He did not know how, but he had managed to reach Bakerstreet without just breaking down on the street.
Trying to be as quiet as possible, he pushed the door open. The tiny klick as it fell closed again seemed to echo much too loud in the empty staircase. Carefully dodging the steps of which he knew would creak and without a doubt alarm Ms. Hudson to his presence, he climbed up the stairs.
He crumbled the very moment the door to the flat closed behind him. His legs just gave away under him and he slid to the floor against the wooden door, the bag with the shopping falling out of his numb fingers, scattering its contents over the carpet.
Dry sobs were clinging in his throat, making it impossible to breathe, to speak and to do anything if he did not want to start screaming because of the pain that was searing through his body, shaking him to his very core and all he could do was wrapping his arms around himself and choke down the whimpers that wanted to break free.