
John smiles, Mycroft's right, he can't expect to be any use to Sherlock when he wakes up if his eyes keep closing "okay, but if anything happens-"
"I'll call you" he smiles. John stands up, pulling his coat off his chair and taking one last fleeting look at the figure on the bed before leaving.
Mycroft's smile drops as soon as the door closes "he's gone" he say's sighing. Sherlock groans and opens his eyes, lifting his head up off the pillow that seems intent on suffocating him, before letting it fall back into place.
"I thought he'd never leave" he groans
Mycroft rolls his eyes "he cares about you" he walks over to the chair john had been sitting on and sits neatly in it.
"I never would have guessed!" Sherlock sighs, sarcasm lacing his words
"What happened" Mycroft snaps, glaring at Sherlock as he struggles to free himself from the thick duvet
"What are you talking about Mycroft" Sherlock sits up, glaring at the duvet
"I mean what. Happened! What happened to 'caring is not an advantage'?" he asks, but Sherlock can see the fire in his eyes.
"I don't know, you're the one that came up with it remember!" Sherlock replies, adding fuel to the flames
Mycroft grits his teeth "don't act like that Sherlock, you know what I mean" he snarls
Sherlock smiles and cups his head with his hands, "enlighten me!" he jokes
Mycroft smirks back "Sherlock, define 'caring is not an advantage" he purrs. Sherlock realises where the conversation is going and turns towards the wall.
"I'm a grown man now Mycroft I don't need any more of your 'lessons'"
"Sherlock….."
"Caring is not an advantage, to not care about anyone, because it will only lead to trouble" Sherlock sighed, picking at a piece of thread on the duvet
"Good, it also means not to care about what they say." He praised before his features turned dark "so why did you"
"Because it got to me! John isn't- he's not like other people he- he…" Sherlock returned to picking holes in the duvet
"He isn't what?"
Sherlock glared "he isn't any of your business, good bye Mycroft."
Mycroft raised his head "you care about him don't you" he stated "why did you call me here"
"I can't tell you anymore" Sherlock turned back to the wall
"What do you need help with Sherlock?" the elder brother asked, trying to get Sherlock to come out of his shell
"I won't give into you like this Mycroft"
"Sherlock, tell me what you need"
"I need you to help me get away!" he burst out, Mycroft raised his eyebrows "I need to get away from him!" Sherlock looked down at the sheet, regretting everything, angry at Mycroft and the power he held over him, how he could get him to speak, to say things when he didn't want to.
"Why" Mycroft asked. It all came down to this, it always came down to this
"Because caring is not an advantage"
Mycroft leant back in his chair, so it was true then, Sherlock does care, about john, and about what john say's. What the doctor said to Sherlock hurt, got into a crack that it shouldn't have found. This means that Sherlock does actually care, it also means he has a weakness….
This is bad
"No"
Sherlock's head shot around "what do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean no I will not help you, at least not now, you need to recover before we talk any more about this" Mycroft stands up, his word final.
"But will you" Sherlock's voice calls out from behind him
"Maybe" Mycroft replies softly, his hand falls on the door handle; he opens the door into the cool hallway.
"You've lost a few pounds since I last saw you, Mycroft; you're not worrying about me are you?" Sherlock's voice has gained a bit more ice to it "because you know, caring is not an advantage"
Mycroft smiles, his brother is coming back, "I worry about you constantly Sherlock, the pompous twat who made up that rule is a bit of a hypocrite… don't you think?" he smiles before leaving, the soft chuckle from his younger brother filling his heart with warmth.
Well, about as much warmth as Sherlock can give towards his older brother.
OKAY soooo sorry this took so long! I know, it's really crap too! But I had loads of revision and coursework to get finished and my horse decided to run into a barb wire fence and gain a few injuries and then I was walking in a straight line today, at ordinary pace and I twisted and broke my ankle so now I've been shoved into solitary confinement with my laptop so really I had no excuse but to start writing some shit for you guys….
I am sorry!
Also for those of you reading 'fire and ice' the next chapter should also be out shortly, its just I've nearly finished shelter so I'm trying to get one thing done at a time and just learn to deal with it okay? Please, I am rushed off my- foot…. Just one foot…*rolls eyes and chucks crutch across room* okay, so please just don't give up on me! I am trying my bestest!
For those of you who have twitter, my user account name is "alicetiva96" so you can question me if you want :)
Fin… (For now….)
*and breathe*