trashchildren | For Joan

She takes the bottle with a smile. "Cold water would be great."

She waits until he's left the room before holding the water bottle out to Sherlock. "Can you open this for me?"

"You don't want Ted to know how weak you are?" he asks as he easily twists open the bottle. "He's going to notice eventually."

"I know," she says, carefully taking a drink, her hand trembling a little. "I just don't want him to worry too much right now. We have enough time for that."

Ted is gone for a little while before Sherlock gets a text. He's clearly managed to track down the café, in which there is apparently a Costa Coffee, with a wide selection of drinks (including more healthy options, like juice), freshly baked goods, packed sandwiches...

What would you guys like? They've got so much stuff.

Then there's a picture of the menu. Ted was this close to just buying a bunch of different stuff to bring back, but then sanity thankfully took hold of him.

Sherlock texts back after a minute.

OJ 4 WTSN & SNDWCH 4 ME NE KND

It's an honor for Sherlock to be using his text speak with Ted, but Ted might not feel that way.

Ted squints at it for a little while. OJ is easy enough, and he's been around long enough that he assumes 4 means for, and not 'four bottles of orange juice'. The last bit he has to mentally spell out 'enn-ee kind' before he gets it. This is supposed to save time?

He assumes Sherlock still wants coffee, since otherwise he could've said so when Ted set off in the first place. He gets a regular black coffee for Sherlock, and a mocha for himself. (He considers tea for Sherlock, but he wouldn't know where to start.) He gets a cold water in addition to the orange juice for Joan. Then two freshly made roasted chicken salad sandwiches for him and Sherlock. And then he gets a slice of lemon swirl cheesecake too, because it looked so darn tasty and he needs some sugar in his system.

And then after that he just sort of stares at the tray and wonders how long it's going to take him to carry this back to the room, until a sweet nurse offers to help him. She also gets him a second crutch, so he can move along a bit quicker.

"Breakfast delivery," he announces cheerfully as he enters the room trailed by the nurse.

Joan smiles as he enters, glad to have him back, and happy to see that he got help and another crutch. The nurse is very nice, setting up everything for Ted and Sherlock so that they can eat close to Joan, and fetching a straw for Joan to use with the orange juice, which she opens for her, much to Joan's appreciation.

Sherlock is quite happy with the black coffee and the sandwich, and begins eating as soon as possible, since he hadn't eaten much of anything the day before either.

Ted had managed to at least eat one of Beard's sandwiches last night, so he's not desperately hungry, but fresh food (that he doesn't have to worry about being poisoned) is definitely nice, as is the coffee.

He also finally starts checking his messages properly, replying to each worried message that they're okay and Joan is feeling better. There's even several messages of concern from people who he isn't that close to, but who had seen the news and wanted to reach out. It warms Ted's heart that people are looking out for them.

He intentionally hasn't checked the news himself yet.

Joan hasn't even looked at her phone. She honestly doesn't know what she's going to find. Have Gregson and Bell been keeping up with football news coming out of London on the off chance that Joan is involved? Marcus knows more details about Ted, but she hasn't yet told them why she returned to London. And her mother knows less, just that she'd been dating this incredible, sweet, gentle man and had to break it off. It's also anyone's guess whether Mary Watson even remembers that information.

"When are you meeting with people at the club?" she asks as Ted finishes his sandwich.

"Oh, good point," he answers, since he hasn't actually planned that closely. "I figure in the early afternoon? Does that sound alright?"

He doesn't want to leave her for any extended period of time, but he figures she doesn't want him to baby her either. She's doing well enough that he doesn't feel scared she's going to suddenly get worse again. (Could that happen? He doesn't know, and he's not sure he wants to know.)

"That's fine," she says. She'd like to have him there, but it's really important that he tell everyone who needs to know what has been going on. Sherlock will be there in case anything happens. Joan is aware of possible neurological aftershocks in addition to the weakness she's feeling, some serious, but again she doesn't want to worry him.

He nods a bit, then sighs heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Oh boy, I guess I gotta think about how I'm gonna explain all of this to them."

He plans on telling Rebecca in private first, since she definitely deserves to know the most, and she deserves to have her reaction be private. Otherwise everyone would be looking to her while she deals with it.

Joan hums softly, considering that. "What Rupert did to you...and tried to do to you...is the most important, I think. You might not have to go into Moriarty, necessarily."

"Yeah, I honestly rather wouldn't," Ted agrees. The idea that he's under he protection of some supervillain lady is a bit much for him, and not something he wants to think about too much, much less try to explain to anyone else.

"Oh, wait," he says suddenly, thinking about that. "Is Rupert gonna be okay?" he asks, looking between Sherlock and Joan. Given he very much did try to hurt Ted again.

Joan and Sherlock exchange a glance. It's Sherlock who speaks.

