When the man left, Kate looked at the card with haste. There was the address for the nearest hospital on it. She stood up, in just her socks, and ran out of the room. When she exited the door, she saw a box on the floor to her left with her badge, cell phone and gun. She picked them up and put them in their respective places and ran. She ran as fast as she could, hitting dead ends and long hallways, until she finally got to a stairwell. There was no one in sight in the entire building. They all had disappeared. She ran up the stairs and out the nearest door. She pulled her phone out, dialed 911 and reported what just happened, briefly. She asked for the closest officer to be brought to the nearest corner she could find. Without questioning, she got into the car and told the officer to drive to the hospital. Lights and all, they sped through the city, but it wasn't quick enough for Kate.
She arrived in a panic. Standing in the middle of the emergency room still wearing her torn white shirt, she looked around, but didn't know which way to go, which way to turn.
"May I help you?"
"Yea. Yes. I, um, I'm looking for a Richard Castle. Is he here? Please, where did he go?" She rambled to the innocent nurse looking back at her.
"Just sit down, ma'am, and I will go check for you."
"No! I need to know if he is here."
"Ma'am, if you just – "
"I need you to tell me where he is!"
"Kate!" a voice shouted from the automatic doors behind her.
Alexis ran in the hospital and into Kate. Her arms wrapped around her hip so naturally; comforting to Kate. Kate returned the emotion to Alexis by putting her arm around her as well.
"What happened? Is he here?"
"How did you know?"
"Esposito called the house and wanted to speak to Gram but she wasn't there, and I knew something was wrong, because why would he be calling, so I made him tell me and – "
"It's okay, Alexis" Kate said to the child of the man she thought had just died. Alexis looked up at Kate with a new innocence in her eyes. She had been growing up lately, becoming a woman, but at this moment, she was a child. She needed someone to take care of her, and right now, that person was Kate.
"Where is your grandmother, Alexis?"
"She is out and isn't answering her calls. I think she is at the playhouse, but I'm not sure."
Kate, now with someone to balance her emotions with, walked over to the desk. She hadn't realized, but her cut at the back of her head began to bleed.
"I am looking for a Richard Castle?" Kate said, softly, while holding back tears.
"How are you related?"
"He is my partner," Kate said while showing her badge.
"He is police?" the nurse said with a new judgment to her voice.
"No, more like a civilian assist. I don't have time, is he here?" Her voice was growing impatient, one of the many emotions running through her mind.
"Yes, he is in emergency surgery."
The nurse walked out from behind the desk as Kate turned to face her. The nurse noticed the blood slowly filling up the back of Kate's shirt.
"Oh, you're bleeding" she said with concern, "We need to fix that,"
"You daughter?" the nurse mentioned, "can stay here. We will have someone stay with her."
Alexis looked at Kate, worried that they were going to be split up.
"She needs to come with me." Kate scrambled for an excuse to bring her with them. Alexis, still a child, still needed someone.
"She's a minor, she needs to come with me."
The nurse, without the energy to argue, allowed her to come.
"We need to check out your head." She led them to a room down a long hallway. Sick people were everywhere, but Kate didn't see them. She was in a daze; emotionally tired. When they arrived to the makeshift patient room the nurse showed her the bed, gave Alexis a chair, and shut the curtain. A few moments later, she came back with gauze and medical tape.
"I need you to not move yourself, only do what I let you."
The nurse took Kate's head and brushed her hair away. She put gauze to the wound and, when it was cleaner, put tape to hold it there. Head wounds were always tricky, especially on women.
The nurse finished whatever she was doing and went out. Kate barely realized that she was done. Time seemed to have a different effect on her. It was moving, but Kate didn't recognize it. She looked around without realizing, answered questions without thinking.
Alexis was sitting to her left and was dialing a number over and over: Martha's.
A little later, a doctor entered. Kate barley heard him and what he was saying. She didn't care. He brought in a wheel chair and began wheeling her off for a cat scan. Kate looked behind her and saw Alexis looking back, worried. But, through the doors was a redhead running towards her.
Martha had finally been contacted and was now with Alexis. Kate turned back around and looked forward. Managing to forget the world around her, she relaxed in her chair.
