When Lestrade returns to the hospital early the next morning he finds Sherlock curled up in a chair watching John sleep. The room is unexpected. The bed is the normal adjustable metal contraption familiar from all NHS rooms. Everything else is inexplicably extravagant. The chair Sherlock is sitting in actually looks comfortable, beside him is a low table with a laptop wired up to the internet via cable. The artwork on the wall looks genuine and on the table by the window sit a very tasteful flower arrangement and a stack of books, magazines and DVDs. The pillows look thick and fluffy and the blanket covering John is not the threadbare cotton Lestrade remembers from his own stints in hospital but rather wonderfully soft cashmere. This room smelled of money, in fact it quite literally did, it didn't smell of antiseptic and sick but of cinnamon and something more floral that might be emanating from the floral arrangement.
'How'd you manage this then?' Lestrade asked in a low voice as he approached the bed.
'My brother has connections.' Sherlock explained with a shrug.
'Have I met him?' Lestrade asked inquisitively.
'I seriously hope not' came Sherlock's swift reply.
'Right how is John?' Lestrade asked indicating the sleeping body in the bed.
'He's badly concussed and his arms are likely to scar but all in all it could have been a lot worse.
'Is that the reason for the thingy' Lestrade asked indicated the tube coming out of John's head.
'It regulates the pressure inside his skull. If unaided it may cause pressure to build and serve to kill him. So you see Attempted murder is not too harsh a term to use.
'I'm sorry Sherlock but I don't think we'll even get her for abuse. The whole ting's turned very ugly.' Lestrade turned decidedly crimson as he delivered the bad news.
'What do you mean. It's an open and shut case.' Sherlock argued anger written plainly across his features.
'She's claiming self defense and Sherlock you should see her bruises. Lestrade looked honestly apologetic.
'No, John would never, you know that.' Sherlock argued sounding suddenly angry'
'I'm not saying I believe her but the level of bruising she has will convince any jury and that is all that matters. Are you sure he never fought back. He never hit her?'
'Of course not' Sherlock all but shouted.
'I did once.' John admitted weakly. 'About a month ago, she hit me really hard and I slapped her. I didn't mean to, it was pure reflex but I did.'
'I wish you hadn't told me that. It certainly isn't the reason for her bruises now. You didn't hit her last night, did you? Lestrade asked seriously.
'I didn't touch her.' John offered weakly. His face was ghostly pale and Lestrade had little doubt that what he claimed was true.
'Someone has beaten her up rather spectacularly but I doubt it was you.' Lestrade admitted hesitantly.
'I… I wouldn't…' John argued, growing pale even as he tried to defend himself.
John's breath grew increasingly ragged as he gasped and wheezed. 'John calm down. Just breathe for me.' Lestrade urged as John gasped, turning a rather spectacular shade of blue.
'I… didn't' John gasped and Lestrade had little doubt that he was being honest.
'John I believe you, just calm down, breathe… it's alright.' Lestrade urged, placing a gentle hand on John's arm.
Sherlock approached John, carefully grasping his hand. 'John would never hurt her and you know that. He argued and Lestrade nodded.
'I may know it but that doesn't change the fact that she looks like someone gave her a thorough beating and she claims it was John who did it.
'That's ridiculous, she's the one who's abusive, not John.' Sherlock all but shouted.
'John, Sherlock suggests that this has been going on for some time. Have you got any pictures, any evidence that she's been hurting you?' Lestrade asked visually directing the question to Sherlock as well with a nod of the head.
'Lestrade, if your wife hit you would you be taking photographs of it for posterity?' John asked calmly and Lestrade had to admit that no, he probably wouldn't, in fact he would do anything in his power to avoid anyone finding out, which probably gave him some idea of how John was feeling at the moment.
Hesitating Lestrade looks down at John with trepidation 'Does it hurt?' he asks, a hand hovering above John's bandaged arms.
'Yes, not that badly though.' John whispers.
'He wouldn't say that if it wasn't for the morphine.' Sherlock explains.
'S'fine' John mumbles and Lestrade watches as he slips off to sleep.
'For the record, what's the actual verdict?' he asks Sherlock seriously.
'Seriously concussed including minor swelling of the temporal lobe and cuts on his arms resulting in non life threatening blood loss which will almost certainly result in scarring' Sherlock stated with a calm that belied his true emotions.
'Sherlock, I know this is an odd thing to ask but you didn't by any chance take pictures of any of the previous times Laura hurt him?' Lestrade asked and Sherlock stared at him in confusion.
'It's just well, she does have pictures, they're not dated which is good for us but she does have them.'
Sherlock blinks incredulously at Lestrade.
'Do you really think John would have allowed me to photograph the evidence that he was being beaten up by his girlfriend?' He asks calmly and Lestrade can only admit that no, that was probably a vain hope.
'I'm sorry to say that in that case John might be in a spot of trouble. I'm not saying I believe her but she has photographs and records from two different walk in surgeries to back her up.' Lestrade delivers the unhappy news.
'It's her father. John told me, her father has been abusing her and her mother since childhood, John told me. Surely there has to be records from before she met John to prove it.' Sherlock questions.
'If we can find them.' Lestrade nods hopefully.
'Mycroft will find them.' Sherlock says confidently.
'Who's Mycroft?' Lestrade questions.
'My brother.' Is Sherlocks simple explanation.
'Your brother who can procure evidence whether or not it exists and who is capable of arranging a very posh single bedroom in a hospital with a bed shortage… I'm not sure if I really want to meet your brother or if I want to make sure I never meet him in my life.' Lestrade ponders.
'Almost certainly the latter.' Sherlock promises but Lestrade is not entirely convinced. After all, he is very fond of Sherlock, how bad could this potential brother really be.