For Joan

[theodorelasso]

Continued from here.

(warnings: sexytimes. also, panic attacks, brutal violence, attempted murder, discussion of suicide and actual murder... )

Comments

[theodorelasso]

There is a grain of selfishness in it too. Some way for him to process everything that's happened, to try to make sense of it.

Turner's hatred was misplaced and not even based on who Ted is. They both wanted the same thing - for Richmond to prosper. Turner just couldn't deal with things going badly, because he didn't have anything else in his life to keep his spirits up. That breaks Ted's heart.

"Right.." Ted answers, clicking his tongue. "Wednesday next week?" he suggests after a moment's consideration. Ted will have gone back to work then, he'll have his team to lean on. And they don't have a match that first week, so he won't have to worry too much.

[formersurgeon]

"I believe we have that date free," Susan says, pulling out her phone and scrolling through it until she finds what she's looking for. "Yes, next Wednesday works. How is 10am?"

[theodorelasso]

"Sure, that's fine," Ted answers with a nod. "Do you have everything you need, then?"

He can feel himself reaching his limit of how much of this he wants to deal with, even as relatively efficiently they've been working through it.

[formersurgeon]

Susan can tell he's reaching his limit as well, recognizing signs she's seen in many of the people she works with.

"Yes," she says, pulling a contract out of her notebook. She quickly transfers all the data from the notepad onto it, then turns it around and slides it toward Ted with a pen. "I just need your signature. You can pay when we see you at the funeral home on Wednesday."

[theodorelasso]

Ted doesn't bother properly reading this one before signing it. A very quick glance seems to confirm the stuff they've agreed upon, so he writes his name and pushes it back across the table.

[formersurgeon]

Susan takes it, tucks it into her binder. "Thank you, Mr. Lasso." She stands and takes out a business card, holding it out to him. "Here's my card. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions at any time."

Sherlock stands as well, ready to help Ted with his crutches.

[theodorelasso]

Ted stands, pushing himself up by the arms of the chair, and takes the business card and pockets it. "Thank you, you've been really helpful, I appreciate it," Ted answers, shaking her hand, appreciative despite how ready he is to go.

He accepts the crutches from Sherlock, then heads outside, eager to get some fresh air.

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock follows him out. He wonders if perhaps Ted needs to talk.

"Shall I hail a cab?" he asks once they're outside. "Alternately, we could sit..." He nods toward a bench a little ways down the sidewalk, an offer to talk as well as to rest.

[theodorelasso]

Ted considers it, taking a deep breath and sighing.

"No, I think I'd rather get back," he answers. He doesn't have anything to say about it. He just wants a hug from Joan, really.

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock nods. He gets that. It's somewhat of a relief, really, because he knows Watson will be much better at listening to Ted and helping him sort his feelings.

Sherlock turns toward the road and raises his arm to flag down a cab, which he again helps Ted get into, then gets in himself.

[theodorelasso]

Ted gets in and sits down, quiet for a bit as he considers the meeting and the upcoming funeral.

After a couple minutes he turns to Sherlock. "Do you know who the other family member was?"

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock was going to wait on that discussion, since it is likely to be difficult and Ted seems like he's had enough stress already. But it seems they'll have it now.

"Turner's mother," he says quietly, looking at Ted to gauge his reaction.

[theodorelasso]

Ted nods, pursuing his lips. It's not a complete surprise, since it's the only family he knew existed.

He doesn't know what happened there. Why she left. But a part of him still hates her for it a little bit, for not taking Turner with her. He tries not to. She could've had a very good reason. Just like she probably has a good reason not to do this. Right?

"What do you know about her?"

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock can understand that anger. He's had his own abandonment issues with his father's neglect, and his mother having been sent away when he was still young, later to die in an apartment fire. And Sherlock can understand why Ted himself would have abandonment issues, what with his father's suicide.

"Very little," he answers. "Her name, essentially. And the fact that she left Turner and his father when Turner was young. I didn't look into her further because aside from the effect her absence had on Mr. Chapman, the woman herself had little bearing on the case, especially after we turned from investigating Turner to investigating Mannion."

He considers Ted for a moment, imagining how difficult this must be, with all these emotions welling up after the man on whom they are anchored is gone.

"There are any number of reasons why she might have released her claim to Mr. Chapman's body," he says softly. "She could be too poor to pay for a funeral. The thought of the child she lost so long ago might be extremely painful for her. Or other circumstances could make it difficult for her to handle such things. She could be hospitalized for one thing or another, or could be in the throes of an addiction."

[theodorelasso]

Those are some of the reasons he was imagining, yes. Every option is upsetting in its own way.

"Could you find out which one of those it is?" he asks gently. He wants to know.

If not for any other reason, then at least because he wants to know whether to invite her to the funeral or not.

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock nods. "I can do that," he assures him softly.

It's what he does, after all. Even if Ted were some stranger coming to him for his investigative work in this matter, Sherlock would take the case. It's all the more important to him now because Ted is very important to him.

[theodorelasso]

"Thanks," Ted says with a small smile. Sherlock might not be good at emotions, but when it comes to the practical stuff, he's reliable as heck.

Ted sighs, then he pulls out his phone and texts Joan.

On our way back now. See you soon.

[formersurgeon]

Joan's phone dings, and she sees the message.

"Looks like they're heading back," she tells Beard as she types a reply.

See you then. <3 u

[theodorelasso]

Ted just sits there staring out the window for the rest of the car ride, uncharacteristically quiet, though that's perhaps not that strange in the current circumstances. He's glad that Sherlock doesn't need him to make small talk.

[formersurgeon]

It's definitely not all that strange to Sherlock. While Ted isn't typically the sort of man to get lost in his thoughts, he's got an awful lot to think about at the moment.

[theodorelasso]

Once the car gets there, Ted doesn't wait for Sherlock, instead just grabbing his crutches and getting out of the cab, heading up the stairs and inside. He feels emotionally exhausted, but he's not upset anymore at least.

[formersurgeon]

Joan and Beard are sharing a comfortable silence when she hears the thump thump thump of Ted's crutches on the stairs. She turns in her chair so she sees him when he comes through the door.

"Hey," she greets him with a smile.

[theodorelasso]

"Hey," he says, returning both the greeting and the smile, without any perky greeting. He heads directly in front of Joan's chair, and stops to rest the crutches against the arms of the chair. Then he holds out his hands to help her to her feet. The very first thing he intends to do is give her a hug, and then probably a kiss.

[formersurgeon]

With someone as perpetually perky as Ted, it can be hard to tell when something is amiss. To Joan, however, that simple lack of a cheerful greeting speaks volumes. She imagines Beard is just as aware of that little difference and the significance.

She takes his hands and stands up, then pulls him into a tight hug.

"You okay?" she murmurs.

[theodorelasso]

He nods a bit at the question, but he holds onto her longer than he normally would. It was just a very necessary hug, but it also does wonders for him. Once he pulls back, he does look more relaxed, and he smiles as he gives her a hello kiss.

"We got pretty much everything sorted out," he says. "Wednesday next week."