Out of the Cold
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, wish I did. Actually, if I had my way I would be playing on screen with them.
Author's note: So this idea was born out of reading International08's fic "Only More Love". She had a line in there said by Kate, "I was scared too, you know. When they brought me around and you hadn't woken up yet," that got this plot bunny rolling. So thanks girl!
Dr. Josh Davidson had seen and done a lot in his career. Between working at NY Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and his medical missions around the world, he felt as though he had pretty much seen and done it all. Despite that, nothing could have prepared him for this situation. He never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be sitting in the back of a rig watching his girlfriend's skin turn from an unhealthy blue-grey back to a warm and healthy blush-pink. Never imagined the worry that would come following the phone call from Detective Ryan saying that they had found Kate. Never thought he would be speeding down the streets of New York after hearing that she and her writer shadow had been locked in a freezer for several hours and were now unconscious.
It didn't take a medical genius to figure out that they were suffering from hypothermia, but his doctor's brain couldn't help but think of all the complications that could arise. He had offered his services to the paramedics the minute he arrived at the warehouses, if for no other reason than to help ease his own mind. Since both Kate and the writer were breathing on their own and had steady heartbeats, it was decided that a trip to the hospital was not in order and that the two ambulances could remain at the scene. He had helped start IVs and watched as the paramedics piled blankets on top of Kate and turned the heat on high in the back of the rig. Mindful of the IV, he settled, wrapping his warm hands around Kate's bone chillingly cold left hand and waited. Waited for her hand to warm, waited for the blue-grey color to leave her skin, waited for her eyes to open. He just sat and waited.
Even as Kate Beckett made her way back to consciousness, her mind was still back in the freezer. She didn't register the warmth of the air around her or the hand that was holding hers. All she could feel was the cold that was still creeping into her bones, the desperation to get out and ultimately the way she had curled against Castle in an attempt to stay warm. She barely remembered their conversation, she had been so cold at the time, but she knew it was important.
Slowly, the freezer began to leave her behind as her body and mind registered the warmth that surrounded her. She could feel a hand enveloping her left, a hand so warm that it almost felt like it was on fire, while another rested on her cheek; the thumb gently rubbing along her cheek bone. Finally she registered the weight of the blankets on top of her and a voice gently calling her.
After what seemed like an eternity, Josh noticed that Kate was finally starting to warm. Her temperature had risen to 98.2 and her cheeks were actually starting to have a pink color to them. He breathed a sigh of relief because 98 was a hell of a lot better than the core temp of 95 Kate had when she was first put in the ambulance. 98.2 meant that she would probably be waking up soon. He couldn't help but think what might have happened if he hadn't called the precinct looking for Kate. What if he had gotten on his flight and therefore never realized that Kate wasn't home? How long had she been in that freezer before they realized that she was missing. He wasn't one that typically believed in fate but tonight he couldn't help it. He had skipped his flight for an unknown reason simply because it felt wrong to go. Was this the reason? Did skipping his flight mean saving her life?
He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a whimper coming from Kate's direction. He quickly looked at her but noticed that she hadn't moved, he nearly chalked it up to his imagination, until he heard it again. This time, however, it was accompanied by the furrowing of her brow. He grasped her hand tighter as he noticed the movement of her eyes under their lids. He stroked her cheek to try and coax her towards consciousness. Josh heard her whimper again, this time followed by a soft exhalation of "Castle". He paused for a moment as the word hit him, nearly withdrawing his hand from Kate's cheek. He wasn't dumb enough to miss the partnership and trust that exists between Kate and the writer. Hell, he even knew that the writer was halfway, if not all the way, in love with his girlfriend, but as long as Kate kept coming home to him each night, Josh didn't really care.
This, however, was a whole different situation. It wasn't until he heard Kate call out for the writer a second time that he noticed the hint of desperation and fear in her voice. This combined with the increase of her heartbeat, rapid breathing and furrowed brow made him realize that she was probably dreaming about whatever had happened to them. Instead of pulling his hand off her cheek, he resumed stroking it, smiling slightly as she turned her face into his hand. He then attempted to coax her into wakefulness by talking to her, "C'mon Kate, open your eyes for me."
