Benedict story
Sherlock story
Forgotten Memories, Chapter 39
A disclaimer: Sherlock belongs to BBC along with the talented writers and amazing Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. No money was made. The story however is my original thought, and comes out of my overactive imagination. Other characters introduced are also mine.
Edited** Thank you for your latest reviews and PMs since the last post. Dawnfire11 (Welcome. Thank you for your multiple post and fun comments.) hjohn302 (Thanks for reading when you were busy) ,MapleleafCameo (If you think this is tense, wait) , Puky2012 (You are correct, it is not over), Taylor501 (Thanks for the multiple post, stay well),Nietzsches (your commentary made me smile),Socalrose (Thanks for posting on all that you read,more evil cliffie ahead),Flounder65 (Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate them more than you might know), Prothoe (More warning signs ahead),eohippus (Thanks for commenting on each chapter you read, looking forward to your next chapter), Jenna Yemowa ( Thanks and stay safe),Warm-Glow (Your words are like warm tea to my soul, thanks). Thank you. Love and tea.
Thank you ; Lanna- Nailo and Guest, BritLitChick , Miriza, madscientistsuz , gemstone1234 , hanging in there , Guest #3, Burning Phoenix, Warm Glow, Guest #1, Guest #2 , hanging in there , hjohn302, ShiverandShamy, Lunita28, Voldemort101, bruderlein, Prothoe, briongloid fiodoir, leyapearl , hjohn302, Kitiara88, Pencilx , Warm-Glow, Jenna Yemowa, , BritLitChick, , Lanna-Nailo, Voldemort101, drpaz, Socalrose, dbz27, Prothoe, Esstell, Lunita28, Guest, Danishprince, ShiverandShamy , briongloid fiodoir, Isaldaria, hanging in there, Tammy, Taylor501, bruderlein, April29Roses, ShiverandShamy, christistina, waterbaby, 84, and Peacefreakx3 for your review and PMs. Thank you to all Guests.
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T rated but some future chapters may be M.
A/N: Important. Benedict will at times be referred to as Ben or Benedict since he believes that to be his name.
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Reminder
I changed a few things story wise but not too much. I went into more of an explanation about the two sets of drugs that he received. The first series of drugs, the ones that Adler destroyed were to create and seal new memories in Sherlock. The second series of drugs were to make him passive and unquestioning (the tea).
This is the time line. It is a little over 4 weeks since the explosion. One week recovering and gaining consciousness. Two weeks that Moriarty has been away. Days of mental programming with Doctor Yang and days with brother Moriarty.
"Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart
and his friends can only read the title." ~Virginia Woolf
Current Time
Current Day
John's mind was still on Sherlock as he worked on Adler. The medically train soldier was assisting. He was planning to rejoin him in a few hours but felt an uneasiness. He looked at Adler and noticed that she looked weaker. The transport would be arriving soon.
Irene opened her eyes now and seemed a little clearer mentally. Now was his chance. He hated to ask her questions now but had little choice. She might not wake up next time she slept until she had proper medical treatment.
"Irene, I am worried about Sherlock. I saw signs in his body that suggest withdrawal. I need to know from what. You posed as Doctor Yáng's lab assistant. What did they give him to control the worse of the symptoms? I need something to tie him over until we can get him to the airplane, and then home."
Adler paused to catch her breath and closed then opened her eyes. John looked at her with concern. She dismissed his concern with a smile and continued.
"I saved one syringe of the medication, but Moriarty was clever. He found me out. I had to choose between destroying it and Moriarty getting possession of it. If he did, he would have injected the full dose into Sherlock. Sherlock might or might not have been able to resist the false memories if that had happened. I could not risk the possibility of that occurring if Moriarty got a hold of it."
She took another break, this one shorter. She took a breath.
"I was forced to destroy the experimental drug."
John looked grim, so did Adler. Adler closed her eyes but suddenly they flew open.
"Wait, Doctor Yáng. She was not supposed to, but sometimes she sneaked things out of the lab, documents, once a dose of the drug. Even though Moriarty paid her to develop and define the old military experimental study for him only, I think she was planning to take the drug formula and further develop it on her own. Selling it to other parties beside Moriarty."
Adler grimaced before continuing.
"I don't think she had any idea how dangerous Jim was until it was too late. I know she kept one dose in a silver canister case that she attached to the underside of her bathroom cabinet. I don't know if it's still there John. But it's worth a look, don't you think?" She thought for a minute and looked at John.
"She either did not know that I was looking as she hid it or did not think me important enough to cover it up. She was an arrogant sort but brilliant."
