Sherlock placed the cup of tea into John's hands and sat back down next to him.
"I'm sorry if you felt like I was being insensitive." Sherlock apologised, "I just thought I could try and take care of some of the things to take the pressure off of you."
"I know." John mumbled slowly. "I didn't mean to snap at you and Mycroft like that."
"It's more than understandable." Sherlock responded; there was a silence between them as John took a few gulps of the tea, evidently forgetting that it would be very hot.
"What were the papers that Mycroft brought round?" John asked eventually, trying to break out of the uncomfort of the situation.
"Oh… well he brought round some papers for legal guardianship…" Sherlock answered, "And some... uh, some adoption papers." This hardly did anything to lighten the situation.
"Adoption papers?" John repeated. "But… but I haven't even decided anything, oh god… I don't even know what to do!" John ran one of his hands through his hair and looked pleadingly at Sherlock.
"Well… until we can find Clara and that man, we can't really do very much… you can fill out the legal guardianship stuff that would just give you rights over any hospital situations." Sherlock said. "The adoption stuff can come after that."
"How are we going to find Clara?"
"I've asked Mycroft to help. He should be able to trace them using airports and then local authorities." Sherlock answered.
"Oh god, I hadn't even thought about what was going to happen to the baby…" John flustered, "I guess… I guess if Clara doesn't want custody then I could always put him up for adoption with a family…" John postulated, Sherlock raised his eyebrows at this – but he was surprised that John would want to effectively give away the last part of his family.
"Are you serious?" Sherlock answered disbelivingly, "You would really put him into the care system?"
"Oh I don't know." John moaned, "I don't know anything! How am I supposed to know what is best?"
"You don't have to decide anything straight away John," Sherlock felt like he had said this too many times to John in the past twenty four hours. "We can't really do anything until we've found that guy, and if he doesn't appear then the authorities would take your decisions."
"So what's with the other forms?" John asked, slightly confused.
"The legal guardianship ones? Well, at the moment you're in a bit of a dodgy position when it comes to hospital treatment for the baby – as the next of kin it comes down to you for hospital stuff, but the doctors could overrule you if they felt necessary. If you've got guardianship awarded by the court then they have to listen to you, on pretty much anything."
"Right…" John muttered slowly, "Urgh, well… I better do that then… just in case, oh hell."
"Finish your tea first, you've got time yet." Sherlock advised him quietly and calmly. John took a few minutes in complete silence, hands clasped tightly around the mug, steadying himself, before speaking:
"Let me see those papers." He said extending his hand out so Sherlock could pass them over to him. Sherlock fumbled for the right set of papers before passing them to John rather nervously. John scanned the first page, just pausing briefly to examine certain words; he repeated this with the second and third page, until he reached a point which needed to be filled in. "Have you got a pen?" He asked Sherlock – who obligingly provided him with one. John transcribed the appropriate into the following:
'I, Dr. John H. Watson, am requesting the position of legal guardianship of the child of Ms. Harriet S. Watson, following the incident of her death. My relationship to the above is brother, and status in terms of the child is uncle.'
John scribbled his signature under his paragraph and handed the papers back to Sherlock.
"That's great – I'll get Mycroft to get this filed for you, then at least you have some status and power with what happens with the baby." Sherlock nodded, placing the papers onto a table at his side; John looked as though he might be about to dissolve once more, but through great strength of character he managed to compose himself again.
"I might go and have a shower." John suggested, standing up from the sofa.
"Alright." Sherlock agreed; he heard John leave and then the sound of feet ascending the staircase. Sherlock wasn't quite sure what he could do to help John properly – it was obvious that the whole thing was really sensitive to John… But to consider putting his nephew up for adoption? That wasn't the John that he knew well… Or maybe it was? Sherlock would have expected John to want to cling on as tightly as he could to his nephew, but then again, his nephew would be a lasting reminder of his sister and the state of their relationship before this tragedy.