Okay, just a little explanation before you start this one. This chapter jumps back and forth in time throughout the story. I've tried to mark it clearly to eiliminate any confusion. Hope you enjoy.
Kate stood to the right of the apartment door with Castle tucked securely behind her. Moving her gun to her left hand, she waited until Esposito took his position on the opposite side of the door with Ryan at his back and then she reached over and pounded on the door. "Eric Polson! Police! Open the door."
Hearing movement inside the apartment, she gave the signal and Esposito used the master key they'd retrieved from the manager to unlock the door. Using only hand signals to communicate, the three detectives took their positions and then Esposito pushed the door open. No sooner had the door begun to move than shots rang out at them.
"Cover!" Kate called.
Ryan and Esposito both fired into the apartment as Kate used the diversion to dive into the apartment and duck behind the sofa. Keeping her head low as Polson once again began firing, she moved quickly to the far end of the sofa and then turned back to signal Esposito to enter the apartment and go the opposite direction to make it impossible for Polson to hold them all off.
On Esposito's signal, Kate lifted just high enough to provide cover and allow Esposito to get into position. As soon as he was in place, he nodded over at Kate.
"Polson, you're surrounded," she said. "I've got men on the fire escape and the roof. Drop your weapon and put your hands where I can see them."
His only response was another round of bullets in their direction. As soon as the shots ceased, Kate motioned to Ryan to give them cover and her and Esposito both moved further into the apartment, making sure to keep low and out of sight behind the furniture.
From her position behind the recliner, Kate was able to draw a bead on where Polson was holed up. Needing him to come from behind cover to get a clean shot, she motioned at Ryan to move into the room on her signal. She then turned her attention to Esposito to provide the cover for Ryan, hoping that Polson would be distracted enough by the two of them to allow her to take a shot.
She used her fingers to count down from three and as soon as her hand made a fist, Ryan and Esposito jumped into action. As soon as Esposito stopped firing, Polson lifted just enough to fire another round in the direction of the door they'd entered. Kate seized the opportunity and fired again. The bullet struck him in the shoulder and his gun dropped from his hand. Within seconds, Esposito was on him and had him subdued.
"Clear," Esposito called as he cuffed Polson and then secured his gun.
Kate nodded towards the bedroom, signaling that she would check it to ensure they didn't have any other surprises waiting for them. She heard Esposito radioing for an ambulance as she carefully checked the bedroom and bathroom.
"All clear!" she called out as she holstered her gun, knowing that it was going to be a long night for all of them as they dealt with the aftermath of having fired their weapons.
She was heading out of the bedroom when a muffled curse from Ryan caught her attention. She immediately drew her gun again as she stepped out into the living room. She saw Esposito pulling Polson to his feet, his own attention focused in the direction of Ryan's voice
Keeping her gun at the ready, she called out. "Ryan?"
"Hallway, Beckett," he replied, the panic in his voice making her stomach leap. "It's Castle."
Kate was across the room in a flash, her gun returned to its holster without any conscious thought on her behalf to do so. She stepped through the doorway and the sight that greeted her knocked the air from her lungs. Castle was slumped against the wall, his eyes closed as blood oozed from a gash across his forehead and a bright red stain spread across his shirt beneath the top of his Kevlar vest.
Ryan was kneeling beside him, his hands pressed over the wound in his shoulder. "What the hell?" Kate whispered.
"I need your hands, Beckett," Ryan said.
Kate forced the panic from her mind and kneeled beside them. She maneuvered her hands beneath Ryan's, making sure to keep constant pressure on the wound. "I've got him," she stated.
Ryan removed his hands and moved to the other side of Kate to lower Castle to the floor. Kate shifted with them, keeping pressure on the wound despite the fact that her hands were now slippery with Castle's blood.
"Go get some towels," Kate ordered.
Ryan hesitated for only a moment before getting to his feet and hurrying into the apartment.
