Alone On the Water by Mad_Lori (Gen)

[the-hobbet.livejournal.com]

Fandom: SHERLOCK BBC
Pairing: John Watson/Sherlock Holmes
Length: 7725 words
Author on LJ: madlorific
Author Website: Mad_Lori at AO3 and FF.net
Why this must be read:

"Alone on the Water" is one of the best-known stories in Sherlock fandom. I am amazed it hasn't been rec'd here before. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and bittersweet, told with delicacy and restraint by a master with words.

Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, Sherlock deals with fate on his own terms, as always. With John at his side, as always.

I sometimes get choked up over stories, but I never cry. This one made me cry.

PS. a group of students in Derby, UK are working on an audioplay of Alone on the Water. It isn't available as of this posting but information can be had here. I'm looking forward to listening.

I sit and I hear the words. I am numb.

Inoperable. Deep. Intracranial pressure. Terribly sorry. Options. Arrangements.

Sherlock sits next to me, legs crossed. He is calm. "How long do I have?" is all he asks.

The neurosurgeon is a classmate of mine from Bart's. He's a good man. He is looking at me with sympathy, presuming what they all do. I don’t mind so much. "A month. At the outside."

I have more questions but Sherlock is on his feet. "Thank you, Doctor. Come, John." And he is out of the room. I start to follow.

"John – I’m so sorry," says my old friend. "We can make him comfortable."

I laugh. I'm surprised to hear it come out of my mouth. "He's never been comfortable in his life. No need to start now."

Alone On the Water

Comments

[princess-aleera.livejournal.com]

A good friend of mine told me about this one. "Don't read it," she said. "It'll destroy you."

I cry quite often when I read amazing stories. I read this.

I started crying about forty words into the story, and I couldn't stop. I cried so hard I got an asthma attack - a bad one. I just barely got to the ending before I passed out.

So, yeah. Heed the warnings. It will break you. <3

[the-hobbet.livejournal.com]

OMG, that's the strongest reaction I've heard. Having an asthma attack is a bit not good.

So, are you sorry you read it?

[princess-aleera.livejournal.com]

A bit not good, yeah. *grimaces* my friend tried calling an ambulance from Canada to England, poor thing. And I was gone for ten minutes. *winces*

So from the whole should-maybe-perhaps-have-been-admitted-to-a-hospital-there-for-a-while pespective, yeah, no, I probably shouldn't have read it. It's that strong, though. It is that beautiful and heartbreaking. <3

[kittenmommy.livejournal.com]

"Don't read it," she said. "It'll destroy you."

As I read the ending, I kept thinking of all the cats we've had to have euthanized over the years... and I just couldn't stop crying, because at least Sherlock knew what he was doing and why.

And I'm so sorry about your asthma attack; kittendaddy has asthma too, and so I know (sort of) what it's like. *hugs*

[princess-aleera.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's a strange feeling, to be metaphorically stabbed in the lung and too upset to function, but it's still so perfect you want it to last forever.<3

[kittenmommy.livejournal.com]

Heart, lung... who's quibbling? :*(

[dhfunk.livejournal.com]

The author's lj is madlorific. The fic is on livejournal here (http://madlorific.livejournal.com/22790.html). I have to agree, this fic needs a Kleenex warning.

[the-hobbet.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. I'll update the rec.