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Here it is!
The tension was thick in the air.
Three people glanced suspiciously at each other, as wary as alley cats circling each other. They clutched their cards even more protectively to their chests, concentrating on schooling their features into a blank poker face.
Dusk was just starting to fall, the growing shadows lighting the empty pizza box containers and beer bottles scattered on the break room table.
Castle suppressed a grin. He had to say, he'd been surprised when the guys had agreed to a poker game right after their shifts had ended but he was glad they had consented. Esposito had even invited Lanie, even though they had broken up months ago. Now, Castle was intent on taking them for all the money they're worth. "Raise $20."
Ryan wished he had more to concentrate on. But his hand was lousy and he was smart enough to know when to duck out. Annoyed, he threw down his cards and proclaimed, "That's it. I'm out."
Esposito stared at his own cards with the concentration of a neurosurgeon performing a brain surgery. Should he go for it? Deciding that his hand was too rotten to save, he shook his head. "Fold."
Castle whooped with delight and gleefully collected his winnings from the pot, cackling exaggeratedly like a mad scientist. He loved this part, seeing his coworkers cast disappointed looks at each other and groan with pouting lips. "Thanks, guys. It wasn't really much of a game though, was it?"
"Shut it, Castle." Esposito glared at him.
His grin stretched out even more. "Can I help it that you people are terrible at poker? Geez, I should be teaching a class at this."
"You know I can take you any day, Castle."
The voice was hers. Definitely amused. Definitely unexpected.
They all turned around to see the lithe figure of Kate Beckett striding into the break room, her heels making a staccato rhythm on the linoleum floor.
Esposito and Ryan immediately tried to hide the beer bottles behind their backs as their she lifted an eyebrow. She had noticed the empty bottles and food containers the second she had walked in.
They had wrapped up the case early and she – the selfless leader she was – had generously given the guys the rest of the day off, along with tomorrow. But clearly, they loved the precinct so much; they decided to remodel the break room into their man-cave. All in the spirit of justice, she was sure.
Seeing her raise an elegant eyebrow, Castle said hastily, "I thought you went home." He thought she looked different. Thinner, more ragged on the edges. She was working herself too hard again. But that hadn't taken away the coy look in her eyes, the one that made his heart skip a beat every time.
"I forgot my purse." Kate crossed over to her desk and bent over, feeling heat prick her cheeks when she felt him staring at her from behind. She straightened up, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "Make sure to take a cab home. It smells like a brewery here."
"Will do." They chorused, nodding like bobbleheads.
"Good." Kate made her way over to the elevator, turning her head over her shoulder. "Good night, Ryan, Javi." Her voice dropped slightly when she spoke suggestively, "Castle."
She bit down on her lower lip to stifle a smile. Sometimes it was fun to keep him wondering, to skitter around the subject but never outright breach it. It was a like a game, something they've been playing since the first day they've met. She pictured his face when she had said his name, a cross between surprise and desire that flashed in his eyes.
Then she pictured his face if he found out that she had been lying to him this whole time. Would he still want to flirt with her then?
Jeez, her mind just had to beat her up.
God, it was killing her. The lie was eating at her from the inside, like a parasite that had burrowed inside her skin to stay. Or an infection her body couldn't shake off. But she couldn't tell him. No matter how heartbroken Castle would be, she knew that Maddox would make good on his promise. Not one word, Kate. Or he dies. She wasn't going to be the one to tell Alexis Castle that she would never see her father again because Kate couldn't keep her mouth shut.
It wasn't really a lie was it? More like… withholding the truth. Lie of omission, maybe? But the thing was, that was still a lie. She knew she should've told him. They were partners and they never kept secrets from each other. Especially not something like this. Not something that's threatening a direct end to his life. Her wound throbbed just thinking about it.
Standing outside the precinct, she checked her watch. She walked across the street and hailed a taxi, her worry and stress building with every passing minute. It was just past five. If she hurried, she could be at the hospital for her appointment on time.
