The pounding bass from the speakers shook the floor as Shawn and Gus made their way through the packed nightclub. Neon lights and lasers flashed to the music, creating a disorientating flash of colors that filled the room. Shawn, wearing a flashy jacket and sunglasses, grinned at Gus.
“This is going to be easy!” Shawn shouted over the noise. Gus, dressed in his own ridiculous costume, grinned at Shawn and flicked his nose.
“Just remember, we’re here for information, not for fun,” Gus gave Shawn a firm look.
Shawn waved him off with a carefree smile. “Don’t be an outdated age verification poster, Gus! I got this.”
As the night wore on, and no new leads appeared, the sensory hell that was the club started to take its toll on Shawn. The music seemed louder, the flashing lights seemed to get louder, and he felt suffocated in the crowd. He rubbed at his temples, trying to calm his headache from the day that was only getting worse.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Shawn approached a small group, hoping to start a conversation that could get him some useful info. But the harder he focused on their words, the louder noises around him seemed to amplify. Every laugh, every clap, and every beat of the music felt like a mallet to his head.
His vision blurred and he stumbled slightly, grabbing onto a nearby table to steady himself. The witness he had finally found frowned, noticing his distress.
“You okay, dude?” the witness asked.
Shawn forced a smile, though his head felt like it was splitting in two. “Uh, yeah, sorry about. How silly of me. You said you saw the guy near the bar that night?”
The witness nodded, but Shawn was already on the move. He needed to get out there, ASAP. He could hardly think in here.
Shawn found Gus towards the back of the club, dancing awkwardly with someone twice his age. He grabbed his friend’s arm, his voice strained. “Gus, we need to go. Now.”
“What? I can’t hear you, Shawn!” Gus continued to dance ungraciously, pointing and smiling at a different lady.
“Gus! Please. Let’s leave.” Shawn nearly yelled. Gus took one look at Shawn’s pale face and nodded without question. They made their way through the stuffy crowd and out into the cool air. Shawn leaned inside an alley, closing his eyes and taking in several deep breaths.
“Shawn, what’s going on? Are you alright?” Gus asked and quietly took stock over Shawn, not finding anything immediately wrong.
“Just… too much,” Shawn mumbled into his hands. “Lights, noise, migraine… everything.”
Gus guided Shawn away from the club and to the welcomed sight of the Blueberry. Shawn kept his eyes screwed closed, until the streetlights passed by them more infrequently and the hum of the engine was all he could hear.
Slowly, Shawn started to relax as they made their way back to the Psych office. He could feel the tension in his body loosen and his headache lessen as he let out a huff of air.
“Thanks, buddy. I got a little overwhelmed there.” Shawn rubbed his eyes.
Gus gave Shawn a tired smile. “It’s alright, although I didn’t get any information. Did you?”
Shawn recounted the witness he’d met and the information he’d learned and what it meant for their case.
“We can look into tomorrow,” Shawn yawned. He was a lot more exhausted than before they entered the nightclub.. “After smoothies, of course.”
Gus held up a fist for Shawn to bump. “You know that’s right.”
Everything was always better after smoothies.