Kate lowered her mouth to Castle's ear. "Don't you dare die on me, Rick," she whispered. "I'll never forgive you if you do."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earlier That Week)
"Say it again," Kate asked as she looked up at Castle. She was leaning against the door just inside of his apartment with his body pressed firmly against hers. He was doing his best to convince her to spend the night, but she had an early morning meeting and thought it would be best to stay at her own apartment for the night. When simply asking hadn't gotten him the agreement he was looking for, he'd resorted to other tactics.
He smiled as he lowered his mouth and brushed his lips against her neck. "I love you," he whispered softly, repeating the phrase that had finally stopped her protests and convinced him that she was at least considering staying.
Kate sighed as she felt the caress from not only his lips, but also the words that he breathed against her skin. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck as she tilted her head slightly to allow him better access to her neck. "I have to be at the station at seven," she reminded him.
"Your alarm will work just as well here as it does at your apartment," he offered as he kissed his way up to her earlobe before gently sucking it into his mouth.
"You hate it when the alarm goes off before six," she pointed out even as she shivered from the sensation of his mouth moving across her skin.
"I hate waking up without you in my arms even more," he countered as one of his hands slid under the material of her t-shirt to trace along the smooth skin of her back.
Kate leaned her head back against the door and met his gaze. "I thought you were going to spend the evening writing."
"That's my fallback plan if I can't convince you to stay," he replied. "I would much rather have you here though."
Alexis stepped around the corner then and raised an eyebrow in their direction. "Has he talked you into staying yet?" she asked. "Because I'm going to have some ice cream if you guys want to join me."
"I'm still working on it," Castle replied.
"You must be losing your touch, dad," Alexis replied, which caused Kate to laugh.
At the wounded look on Castle's face, Kate finally relented. "Okay, I'll stay." Castle smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss as she added, "But I don't want to hear a single word about the alarm when it goes off in the morning."
"Scout's honor," Castle stated as he stepped away from her.
"Chocolate or vanilla?" Alexis asked them as she headed towards the kitchen, glad to see that Kate had decided to stay.
"Chocolate," they answered in unison as they made their way towards the kitchen as well.
Alexis had just pulled the bowls out of the cabinet when Kate's cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller i.d. and then held up a finger to Alexis to ask her to hold off on the ice cream. "It's the precinct," she told them.
Castle moved to the freezer and pulled out the ice cream as he listened to Kate's side of the conversation. It sounded like their night off had just ended.
"I'm sorry, Alexis," Kate said as she disconnected the call. "I'm going to have to take a rain check on the ice cream."
"No problem, Kate," Alexis replied. "It will be here when you get back."
"You coming, Castle?" Kate asked.
"Right behind you," Castle replied. He then turned to Alexis and gave her a hug. "Good night, sweetie."
"'Night, dad. Be careful."
"Always," he replied as he hurried to catch up with Beckett before she got out of the apartment.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Esposito and Ryan met them at the alley's entrance, having become accustomed to the two of them arriving at a scene together.
"What do we have?" Kate asked as Ryan lifted the tape to allow them to cross under it.
Esposito nodded in the direction of the body. "Our victim's name is Shawn Huffman. According to the business card in his wallet, he works for an auto parts distributor on the East side."
The four of them approached the body as Ryan took over. "Uniforms responded to a 911 call of a disturbance in the alley and found him."
Kate acknowledged Lanie's presence with a nod of her head as she took in the condition of the body. It appeared as if their victim had taken quite a beating before he died. "Cause of death, Lanie?" she finally asked.
"My initial guess is blunt force trauma to the head," Lanie replied as she pointed to an area on the skull where a large gash had been opened. "I won't be able to confirm that though until I get him back to the morgue."
"Time of death?"
"Less than two hours," Lanie replied.
Castle looked around the alley before he spoke. "This isn't gang territory, is it?"
"No," Esposito replied. "The gangs in this area are about a mile further north. Why?"
Castle pointed down to the victim's forearm. "His tattoo."
They all glanced down at the tattoo, but the bruising and blood made it hard to distinguish it. "Will you get me a shot of that once you get him cleaned up?" Kate asked Lanie.
"Sure thing," Lanie replied.
