A/N: Thanks everyone for your patience! We're back to the usual weekly update. Check out the note at the end of the chapter for news about new fics.

Fun fact: EMTs and paramedics are not the same. I claim the power of 'unreliable narrator' with Gus referring to all of them as 'paramedics' for simplicity sake.

Also, friendly disclaimer: I'm not in the medical field, Google and my imagination are all I have to work with.

Gus watched Lassiter usher the paramedics in. The brief lightness from bickering with Shawn faded as nausea rolled in his gut from even more thoughts pressing in on him. He tried to push them back as his head throbbed and pressure built up behind his temples. Shawn's hand on top of his was helping, but between the extra sensations, the extra movement to track, and the unknown of what to expect next, he was too overwhelmed to properly shield himself.

He tried focusing on Shawn's old necklace in his pocket, but his shorts were too loose to feel it properly. He debated shifting over to press the beads more firmly against his leg before realizing the obvious answer. They were safe, he didn't need to hide his protection anymore. He reached over and awkwardly dug around in his right pocket with his left hand, not wanting to use his more-hurt arm. His cuts didn't appreciate the movement, but they were the lesser of two evils.

He pulled the necklace out and clenched it in his fist, keeping it safe from prying eyes. Shawn watched and asked quietly, "Does that still work?"

Gus sighed in relief as his shield strengthened and the extra thoughts were muffled. He wished he could speak louder than a broken whisper when he answered, "Of course it still works, do you have any idea how many times you protected me in the last couple of days?"

Shawn's thoughts ponged darkly as he sighed, "Not enough…"

Gus clicked his tongue. "I told you. Not your fault."

Juliet watched them in concern from Shawn's other side, but before she could say anything, a young woman with blonde hair twisted up into a bun approached them. The paramedic smiled at them, seemingly unaffected by the corpse nearby, and Gus felt the cool minty breath of her thoughts. He absently wondered if she had breath mints and if she'd let him have one.

The woman squatted down a few feet in front of them and said, "Hi there. My name's Amanda, and this is Daisy and Luke. We're gonna do our best to get you guys out of here as soon as possible, alright?"

Shawn looked at the other two paramedics and sighed sadly. "Daisy and Luke… Man, any other day…"

The other woman, who was built like a football player, smirked and spoke with a thick New Jersey accent. "Trust me, you wouldn'ta said anything that we haven't already heard."

Amanda's smile grew good naturedly. "It comes up more often than you'd think. Now, just to make sure there aren't any mix ups, can you tell me your names?"

Shawn answered promptly, "I'm Shawn Spencer and this is my partner-" he hesitated, the pause barely noticeable before he continued, "Gus. Burton Guster."

Gus caught his eye and gave him a small smile of appreciation. He needed a few days off from names that weren't his.

Shawn gave him a small nod back before focusing again on Amanda.

She waited until they were both looking her way before continuing, "Alright, Shawn and Gus, I'm aware that drugs may be a concern. Have either of you been given anything recently that we need to know about?"

Shawn hesitated before answering, "Not recently, no. Unless antibiotics count."

Amanda's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but her voice stayed smooth and professional as she answered, "We'll need to know more about that later, but for now let's focus on getting you two taken care of. Gus, is it ok if Daisy comes over there to cut that belt off of you?"

Gus fought against the instinct yelling at him to run away and not let anyone touch his collar. He forced himself to nod and watched the large woman carefully as she walked his way. She was only a few steps away from him when her hands shifted and he saw a glint of metal.

Gus scrambled back without thinking, his heart pounding and his arms burning.

Daisy cursed softly as she held her hands up and stayed still, showing him the metal scissors hanging from her index finger.

Gus tried to breathe normally as he reminded himself over and over again that they were safe, they weren't going to be hurt. As the panic faded, he became aware of an arm pressing against his chest, and he looked over to see that Shawn had moved with him, his body and arm flung in front of Gus as if to shield him. Shawn stared at the scissors with wide eyes before letting out a shaky breath and slowly dropping his arm.

