The Strength
I wrote this on a lark at 3am when I couldn't sleep, so I apologize for the lack of beta.
But hello community! Long time lurker bringing a story.
The Strength
Note: I do not own Psych, I do not make a profit from writing this story.
Rating: T
Prompt: blood loss (angst_bingo)
Warning: Angst. A lot of angst. Character Death.
It was three in the morning when Juliet O'Hara heard the sound she wanted to hear least. At her side, Shawn Spencer grunted but slept on. She fumbled but seized her phone.
"O'Hara," her voice was thick with sleep and barely coherent but within an instant she was wide awake.
"Lassiter has been in an accident. He's in surgery at Santa Barbara Trauma," the shaky voice of Karen Vick shook her to the core.
"I'm on my way," she threw herself out of bed, seizing her clothes and jamming every appendage into them.
"What's going on?" Shawn asked at the commotion.
"Lassiter's been hurt. He's in surgery at trauma."
Shawn was now awake and dressing, the one thing not spoken was they knew she was supposed to be with Lassiter that night.
---
When she arrived she was surprised to see Gus and Henry with the Chief. But most of all, she was surprised to see Victoria, the ex-wife pacing the long hallway.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Shouldn't your psychic lover already know?" Victoria sneered from her distance; Juliet forced the guilt away and waited for an answer.
"We're not sure, but this is our theory. Lassiter was surveilling Franco, they found out, ganged up on him," Vick explained, voice trembling.
"His injuries? Have we heard anything?" Shawn asked and looked to Victoria, "Before you ask, I can't Devine my answer, there's too much pain."
"He...he was beaten, stabbed, damn near gutted and burned. They doubt-" Vick's voice caught in her throat and Henry placed his hand on her shoulder.
"The burns were not severe, the most damage is the blood loss, internal bleeding from no where and the damage to his heart from the stab wound,"
Juliet felt everything begin to crash down around her as her tears began. She felt Shawn and Gus catch her, as the impact hit her with a force she didn't realize would hurt so bad. This man, this strong, dedicated man was her partner; he was at her side everyday going on six years.
Not to see him, not to be near him, not to argue or laugh with him...she already felt empty. She began to pray, for his survival, for his recovery, for him not to leave her.
That's when the doctor approached.
---
Only she, Victoria and Vick were allowed in. The heart monitor's beeps broke the silence as they walked in. Juliet's tears continued as she looked down at her partner. There were so many tubes and bandages, a tube down his throat, his eyes shut.
The women exchanged looks and Juliet was given the nod to sit at his side. She found his hand, limp and punctured with an IV needle and placed her fingertips on his fingers. She prayed her touch wouldn’t bring pain as she leaned close to his ear.
"I'm here..." she choked out, "I'm here, Carlton."
Vick sniffled as Victoria gazed sympathetically down at her ex. She always suspected this is how he would meet his end. He was too dedicated to his job and only after their marriage end did she learn he wanted a family. She wished she'd known earlier, but it was far too late for so many things.
"Mrs. Lassiter," the doctor looked directly at her as he entered the room, "We do not think he's going to make it. There's too much damage to his organs, do you know his wishes?"
"He's DNR," she swallowed hard as the young woman who openly wept at her ex's side swiveled to look at her. A look of fury on her face.
"No. Carlton would fight, he's a fighter. You don't have the right to make this call!" she damn near screamed.
"She's still his medical proxy," the doctor informed Juliet, who now felt like she had been stabbed.
"I don't want him to suffer. He's suffered enough, he doesn't deserve it," Victoria told her and walked to the side of the bed. She leaned down and kissed the unmarred skin on his forehead. "I hope you find peace now," she whispered and walked out, her sobs echoing through the hall as she left.
Juliet looked to Vick in a panic. She couldn't stand this. Karen stood beside her and leaned close. She thanked him, for his friendship, his honor, for helping bring her daughter safely into the world and for being a damn good detective. With that she left too and Juliet looked to the window to see Gus sobbing and Henry holding on to his sons shoulder.
Now it was up to her. She opened her mouth but she refused to say those words.
"Please, fight. Come back, don't go, I need you here. There's still so much I need to learn, I can't..." she tried to find words, tried to make her voice sound but nothing. As the doctor began to power down the machines keeping him alive, she prayed that heartbeat wouldn't stop.
---
Carlton only knew pain. He knew his time was short. But he heard her; he could hear Juliet at his side. Her sobs were breaking his already failing heart. He honestly didn't realize she cared this much. He felt her fingers on his and he willed himself with all the strength he had left and even prayed God would pity him for once, to give him the strength to squeeze back. He had to let her know he could hear her. The pain began to increase but he felt his fingers curl and then his hand. He heard her gasp and beg and plead him to wake but he knew he couldn't. But he wished he could tell her what it meant to him to have her there as his heart began to slow.
---
Juliet's wail broke from her throat as the monitor flat lined and his grip relaxed to nothing.
And all she could do was watch as finally he was gone and she felt numb.
