Continuation of "Scattered Scenes" by Camille
Episode 2, Season 6
Picks up a couple of months after the end of episode one, season six.
A couple of months later...
Sherlock and John had been following some leads on a case involving a very dangerous criminal named Émile Dupin, who had concocted a plan to bring unrest to England - so dangerous that he'd take out anyone who stood in his way.
Mycroft had enlisted his brother and Dr. Watson to pursue Dupin. They had been successful until near the end. The older Holmes had adamantly insisted that when Sherlock found their guy, Mycroft's men would take over. However, Sherlock being... well, Sherlock, had assumed a role beyond the call of duty. And so he is now seen on an operating table with numerous medical professionals trying to save his life.
John in a blood-soaked blue shirt is pacing the walkway between the chairs in the waiting room.
Lestrade enters the room as he hangs up his phone. "Any word?" he asks John.
John subtly shakes his head as he comes to a halt in front of Greg.
"I just spoke with Mycroft's men. They have Dupin in custody." says Lestrade trying to distract John from the possibility of Sherlock's end.
"Good," says John. "That bastard must pay." He remembers, "Where's Mycroft?"
"They said he was on his way," explains Greg.
Just then a surgeon walks out of the OR and searches for John. He spots him and walks quickly to his side.
"Doctor," says John nervously. "How did it go?"
With no sugar-coating, the surgeon explains. "It went as well as can be expected. The bullets narrowly missed Mr. Holmes' spine, so we are hopeful if he does recover, paralysis wouldn't be a concern."
"If?" asks John.
The doctor nods and pats John on his shoulder. "The next 48 hours will be key. Mr. Holmes will be moved into an ICU room soon. You should be able to see him tomorrow morning." And then he walks back to the OR.
John isn't sure how to react.
Greg Lestrade watches as the surgeon vanishes behind the OR doors. "Why did he says bullets? As in plural?"
John nods and walks over to a chair to take a seat. Greg follows. "We didn't see him coming. It's almost as if he was waiting for us."
Greg tries to be supportive by listening even though John had already given the police his accounts.
John is getting riled up as he replays the events in his mind. "I told Sherlock to wait. I told him we should wait for Mycroft. But he wouldn't listen."
"It wouldn't be him if he did listen," says Greg. He remembers something and looks around. "Where's Rosie tonight?"
"Mrs. Hudson has her. I didn't tell her how bad it was, don't want her to worry."
"Yeh, it makes sense. Shouldn't worry her now," agrees Greg.
John remembers. "Molly," he says and quickly gets up from his chair and starts dialing a number.
"Hey there! Sorry can't talk right now, but leave a voice message, yeah? Or a text. Whatever's convenient," with a chuckle she ends the voicemail message.
"Damn it!" says John as he paces again.
"What is it?" Lestrade joins John.
"I nearly forgot she is at some conference in Leeds."
"Oh," says Lestrade as he isn't entirely sure why that is important.
John looks at him directly and asks, "Can you do me a favor, Greg?"
"Anything, mate. Go on," says the inspector.
"Can you get Molly here as soon as you can?"
"What? From Leeds?"
"Yes, as soon as you can," repeats John.
"But that's over four hours away," says a confused Lestrade.
"Yes, and I don't want her driving."
Someone enters the waiting room from the outside. As always in grand fashion, Mycroft interrupts with his umbrella. "I have already sent for Ms. Hooper."
"Mycroft," says John as he looks up.
"She should be here before sunrise."
Lestrade is still confused about Molly's involvement.
"How is my brother?" asks the older Holmes.
"The operation went well as can be expected per the surgeon."
"But?" assumes Mycroft.
As much as John doesn't like the placing of the word he admits, "But he didn't seem very hopeful. We will have to wait and see the next 48 hours."
The older man looks down at John's blood-soaked shirt. "Is that his..." he fails to complete the question.
John nods.
Mycroft is clearly shaken up by his brother's current condition and so he turns away to hide his emotions from the doctor and inspector.
Not wanting to impose any longer, Lestrade takes his leave. "I should get back to the station, but please call me with any developments, yeh?"
John nods.
"I'll check on Mrs. H and the little one on my way," he assures John.
"Thank you, Greg."
The inspector exists the room leaving John alone with Mycroft Holmes.
Silence as Mycroft is still turned away from John.
Still facing away, Mycroft speaks. "You were right to want Ms. Hooper here."
John sees this as an opening to talk to his friend. Despite it all, he was a friend. "Yes, I think it's only right."
Mycroft knows that John has assumed the role of the responsible one in this situation. He is trying to keep it together for the sake of others around him. At present, Mycroft. He turns to face the doctor.
"I know you don't think much of me, John..."
Mycroft's use of his first name makes John look up instantly. It's very rarely used by the older Holmes.
"But I do love my brother dearly," Mycroft takes a seat. "I don't want this to be his end."
"It won't be," assures John.
"How do you know?"
John sighs. "I don't know. But I must hope." He joins Mycroft by sitting next to him.
Scene fades.
The next morning...
Mycroft and John (now washed and changed into clean clothes) are in the room in which Sherlock lays unconscious.
They stand on each side of the bed and look at the man lying helplessly in front of them.
The door opens, Molly rushes in and pauses as she sees John and Mycroft.
Noticing Molly's entrance, John steps back a bit for the woman to see her favorite detective.
"Wha..." she struggles a bit to understand what had happened. "H-how is he?" she asks softly as she walks up to the bed.
"Still unconscious," replies John.
Mycroft decides to leave the room. John isn't sure if it was to prompt him to also leave so that Ms. Hooper could have some privacy.
Molly steps closer and places her hands on the railing of the hospital bed as she looks at Sherlock's pale face.
