AUTHOR'S FIFTH NOTE

I decided to post the last chapter a Little bit earlier than intended because I wanted to finish the story and it is so short. Anyway, enjoy the conclusion!

PART THREE...

Sherlock changed his focus again and his eyes flickered over me, clearly making a quick deduction of me from head to toe.

"You haven't slept in 39 hours. Go home and get some rest."

"No."

With the smile still on my face I squeezed my eyes shut again and shook my head, almost manically as I tried to repress all the painful emotions I suddenly felt overwhelm me with their full power.

"She might be there and... I'm sorry, I can't right now. I just… can't."

"Don't then." my friend said calmly. "Go to Baker Street. Take my key. It's in the coat."

Baker Street. It sounded reasonable, more than I wanted to admit. Somehow I hadn't even thought about my old flat on Baker Street even though it wasn't many hours since we had left it. Only that I couldn't and didn't want to leave Sherlock's side after everything that had happened. I looked down and breathed out heavily, still pressing my eyelids together.

"I'll wake Mrs Hudson." I finally said under my breath.

"Mrs Hudson doesn't sleep when she worries." Sherlock answered. "Considering our little... 'conversation' earlier and the way we left, I'm positive she's in fact still awake."

I drew another shaky breath, still looking down into my lap while I rest my head heavily against my hand. My whole being was absolutely exhausted. Of course I knew that it was much harder for me to keep my emotions at bay just because I was so extremely tired and I felt very embarrassed about the emotional breakdown I was having. Even in front of Sherlock, especially in front of him. I did not want him to see me like this but I feared that it would get even worse if I left the room.

"Will you manage?" I tried to say steadily, looking now at my friend firmly as if it was him who needed me.

"Will you?" he answered, making it clear that he had of course seen through my feeble attempt at regaining some dignity. His reasonable and composed manner did though in fact calm me, to the point that I straitened my back and neck and then I nodded to him in confirmation. I then rose from the chair, felt the five hours of sitting down hurt in my legs as I did so, and walked over to the hanger where a single garment hung: the expensive long, dark coat with the red basted buttonholes. The coat that he had put on the first time I met him and that I after this always saw the back of as I ran after him through the streets of London, feeling the adrenaline pumping furiously in my veins…

"That was... that was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done!"

"And you invaded Afghanistan?"

"You should get some more sleep too." I said as I picked up the key from the inside pocket. Sherlock snorted again.

"I have already slept more than I have time for."

"You promised." I said, eying him warily.

"Don't worry. I haven't planned on breaking it."

"Or breaking out?"

My friend didn't even bother to roll his eyes at my bad joke. He only laughed tiredly but then flinched as his dark chuckles pulled at his already strained wounds. I went over to the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't overdo it."

"Oh, when have I ever?"

I smiled again and shook my head.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

I closed the door gently behind me and without looking back, I walked away from it. At first it was easy but all of a sudden, I found myself struggling to find my way back to the exit. That was one of the most peculiar things about hospitals. When you worked there it was just another part of your everyday routine but when someone close to you was lying there sick, everything outside those white walls ceased to exist and the hospital became like a place you had never set your foot in. My mom died at the same hospital, even the same clinic, that I did my ST practice on and I couldn't even find her room the morning when they called and told me that she was gone. Now I didn't know where my steps were leading me and they became harder and harder for me to take, like I was straining at the last thread more and more and with every step that I took I was getting more frightened that it would break.

Somehow I found my way down to the large corridor that led to the exit. As I rounded the final corner before entering it, I saw a very familiar man standing further down, resting with his back against the stone wall with one of his hands casually in his pocket while he checked his phone with the other. I had no idea why he was here but I looked down and sighed, almost in relief, when he saw me coming and left his spot by the wall and walked towards me.

"Need a ride home?"

"Yeah..." I nodded before I raised my head and corrected my posture. Detective inspector Greg Lestrade patted me sympathetically on my shoulder as we continued together towards the exit.

"Baker Street it is." he said.

As we walked towards his car, my hand wrapped itself harder around the familiar key in my palm. Some months ago, as we had furnished our first flat together, I had told the woman I knew as Mary Morstan that when people had thought that all hope was lost, that their case, or life for that matter, was too strange for anyone to understand, there had always been Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes left for them. Maybe that was still the thing? The last thread is never really cut. Whatever the reason, whatever the problem, all roads will lead back to Baker Street. Even for me. Maybe always for me...

AUTHOR'S FINAL NOTE

So this is the end of this short scene about John's pain and the love from people around him. The last paragraph is inspired by Mary's last speech to Sherlock and John in The Final Problem. I figured that this could have been something that she and John had talked about earlier and that is why she chose to say this to them when she wanted them to keep going and find support in each other again. Also, my thought was that Sherlock somehow had asked Lestrade to drive John home. When he did this, I don't know. Let's just say that he is Sherlock Holmes.*wink* So what did you think about this story and the final chapter? Please let me know in the comments! Follow and Favourite this story and my other stories. Thank you all so much!