"Kate Beckett?" The receptionist's voice called over the crowds of people milling about in the waiting room of the clinic. The shrill wail of babies and the huddled figures of desperate family members made Kate stand up quickly from the hard plastic chair and follow the nurse into an examination room, feeling sheen of sweat silver her forehead. Her teeth launched an unconsciousness assault on her bottom lip. She hated going to the hospital. So much hope and misery mingled together, it sickened her.
The examination room was cold and sterile. A padded table with white tissue paper positioned over it. There were magazines advertising the Bronx Zoo and Statue of Liberty stacked near the door. What, did they expect her to be next vacation while she was in here?
She sat up on the table, examining her untrimmed fingernails to distract her from the smell of disinfectant still lingering in the air. She hoped this wouldn't take long. She had come here right after her shift ended and was hoping to go home and pick up some Chinese on the way. But, then again, a knife wound with the possibility of infection might take a while.
It had taken her a day to develop the courage to call for an appointment. It had taken her almost ten minutes to make herself physically step into the clinic, every nerve alert for a sign that would indicate Maddox's presence. If he saw her, he would take her out. Right there and now. So far, so good.
"Ms. Beckett?" A doctor in a white coat came in, smiling gently at her. His black hair was waved back from his face and streaked with grey at the temples. He had that fatherly air about him that immediately set her at relative ease. "I'm Dr. Randolph. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Detective," she corrected boldly. She had gotten into that habit long ago; sometimes pissing people off but she had earned that title and was holding onto it. "It's Detective Beckett."
"Of course. I won't make that mistake again." Dr. Randolph pulled out her file and peered over it, his glasses slipping over the edge of his nose. "It says here you have some concerns about an old wound?"
She tried hard to keep her voice steady. Her nerves were already frayed from the whole incident; she didn't need a doctor warning her about the dangers of her job to make her heartbeat go into triple time. "Yes. Could it possibly be infected?"
Dr. Randolph put down her chart. "Let's find out. Lie down, if you please."
She willingly obliged, feeling the tissue paper crinkle as she changed positions. He lifted up her shirt; far enough to peel back the white gauze bandage. The wound was inflamed red, a deep gash of oozing blood with an edge of crusty scar tissue around it. The cut itself was crisscrossed by a small, neat row of stitches. The smell of blood and pus almost made her gag.
Dr. Randolph's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Knife wound, huh?"
It was her turn for the eyebrows to rise up. "Yes. Most doctors wouldn't know that."
"Oh, I'm used to treating New York's finest. If you haven't noticed, this clinic is a block from the 64th Precinct." He said with a good natured laugh. She smiled. She hadn't noticed, actually. She had only heard by word of mouth that this hospital did good – and fast – work and that their nurses were hot enough to make the guys want to stay longer. Thinking back, she realized had heard this from the Robbery guys at the 64th Precinct. Go figure.
"Did you stitch this up yourself?"
Tissue paper crinkled as she shook her head. "No. My friend did it."
"Has your friend performed such operations before?"
"Yes, she has. She's a trained medical professional." Kate neglected to mention that her friend practiced her surgical skills on cadavers and her friend rarely stitched up anything that wasn't in the shape of a Y.
"Well, it looks like she did a good job. I'm not seeing signs of infections but I'm going to give you some antibiotics, just in case." He pulled out a pad and scrawled down an illegible scribble. Typical. "You can pick up your medicine at the front desk."
Kate jumped down from the table and pulled her shirt back down. "Is that it?"
"I also want you to come in four to six weeks from now. You can schedule an appointment with the receptionist. I want to check how it's healing, is that okay?"
"Fine. Thank you, doctor."
Dr. Randolph shook his head. "No problem at all. See you next time, Kate. Try not come bearing new wounds, will you?" She laughed along at his joke but inside she felt the pang of bitter satire. No promises, doctor.
Thanks for reading and I hope you leave a review. Next chapter, Castle finds out!