Juliet looked back at them from where she was still sitting, and her thoughts stuttered awkwardly as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do. She seemed to mentally shake herself as she stood up and walked back the few steps they'd scooted before calmly brushing away a few rocks and sitting back down again, as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry about that," Daisy said quietly from where she still wasn't moving. "I shoulda given you a head's up. Is it alright if I come over there now?"

Gus hesitated, his heart still trying to escape his chest. He didn't want anyone to touch the collar, and he didn't want anything sharp near him ever again. But he also needed that damn thing off.

Shawn noticed the pause asked him quietly, "Would it be easier if I did it?"

Gus immediately nodded; he trusted Shawn with his life. It was everyone else he wasn't sure about.

Shawn held his hand out and Daisy moved carefully, telegraphing her moves as she handed the scissors over and backed away again. Shawn put his free hand on Gus' shoulder and told him gently, "We're gonna get it off, alright?"

Gus nodded and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the metal coming at him. Shawn ran his hand up Gus' shoulder, pausing for a second before gently laying it on the belt. Gus flinched, but he recognized the feeling of Shawn's hand, so different from the other hand, and he forced himself to relax. Shawn's thoughts edged blue and he said, "I'm gonna have to pull it forward a bit, alright? Just enough to get the scissors under it without cutting you."

"Ok," Gus agreed hoarsely, quickly deciding to not react if the pulling cut off his air. Shawn didn't need that on his conscience.

"Alright, here we go." Shawn let out a nervous breath before sliding his fingers between the belt and the side of Gus' throat. He pulled it slightly and Gus braced himself, keeping still as the belt tightened around the back and side of his neck and the buckle dug into his skin. His relief at still being able to breathe was quickly overshadowed by panic when he felt cool metal against his skin.

The feeling of Shawn's hand next to the scissor blade was the only thing that kept Gus aware enough to fight the urge to run. Instead, he tilted his chin up and away from the blades, baring his throat while giving Shawn more room to work.

The metal started to move and all of Gus' attention locked onto the dull, thick cutting sound that was both underwhelmingly quiet and deafeningly loud. He thought he might cry when the sound changed to the snip of the scissor blades closing on themselves. A few tears did leak out of his eyes when the belt fell away from his throat and down his back before hitting the floor with a final clink.

He took a deep breath and swore it was deeper than any he'd been able to take for hours. Thoughts flared red around the garage and he didn't care; he could feel cool air against the sweat on his throat, he didn't have to worry if he'd be allowed to take his next breath, he wasn't going to be dragged around by his neck anymore… For the first time since their rescue, he fully believed that it was over.

"You ok?" Shawn asked, his hand back to squeezing Gus' shoulder.

Gus nodded and felt another burst of relief when it didn't hurt to move his head anymore. Or it didn't hurt in any meaningful way. He could still feel a deep bruising ache around his neck echoing the pressure of the belt, and there were small, sharp stings where the edges of the strap had been rubbing into his skin. But none of that actually mattered.

Amanda was talking again, and Gus forced himself to pay attention to something that wasn't his bare neck.

"Ok, Gus? I'd really like to get you to a hospital as soon as possible. I'm going to have Daisy and Luke take you now while I stay with Shawn, and…"

Amanda kept talking, but all Gus heard was static as he realized the paramedics wanted to separate them. His arm seared as he grabbed Shawn's hand; they needed to stay together so he could watch Shawn's back and make sure he stayed safe. That was the deal.

Shawn squeezed his hand back just as tightly as he said, "We stay together."

Amanda explained patiently, "That throat injury is severe, it needs to be scanned for internal injuries. Injuries that could impede blood flowing to the brain or oxygen reaching the lungs. It needs to be checked out sooner rather than later."

Shawn hesitated and looked over, clearly wanting to make sure Gus stayed safe.

Gus looked back, his eyes wide and pleading. He knew he was begging and he didn't care; the last two times they'd been separated, Shawn had been hurt. Badly. They needed to stay together.

