A/N: A fourth chapter. I didn't expect this. I thought I would pass out but that clearly isn't the case or this wouldn't be here, now would it? I can't wait to get the last two updated so then I can get to the really interesting stuff. Two more informational chapters and character presentations and we get into the story! I have so much in store you have no idea. It's a lot. If you read my notes for this story and saw the character designs, it would be a lot.

Okay, because this is mentioned later and I am unsure and half asleep, I can't remember if I mentioned who they are. They are mentioned in the next chapter if I am correct, but I want to clear it up now since it isn't cleared up in this chapter specifically.

Translucents: They don't belong to the Monochrome or the Iridescence divisions. They are practically a mistake in the genes that cause them to be severely different. Their skin is very pale and are translucent so you can see their veins and organs clearly. They are bin but they see white in this blindness, not black. Their hair is nonexistent or white. They also have sharp cheek bones and a malnourished figure. As for mentality, they are intelligent and can "deduct" who you are regardless of sight. They whisper for communication but what they say is often important.

That is the break down of my notes. It killed me to write that little on these types. Especially since I worked so hard on them! Oh well, you will see them eventually and maybe I can go into more depth.

So, with that said, read/fav/follow/review! Enjoy the chapter! I'll try for chapter five though that is unlikely. ^^"

Ciao~

Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock

Chapter 4: Dappled

Leaning against my desk chair, I sighed. Today was just as predicted. A very long day full of patients and the usual topics of conversation. It wasn't the patients fault. It never was the patients fault. It was just the fact that I have been ignoring sleeping and eating for the past two days and it is beginning to catch up with me. Severely. I could feel my eyelids threatening to fall as I stared at these notes to write down prescriptions and the like.

My vision blurred a little as my eyelids fluttered and I brought my hand up to rub the sleep away. I just have to put my signature and I'm done with this patient. With a flick of my wrist and a few slashes in between, I saw my name written on the form in what was known among the people as "doctor's scrawl".

Well, if you were about to fall off your heels in exhaustion, stress, and other unhealthy aspects, I suppose your signature wouldn't be in the best state either.

Flipping the page up, I did the same to that page and dropped the previous page on it.

Alright... next patient. Who's next?

Picking both of the pages up, I blinked when I came to the end of the clipboard. Only a plastic grey board was behind the page. It took me a second too long to register what this meant. Wait. I'm done? My last patient has already come? How did I not notice?

I thought back to how many patients I had. A total of eight patients. Their visits were a blur but certainly they didn't go by that quickly.

But they had and I felt the stress lift off my shoulders when I realized what this meant.

I couldn't hide the little grin that crossed my features. I shouldn't be this happy about a patient within my care. It was wrong but I had a feeling Sherlock was a very peculiar exception to these morals. So far he had been to all the ones I had previously set for myself when I entered this profession. I don't know how. Maybe it was his attitude or some other aspect that slithered in and sidled next to my rebellious nature.

Whatever the reason, I was anticipating the meeting with Sherlock Holmes. I already had to go to his room to deliver any and all injuries he managed to contract and ways to move without stressing them. It would be a strictly professional visit. My mates wouldn't think anything of the fact that I might have a little skip in my walk just to meet the younger Holmes.

My grin faltered.

Then again, I was also a tad anxious. This anxiety just made me all the more curious of the man, but I still couldn't hide the fact that what he knew of me was very intriguing since I have never met him before in my life. How could he have known something of my past that I have kept strictly hidden? He's not even a Translucent. It's obvious that he is the common Monochrome, but the way he was able to tell I was a captain was very surprising.

And definitely interesting. Damn it all.

Smiling, I was about to get up and retrieve my stuff to leave after the conversation when a knock came to my door. A second later, an average height woman with short white (maybe blond if color existed) hair peeked in. I saw her hair bob slightly at the movement when she peered at me from behind the door. The smile only spread. Mary. Right, didn't I promise to take her out tonight?

She grinned in response, "Hey John."

I nodded in her direction, "Mary."

