For John Watson

[howdull]

[Sherlock is still finding pieces of the melted laptop in the carpet.

It had actually been quite an ingenious booby trap to be devised by a fourteen year old boy with only household chemicals to work with but, as Sherlock surmised, rather overkill to keep his mother from finding his extensive porn collection. Not one of their more illustrious cases, but it had been quite entertaining to watch both the boy and mother's faces as he revealed that he did know the how and why. He lost interest after the mother started shouting and John started shouting and the whole thing turned tedious.

He rather thinks John won't actually be doing a full write-up of this one on his blog.

It's been two days since their last case and he's beginning to get more than a little antsy. Lestrade has sent him nothing, just a boring hit and run that he refused to even leave the flat for, and nobody interesting has appeared through the blog. Said blog he is currently scrolling through on John's laptop, having borrowed it again.

He did ask, it's not his fault John hadn't been in the room at the time.]

Bored, John.

[He doesn't even know if his flatmate is even in, but that's hardly a necessity for him to actually speak to John. Frustrated, he throws the laptop across the room to hit the wall, where it summarily breaks. Which is where he can be found whenever John appears, sulking amidst pieces of laptop, both from the melted one of their last case and John's poor broken one.]

Comments

[jumpthegun]

[John frowns and glances toward Sherlock before just giving in. He presses his thumb to the pad and sighs. Making this woman's life difficult isn't in him, especially when he's been in similar positions to her.]

I'd like a lawyer present, please.

[To Sherlock:]

There's that omelette in the car. Go and eat something. I'll call you when it's done.

[howdull]

[Sherlock doesn't look too impressed, but he knows when there are limits that he can test and when there aren't, so he nods and stalks back out to sit in the car.]

We'll have someone call to Legal Aid for you, in the meantime please follow me through here.

[She buzzes open a side door and leads him to an interrogation room. Dull grey, single table, two chairs, all bolted to the floor.]

Do you want a drink while we wait?

[jumpthegun]

[This looks welcoming.]

Water would be lovely. Thank you for that and the Legal Aid offer. Sorry for the trouble earlier. I know you're just doing your job.

[howdull]

It's fine, I'll get you some water. Hopefully a lawyer won't be long and then we can get this underway.

[She leaves him for a couple of minutes, making certain to lock the door while she's gone, before she delivers water for him and then leaves again.

It's another fifteen minutes after that when the door opens and a man in a General's uniform walks in, middle aged with dark skin and a Welsh accent.]

Captain Watson, I'm General Kurtam, Legal Aid are sending a lawyer but it could be another hour. Do you want to wait or are you happy to proceed without for now?

[jumpthegun]

[John stands at attention when the General enters and winces when it pulls his burns and ribs. He should probably wait for the lawyer...]

Do you expect this to take more than an hour, sir?

[howdull]

It's probable.

[There's the faintest hint of dislike in his tone and eyes, though he keeps himself mostly neutral. Men like Watson disgust him. The only way he can see this lasting less than an hour is if the man confesses fully and they pass him on to be charged.]

[jumpthegun]

[He thinks about Sherlock and the other people waiting. An hour is a long time for things to happen.]

We can proceed now, sir. May I ask what this is all about?

[howdull]

[He nods in acknowledgement and reaches over to press play on the tape deck set in place on the table for interview purposes.]

Date of September 17th, 2010, General Peter Kurtam interviewing Captain John Watson. Can you state for the tape that this is who you are, and that you have waived your right to legal representation until legal representation can be provided?

[jumpthegun]

This is Captain John Watson. I've waived my right to legal representation until it can be provided. I would also like to state for the record that I retain the right not to answer questions until that representation is provided.

[John is trusting when it comes to the military, but he's not a complete idiot.]

[howdull]

You stand accused of seven counts of serious war crimes in Afghanistan; including five counts of murder, two counts of torture, four counts of illegally detaining civilians, and inhumane treatment of both native civilians and captured enemy troops. You're also accused of fifteen counts of gross negligence as a medical practitioner, resulting in potentially up to seven deaths.

[He's not hopeful of the answer, but he has to ask.]

For the record, how do you respond to these accusations?

[His guilt is obvious, it's written plain all over the proof they have, but men like this never confess. Look at him sitting there as if he's done nothing wrong.]

[jumpthegun]

[John stares for a long moment. He knows he shouldn't laugh, but that's so patently ridiculous, it's difficult not to. He manages, though. Getting giggly here isn't really an option.]

That I'm innocent, sir. But I'm aware of a campaign by a woman named Caroline Matthews to systematically destroy my life that started about a week ago. So, I can't say I'm entirely surprised to hear you say that, either.

[howdull]

[He suppresses a sigh, this is going to be a long and unpleasant day. He pulls a briefcase up and onto the table and takes out a photograph. At first it looks like charcoal, but looking closer would reveal it to be a badly scorched corpse.]

Look closely at this picture, Captain, can you tell me what you see?

[It's hard to tell but there appears to be the remains of blackened dog tags with the letters WATS visible.]