Gus could hear Shawn's thoughts clicking in agitation at the look and he knew he'd go if Shawn asked him to. He really hoped Shawn wouldn't ask him to.

Shawn sighed and told him quietly, "It's your choice, man."

"I'm staying with you," Gus immediately answered, the rush of relief quickly followed by a rush of adrenaline.

Amanda's lips tightened and she tried to change his mind. "It would be much safer, Gus, if you head out now. Shawn will only be a few minutes behind you, I just need to check his back and leg first."

Gus tried to hide his shaking as he refused to do what she wanted. "It's been like this for hours, I'll chance another 'few minutes'."

Amanda looked like she wanted to argue further, but Henry cut her off, his fishing line vibrating in worry as the visual of a puzzle piece glowed with pride. "He told you his choice, he's staying."

She sighed, clearly recognizing a battle she wasn't going to win. "Ok, but you tell me if you start having any difficulty breathing or if you feel like you're going to pass out."

Gus nodded quickly, savoring the fact that nothing moved along his throat with the movement.

"I'm also going to ask that you don't talk unless you need to. It sounds like it's painful and talking could potentially aggravate any internal injuries. I'm sure Shawn will be able to answer most of my questions."

Gus clenched his jaw but nodded again in agreement. It made sense, but it wasn't fair. Dahmer was dead and was still somehow able to gag him.

Shawn broke through his thoughts with a small, cheeky broadcast: A monster played by a mime, stealing the voices of a town.

Gus gave him a light glare and Shawn smiled slightly before saying quietly, "My turn."

Gus nodded his head to the side in agreement; he'd answered plenty of questions for Shawn, after all. So, maybe it was fair.

Amanda started talking again. "Shawn, the detective said that your back was bleeding; I'm going to come over there to check that out, alright? Gus, since you're staying, would it be ok if Daisy checked you over real quick?"

They both nodded and Gus forced himself to not flinch as they were approached. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked over to see Juliet gently taking the scissors from Shawn's other hand. He noticed that Shawn had been holding them backwards, like a knife.

"Do you need me to move?" Juliet asked Amanda while squeezing Shawn's hand.

Amanda smiled gently as she moved around them. "That's up to Shawn and what he's more comfortable with. I can work around you."

Shawn turned his hand to lace their fingers together. "Don't go."

"Ok, I won't," Juliet answered simply, the feeling of pop rocks sharpening and extending out like a shield of rose thorns.

Gus was forced to split his attention as he tried to keep an eye on Amanda as she walked behind them while also watching Daisy as she knelt down next to him. He was glad everyone else was staying still, he wasn't sure he could handle tracking anything else.

Daisy looked him over carefully, and the feeling of a barbell in his hand stayed steady and comforting as she asked, "Can I check under ya shirt?"

Gus nodded and glanced over to see Amanda asking Shawn something quietly before reaching out and taking the scissors from Juliet. Daisy waited until Gus was looking back before reaching out and gently pulling his shirt up to check his back and torso. Gus couldn't stop his flinch as he felt hands that weren't Shawn's touch him, but Daisy was quick, and his shirt dropped back into place as he controlled his breathing.

Shawn's thoughts colored in slight distress and Gus looked over as Amanda finished cutting the bloody shirt off. He squeezed Shawn's hand in comfort before relaxing his grip, not wanting to be restraining. He knew Shawn hated having his shirt off around other people, though he was pretty sure no one in the garage was going to be paying attention to his gunshot or surgery scars. Not with the dark bruises littering his body and the raised, inflamed cuts still oozing on his back.

Shawn was looking away from everyone, and Gus quickly decided that the situation fell under the 'need' side of the talking restriction. He quietly rasped out, "Looks like I was right." Shawn glanced at him in confusion and Gus smirked as he continued, "You do look like shit."

Shawn huffed a surprised laugh at the callback to their previous conversation. He rolled his eyes and retorted, "Yeah, car crashes. Not even once."

