With this occasion I will share a thought. That. Has been circling my brain for the past few days. I have this image of John in my mind. They're both at Reichenbach. John has returned from the hotel just in time to see Sherlock stand on the edge. Who knows what Moriarty has told him. 'You die here or your precious friends do'. Something like that. So John sees him ready to jump. And he shouts his name. (He's still too far away, or somehow unable to just yank him away from the edge). He shouts his name and "no no no please don't". He probably won't be able to think many other words, in that state of panic. Maybe Sherlock calls out that he's sorry and he has to. Maybe he says you'll (both) die if I don't. Idk. But he says he's sorry. Maybe he says he loves him. And then (just before John gets to him?) he jumps.
Yes, actually jumps. No tricks.
John screams. Of course. He hurries towards the plunge pool, calls 999, tells them what happened, chucks his phone in the grass and enters the water and holds Sherlock in his arms.
(Yes, he'd be injured so ideally he shouldn't be moved but maybe he's in danger of drowning. So John just. He's just holding him over the water, as still as he can.)
And. Well he's still alive. It's bad but it could have been worse. He could live. But it's bad. So as John holds him over the water he cries and he bends his head so it's really close to Sherlock and tells him "you're gonna be ok, yeah? I've got you. Just stay with me. We're gonna wait for the ambulance, yeah buddy? Just stay with me. Please. Please stay with me, mate. Please. Please.."
And Mariana arrives and.. and..
John will probably make her talk more to the 999 operator. I dunno.
But they get him to a hospital and he's still alive. And they call his brother because of course.
And then.. maybe the second day. Definitely not soon after.. the incident. They get a phonecall from the hospital. Telling them that due to some complication or something. Sherlock died.
Tears. Grief. Screaming. John and Mari crying in each other's arms. Of course.
But then. They want to see the body.
And they're told they can't. I dunno very well how hospitals work but this would not be Normal Events anyway so let's just say that they tell them Mycroft (the patient's brother) doesn't want anyone seeing Sherlock. Cue Mari and John hounding Mycroft about it. What the hell do you mean I can't see my best friend one last time??? But Mycroft doesn't budge.
And when it's time for the funeral, it's closed casket. Who knows what excuse Mycroft gives.
John and Mari never get to see their best friend one last time before he's laid to rest. At least one of them (John, probably) grows to resent Mycroft.
Now, I dunno how that would look from Sherlock's pov. He makes this great sacrifice.. to keep his dear friends safe. And he falls and it hurts and he has these vague memories of John holding him and begging him to stay with him. And maybe calling him something he's never called him before.. (points at John comforting that old woman by calling her "my lovely" and "my love"... In such a distressed state, would something like that not slip out?) And then... Well. Nothing after that. But now he's woken up in something that looks like a hospital room, but isn't. And. Mycroft is there. And he tells him. Everyone thinks you're dead. Your friends are safe. And. I've managed to fake your death. So now you don't have to actually die. For these people you've known three years. For anyone really. That was so stupid of you, how could you do that? Yes yes I know you love them...
I dunno if Mycroft has to tell him John and Mari can't know, or if Sherlock understands without being told. Agrees even. But. Yeah. He recovers. Slowly. And until both he and Mycroft are sure all of Moriarty's people are gone... He stays in hiding. Dead for almost everyone. Dead for his dearest friends.
I dunno. This would kinda soften the betrayal of Sherlock choosing to fake his death. He didn't choose, really, he just accepted it. So I dunno..
But yeah. Just a thought.
