Sherlock Holmes (
howdull) wrote in
fossilised2016-11-06 04:25 pm
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For John Watson
[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.]
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.]
no subject
Yet somehow he stands still and silent, not offering any commentary, until John gives an indication that he's ready to start moving again.]
You take what's left of the crematorium in tact, and I'll survey the rubble.
[John does not need to be doing the heavy lifting and clambering job right now.]
no subject
All right. They might have left one of the alphabet things... like they did for Harry, if she's really... gone.
[A part of him is desperately hoping that it's a ruse and Molly's being held somewhere else. He'll trail after Sherlock, back toward the scene, before they put on their suits and duck under the police tape. As with the hospital, John just carries himself like he belongs there and doesn't get more than a passing glance from any of the officers or other technicians as they stroll right on forward.
John tries not to stare too long at any of the uniformed officers before they're into the building. He takes one of the intact rooms, trying to sort out where he even is, in relation to the rest of the building. It's been years since he's been here, and they hadn't stayed terribly long.]
no subject
Nobody has been injured, as far as they know, though the structural damage is intense and the resulting fire took a long time to put out. The worst of the devastation is around the storage and chapel areas.
If John makes it as far as where the services would have been held, much of this area decimated now and crunching underfoot, he might hear a weak and sporadic knocking from inside the actual cremation oven.]
no subject
He'll try the latch and do his best to tug it open without hurting himself. There's a distant, hopeful flutter. Molly is clever. Molly Hooper is very clever. Much cleverer than Sherlock and certainly Jim give her credit for. Could she have...? Maybe?]
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Hello? Is someone out there? Please help me, I'm trapped.
[It's definitely Molly's voice.
The oven hadn't been a perfect idea, there had always been a danger of the gases inside igniting and cooking her alive, but it had been the best she could improvise as a bomb shelter. Designed to keep fire in, it kept it out pretty well too, but the metal had buckled and broken one of her arms, and then she couldn't get out even after she heard the emergency services arriving.]
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I'm here. Molly, I'm here. It's John. Oh, god...
[He raises his voice because there's no way he's getting her out alone.]
Help! Help, there's someone trapped!
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[She can't quite believe her ears, it's really him? She's not just gone mad from fear and started hallucinating, right?]
I'm okay, it's just my arm. Are you-- are you and Sherlock alright? Did he hurt you? I'm so sorry, I wasn't quick enough to stop him grabbing me.
[Footsteps start heading quickly in John's direction, three other officers and Sherlock at the front of the pack, long legs eating up the distance and relief evident on his face even above the dust mask.]
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I'm fine. We're both fine. You need to pretend it's not me and Sherlock here, though. Please.
[After a moment he raises his voice, attempting a posh accent akin to Sherlock's to put off his identity after that shout. It's... mixed success.]
There's a woman in here. We need a crowbar.
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Sherlock mimics a cockney accent with much greater success, muscling in close to John as the one of the others runs for tools.]
Alright, ma’am, you’re going to be fine. We’ll get you out of there in no time and then Officer Johnson, the one holding your hand, will go with you to the hospital while we work here.
Hang on. [That’s one of the others looking confused.] I thought PC Higgs was in charge until DI Lestrade got here.
[If there’s one thing that Sherlock is good at, it’s giving off an air of authority, which he does now to make the poor man wilt back.]
Since DI Lestrade isn’t here yet, DI Dimmock sent me in to keep order. Don’t like it, tell your boss to take it up with mine, but our first priority here has to be this young woman. Or don’t you think she deserves a police escort to the hospital to get her statement?
No, uh— that’s not what I’m saying, of course she should.
Then you have a problem with Officer Johnson personally?
No! I mean, uh— [The poor policeman looks over at John apologetically, looking completely wrong footed.] Sorry, mate, I didn’t mean that at all. You go with her.
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I'll make certain my notes for her statement are sent to DI Lestrade.
[John keeps hold of Molly as one of the other officers comes over with a crowbar and wedges it in.]
Just a moment, miss, and hold tight. There'll probably be a loud screech when we get this open.
[The oven gives after several hard yanks, screeching and clanging open. His voice is gentle as he lowers her hand and moves to try to help her out.]
no subject
He's at John's side in a moment to help Molly out. She's got a cut above her right eye, she's covered in dust, and her left arm is being held awkwardly close to her body. But she looks focused, if pale and pained, and she's holding herself together well. He's proud of her, he might even tell her that later.]
Officer Johnson, take her to the ambulance. Quickly, if you please.
[Get out of here before anyone rumbles them.]
no subject
Jim's probably gonna find out you're alive quickly, but we'll try to hide it for as long as we can. Mycroft--Sherlock's brother--he's forced Sherlock into rooms at some hotel. You can stay there. It'll be under his direct surveillance.
[Which may or may not mean anything. At least there will probably be guards there, as well, not just microphones and cameras.]
DI Lestrade's going to need to get your statement, too. Molly, I'm so sorry this is all happening to you. I'm just... I'm so happy you're alive.