"You ready?" She motioned to the door she just came through as if to tell me to get off my arse and out this door. She was definitely the tough one. She may appear sweet and innocent, but I have been on the opposite end of her anger – mostly when under alcohol – and she has a mean right hook. My jaw still hurts from the contact. Still, she was a good friend and a long lasting one as well.

See how I say friend? We are not soul mates, though that didn't seem to bother us. Friends worked. She was, along with Sarah, one of the first people to actually come up to me and help me around when I first applied here. She was also a friend before all of this, knowing me as far back as before I went to the military.

She was a good friend. I would be lying if I said I didn't wish for the opposite though.

"Yeah, give me a second. I need to go to one more patient before we leave. Deliver the usual news." I didn't tell her how I might take a tad longer for my own selfish reasons, but she nodded nonetheless. She knew me and that smile only emphasized that.

"Alright. Just don't take more than an hour, John," she waggled her finger at me, "Or I will come in no matter what you are doing and will drag you out by those ears of yours." And she was serious. I almost instinctively covered my ears but barely kept my hands down. She would do it too. Maybe not too hard, but she would definitely do it if she had to.

She walked out the door and I grabbed my jumper and gray-coloured folders before flipping the lights off and shutting the door behind me.

I strolled down the corridor to the stairs. If I was correct, the 200s should be along floor 4. So that would be one floor below me. Well that's convenient.

Quickly going down the steps, I looked at each room until I found room 221. It was in the most desolate part of the corridor and I smiled sadly when I realized that was probably the point of this.

I was about to knock on the door, but a voice stopped me before I had the chance.

"Come in Doctor Watson."

Temporarily stunned, I walk in and grin sheepishly. Sherlock was sitting there, ignoring the platter of food placed on his cot and pressing random buttons on the telly. He didn't look amused. If anything, he looked very very bored.

Closing the door, I walked over to the chair and sat beside him. I didn't know what to say so I just went into doctor mode and began to explain his injuries in detail. He didn't stop me.

"Your injuries are not too severe. For that, you are lucky. If the bullet had lodged itself in the lungs you might have been in worse condition than simple bed rest. That being said, the stitching should hold for common household chores and the like but no strenuous work or the sutures will be pulled. Keep off them and let them dissolve or if you would like them out as soon as possible, you can come in two weeks from now and I will personally remove them after a thorough check up."

I paused to see if he caught on. He gave a jerky nod and I continued.

"The cuts are in a range from shallow to deep. Certain ones had to be stitched to cease blood loss, but it was only a select few. Again, no strenuous activity or these could be pulled and the scenario can be made worse. Other cuts will heal over time. Be sure to replace the gauze or have someone help you with it daily. I would advice you to take a shower in two days from now, but it's optional depending on your hygienic preferences."

Picking his arm up, the one plastered and under a long sleeve shirt, I motioned to the fractured ulna, "I advise to not use this arm. It is best. At least wait a week before doing anything with pressure. Too much pressure and the ulna could break. Then you would be back here again." The whole time I said this I ignored that little spark that occurred. It must mean he was close to what my mate will be like. Definitely.

After putting his arm down and discerning the little spark as an accident in my genes, I looked at Sherlock. He was watching me with this curious expression which quickly changed to indifference as I caught it.

"Are you done?" he prompted.

I nodded and he sighed.

"Finally. I was getting bored having to catalog all of that information. Really, could you doctor's get any duller? I highly doubt it. Then we would have a real epidemic on our hands now wouldn't we, captain?" I winced at the title again.

Ah! Right!

"Wait, how did you know that?" I stopped him and he eyed me with amusement.

"Oh? The military stature you uphold? Simple. If you want more, I can tell that you are a Monochrome, have a older sibling – brother no doubt –, has a little hobby in art, no relationships because you gave up on them. Do you want more?"

I sat there stunned. Shaking my head, I felt the grin fall on my face, "Yes. Can you tell me how you did that?"