Adler energy seemed renewed. John knew that it was Adrenaline and would not last long.
"Help me to sit up." John frowned at Adler's request.
"Irene." John warned with crossed arms.
"John." Adler weakly raised her eyebrows defiantly.
John shook his head, sighed then nodded resigned. The soldier next to her helped her to sit up.
Irene thought of something and frowned. "There was a lab assistant her name is Kim is she …dead?"
"Short… dyed blonde hair?" Irene asked.
John asked a soldier to get the answers for her as he asked another one to get the blueprint or a map of the layout of the mansion so that Irene could show him where Doctor Yáng's room was.
An agent came back quickly. He addressed both Adler and John.
"She's OK just scared. This young lady kept repeating over and over again about getting a new job in a different line of work." The soldier smirked.
He looked in Adler's eyes. "Don't worry she…."
"Kim," Adler corrected.
"…Yes, Kim is alive." The soldier finished.
"What about Doctor Yáng?" Adler asked. The agent frowned now. He hesitated slightly.
"She's alive…ish," he said sympathetically before nodding and returning to his work
"Where is doctor Yáng's room," John asked. He noticed that her burst of energy was dissipating.
"Bring the blueprint of the mansion closer." Adler asked as a soldier assisted her to sit up more. She leaned her back against the soldier for support as John sat beside her and listened.
Another soldier ran off to find Agent Myers.
Kevin spoke in what he hoped was a calm manner on the phone to several contacts and The Ghost directly. He had just finished giving the information to several points of interest. He sat up from his computer screens. He blinked away the blur from his eyes and rubbed them softly with the back of his hand. His eyes scrutinized the computer screens for the past twelve hours. His only break was to use the loo and get coffee.
Ok, he got a lot of coffee.
He sighed.
The truth was if you cut him now, coffee would pour out of his veins, Kevin confessed in his thoughts only.
He stretched his tall thin frame and was rewarded with a pop in his back. In the downstairs conference room, ten agents were there. Several maps, papers, computers, coffees, teacups, and guns were scattered everywhere. It was a strange combination of things.
They would stay until the arrival of Sherlock Holmes. They were informed that Holmes was on the way. It was as if they were preparing for a third world war.
Holmes was on the move and expected to be there as soon as they managed to cross the border. The analyst's hands tapped nervously on his thighs without him noticing. Kevin's gun was discreetly tucked in his back trouser belt as advised by the Agent called Thomas. The young analyst hoped that he would not need the gun.
Patel tried to control the nervous energy he felt. He noticed that he was bouncing one foot up and down. He looked longingly at his coffee. Perhaps more coffee now was not a good idea.
Kevin sat back down again and rolled his head from left to right to relieve stress. He returned to work. His fingers flying across the computer keys again.
BAM!
Kevin jumped at his computer. He exhaled a breath when he realized that one of the agents accidently pushed over several eat off trays that slammed to the floor. Kevin's face reddened slightly. He cleared his throat as his heart rate returned to normal. He hoped no one saw him jump.
His fingers returned to the computer keys almost automatically as his brilliant mind wandered.
Patel considered how Agent Thomas and the Captain helped him to practice some hand-to-hand combat before they left. He liked Agent Thomas and the Captain.
Patel was trained over two years ago. It was embarrassing to admit, but he had never needed to use the methods he was trained with. The only thing Kevin ever fought on his assignments was boredom. Now he had to be prepared to fight trained terrorist employed by the most dangerous criminal in the world.
"Happy days," Kevin whispered sarcastically as his feet pushed him from one computer screen to another.
When Thomas helped Kevin, he did not make him feel inferior. Thomas taught him a few tricks with the gun as well. He hoped he would not need to use them. Kevin wondered if he was the same person who was complaining of being bored only a little more than a month ago?
Kevin hoped that the Captain and Agent Thomas would be arriving with Holmes. He was anxious to see the man that moved so many people to find him. Kevin thought he would not mind the fact that he would see Agent Thomas and Captain Magoro both soon as well. He would thank them for…
Kevin's thoughts were interrupted as beeps sounded. An image was recreated by print as it rolled out of a machine.
Kevin's eyes widened for the third time in three hours. He cursed silently as he impatiently waited for the machine to fully finish printing the image. His fingers tapped nervously on his leg as he resisted the urge to rip the paper from the machine.
Kevin transmitted the information.
If the Intel he had just transmitted was correct, a small war was about to start. Sherlock Holmes was the object of desire for both sides. One side was determined to get Mr. Holmes back. The other side was just as determined to keep him.
