Alright guys, two for one tonight as I get this story going. Let me know what you think!
enjoy:
Dinner and a movie with the Castles. Kate had sent Rick home after they made their arrest and got their confession so he could spend some time with his daughter. He'd been slightly squirrelly all day, playing with his phone and checking it constantly. Kate figured he missed Alexis more than usual. She didn't put much effort into trying to figure out what was going on with him because she was trying her hardest not to dwell on the date.
This day, what felt like a lifetime ago, her mother had been killed. Kate had taken an extra long, hot shower, forced herself to eat a big breakfast, purposefully avoided calendars and dates. She mourned in her own way, and would continue to later on tonight back at the loft in solitude once this was finished.
But after a few hours, Rick had come back. With Alexis. Both dusted with snow and rosy-cheeked. The Castles were armed with movie tickets, and a dinner reservation (of sorts) for their favourite booth at Remy's. How could she say no with those two adorable smiles directed right at her? They were like twin suns, can't look right at them or you're hooked.
So they'd eaten, gone to see the Wizard of Oz at the revival theatre, gotten dessert and hot chocolate and were on their way home. Home. Back to the loft; warm and full of love and good times. And suddenly it didn't matter so much that it was the anniversary of her mother's death, or rather, it didn't carry as much negative weight as it once did. Johanna would want her to be happy, to live her life.
Her light turned green, so Kate pushed on the gas with a smile on her face trailing a comment from Castle. Halfway through the intersection, something caught her eye. A blur, a dark blur, moving fast. Her thought process sped up.
Car.
No lights.
We're on green, so they're running the red.
Will hit my side, Alexis behind me. Rick won't be hurt as bad. Brake, maybe he'll miss us. Too close. Move so Alexis isn't hit! Now!
There was a scream. Might've been hers. Colours blurred together and then they all went dark.
Rick woke to bright hospital lights and a pounding headache. His left wrist burned and ached something fierce. What the hell had happened? He blinked his eyes open and with the view of uniform white tile came memory.
Car! Speeding! Kate!
They'd been hit by a car. He'd smashed his head on the window - the back of his head hurt, now that he thought about it - when he'd turned to say something to Kate. Thrown an arm out to her. Left wrist would be on her side. Hence the pain.
Kate.
Alexis!
Where were they? Were they alright? Alive? Unconscious? Strewn across the pavement? Rick's stomach gurgled at the thoughts as they invaded his brain one by one, marching across his mind's eye like some kind of morbid parade.
There was a sniffle from next to him. Rick looked over and felt a sharp pain shoot down his neck at the movement. A groan escaped. A red head popped up and scared blue eyes found his.
"Dad?"
Rick felt cool relief flood his chest. She was okay. Alexis was okay. She was a little bruised, small cuts adorned her cheeks and forehead, but she was alright. Pale and trembling and crying, but alright.
"Dad, are you okay? Can you hear me?" she was asking, rising from her chair. The girl reached a hand out and touched his hand, cool fingers grasping his tightly.
"Yeah, pumpkin, I'm okay," he managed, licking dry lips. They tasted a little like blood. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Alexis disappeared for a moment and then came back with a small cup of water. She pressed the nurses button and then the one that would raise his bed a little. She handed him the cup when he sat up on his own and touched her hand gently.
"We were in a car accident," Alexis said quietly, bloodshot eyes roving over her father's face. Rick watched her eyes well with tears again and shifted over so Alexis could sit on the bed with him. Her hospital bracelet scratched against the skin on his arm as she climbed up next to him.
Castle, Alexis Harper
"I remember there was an accident, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just some bruises from the seatbelt, and some cuts from the glass when it broke. The doctor said you hit your head pretty good," Alexis took a breath and forced herself to continue. "But you're fine, the scans were good. Left wrist is fractured, but it was easy to cast."
Rick nodded and set the cup down, so he could run his good hand over Alexis' hair. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Dad," Alexis croaked out, not able to hold the tears in any longer. "Dad," she said again as one tear slid down one pale cheek.