Gus nodded in agreement, knowing full well they weren't fooling anybody. "They're a bitch."

Shawn's thoughts settled slightly at the banter.

"Well, good news," Amanda stood up carefully and walked back to the medical kit, "those cuts aren't as bad as they look. None of them need treated before you move, so I'm just going to put a bandage over all of them. Luke, do you think you could ask the usual stuff while I work on that so we can get them out a bit faster?"

Gus sighed quietly. There were always more questions.

The male paramedic looked surprised for a second before nodding and looking down at his clipboard. His voice was as soft as the dark velvet visual of his thoughts as he asked, "When did you last eat or drink anything?"

Daisy informed Gus, "I'm going to put some more bandages on your leg and arm, looks like they're both bleedin' through."

Gus unconsciously tucked his right arm closer to his body, but he still nodded his consent. The wound had been bandaged less than an hour ago and blood was already dripping out from under the cloth. He knew it needed more attention.

"Water about an hour ago with the antibiotics, food sometime around six tonight." Shawn frowned as he thought. "Last night? It's after midnight, right? A few hours ago."

Amanda checked her watch as she set a few supplies down behind him. "It's a little before 2 in the morning now."

Gus did a calculation before he could stop himself; he'd been collared for just over five hours. It felt like such a short amount of time for it to have fucked with him so badly.

Luke made a note and asked, "Do you know the name or dose of the antibiotics? And how many doses did you get?"

"No idea, no idea, two doses. Gus?" Shawn looked over, waiting for him to fill in the pharmaceutical information.

Gus opened his mouth and paused as he realized he didn't know it. He frowned as he tried to fill in the suddenly blank part of his memory. He always knew medication details, he'd known this one just yesterday, why couldn't he remember it now?

Shawn noticed the pause and pinged a question. Gus shook his head; he didn't know the information. Shawn spoke up again, jerking his thumb towards the corpse. "The bottle's in his jacket pocket, it was something not on the market yet."

"I'll get it," Lassiter said as he reached into his pocket to pull out a pair of blue gloves.

Shawn winced as Amanda placed a thick pad on his back and Luke waited while she taped down the edges. Daisy returned back to Gus' side as Amanda began to wrap a roll of gauze around Shawn's chest, back and shoulders, holding the bandage in place.

Daisy knelt next to Gus' leg and he pulled up the shorts so the bandage was fully visible. She inspected it as she asked, "They said it's a gunshot wound? You know if it hit the bone or went all the way through?"

"It went all the way through," Shawn answered for him. "I saw two holes when we rebandaged it."

"And you've been able to walk on it?" Daisy asked Gus.

Gus nodded, glad that the questions didn't have any weight of judgment or pity in them.

The chest reverb suddenly flared black, and Gus twisted around, looking back towards Lassiter to see what was wrong. The detective dropped his hand out of sight, his shoulders tense, but all Gus could see were vacant blue eyes staring at him out of a terrifying face.

He forced himself to look away as a manic giggle echoed in his mind. His shoulder blades itched and he swore he could still feel an intense gaze on him, looking right where the leash had been hanging down his back. He resisted the urge to turn around and throw the belt far away before it could snake itself back up around his neck.

Lassiter moved quietly off to the side, handing Luke the medicine bottle and murmuring something to him, his face carefully blank. The velvet rippled at the information and Luke answered with a quick thanks.

Gus tried to keep an eye on them, but Daisy had two padded bandages in her hand and he knew what was coming next. She looked around for a second before pointing to an old tire sitting just behind Luke. "Scoot that over here, I need somethin' to prop his leg up on."

Luke nodded and did as she asked, pushing the tire across the floor as Daisy told Gus, "I'm just going to lift your foot up onto there, alright? It'll make it easier to get underneath."

