Beep
Beep
Beep
Daddy?
Beep
Beep
Beep
Who are you?
Beep
Beep
Beep
What is that sound? It's annoying.
Here let me help with that.
The beeping faded until it disappeared.
Well that's better. Why do you keep calling me Dad?
The red headed girl came into view and now she looked hurt for a moment then she smiled.
I suppose you're not. Not yet anyway. But I would like you to be. Maybe someday.
Rick was confused. Not really all that confused, in some weird way it made sense. His repressed urges for making a family bubbling up to the surface from his subconscious in some mental percolated blurb. It was more of a denial.
The little girl began humming a song. It was a cheery ditty. Rising up in a rhythm that complimented a lower constant bass.
You're my daughter. His words rang true throughout the opaque surroundings.
The girl smiled and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and gave him a little girl vice hug. Surprisingly strong for her size.
I'd like you to be. You gotta work some things out with mom first. Don't be scared. There's gonna be a man who won't like it but you can take him Dad!
Rick was stunned silent.
I wasn't supposed to tell you all that. Just forget I said anything.
The girl let go from her hug and turned and skipped away.
Rick could have panicked. He could have denied it but he was calm here. In this place in his mind there was no stress or place to hide. It was in his face and in this void, this place that he was in peace.
The girl was sweet. A cute, articulate treasure. She certainly had an odd sense of strength about her and part of him was happy to know she was still showing up in his dreams.
Dreams.
I'm dreaming.
The beep beep beep came back and she began to dissolve into the safety of the void.
She turned to face him and as the last of her returned to the vapor around him she smiled.
HOSPITAL
His eyes opened and through the crack of his eyelids he remembered the saying about them being windows to the soul. The light from the room shined through. The gunk in his eyes from being out so long made his vision fuzzy and everything had a gausian blur and flared look. Like God played with photoshop on his eyes. Motor skills returning he turned his neck and his vision caught a woman in his vision.
"Rick? Can you hear me?"
The woman looked fuzzy. His vision wobbly and it must have been the muck still in his eyes giving the halo above her head. Angelic but real. His sight returning slowly as his heart pumped blood throughout his body to compensate for his consciousness.
Beep
Beep beep
Beep beep
The heart monitor rang in a flurry as he moved and sat up.
He moaned feeling the sound he made reverberate through his body. A sort of purr to wake up his extremities.
The woman touched his hand. Warm. It felt nice. She smiled and something in him eased. She was beautiful. She didn't want her to let go.
"Rick? You're in the hospital. St. John's. How do you feel?"
Rick. My name is Rick.
A quick self check and it seemed silly to realize that. He knew it better than his own body. His head throbbed as he tried to lean towards her. Something in his movements felt off and his thoughts became garbled and unable to complete themselves.
He began to speak and the oxygen mask immediately broke it's seal as his jaw opened. The gentle hiss of escaped air bringing him to attention.
He removed the mask and then noticed his hands. Hand's were funny. Fless wrapped around bone with these things that wiggled. Fingers.
The world returned to his awareness and the sense that he could relate to a new born came over him.
Bodies are so weird.
"Hello? Rick?"
A woman in white came in. Nurse. He knew that. He began to turn on his thoughts. Focusing on movements and his sense of self increasing.
"Yeah?" He answered.
"How do you feel?" The nurse opened his eyelids and shined a tiny light into his eyeballs. The light hurt but it was gone before he could complain.
"Weird. I feel weird."
The two women didn't respond right away.
"Weird how?" Said the nurse.
"Like – I'm here but not?"
The lady that had the halo when he woke up nodded as if she understood.
"You took several blows to the head mister Castle. You may experience some disorientation. Nausea. The doctor will come in to check on you and ask some questions. You up for that?"
Still amazed by his and the dexterity of his fingers he nodded in agreement.
The nurse left and he was left with the lady with the halo.
She grabbed his hand again while he played with their movements and got his attention.
"Hey. You okay?"
"I think so. Why? What happened?"
A little concerned but now happy to have a chance to talk she continued.
"You were tied up and beaten."
The fact sat openly and unattended.
"The Tooth Fairy, he-" she hesitated. She braced herself to tell the story she knew she was going to have to come to terms with herself.
48 HOURS EARLIER
She was drying her tears and trying to decide whether she should call him.
Not like this. It can't end like this.
She went to her room to grab her phone and stared at the luminescence from the screen.
Just call him Kate. Tell him you're sorry. Beg. Plead. Anything.
She had pried into the unwanted like Pandora herself. It was stupid, selfish and reckless. Love of a good mystery or not she had no right to go meddling. Like some stupid Scooby Doo knock off she had gone digging and reality had pimp slapped her. Called her a whore and reality was right. She had no business going behind his back like that.
Knockknock
Her heart jumped to her throat and she ran to the door.
"Rick! Please! I'm sorry!"
She opened the door and was smothered immediately by a man in a gray hooded sweater, sopping wet and hands wrapped in gauze. She hit the floor and was immediately short of breath. Then he spoke. His voice eager, slithery and excited. His hand covered her mouth.
"Kate Beckett I presume?" He smiled and she knew who it was. The man that was coming to 'interview' her. The man who had written a letter containing his admiration for her writing covered in blood. The man who had eviscerated two random people to get her attention. Not the devil but his right man.
"Did you like my art I made for you?" He fumbled out a bottle before landing a right hook that left her dizzy and half conscious. It wasn't his hardest punch and for the moment she felt she knew what it was like for a mouse to be stunned then toyed with by a cat.
"The couple next door. They were so cute together. Struggling day to day. Surviving on hard work and love. Tragic end. Their matrimony in blood."
She heard a slight giggle come from him.
"You're boyfriend has quite the face. I enjoyed breaking it."
Her mouth was covered and the chloroform quickly drew her into darkness.
When she awoke she was stiff and sore. She tried to move but couldn't. It was as if she was awake in a night terror. She noticed the single beam come down from her track lighting and the shadows casting down on Rick's face. The darkness covering his eyes and mouth in sharp black stripes. Her poker table center stage for what she saw next.
Rick raising a gun to his temple.
"When I get to Hell I'll tell 'em the Tooth Fairy sent me and I kicked your ass with one hand tied behind my back."
His words filled with the heroic bravado of a dumb action hero.
She screamed. Her eyes swelling with the pain of seeing what was yet to happen. Her heart breaking all over again.
Click
The killer laughed. Rick pointed the gun toward the killer.
Clickclickclickclick
The struggle of Rick trying to fend off the psychopath with one hand. The chloroform rage covering his mouth and the struggle stopping.
The killer walked behind Kate, turned off the video camera recording the 'show' and he pulled up a chair next to her.
"I can not explain how much fun it's been Kate. Unfortunately this little performance piece must end and I have to go. See you around."
Then he left. Just like that. Like an estranged relative from another country who just wanted to show the family tree.
The tension eased and she began trying to free herself. It was an hour until police finally arrived with Ryan bringing up the rear and an ice pack on his own face.
HOSPITAL
Rick was enamored with her telling of the events. It was such a great story and he certainly couldn't believe that it had happened to him.
"Do you remember anything that happened Rick?" She asked.
His face was blank. He stared at her, searching for the right answer.
"Lady I have to tell you I don't remember anything."