When Mycroft wakes he finds himself stretched out in his now rumpled three piece suit on top of a bed next to his brother. But surely that can't be right, John had been sleeping there and surely his still needed the bed. As realisation enters his mind and he understands that he has been drugged he feels an unexpected pang of fear at the possibility that John might be no more.
Sherlock is curled up in bed staring out of the window with his back to Mycroft and his skinny frame curled up in bed reminds Mycroft of their childhood. He remembers being left to watch his brother for the summer holiday and coming in to wake him to find him covered in spots and trembling under the duvet, it had frightened Mycroft to see his little brother so ill but once he called their father and told him about it he had returned home and swiftly taken Sherlock to the doctor and Mycroft had been relieved of the responsibility. He wishes he could do the same now but he is a grown man, he can't call his father for help.
More even than that he remembers Sherlock's desolation at the death of their dog. The way the little boy had cried and cried hiding in his room and refusing to come out. That had been worse and Mycroft knows that if something even worse has happened to John and he is no longer for this world it will break Sherlock and Mycroft will be the one to have to pick up the pieces.
'Sherlock? What happened? I take it I was drugged? Where is John?' He asks of his brothe'rs slender back as he forces himself into a sitting position. Sherlock turns in bed to look at him and Mycroft has a vague suspicion that he may have been crying but then it may just be the illness causing his eyes to be so red and bright.
'Yes you were, you've been out of it for at least an hour, well longer probably, an hour since I woke up, since… ' and Sherlock's face goes slightly red as his fear and sadness transforms into anger which as so often before he directs at his brother. 'How could you? You were supposed to keep him safe. His hand was horribly broken, he had six fractures Mycroft, six broken bones in one hand. He's having surgery, that's where he is, again, and if they can't fix it it's your fault.' He yells and it is proof that he is at least physically getting better that he manages to do so without succumbing to another coughing fit.
Mycroft isn't put out by his brother's outburst. In fact he is quite relieved to hear that John is still among the living even though the breach of the clinic which he had deemed a safe place is very worrisome. Mycroft is not so naïve as to think that anywhere is ever entirely safe, any place can be breached if you are clever enough, and Mycroft is clever enough but he really would like to think that this also means that he is clever enough to keep those he cares for safe.
'I'll find this man, somehow, I'll put my best men on it.' Mycroft offers and Sherlock shakes his head angrily.
'Why didn't you do that in the first place?' he snaps angrily but his ire is giving way to tired petulance and it is strangely endearing once again reminding Mycroft of Sherlock at aged six asking Mycroft why he wasn't allowed to seek vengeance on the school bully who had given him a black eye. Mycroft had tried back then to explain to his little brother that there were rules for how to deal with bullies but when Sherlock had come home the next week limping and with his school uniform torn Mycroft had gone back on that statement and taken it upon himself to put the nasty little brat in his place. This had got him in trouble but it had been worth it when he found that Sherlock no longer returned home looking worse for wear on a regular basis.
He hoped that this time he would be able to help his brother without resorting to illegal means but that didn't seem to be such a problem any longer, after all he could almost certainly have the law altered should he find the need to break it, he had done so before. And so he turns on his heel smoothing out his suit with a curt 'Feel better Sherlock, I'll be back.'
A rather short chapter this time, sorry about that.