Gus nodded and Daisy braced a hand under his leg as the other lifted his ankle and put it on top of the tire. Luke put a hand on her shoulder and said something quietly in her ear, and Gus felt her barbell grow heavier against his palm. She nodded in acknowledgement without saying anything and turned back to him, her eyes seeming to catch on his bleeding arm before looking down at his leg.

"Were either of you given anything else in the last couple of days?" Luke was talking again, and Gus wished he could plug up his ears to stop his focus from constantly shifting.

But Shawn was having to pay attention and answer as Amanda smoothed the end of the gauze into the rest of the wrap. The least Gus could do was listen.

"Uh, he gave me something early last night and it only lasted a few minutes. So, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

Gus lost track of the conversation again as Daisy pressed a pad on the underside of his leg and the background fire of the bullet wound spiked in warning. She glanced up to make sure he was ready before placing the other pad on top of his thigh and reaching over to grab a long, elastic bandage. She brought it into position and counted down, "3, 2, 1."

She pulled the bandage tight over his leg and he gritted his teeth as the bright lance of pain flared, radiating fire up and down his leg. It really wasn't fair, that so many parts of his body could hurt in so many different ways and none of them seemed to cancel the other ones out. A comforting, familiar weight settled on his shoulder, and he focused on it as Daisy finished and the pain began to slowly recede.

Gus waited a moment to catch his breath before looking over at Shawn and nodding to show he was alright. The pain wasn't anything new; it wasn't even the worst he'd felt in the last few hours.

His heart stuttered as he realized Daisy was going to have to do the same thing for his arm. Shawn squeezed his shoulder again and Gus breathed easier at the reminder that he wasn't alone.

He took a moment to look down and inspected his new bandage. The wrap completely covered the bloody cloth underneath, and it looked wrong, the sterile cleanliness contrasting starkly with his grime-streaked skin. The bright white seemed to shine like a beacon, proclaiming the wound was fixed and healed, but he knew it hadn't actually done anything. The makeshift, duct taped bandage was only hidden from view, it wasn't gone. And that felt important.

The silence stretched on for too long and Henry spoke up with a gentle reminder. "Shawn, he needs you to answer the question."

Gus shook himself and looked away from the bandage, annoyed that he had let his attention wander. Shawn's thoughts edged with red and he answered in the same flat voice he'd used in the MRI room. "It was an injection last night, a day ago, around 8. He said it wouldn't do anything but hurt, it lasted about ten minutes."

Henry's thoughts stuttered and Gus felt a strange satisfaction at the distress. It served him right for telling Shawn what to do.

Luke asked, "Was the pain only at the injection site?"

Shawn answered flatly, "It went through the whole body."

"Have you noticed any lingering effects?"

"No."

The questions continued as Amanda handed a hospital gown to Shawn and knelt down to inspect his leg. Gus wanted to keep an eye on her, but Daisy was talking quietly next to him, only loud enough for him and Shawn to hear. "Sorry, but I'm gonna need ya to move over a bit so I can get to your arm better."

Gus knew his arm needed to be looked at. He knew the paramedics wouldn't needlessly hurt him. He knew he had the right to refuse, even though the idea of doing it again was still terrifying. None of those facts made moving away from Shawn easier.

Daisy guided his leg back down to the floor and he scooted over, making enough room for her to be able to kneel between them. She placed her supplies down and held a hand out for his arm; he hesitated when he realized she probably needed to know what was underneath the bandage.

"I-It's… It's not just… cuts," he stuttered out quietly, hoping she was the only one who could hear him.

"It's ok, I know," Daisy reassured him. "I'm not going to move the bandage; I'm just putting on more padding and putting pressure on it, so you don't lose any more blood."

Gus swallowed nervously and held his arm out. He knew 'pressure' meant squeezing like she had with his leg. He remembered how his arm had felt the last time it was squeezed. Getting it treated was going to suck.

He watched Daisy grab another bandage pad and wondered how she already knew how he was hurt; he hadn't told anyone, and he didn't think he'd tuned Shawn out so much that he'd missed him saying it. He suddenly remembered Daisy being told something by Luke. And Luke being told something by Lassiter. And Lassiter seeing something while digging through Dahmer's pockets.