John decides it's time for him to also leave the room.
Alone with the man she had pined for for years, Molly struggles to say something. Anything. She had moved on and was happy with their friendship. A platonic relationship she had come to rely on the past couple of months with no expectations beyond love for her friend. It took her years and a trip halfway around the world to get over the man lying in front of her. But in one evening, he is to bring back... "No!" she thinks adamantly. "This is not about that. My friend is holding onto his dear life."
She sees all the tubes and wires surrounding him. His heart is steadily beating, but there's no movement elsewhere to suggest he is going to be alright.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Sherlock?" she asks softly. She fights back tears. "You have to come back. John needs you, little Rosie needs you, Ms. Hudson, your siblings... all need you to be alive. You must fight, you hear me, Sherlock?"
Tears start falling down her cheeks but she quickly wipes them away as she hears a nurse enter the room.
Molly steps aside as the nurse checks on the patient. She decides she should leave the room to allow the nurse some space.
Molly exits the room as she resumes crying. She looks down at her hand and notices that she is holding Sherlock's hat. She doesn't know how she got it, maybe she grabbed it on the way out of the room, but she looks at it happy that she has something to hold onto.
Scene fades.
A few hours later...
John is sitting by Sherlock's side reading a book - or trying to. But he keeps getting distracted, hoping his friend would show some sign, any sign, that he's fighting to return.
John chuckles a bit to himself as he shuts the book closed. "Typical Sherlock, isn't it?" He looks at his friend. "Trying to go out without explaining yourself to anyone." He stands up and paces a bit. "I mean, not just to anyone. The people who matter to you... they shouldn't be in the dark. You can't leave us now. I mean, poor Rosie... how am I going to explain this to my daughter?" He sternly adds, "You promised you'd be there, Sherlock. You just can't quit on us. Mary wanted you to be here... with us!"
He takes a moment to compose himself but he remembers to add, "And I will not let you go without telling Molly Hooper the truth!" He points to the door. "She is out there refusing to leave, refusing to get some rest, thinking that if she does, she would miss something." He sighs and continues, "Who was it that said something about," he thinks. "Something about the biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman... uh... with no intention of reciprocating, or something like that?" He remembers, "Marley! That's right, Bob Marley said that. You would be in Marley hell if you didn't tell," he points again, "that woman how you truly feel."
He paces again. "And... and Mrs. Hudson. She cannot go through another Sherlock death. Not again. Not a real one." He calms down, "So you see? You're not off the hook."
Scene fades.
Later that evening...
Mycroft is now taking a turn to sit with his brother. He isn't entirely sure what to do or say. So he decides to give him an account of what has taken place since Sherlock's horrible turn of bad luck.
"Dupin will be locked away for life - although, I'm not sure how long he will survive. He has made a lot of enemies the past few years."
Pause.
"Mother and father are in Sherrinford visiting Eurus, so I didn't think it was wise to tell them about..." he looks down at his brother's body lying on the hospital bed. "We don't know how Eurus would react to our parents' emotions. I'll send someone for them tomorrow."
Pause.
"Doctor Watson is out there having a nap on some very uncomfortable chairs." Mycroft looks at his brother, hoping for a sign. "It took many tries but I somehow convinced Ms. Hooper to get some rest by asking her to check in on Ms. Hudson and little Rosamund." He adds, "Inspector Lestrade is accompanying her."
Silence.
"Oh, a fellow by the name of Anderson came by to see you." He strolls to the other side of the hospital bed. "There are people around you who actually care about you, Sherlock. Not because of something they need not want from you. But people who genuinely care." Pause. "It's a rare gift, Sherlock. If I were you... not that I could ever be you... I'd do my darnedest to return to these people."
A couple of days later...
It's dark, almost as if he had lost his eyesight. He hears voices... muffled voices and so he tries hard to listen.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Sherlock?" he hears in echoes.
"You promised you'd be there, Sherlock."
"I'd do my darnedest to return to these people."
"Mary wanted you to be here... with us!"
"You must fight, you hear me, Sherlock?"
As the echoes fade out, his sight fades in. Blurry at first, he slowly looks to his right and sees a man sleeping in the chair next to the bed.
"John?" he thinks.
Groggily, he turns his head to his left and sees another man but he is looking at him. "Mycroft?" he says softly.
"Sherlock?" says his brother in excitement and disbelief.
The detective witnesses joy on his brother's face - still blurred though his vision, he was sure he saw joy on Mycroft's face.
The older Holmes rushes out the door to get the doctors as John starts to wake up.
"Sherlock?" says John a little too loud, then checks himself as he gets up from his chair and look over the railing of the bed. "Sherlock? You're awake." he says more softly.
The excitement had traveled to outside of the hospital room. A group of medical professionals enter the room instantly followed by Mycroft.
One of the doctors starts examining him straight away. "Mr. Holmes, do you know where you are?"
Still groggy, but the detective replies with sarcasm, "Disneyland?"
John rolls his eyes as Mycroft gestures at the doctor to disregard his brother's snark.
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Two," he replies correctly.
The doctor continues to check up on him as John and Mycroft stand back but suddenly they hear Sherlock attempting to sing.
"No woman... uh... cry," he sings off tune.
Everyone in the room is confused.
"Is he singing...?" starts Mycroft.
John has an amused expression on his face as he adds, "Bob Marley." He looks up at Mycroft with a genuine smile due to Sherlock's clear sign of recovery... and then he notices Molly in the back, near the doorway still holding what looks like Sherlock's hat, looking relieved.
Scene fades.
Thank you so much for reading! Will publish the final series of scattered scenes sometime soon.
As always, your comments/reviews are welcome. Also, I'd really like to hear from you if you think I should continue this series.