[jumpthegun]

[John takes a long moment to examine it. He doesn't particularly care what evidence there is, given that he knows he's innocent. But it might be helpful to Sherlock or for some other part of their investigation.]

A burned body and blackened dog tags, sir.

[Just answer the question and nothing more. John's horribly tempted to put in a snide remark about whether he's going to be accused of impersonating himself now, as well, but just manages to refrain.]

[howdull]

Can you read what the dog tags say, please?

[There's slightly more bite to his voice now, though he still manages to keep it professional.]

[jumpthegun]

W-A-T-S, sir.

[John's own tone has grown progressively cooler. This isn't a conversation to get at the facts. The general appears to have already made up his mind.]

[howdull]

Thank you.

[He slides the photograph off to one side, still visible but no longer currently relevant.]

I would like you to tell me, in your own words, about the nature of being discharged, the date it occurred, how long you have been a civilian, and your current employment status.

[jumpthegun]

[Facts, just facts, Watson. Don't get into anything emotional. It doesn't matter, they'll just use it against you. The next time he speaks, he's locked down on his emotions, he stares dead on at the general, and his tone is flat.]

All dates are from 2010. 6 January, shot in Helmand Province while on duty. Our convoy was ambushed, a firefight ensued. I was assisting in pulling Private Peter Graves to cover and was shot in the back. Second Lieutenant William Murray completed the rescue for both myself and Private Graves. I have minimal recollection following that period. I know I was transported to the field hospital on base, then on to London. Complications during surgery resulted in my being deemed unfit to serve. It was determined that I would be discharged on 20 February. I've been officially a civilian since 7 March. I have been employed in locum GP work under Dr. Sarah Sawyer for a few months now. Prior to and concurrently with that, I have been employed as an assistant to a private investigator by the name of Sherlock Holmes. We consult on criminal cases with the London branch of the Met and on private cases that range from theft to vandalism. I was sharing a flat with Mr. Holmes up until a week ago when it was blown up by Caroline Matthews or one of her associates with access to a considerable amount of Semtex.

[That's maybe a little more than the general asked for, but...]

[howdull]

Convenient that both men who could corroborate your story have been unreachable, Captain.

[He jotted down a note to put in increased effort to locate both the Private and the Second Lieutenant. They had merely been summoned by letter before, but neither had replied or attended their interviews.]

We will be speaking to Dr. Sawyer and Mr. Holmes as well. We will also need your firearm, retained illegally since discharge.

[jumpthegun]

I spoke with Bill Murray within the last several days, sir, and advised him to take a holiday out of the county while there's someone trying to murder people close to me. He should be very easily reachable by phone, though. I haven't been in touch with Private Graves since I was discharged.

[The mention of his gun makes his jaw tighten.]

I am currently in possession of the clothes I'm wearing, one additional set of clothes that's in the care of Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade, your summons, and a mobile phone. [He pulls out the mobile and sets it on the table.] That's everything I have left at the moment.

[howdull]

Are you stating that you did not retain and keep your service pistol, in full knowledge that the firearm laws in this country do not permit that?

[He's not having any of this 'currently', bullshit, he wants to pin Watson down in a lie. Especially before the lawyer comes, or before he clams up and refuses to say more without the representation there.]

[jumpthegun]

I'm not stating anything further on that subject until Legal Aid arrives, sir.

[John doesn't like waiting. There's too much that can go wrong while they're waiting. If Caroline's people really have infiltrated the base, Sherlock could be in danger, even here. But there are some things where John knows he can't let his impatience or his temper get to him.]

If there's another line of inquiry you'd like to pursue in the meanwhile, I'm available.

[howdull]

[It's not a denial, which is as good as an affirmation in this sort of question, but he's bound by the law and so he has to nod.]

Then we'll wait for your Legal Aid to arrive.

[He stands up and picks up his briefcase.]

Interview suspended at 15.17.

[jumpthegun]

[John rises on reflex, as well, out of respect, and once more assumes an at-attention stance, sucking in a small, pained breath as he does so.]

I'll see you again when Legal Aid arrives, sir.

[He waits for the general to leave before dropping his stance and curling over slightly to clutch at his own ribs. He's aware that he's probably being monitored via CCTV, but sod it. He hurts. But there are other things to do. John checks his phone to see if there's a signal. He doesn't honestly expect one, but he can text Sherlock while he waits, if there is. No one has informed him the contents of the meeting are confidential at this point.]

[gallowshumour]

[Unfortunately for John, the room gives him no service with which to text or call anyone, so he'll have to simply wait and discomfort for the legal representation to arrive. It's actually closer to two hours when the door opens again to admit the general and someone else behind him.

Dressed in a sharp suit with neatly combed hair, and looking every inch the lawyer, John might be forgiven for not recognising Jim from IT at first.]

Dr. Watson. [He smiles, a tight and professional smile, and holds his hand out for a shake.] I'm James Davidson, I'll be your representation during this investigation.

[jumpthegun]

[John rises once more, and goes to shake the proffered hand, only to freeze after the first pump. His eyes flick from Jim to the general.]

What's going on here, sir? I know this man.

[John looks to Jim again.]

You work IT at Barts, unless that's just your side job.