---END---
Eventually I'll write another Lassiter/Juliet story soon. Depending on how this one goes.
But hello community! Long time lurker bringing a story.
The Strength
Note: I do not own Psych, I do not make a profit from writing this story.
Rating: T
Prompt: blood loss (angst_bingo)
Warning: Angst. A lot of angst. Character Death.
It was three in the morning when Juliet O'Hara heard the sound she wanted to hear least. At her side, Shawn Spencer grunted but slept on. She fumbled but seized her phone.
"O'Hara," her voice was thick with sleep and barely coherent but within an instant she was wide awake.
"Lassiter has been in an accident. He's in surgery at Santa Barbara Trauma," the shaky voice of Karen Vick shook her to the core.
"I'm on my way," she threw herself out of bed, seizing her clothes and jamming every appendage into them.
"What's going on?" Shawn asked at the commotion.
"Lassiter's been hurt. He's in surgery at trauma."
Shawn was now awake and dressing, the one thing not spoken was they knew she was supposed to be with Lassiter that night.
---
When she arrived she was surprised to see Gus and Henry with the Chief. But most of all, she was surprised to see Victoria, the ex-wife pacing the long hallway.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Shouldn't your psychic lover already know?" Victoria sneered from her distance; Juliet forced the guilt away and waited for an answer.
"We're not sure, but this is our theory. Lassiter was surveilling Franco, they found out, ganged up on him," Vick explained, voice trembling.
"His injuries? Have we heard anything?" Shawn asked and looked to Victoria, "Before you ask, I can't Devine my answer, there's too much pain."
"He...he was beaten, stabbed, damn near gutted and burned. They doubt-" Vick's voice caught in her throat and Henry placed his hand on her shoulder.
"The burns were not severe, the most damage is the blood loss, internal bleeding from no where and the damage to his heart from the stab wound,"
Juliet felt everything begin to crash down around her as her tears began. She felt Shawn and Gus catch her, as the impact hit her with a force she didn't realize would hurt so bad. This man, this strong, dedicated man was her partner; he was at her side everyday going on six years.
Not to see him, not to be near him, not to argue or laugh with him...she already felt empty. She began to pray, for his survival, for his recovery, for him not to leave her.
That's when the doctor approached.
---
Only she, Victoria and Vick were allowed in. The heart monitor's beeps broke the silence as they walked in. Juliet's tears continued as she looked down at her partner. There were so many tubes and bandages, a tube down his throat, his eyes shut.
The women exchanged looks and Juliet was given the nod to sit at his side. She found his hand, limp and punctured with an IV needle and placed her fingertips on his fingers. She prayed her touch wouldn’t bring pain as she leaned close to his ear.
"I'm here..." she choked out, "I'm here, Carlton."
Vick sniffled as Victoria gazed sympathetically down at her ex. She always suspected this is how he would meet his end. He was too dedicated to his job and only after their marriage end did she learn he wanted a family. She wished she'd known earlier, but it was far too late for so many things.
"Mrs. Lassiter," the doctor looked directly at her as he entered the room, "We do not think he's going to make it. There's too much damage to his organs, do you know his wishes?"
"He's DNR," she swallowed hard as the young woman who openly wept at her ex's side swiveled to look at her. A look of fury on her face.
"No. Carlton would fight, he's a fighter. You don't have the right to make this call!" she damn near screamed.
"She's still his medical proxy," the doctor informed Juliet, who now felt like she had been stabbed.
"I don't want him to suffer. He's suffered enough, he doesn't deserve it," Victoria told her and walked to the side of the bed. She leaned down and kissed the unmarred skin on his forehead. "I hope you find peace now," she whispered and walked out, her sobs echoing through the hall as she left.
Juliet looked to Vick in a panic. She couldn't stand this. Karen stood beside her and leaned close. She thanked him, for his friendship, his honor, for helping bring her daughter safely into the world and for being a damn good detective. With that she left too and Juliet looked to the window to see Gus sobbing and Henry holding on to his sons shoulder.
Now it was up to her. She opened her mouth but she refused to say those words.
"Please, fight. Come back, don't go, I need you here. There's still so much I need to learn, I can't..." she tried to find words, tried to make her voice sound but nothing. As the doctor began to power down the machines keeping him alive, she prayed that heartbeat wouldn't stop.
---
Carlton only knew pain. He knew his time was short. But he heard her; he could hear Juliet at his side. Her sobs were breaking his already failing heart. He honestly didn't realize she cared this much. He felt her fingers on his and he willed himself with all the strength he had left and even prayed God would pity him for once, to give him the strength to squeeze back. He had to let her know he could hear her. The pain began to increase but he felt his fingers curl and then his hand. He heard her gasp and beg and plead him to wake but he knew he couldn't. But he wished he could tell her what it meant to him to have her there as his heart began to slow.
---
Juliet's wail broke from her throat as the monitor flat lined and his grip relaxed to nothing.
And all she could do was watch as finally he was gone and she felt numb.
---END---
Eventually I'll write another Lassiter/Juliet story soon. Depending on how this one goes.