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John leaned with his elbows on the labtable, across from where Molly was scribbling down results on her clipboard.
“Listen, Molly, about the Christmas party…” he started, frowning as if he didn’t know where the sentence would go himself. Molly looked up from her clipboard with a wry smile.
“You don’t have to worry about that, John. Of all people.” she let out a slight chuckle and went back to writing.
“It’s just that… You don’t deserve any of that.”
“I know.”
“Then why…” his voice trailed off, his eyes fixed on the pathologist that stubornly didn’t look up from her notes.
“Believe me, I am as baffled about it as you are. Or as anyone is, I’m guessing.” there was a slight pause in her hand and she chewed on her lower lip. She looked up and sought eyecontact just for a second before looking down again. A silence fell over the conversation only disrupted by the scratching of Molly’s pen over paper. John himself was lost in thought about the pathologist before him, wondering how someone as - seemingly, John knew - heartless as Sherlock Holmes had managed to capture the heart of the likes of Molly Hooper. After he felt the silence he dragged on for too long he cleared his throat.
“Well, I’m guessing the magic’s sort of gone now, then?” John quiped at an attempt to lighten the conversation. Molly laughed.
“The magic had sort of gone already when I had the man throw up all over my lab,” she laughed and grimaced at the memory, “All my tests were completely ruined. He never apologised for that either.”
“I’m sorry, what?” John laughed.
“It’s how I met him, actually. Well, the first time it happened that is. Must’ve been about three years ago.”
“There were multiple times?” John asked.
“Oh yes, four or five times at the least,” Molly frowned as she tried to remember, “Last time must’ve been about a month or so before he met you.” she swallowed thickly, “That, erm… That was the wors one, that last one. Had the most time between his latest relapse than the others had.” she shook her head sadly, “Guess his arrogance also made him believe that the simple facts of biology and chemistry didn’t apply to him. He took one miligram too much. Just the one. He almost died. He would ’ve died if I hadn’t been there to…” Molly finally laid down the pen as she realized her handwriting had become almost a cluster of unreadable squigles as she kept on talking, “He was distant before that, but after? It’s like he wants to punish me for being there. For having seen him like that.”
“Molly,” John walked around the table as he noticed the wet gleam in her eyes and swooped her into a hug. Molly’s arms stayed loosely by her side as she let out a single sob and was silent again, “It’ll be alright.” Molly let out a scoff as she stepped back.
“Thank you. And I know it’ll be alright. One day, I’ll look at the man and won’t feel a thing. I just hope that that day comes soon.”
“Or that Sherlock gets his head out of his ass.”
“Let’s be honest, I have a better chance on winning the lottery thanthat happening,” Molly let out a humourless laugh. She sniffed before stepping away further from John and cleared her throat, “Anyways, I need to file these before my shift is done, so…”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be on my way.” John shuffled around awkwardly before finally making up his mind and heading for the door, “I’ll see you around, then? I’ll probably be with him next time he comes in.”
“John, I don’t need a chaperone,” Molly laughed.
“Of course you don’t. But that git needs a firm punch in the face every once in a while and would hate it if you’d beat me to the punch whenever he’ll go off on you again,” He said, smiling broadly when opening the door.
“Can’t promise you anything.” Molly called after John as the door fell shut behind him. She chuckled. Nope, can’t promise a thing.