"I'm fine," she repeats, for what she feels is the hundredth time, "I'm fine."

"That may be ma'am, but I still need to check you out. You may be going into shock." The EMT takes her gently by the wrist and Juliet feels the last of her self-control flying out the window.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieks, jerking away in a blind panic. The EMT reaches for her again and she flinches.

"Leave her alone." Carlton's deep voice breaks into her racing thoughts, "She's fine, I'm here with her, we'll call you if we need you." His tone is so stern that the EMT actually looks abashed as he beats his retreat. Juliet remains frozen, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

"O'Hara." Carlton touches her and she tenses, pulling away, but he doesn't let go. "O'Hara, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she whispers, staring at his tie rather than making eye contact. "I'm fine."

"Juliet--" whatever else the older detective was going to say is rendered void because at the sound of her own name, Juliet breaks. She falls against Lassiter's broad chest, sobbing hysterically.

"I—I…" she is incoherent, unable to express herself, but Carlton understands.

"Shhh, shh. It's over now," He is uncharacteristically soothing, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting words.

"I—I was up…sss--so high and, and…" she gasps, looking up at him through a haze of tears. "He didn't c--come."

Lassiter doesn't understand at first, his face screwing up in confusion. "Who didn't come?"

Her next words break him. "Sh—sh—Shawn. He d—didn't come!"

Carlton freezes momentarily, a spasm of hurt shooting across his features. Spencer. It would always be Spencer. Brushing off the painful thought, the Head Detective composes his features and looks down at Juliet's broken expression.

"It's okay," he says reassuringly, "He wanted to be here. He tried."

Juliet's face brightens only a fraction, but even that is more than Carlton can bear and he looks up and out, over the city, trying in vain to ignore the sinking of his own heart.