An Age of Silver (14b/23)
"An Age of Silver" (14b/23)
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5a / Part 5b / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8a / Part 8b / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14a
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John squinted at the screen.
“Bring your hand closer,” he ordered. “Can’t see a bloody thing from there, mate.”
Sherlock sighed, got up from the table, and walked over to the vid screen. He held his left hand so that it was only a few inches from the monitor.
“Better?” he asked snidely. John adjusted his glasses and peered at the hand.
“Mm,” he hummed. “And what were your latest x-rays, again?”
Sherlock sighed and fetched them from the table. He held them up for John to examine.
“And what’ve they got you on prior to the surgery?”
Sherlock shrugged. “The same painkillers I told you about the last time.”
“They’ve also got you fasting.”
Sherlock nodded. “Nothing for the next twelve hours.”
“Water?”
He shook his head. John grunted.
“Standard procedure,” he said, leaning back in his chair and taking off his glasses. “Now, when you go in tomorrow, don’t forget to tell them that you’re allergic to -“
“I know, John.”
John rolled his eyes and held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry. Just trying to avoid you going into anaphylaxis on the operating table. Excuse me for looking out for you.”
Sherlock rubbed his forehead and sat down again. He was beginning to get a headache, and really wished that this call would end.
“I can look after myself, thanks,” he said irritably. John raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, because you’re doing a stellar job of it so far. What the hell’s the matter with you? The kitchen’s clean as a whistle, and you haven’t been this irritable in months.”
“I haven’t had any experiments to run recently.”
“You always have experiments to run,” John retorted. He sighed. “What’ve you done now, Sherlock?”
Sherlock scowled.
“It wasn’t me this time,” he said irritably. “Stanley’s being a fool.”
John lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s Stanley now, is it?”
“He finds it strange that I continually call him by his surname even though we’re sleeping together.”
John blinked at him for a moment.
“Right,” he announced, and then looked at something off-screen. “Pay up, Greg.”
There was an audible sigh.
“You couldn’t have waited a couple of months?” Greg asked in mock exasperation, appearing next to John at the table.
“There were extenuating circumstances,” Sherlock said, rolling his eyes.
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that he was almost murdered by the Regent’s Park Killer’s accomplice. You two were betting on this?”
John snorted.
“Sherlock, we’ve had a bet going for years now. Just had to keep pushing it back. You’re a bit late to the party, so let’s focus on the fact that you showed up at all. Good for you, mate.”
“What he means is, we’re happy for you,” Greg broke in, sounding amused. “Do me a favour, though, son. Make it a winter wedding, yeah? Got some good money riding on that one.”
There was an audible thwack as John thumped him on the shoulder.
“In all seriousness,” Greg continued amid his chuckles, “just don’t wait another five years, yeah? Stanley is a good man. You hold on to him.”
“You two are unbelievable,” Sherlock grumbled.
“Maybe, but we are right.”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Not to change the subject,” John said, “but what’s this about the Regent’s Park Killer? And why’s Stanley the one being a fool?”
Sherlock outlined the events leading up to their first night together, and filled them in also on Stanley’s suspension - and how he was handling it.
“He’s angry with me. Again,” Sherlock said with a sigh. “And he’s letting this case get to him, even though he’s no longer working it. I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh, Sherlock,” John said with a soft laugh. “You’ve got it bad, mate.”
Sherlock scowled. “I do not.”
“You do,” Greg said.
“It’s the nature of being involved with an officer,” John said. “You’re gonna worry your arse off about them. Especially when Stanley pulls the same stupid shit you used to. Tracking down a potential killer single-handedly? Jesus. Let’s face it, Sherlock, you’ve mellowed in your old age. He hasn’t yet.”
“Try not to let it consume you. Stanley does have a decent head on his shoulders, for the most part,” Greg put in.
“Get him shot in the hip instead next time,” John suggested.
“Hey!”
“What?” John asked, mock defensively. “It worked out well for me, didn’t it? Got you to retire and move away from that bloody city. No more risking your neck on a day-to-day basis.”
Greg grumbled something about how living with John was a day-to-day hazard and the two of them bickered for a while as Sherlock listened.
“Look, fascinating as this all is,” Sherlock broke in finally, “I’m going to hang up on you two.”
“Right, right, sorry,” John said hastily. “Listen, just hang in there, all right? No one out there can guarantee Stanley’s safety or his personal happiness. But he’s also a careful guy. All right? Just… be there for him when you can.”
Sherlock nodded wordlessly, and John dropped the subject.
“Keep us updated about your surgery. Good luck tomorrow.”
“And bring him to dinner sometime,” Greg chimed in.
Sherlock rolled his eyes, but gave his expected goodbyes before ringing off.