He seemed taken aback by my interest but complied with a few murmurs, "Military. Clearly returned from across seas perhaps three weeks ago. The tan line on your hands and the striking contrast under the scrubs is more proof. Also, you still have the indention that point to dog tags. You can't wear them in the hospital, but you wear them everywhere else. Your posture points to highly trained and the stern voice you gave your pathetic aide was one of higher rank than a typical greenie but not as high as a Lieutenant. Captain was a guess, but a good one." He shrugged and I stood their like a bass fish. That was brilliant. Absolutely.

"And the Monochrome and sibling?" I pushed on and he raised a brow. Surprised. I caught him by surprise. For some reason I felt like I should be proud of that.

"Monochrome was easy. Ridiculously so. If you were Iridescent you would have a white aura around you and if you were Discoloured, it would be a black aura instead but neither exist on your person. Additionally, you are not avoiding people or warding them off therefore you can't be a Sombre. Process of elimination. Monochrome. As for the sibling, it was more so speculation than deduction. When I spoke of my brother, you stiffened. This probably meant you had a sibling that passed or someone that you seem to have a very thin-ice relationship with. Now, that could mean brother or sister. I assumed older sibling considering your sudden understanding. If you were older, you would defend Mycroft for wanting to protect me and all that rubbish but you didn't. Instead, you sympathized with me and stayed on my side. Younger siblings tend to do that. Next, brother. Specifically, a brother who drinks, but that is another matter. The bracelet around your wrist says Clara but seeing as you are of no relationship status, it must belong to a brother. Pastel soul mate no doubt."

I let this reel in as I watched his expression course from blatant annoyance to slight amusement.

"And my... relationship?" I stammered and he pursed his lips.

Sherlock looked like he was about to answer but peered over my shoulder to the small window on the door, smirking, "I believe that will have to wait. You seem to have somebody waiting for you. Friend?"

I laugh, "Yeah, friend. I promised her to drinks after I talked to you."

He didn't laugh with me, I noticed. He didn't seem like he liked the relationship sort. I kind of felt bad for the bloke.

"Well, if your curious, your talents are brilliant." I grinned and he was taken aback again. Yes! Two times in a row.

"Really? Most people assume I'm a Translucent who dyed their hair and got some sort of skin make up," he shrugged but I could tell my answer meant a big deal to the man.

"No. You are definitely not a Translucent. You're Monochrome for sure. As for your talents, absolutely astounding. Extraordinary. Why would others think any different? It's... breath taking." The man's features softened and he gave a small smile. I didn't expect a thanks and assumed this was it. Picking up my stuff, I throw my jumper on and briefly think of one thing that stuck out in his deductions.

"But!" I let a smirk fall on my face, "I don't have a brother. Sister. Her name is Harriet."

His expression plummeted to self-annoyance. I watched in amusement as he cursed about "missing one detail" and "always forgetting one".

Deciding to leave him on that note, I start to make my way to the door and gripped the door handle. My hand was about to turn when a voice called out to me in the silence. I never realized the grumbles had stopped.

"John?"

I looked back, "Yes? Do you need anything?"

He hesitated before speaking slowly, "I was wondering if you would come to this room tomorrow? I want to ask you something but I would rather not keep you from your friend."

I nodded and smile, "Sure, mate! See you later. Don't stay up too late. Seems your brother is running this room."

This earned a groan from Sherlock and I snickered on my way out. Mary looked at me with curiosity.

"What happened in there Doctor Watson?"

I shook my head, "nothing. Just idle chit chat."

She stopped, "Are you sure?"

I stopped next to her, "Yeah. I'm sure. I told him of his injuries and he told me something absolutely extraordinary. That's it. Why?"

She looked at me from head to toe, lips pursed. After a minute she gave me a small look that I could discern if it was worry or amusement.

"Well, John. Don't know if you can tell, but you're glowing."

Very very brief end A/N! Mary is a friend in this story! I love her character and wanted her in here so she will probably be one of the few major aspects to promote the ship in this! I thought it wrong to keep her out since her character design is absolutely lovely. Not to mention it would amazing to write a badass (sorry) Mary eventually.

Ciao~!