"...So Jules told us that we could tag along with her to the suspect."

Shawn and Gus had been cheering the boys up with amusing stories of their past cases. At the moment they had been telling the story of the time Juliet had signed them up for the academy, only for them to go on a case anyways.

"Unfortunately that crafty little doodlepumpkin locked us in the cruiser." Shawn continued still holding Juliet's hand.

"But it actually turned out to be some tiny old Japanese lady in the car." Gus interrupted.

Soon the five boys were doubled over in laughter as Shawn and Gus finished the story. Suddenly Shawn stopped laughing. Someone had just squeezed his hand.

"Jules!"

-

Juliet woke up to the sound of laughter. And pain. Numbed pain, she had an IV in her arm, she was probably on some serious pain killers. Juliet's chest still ached with every unusually short breath. Someone was holding her hand. Shawn. He was doubled over with laughter, and hadn't noticed her wake up. She squeezed his had.

"Jules!" Shawn exclaimed. He leaned towards her in his chair anxiously. "Juliet, are you okay? Can you talk?"

Jules could tell Shawn was panicked; he hardly ever called her Juliet. It was hard to speak with her breaths so short, but she managed to convey how she felt.

"Ow."

"That's fair." Shawn said. "Do you need anything? Some Jell-O from downstairs? Are you pillows lumpy? I can give them a floof."

Juliet shook her head, smiling at her boyfriend's kindness. "I'm okay."

Suddenly she remembered something. Her nephews were visiting! Where were they? What if something had happened to them?

"Jules, what's wrong?" Shawn asked, noticing the beeps of her heart monitor getting faster.

"Isaac, Finn, Drake." She managed, taking in another breath. "Where..."

Shawn pointed, and Juliet turned her head to see her nephews standing by the other side of her bed. The fact that she had been worried about three people who were right next to her made Jules feel kind of stupid.

"Hi Auntie Julie." Finn said. He seemed to be trying hard not to look at her. Juliet didn't blame him. It must have been odd seeing his aunt with all these tubes and wires sticking out of her. "Shawn and Gus were just telling us about the time you made them go to the academy."

Juliet smiled weakly, but her heart sunk as she realized something else. Where was Lassiter? He had been in that warehouse too. Had he made it out? "Carlton?" She asked, turning back to Shawn.

"Lassie's fine." Shawn reassured her. "I mean, besides the fact that he got you this rather disturbing get-well present."

Juliet raised her eyebrows as Shawn pulled out the very dangerous-looking weapon. "He got me..." she took a ragged breath. "a gun?"

"Yes he did." Shawn responded. "And Jules, if it's hard to talk, you don't have to. We can always use the universal form of communication."

"Please don't say-" Gus started.

"Charades!"

Juliet started to laugh at her boyfriend's silliness, but her breath caught as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Coughing just made it worse.

"Jules!"

"Aunt Julie, are you okay?"

Juliet nodded, trying to catch her breath.

"Shawn, don't make her laugh!" Gus exclaimed.

"Why, not? Every time you laugh, you live another day."

"Not for Juliet." Gus said. "If she laughs or coughs too hard, her lung could fully collapse again, which in her condition could be fatal. So basically, a laugh could shorten Jules's life by about 60 years. Just warning you." Gus said to Juliet.

"Thanks."

"Man, that is such a buzz kill." Shawn muttered. "Really put's a new spin on 'dying of laughter'." Ironically, know one laughed. "You alright?" He asked, stroking the back of Jules's hand with his thumb.
"Yeah." Juliet breathed. She was still pretty shaken up, but the pain had gone down. "That wasn't... wasn't your fault, Shawn." She reassured him, speaking in fragments because of the shortness of breath.

"You don't have to talk, Jules."

"I want to." She didn't want everyone seeing her as a weak little girl. Juliet glanced at her leg in a heavy, white cast. "I won't... won't be able to... walk for a while... will I?

"Nope." Shawn responded.

"That's a negative." Gus said.

"Great." Juliet muttered. She could barely talk or walk, and Jules was guessing she wouldn't be out shooting her new gun for a while. Yay. This was turning out to be the best Christmas ever. At least she still had sarcasm.