----
Part 15
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5a / Part 5b / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8a / Part 8b / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14a
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John squinted at the screen.
“Bring your hand closer,” he ordered. “Can’t see a bloody thing from there, mate.”
Sherlock sighed, got up from the table, and walked over to the vid screen. He held his left hand so that it was only a few inches from the monitor.
“Better?” he asked snidely. John adjusted his glasses and peered at the hand.
“Mm,” he hummed. “And what were your latest x-rays, again?”
Sherlock sighed and fetched them from the table. He held them up for John to examine.
“And what’ve they got you on prior to the surgery?”
Sherlock shrugged. “The same painkillers I told you about the last time.”
“They’ve also got you fasting.”
Sherlock nodded. “Nothing for the next twelve hours.”
“Water?”
He shook his head. John grunted.
“Standard procedure,” he said, leaning back in his chair and taking off his glasses. “Now, when you go in tomorrow, don’t forget to tell them that you’re allergic to -“
“I know, John.”
John rolled his eyes and held up his hands. “Sorry, sorry. Just trying to avoid you going into anaphylaxis on the operating table. Excuse me for looking out for you.”
Sherlock rubbed his forehead and sat down again. He was beginning to get a headache, and really wished that this call would end.
“I can look after myself, thanks,” he said irritably. John raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, because you’re doing a stellar job of it so far. What the hell’s the matter with you? The kitchen’s clean as a whistle, and you haven’t been this irritable in months.”
“I haven’t had any experiments to run recently.”
“You always have experiments to run,” John retorted. He sighed. “What’ve you done now, Sherlock?”
Sherlock scowled.
“It wasn’t me this time,” he said irritably. “Stanley’s being a fool.”
John lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s Stanley now, is it?”
“He finds it strange that I continually call him by his surname even though we’re sleeping together.”
John blinked at him for a moment.
“Right,” he announced, and then looked at something off-screen. “Pay up, Greg.”
There was an audible sigh.
“You couldn’t have waited a couple of months?” Greg asked in mock exasperation, appearing next to John at the table.
“There were extenuating circumstances,” Sherlock said, rolling his eyes.
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that he was almost murdered by the Regent’s Park Killer’s accomplice. You two were betting on this?”
John snorted.
“Sherlock, we’ve had a bet going for years now. Just had to keep pushing it back. You’re a bit late to the party, so let’s focus on the fact that you showed up at all. Good for you, mate.”
“What he means is, we’re happy for you,” Greg broke in, sounding amused. “Do me a favour, though, son. Make it a winter wedding, yeah? Got some good money riding on that one.”
There was an audible thwack as John thumped him on the shoulder.
“In all seriousness,” Greg continued amid his chuckles, “just don’t wait another five years, yeah? Stanley is a good man. You hold on to him.”
“You two are unbelievable,” Sherlock grumbled.
“Maybe, but we are right.”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Not to change the subject,” John said, “but what’s this about the Regent’s Park Killer? And why’s Stanley the one being a fool?”
Sherlock outlined the events leading up to their first night together, and filled them in also on Stanley’s suspension - and how he was handling it.
“He’s angry with me. Again,” Sherlock said with a sigh. “And he’s letting this case get to him, even though he’s no longer working it. I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh, Sherlock,” John said with a soft laugh. “You’ve got it bad, mate.”
Sherlock scowled. “I do not.”
“You do,” Greg said.
“It’s the nature of being involved with an officer,” John said. “You’re gonna worry your arse off about them. Especially when Stanley pulls the same stupid shit you used to. Tracking down a potential killer single-handedly? Jesus. Let’s face it, Sherlock, you’ve mellowed in your old age. He hasn’t yet.”
“Try not to let it consume you. Stanley does have a decent head on his shoulders, for the most part,” Greg put in.
“Get him shot in the hip instead next time,” John suggested.
“Hey!”
“What?” John asked, mock defensively. “It worked out well for me, didn’t it? Got you to retire and move away from that bloody city. No more risking your neck on a day-to-day basis.”
Greg grumbled something about how living with John was a day-to-day hazard and the two of them bickered for a while as Sherlock listened.
“Look, fascinating as this all is,” Sherlock broke in finally, “I’m going to hang up on you two.”
“Right, right, sorry,” John said hastily. “Listen, just hang in there, all right? No one out there can guarantee Stanley’s safety or his personal happiness. But he’s also a careful guy. All right? Just… be there for him when you can.”
Sherlock nodded wordlessly, and John dropped the subject.
“Keep us updated about your surgery. Good luck tomorrow.”
“And bring him to dinner sometime,” Greg chimed in.
Sherlock rolled his eyes, but gave his expected goodbyes before ringing off.
----
Part 15