The next-to-the-last set up chapter. More like setting up the characters for the main event. Not a snuff story. I detest how the writers portray Castle as a namby-pamby whiner (Kitten is appropriate sobriquet) and Kate as some broken woman with so little faith in people. If it's not canon, tango sierra.
OM
No Matter Where You Go by Oldest Man
Chapter 4
En route to University Presbyterian Hospital
The morning traffic was murder and Shaw resorted to using her lights and siren. Kate sat in the passenger seat clutching her bag and wondering when she was going to wake up from this nightmare. First he's reported killed and then he's alive but in critical condition.
"Tell me again, Jordan. Tell me what you know." She was a detective and everything about this smelled like lies and she wanted to breathe the fresh air of the truth.
"Everything we told you this morning was true – at that time. Castle called me after I left your place and said he needed a clean up crew because he'd made a mess." She chuckled and glanced at Kate who was hardly amused.
"Well, it was funny at the time. I got there and Fallon waved me off saying that Homeland Security had jurisdiction. While we had our little turf war, the NYPD spilled the news that Rick was alive but seriously injured."
Kate glanced at Shaw, immensely disturbed by her use of Castle's first name. Rick was what she called him in the few moments of near-intimacy she'd allowed. Well, Rick was the only name she'd ever call him from now on. Too close this time. To close to losing him. Jordan Shaw had no right calling him by his first name. He was taken. He just didn't know it yet.
"So brief me on the situation as it is now. What's the game plan and how do I fit in? I'm NYPD not FBI or Homeland Security and besides, the 26th has police jurisdiction over this."
"He's in surgery for a GSW to the left shoulder. A through and through but the EMTs said it was clean – no bones or major vessels were compromised. He was damned lucky this morning. What possessed him to take on a sleeper cell of Jihadists is beyond me. The man has a death wish – "
"No, Agent Shaw. The man has a daughter. She means more to him than anything, including his own life and he thought she was in danger. You're a profiler, for God's sake, and this comes as a big surprise to you? Anyone who spent more than 10 minutes with Rick and his daughter could have told you that. There's nothing more precious to him than his family."
"You two share that trait, Detective. Your mother's reopened murder investigation is my case in point." Shaw believed as Castle did, that Beckett's mother's unsolved murder was the single most formative event in her life. "Rick called it your 'magnificent obsession' and he admired how you wouldn't let go even after all these years."
"He talked to you about that? I suppose the Bureau has a file he wanted or something?" She tried to keep the scorn out of her voice. One of Castle's most aggravating characteristics was his penchant for relying on 'people I know' to cut through the fat and get to the meat. Or to get his own way.
"He asked me to look at a file once. Everything about the victim's identity had been scrubbed. It was a photocopy of the file and it had been heavily censored. When I asked him about it he just said 'it's personal, just leave it at that'. He wanted me to see if I could write a profile on the killer but I was at odds with his conclusions – apparently your conclusions, about the killer. I thought it was more than one killer but he said 'no' and took the file back."
"That's unimportant now, Agent. Things are changing in my life and I've had to reevaluate my priorities. I have a new obsession now, and yeah, it's 'magnificent'. But why am I here now? Why not earlier? Rick and I are partners. I should have been in on this from the beginning."
"He wanted you kept out of it for a reason, Detective. I don't know why, just that he wanted you 'clean'."
"That makes no sense at all."
"Well, it made sense to him. The FBI agreed for different reasons. If you were involved, it would complicate matters if and when it came time to take him into the program. His reasons are his but ours were purely operational."
University Presbyterian Hospital
A Homeland Security Agent intercepted them when they got off the elevator on Castle's floor.
"Ladies, I'm sorry, this is a restricted floor. There are no patients here. Please return to the first floor lobby and ask for your patient – "
Kate flashed her NYPD ID and told the agent that she was authorized per Agent Fallon. The agent checked a clipboard, nodded and then directed them to the nurses' station for 'photo ID' so they didn't have to go through security each time they got on the floor.
Kate and Shaw were quickly photographed and then handed clip-on badges with their photos attached. "These are good anywhere on the floor although I imagine you'll be in Mr. Castle's room as opposed to other locations. He's in recovery and will be brought to his room, 107, any minute now." He pointed out the room, directly across the hall from where they stood.
