Trials and Tribulations
Disclaimers: 'Castle' is owned by Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC Studios. I don't own anything other than the story.
Summary: Post 'That is True Love.' Senator William Bracken goes on trial while Kate and Rick await the birth of their second child. Rated M for at least one chapter.
A/N #1: I don't have any children. But I know from friends and family who have had children that every pregnancy is different. This is going to be a recurring theme in this story.
A/N #2: I might not be updating this story as often as I've updated other stories because I'm also working on a story for my 'The Rookies' universe.
A/N #3: This story will alternate between the present and the past.
Chapter 1: Awaiting a Joyous Event
January (Present)
"Here comes another one, Castle," Kate clutched Rick's hand as her abdomen tightened with another contraction.
"Breathe," he encouraged her, keeping one hand on her stomach while watching the monitor at her other side at the same time. "Okay, take a cleansing breath. You're doing great."
It was proving to be so much harder the second time. Ari had been born in a birthing center after less than 12 hours of a drug-free labor and delivery. James Jackson, or Jack, as he was called by his older sister, was being extremely stubborn. After trying to make his debut early on three different occasions, he'd now decided that he liked it inside of his mother's uterus. After more than 24 hours of labor, he was no closer to being born than he'd been when Kate had originally gone into labor.
She was being forced to have Jack in a hospital. She was hooked up to fetal monitors, IV drips and other things that were driving her crazy. She just wanted to give birth to her son. She needed to hold him and put him to her breast like she'd been able to after Ari's birth. "Why is he being so stubborn, Castle? He spent the first half of the pregnancy trying to get out, and now he won't leave."
"It's warm in there, and safe," he smiled at her.
"Is his heart rate still coming back up after the contractions? You can see the monitor better than I can."
"Yeah, he's still handling the labor okay," he wiped her face with a damp cloth.
They looked toward the door when Dr. Caulfield walked in. "Let's see how we're doing, Kate," she snapped on a pair of gloves as Castle stepped out of the room. "Your labor isn't progressing like I hoped that it would, Kate. I could break your water. While that will speed your labor up, it's also going to make things more intense."
"Everybody told me that the second baby would come faster. Every book, every TV show, every web site has said the same thing. Why is he taking so long?"
"While it's true that most subsequent births are faster, there are always exceptions to the rule and young Mr. Castle is proving to be one of those exceptions. This pregnancy hasn't been easy and I'm so sorry that the birth has been proving difficult, as well. Do you want me to break your water or do you want to see if it breaks on its own?"
"Can we wait an hour?"
"Yeah, we'll talk when I check on you again."
Castle, Alexis, Martha and Brian were all in the waiting room when the doctor stepped in. Ari was staying with Kevin and Jenny Ryan. "How is she?" Castle asked.
"She's only at five," the doctor told the family. "She's exhausted, Mr. Castle. She's been in labor for more than 24 hours and she's just not progressing. If her labor doesn't start progressing soon, we need to discuss other options."
"A c-section?" Castle guessed as the doctor nodded.
"I know that she wants to have a natural experience like she did with Ariel, but I just don't see that happening right now."
"Well, she's already on IV's, so the natural experience is kind of a moot point. Is the baby doing okay?"
"I noticed some decelerations, but it's not enough to be concerned about right now. His heart rate is coming right back up after the contractions. I'm going to check on her again in a little while and we'll talk about where we want to go next."
In her room, Kate rubbed her abdomen, breathing through another contraction. "Oh, baby boy, why won't you cooperate? Your daddy, sisters, grandpa, and grandma are so anxious to see you. So am I. I've been wanting you so badly for so long. I know that things have been stressful and I'm so sorry. But I promise that things will get better. You just have to get out here."
Her door opened and she smiled when Castle walked back in. "Talking to him again?" He sat down and took her hand, kissing it before clasping it tightly in his.
"Well, I'm trying to, but he's not exactly listening. What did Dr. Caulfield tell you?"
"She said that we might have to start discussing other options."
"Castle, if I have a c-section, then I can't hold him after he's born," tears filled her eyes. "I won't be able to nurse him because I'll be on pain medication."
"Hey, let's get him here safely, whatever it takes," he stroked her forehead. "You'll be able to hold him and nurse him soon enough."
"Do you think things would've been better if we'd waited? This trial has put so much stress on everybody. I never meant to put our child through this, Castle."
"Stop," he soothed her as he listened to the printout as another contraction started. He pulled out his stopwatch. "Breathe, Kate." His brow furrowed as he looked at the number for the fetal heart rate. This time it took a little bit longer for baby Jack's heart rate to bounce back. "Kate, I'm going to go and get the doctor."
"Why? Castle, what's wrong?"
"I'll be right back," he quickly left the room without explanation.
Kate tried to glance to her left at the monitor, but they were angled so that they were difficult for her to see. She looked out the window to the New York night, where flakes of snow were falling past the window. There hadn't been snow on the ground on that other January night so long ago, but it had been bitterly cold. "Mom, I know that you're always watching out for me. Ari said that she's talked to you and I believe her, so please let your grandson come into this world safely."
Castle re-entered the room, followed by Dr. Caulfield, who walked over and examined the printout that was being spit out by the monitor. "Castle, can I please have a few minutes with Kate?"
"Castle," she looked at him.
"I'll be right outside."
