The Blood beneath the Skin

"Do you want some tea?" John asks standing up and going to the kitchen. He does not get an answer thou and turns around to peer into the living room once again. Sherlock is sitting on the couch with both hands put together in front of his face and closed eyes. Great he is in his mind palace again John thinks and returns to the kitchen. When the water boils he makes two cups of tea – Sherlock always nags at him when he does only think of himself despite the fact that John could not possibly know when Sherlock is going to be responsive again. He puts both cups on the salver and enters the living room when Sherlock suddenly jumps up lifts his hands to the ceiling and shouts

"Of course! Why didn´t I think about that sooner. It´s so obvious!" John winces and nearly drops the salver but can catch himself before ruining the carpet.

"Sherlock what the..." he exclaims but Sherlock is already taking out his phone to text Lestrade and ignores John completely. John sets down the tea and glimpses over Sherlock´s shoulder on the phone.

If daughter is allergic to peanuts then arrest daughter ~SH

"So you have solved the murder from last week?" he asks hoping that Sherlock would answer him this time.

"Of course I did! The police could have come to me sooner but they had to try for themselves to figure out that they are too stupid to solve a case like this without me." Sherlock answers and sits down again. Charming John thinks to himself. No wonder that he is so popular in Scotland Yard. Sherlock´s gaze meets the salver on the table and he takes his cup. He sips at it and then looks up at John who had sat down and is now taking his own cup of tea in his hands.

"Are there any interesting cases on the website?" he asks and John looks at him. His calm and relaxed face drops and he grimaces at Sherlock.

"Please don´t say that you are already bored" he says putting down the cup without drinking the tea.

"John, as I told you many times before, my brain needs something to do or it will crash and you do not want to see that. I need a case, a pursuit, something to do because if it does not get something interesting to focus on it will do everything at once" Sherlock supports his explanation by holding two fingers of each hand to his temples and then depicts an explosion by lifting his hands up and simultaneously doing a crashing sound.

"Okay okay" John gives up – there is nothing else he can do in a discussion with Sherlock. He stands up leaving his tea on the table and approaches his laptop on the desk when his phone rings. He stops in his movement and fishes his phone out of his pocket.

"John Watson" he says after accepting the call and lifting the phone to his ear.

"John" comes a whistle out of the speakers. It sounds forced and rough as if the person is in pain and a rattling breathing can be heard which is way to fast.

"Harry?...Harry is that you?" John asks in confusion and Sherlock looks up from his tea to find out what was going on.

"John, I´m so sorry" the silent voice of Harry sounds in his ear. She speaks so quietly and it sounds as if she was too tired to talk. He feels fear rising inside him. Sherlock sees John´s eyes widen and knows that something had happened. John normally does not talk much to his sister but from time to time they were talking on the phone. He had heard John talk to her before – she calls him often when she is drunk – but this time his reaction is different. He looks shocked and even afraid of what is happening right now.

"Harry where are you? I am going to get you." John tries to stay calm but his voice trembles and starts shivering slightly.

"John...I´m tired" Harry´s voice breakes and the breathing gets lower and lower. John turns around and clutches at his phone.

"NO! Stay awake Harry! You have to tell me where you are! Don´t do this to me. I need you to tell me!" John covers his eyes with his left hand and tears are streaming down his cheeks. Sherlock puts his cup on the table and stands up. He has never seen John like this before and he does not like it. Sherlock is not able to hear Harry but by John´s reaction he can tell that she is not in a good state.

"HARRY!...Damn it...Harry talk to me!...HARRY!" The breathing on the other end stops and there is absolute silence on the other line. John drops the phone on the floor. He covers his face with both hands and tears are streaming off his face and drip on the carpet, darkening the colour where they hit the fabric. Sherlock does not know how to react. He can tell that Harry is dead and is overwhelmed by concern for his friend. He approaches John slowly but does not know what to do. Sherlock lifts his hand and lays it on John´s shoulder. John lowers his hands and looks at Sherlock, eyes red and terribly sad. He looks at Sherlock and without warning wraps his arms around him and pressing his face into Sherlock´s chest. Sherlock eyes widen – he had not seen that coming. At first he is confused by the sudden movement and freezes in his actions but then he puts his arm over John´s shoulders and lies his chin on John´s head. Sherlock does not do emotions very well but at this moment he will at least try to deal with it for John´s sake.

"It´s okay" he says to comfort John.

"No it´s not okay. She´s...dead. My little sister is dead...we have to find her" John says into Sherlock´s chest.

"We will" Sherlock answers and adds "I promise."