The mansion and areas surrounding the mansion finally finished printing. Kevin sighed with relief as he snatched it from the printer and briskly walked to the stairs. He then ran rhythmically down the stairs. He walked up to the agent in charge as he attempted to hide his nervousness.
"Sir," Kevin said, "Here are the activities and the ETAs. They will be arriving soon. Significant activity is north of the mansion and seems to be heading that way. Fast.."
Secrets weigh heavily on the soul. ~ Grace Freeman
Ten minutes later
Irene had shown Yang's room location and the location of the hidden canister.
She was looking paler now. Irene blinked her eyes to keep them open. She only grimaced at first but then stifled an escaped moan. It turned quickly into a full groan. John had given her something for pain.
She looked at John earnestly. She suddenly started mumbling coherently at times, incoherently other times. John frowned. Irene seemed to be rambling more now.
"John you have to..." She said with closed eyes. She opened them and blinked rapidly.
"Wit…With the exception of Sherlock, I trust no one but you to do this." Irene said weakly.
"Do what Irene," he asked as he finished closing the wound dressing back to her abdomen and tucked the shock blanket back snugly around her.
"He doesn't know John. John if something should happen to me." Adler suddenly became quiet. John thought she was asleep and was surprised when she continued to speak.
"You'll receive a text message. There is someone that I need for you to…There's something that I need you to take care of for me." Irene had to rest before continuing. "N…Normally the text would first go to Sherlock then to you only if …something should happen to him. Mycroft is the last resort."
"Irene, what are you going on about? I'm afraid you're not making sense love." John wondered of the pain medications were making her not think clearly. He doubted she would even remember what she said later.
"I'm fine," she was starting to slur, "Stay with Sherlock. He ne…needs you John. If something happens to me, help Sher…Sherlock take care of him." Adler barely was able to finish.
"Take care of him? Him who?" John asked confused. Adler's eyes rolled closed suddenly.
John frowned and felt for a pulse. He sighed relieved. She just passed out again. "She's talking nonsense. It must be the drugs," John said quietly to himself.
Myers came over to Adler and John. Myers knelt down next to them both. John brushed Irene's hair out of her face. It was strange seeing her vulnerable. She was always so strong. Sherlock was also always so strong. It was a bit surreal to see them both vulnerable at the same time.
"Is she going to be OK?" Mary Myers asked. John looked at Irene; she was going in and out of consciousness now and was out again.
"Yes. She's one of the strongest persons I know." John replied absently.
John looked at her. If what she said was correct and not just drug induced fantasies, if a life was indeed on the line, he would do everything in his power to make sure that that life was safe.
A gentle breeze blew. Adlers' dark hair danced and waved before resting on the front of her face again. John's calloused fingers gently brushed it out of her face for the second time.
He saw and heard the all terrain vehicles arriving. John sighed in relief. Now Adler could be transported. She could not afford to lose much more blood.
"Mary," John said. "I would feel better if someone I knew went with her for protection. I'm anxious to get back to Sherlock. If something were to happen to her, Sherlock would not be happy." He hesitated and thought about it as he realized the truth of his words. "Neither would I."
The old Adler, John had not liked in all honesty. If he was truthful, parts of him had disliked her strongly. The slow and painful changed that he had witnessed in her over the past year and nine months had made him, first slowly cautious, then tolerant, then cautiously optimistic.
Now he realized that he was fond of her. John knew she was fond of him as well. She had more than proven her faithfulness to Sherlock and that was all that mattered in John's opinion. Her faithfulness to other people however was still up for debate.
Mary talked on her phone for a moment. "Agent Lauer will accompany her. I've instructed him not to leave her side for any reason."
"Do you trust him Mary?" John asked as he looked and watched them loading her onto the stretcher to be carried.
"Yes John," she said as he gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "I've worked with him on and off for four years."
"I would go with her myself, but with what happened to Thomas, I need to be here with Captain Magoro. We need to finish up and get back across the border as soon as possible."
"Where is Thomas anyway? He's normally here in these situations. It's usually difficult to get him away from Sherlock. He's the only agent Sherlock seems to tolerate." He sighed with relief as he looked. Agent Lauer helped to loaded Adler onto the vehicle. They immediately drove away. John felt a burden lift when he was assured that Adler was on her way to the airlift and medical care.
John now turned his attention to Mary who he just realized had become quiet.
"What?" John asked.
"I guess you wouldn't know about Thomas, would you? I suggest we talk as we travel to the labs then Yáng's room." Mary said as she glanced at the roads from the mansion.
"After you," He said. They both jogged back into the mansion.