Always
It happened so fast. One minute they were there running after Zac Levine, a drug dealer who murdered three people, the next she's in a hospital fighting for her life.
~Flashback~
"Hey, got any news from Zac?" Kate asked Esposito.
"We checked his emails, phone calls, bank accounts, nothing out of the ordinary." Esposito answered.
"Well there's got to be something that could lead us to his whereabouts." Kate said, her eyebrows knitting together as she checked the paper again, looking for clues.
"Actually, there is. Got a phone call from the uniforms saying they found this in his apartment." Ryan said while tossing Kate the bag full of Weed.
"How could we have missed it?" Kate asked, frowning.
"Well, it was hidden beneath the walls. The dog caught it's odor and the uniforms had to break the wall to get this thing." Ryan explained. "Turns out this guy is a drug dealer. He's on his way to sell a lot of those to a Russian business man. Apparently, these things are worth a million bucks and three human lives."
"So where are they going to meet?" Kate asked.
"At the warehouse in District Thirteen." Ryan answered
"Okay, Let's go." Kate said, loading her gun and walking to the elevator.
(1:13 PM)
They entered the warehouse. There, they saw two men dressed in suits exchanging briefcases.
"NYPD! Put your hands where I can see them!" Kate yelled, as they got closer to the suspects.
They got the suspects surrounded but they underestimated Zac. He was always one step ahead. He knew the police were coming so he got there ready. As Kate came nearer, he withdrew his gun from behind and then they heard a gunshot.
~End of Flashback~
So now he was sitting there beside her hospital bed, clutching her hand as he fought back the tears. He knew he should've told her. He should have listened to his heart and told Kate how he feels. He shouldn't have gotten mad over her not telling him the truth and he shouldn't have waited so long for her to say it. He should have said it when he had the chance. Now, he can only cling to the 14% hope that she can still live.
She lost a lot of blood. This time, it was much worse than when she got shot in the chest. The bullet broke an artery, causing her heart to stop beating. The doctors were able to revive it but they are not so sure about her surviving.
Castle's train of thoughts was broken when he heard his name called by a hoarse, tired voice.
"Say you love me, Castle." Kate said this as her final words to him. He felt her life drift away from her as her eyes fluttered close.
"Always"