"He attempted to kill you, a party under Moriarty's avowed and demonstrated protection, and instead nearly killed Watson, a party under Moriarty's avowed and demonstrated protection. I'd say the chance that he meets some ill fate in prison is rather high."

"However," Joan says, "when Moriarty told me about what she had ordered done to Turner, she also said she was sorry for not being able to go to the source. That makes me think there's something about Rupert keeping Moriarty in check. Probably his widespread influence."

Ted considers that, pursing his lips and clicking his tongue. "Yup... Alright," he says, chewing it over. So there is a chance that, if he's actually convicted and sent to prison, and perhaps loses some of that widespread influence, he might then be in danger. It doesn't sit particularly well with Ted. But he also doesn't think there's much he can do about it. It's still important that Rupert goes to trial.

"Anyway, yeah, I'm definitely not gonna bring that whole business up. The stuff I gotta say is bad enough," he says, with a hint of heaviness.

He shakes his head a bit, then looks up at Joan and points to the side of the bed next to her, giving her a look of request. If he's going to be leaving in a couple hours, he would like to spend at least some of that time cuddling, now he's done eating.

Joan had been so scared that Ted was targeted because of his relationship with her, but it's clear to her now that his relationship with her had actually saved his life in a number of ways. He wouldn't need to go too deeply into that, though.

"If they ask about how you knew it was Rupert, you could just say we discovered it in the course of the investigation. It's true and sufficiently vague to let them draw their own conclusions."

When Ted points at the bed she happily moves over to make space for him. She wants to cuddle too, as much as they can.

"I mean, it's not like I have to pretend that I don't understand how you guys find all this stuff out," he answers with a small smile, getting up to carefully climb into bed with her.

Before settling back to cuddle, he gives her a kiss - the first one they've had since yesterday, since she's been wearing a mask for much of that time. He's not going to get too gooey in front of Sherlock, but still, he missed her mouth. And now their breaths probably taste like their drinks rather than sleep.

She kisses him back, and it just feels so good to be held and kissed and loved by this remarkable man. Once their lips part, Joan snuggles up to him with a happy sigh, her head on his chest.

Ted wraps his arms loosely around her, getting comfortable and resting his head against hers.

He's mentally practicing his explanation in his head, trying to make the blow as soft as possible while also not leaving any room for doubt.

He doesn't quite doze off, especially now he's had coffee, but he does get a comfortable sleepiness, listening to her breathe.

Joan drifts off easily, her body weary and recovering from oxygen deprivation brought about by the cyanide.

Sherlock keeps watch over them both. They've both endured such trauma, both physical and emotional, and Sherlock loves Watson and has come to care quite a bit for Ted as well. He's a cynic when it comes to questions of love, but even if he doesn't believe in romance, he believes in Watson and Ted.

Sherlock notices a twitch in Joan hand as she sleeps. It might be nothing, but he makes a mental note of it.

Ted stirs when his phone buzzes, and it's a text from Beard asking if he should pick him up. Ted texts back one-handed, and then carefully extricates himself, trying not to wake her too much, though it's rare for him to be able to slip away entirely unnoticed.

His movement wakes her, and she gives him a faint smile as she readjusts in bed.

"Say hi to everybody for me?" she murmurs.

"If you need any information to answer questions, I am at your disposal," Sherlock tells him.

"I will," he promises Joan, giving her a quick kiss.

"Thanks, Sherlock," he answers with a grateful smile. He doesn't really want to get into the nitty gritty, but if they have any questions about what happens next or that stuff, he might reach out.

"Alright, you two look after each other," he says, as he puts on his shoes and grabs his crutches. "I'll be back later." He gives Joan's hand a quick final squeeze with a quiet 'love you' before he leaves to go meet Beard.

"Love you too," she answers before letting her hand settle back on the bed, taking a breath as she watches him leave, closing the door behind him.

Sherlock watches as well. "You all right, Watson?" he asks her.

She nods, smiling faintly. "Yeah. He'll be back."

There are few things that could stop Ted from coming back to Joan, and the one person who's been trying to do that is currently in jail. After this entire ordeal, Ted feels a little skittish about being alone, especially in public, even if he knows there's nothing to fear now.

Thankfully Beard is there in a flash, and Ted gets in the cab with him, heading towards the club.

At Ted's request Beard has gathered Higgins, Nate, and Keeley (and, of course, Roy) in the coach's office to talk about what happened. They're waiting for Ted, talking amongst themselves, sharing gossip and rumor and theories and fears.

Rebecca, on the other hand, is currently pacing in her office, a cocktail in hand, nervously awaiting Ted's arrival. She knows that Rupert was arrested and is currently being held without bail. The reporters were not kind to her as she left the gala, and there were more outside the club when she arrived. She had to wait in her car for security to clear them.

She's conflicted. She hates Rupert and think he's a slimy snake, but they've been saying attempted murder. Of who? And how are Ted and Joan connected to it?

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