"Ryan, Esposito," Kate said as she stepped away from the body. "You guys talk to the residents of the building. Castle and I will hit the businesses on the block and see if anybody remembers seeing our victim this evening."
As the four of them reached the crime scene tape and parted ways, Kate turned to Castle and offered him a smile. "Nice catch on the tattoo, Castle."
He waggled his eyebrows at her and smiled back. "I learned from the best, Detective."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present Day)
Castle groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He had the worst headache he could ever recall having in his life and the right side of his body felt like it was on fire. He tried to move, but firm hands held him steady. He finally forced his eyes open to see Kate leaning over him. His vision swam as he tried to focus on her face. "Kate?"
"Castle," she replied as her eyes locked on his. "Don't try to move."
Since even the thought of trying to move made him want to throw up, Castle obliged. "What happened?" he forced out.
She didn't answer him, but even through the disorientation he was experiencing, he could see the fear in her eyes. His instinct was to comfort her, but as he tried to lift his right hand to her face, pain shot through his body. A groan escaped his lips again and he closed his eyes against the wave of dizziness that assaulted him.
He heard Ryan's voice then and forced his eyes back open. He saw Kate lift her hands and noticed that they were covered in blood. Panic filled him instantly. Kate was hurt. He had to help her. He lifted his head and tried to roll to his right side to push himself up.
"Lie still," Kate hissed at him.
"You're bleeding," he mumbled. He tried to ignore the pain, but he had to close his eyes and bite his lip against the nausea his movement caused.
"Help me," Kate said as she looked up at Ryan. "Don't let him move."
"The paramedics are on their way up," Ryan said as he moved to Castle's head and helped Kate stabilize him.
"Look at me, Castle," Kate said.
Castle recognized the tone of her voice as her command voice and knew he needed to pay attention. He forced his eyes back open, but he had to blink several times to bring her face into focus.
"Are you listening?" she asked as she leaned closer.
"Yes," he replied.
Once she was sure she had his attention, she took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke. "You've been shot," she said.
He tried to process the information, but he had no memory of being shot. "Shot?" he asked her.
"Look at me," she ordered him when his eyes started to drift shut. He immediately forced his eyes back to hers and she continued, "I think you hit your head when you fell. You've got a nasty cut on your forehead and you were unconscious for a minute."
"Blood on your hands," he said, not understanding what she was telling him.
"It's not mine," she assured him, forcing herself to remain calm and not to think about the fact that the man she loved was bleeding all over her.
He seemed to accept that because he finally relaxed. "Tired," he said as his eyes started to drift shut again.
"I know you are," she replied. "But I need you to stay awake for just a little longer."
His eyes opened wide once again and locked on hers. "I love you, Kate."
Ignoring the fact that Ryan was kneeling six inches away from them, Kate lowered her mouth to Castle's and gently kissed him. "I love you, too."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earlier That Week)
"I just got off the phone with Mark Wilhelm," Ryan said as he carried a file over to Beckett's desk. "He's been Huffman's direct supervisor for the last eight years, and according to him, Shawn was a model employee. He said he's never missed a day of work or even been late in the years he's been working for him."
"What about his gang ties?" Castle asked.
"Wilhelm said Huffman admitted in his job interview that he'd once been involved in a gang, but that after a short stint for robbery, he'd decided to get his life straightened out. Huffman had completed a work rehabilitation program before applying for the position, so Wilhelm had decided to take a chance on him."
"Anything suspicious in his financials?" Kate asked as Esposito joined them.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Esposito replied. "Unless you take into account the fact that he had over fifty thousand dollars in his investment account. I did some digging though and it looks like he put a portion of his earnings every month into that account."
"Beneficiary on that account?" Beckett asked.
"A teenaged sister," Esposito replied. "She was seven when Huffman got arrested."
"Shelby Johnston," Ryan offered. "She's also listed as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy."
"I want to talk to her," Kate stated.
"Already on it," Ryan replied. "Uniforms are bringing her in as we speak."
"What about the woman the deli owner said he saw Huffman with the night of the murder?" Kate asked. "Have we had any luck tracking her down?"
