Chapter Two:

It seemed like hours before the promised medics arrived but in reality both of their time had been too focused on the intricate tales Castle was telling from Alexis' childhood. Footsteps headed closer to the pair and Castle looked up to see Ryan and a female medic standing a few feet away from them. "Hey Kate… medic's here now." She glanced in the direction he was looking but made no move to escape from his lap. Castle stiffened slightly as the medic neared them, as he ghosted his hand over her cheek in an attempt to comfort her. The medic spoke briefly with Ryan before kneeling beside Castle.

"Hi Kate… My name's Sophia and I'm going to just check you over… can you tell me where it hurts?" Castle felt Kate stiffen as the medic came into her view and he softly stroked her cheek again. She glanced up at him and he smiled.

"She told me earlier that it was mainly her ribs and that she bruises everywhere else." The medic's eyes narrowed before focusing on Kate again.

"Is that right Kate?" Kate attempted to roll her eyes and Castle couldn't help but chuckle at her display of the usual Beckett.

"Go with it Kate, she's only here to help you." Kate's eyes narrowed as she squinted to make out his features in the darkness before swallowing sharply.

"I'd hit you if I could…" She rasped as she stared up at him, her attention focused on him, paying no mind to the medic at his side. He chuckled again, carefully not to dislodge her from her position resting against his legs. At some point during his storytelling he'd moved to sit on the mattress and her head had come to rest squarely on his thighs. Kate smiled lightly at him before turning her head to the medic. "Yes, mainly my ribs. My wrists are cut and I'm bruised. I would kill for some water and…" Kate paused as she blinked rapidly to stop more tears from escaping her eyes. She felt Castle shift slightly and she struggled to stop him leaving.

"Shh… it's alright Kate, I'm not going anywhere." She relaxed into him as soon as he spoke and his hand came to rest on her cheeks. "Listen to me Kate… whatever hurts, they need to know… and you should know by now that I won't think any less of you for admitting you're in pain… I'm here for as long as you want me to be okay?" His words provided her with the comfort she'd been seeking but they also gave her the courage to finish her sentence.

"I was raped…" She could feel Castle stiffen as she spoke and braced herself for the impact of further pain as she had come to expect since her kidnapping. When it didn't come she forced her eyes up to meet his and found nothing but love in them. "Castle…" He shook his head telling her silently not to speak, his eyes connected with hers in the darkness and she held his gaze. She only averted her eyes when the medic coughed to gain her attention.

"Kate, I'm going to get someone to cut the bindings on your wrists and ankles then we'll get you onto a gurney and to the hospital okay?" Kate nodded weakly as her head fell back into Castle's lap, her strength dwindling. Suddenly she felt his hands leave her cheek and hover above her head.

"Can I…" He stopped speaking and she could tell he was struggling with what to do. Gazing up at him she shifted in order to gain his attention before uttering three simple words. "I trust you."

Castle nodded and his hands dropped to stroke lightly over her hair. She knew it was matted with mud and god knows what else but it didn't seem to stop him. He combed his fingers gently through the limp strands, taking great care when he came into contact with the tangles. "Alexis' always had such tangled hair as a child." His voice was quiet, as if he hadn't truly meant to speak but when she opened her eyes to look at him she found his attention focused solely on her.

Two shadows appeared over them and they both looked up to find Ryan and the medic standing over them. "Gunna get those binds off Beckett." Ryan spoke softly but his tone barely concealed the pain she knew they all must be feeling. She nodded her head and focused her gaze on Castle's face as she felt Ryan move behind her. Her body stiffened as he touched her but Castle's hands grounded her as he continued to stroke through her hair. Ryan moved swiftly and it was only minutes before both her ankles and her wrists were free. The medic moved to tend to the rope burn cuts on her wrist whilst her attention was focused elsewhere. Time seemed to slow as Castle's voice sounded out again, without being asked he seemed to know exactly what she needed and he carried on with his rendition of Alexis' childhood that she was sure was being over exaggerated.

The sound of voice caught both of their attention and they turned to see a gurney being pushed towards them. Kate stiffened instantly and ripped her hands from the medic's as she scrambled to move away. Castle moved quicker than her and had his hands resting on cheek before she had managed to sit up fully.

"Kate… Kate… Calm down, it's okay, it's okay… shh…" His voice broke through to her and she looked around the room wildly, her eyes flitting from the medic with the gurney to the stunned medic standing by the mattress before settling on Castle's. Her voice was so quiet he nearly didn't hear her but when he did he understood.

"No gurney… no… no…" She continued to murmur as he stroked his fingers back through her hair. Neither of them noticed as Ryan's jacket slipped down her body and exposed the bruised skin. She shivered against Castle as he tried to calm her down and he reached to tug the jacket tighter around her, his eyes never leaving her face. To say Kate was surprised was an understatement. She knew how his mind worked and she dreaded to think what scenarios were rushing through his writers mind. He spoke quietly, his gaze focused on her face.

"We need to get you out of here Kate… get you to the hospital… Will you let me carry you?" She sucked in a breath at his words but she knew there was no other way out of here… The simple attempt at moving a few inches had caused pain to rip through her body and left her breathless; she knew she would never be able to walk out of here on her own. She opened her eyes to meet Castle's stare and nodded slightly. He met her eyes briefly before nodding, obviously satisfied with her response. "Ryan?" His call sounded foreign in the concrete room and she realised that until then every around her had been whispering. She heard footsteps behind her and glanced up to meet Ryan's gaze. She smiled weakly at him, the gratitude showing as he knelt before her.

"How're you two doing?" She nodded and felt Castle take a breath before speaking.

"Can you get a blanket or something so we can cover Beckett a bit more? Get her out of here you know?" Ryan nodded and sprung back to his feet, hurrying towards the entrance to the room. She felt Castle's hands move from her hair and then he helped her to steadily sit up.

"I'm going to button up Ryan's jacket okay Kate?" She nodded in reply and he made quick work of the few buttons available. Ryan appeared beside them, a medical blanket in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

"Medic says you can have a few sips of this before you get moved okay?" She nodded and reached out for the bottle. Her hands shook as she lifted it to her mouth and instantly Castle's hands came to cover hers and steady the bottle. She sipped the water for a few minutes, relishing in the feel of the cool liquid soothing her dry throat. Handing the bottle back to Ryan she murmured her thanks to them both before attempting to push herself further upright. As she sat up Castle stood, flexing his legs to rid them of the cramp for the most part before leaning over her.

"I'm going to slip one arm under your knees and the other around your back and lift you up… then Ryan'll get you covered up… is that okay?" She focused on his plan of action for a moment before nodding. Castle moved slowly, his movement slightly jerky in order to let her relax into the idea of him touching her. He lifted her in an instant and although she jerked slightly some part of her knew she was safe with him. Ryan wrapped the blanket across her lap and they stood for a moment before Ryan spoke.

"There's a few cops outside of this room along with the medical team but no one that you haven't met before on a couple of crime scenes… everyone else was sent back to the precinct." Kate nodded before laying her head against Castle's shoulder.

"Let's just get this over with."