The first thing Kate Beckett registered as she opened her eyes was the weight of the blankets on top of her. The second was that it was damn hard to keep her eyes open and the third was the voice talking to her.
"No, no. You don't get to close your eyes again just yet. I need you to keep them open just a little longer."
She registered that the voice wasn't the one she had fallen asleep to, it wasn't the one she expected to wake up to, if she woke up at all, and it was one she certainly wasn't expecting to hear for a while. It took awhile but combined with the brown eyes staring at her, she finally pieced it together, "Josh, what the...?"
"Hey, so you've got mild hypothermia. You're gonna be a little sluggish for a while, but as long as you keep yourself warm and dry you should be good."
Well, sluggish certainly explained why Kate felt like she had been hit by a truck. "No, I meant Haiti, what are...?"
"Doing here? Didn't go," Josh replied as he shrugged.
Not having the energy to push it any further, Kate's only reply was a quiet "Oh" as she took in her surroundings. She took in the warmth, the hum of the running engine, the white walls and the fact that she and Josh were alone. Alone meant no Castle and no Castle meant far too many terrifying scenarios playing out in her head. Was she going to have to be the one to call Alexis and tell her that her father was never coming home? She attempted to sit up until both her own weakness and Josh stopped her. Lying back down she asked the question that she almost dreaded the answer to, "Where's Castle?" mentally cringing at the fact that her voice was shaking.
"He's in another ambulance. Same condition as you, but last I checked he hadn't woken up yet."
Kate went to sit up against but this time Josh was prepared with a hand on her shoulder. "Kate, he is going to be fine. His core temp was higher than yours when you guys were pulled out of the freezer. In fact, Detectives Ryan and Esposito said that he had even opened his eyes when they found you two. He just needs the time to warm up and recover, something you should still be doing as well. Which means relaxing and staying under those blankets a bit longer."
"But..."
Shaking his head at her stubbornness, Josh slightly relented offering her a deal. "You stay under those blankets for another 5 minutes and then we will see about getting you up and possibly out of here okay?"
Weighing all of her options, Kate quickly figured out that this was her best bet. Letting out a shaky breath she nodded as she slowly ran her hand through her hair to push it off her face. She frowned as she realized that her hair was in fact wet and very cold.
"It was full of ice when they pulled you out of the freezer. The heat of the rig thawed it out."
Nodding her head at the explanation, "Think you could rustle up a hair tie or rubber band somewhere? It's pretty cold against the back of my neck."
"You got it. Be back in a few." Josh dropped a kiss on her forehead before jumping out of the back of the ambulance. Kate watched him go wondering what it all meant. However, before she could figure it out, she felt her eyelids close as she lost the battle against the sleep that she still so desperately needed.
The next time Kate woke up , the world came into focus much quicker. Josh was back by her side and she noticed that she had fewer blankets on top of her.
"Hey, welcome back...again."
"How long was I out, and what time is it?" she asked, once again pushing her hair out of her face.
"Only about 15 minutes, and it's 5:30 AM. Oh, and here," he answered holding out the hair tie that he had managed to get from one of the EMTs. "I found you this."
Kate looked gratefully at the hair tie in his hand. She took it from him and slipped it on her right wrist knowing that there was nothing she could do with it while she was still lying down.
"Our deal?"
"Oh, right." He immediately moved to help her sit up. Slipping one arm behind her back, he took comfort in the warmth he finally felt radiating from her skin.
Careful of the IV still in her left hand, Kate began to knot her hair into a messy bun. After securing it, she looked at Josh and asked, "Castle?"
"Just checked on him. He still isn't awake but his temp is up to 98.6 so he should be waking up soon."
"I gotta go see..."
"No, you need to stay right where you are," Josh interrupted firmly.
"Damnit Josh, I got him into this mess," Kate fired back her voice rising. "I just..."
"You just what?"
Deflating slightly Kate responded, "I just need to know that he's alright. That I don't have to make any phone calls or keep any promises."
