Sherlock is surprised at how fast John seems to recover. By the time they reach UCH John is conscious again and providing facts about politicians and celebrities that Sherlock has never heard of. A doctor meets them almost straight away and John is taken off to have his head scanned, leaving Sherlock sitting alone in the waiting room trying to figure out if the reason every instance of blunt force trauma with a bottle that he can remember has ended in the victim's death is because death is a foregone conclusion or because if they had survived he had not been interested.
Having long since worked his way through all relevant data in his mind palace Sherlock was sat in the waiting room watching and deducing the various ailments of the people waiting to be seen when Lestrade arrived at the hospital. He has washed his hands but his shirt is still covered in blood making the patients eye him with wary concern.
'Christ Sherlock. You look a fright. How is John?' Lestrade mumbled as he sits down next to Sherlock.
'Badly concussed I suspect. He's having a CT scan done as we speak but he was conscious when we came in. Very confused but conscious, so that probably means he'll make it. He was in a lot of pain though. I should have made sure I was there. I knew she was hurting him and it's been escalating.' Sherlock stated, head bowed in guilt.
'Poor John. How long has it been going on?' Lestrade asked concern clearly spread across his face. He liked John and he knew that the doctor almost certainly had been hesitant to reveal the abuse. The man was hopelessly prone to neglecting his own safety.
'Months. They'd only been going out for a month the first time he admitted it to me. After that he grew more secretive. It probably happened a lot more often than I was able to discover it. She was clever. She tended to avoid his face but I know things were getting worse. She cut him with a scalpel less than two weeks ago. Today was just the worst in a series of bad incidents. Lestrade, she broke a bottle of wine over his head and then proceeded to cut him with it. He was in such a state. Tell me you are putting her away for this.' Sherlock demanded and Lestrade nodded solemnly.
'I doubt we can get her for attempted murder but certainly on abuse charges. What's her name?' he said with sadness in his voice.
'Laura. I don't know her surname but she works in the food department of Selfridges, comes from an abusive family and has two cats.' Sherlock supplies and at that point their conversation is ended as John is wheeled back in and placed in a treatment room to deal with the cuts on his arms. He is decidedly groggy but conscious and Sherlock assumes that the fact that he has been wheeled back to A&E rather than rushed off to surgery must mean that the head wound is not life threatening.
'How are you feeling?' Lestrade asks gently
'Head's fuzzy but I'm drugged up so it doesn't hurt any more.' John mumbles tiredly as the doctor removes the bandages from his arms and carefully cleans and stitches them. 'What are you doing here?' John asks Lestrade with a puzzled frown.
'Well someone reported an attempted murder. That is my division, and since I had a vested interest in seeing the victim safe I came in person.' Lestrade teased.
'Not attempted murder. Just a messy breakup.' John tried to argue and Sherlock scoffed and rolled his eyes.
'She hit you over the head with a bottle, that's a bit more than a messy breakup.' Lestrade says stepping closer to John.
John shakes his head but winces at the pain this elicits. 'She was upset.' John tries to play down the incident but his words are rather nullified by the fact that he immediately snatches the emesis bowl from the tray next to him and gags into it bringing up nothing but stomach acid. 'I hate concussions.' He mumbles weakly and Sherlock and Lestrade exchange worried looks.
'She's been beating you up for months. You should have reported it that first time she hit you.' Sherlock scolds.
'Are you saying this is my fault for not running to the police when I get slapped.' John says with a hint of anger in his slurred words.
'No one is saying this is your fault John.' The doctor interjected with a stern glare at Sherlock.
'Definitely not.' Lestrade agrees. 'But you should report her or she'll go on to do this to someone else. Maybe someone who isn't as strong as you and don't have the courage to leave her.'
John nods slowly 'I know. I just want her to get help, she's not well.' John continues his defence of his ex girlfriend.
'Right now the more pressing concern is getting you help, and that means getting a restraining order.' Lestrade offers 'and I will get someone to arrest her and we can deal with specific charges and punishments after I know she's not able to cause you further harm. I know someone who will never forgive me if I didn't ensure that you're safe.'
Sherlock has grown unusually quiet as he watches the stitches being put into John's skin. 'I'm sorry John.' He finally says at which John waves a dismissive hand in the air.
'It's not your fault Sherlock.' He whispers but it is obvious that he is beginning to flag, struggling to keep his eyes open.
'But I knew, I've known for months and I did nothing to stop her.' There is genuine upset in Sherlock's voice and the doctor gives him a thoughtful look as he wraps John's stitched up arms with gauze. Sherlock feels the man's judgement burning into his skin.
'Not your job.' John mumbles eyes closed.
'But it is, keeping you safe is my job.' Sherlock argues and Lestrade places a careful hand on his shoulder.
'Blaming yourself won't help John. Let him rest and I will go and arrest this girlfriend of his. You definitely need to clean up' Lestrade urges.
'Ex girlfriend.' Sherlock corrects 'And I'm not going anywhere. Mycroft or Mrs Hudson can bring me some clothes