Kate picked up after the first ring.
'Is this Katherine Beckett speaking?'
'Yes, this is she.' Kate answered with a nervous edge to her voice.
The female voice on the phone then replied, 'I am Nurse Conway speaking from Southampton Hospital. A Mr Richard Castle has been brought in to the emergency department and you are his emergency contact.'
Kate stood there paralysed trying to find the words to ask whether Castle is ok. However, the nurse quickly informs her before she can form the words 'Mr Castle has suffered a major head injury with internal bleeding from a car crash and he is in critical condition.'
Upon this new information, Kate suddenly found the will to move and dropped the phone as she rushed out of the building. Calls followed her from Martha, Alexis and Lanie as to where she was going but Kate continued racing down the stairs because all she could think about was getting to the hospital as quickly as possible in order to be with Castle. Tears blurred Kate's vision as they poured down her cheeks and the dress also made her pace significantly slower than usual. She told the driver where she needed to go in a frantic tone and made sure that he knew how important it was for her to be there as soon as possible.
The car roared into action and took off along the large driveway. Kate did not look back but if she did she would have seen Martha, Alexis, Lanie, Ryan and Esposito piling into the boys' squad car following close on her tail. They had called the number back on Kate's phone and found out what had happened and were as eager as Kate to get to the hospital.
As Kate and her driver approached the hospital Kate tried to control her hysterical breathing and tried to keep telling herself 'he's going to be fine'. The message didn't work at calming her racing heart and when the car began to pull up at the entrance she was jumping out of the car before it even had a chance to stop. Kate hiked up her wedding dress to make it easier to move and didn't care what damage she was causing, she just needed to see Rick.
When Kate entered the hospital reception all eyes turned to look at her as it was not an everyday occurrence that a bride would arrive at a hospital in such a frenetic state. Kate ignored the looks and proceeded to the desk. Tear tracks were clearly visible down her face but Kate had been able to stop the flood of tears in order to try and put on a more professional demeanour instead of the desperation that she was feeling inside.
'I need to see Richard Castle.' Kate bluntly said to the receptionist who looked at her in shock. She took a few seconds before Kate couldn't take it anymore. 'Please, I need to see Richard Castle because you called and said he had been in a car crash. I'm supposed to be marrying him today.' The last few words came out stuttered as Kate tried to hold the sobs in.
The receptionist looked on the computer system and said, 'Ok, Mr Castle has been taken to surgery to try to stop the bleeding in his brain. If you want to take a seat in the surgical waiting room I will make sure someone comes to speak to you as soon as he is out of surgery.' The receptionist raises her hand in order to point in the general direction of the waiting room.
Kate steps back from the desk because she knows that this is all the receptionist will be able to tell her and when a comforting hand rests on her shoulder she turns to see Lanie's sad eyes looking at her.
'Kate, where is Dad. How is he?' Alexis asks frantically as she jumps out from behind Lanie.
'He is in surgery at the moment due to a brain bleed but that's all I know.' Kate lowers her head dejectedly as she knows nothing else to help the young redhead. Instead, she just pulls Alexis in for a hug which acts as a way to comfort her too.
Lanie interjected saying that she would go and try to find out some more information from the nurses and that they should move to the surgical waiting room so they could have some more privacy. Esposito and Ryan escorted the three women to the waiting room where everyone sat in silence. All were deep in their own thoughts as they hoped and prayed that Castle would be alright. Alexis sat between Martha and Kate on the uncomfortable plastic chairs holding hands with both the older women. Kate's grip was much stronger on Alexis as she tried to find a way to anchor herself and feel like she had to grasp onto any hope that Castle will be ok.
Ryan then stood and asked, 'would any of you like a drink or something to eat?'
Kate shook her head and didn't make eye contact with Ryan. Alexis softly mumbled a no in reply. Martha however sturdily said 'Thanks Ryan, would you be able to get us three coffees and some snacks because we might be here for a while and we want to be fully energised when Richard wakes up.'
Ryan nods in reply and heads out of the room for the cafeteria. Kate just thinks to herself why Martha can be so positive. On the other hand, on repeat in Kate's mind is the thought of the doctors coming in and telling Kate that Rick is dead and that she will never see him again. She can't keep these negative thoughts from spiralling in her head and just wishes that she had Castle there to hold her for comfort.