Legend of the Genius
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: None
Summary: Sherlock and the legend of the innocent princess.
The average adult body weighs 150 to 160 pounds. From a building four stories up, it falls 50 feet then hits the ground at 76.2 mph. Blood vessels break. Bones shatter. Life ends.
This is time equals zero.
At time equals 0.5 seconds, people will stare in shock. These are the crucial seconds where the human brain has to process the information that yes, the person did jump and yes, that person is most probably dead or going to be. The victim lies there, perhaps still there, the pain dulled largely by the adrenaline still pumping.
At around time equals 3.7 seconds, two kinds of people will move. The first run towards the body, probably trained in first aid, probably going to see if there’s a chance. They hold on to the hope that there’s always a chance. The second will back away, maybe with their hand covering their mouth, their mind repeating some variation of ‘Oh no’ or ‘Oh God’. The victim’s vision is blacking out. It’s not pretty but at least the pain is going. Blood is pumping. They can hear their own heart beating a dying rhythm.
4.9 seconds. Someone fumbles with their phone. It takes them what seems like forever to press the numbers and hit dial. Their voice is probably shaky. They’ll stutter a little as they tell the operator what happened. The victim is not there anymore. Breathing has stopped completely. Blood continues to flow.
6.5 seconds. A child cries. A boy throws up. A man has taken a picture. A woman leaves the scene as quickly as she can. Someone murmurs a prayer and thanks God it wasn’t them. Someone curses God for letting it happen. The blood has formed an outline.
9.2 seconds. The first responder is on the scene but they don’t know what to do. The operator on the line has taken down the details. An ambulance is on the way. Hello, hello, can you hear me?
13.5 seconds. Conversation starts in earnest.
“Did someone call a doctor?”
“Someone perform CPR quick!”
“Who was that?”
“Oh God. Christ. God help us.”
“Mummy what happened?” “Shush dear!”
“Jeanette! Come away from there!”
“He’s not breathing.”
But this time, it’s different.
The first responder stands in shock when he reaches the body. ‘Hello, hello, can you hear me?’ dies in his throat.
“Is this a joke?” He asks the air.
There are hushed whispers. Heads turn in search of a camera crew.
A child speaks up.
“Mummy, isn’t blood red?”
It is. But this time, it isn’t.
Or can anyone explain the cut on the forehead that is oozing white?
Or the spreading milk coloured pool under the body?
“I called the ambulance.” Someone says. First Responder drops to his knees, careful to avoid the white liquid. He pats the body.
It is warm to the touch. He can see the break in the skin and the bone jutting out. Something is flowing out but he doesn’t know if it’s blood.
“Hello?” He chokes on the word. The victim’s staring at him, lifelessly. If there is anyone in there, they might not be for long. His fingers stain with the liquid. It’s on the coat, turning the black darker. It’s on the palm of his hand, trickling around his shoe. It’s sticky as it dries and it smells exactly like blood.
Time blurs. Shutters snap repeatedly. When the paramedics arrive, they ask the same question.
“Is this a joke?”
But there’s a dead body bleeding white on the pavement. The heart isn’t beating, the chest isn’t rising and the lifeless eyes just keep on staring so this is definitely not a joke.
The body is transferred onto the stretcher. There’s a hushed silence in the crowd as they watch the vehicle pull away.
They pronounce him dead. The internet blows up. They pronounce the body a once living person who’s now dead. People speculate on the body being a clone. The body is examined thoroughly. He didn’t really jump. There is a list of injuries. He was on drugs. The injuries are consistent with the fall. He was not human. He was human.
For all intents and purposes, the blood is blood. Just a different colour.
Once upon a time, a king put his daughter to death for killing her husband. But she didn't. And she bled white. She cursed the land, she said that innocent people would bleed white.
He bled white.
But that was just a legend.
Just like him.