"Not yet," Esposito said. "But we've got officers canvassing the area again today."
"A pretty, young, blonde woman in New York City," Castle commented with just a hint of sarcasm. "She shouldn't be that hard to find."
Kate quirked an eyebrow at him and decided to tease him just a bit. "Maybe we should start with your little black book, Castle. Haven't you dated all of the young blondes in the city?"
"Ouch," Castle replied as he lifted his hand to his chest. "That hurt."
Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, wondering if there was trouble in paradise but the smile and quick wink Kate sent in Castle's direction eased their fears. Things were definitely still okay on that front.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tell me about your brother," Kate said as she sat across from Shelby Johnston in the interrogation room.
"Shawn was a great guy," Shelby replied. "He'd been in a gang when he was a teenager and had gotten arrested for robbery. It was probably the best thing that could have happened to him. When he got out of jail, he signed up for a work rehab program and promised me and mom that he would keep his nose clean."
"Did you know that he had an investment account set up with you as the beneficiary?" Kate probed.
Shelby nodded. "He told me it was for college. He made me promise that I would stay away from the gangs and get good grades in high school and that he would make sure I got to college. It was kind of his dream for me…to make sure I made something of myself." After a brief pause, she continued, "My mom was barely sixteen when she had Shawn and things were pretty rough on him when he was younger. They didn't get any better when she met my dad and found out she was pregnant with me. I think that's part of why Shawn turned to the gang. Once he was old enough to get out of the house though, he was finally able to turn things around for himself."
"Can you think of anyone who would want to kill your brother?" Kate asked.
The girl fought hard to keep the tears that were filling her eyes from falling as she shook her head. "Everybody loved Shawn. He was just a great guy. He was even trying to help one of my friends with some trouble she was having with her boyfriend."
"What does your friend look like?" Castle asked, finally joining the conversation.
"Sherry?" Shelby asked. She shrugged and then continued, "Typical cheerleader type. Good looking, athletic, pretty smile."
Castle looked over at Kate and realized that she was thinking the same thing as he was…they might have just found the young blonde that Shawn had been seen with the night he'd been murdered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present Day)
"Kate!"
Kate stopped pacing at the sound of Alexis's voice and turned in time to see Esposito bringing her through the emergency room doors. Kate was surprised that instead of anger focused in her direction, Alexis ran straight to her side and wrapped her arms around Kate's waist. "Is my dad okay?" Alexis asked as Kate returned her hug.
"They're evaluating him now," Kate said. "I'm sorry that I couldn't come and get you myself."
"It's okay," Alexis assured her. "I'm glad you were here with dad."
"How are you doing?" Kate asked as she stroked her hand through Alexis's hair, drawing as much comfort from the gesture as she offered Alexis.
Alexis pulled back enough to look up at Kate's face. "I'm better now that I'm here with you. How about you? Are you okay?"
Kate nodded and offered a small smile, glad that the nurse had insisted that she change into scrubs and get out of the blood covered clothes she'd worn into the hospital. The last thing Alexis needed was to see her covered in her father's blood. "I'm fine, sweetie," Kate assured her.
"What happened? Detective Esposito wouldn't tell me anything."
Kate reached a hand up and pushed the hair off of Alexis's face. "We went to arrest a suspect today and he opened fire on us," she explained. "Your dad was in the hallway when we entered the apartment and knew to stay put until we gave the all clear. When Ryan went back out into the hallway, he found your dad. It looks like he was shot, and quite possibly hit his head when he fell."
Esposito reached their sides then and picked up the story. "I just got off the phone with Ryan," he told them. "CSU's determined that a bullet hit the doorframe and ricocheted into the hallway and since they can't find the bullet, they're fairly certain it's the one that struck Castle. They also found blood on the edge of the frame that coincides with the gash on his head."
"How bad is it?" Alexis asked.
Kate looked down at the young girl she had come to love as a daughter and had to swallow past a lump in her throat. "He lost consciousness when he hit his head so the doctors are concerned about a concussion. They've got the bleeding under control from the bullet, but they don't want to take him to surgery until they've had time to evaluate the extent of the head injury."