Josh looked confused at the use of the word promises but Kate wasn't about to elaborate any further at the moment. Instead she changed the conversation knowing that she had revealed too much, "Ryan and Esposito?"
Letting the change in conversation slide, he responded, "Last I saw they were talking to your Captain and a tall, serious, unfriendly looking guy."
"Agent Fallon," Kate responded, smirking slightly at the apt description Josh had given. "Could you get them, Ryan and Esposito I mean?"
"Sure. You got it."
Kate watched as he jumped out of the back of the rig and made his way across the parking lot. Her thoughts turned back to Castle and the fact that he just had to be alright. As she had said to Josh, she just wanted to know if she had to make any phone calls. She hoped and prayed she didn't, because she wasn't sure she could handle being the one to break Alexis's heart. She would keep her promise to Castle to look after Alexis but it would be damn hard. What the hell had she been thinking letting him work this case? As much as it warmed her that he had stayed, she should have forced him out of town. She should have forced him to go with Martha and Alexis, they were his family for heaven's sake! Castle would have put up one hell of a fight but in the end she could have convinced him, she just should have tried.
Seeing Ryan and Esposito approach, she shoved those thoughts aside and prepared to focus on the case. As Josh climbed back into the ambulance, the two partners stopped at the door. Kate was momentarily distracted by Josh working around her to remove her IV line. Nodding her thanks to him, she turned back to Ryan and Esposito. "Okay, what do you guys know?"
The guys looked at each other daring the other to speak first. Finally Esposito rose to the challenge, "Only that Jamal was killed by the same caliber bullet as Amir and that what we are looking for isn't here."
"That and the fact that you guys had one hell of a gun battle in there. Want to walk us through it?" Ryan asked.
"Also want to tell us how you guys ended up here in the first place?"
One look at the two of them and Kate knew she wasn't getting out of explaining this one. She thought back to what had started this whole crazy evening. Had it really only been a few hours ago?
"Okay, let's see. Castle snapped a picture of the murder board on his phone as we were being escorted from the precinct. He had also managed to get his hand on the GPS driving records from the cab company. Castle was convinced that Amir and Jamal had nothing to with this whole thing, so we were looking for evidence to prove it. Figured the cameras were there to spy on someone and if not a passenger, maybe a driver? Looking at the GPS recordings, we noticed that McCann had been to both the storage unit and this warehouse."
"What the hell possessed you to come down here in the middle of the night, with a writer as your only backup?"
Kate knew that neither Ryan nor Esposito would actually dare to ask that question, so it left one person. Leveling Josh with the best glare she could muster at the moment, "That writer is my partner and has helped get me out of plenty of scrapes before. Also, of the two of us, I am the one awake and talking, so at the moment I think I'm doing okay. In addition, we are under a huge time crunch with this case that is literally a matter of life and death. So I don't know what possessed me, maybe it was trying to save thousands of lives?"
"I'm sorry, you're right. I just, I know you trust him but...Geez, Kate if you could have seen yourself..."
Kate ran a hand over her eyes before resting it on top of his. "I know," she sighed. "Look, I have to finish talking to these guys, do me a favor? Go check on Castle." At his look, she continued, "I know you said he's fine but please, do this for me? I'm fine, getting warmer, and these two will makes sure nothing happens."
"Fine, but you need anything you let the EMT's know," he said, finally relenting. As he climbed out of the back of the ambulance, he gave Ryan and Esposito a very pointed look. A look that clearly said, "Take care of her."
Kate turned her attention to Ryan and Esposito, who had blessedly stayed silent though the whole exchange. It wasn't until the climbed in the back of the ambulance to sit on either side of her that Ryan finally broke the silence, "So, the warehouse?"
"Right. We got here, went in to look around and found the bomb sitting in the back of a passenger van. The timer was set to go off at 4PM today. Just as we found it, they started shooting at us and I started firing back. Ended up seeing the door and told Castle to check it. It was clear, so we went in to use it to regroup. Basically, I was waiting for them to come through when they slammed the door shut instead. That was pretty much when we realized that our hiding spot was actually a freezer and that Jamal's body was at the back of it. We think they were keeping his body there so they could come back to get it and use it as patsy when the detonate the bomb. Long story short, it gets damn cold damn fast, which brings us to here. Speaking of, who found us and how?"