Dr. Caulfield pulled up a chair as soon as Castle left the room. "Kate, Jack's starting to show signs of distress. You've been in labor for more than 24 hours and you're not dilating like you should. This hasn't been an easy pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination and your son's not going to enter this world easily. We need to go in and get him."
"Can Castle come with me?"
"Absolutely. Let me go and let everybody know what's going on. Then we'll get you prepped for surgery."
Castle and the others were there, and by this time they'd been joined by Jim Beckett. "Are you going to perform a c-section?" Castle asked.
"We need to get that baby out, Rick. They're both tiring, which is never a good sign. But, once we get him out, they should both be just fine. This is Heidi," she introduced the nurse at her side. "She's going to take you and get you ready so that you can be in the operating room with Kate. We'll meet you in the OR in just a few minutes."
"Come with me, Mr. Castle," Heidi beckoned for him to follow her as they left the waiting area.
"This is so scary," Alexis leaned into Brian. "I hope her and the baby are okay."
"Oh, they'll be fine," Martha assured her. "Kate has fought too hard for anything to happen to her or that baby."
"Your grandma is right," Jim told the young woman. "If she can survive a bullet to the chest, Kate can certainly survive this."
"I know that she really didn't want to have him on this date," Alexis looked at Jim. "She was hoping that he'd be born before or after the ninth."
"Well, now this date can be celebrated and not mourned," Jim smiled a bittersweet smile.
"Alexis—" Brian looked at her.
"I'll explain it later," she smiled at him.
***CCC***
"Do you feel this?" The anesthesiologist prodded Kate's abdomen with a sharp probe.
"No."
"How about this?"
"No."
He looped oxygen prongs under her nose and slipped a covering over her hair just as Castle entered, causing her to laugh at the sight of him. "You don't like the look?" He was wearing a gown, feet coverings and his hair was also covered. "I personally think that I rock this look."
"We're ready to start, Kate. You're going to feel some pulling, but let me know if you feel anything else. Okay?"
"How long – how long until I hear him?"
"Once I make the incision, he'll be out in just a few minutes."
"Castle, I'm so scared."
"It's going to be okay," he kissed her forehead. "Jack's going to be here in just a few minutes and he's going to be perfect."
She took some calming breaths as they listened to the doctor giving orders to her team. She didn't understand most of it. It was all medical-ese. "Retractor," she heard Dr. Caulfield say as she felt something pulling in her stomach. "Suction. Okay, Kate, Rick. Here he comes."
At first, it was quiet, too quiet, but then a loud, wailing cry filled the operating room. Kate and Rick laughed through their tears as the doctor held their loudly crying son over the drape that was shielding her from the actual operation.
"God, he's gorgeous, Castle," Kate smiled through her tears. "So—"
"Kate!" Castle called out as monitors began beeping loudly. "Kate!" He called out again. "Come on, stay with me. What's going on?"
"Blood pressure's dropping, doctor."
"Kate, can you hear me?" Castle frantically called out to her.
"Could someone please get Mr. Castle out of here?"
"No, I'm not going anywhere!"
"Rick, please let me do my job. I'll come and fill you in as soon as possible."
Rick looked to the warming table where one team was working on his new son while the rest of the team feverishly worked on saving Kate's life. How could this all have gone so badly so fast? One second she was commenting on their son and the next she was unresponsive. He stood outside of the operating room, pacing frantically. Moments later, two nurses came out rolling the incubator with his son inside of it. "Is he okay?"
"He's great, Mr. Castle. Would you like to come with him to the nursery? The doctor will find you when there's word on your wife."
The decision was a no-brainer really. Kate had been so desperate during this quest to present him with a son. He knew that she'd want to know every single thing about him when she woke up. He followed the incubator to the elevator and up to the nursery. "Let us check him over and then we'll let you hold him," the other nurse told him.
Castle reached for his cell phone in his back pocket. He knew that Kate would want to see those first moments of Jack's life when she woke up. She had to wake up. Her not waking up just wasn't an option as far as he was concerned. Moments later one of the nurses walked over to him carrying a bundle swaddled in a blue blanket. "Have a seat, daddy," she pointed to a nearby rocking chair. "I understand that this is Jack," she smiled as she placed the baby in his arms.
"James Jackson. But our daughter started calling him 'Jack,' and it stuck," Castle forced a smile as he took the baby and cradled him to his chest.
"If you give me your phone, I'll get some video for you to show your wife when she wakes up after her surgery. Jack is a pretty hefty boy. He weighs seven pounds and nine ounces and he's 22 inches long."
"He's much bigger than his sister. She was a tiny little thing," Castle smiled. "But she was long. Do you know what happened with Kate?"
"No. But, Dr. Caulfield has everything under control," the nurse continued to shoot video of the newborn baby, who was staring up at his father with the unfocused eyes of a newborn.
"Little man, your mommy is going to be so glad that you're okay," he breathed in the scent of baby Jack. "But for the record, we're not ever doing this again." Castle was still sitting there with the baby when Dr. Caulfield entered the nursery 45 minutes later. "How's Kate?" He asked.
"Can we go somewhere and talk?"
That was when Castle felt like his world had just gone to black.
A/N #4: Again, trust me. I know where I'm going. Kate's not going to die, but that's all I'm going to say at this point in time.
A/N #5: My unmuse suggested that baby Jack be born on January 9. Big surprise, huh?
I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960. Right now, I'm not liking Stana's new haircut.