Sherlock Fanfic: 12 days until a Funeral (Part 1 of 2)

[trillsabells]

Title: 12 Days till a Funeral (Part 1 of 2)
Warnings: Angst, lots of Angst, Character death
Beta: jupiter_ash 
Characters: John & Sherlock
Rating: PG
Summary: Sherlock has to pick up the pieces when John suffers a personal tragedy


Completely standalone as long as you bear in mind at the beginning that John and Sarah are married at this point.
If, however, you are interested in what has come before links to The Proposal and After the Wedding

Part 1

 

Sherlock was excited when he heard Lestrade’s footsteps coming up the stairs. A case! Finally! Something he could really get his mind into would be great. Everything had been so dull for weeks that the walls were beginning to annoy him and since John had gone and taken his gun with him Sherlock had no way of getting his own back.

But when Lestrade actually walked in the door it didn’t take a consulting detective like Sherlock to tell that something was wrong. He wasn’t wearing his usual on the job look. Instead he looked concerned, even anxious. This wasn’t business this was personal.

“What’s wrong?” Sherlock asked.

“It’s John,” said Lestrade. “You’ve got to come to the police station, he’ll need you.”

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with John?”

“He’s,” Lestrade looked upset. He was usually so precise. Sherlock liked him because he was so good at just stating the facts so that Sherlock could do his job properly with no faffing about. This wasn’t like him at all. “He’s being picked up by uniform. As soon as I found out I knew I had to come get you. It’s Sarah. He’s being taken to Bart’s. She was in an accident. He has to identify her body.”

“Ah.” Sherlock thought for a moment. “What kind of accident?”

“Drunk driver hit her on the pavement, does it matter?”

“The driver?”

“Just a drunk business man. There’s no mystery here, Sherlock.”

“Then what do you expect me to do?”

“For god’s sake, Sherlock, I expect you to be there for your friend. His wife’s just been killed. Will you come?”

Sherlock hesitated for another second. “Yes, but not in a police car, I’ll be right behind.”

“For this once couldn’t you just-“

“No!” Sherlock grabbed his coat and scarf and headed for the door. “Come on, chop chop. You’re the one who was in a hurry.”

 

After he had identified the body of his wife, John Watson had been taken back to the police station. He’d been treated kindly but cautiously by officers he recognised by sight but not by name, been given a cup of tea, then left alone in an empty office until Lestrade got back.

For Sherlock the journey in the taxi had been quiet except for the constant drumming of his mind. What did people do in situations like this? John was a soldier and a doctor. He was used to death. Did he really need Sherlock to be there? Was Sherlock even upset that Sarah was gone? He wasn’t really affected. When Lestrade had first said that he was there because of John, then he’d felt a rush of terror. But John would be alright, surely. He was sensible.

Sherlock was shown into the office where John was sat hunched over and staring at an unremarkable spot on the carpet. He looked almost like he’d died himself. The only sign of movement, to Sherlock’s horror, was a tremble in his left hand. Sherlock found himself making a mental note to find out where John stored his army handgun these days and take it off him. In a flash he ran through the things you were supposed to do for people in shock but couldn’t work out how any of these things applied to John Watson. Sherlock didn’t even have a blanket to give him.

“John.”

John looked up. Oh this was worse than when he’d had explosives strapped to him by Moriarty. This was worse than every time Sherlock had seen a gun pointed at him. This was worse than when he’d moved out of the flat and married Sarah. The look on John’s face was so blatantly pleading, so utterly hopeful that Sherlock could come in and solve this case. Make it not be happening. Sherlock felt his heart breaking just to look into those green eyes and was hit with the certain knowledge that he would do anything, absolutely anything, to make it not be so. 

“Do you need me for a case, Sherlock?” John asked.

No moment of complete boredom had made Sherlock wish for a case more than he did now. He knew instinctively that a crime to solve was exactly what John needed. The detectives on the other side of the door might disagree but Sherlock knew work was the antidote to sorrow. If John could be given a way to justify his life on the planet he would be able to get through till morning. Sherlock silently cursed a city which today was bereft of cleverly thought out serial murders but was instead the site of the mindless death of one loving woman. 

“No, sorry,” was all Sherlock could say aloud.

John swallowed. “I need to…” he frowned. “I need to do things. I need to call her parents. Sort arrangements. I need to call the surgery and say she won’t be in tomorrow.”

“As long as they don’t ask you to cover,” Sherlock said.

John chuckled at the joke. And that was that. Burying his head in his hands his grief was released in loud sobs.

Sherlock stood hesitantly by the door. He was completely at a loss of what to do. Should he put a comforting arm round the other man’s shoulders? The physical contact may be unwanted and be rejected. Some men were embarrassed by displaying their emotions in front of other men, would John be more comfortable if Sherlock left and came back when he’s finished crying? Should Sherlock go and find that blanket? Instead Sherlock stood there, mute, watching his dearest friend cry.

Then later he took him home to Baker Street. 

 

(Part 2 can now be found here)

Comments

[how-to-shine.livejournal.com]

This is really well written, I love your style, but in my mind the ending was just too abrupt...I don't know, it just seemed weird. I did love the rest of it though!

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

Thankyou I'm glad you liked it!

Well it isn't the end. There's another part coming. Hope you'll like that part too

[i-like-sporks.livejournal.com]

That was really well written, I'm looking forward to the next part :D

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

Thankyou!
I'll try to get it up as soon as possible but it has to be perfect first

[alice-day.livejournal.com]

Oh, John. And poor Sherlock, wanting to help and having no idea what to do. Looking forward to part 2.

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

I know, I'm torn between wanting to hug Sherlock and wanting Sherlock to hug John

[catgirlpoison.livejournal.com]

I thought it was well written, and I don't think Sherlock would know what to do in that situation. It seemed right that he didn't hug John. That he needs to work out what to do. The fact that Sherlock thought that if he could go back and have Sarah be alive, so right on, because he wouldn't want John to hurt.

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment.

I don't think Sherlock would realise just how badly John would take this kind of thing. I hope that comes across in the next part too (which is now up here (http://trillsabells.livejournal.com/12704.html#cutid1) )

[durffy.livejournal.com]

Ooo, I'm faving this one!! Looking forward to more!!! (Poor John!)

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! Part 2 up now here (http://trillsabells.livejournal.com/12704.html#cutid1)

[wallhaditcoming.livejournal.com]

Sherlock really does have the emotional range of a teaspoon.

There has been hurt. I shall go forth to part 2 expecting comfort.

[trillsabells.livejournal.com]

No! That's not true! He's just... not good with other humans