"That would be us," Ryan replied with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Alexis call Ryan saying that Castle wasn't at the loft and wasn't answering his cell either," Esposito explained.
Kate interrupted at that point, "Alexis was at the loft?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Shit, Castle sent her and Martha out of town because of this case. Told me last night while we were going over everything."
"Anyway, she called and then about 20 minutes later Josh called saying the same thing about you."
"So we figured the two of you were together, and knowing you two, we figured you were up to something rogue and dangerous. I mean, have you two ever just let a case go? So we sent patrol cars to the places we figured you might go," Ryan said shaking his head.
"Got a call saying your car was here."
"So we came down here and started searching the place. Saw the light coming from the freezer, opened the door and voila, there you were. You know, except for the ice and the blue color of your skin, you guys looked pretty cozy," Ryan said with a smirk.
Kate couldn't help but roll her eyes and glare, "Yeah, yeah, need I remind you of the damn cold damn fast part of the story?"
"So, yeah, we pulled you out. Called EMS, Josh and Martha and here we are."
Softening her gaze to one filled with gratitude, Kate simply said, "Thank you."
"You and Castle didn't leave us to Lockwood, so hell if we were going to leave you guys somewhere," Esposito responded. "You sure you're doing okay? Hypothermia isn't anything to mess around with."
"I'm okay." At their raised eyebrows, she amended her statement, "A little tired and stiff and cold, but I'm okay."
Ryan and Esposito looked at each other before Ryan finally said, "Okay, Fallon wants to debrief you if you feel up to it."
Kate looked at Ryan and sarcastically replied, " Yeah, I am sure those were his exact words."
"Not quite."
"Yeah, I didn't think so. Okay, let's get this over with," Kate said, starting to untangle herself from the plethora of blankets on top of her.
Ryan and Esposito looked at Kate, then each other before deciding that fighting her on this decision was not going to get them anywhere. "Okay, what do you need?"
"Just go tell Fallon that I will be there in a minute. Really guys, I'm fine."
Casting one last look at her, Ryan and Esposito made their way out of the back of the ambulance and across the lot. After watching them head towards Fallon, Kate twisted to face the front of the ambulance. She let the EMT in the front of the rig know in no uncertain terms that she was heading out because she had a job to do. The EMT saw she was fighting a losing battle and let Kate go with the recommendation that she stayed wrapped up in at least one blanket. Doing so, Kate gingerly stepped out of the back of the ambulance. She still felt a little weak and dizzy but she wasn't about to let that get in her way of her job or checking on Castle. Despite her determination, the dizziness did leave her moving slower than she would have liked.
Her intention had been to head straight for Fallon but that plan was quickly sidetracked by the sight of the other ambulance. The anxiety she had been feeling since woke up ratcheted up another notch as she took in the sight. Despite all of Josh's reassurances, what if Castle wasn't okay? How would or could she ever explain what had happened to Martha and Alexis? Like a moth to a flame, she found herself drawn to the ambulance by an unknown force. She had to know that Castle was okay before talking to Fallon and the only way to do that was to see him in person. The tightness in her chest didn't lessen any when she rounded the back of the ambulance and saw Ryan and Esposito standing there. Not being able to see their faces, she couldn't read their expressions and had no idea whether they were receiving good or bad news.
It wasn't until Ryan shifted slightly that she finally saw him. Saw him alive, sitting upright, talking to the guys and looking somewhat warm. The relief that swept through her nearly made her knees buckle. She leaned herself up against a squad car and waited for him to finish with Ryan and Esposito. The look in his eyes when he finally saw her nearly took her breath away. It was such an intense look of concern, relief and caring that all she could do was offer up a small smile in response. She watched as he finished up his conversation with Ryan and Esposito and Josh handed him a blanket. As he climbed out of the back of the ambulance and made his way towards her, Kate felt for the first time since waking up that everything would be okay. She felt like she could fully breathe again and that maybe one day she might be fully warm again as well.