I forgot to mention! This is about a good year and a half after the jump!
John's POV
Asha's response to the needle was so sudden, I hadn't had time to catch her as she fell to the floor. There was fear written evidently across her face as Sherlock approached her with the needle. It became very clear how accustomed she was to getting injections after Sherlock started to draw blood. She hardly even winced as the needle pierced her skin. But if she had been, and she had escaped a week ago, symptoms of withdrawal should be starting any time, and that wasn't something I was looking forward to dealing with. As Sherlock took her blood samples, I quickly tried to remember different withdrawal and addiction symptoms I had learned about while working on cases. She had been trying to sleep a lot, so that might be hiding a few of them. But she still has a decreased appetite, nightmares, and her mood was still low. Not that I expected her to be happy; but when she wasn't sleeping, she was agitated or paranoid. All those things pointed to addictions to either Heroin or Cocaine, or possibly even both. In any case, her symptoms were small at the moment, but that just means that they could become larger any day now and they would have to watch her. No point telling Sherlock, though, I thought to myself, he's probably already gotten that figured out.
The syringe was pulled out and I could hear Asha relax, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. At that time Molly walked in. She was quiet as usual, small and quick as she moved around the lab. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail and she looked like her day had been going well. She gave me a small smile and had looked up to give Sherlock one when she saw Asha. The two were staring at each other now. Molly was small and petit, with ashy brown hair and a nervous demeanor. Compared to Asha, whose hair now resembled peach fuzz of a dark colour, she seemed almost like a child; even though it was blatantly obvious that molly was older than her. Asha just had an aura around her that commanded attention, immediately making her seem older and stronger, even though she was the exact opposite. Molly stumbled a bit before speaking.
"Oh, um, hello? Who are you, if I may ask?" She smiled and stuttered as Asha hopped off of the stool and continued to stare at her. Sherlock had already whisked away, busying himself with finding out what toxins were roaming her veins. The tension between the two women was unimaginable. Her reply was quiet and almost inaudible, but firm.
"I'm Asha." It was clear she was done with speaking after that. She wouldn't look at anybody, directing her attention to an interesting speck on the tile. Molly, however, whispered quietly to me.
"Is she a cousin of yours?" I shook my head, trying to busy myself with something but not sure what to do. Sherlock was still testing away. "A-a friend of Sherlock's?" Her voice squeaked a bit at the last part. I didn't know how to reply to that. Sherlock made it clear that he didn't have 'friends', but he did care about people. He cared about them enough to fake his own death and go into hiding for 3 years. When I didn't answer her, she almost looked relieved. It was obvious she fancied him, and even though she would be happy for him, she silently hoped they weren't too close. She enjoys being someone Sherlock trusts; he hid at her home for most of those 3 years as far as I was told. "So she's a case?-"
"She isn't a case." Sherlock's voice made her jump; he was behind her now and had been for a few minutes. He was studying the results he had gotten, his face void of emotion. He wasn't offering any other explanation as he pulled on his coat. Asha took that as her cue and slid on her own, looking remarkably similar to him.
"Thanks Molly," I said to her as I turned to leave and followed the other two out.
Sherlock's POV
I kept moving forward as the cold air whipped at my face as I made my way to hail a cab. Asha kept up on my heels, but she didn't speak and the silence was fine with me. Her withdrawal symptoms were low, she was very good at hiding them. And it looked like she was lucky enough not to have to drugs ravage her body, she hadn't been on them for long periods at a time. Most likely high doses between long intervals. Clenched in my hand were the positive test results for Heroin and Meth.