The ground seemed to fall away as he realized the answer.

Gus fought against another wave of nausea as he thought about the strip of bloody skin. And the fact that apparently Dahmer had kept it in his pocket like a demented trophy. The fact that part of him had still been with the bad guy the whole time made him want to run and hide and puke and cry and scrub every single inch of skin he had left to just get the lingering feeling of those hands off of him.

"Hey, I need ya to breathe for me, alright?" Daisy said, her voice sounding distant as she held his arm. "You're ok, just follow my lead. In… Out… In…"

He listened without thinking and breathed with her prompts, slowly feeling the frantic haze lose its hold over him. Shame quickly filled the space the panic had left, and he looked down so he wouldn't have to see anyone's faces. The danger was done, they were safe, and he was still falling apart.

"Gus?"

Gus nodded immediately. Shawn needed him to be ok, so he was ok. He just needed a minute.

"I'm guessing you've been running on adrenaline for quite a while." Daisy was talking again, her voice even without a hint of judgment. "It's alright if it's hittin' you hard now it's done."

Gus nodded again, feeling slightly better that his tattered control wasn't just his fault for being completely broken.

He took another breath and focused on Daisy and the bandage, trying to brace himself for the pain. After a second, he blinked in confusion when he realized she wasn't moving. Daisy looked at Gus carefully before checking on Amanda's progress as she tested if Shawn could feel certain parts of his leg and foot. Gus blinked again as he wondered when Shawn had put the hospital gown on, the ties still open to show the swath of white cloth along his back.

Daisy nodded at what she saw and turned back to Gus. "This needs extra bandages, but it can wait until the ambulance if that would be easier. We can get ya up on a stretcher now instead."

Gus hesitated; he wanted to say yes right away, but he felt like he was forgetting something important. He saw movement in the edge of his vision and he flinched before looking up to see Lassiter coming through the doorway.

The fishing line pulled in faint distress under his fingers and his eyes slid over to Henry, taking in his rigid posture and the way he was gripping his tightly crossed arms, as if he was having to hold himself back from something. Henry met his eyes and seemed caught off guard before quickly masking the look with a tight smile.

Gus looked away and frowned, trying to understand what was wrong; there weren't any bad guys anymore, and Shawn had Juliet helping him. He couldn't think of anything else that Henry would need to act on. He wondered if it was worth focusing his exhausted mind on the fishing line to see if it was something he needed to know about.

Lassiter interrupted his thoughts as he informed the paramedics, "The other ambulance is here, I told them to wait outside."

Gus' eyes snapped over to Amanda and he saw Shawn open his mouth to argue. Amanda lifted a hand and answered them before they could say anything. "Both of your feet are bleeding, you both have injured legs, and it's clear that you both have taken several blows to the head. Both of you need a stretcher, and our ambulances don't fit more than one at a time."

"I can walk," Gus blurted out immediately.

Amanda smiled softly at him. "You've had to walk; it doesn't mean you should walk."

Gus began to shake as he realized they were being split up after all. He wouldn't be able to watch Shawn's back anymore. Shawn caught his eye and Gus felt a hint of static at the edge of his broadcast: Two bloody hands clasped together, a forged connection that couldn't be broken.

Gus nodded in understanding; they'd be ok. He reminded himself that Shawn had plenty of people to watch his back now, it wasn't going to be like the last couple of times.

"Don't worry, we'll tell the nurses that you two wanna stay together. Hopefully they can at least room ya close to each other," Daisy said while still holding his arm.

He tried to nod again, but his mouth was suddenly dry as he realized how close her hands were to his wound, and how vulnerable the position made him. He swallowed, realizing he needed to make a choice. Part of him wanted to be selfish and tell her to wrap his arm while he and Shawn were still together, when Shawn would be able to protect him and keep him calm. But Gus had been hurt to hurt Shawn. And he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stay quiet when the bandage tightened, which would hurt Shawn even more. The choice was obvious.

