She took several deep breaths, tapping her feet on the hard surface. The elevator ride to the morgue was going excruciatingly slowly for Kate's taste. She was hoping Lanie had some information on her vic to make this day a little better. The day started off far too early and she hoped for a break in this case so that she could get home to a relaxing bath.
"Lanie" Kate called out to her friend, hoping to mask the increasing irritability she was feeling.
As soon as Kate strode into the morgue Lanie knew that something was bothering her. Her body language was throwing up enough signs for the casual observer, so her best friend could clearly see that Kate needed her assistance.
"Hey girl, what's up? I haven't finished the labs yet on your vic." Lanie tried the calm, relaxed approach.
"Ok Lanie. I just needed to get away for a few minutes." Kate sat down on a stool near Lanie's desk.
"Is everything alright girl?" Lanie placed her tools on the table, removed her rubber gloves and came to sit next to Kate.
"Yeah everything is fine." She rolled her eyes, fluffing and pushing her long locks back behind her ears.
"Wanna try that again a little more convincingly or should I just tell you to save it spill already?" The ME smirked, raising her eyebrows at her friend.
"Things have just been complicated lately." Kate reluctantly replied.
"Complicated, how so?"
"So much has happened lately and just having some trouble adjusting, I guess." Letting a slight huff escape her lungs, Kate dropped her head into her hands.
"Did something happen between you and writer boy? Did you guys break-up?" Lanie questioned, worried that her friend might be hurting more than she conveyed.
"No, no nothing like that Lanie." Kate sighed heavily. "It's just been rough since Tyson, you know?"
Lanie nodded and suddenly understood why her girl seemed so defeated. "Castle having trouble letting things go?"
"He still thinks that Tyson got away. He shot him multiple times, but since they couldn't find his body, Castle thinks he gave him the perfect getaway to move on and begin killing again."
"Do you think he is still alive?"
A brief, but audible crack in her voice, Kate whispered. "I guess its possible, but after how many shots he took and falling off the bridge, I think he is dead."
The tint of uncertainty in Kate's voice assured Lanie that this ordeal was far from over for her friends. "So the problem is that you and Castle don't agree?"
"Actually that doesn't seem to be the issue." Kate answered in a defeated murmur.
"So Castle is feeling guilty then?" Lanie knew their first interaction had a lasting effect on him, she could not imagine the magnitude of Castle's guilt this time.
"Tyson really messed with his head a great deal. He taunted him with things that he can't seem to cope with now."
"Like what?" The ME asked.
"He told him that he was in his loft. That he saw us making love." Kate shivered at this thought. While she tried to tell Castle that Tyson was just attempting to get into his head, it disgusted her to think that he had witnessed their most intimate moments.
Lanie gasped, placing a hand to her mouth and reaching to clutch Kate's shoulder. "Oh honey, do you think that's true?"
"I don't know Lanie. It is certainly possible; I mean he managed to plant the ropes and cables in his loft." A single tear trickled down Kate's cheek.
"So I take it that Castle has changed all the locks and reinforced the windows?"
Wiping her eyes, shifting uncomfortably on the stool, she answered. "He had guys come in and search the loft from top to bottom. They didn't find anything, but Castle can't leave it alone."
"And your relationship? Are you guys ok?" Lanie feared what her friend's response might be. Her friends had taken way too long navigating their feelings; she didn't want something like this to derail them.
"I felt like I was trying to keep my head above water with our relationship before all this happened. I care about him Lanie, more than I ever dreamed possible, but I don't know how to help him. He has always been the one to lighten the situation, not me. He has become so serious and almost depressed lately. What can I do?"
"Have you tried talking to him?"
"Yeah, he says he is fine, that we are fine." She pausing, weighing how to continue. "Lanie, we didn't make love for almost two weeks. Every time I tried to initiate it, he would just pull away. Finally, a couple nights ago he stayed over at my apartment and we made love. But, it just seemed like he wasn't all there."
"Honey, I think…" Lanie was interrupted by the ringing of Kate's cell phone.
"Beckett, ok I will be right there." Kate turned back to Lanie. "I gotta go; Espo has a lead on the location of our vic's girlfriend."
"How about drinks tonight at the Old Haunt? We haven't solved your problems yet." Lanie smiled at her friend. "Plus, I haven't forgotten that you kept writer boy a secret for months; you owe me details." Lanie arched her brow and threw Kate a look that communicated that she wasn't asking so much as telling.
"Fine, Lanie." Kate bit her lip and started for the elevator. "Drinks at the Old Haunt, eight o'clock." With that she turned and left the morgue.
I am thinking of two or three chapters for this one. What do you think?