For Joan

[theodorelasso]

Continued from here.

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

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[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."

[formersurgeon]

She notes the length of the hug, and holds him close for as long as he holds onto her. It's a relief to see him more relaxed as he pulls back, and she returns the kiss and smiles back.

"Wednesday," she repeats with a nod.

Sherlock enters the apartment and gives Joan a nod, and she can tell from his expression that there's something up, something he wants to talk with her about. She nods back in acknowledgment.

[theodorelasso]

Ted glances at Sherlock too, not sure what that's about but not worrying about it.

"You hungry? I could make some dinner," he suggests. Cooking seems like a nice calming thing to so right now. And he's been sitting most of the time he's been out, so he's not too worried about his leg.

[formersurgeon]

Joan doesn't know how serious the thing Sherlock wants to tell her, but there's no worry in her expression when she turns back to Ted.

"That sounds great," Joan says with a smile, loosely holding onto his arms. She looks over at Beard. "Stay for dinner?"

[theodorelasso]

Beard nods in agreement, and Ted's smile widens.

"You can come help me," he says to Beard, even though there's probably not much to help with. He'd like to hang out with Beard a bit too.

He gives Joan another quick peck, makes sure she can sit down okay, and grabs his crutches to head to the kitchen, followed by Beard.

[formersurgeon]

Joan smiles at him and squeezes his hand before letting go and watching him and Beard head into the kitchen.

Sherlock comes over and sits on the couch close to Joan. Once Ted and Beard are in the kitchen, he leans forward a little, and Joan leans to her side so she can hear.

"Mr. Chapman's mother refused to claim his body," he says softly.

Joan frowns, then looks toward the kitchen. "Does he know?"

Sherlock nods. "He's asked me to investigate her. To see if I can determine why."

Joan looks back at him. "Do you need help?"

He shakes his head. "I just wanted you to know."

She gives him a slow nod. "Thank you."

Joan imagines that must be weighing on Ted, considering how much he's come to care about how Turner was done wrong by so many people. For his own mother to have even abandoned him after death...

[theodorelasso]

Ted is trying to avoid blaming her, to assume there's a good reason she can't. But even so, it upsets and angers him that it has to be that way. He worries about what Sherlock will find, even as he tries not to. This whole thing is taking a lot out of him.

For now though he busies himself with cooking and chatting with Beard, about work and strategies and how various players are doing, and also about whatever random thing they end up on the topic of, as usual. It feels good, and normal. He misses normality.