"Can I see him?" Alexis asked.
"They're doing a CT scan right now," Kate told her. "As soon as they bring him back to the room, I'll make sure you get to see him."
"Gram was at the theater for rehearsal today," Alexis said.
"I know," Kate replied. "I sent someone to get her."
"Can you stay?' Alexis asked. "Or do you need to get back to work?"
Kate pulled her back into her embrace and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere until I know your dad is going to be okay, Alexis."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earlier That Week)
Castle looked up from his computer when he heard the door to his office close. He smiled when he saw Kate leaning against it wearing a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts. "I thought you were turning in," he commented.
"I couldn't sleep," she explained as she straightened and made her way across the room to his desk.
He saved his work on the computer and shut it down for the night. "I like the look," he said as he scooted his chair back to allow her between him and the desk.
"Since Alexis is here tonight, I didn't think I should come looking for you in my usual sleeping attire," she offered with a shrug as she stepped between his legs. When they spent the night together, they usually both slept naked…even if all they were doing was sleeping. She loved the feel of his skin against hers and hated having barriers between them.
His hands slowly trailed up the smooth skin of her legs as she leaned against the edge of his desk. "So why can't you sleep?" he asked.
"I can't shake the feeling that Polson is our guy," she admitted, hating the fact that she was unable to leave work behind but trusting him enough to know that he understood.
"Your instincts are usually right," he assured her as he met her gaze, his hands continuing to caress her legs. "So why do you think it's him?"
"Sherry is a scared eighteen year old girl," she replied. "When she confided to Shelby that she'd gotten mixed up with an older man and wasn't sure how to get out of the relationship, Shelby called her brother for advice. Shawn agreed to talk to Sherry and the same night they met, he ended up dead. I just don't buy the coincidence angle."
Castle actually agreed that Polson was their guy. Something about him had made his skin crawl while they had interviewed him that morning. "Sherry is his alibi for the night," Castle reminded her as he traced his hands under the material of the boxers she wore before changing directions and moving back down her legs.
"Exactly," Kate replied. "He told us that he met Sherry at the diner and the two of them went home together, and Sherry confirmed the story."
"Do you think Polson somehow found out that Sherry was meeting with Huffman and followed her?" Castle asked as his hands reached the back of her knees and he once again shifted directions, bringing his hands to the front of her knees before beginning to trail them back up her legs.
"The deli owner is certain that he didn't see Polson that night," Kate said as she shifted her weight slightly, his gentle caresses causing warmth to spread throughout her body.
"He could have waited outside for them," Castle pointed out as his hands once again reached the barrier of her shorts.
"It still doesn't explain why Sherry would cover for him," Kate said. She gasped then as he slid his fingers under the boxers and into her heat.
"You've already explained that," he pointed out as he established a slow rhythm with his fingers, relishing in the little gasps she made every time he slid back into her depths. "Sherry is a scared eighteen year old girl who's messed up with an older man and has no idea how to get out of the relationship."
Kate brought her hands to Castle's shoulders to anchor herself as he continued to pleasure her. "So why not come clean with the police? It's a way out of the relationship."
"Sometimes the devil you know is less scary than the one you don't," Castle offered as he moved his thumb to her clit and flicked it hard.
"God, Castle," Kate moaned as he repeated the action, her hips thrusting against his hand of their own volition.
"Do you think Sherry was there when Polson killed Huffman?" Castle asked as he increased his pace, watching as her eyes slid shut against her building orgasm.
"No way," Kate managed to get out between gasps for breath.
"Then maybe he put her in a cab," Castle suggested, his fingers never losing their rhythm.
Her eyes shot open at that. She would have to check on that first thing in the morning. She felt a smile burst across her face just before the first waves of orgasm crashed over her. "I love you, Rick."
"I love you, too," he replied as he continued to stroke her, drawing out the pleasure for as long as he could.
When she could finally speak again, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his lips. "You are an amazing man, Rick Castle."
"I'm going to remind you that you said that the next time I do something to annoy you," he teased her.
