While the last chapter wasn't much, I hope that this one comes across better. I hope you all enjoy it. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Castle was working hard on a new chapter to the Nikki Heat draft he had began just recently. He was sitting across from a still sleeping Beckett. While he should be at home sleeping and getting ready for the next day of training, he had decided to spend a few hours here while Jim got some rest. Slowly, but surely, he was finding his emotional equilibrium, and while it was most definitely on the dark side still, it was balancing with his responsibilities.
"How you doing, Writer Boy?" Lanie asked as she came into the room. She'd stood at the door for a few minutes watching him tap away at the laptop. The sure, confident way he worked the keys impressed her, and that was saying a lot since she'd already been impressed for years with his novels.
Castle jumped slightly, but turned to his friend with a small smile. He shrugged. "Honestly?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm not really sure."
Lanie nodded and took a seat next to him. She glanced at the monitors and took in the readings with clinical detachment. Kate was doing well, but she still had a long way to go.
"Is that the new Nikki Heat book?" she asked. She knew that sometimes he wrote just to pound out his emotions with no real interest in anyone seeing it. It made free writing serve a substantial non-literary purpose.
"Yeah," he said as she shut down the file and closed the lid on the laptop. "I never let anyone read my drafts before publication, but I decided to write this new one and have it for Beckett to read when she gets up. Maybe it will give her some comfort."
Lanie didn't respond. The man was so incredibly generous with his caring that sometimes it seemed like there was nothing left to give, but he would come up with something anyway. He was well aware that Beckett was a major fan of his novels, but he'd always made her wait until publication of the Nikki Heat novels, but this would be a major offering for her.
"I think that'll mean more to her than anything," Lanie said finally.
"I've missed seeing her on my fansite," he admitted.
"God she was so embarrassed when you found out she was a member and was chatting on the site, too," Lanie chuckled.
"I got some good mileage out of that one," Castle admitted, a little wider smile on his lips now.
"Javi told me what's going on," Lanie told him. "Are you sure you're up to this?"
Castle worked not to let his inner demon loose, seeing as this was Lanie and she had asked a legitimate question. "It doesn't matter if I'm ready or not," he said firmly, a bit of the steel back in his voice. "This is for her, and nothing is going to stop me from giving her some real closure, and peace."
Lanie sighed. She figured that that was what he would say. Javi was pleased with what he had seen in the first day of training, but there was a long way to go.
"You need to get home and get some sleep, Castle," she told him. She leveled a glare when he looked to protest. "Don't even say it. You won't be doing our girl any good if you're so tired you get yourself killed going after these guys."
"She's right, Richard," Martha said from the door. She walked into the room and swept her gaze over Kate quickly, and then turned her attention on her son. "Go home and to bed, Richard. She won't be alone, and I know for a fact that you have another young lady who is very worried about her Father right now."
Castle flinched, knowing he'd not been the kind of father that Alexis deserved since this happened. He hung his head a little downcast. His mood had been going through twists and turns since the shooting, and he was not living up to what he genuinely believed were his responsibilities. Kate was a major priority in his life, and her case was extremely important to him, but his family was even more important. Alexis deserved better, and this darker mood of his was not helping her. He shut down the laptop and put it in his shoulder bag. He stood up and looked down on Beckett. He sighed, wishing that she would wake up, but knowing that there were good reasons for the medically induced coma.
"Call me if anything changes," he said to Lanie as he walked out of the room.
"So how are you doing, Dear?" Martha asked Lanie.
Lanie smiled. Martha may be over the top, but the woman was fiercely devoted to her friends, or those she considered her friends.
"Feeling pretty helpless right now," Lanie admitted. She saw the questioning look on Martha's face and explained. "I'm a doctor, Martha. Okay, an ME, but I am a doctor and here I sit not able to do anything for her. Javi and the Kevin are able to look for the son-of-a-bitch who did this, and even Castle is able to pour his frustrations out helping them, but all I can do is sit here. It's damn frustrating."
"Sometimes sitting by and just being there is all that a person can do, and it's enough," Martha said understandingly. "I remember when Richard was a young boy, maybe eight or nine, and he got really sick. It got bad enough that it developed into pneumonia. He was in bed and sleeping most of the time for most of two weeks before he got better. Outside of giving him his medicine and keeping him comfortable there wasn't a damn thing I could do. I felt a lot like you do now."
"How did you deal with it?" Lanie asked, enjoying a little peak into the closeness between Martha and Castle.
"Not well," Martha admitted. Then she smiled. "But then when he got better he did something that made it alright. He came up to me and gave me a hug and thanked me for being there with him while he was sick. It may not seem like the usual response an eight year old boy would give, but it was pure Richard. It showed me that just by being there for someone, you are doing something that helps them tremendously."
Lanie wondered if Kate knew just how lucky she was. Castle's devotion was a given. The man was crazy in love with her, but now there was proof positive that Castle's Mom was equally devoted to her. She had a feeling that Martha was here not to check on Castle, though it may be a nice side reason, but more to spend time watching over Kate.
"You're doing it now, aren't you?" Lanie asked, giving the older woman a knowing look.
Martha chuckled. "Just because it's not Richard's bed I'm sitting next to doesn't mean I'm not looking after my son, Dr. Parrish," she told the perceptive young woman. "The man who left a few minutes ago isn't my son, but someone I don't recognize. He won't be the man I know and care for so deeply unless this nightmare ends, and this incredible woman wakes up. I only hope that they will be ready to admit what they are to each other."
"Well now that that Doctor, Josh, is out of the picture," Lanie said with a look of distaste when she said Josh's name, "our girl just may be ready to face a bit of reality. I hope so. Watching Castle wander around like a whipped puppy whenever she dates someone is getting almost painful." She'd never approved of Kate seeing the Doctor, especially as it was essentially using the man as a distraction to keep from having to face her feelings for Castle.
"I guess it will be up to us to force the issue once and for all if they are still determined to act like adolescents," Martha said, looking at her new friend with a knowing look of mischief.
Lanie chuckled. "I'm up for that," she told Martha. She stood up. "I need to get on home. I'm sure Javi is wondering where I am. Do you need a ride?"
Martha waved her away. "I'm fine, Dear," she assured her. "I'm going to sit here for a while."
Lanie smiled. "Taking care of Castle, huh?" she asked.
"And Kate," Martha replied, total seriousness in her voice. She softened. "Thank you for being my son's friend. All of you, really. I don't think he's ever had such good friends, and it's good for him. It'll make Alexis going off to college much easier for him."
"We'll watch over him," Lanie assured her. "We may have to hog tie him to keep him from going to see her every weekend, but we'll get him through it."
Martha laughed out loud. "I'm sure you will," she said, smiling as the other woman left. She turned to Kate. "And as for you, young lady, you need to wake up. You have a lot of dear friends who want to see you, and your father is beside himself with worry. I also know for a fact that my son is waiting to talk with you about some important truths. But you just get better, Kate. We'll be here when you decide you're ready."
Martha settled back in the chair, took out a couple of scripts for plays she'd been approached about, and began reading, looking up at Kate every few minutes to make sure all was well. It may be a long night, but it was the least she could do for Kate and the people who had become her son's best friends.
A/N: I wanted a chapter with Lanie and Martha in it, but include some info about Castle as well, so this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for all the great responses to this story so far. Gregg.