A/N: For TheShulesLovinPsycho, who requested Shules. In case you're wondering, this isn't really Shules. Some friend I am.
Juliet was getting worried. Not that she hadn't been worried before. Shawn had been almost crazy with his thirst to catch Jerry Carp these last few days, and with craziness came carelessness. That was what Juliet was worried about: That Shawn would become careless enough to get himself killed. And now he wasn't returning her calls.
She had tried contacting him three times so far since he'd left the station, with no luck. When she called Gus he had said that Shawn had gotten upset when he wouldn't help him catch Carp, and both men had stormed off in different directions. Juliet told Gus to call her as soon as he heard from Shawn, and that she was going to visit Henry in the hospital. Which is where she was now.
As she entered the room, Juliet tried to give Henry a smile despite her worries. She leaned down for a hug, which was slightly difficult due to the fact that he could barely lift himself an inch from the bed. There was an awkward silence as Juliet sat down, unsure of what to say, and her mind consumed with concern for her boyfriend. Henry saw right through her distress however, lifting up a pad of paper containing words scrawled out in his all-caps handwriting.
WHAT'S WRONG?
Juliet sighed. She knew Henry had enough to deal with already, and there was know sense in getting him worried. On the other hand, he had known Shawn his whole life; if there was anyone who could empathize with Juliet's concerns and give her advice it was Henry.
"It's just," she started, deciding it would be best to tell him. "It's just Shawn. I'm worried about him. He's going crazy trying to find Carp, and he's acting so impulsive, and I'm afraid..." She trailed off from her rambling, not really wanting to say what might have come next.
Henry scribbled something on his notepad and held it up for her to see.
IDIOT
Juliet let herself laugh a little, although she could see worry in the the father's eyes behind the humor of what he had written.
Henry scrawled down something else for her to read a few seconds later.
REMEMBER THE LANCE MULLER CASE?
Juliet nodded. She remembered alright. It had been about six months ago. Lance Muller. The child killer. Of course it was just her luck that she had to get sick during the investigation. Sneezing, coughing, and running a fever, Juliet had still refused to go home, despite the insistent pleas from Shawn, Gus, Carlton, and Chief Vick. She wouldn't just not work the case. She couldn't. Every second she would have wasted while home sick would have put another innocent child's life on the line, and Juliet wasn't going to risk that. The investigation had ended once Juliet, after combing through infinite piles of evidence, had figured out where Muller was hiding. Only to collapse from exhaustion a few seconds later, and unfortunately hitting her head on the corner of her desk as she fell.
"I guess I was the impulsive one then, huh?" Juliet said, shaking herself out of the memory.
Henry shrugged, and started to write something else down.
REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU?
She nodded again, her mind floating back to six months ago for the second time that day. After the whole ordeal was over, Juliet had been hospitalized with a high fever and a concussion from her head-to-desk altercation. After expressing her guilt to Henry about having caused Shawn and everyone else so much worry, he gave her some advice.
"Every good cop needs perseverance," he had said "And I know that everyone, including me, is damn proud of you for figuring out where Muller was. But sometimes you've got to think about your own well being, and about the people who care about you. You've got to think about how your loved ones are going to feel once something happens to you. Because if you're not careful, chances are something will."
Juliet fell back into the present, realizing that Henry had something else scribbled down for her.
REMIND HIM
"I will," she promised. "Thanks Henry."
There was a silence for a moment, but more relaxed than awkward. Juliet was about to say something else when her phone rang.
"O'Hara."
"Juliet!" Gus's panicked voice came through the phone. "Shawn just went into the house."
"What house?"
"The one where Jerry Carp and the rest of Drake's goons are staying."
"And you let him?!" Juliet almost screamed, fear and worry coming back with full force.
"I was to busy throwing up to notice!"
"Throwing up, why..?" She didn't have time to wonder what Gus was talking about. "Never mind, I'm coming over there."
Juliet hung up before he could respond. In a bit she would take Henry's advice and talk to Shawn. Right now she just had to save his ass first.