She laughed and reached for his hands to pull him to his feet. "Come on, let's go to bed."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present Day)
Kate held Alexis's hand as they stepped into Castle's room. The CT scan had come back negative for bleeding on the brain so they were going to take him to surgery to remove the bullet as soon as they could get him prepped.
"Dad?" Alexis said softly as they walked to the side of the bed.
Castle blinked a couple of times and then focused on her. "Alexis. Hi, honey. What are you doing here?"
Alexis glanced over her shoulder at Kate, her words of warning not preparing her for seeing her father in this state. "How are you?" she asked, her eyes taking in the bandage on his forehead as well as the bloody gauze taped across his right shoulder.
Castle blinked and then offered a smile as he noticed Kate for the first time. "Kate. Hi."
"Hello, Rick," Kate replied, knowing from her brief visit before the CT scan that he was still confused and extremely disoriented.
Castle turned his attention back to Alexis and had to blink to get his eyes to focus on her. "Hi, honey."
Kate felt the tremble in Alexis's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "They're taking you up to surgery in just a couple of minutes, Rick. "
"Surgery?" he asked.
"For your shoulder," Kate reminded him again.
Something seemed to click in his memory and Castle turned his eyes back to Kate. "You were bleeding."
Alexis turned startled eyes to Kate. "Kate?"
Kate squeezed her hand again and then reached her other hand out to hold Castle's. "I'm fine, Rick," she assured him.
Castle squeezed her fingers and then closed his eyes. "I'm just going to rest for a minute."
"You do that," Kate replied. "We'll be here when you wake up."
Alexis leaned down and pressed a kiss on her dad's cheek and then waited while Kate did the same before the two of them walked out of the room hand in hand.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Earlier That Day)
"This could get ugly, Castle," Kate warned as she pulled the car to a stop behind Ryan and Esposito. "I have a feeling that Polson isn't going to come with us quietly."
"Do you want me to wait in the car?" he asked as she turned off the ignition.
"I'm not sure I trust you not to get in trouble if I leave you out here unsupervised," she teased. "Just give me your word that you'll stay behind me and do what I say."
"Done," he agreed.
The two of them exited the car and quickly joined Ryan and Esposito. A couple of phone calls to cab companies had found the one that had picked up a fare just outside of the diner on the night of Shawn Huffman's murder. The driver had easily identified both Sherry and Polson, confirming that Polson had given him the address and paid for the ride after tucking the young girl into the car.
They'd brought Sherry in for questioning again and the young girl had broken down when confronted with the facts. It turned out that Sherry had just discovered she was pregnant and was terrified by the thought that her baby's father could have possibly murdered someone. However, since they already knew that Eric had put her in a cab alone, she told them that she suspected he had killed Shawn.
From there, they'd been able to secure a search warrant for Polson's apartment and the blood they found on the bottom of his shoes had been enough for Judge Wilson to issue an arrest warrant. Sherry had given them the address of a friend of Polson's where he often hung out and that was where they had converged.
"Teams are in place around the building," Esposito stated.
"Tell them we're going in," Kate replied.
Esposito lifted his radio and gave the signal and then fell into line behind Kate and Ryan, making sure that Castle was behind them as they entered the building. They took the stairs to the fifth floor and then slowly made their way down the hall to the correct apartment.
Kate stood to the right of the apartment door with Castle tucked securely behind her. Moving her gun to her left hand, she waited until Esposito took his position on the opposite side of the door with Ryan at his back and then she reached over and pounded on the door. "Eric Polson! Police! Open the door."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Present Time)
"Detective Beckett?" Dr. Anderson said as he entered the waiting room.
Kate looked up from where she, Alexis and Martha were keeping vigil, and noticed that Esposito and Ryan had once again found their way back to the waiting room. She recognized Dr. Anderson as the man who had initially talked with her upon their arrival at the hospital and hurriedly got to her feet. "Dr. Anderson," she acknowledged. "How is he?"
Kate noticed that Alexis and Martha had taken up residence on each side of her and she stepped back to include them in the conversation.
