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John frowned as Sherlock paced back and forth across the crime scene. There was something wrong. Sherlock’s movements were far more manic than usual. He stepped closer and watched Sherlock’s face as he made another pass by both of the bodies. As he looked over the young woman there was no reaction, but when his eyes reached the dog, there was a tension in his face that hadn’t been there before.
"Got anything freak?"
John scowled at Sally, hoping that Sherlock would turn and cut her down to size, but Sherlock ignored her and knelt down next to the dog, his gloves trailing gently over the fur. John had seen Sherlock touch bodies hundreds of times to retrieve evidence. This wasn’t…that. This was something else.
A quiet whimper escaped the dog and John looked up in shock. The dog was alive?
"John!"
In the year and a half he had known Sherlock, John had never heard Sherlock sound that panicked. He ran over to Sherlock and knelt next to him, staring in surprise when Sherlock ripped off his scarf and started to press it against the still-bleeding wound. “There’s a vet hospital three blocks over.”
"Shhh. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. We’ll take care of you. John’s good, he’s brilliant. He’s a doctor. You’re going to be okay." Sherlock trailed his fingers over the dog again, listening to it whimper. He turned around and barked. "Get the ambulance to take it to the hospital. There’s no need for two victims."
"It’s just a dog." Sally said, shrugging. "It probably won’t even make it if we move it."
Sherlock flinched and stripped off his jacket. “John, we’re going to have to move her, very, very carefully. Get her onto my jacket.”
John stared at Sherlock in surprise before doing exactly as he was ordered, helping to move the dog onto the jacket, his heart breaking with every whimper of pain. Carefully, they used the jacket to lift the dog up. They managed to get her onto the stretcher that was supposed to be for the other body.
"It’s going to be okay, I promise. I’ll stay with you, it will be okay." Sherlock whispered.
John watched the dog press her nose a fraction into Sherlock’s hand and stared. He’d never seen Sherlock like this. Not ever.
"Look at the freak, all upset over a dog. A psychopath indeed. Doesn’t flinch at the dead body of a girl, but breaks down at the sight of a wounded dog." Sally tossed her hair over her shoulder and shook it. "I wonder if you would have made this much of a fuss if it was the girl that was still-"
"Enough!" John spun away from where they were putting the stretcher into the ambulance. "That is ENOUGH." He snarled, stalking towards Sally.
"John!"
John managed to freeze when Lestrade’s voice cut out across the crime scene and John stopped ten feet in front of Sally. He narrowed his eyes at her. “You ever, EVER mock him for this again Sally? You will regret it. I promise you that.” John said, turning and jogging back to the ambulance.
When John climbed in, Sherlock was still speaking quietly to the dog, every jolt of the ambulance making another low whine escape her.
"Don’t worry, we’re almost there. Two more blocks and they’ll be able to help, I promise. I know it hurts, but they’ll fix you up and you’ll be just fine." Sherlock whispered, stroking his fingers over her muzzle. "A pretty lady like you knows how to fight, and I want you to fight."
John had to hold Sherlock back from following the stretcher into the vet hospital. Sherlock pushed against his hold and glared at John. “Let me go.”
"Sherlock, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on." John demanded, watching Sherlock flinch.
"Surprised that the sociopath can care?" Sherlock snarled, shoving John hard and into the wall.
"Damnit Sherlock, of course not. But I want to know-"
"Know what? That when I was eleven years old I watched my dog, who was the only thing in the entire world I cared about, be hit by a car, and instead of being instantly killed, I had to watch him die. Slowly. Whimpering as I pet him and told him it was going to be okay? Is that what you needed to know John?" Sherlock spun on his heel and started to go after the dog before John grabbed his hand.
"What?!"
John smiled at Sherlock and pulled the taller man into his arms. “Think Mrs. Hudson will allow us to have a dog?”
Sherlock froze, tensing in John’s arms.
"I bet she will. And I bet she’ll like that strong little lady in there." John nudged Sherlock into the vet hospital. "Go. I’ll go back to the crime scene. Let them know you’ll be along later."
"John, I heard what you said to-"
John watched Sherlock struggle with the words for only a moment longer before he smiled. “Sherlock. It’s okay. She’s going to be okay. Then we can talk to Lestrade and make sure she is moved to a different shift or squad, maybe Dimmock’s.”
Sherlock stared at John for a long moment before nodding and disappearing into the hospital.