"What? What is it? Is it Kate? Is she okay?" Rick had been harboring some hope that since Alexis was fine, Kate was too. Getting coffee or making calls or arresting the asshole who hit them. His overactive imagination was hardly ever right.
"She's, she's not doing so well." Alexis backed off the bed and turned to the right. For the first time, Rick noticed the curtain pulled tight around another bed. Fleetingly he wondered why they weren't in a private room, but his thoughts refocused razor sharp on Kate.
Was she behind the curtain? Was she still breathing?
Alexis took a breath and fingered the curtain nervously.
"We were hit around 11:30pm. It's almost 4am. The other driver ran the red light. The officers on the scene came in while you were out. They said from the skid marks and the positions of the car that the other driver didn't slow down, but Kate did. She tried to stop. Then they said she tried to accelerate again to get out of the way, likely she knew we'd be hit."
Rick listened as his daughter recounted the scenario in horrifying detail, but his eyes were on the closed curtain.
"They said that from the angle of the car and the skid marks, she tried to turn the car so only her door would be hit. Because I was sitting behind her. If the other driver hit her side, I'd be hit too. She saved my life without even thinking about it," she breathed, swallowing thickly and carefully pulling the curtain back so they could see Kate.
"You threw your arm out, to catch Kate or to warn her, to protect her, but it was too late. The car hit her door the hardest. Mine's barely dented. Window didn't even break. Hers did, and the windshield. I walked out of that car dad. The paramedic said you were okay, breathing and all that, just unconscious," Alexis sat gingerly on the edge of Kate's bed, took the older woman's hand gently in her own.
"They used the Jaws of Life on Kate's door. Even cut the roof off the top." Alexis was trying to swallow her tears and the lump in her throat, but her words were clear. She didn't want her father imagining the worst.
"We came in two different ambulances, but Kate's had the sirens and lights on. When they took your x-rays and said you'd be fine when you woke up, Kate was in surgery. They won't tell me what's wrong though, because we're not family."
Rick swallowed thickly, his mind painting a vivid picture of the scenes Alexis described as his eyes finally fell on Kate.
Kate lay sleeping peacefully in a hospital gown, while Rick noticed absently that he and Alexis were still in their clothes. She had gauze taped to the side of her face not towards him, both her hands wrapped in gauze. Her left arm had a cast up over her elbow and in a sling. There were bulges under the blanket that he assumed were more bandages or casts.
What killed him was the bandage wrapped around her head. The IVs in her arms, he could handle, the casts, he could handle, the cannula of oxygen in her nose, he could handle. The bandaged head? Her head. She'd hurt her head. Her brain. Was there damage? Brain damage? God...
A nurse and police officer broke the Castle's suffering when they entered quietly. The nurse introduced herself as Verona and nodded with a kind smile to Alexis, and began checking over Rick. The officer glanced at Kate and then back at Alexis and Rick. Was this one of the officers from the 12th?
"Mr. Castle, Miss Castle, I'm Officer Henry from the 18th division, I've been handling your collision," the man said formally, but not without sympathy and kindness, understanding. Rick knew Kate would like him.
"I have, a bit of a situation. A buddy of mine works at the 12th, so I know you care about Detective Beckett, but they won't give you information. Her next of kin is here," Henry hesitated, looked out the door out of Rick and Alexis' line of sight.
"Her dad? Jim's here?" Alexis said, already placing Kate's hand back on the bed and getting up.
"Miss Castle," Henry stopped her from going to the door. "I'm sorry to tell you both, but Mr. Beckett is currently under arrest,"
"For what?" Rick gasped out, frowning in confusion. If Kate was injured, Jim should be here; otherwise the older man would be worried sick. Why was he being arrested?
"Mr. Castle, he was driving the other car." Henry said, meeting the writer's gaze head on.
Rick frowned even deeper. "What? Well is he okay? Where is he? Why is he under-,"
"Mr. Castle, Mr. Beckett was driving the car, and it's been proven he was under the influence of alcohol," Henry said quietly, but firmly.
shorter chapter, next bit soon!
reviews are love!
