Poison & Wine//A BBC Sherlock fanfic

Now

Now

It was the late afternoon two days later when Cosette finally awoke. At the time Teddy, Margot, and Cosette's Aunt Gaia were at the hospital's cafeteria. Sherlock had been quite surprised at how quickly Margot had returned from her sister's house when she found out what happened. The old Frenchwoman had burst into the hospital, her sister in tow, and in quick-fire French demanded to know where her daughter was and what exactly had happened. After finding out everything and finding Sherlock she had taken the tall man in her arms and hugged him within an inch of his life, thanking him in French for his help before doing the same to Teddy. Although upset and worried sick about Cosette Margot's hug had made Sherlock feel much better, and her presence had lifted a weight off his shoulder he hadn't realized he had been carrying. Together the two people who loved Cosette the most in this world sat by her bedside, taking turns sleeping, hardly ever leaving her side.

Now, though, it was just Sherlock in the room when Cosette woke up. He had been half asleep when he noticed her stirring. In a second he was wide awake, leaning forward and watching as her eyelids began to flutter open. His hand gripped hers tightly, his eyebrows furrowed in slight worry. When her eyes were fully open he spoke softly, staring at her carefully.

"C-Cosette?"

The blind woman turned her head towards the source of the noise, her unseeing eyes staring past him as she spoke.

"Sherlock?" her voice was hoarse from lack of use and he watched her wince as she brought a hand up to touch his. With a confused look on her face she used her fingers to feel her forearms, obviously sensing pain in that area. All her fingertips found, though, was gauze bandages and a wire or two linked onto the heart monitor she wore on one finger. Instantly Sherlock watched as her heart monitor began to rise in panic.

"Oh, oh God, what- what 'appened?! Sherlock?!" she cried, her voice shrill as she began scratching at her arms trying to find the wires to pull them out. Sherlock took hold of her hands then, speaking quickly but quietly in an effort to calm her.

"Cosette, it's okay, it's okay," he soothed, continuing to hold her hands back until she calmed. When she did he let go, leaning forward slightly to brush the loose strands of her honey-gold hair off her face. White eyes staring forward Cosette spoke, her voice trembling as she did.

"What 'appened, Sherlock? I- I keep trying to remember but... everything ees foggy and I can't remember a thing..."

Sherlock swallowed, a little weary as to whether or not he should tell Cosette the events from that night. She had just woken up, he didn't know if she would be able to handle the news of another attempted murder. Part of him thought he should call a nurse in, get someone to check Cosette, but her hand was on his arm and she was squeezing it with such intensity he knew he had to tell her.

"Well... when Teddy and I arrived you were already, um, you were already in the tub and the men were there. Teddy shot two of them in the leg- they're in custody at the moment, along with another man I knocked out. The blond man, the... the one who had been, um," Sherlock paused, looking at Cosette's arms. He shook his head before continuing. "Well, he's out of the picture now. Turns out the wound I gave him was quite a bad one. He bled out. Anyway, the ambulance turned up and took you to the hospital. You lost a lot of blood but they managed to save you, thank God. You've been out for two days. Your mother and aunt are here, they're with Teddy at the moment."

"Mama? Ees she-"

"She's fine, she's safe. So is your aunt. Everyone's fine except... except for you, Cosette. Are you all right? Do you want anything? Do you need a nurse, doctor, whoever-"