Evening Falls So Hard

This occurs after Sherlock is gone and presumed dead, post-Reichenbach (or any other "Final Problem"-esque scenario you choose).
This is a 221b ficlet (221 words, last word beginning with a "b").
This universe does not belong to me; I'm just an appreciative visitor. I make no profit from this fan work

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

"Greg." John sounds surprised.

"I may be slow, but I usually get there in the end. You had me bloody well terrified I'd be too late here."

"Sorry," John says. "And thanks for the thought. But you shouldn't have come."

"Why's that?"

He considers. "You didn't know me, before. Former soldier. Former doctor. Now I'm a former flatmate, former... well. There's only so far a man can go, measuring himself by what he isn't anymore, what he's lost."

"You're a good man. That hasn't changed."

"I shot that cabbie."

"Yeah, I know."

The water mutters below them.

"Pardon me for asking the obvious," Lestrade says, "but I've been told it's what I do. Planning to jump, are you?"

"And waste my valuable training? Why, with these skilled hands" – John's right one clutches his cane, while the left trembles violently – "I might could do up my own shoelaces, given enough time."

"It's not your hands he valued the most. It's your heart."

"That's not in the best shape either, these days."

A pause. "Not just yours, mate."

John turns, stares at Lestrade as if he's never really seen him, and then nods.

"No, I'm not jumping," he says at last. "Just limping along. Wouldn't mind some company, though." John's brief smile is grateful, if bleak. "Always good for a clearer view, bridges."

THE END

Notes:

Vital Stats: Originally written in August 2011.
The title refers to the lyrics "When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you" from song "Bridge Over Troubled Water," written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon and Garfunkel.

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Comments

Vicky (Guest) Tue 16 Aug 2011 10:14PM UTC

That's a gorgeous little piece, sweet, touching and true to the characters. I like that Lestrade knew about the cabbie, I would also have thought so!

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1. Morgan_Stuart Wed 17 Aug 2011 12:26AM UTC
  
  Oh, I'm so glad you liked it!
  Yes, Lestrade might not get there as quickly as Sherlock, but he also doesn't let go until he sees something to its end. (There's that bulldog-like tenacity Doyle wrote about.) I suspect he worked out John was the killer, but weighed against other issues, he could let it go. I'm so glad that worked for you, both that he knew, and that it didn't affect his notion of John as a good man. (Quite the contrary, I'd guess.)
  I really appreciate your reading and commenting! Thank you so much. :)
  
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watin77 Wed 17 Aug 2011 02:54AM UTC

this is so powerful and full of character for a 221B! like it's got some sort of rough beauty about it. love the interplay between john, lestrade and the bridge/water, too.

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1. Morgan_Stuart Wed 17 Aug 2011 10:42AM UTC
  
  Oh, wow! Thank you so much for this. I have a whole new respect for the 221B format, now that I've tried it. It's so much harder than it looks! I'm really thrilled the characters (including the bridge and water) and their interactions worked for you, despite the brevity of the story. I really appreciate your kind words.
  
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PrettyArbitrary Wed 17 Aug 2011 03:49AM UTC

8c
If there is any comfort to come out of all this, it's that I am in great good company when it comes to Reichenbach. But oh my poor heart can't take all this sadness.
One of the things I like about this, for some reason, is that there's some ambiguity whether John really was Thinking About It, or just thinking about it, and whether Lestrade actually talked him out of something imminent or they just discovered they could keep each other company in their grief.

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1. Morgan_Stuart Wed 17 Aug 2011 11:33AM UTC
  
  Oh, I know! I'm angsting already. The whole Reichenbach scenario is so, so sad.
  there's some ambiguity whether John really was Thinking About It, or just thinking about it, and whether Lestrade actually talked him out of something imminent or they just discovered they could keep each other company in their grief.
  Thank you so much for this. It's a great relief to know this came through. I was hoping it would. I wanted to leave the question open, whether John paused on his walk because passing the bridge brought up the idea, or if John purposefully went there with a plan.
  Either way, I'm glad Lestrade was worried enough about his frame of mind to look for him.
  I really appreciate your reading and commenting, despite the Reichenbach sadness!
  
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2. 1. PrettyArbitrary Wed 17 Aug 2011 05:30PM UTC
    
    I suspect it wouldn't work so well to do the three-year hiatus in this format, or for this version of the characters (at least not without John signing up for the Peace Corp and going to work as a doctor the Congo or somewhere else he can feasibly get kidnapped and shot). Even so I'm going to be wibbling about it for the coming year. This stuff is like therapy.
    Lestrade is such a dear heart. He and John are both in good hands. :) But did I detect a bit of familiarity with the concept from Lestrade as well? His brief smile is grateful, if bleak. "Always good for a clearer view, bridges." Sounds like he...knows where John is coming from.
    
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  2. 1. Morgan_Stuart Thu 18 Aug 2011 10:10AM UTC
      
      Good point! It will be interesting to see how they update/adapt the hiatus idea. And I agree wholeheartedly that the fan fiction in this case (and many others) is like therapy, and the authors sort of a worldwide support group. ("Hi, I'm Morgan, and I wibble over Reichenbach Falls." "Hi, Morgan!" LOL.) It reminds me a bit of Frodo and Sam's separation when Frodo leaves for the Grey Havens, except Sam has the benefit of knowing Frodo's alive and knowing he'll join him one day. John gets neither comfort.
      John and Lestrade are in good hands with each other, I agree! (BTW, I took inspiration from Elfbert's brilliant "Bridging the Void," which I think is a lovely tribute to Lestrade and his dear heart.) I meant for the last line to be a continuation of John's comments - grateful for Lestrade, grateful for the insight he isn't alone - (I edited that a bit, to make it clearer, sorry for the confusion), but I definitely think Lestrade does, in fact, know where John is coming from. He strikes me as a man who's had his own dark nights of the soul, as it were.
      
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    2. 1. PrettyArbitrary Thu 18 Aug 2011 11:40PM UTC
        
        Awwww, Lestrade you fuzzy, wonderful man! I had not read that story, but it is happy-making.
        AND I think it just helped me figure out how to start that bro!times fic. Score.
        
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      2. Morgan_Stuart Thu 18 Aug 2011 11:50PM UTC
        
        Isn't that a great story? I'm glad you liked it, too.
        AND I think it just helped me figure out how to start that bro!times fic. Score.
        Brilliant! *high fives*
        
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SarahTheCoat Thu 20 Jun 2013 05:01AM UTC

this is a sweet little treat, so much story in so few words.
I really like the idea of Lestrade being able to help John in the aftermath.

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1. Morgan_Stuart Fri 12 Jul 2013 08:37PM UTC
  
  Thank you! I, too, love the idea of Lestrade being willing and able to help John in Sherlock's absence. It means a lot to hear this struck the right note. Thanks again!
  
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Nicole_Silverwolf Wed 20 May 2020 07:16PM UTC

This little piece is a lovely compliment to that, one where everyone limps along in the aftermath of a near unspeakable loss. I recently went back to revisit this particular episode and man it still manages to get the same emotional reaction out of me all these years later. I also have a very large soft spot for this particular version of Lestrade. Thanks for this brief but intimate little moment!

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1. Morgan_Stuart Sun 26 Dec 2021 11:32PM UTC
  
  Oh, thank you so much for this! <3
  
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hotshoe_again Mon 19 Aug 2024 01:27AM UTC

It's a scary premise, and a lovely resolution for John and Lestrade after all.

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1. Morgan_Stuart Mon 19 Aug 2024 03:34PM UTC
  
  Thank you so much for this!
  
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