"Wait till the ambulance," Gus answered quietly, pulling his arm back to his chest.

"Alright. We're gonna getcha up on the stretcher then," Daisy said gently.

Amanda started to pick up her supplies as she told Shawn, "Your splint seems good and stable, so I don't think we need to put on a new one before the hospital. You're good to go."

"Hear that, Gus? You did good," Shawn said with a small grin.

Gus tried to smile back, unsure how he was supposed to feel about the compliment as he remembered the shame in the hall and hurting Shawn in the room.

Amanda called out towards Lassiter, "Can you tell the other crew to bring their stretcher in?"

Gus tried to keep an eye on the door Lassiter disappeared through, but his line of sight was obscured by a stretcher being rolled over to him. It didn't take long for Daisy to help him slide onto it without jostling his injuries, and she pressed him back so he was laying down while telling him, "We can get ya sitting back up in the ambulance if you want."

Gus nodded before suddenly having a thought. He knew it probably didn't qualify as a need, but he decided to ask anyway. He turned his head and said, "Hey, Shawn."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think an ambulance counts as a trunk?"

Shawn snorted before giving the question serious thought. "If the moving truck counted, then I'd say yes."

Gus nodded in agreement. "Probably better than the last few."

"Better drivers for sure," Shawn said with a small smirk.

Gus huffed a laugh at the understatement before several new thought sensations threatened to overwhelm his shield. He gripped his bracelet tighter and nodded at Shawn as the other paramedics came into the garage.

Daisy started rolling Gus' stretcher away and Gus craned his neck to keep Shawn in view for as long as possible. Shawn sent a broadcast after him as he was wheeled out of the garage: Jim Carrey standing in front of a door to freedom, "In case I don't see ya… good afternoon, good evening and good night."

Gus smiled at the quote and tried to stay focused on the sound of ponging balls as he was wheeled outside.

The world seemed to open up as they left the building and he looked around, disoriented, as lights danced around him, coloring groups of talking and gesturing people in red and blue, each flash reminding Gus of completely opposite emotions. Thoughts pressed in and Gus didn't know what was real, which sensations needed priority, which colors were important. It was too much to try to take in all at once and Gus squeezed his eyes closed with a quiet whimper.

"Easy, I know it's a lot. We're almost there," Daisy murmured reassuringly. Gus tried to latch onto the sound of her voice, but she'd stopped talking and he didn't know if he'd be able to open his mouth to ask her to keep going without puking.

Shawn would have known to keep talking.

The thoughts around him became slightly muffled, the lights strobing through his eyelids faded, and he knew they were in the ambulance. He risked opening his eyes and immediately saw medical equipment lining the walls. It wasn't the most reassuring sight, but he figured he should probably get used to it. At least it was better than painted basement walls or the debris-strewn floor.

Another person climbed into the ambulance as Luke left, and Gus felt a fishing line pull tight against his fingers as the back doors closed. He looked over in surprise as Henry slid over on the bench next to him. Henry raised an eyebrow at the look and answered, "You're not going alone."

"But… Shawn?" Gus asked in confusion.

"Juliet's with him," Henry answered patiently as he sat back. "We're not leaving either of you alone."

"... Oh." Gus looked up at the ceiling as the ambulance started to move, taking him away from the staring corpse, the drying blood, the cut belt. Everything seemed to hit him all at once and he tried to blink back his tears as he focused on the steady, comforting thrum of the fishing line next to him.

They'd survived, they weren't alone anymore, and they were safe.

Juliet walked behind Shawn's stretcher, staying out of the way of the paramedics as they moved him out of the garage. She was happy to leave the crime scene to Lassiter and the CSIs who were waiting outside the garage until the paramedics were done. She'd told Lassiter, under no uncertain terms, that she was off the clock for the rest of the night. She had a different job she needed to do now.

