10ADP

John rolled over, still drowsy from yet another shit night's sleep, and blindly fumbled for his phone on the nightstand. He peeked out through half-lidded eyes, wincing as the device flashed to life. The blackout drapes did a marvelous job of blocking the sun, but there was no escaping the glaring light from an LCD screen in a pitch black room. 3 new messages His heart skipped a beat, just as it did every time he had a shred of hope that Sherlock might not be dead. He couldn't breathe as his thumb hovered over the "view messages" prompt. He tapped the cool glass, and the millisecond between action and reaction felt like an eternity. John,

John stood in the doorway watching as Sherlock rolled his eyes with his mobile pressed against his ear. The detective's arms were crossed at his chest as he paced the floor, obviously frustrated with whatever was coming from the other end of the line. "Yes, I understand," he finally huffed into the phone, "I just don't feel like I can take your case at this time." He paused, only half-listening to the voice coming through the speaker. "Yes, well, I'm sorry too. I'm sure everything will work out for you in the end. Goodbye." He ended the call and laid the phone face-down on the table. Shaking his head at John, he was clearly looking for some