Title: Appendix Complications

Series: Psych

Pairing: Shawn Spencer/Juliet O'Hara
Tags: Romance, Angst, Established Relationship, Episode: s06e13 "Let's Doo-Wap it Again", Appendicitis, Hospitalization, Surgery Complications, Recovery, Blackapella/Quarter Black,A

Summary: Shawn's appendectomy should have been a routine procedure. Millions of Americans undergo this procedure every year with no complications, so why now? Why Shawn?

BETA: TheSupernova

It started shortly before Shawn was due to perform onstage with Blackapella/Quarter Black for the Deacon Jones charity event.

Juliet found Shawn hunched over near the men's bathroom.

"Shawn..." Juliet said, voice tinged with worry.

Shawn looked up and smiled when he saw her coming. He immediately wrapped his arms around Juliet's body, pulling her close.

"Ugh. I think I ate something that went off," he said.

Juliet returned Shawn's embrace, and began rubbing her hands softly across his back.

"You always make me feel better," Shawn said, nuzzling his head against her neck and hair. "Mmm... and your hair smells like pineapple. God, it's smells so sweet and soft that I just want to eat you right up—"

Juliet rolled her eyes. Normally she would berate him for this not being the place or time, but something held her back. She decided to go easy on him.

"Later, I promise," Juliet replied softly, breath warm against Shawn's ear.

Shawn snickered quietly. "I'ma hold you up to that."

"Shawn?" Tony's voice snapped Shawn and Juliet out of their trance. "Show time!"

"Coming!" Shawn called, perking up. He stepped back, and exchanged a quick kiss with Juliet before running off after the rest of his quartet.

Blackapella/Quarter Black was slated to perform five songs, plus a three song encore for the closing of the event.

Shawn managed to make it through the first performance before he collapsed onstage, lying unconscious in Gus' arms.

Juliet was up on the stage and ripping Shawn from Gus' arms before she realized what she was doing. She would have to remember to apologize to knocking Gus out of her way later because right now, something was wrong with Shawn. Her boyfriend wasn't waking up and no one but the paramedics would be able to separate Juliet from the man in her arms.

Shawn's appendectomy should have been a routine procedure, but when the doctor came out to greet them, he told her there were complications during the surgery and that Shawn might not make it.

Tears fell down her cheeks; Juliet's phone slipped from her hand, crashing to the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey," Henry said, pulling Juliet into his arms. "Shawn's always been a stubborn kid, Juliet. He'll pull through, you'll see."

He rubbed her back in small, calming motions, the way he would a frightened child.

Juliet clung onto Shawn's father as if her life depended on it; her tears were soaking through Henry's shirt, but the older man didn't react. In that moment, perhaps he needed the reassurance as much as Juliet.

Henry was a semi-constant presence over the next few weeks, which was the only reason Juliet had managed to return to work at all. Though the Chief and Carlton had made the decision to relegate her to paper-pushing grunt work until Shawn pulled through (because no one wanted to believe in the alternative).

Gus often came down to visit Shawn after he finished his routes for the day.

Juliet arrived at Shawn's hospital room to hear Gus arguing loudly with someone she couldn't immediately place.

She opened the door to find Gus had just pulled a chair out from under Tony, causing the other man to butt-plant onto the floor. In addition to Tony, she found Drake and Joon were also present.

"This chair," Gus emphasized the chair in front of him, which was most notably, the most comfortable seat in the room by far. "Belongs to Juliet, Shawn's girlfriend."

Gus shooed Tony over to the other side of the room and re-situated the chair next to Shawn's left side.

"No one is allowed to sit here but her."

Tony acquiesced and quickly apologized.

Juliet cleared her throat.

"Jules!" Gus said. He motioned to the chair in front of him. "Your chair, my lady."

Juliet grinned.

"Gus," she said, and took her seat.

She didn't pay attention to the conversation beyond that. A few light remarks were made, but the only thing Juliet really focused on was the feeling of Shawn's hand in hers.

Shawn had once told her she was a south foot, a person who liked to walk on a person's left side.

"Shawn likes holding my right hand. It's his favorite hand," Juliet said.

Gus looked up from his tablet and tried to give her his best reassuring smile. "There is no way Shawn will let whatever this is beat him.

"I've known Shawn since we were kids, and right now, I know for a fact that nothing in this universe stands even a remote chance of stopping Shawn from returning to your arms."

Juliet nodded, but despite Gus' reassurances, she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She didn't want a world in which Shawn didn't exist.

It wasn't unusual for Juliet to fall asleep holding onto Shawn's hand. Sure, it hurt her neck and upper back, sleeping hunched over on Shawn's hospital bed like that, but a bottle of ibuprofen and some roll-on icy hot told Juliet she could damn well sleep in whatever position she pleased. As long as Juliet had a physical connection to Shawn, nothing else mattered.

If this was a dream, Juliet didn't want to wake up.

Shawn had woken up. He looked at her, and quietly brushed his hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry I left you alone for so long," Shawn said. "Now it's my turn to watch over you. Go to sleep, Sweetheart. I love you."

Juliet woke up to Shawn's hand stroking her hair gently. It was past midnight, with Shawn humming softly to some unknown tune.

Was this another dream? Juliet was reaching a breaking point.

"Hey, hey, hey," Shawn said, wiping the tears welling up under Juliet's eyes. "I'm here now, Jules."

This time, when Juliet opened her eyes, Shawn's were staring right back, bright and beautiful and full of life.

She immediately kissed him on the mouth, pausing only when breathing necessitated it. Juliet's hands roamed across Shawn's body. She needed to touch every part of him, to make sure Shawn was alive. That this wasn't a dream.

Shawn eventually managed to capture both of Juliet's hands, successfully grabbing her attention.

"I love you, Jules," Shawn said, "and as much as I want to continue this, and I really, really, really do, it'll have to wait."

Juliet pulled back, pressed the button for the nurse and settled down in the bed beside Shawn. She nestled herself within his arms, and breathed a sigh of relief when Shawn's arms wrapped possessively around her body.

She clung to Shawn like a lifeline, and for the first time in over three weeks, Juliet no longer felt as if the world was going to fall out from beneath her feet.

End Note: Kudos to anyone who caught the Psych: The Movie reference in this FF (hint: southfoot). :D