"Mr. Castle is an extremely lucky man," Dr. Anderson replied. "The bullet entered his shoulder at such an odd angle that it managed to miss both his humerus and his clavicle. There was some tissue damage to both the deltoid and pectoralis major, plus a considerable amount of blood loss where it nicked the suprascapular artery, but nothing that a few weeks of rehab won't cure."
For the first time since stepping into that hallway and seeing Castle unconscious and bleeding, Kate finally felt as if she could breathe again. "What about the head injury?" she asked.
"He's got a concussion, and will most likely not remember the details of what happened today, but I anticipate a complete recovery," Dr. Anderson assured them.
"Can we see him?" Alexis asked.
"As soon as he's out of recovery," Dr. Anderson replied. "Keep in mind that the disorientation could last for a couple of days though. It's not uncommon with concussions."
"Thank you, Dr. Anderson," Kate said.
"Yes, thank you," Alexis and Martha echoed.
Dr. Anderson merely nodded as he headed back out of the room.
"Want us to call the captain?" Esposito asked as he caught Kate's eye.
"Please," she replied. Then she smiled and added, "And thanks, you guys."
They both acknowledged her with a slight nod before they turned and left her alone with Alexis and Martha, knowing that she would take care of her family and they, in turn, would take care of her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Two Weeks Later)
Castle sat in his recliner with his laptop opened in front of him and several pillows propped against his side. His right arm was still secured to his body, the doctor insisting he keep it immobilized for a full three weeks before he could begin rehab. He'd been using the down time to work on his latest Nikki Heat novel, but he was starting to go stir crazy.
He heard the front door open and hoped it was Alexis returning with lunch. "I'm in the living room," he called out.
Instead of Alexis, Kate walked around the corner. Castle couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "Hello there, beautiful."
Kate returned his smile as she made her way over to his side. "How was the doctor's visit?" she asked as she sat on the arm of the chair. She had intended to go with him, but had gotten held up at a crime scene and had to cancel. As soon as she could get away, she'd headed straight to his apartment.
"He took the stitches out of my shoulder," he told her. "He said it had healed nicely, but he wanted me to keep it immobilized for one more week."
"I guess that means our game of naked twister is going to have to be postponed?" Kate teased him as she brushed the hair off his forehead and examined the scar left by his collision with the doorframe.
He reached up and captured her hand, pulling it to his lips and planting a kiss in her palm. "I'm fine, Kate."
"I know," she replied.
"And it wasn't your fault," he stated for what had to be the hundredth time in the last two weeks.
She shrugged, not quite willing to concede that point. When they were on the job, he was her responsibility, and he'd gotten hurt on her watch. It still chafed a bit.
Castle knew the issue wasn't completely resolved yet, and would probably rear its head again when he was finally able to go back out in the field with her, but he opted to try for a little levity for now. "Look at the bright side, Kate," he told her. "At least the next time we're lying in bed comparing scars, I'll have an interesting one to tell you about."
She chuckled at that. "You don't even remember how it happened," she pointed out.
"Doesn't matter," he assured her. "I'm a writer, remember? I can come up with a new story every time you ask about it."
She shook her head and then leaned down to rest her forehead against his. "Please don't ever scare me like that again, Castle."
"I promise that I'll try not to," he stated.
She shifted and brushed her lips against his, allowing herself to linger in the taste and feel of him. When she felt his hand move to the back of her head and try to pull her closer, she forced herself away from him. "I've got to go back to work."
Castle sighed and let her go. "Will you come back later?"
She waggled her eyebrows as she slowly backed away from him. "I might even bring my nurses outfit."
"Then I promise to be on my best behavior," he said.
She stopped in her tracks and offered him a sultry smile. "That's too bad. I was rather looking forward to you being bad."
He groaned and her laughter lingered even after she turned and made her way out of the apartment with a, "See you later, Castle."
He hated not being able to spend the day with her at work, but at least he still got most of her nights. It would have to do for now.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I apologize for scaring you at the beginning and hope you've forgiven me enough by now to take the time to leave me a review.
