I… don't know where this came from, I really don't. I definitely didn't set out to write a ficlet today (technically yesterday), but here we are! Enjoy!
Just Keep Swimming
A Caskett AU
Prompt: Anonymous asked: "'you're a vet and i'm pleading with you to save my goldfish and you're the first vet i've visited to not ask me if i'm sure i don't want to go and buy another goldfish for three dollars' au" (from castlefanficprompts)
For it to be the middle of the day on a Thursday, the pet hospital just blocks from his apartment is surprisingly crowded.
He had been expecting to see a dog or two, maybe a cat as well, but when he steps in, catching the door with his hip to keep it from slamming shut, he finds half a dozen of each, plus a giant iguana, a hamster, a bird, and a guinea pig.
So far, three other places have turned him away, citing an inability (though, if you ask him, it was more like an unwillingness) to help. Maybe since this place accepts exotic pets, they'll be different.
For the sake of harmony in his home, he hopes they'll be different.
The woman nearest to the door does a double take as he steps inside, but she refrains from commenting. Yes, he is Richard Castle, a semi-famous mystery writer, and yes, he is standing in the waiting area of an animal hospital with his daughter's travel fish tank cradled in his arms. And yes, he has carted said tank around for the last three hours in his attempts to find someone that will look at Flounder instead of suggesting right off the bat that it might be better if he gave the goldfish a watery goodbye and spent a few dollars to buy another.
In all truth, he's almost sure the chances of a veterinarian being able to treat the fish are slim, but he has to try for his daughter. Flounder has been her fish since Meredith left. She has taken faithful care of him every single day since Rick had presented the gift to her and explained what the little fish needed. To lose him without doing everything they can is just unthinkable.
"Sir, can I help you?"
Pushing the worst-case scenario to the back of his mind, Rick strides to the receptionist, offering her a winning smile.
"I hope so. You see, my daughter's fish has started to look a little bit under the weather, and I was really hoping one of your vets would be able to take a look at him and see if there's anything we can do?"
The young woman – Roxana, her name tag boasts – offers him a broad smile. Maybe he is laying it on a little bit thick, but a little flirting never hurt anyone, right?
"We'll do our best. What are his symptoms?" she asks, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
Covering his surprise – they might actually be able to help him here, who knew – he details Flounder's sluggishness, lack of appetite, even the red markings on the fish's sides and fin. It's everything he's noticed in the last day, supplemented with what Alexis had told him this morning, and Roxana's head bobs with each new symptom.
"Is it serious?" he asks, checking the fish for any additional markings or signs of illness. "From what I read before I transferred him to the travel tank, it sounded serious. Do you think I brought him in in time?"
"I think you've done the best thing you could by bringing him in," she answers, no doubt trying not to give him false hope for poor Flounder. "I'll put you on the list to see Dr. Beckett, one of our exotic pet specialists. She's with another patient right now, but she should be done by the time you finish filling out these forms."
Roxana prints a label, affixing it to the top of a small stack of papers she then hands to him along with a pen.
Jeez, they have patient intake forms for a goldfish.
"Thanks, Roxana," he says, offering her a grateful smile. "This will mean a lot to my daughter."
Lifting the fish tank off the counter, he retreats to an empty chair to take care of the paperwork.
The things he does for his little girl.
Over half an hour later, he hears his name – well, Flounder's name – called from the door beside Roxana's desk. He lifts a hand, already reaching for the tank as he stands.
"Thank you so much for seeing him without an appointme-" his words die on his lips as he takes in the source of the voice.
Doctor Beckett is nothing like he was expecting. Knowing she specializes in exotic pets, he had been expecting someone a little… different, but this woman blows all thoughts of oddity out of the water.
She's tall, nearly his height in practical white sneakers, and even in deep red scrubs with her arms wrapped around the clipboard he had turned in a little while ago, he can see the lithe lines of her body. Her hair is pulled back, twisted into a bun high at the back of her head, but when she turns to say something to Roxana, he can see a few wispy curls daring to make an escape.
"It's no trouble, Mr. Castle," she murmurs once he's near, looking up at him with friendly, sparkling eyes – green with darts of hazel, he decides, maybe the other way around on any other day – and he swallows hard.
She's not just pretty, she's not just attractive, she is gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous.
There's also a familiarity to the greeting. She knows him. Beyond his name on the patient form, she knows him.
