CHAPTER 26. THE RULES OF FRIENDSHIP
When Lestrade was finished with his scan he found Sherlock and his brother Mycroft locked in a heated argument in the hospital corridor. Both men fell silent before the DI was within ear shot.
"Ah, Detective Inspector." Mycroft was the first to greet him, Sherlock just rolled his eyes. "Just fractures I take it."
"Yes. How did-never mind."
"If your finished Detective Inspector John and I are more than ready to leave."
"Sherlock I offered you a ride-" Mycroft interjected.
"Don't you have some war to start?Or a treaty to ignore?" Mycroft only gave his brother a tight smile. "Besides you know how John hates attention."
"Its not like I haven't given him a ride from the hospital before, nor you for that matter." Sherlock glared at his brother.
"I wont be bullied he's not eight anymore he wont be bullied either."
"Must you be so disagreeable."
"It's fine, I don't mind giving them a ride home, it's the least I can do. I don't know what kind of training they're giving Doctor's in med school these days but it put James Bond to shame. And I didn't know he could speak Russian?" Lestrade felt a smug triumph for the first time since knowing these Holmes brothers. He obviously knew something they didn't. Both Holmes brothers were starring at him as if he'd just sprouted horns. "You wouldn't have believed it, but he had the man subdued and out in less than five minutes. And I'm pretty sure there were mentions of mothers and pigs-the only words I understood but it enraged the big one."
"Russian?" Sherlock looked thoughtful. "I'll have to ask. Come along Lestrade, you can buy us a pint. I believe that is the socially acceptable thing after these kinds of situations." The DI's eyes widened Mycroft only rolled his eyes,
"I'll be seeing you soon Detective Inspector." Mycroft turned just as dramatically and headed down the hospital corridor in the opposite direction.
"Sherlock?" Lestrade caught up to the consulting Detective.
"Lestrade?" he replied in the same questioning tone.
"Are you serious about the pint?"
"Of course I am. Isnt that what people do after a particular trying day."
"Yes."
"Then whats the problem?"
"You never go out for a pint. You generally hate all social atmospheres."
"Do I?" Sherlock gave a half smile as if he was considering the truth in it. Lestrade watched him wearily. The man was up to something. But God help him, the DI did need a pint or two."
"John. All through?" The Doctor was looking a little distant, as if he was miles away. His arm in a sling. Lestrade tensed, what if the man wasn't stable. Sherlock sent him another hard look, no doubt reading Lestrade's mind like he usually did.
"The DI had invited us out for a pint. I suggest we go after the stress of the day."
"Wait, since when do you do social atmospheres?" John snapped out of whatever day dream he had started to wonder into.
"I said the same thing." The DI replied, and both men where looking at the consulting detective suspiciously.
"Well if the two of you are going to act so shaken-"
"Oh don't ruin it with a tantrum." John smiled now, Lestrade could see the color in the doctor's cheeks returning.
Before they reached the pub Sherlock realized he'd forgotten something and encouraged the two to go on without him. John frowned "Well maybe I'll just go back with you-"
"Oh, no it's fine. You go ahead have that well earned pint."
Lestrade stood there watching the young man catch a taxi and it started to dawn on him. Was he trying to give him time alone with the younger man, so he could ask his questions? That consulting detective could be infuriating and strange but he did have a way of reading minds, it was annoying and convenient. So he would use the opportunity to figure the other man out.
"Come along Doctor I do think I owe you a few."
"I'm not much of a drinker maybe just one, then I'll call it a night." The DI could see the younger man straighten up as if standing at attention, remembering reading somewhere once that those suffering from PTSD didn't care to go into a crowded place, anxiety going into hyper drive in crowded places where people walked behind the sufferer. Sure enough once they arrived the younger man stationed himself with his back to the wall nearest the exit.
"Alright here you go. This ones on me." John thankfully took the cool glass this pub wasn't teaming with people quiet the opposite. Lestrade frequented this pub for that reason, and most the regulars were Yarders.
"So Doctor how long have you known Sherlock?" The younger man smiled taking a sip of his beer.
"Oh, since the insufferable git was six." Lestrade almost choked on his beer instead he swallowed. "Your serious?"
John nodded "Yup, first time I came across him he was six, and made several observations or rather deductions, voiced them out loud to kids three times his size and unfortunately twice mine."
"Well what happened?" John laughed now shaking his head remembering that encounter.
"Well I got a few swings in but there were three of them. And next thing I know it I am waking up staring at these two disinterested gray eyes. He says; 'You blacked out.' "' Lestrade could imagine that, hearing the bored tone. "Oh and if you think that's funny he finished with 'It seems after they beat you unconscious they no longer had the energy or urge to continue with me' We've been friends ever since."
"Your serious?" Lestrade was on his second pint.
"Yeah, but he's a good friend. Keeps life interesting."
This gave Lestrade the opening he wanted. "So you've been in the army these last couple years?"
