Chapter 6
Sherlock sat on the shore of the lake for a long time just staring into the red water. After a while, it dissipated and Sherlock had to find something new to look at. He stared up at the bridge, until he remembers that that would have been the last thing John had seen before he died. He examined the gravel until he was sure that it yielded no clues for him.
Sherlock was scared to look at the dead John. He knew now that he couldn't function without him, now he was gone. That was what scared Sherlock; The fact that John had known that Sherlock needed him but had let Sherlock come to his own conclusion. He didn't know what to do.
The one thing he knew for sure was that Lestrade would be here soon, or some other police people and an ambulance. He hadn't called them, a stray biker had though. He had tried to stay with Sherlock, sitting under the bridge, but he hadn't let him. Sherlock scared him away, and now he was all alone with the body of his best friend and partner. He should have let the stupid man stay.
Unfortunately for Sherlock, there was something wrong with this picture. Something big, something obvious that he was missing. And he was terrified because he couldn't even function enough to see the obvious.
His own words echoed back to him from an old, old case. "Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side..." He scoffed at his words now. He hadn't known how much John mattered to him then, and he certainly didn't know how much he mattered to John then.
Sherlock finally brought himself to look at his dead friend and he whispered over the lump in his throat.
"John,-"He was cut off.
"SHERLOCK!" John yelled, his eyes flying open, a look of utter terror defining them. "Jesus, Sherlock! I thought I was dead!" He gasped for air like he'd never had any ever before. Sherlock's eyes glazed over with denial and he leaned back in shock.
"John?" Sherlock whispered a look of fear in his eyes. John saw his fear and quickly says,
"I'm real Sherlock, I'm alive. You're not seeing things." Sherlock just stares at John and his eyebrows push together thoughtfully.
"Are you sure?" Sherlock asks, needing him to say yes and fearing that he will say no. John reaches out and pulls Sherlock into a sideways hug and whispers.
"Do you want this to be real?"
"Yes." Sherlock's voice is unsteady and he hugs John back even tighter.