"There'll be an armed agent posted at the stairwells, the elevator and also outside Mr. Castle's door. All staff is Homeland Security except the surgeon. The coffee pot's in the lounge down the hall. Meals are your problem and we require that you check in when leaving or entering the floor. Just wave your badge at the scanner beside the elevator."
He turned back to his paper work, mentally dismissing the cop and Fibbie.
"Coffee sounds great, Kate. He'll be in the room shortly. I suppose we can start the conversation with what you're not thinking so loudly about - his destination, right?"
"Why does he have to leave at all? The cell was crushed, right? He got them all?"
"Intel told us there were only two cell members unaccounted for but Kate, do the math. One bound and shot, one dead in the doorway, two dead on the warehouse floor and one dead on the street. That's five! They recruited outside the cell for this. We don't know how many more there might be. Castle's testimony will give us a conviction and leverage. His safety comes first."
"What about his family? How can you do this to them?" She knew that this was a sticking point with Castle and that's why he cooked up the plan that worked – ultimately – but had 'too many players on the field'.
"He didn't want to disrupt his daughter's life and education and he has no idea of the timeline this operation might have. He made the best decision he could under the circumstances. If he can be resurrected at some point in the future, we will, but if not – he stays dead and lives his new life in obscurity. It's not perfect but it's the best deal we could make to ensure his survival."
"Jordan, I want to go with him. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I've lost time with him because of my job, my obsession, poor timing and bad judgment. I won't let him go alone. It's not right to cast him out…"
She stopped talking and stared over Jordan's shoulder at the gurney being wheeled into room 107.
"We're not finished with this, Jordan, but right now I need to see how he is. Don't run off without talking to me."
She followed the gurney into the room and watched as they gingerly transferred Castle to the hospital bed, hooked up an IV and then put DVT embolism sheaths on his calves and left her with the doctor.
"He's fine," he squinted at her badge, "Detective Beckett. The shoulder will heal in about a month then he'll need physical therapy. The knee – that's a whole 'nother ballgame. His patella is broken and he's torn ligaments in his knee. Walking on it certainly didn't help things. That's going to require another surgery and the more physio so we're looking at 6-8 weeks for physical recovery and another month or two of therapy, maybe longer. The ortho doctor will be the judge of that."
"So he can't really be moved around anytime soon, right?" She was looking for a timeframe, something tangible to begin her plan around.
"He can be transported wherever they want him by ground without it being life threatening although it will be uncomfortable for him. Air travel is definitely out for now. Do you know where they're taking him?"
"No. I'm his partner and they probably will tell me last. It's the way the Feds operate, unfortunately."
"Well, I guess I'd better explain all the gadgetry. He's on IV drip with a pain mix for now. We don't want him rolling around and tearing up all my needlework so we've got him dosed to sleep through the night. After he wakes and is feeling a little more human, we'll get him up on his feet and walking around as best he can on that knee. He can have water but nothing else. Clear liquids until we're sure we won't have to go back in. Tomorrow night he can have a normal tray. Oh, and don't worry about the bathroom. He's got a catheter."
Kate muttered 'Too much information' under her breath and the doctor just smirked.
It was a considerable time later that Kate's cell phone vibrated in her pocket and jerked her from a daydream. It was Lanie Parish and Kate almost sent it to voice mail but took the call.
"Lanie, I'm in his room. He's sleeping off the effects of the anesthetic and he's on a pain drip. He'll need physiotherapy on the shoulder but it's the knee that's worrying them. He 'broke his patella' and tore some tendons and he's looking at another operation his doctor said. Listen, I'll call you with any changes but right now I'm exhausted and – "
"Martha Rogers collapsed when she was told he was – "
"Oh, God, no. What about Alexis?"
"She's taking it hard. First her dad's reported injured and then 'died' of complications and then her grandmother goes down and is in the hospital. How do you think she's taking it? I'm here at the hospital with them and I'll stay until you can get here. It'll look suspicious if you're not here, Kate. Besides, you promised Castle you'd look after Alexis if – well, you promised."
She looked over at Castle, asleep thanks to chemicals and told Lanie she'd be there as quickly as possible. She didn't think things could possibly get more complicated.
She ran into Jordan Shaw in the corridor and explained where she was going and why and Shaw commented that it made good sense and that she'd call or text her if there was any need for her to return.
"Jordan, if he 'disappears' without me talking to him, you'd best consider Witness Protection for yourself. I mean it. You have my number. Call me the instant he awakens. I'll come back immediately otherwise, I'll be back as soon as I can."