And he's… standing in front of her, holding out a fish tank like an imbecile.
Great first impression, Rick.
"And this must be Flounder."
"Ah, yes. Yes, this is Flounder the Wonderfish."
That turns her lips up. Score one for the silly name he had given Flounder after the traumatic first time Alexis had changed his water on her own.
"Well, Flounder the Wonderfish, it's nice to meet you. Come with me," she says, taking Flounder's tank from him with sure hands.
He has a feeling he would follow her even if he hadn't been invited to do so.
"So I looked over the notes Roxi took," she starts, glancing over her shoulder as she leads him into an examination room at the end of the hall. "And it's a good thing you brought him in when you did."
"Oh?" Rick asks, closing the door behind him. "Do you know what's wrong?"
Dr. Beckett offers him a quick smile, setting the tank down on the counter and studying Flounder.
"I think so. Since she didn't ask, what kind of tank do you have for him, and how often do you change his water?"
"We have a thirty gallon tank at home."
She looks up. "Filtered?"
He nods in confirmation. "Yeah. But we still clean the tank whenever it starts to look like it needs it."
"Good. You should still do it every few weeks, even with the filter. Even if he's an only fish, gunk still builds up."
Nodding, he tucks that information away before turning back to her.
"He has an infection. It is serious, but I think we've caught it in time, so I'm going to give him the fish equivalent of an antibiotic."
Rick nods again, feeling more than a little dumbstruck by her. How the hell had she known that so quickly?
"Thank you. That – he's my daughter's fish, and you have no idea how happy she'll be to hear this. She was more than a little concerned when I dropped her off at school earlier."
The doctor smiles, meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments before averting her gaze back to Flounder. "You'll need to clean the tank thoroughly before you put him back in it, just in case the infection was caused by bacteria in the water, and continue giving him the medication for the next ten days. But after that, he should be okay."
"Good, that's… good. Thank you."
"It's my job, Mr. Castle," she murmurs, no doubt attempting to sound nonchalant even as he sees her cheeks darken. "I'll be back with the medication and then you'll be good to go."
"Kay," he agrees, leaning his elbows on the counter to wait.
He won't lie and say he doesn't let his eyes drift downward as she walks away.
She's back just a minute later, fingers curled around a bottle. He watches her ease the lid off the travel tank and add the medication, taking care to pay attention to exactly how many drops she adds and how Flounder reacts.
"How old is she?"
"Hmm?" he looks up from the fish to find Dr. Beckett watching him, bemused.
"Your daughter. How old is she?"
Rick smiles. "She's six. We've had Flounder for almost three years, so the thought of losing him is rough."
The doctor returns his smile, capping the bottle and passing it over. "Well, the good news is if he responds well to the medication, you'll have him for many more years."
"I'm glad to hear that."
She clears her throat. "Now, you watched me give him the medicine, but the instructions are also on the bottle. So if you want to give your daughter the job of doing it, you won't have to tell her from memory."
"That's good. She takes his care very seriously."
Her lips purse, amusement flooding her face anyway.
"Well, make sure she watches for any other changes in his coloring or to his fins. You'll know if he's improving, though."
Okay, that is good to know.
"And if he hasn't improved in ten days, bring him back and I'll take another look. But –"
"That wouldn't be good," he finishes for her. "So we just hope he improves."
Doctor Beckett nods. "Right."
He nods in return, dropping the medication into his pocket and holding out a hand to her. "Thank you, Doctor Beckett. It was a pleasure meeting you again."
Her fingers curl around his, giving his hand a firm pump.
"Again?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "When did we meet before?"
He doesn't take the bait. "You tell me. I am used to being recognized, you know. I saw the signs."
"Uh huh. Well, I'm afraid you're mistaking me for someone else, Mr. Castle."
Her eyes light up once more. She's playing with him; she has to be.
"But it was nice meeting you for the first time," she continues, shaking his hand once more. "Please call me if anything changes with Flounder."
She pulls away, making a few notes on Flounder's chart before heading for the door.
"I will," he promises. "And it's Rick," he adds, calling to her back, letting his eyes follow her until she rounds a corner and disappears from sight.
But not before she tosses a wink over her shoulder.
Two weeks later, Doctor Kate Beckett steps into the animal hospital to find her favorite author and a little girl with blazing red hair seated in the waiting room.
