Fight for Me

Chapter 17

Sherlock threw open every door in the hallway, not even caring that most revealed two or more people naked in bed. The occupants angrily shouted at him, but their words were left unheard as his mind focused solely on finding Lydia. Each second felt like an hour was passing, making him less certain that he would find her before something terrible happened.

When he finally found her, however, his heart stopped and his body grew rigid. She was draped carelessly across a bed, her body covered in blood and bruises, and her eyes staring unfocused at the corner of the room. Sherlock ran to her side so that he could check for a pulse, relieved to find faint one, but that relief faded upon seeing the letter carved into her skin. M.

Had he really seen Moriarty earlier? Was he behind all of this? Did Moriarty send her into his path, knowing exactly what she would do to him? Knowing that he would immediately jump onto the case, intrigued by her ability to conceal thoughts and emotions?

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he gently wrapped his arms around Lydia's limp body and picked her up from the bed. She wouldn't last long if he didn't act quickly and he refused to let her die, regardless of her relationship with Moriarty. He would be able to question her when she recovered, but only if he could get her medical attention in time.

She stirred slightly as he moved her, but her mind was still foggy. Aware of a strong pair of arms supporting her, she instinctively nuzzled closer to the person carrying her and breathed in the smell of tobacco ash and spice. It smelt familiar, but she couldn't name it, not with the way her mind muddled the way it was. But even not knowing who it was, she relaxed and felt safe in their arms.

Sherlock was busy searching for something to throw over her body, that would keep her warm once they got outside. Stripped down to her undergarments, the bitter wind would rack her already injured body without anything to protect from it. The door of the room flew open again and Sherlock tensed, but relaxed again when he saw it was only John.

"Oh god, Sherlock, is she dead?" He exclaimed immediately upon seeing the nearly unconscious woman in his arms.

The detective shook his head, "not yet, but we have to hurry. Phone an ambulance and have them meet us down the road and go grab our coats, we're going to have to keep her warm."

John didn't hesitate to question Sherlock as he sprinted back the way he came, calling out behind him, "this way, Sherlock, we won't be seen."

Sherlock followed his friend who had stumbled across the staircase hidden from the main hall while he was looking for Lydia. It allowed them to get downstairs unnoticed while John phoned for an ambulance. Sherlock waited out of sight for John to grab their coats, protecting Lydia's decency the best he could. When John returned, he had John throw his Belstaff over Lydia before the two of them slipped outside.

The ambulance had not yet arrived where John had instructed by the time the pair had gotten there and Sherlock calculated based on the location and when John had phoned that they still had about two minutes. Sherlock was in a right mind to run Lydia to the hospital himself, but he knew that, even with the wait, it would be faster with the ambulance. He checked her pulse again anxiously and John filled the silence by asking him what had happened.

Sherlock shook his head, "they punished her. I was too late."

"Well, maybe not. She is still alive, Sherlock, you found her in time."

"Did I?" Sherlock snapped, his eyes flashing angrily at his friend. "We still have to wait for the ambulance and she may not even hold on until they arrive, never mind the trip to the hospital. If I had been there sooner, if I had waited backstage for her or something. If I had been there-"

"Sherlock, enough!" John finally exclaimed, his voice echoing in the empty night air. "How were you supposed to know exactly where and when they were going to grab her? Where they were going to take her once they had her? You did what you could Sherlock, and you found her. That's going to have to be enough."

Sherlock hissed, pacing along the road in his impatience. Part of him understood that John was correct and this wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn't listened to her whole song, but had instead slipped backstage. But he had wanted to focus on her performance, he wanted to hear her voice again after the two weeks that it had haunted him. He didn't understand why he couldn't force her out of his mind. Or why he was so scared in this moment that he would lose her.

He didn't like feeling and he didn't like that she made him feel. He already cared for John and would do anything to protect him, he didn't need to feel the same about Lydia. Especially considering her involvement in criminal matters.

The wail of sirens brought him back out of his thoughts and he looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms, knowing that he wouldn't have the strength to leave her side until knowing that she was ok. The ambulance slowed and a paramedic jumped out, asking Sherlock, "were you the one that phone?"

"I did," John stepped forward as they rushed a gurney over to Sherlock's side for Lydia. "She's been badly beaten and has lost a lot of blood."

"Are you family?" She asked as she carefully helped Sherlock place Lydia's body down onto the gurney and check her vitals.

"No, we're just-" John started, but Sherlock quickly interrupted, knowing that he would have a better chance of riding with her to the hospital if he lied about their relationship.

"I'm her fiancé." John gave Sherlock a confused look, but he ignored him as he let his worry peek through his normally expressionless mask, trying desperately to convince himself that it was all an act and not how he was really feeling. "Please, can I go with you? I-I just can't... I can't leave her."

The paramedic gave a nod as her partner helped her get Lydia up into the ambulance. Sherlock told John to get a cab and follow them to the hospital before jumping into the ambulance after them and watched the paramedic close the door on John's still rather confused face.

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(A/N): And Sherlock found her! I wasn't super happy with the way that this chapter turned out, but I wanted to get it up and I don't know if there's much I really would have fixed unless I had rewritten the whole thing which I am frankly too tired to do at this moment. Anyway, I do hope it was enjoyable for you as you are blissfully unaware of the masterpiece I had dreamt up in my head!