She watched Shawn carefully, remembering his small quip about how the 'recovery position' he'd been put into, curled up slightly on his side, should just be called 'the trunk position'. She knew humor was one of his coping mechanisms, and she was glad to see it. Even if it had been an obvious attempt to mask how uncomfortable he was with Gus out of his sight.

The stretcher rolled through the front door and Shawn immediately curled in on himself, his eyes widening as he looked around, trying to take in everything at once. She winced as she thought about how both of the boys had clearly been hyper aware of anyone moving; the lights and people outside would probably overwhelm a normal person in that headspace, much less someone with a psychic sense.

"O'Hara!"

Juliet stopped and turned, wondering what could have changed in the last two minutes for Lassiter to be calling out to her. He jogged over and said quickly, "Look, I know you probably think- I mean, I know you can't right now, and I understand… but when you can, I… I know I'm not good at it, but… Damnit."

Lassiter reached forward and pulled her into a hug, his chest rumbling as he spoke into her hair. "Remember, it's ok to not be ok."

Tears prickled in Juliet's eyes and she returned the hug before pulling away quickly, looking behind her to check on Shawn's progress. She nodded as she saw the paramedics preparing to lift the stretcher; she still had a minute. She looked back at Lassiter and gave him a small smile. "Thanks, but you're right. I can't right now."

Lassiter nodded in understanding and straightened up as he said more easily, "And nice shot, by the way. If you need any help with the paperwork, I can give you a few pointers."

Juliet sighed and shook her head before turning to join Shawn in the ambulance. She stopped and called out over her shoulder, "The same thing applies to you too, you know."

Lassiter looked at her in confusion. "But I didn't get to shoot anyone…"

Juliet smirked. "Not what I was talking about, and you know it."

Lassiter's face softened into a knowing look before he turned to go back into the garage. Juliet smiled as she climbed into the ambulance, glad that her partner had her back.

Shawn reached out a hand and she immediately took it as she sat down next to him, noticing how his shoulders lost some of their tension at the touch. He jumped slightly as the ambulance doors closed before frowning and asking, "Did anyone go with Gus?"

Juliet nodded. "Henry's with him."

Shawn sighed in relief and his shoulders loosened even further. As she watched, his expression continued to fall, darkening his face with an unreadable emotion that made her want to pull him into a protective hug, so he'd never have to feel that way again.

He suddenly blinked and the expression was replaced by a wry smile as he looked over at her and asked, "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're in danger-mode?"

Juliet sighed and forced herself to keep her free hand in her lap instead of reaching out to cup his cheek or brush back his hair. She wasn't going to instigate any touches Shawn didn't ask for first. She tried to make up for it by squeezing his hand and making her voice as warm as possible as she gently told him, "You don't have to pretend to be ok for me, you know."

The smirk fell off of Shawn's face and he looked away from her, choosing instead to study the medical equipment surrounding them. Juliet quickly added, "You don't have to talk about it either, it's ok. Just… I'm here for whatever you need."

Shawn smiled sadly before speaking so quietly she wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear. "What I need is to be able to not remember…"

Juliet swallowed thickly and squeezed Shawn's hand again, hoping to provide some comfort and a promise of protection. She understood the sentiment, and she knew there wasn't anything she could possibly say to fix it. So, she didn't try.

"What kind of smoothie do you want me to sneak into the hospital for you?"

Shawn's eyes snapped back to her and his face lit up with the first genuine smile she'd seen since their rescue. She grinned back, her heart warming at the sight. It wasn't perfect, but she was determined to have his back. No matter what.

A/N: So, since y'all have read so far, I'm assuming you enjoy whump. Good news, I made a terrible choice and looked at the prompts for whumptober. Now half a dozen stories are just living in my head, waiting for their turn to be written. I have a few done already (including a very dark one from this universe), but crossposting between ffn and AO3 is really time consuming. I'll post the first few here and if you like what you see, you can come check out the rest of the whump series on my Archive Of Our Own account, which is under the same name.