This has to be his daughter. The little girl he had talked about with such pride, such joy. He keeps her out of the press – not that Kate knows that much about him – but after a mere five minutes with him, it was plain to see how much he adores his daughter.
She still cannot believe she had treated his goldfish.
"Mr. Castle," she greets, offering them both an easy smile even as her heart hammers in her chest. "What brings you by today? How's Flounder?"
His eyes brighten at the question, and he shares a grin with the girl at his side. When he stands, Kate has to avoid trailing her eyes down his body. He had looked handsome the other day, but today he is relaxed and content; somehow, that makes the jeans and sweater he wears look even more attractive.
"Flounder is recovering nicely, I think. He finished the medicine the other day, and after that we got him a bigger, better tank with a better filter and he seems to be adjusting well."
"That's good," she answers, shifting her bag on her shoulder. "I'm glad to hear it."
He nods, the smile never leaving his lips. "So am I. Actually, if you have time, Alexis brought some pictures to show you? Since we couldn't bring him, too."
The little girl beams at her name, jumping to her feet. "Hi, Doctor Beckett. Daddy said you knew 'zactly what to do for Flounder."
Kate grins, dropping her bag onto the coffee table and lowering herself beside it. Her first appointment isn't for another hour; she has time. "Daddy did, huh?"
Alexis nods, turning serious. "Thank you for making him better."
"You're very welcome. I'm glad I could make him feel better. I heard you take amazing care of him."
That earns her a bashful smile from the six year old and a look that makes her breath stutter from the girl's father. He looks – but he can't be. He really cannot be.
He looks smitten. With her.
"Thanks," Alexis breathes. "Oh! Pictures!"
Kate takes the photos the girl thrusts in her direction, grinning at the printed evidence of Flounder during various stages of his recovery. Including one photo of Richard Castle, his daughter, and her fish patient in his new habitat.
"He looks like he likes his new tank, Alexis."
The redhead's bangs flop with her nod. "Uh huh! He loves it. And um, s'for you."
The girl holds out one more page; a hand-drawn picture of a goldfish in a bowl, a little red-haired girl, and a tall, brown-haired man. And at the bottom are the words, "Thank you for saving Flounder. From: Alexis Castle."
It's not the first picture she's been given, but it touches her in a way none of the others have. She sucks in a deep breath, pulling the drawing into her chest.
"Thank you, Alexis. This is a fantastic picture. I'm going to put it in my office."
"Really?" Alexis brightens, banishing her serious demeanor in favor of childlike glee.
"Really. In fact, come with me. You can pick the spot."
Kate stands, gawking as Richard – Rick, he'd said to call him Rick – Castle lifts her bag onto his shoulder and gestures for her to lead the way.
She leads them past Roxana's desk - ignoring the receptionist's knowing look – and to her office in the back. Both look a little bit awed, though she sees the elder Castle's gaze lingering on her diplomas more than the pictures of exotic animals she has on her shelves.
"Doctor Katherine Beckett," he reads, as if trying it out for himself.
"That'd be me," she quips, lifting her eyebrows. "What about it?"
He shakes his head. "I just never got your first name. I'm still trying to place where we've met before."
"Keep trying. And it's Kate," she hums, turning to Alexis. "Now, where do you think I should put this gorgeous picture?"
She feels his eyes on her as she lets the little girl direct her around her own office. They try a few different spots before the redhead is satisfied, and when she steps back to admire her pushpin work, she knows he's still watching her.
"Have coffee with me," he blurts, startling her eyes to his. "I mean, I know you're probably busy today, since it is last minute and you're working, but –"
What the –? Is she hearing him correctly? She cannot be, because that would mean –
Richard Castle is asking her out for coffee. Rick Castle is asking her out.
"Or, if you don't drink coffee, we could get some tea? Or dinner if that's better for you?"
"I, ah, really?" she stutters.
His head bobs. "Really. I mean, I have to hear the story of that python."
Kate laughs, swiping her hair behind her ears. She'll have to put it up before she starts seeing patients, but wearing it down gives her an excuse to fidget now.
"Well," she breathes, attempting to get a handle on herself and the blush staining her cheeks, "if you have to hear the story, I'm free for dinner tomorrow night?"
When he smiles, it's as if she's saved his goldfish all over again.