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Well-- he tried to kill a morgue technician in a crematorium, that wasn't very smart of him, was it?
[She swallows hard as her arm jostles a bit, keeping her eyes fixed on the ambulance ahead.]
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I dunno if you heard... I told him you were cleverer than him and Sherlock both. You are a rare woman, Molly Hooper.
[John lets his expression turn back to something more serious as they make it to the ambulance. He puts on his wretched posh accent again as he addresses one of the paramedics.]
We need to get Ms. Hooper to hospital... gentlemen. She survived the blast inside that building. I'll be riding with you.
no subject
Once they're underway, one of the paramedics glances over at John companionably.]
Any idea what happened? Not exactly a routine call out.
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Someone called in a bomb threat on a clinic in the area; a warning, really. I think they might have got the location wrong. Something about a lawyer named Moriarty, I believe. I'm sure they'll be bringing him in for questioning.
no subject
There's a whole lot of psychos out there, why would a lawyer want to blow up a crematorium?
[Mary tilts her head towards the conversation, eyes unfocused from the morphine coursing through her system.]
He was trying to kill me, but you shouldn't tell anyone because it's kind of a big secret.
no subject
Think you might want to rest a bit, Moll... Molly Hooper. Ms. Hooper. [He clears his throat and licks his lips from behind the mask.] We'll take your full statement once we've got you set up with a bed somewhere and see your arm's taken care of.
no subject
The officer is right, you need to get some rest. You're lucky to have not got more hurt, so just take it easy and we'll take care of you now. Officer? If you go to the third floor reception, they'll be able to tell you what room Ms. Hooper will be taken to after any X-Rays and surgery is complete.
[The ambulance is already pulling into the docking bay of the hospital, fast around traffic with the siren going. Doors opening and Molly's gurney being wheeled off.]
own accent*
He texts Sherlock as he goes and waits in line.]
TO: SHERLOCK
FROM: JOHN
M at H now. XRs, getting R#.
[He hopes it's clear enough to Sherlock and cryptic enough to anyone who might be intercepting their messages. At reception he greets the woman there with his most charming smile.]
Hullo, Detective Johnson, New Scotland Yard. There's a woman who was just brought in through the emergency room with a broken arm. Not sure if she's been processed, yet. She'll turn up as Molly Hooper. Hoping to get her room number.
Re: own accent*
Right, I'll just check that for you.
[As she taps away at the keyboard, a text comes in on John's phone.]
FROM: SHERLOCK
TO: JOHN
Noted. Lestrade arrived and I am currently hiding from him in a body bag, those fools never think to check the obvious places. Estimated time to arrival at the hospital at an hour.
SH.
[The nurse refreshes her system a couple of times and then makes a small 'ah' noise as she finds the right file.]
Ms. Hooper is being taken in to surgery now to reset the bones on her arm, she'll be in ward 6, room C when she comes out. You're welcome to wait in there, or you can head to the cafeteria and give me your mobile number, and I can call you when she's out?
no subject
[John grins and winks at her.]
I'll head on over to the ward. Might see you on the way out, though. Thanks.
[Might as well curry favor while he can. He might be beating a hasty retreat if and when Lestrade catches wind of them. He technically has his meeting with Jim, still. If that's even on anymore. A part of him absolutely wants to rub it in the bastard's face (and Caroline's for that matter) that their plan didn't work. They were out-smarted by someone they underestimated. Just like Caroline had underestimated Jake and his ability to remain relatively conscious while bleeding out on a rather insane vehicle escape from an active shooter with military training.
John finds the appointed ward and sends the information off to Sherlock. He can't imagine Sherlock will actually get to the hospital before Lestrade and his team realize there's something amiss with "Johnson."
Now it's the waiting game. Although...]
FROM: JOHN WATSON
TO: JIM MORIARTY
Are we still on for that meeting at your office? Or are your hands tied up with other things?
[He shouldn't antagonize, but he can rationalize it as pumping the man for more information. And seeing if he's still free or if he's been taken into custody.]
no subject
He gets a message back almost at once.]
FROM: JIM MORIARTY
TO: JOHN WATSON
This is an automated message. I'm sorry, but I'm unavailable right now, someone will be in touch soon to organise a rescheduled appointment.
[It doesn't take too long after that before Molly is being brought in, a cast on her arm and slightly dopey from the medication. But she still zeroes in on John and gives him a relieved smile when she sees him. Before her face falls just a bit and she looks around the room.]
Where's Sherlock?
no subject
He smiles when he sees Molly, and that expression on flickers for a moment at her question. Well, at least they know she's herself after all of that.]
He'll be along in about forty-five minutes. He's still back at the crime scene, trying to avoid Lestrade. What happened when you went to that house, Molls? The last text message I got said you were moving closer.
no subject
[Her face falls, perhaps more penitent than he should be because of the medication lowering his inhibitions.]
I peeped through the window and I saw guns, I thought if I took pictures then we could take them to the police. But I forgot to take the flash off my phone, so they all saw me. Guess I'm not a good detective after all.
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