By the time Squish stirred Sherlock estimated that it was now about ten PM. Roughly eleven hours after their disappearance John would have called the police to report their disappearance, then Mycroft. He berated himself for knowing that Mycroft would be helping John to find them ease his worry a little. A few hours ago two bottles of water had been pushed through the flap in the door. He reached over and passed one of the other bottles to Squish.
"We should probably ration this" she said as she took a sip.
"Probably" he agreed, as he upended the bottle and drank it down in three long gulps.
"Sherlock!" Squish said exasperatedly, "What is the point of agreeing with me if you just ignore your own advice" Sherlock looked like he was about argue some more but then the door began to open.
Squish went and stood defiantly by his side as Moriarty flanked by Seb on one side and a hulking man who was carrying a silver tray in one massive hand on the other.
"Helloo there" Jim laughed, "I've been such a bad boy haven't I Sherlock? Forgetting to feed my guests like that, very rude." Sherlock said nothing but stared at the consulting criminal, "Come now Sherlock, we both know how to play the game, but maybe you need some persuasion." He nodded at Moran who pulled the girl from Sherlock's side, quicker than a cobra snatching a mouse, Sherlock didn't move, but his eyes flicked to settle on Squish's statue like form in the cold embrace of the killer.
"This is how the game is going to work, my dear" Jim said, "You're going to tell me what I'm doing or Sebby here has ten minutes alone with your oh so beloved little girl. And you know the damage that can be done in two minutes let alone ten" Sebastian smiled and stroked the side of the girls neck. "Clocks ticking Sherlock, tick tock, tick tock"
Sherlock's eyes flicked to the covered dish then to her face the back again.
"Whatever's under that tray is going to be something to try and mess with our heads. Therefore something we want but can't have, so not food. You say you want to burn me, so most likely something aimed at me, in which case why have Squish here. You say she's a player in the game so you will be using her. So most likely drugs for me and some kind of choice for her."
Jim laughed coldly, "Oh well done Sherly. Very well done." When he saw Sherlock's face, he sighed and nodded at Moran who let Squish put from his arms, "Though not completely right, the choice is for you both to decide. But on with the game." He pulled the cover off the tray. Lying on it was a syringe filled with a brown liquid. Sherlock met Moriarty's eyes
"And if we don't?" he asked
"Then a certain ex-army Doctor will be getting another bullet wound, and its time not in his shoulder."
Squish spoke up now, "So your game is that one of us takes Heroin or you shoot our best friend?"
"Got in one. Now I'm a nice man so you can have half an hour to make the choice or Johnny boy gets a nice to new scar to impress the ladies with"
He turned and went to the door, closely followed by Sebastian who turned and looked back at the scene, "Be seeing you cutie pie" he laughed and left.
Squish looked down at the tray and the gleaming needle. She cleared her throat and picked up the syringe.
"I'll do it." She said quietly, "You've been cold turkey for a year, if you take it now then you'll have fevers, muscle spasms and god knows what else. It makes sense, I'll just get high." She looked up at Sherlock who still stood motionless. She sighed and pulled out the plunger of the syringe. Just as she lined it up with the crook of her elbow, the syringe was pulled from her fingertips. She looked up just as the needle plunged into Sherlock's elbow. She grabbed him as he fell backwards and gently lowered him to the floor.
"You stupid, stupid man!" she shouted as she knelt by him, "We had worked out, it would have been fine."
He breathed in and out slowly, "I don't want you to end up like me Squish. You can be so much better than me."
She looked terrified and angry, "You're the best man I know Sherlock Holmes, and I can't have you ever on drugs again if they make you tell me the truth you arrogant sod." She kissed his cheek and then leapt back in shock as he began to spasm, his lanky body jumping and his eyes rolling.
"Sherlock!" She cried, "I'm not John, I don't know what to do, what can I do?" The spasm stopped and his breathing slowed down. She pulled his head onto her lap and checked his pulse, it was erratic and his dark hair was matted with sweat. She checked to see that he hadn't swallowed his tongue and then resorted to checking his pulse. She had done a basic first aid course and tried to remember what it had said about spasms. Lay them flat, hold them down so they don't hurt themselves, make sure they didn't swallow their tongue and get them to hospital. Well she wasn't going to be able to the last one.
She was checking his pulse for what felt like the one thousandth time, when a disembodied voice came from somewhere in the room.
"Is little daughter looking after her daddy?" Jim's voice was condescending and sarcastic
"What do you want Jim?" she didn't look up from Sherlock's face.
"I was just wondering how it felt to know that you're the reason that your father is lying in an almost coma."
"You're the reason not me." Her voice was quiet but there was a shake in it that Moriarty pounced on.
"I'm not the one who gave to him, I gave it to you. You could have taken it and you would have been fine. Hell you probably would have enjoyed it. But instead all that work. All the months that he fought it off, when he didn't shoot up, when he tried so hard for you, all gone, and that is all your fault darling."
She ignored him and focused instead on Sherlock's breathing.
"Don't worry" came Jim's voice again, "he won't blame you, but you and I will know won't we? That you are sooo happy that he took it. And that it's all…your…fault."
Squish didn't turn but she swallowed hard to try and dislodge the lump in her throat.
"Be ok." She pleaded, "Please. Just be ok"
Six hours later Sherlock opened his eyes. He remembered very little only having gaining consciousness a few times. He remembered that the few times that he had, Squish had been above him murmuring encouragement. Every time he had fitted and his muscles had moved without his permission, she had been there holding him down so he didn't hurt himself. Now he couldn't see her at all
He pushed himself into a seated position grunting with the effort, he looked around him and saw her. She had pushed herself into a corner and her head was in her hands. She looked up at him and gulped a little. Silver snail trails trickled down her cheeks and her eyes were red.
"You stopped fitting about an hour ago so I thought it was safe to leave you alone for a bit" her voice was dull and quiet.
Sherlock raised himself to his feet and slowly walked over to her, and slid down the wall to sit beside her.
"It's not your fault." He said, "Its just the game Squish, just the game"