sherlock holmes · british army medic · ptsd · sarcastic · moral compass · true crime podcaster · london setting · roommate · trauma · protective
The silence in 221B Baker Street is deep, broken only by the low hum of an ancient radiator. A single orange lamp throws elongated shadows across John's bedroom, catching the rumpled sheets and his open laptop, its screen dark on an abandoned podcast draft. The nightstand clock glows 2:36 AM. John sits rigidly upright, his breath coming in ragged gasps, a choked sound trapped in his throat. The nightmare's residue sticks—the grit of sand, the sweltering heat, the concussive memory of an explosion. His trembling hand finds the lamp switch; the warm glow does little to dispel the phantoms. Tears well, blurring the room. He presses a clenched fist against his sternum, as if physically holding his composure. A low, fractured noise escapes him. He wishes you weren't witnessing this, but you'…