"Yes, about five." Lestrade could sense the younger man was tensing up, a dark shadow seemed to crawl into the blue of the ex soldiers eyes. As an experienced interrogator he knew the signs of someone about to put up a wall, so instead he changed the subject. "Well welcome to the side show." John smiled again brightly.
"Is it always like this?" Johns voice had a slight slur, and his cheeks were flushed.
"Not always, just when he's around." Lestrade replied. "Between you and me mate I prefer the slow days. Less paperwork." John laughed.
"Well Detective Inspector I should be getting back, god knows what he's up to." Lestrade nodded grabbing his coat, the Doctor only held his because of the sling.
"I could only imagine. I think you Doctor Watson are the longest running flatmate to stay, usually they don't last a day." Watson laughed again, something told the Detective Inspector the younger man hadn't done a lot of that in the past.
"Please call me John. And I do know how insane the genius can be. He was just as bad in Uni. Our whole building was ready to hang him after the first week."
"John it is. First names Greg, or Lestrade or Detective Inspector. You're telling me you went to Uni together?" John nodded,
"Yes. I was his one and only flatmate. At least back then he didn't have access to body parts."
Lestrade was trying to see Sherlock as a student, did he always dress so reserved, or was the younger man casually dressed in jeans and a hoodie?
"Oh sometime I'll have to tell you about the Rugby team incident-and then not long after the football team incident. It's a wonder they didn't give us the boot. I do have the sneaky suspicion they named a hall Holmes Hall after the sizable donation the Holmes family made, just to keep Sherlock from being kicked out. That and I think they may have reserved a hospital bed just for the two of us those first couple years due to all the scraps we got into."
Lestrade helped the younger man up the stairs of 221B, the younger man apologized admitting that he hadn't had a drink for almost a year. So the alcohol and the fatigue affected him more than he wanted to admit.
"Lestrade-" Sherlock huffed seeing John trying to appear sober, "I thought a pint. You've brought him back-" Sherlock eyed his glassy eyed friend. "-yes you've brought him back drunk." John broke down into a fit of giggles.
"You worry to much Sherlock. I am far from drunk. I only had a couple."
"Yes and you haven't been out of the hospital more than a couple of months. Really John you are the worst patient. And if you were at your normal weight a couple as you put it, wouldn't affect you so horribly."
"Well as a Doctor, I bid you two goodnight, I do think it's well past my time. Detective Inspector we'll have to do this again sometime. Sherlock g'night."
"Needs some help?" The detective winced seeing the younger man nearly stubble over his own feet.
"No, I'll be fine."
"Sure." Sherlock scowled at the DI. who looked a little shame faced. Sherlock still in his dark suit steadied his friend and helped him up the stairs to his room. Sherlock could feel how thin John was, and it bothered him, back in Uni their positions had been switched and it was the blond man who had nearly carried him home after indulging too much.
"Thanks." He laid back Sherlock gently removed the sling and the other mans shoes, his friend already snoring. "Goodnight John." He switched on his friends bedside lamp.
DI Lestrade had listened to the usually condescending consulting detective talk in low tones. There was a story here and he was only catching half of it.
"So DI are you satisfied?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well you had your doubts now did you get them cleared up?"
"Was that what this was about?"
"John doesn't have to explain himself to anyone. However I didn't want you nosing around. He's a private man and if the two of you are going to work together and be friends-"
"Wait are you telling me you are making him your assistant? And who said anything about friends?"
"Yes. Of course he'll be my assistant. And I know how this works. I've been that man's friend for years, people generally like him. He can make friends within minutes of talking to a complete stranger. Although since he has been back he hasn't ventured out too much or made any new acquaintances male or female." Sherlock steepled his hands under his chin, his 'thinking' pose.
"He doesn't trust easily." Sherlock felt guilt for that. "But like I said if you are going to be friends I thought I could help it along. He doesn't like to talk about the war or his time as a soldier, especially how he was injured these are subjects to avoid. I know you have your concern over his mental well being and the close proximity an ex soldier suffering from PTSD is to a sociopath that tends to push buttons. So I gave you this opening. I myself find sentiment and friendship tedious and distracting. But John however thrives best in social atmospheres. That said, I know Mycroft will eventually come to you with a file on John. I suggest you not read it. If you hope for any kind of friendship don't read it."
"Why what will I find?"
"Nothing you wouldn't find out by talking to him, nothing he wouldn't reveal over the course of time. Like all friendships develop surely you being experienced in this department should understand the edict around such things." The DI rolled his eyes.
"Yes, ok. I get it. Your telling me to back off. Alright. Alright. I can do that. As long as he isn't a danger to you, or himself, or anyone else"
"I assure Detective he isnt a danger to me or anyone else."
As Greg unlocked the door of his car he realized the Consulting Detective didn't say John Watson wasn't a danger to himself. This bothered him in a way, because despite his prior reservations he thought the doctor would be an excellent alley when dealing with the impossible consulting detective. That and he seemed like a likeable bloke.