Kate had been working all day. They were so close to putting this long case to rest that Kate had been putting in the long hours. It killed her to be away from her family, but she was going to do everything to protect them. Getting in her car that evening she sent a quick text to Castle that she'd be home soon. It was after rush hour so she knew it wouldn't take her long to get home. Pulling in the parking garage she found her spot and got out of her car. Grabbing her purse she locks her car and heads up the elevator to the loft. Getting out of the elevator Kate makes her way down the hall her heels clicking as her feet hit the floor. As she walked towards the loft door she heard crying. She had expected to hear either a kid yelling or even big footsteps as if someone was being chased by a big scary dad monster. When she didn't she opened the door as quick as she could throwing her shoes off as she came in the door. Looking around she noticed her house a mess which often meant the kids had a fun day with dad. Closing the door behind her Sidney comes toddling up to his mom and smiles brightly grabbing onto his mom. She smiles and lifts him up but is worried because She still hears the crying.
"Castle?" She calls out as Nate comes running in Johanna behind him.
"Momma! You're home!" Johanna sighs looking at her mom.
"Whats wrong baby?" Kate asks even more worried now with how her daughter reacted.
"Daddy had the shakes momma, he fell!" She sighs loudly pulling on her mom.
"Where baby?" She asks calling again for Castle. Still no answer. She takes Sidney with her and runs upstairs. She needed to get 'Baby Gates' out of the crib, but she needed to know if Castle was ok. Setting Sidney down she runs into Victoria's room and quickly gets the crying baby out of the crib. Looking around she looks for Johanna so she can ask where Castle was.
"Hannie, Can you tell me where daddy is?" She asks the little girl as she runs down the hall.
"Daddy was reading Sidney a book in his crib. He started to shake and he fell. I couldn't get him to wake up, I got Sid out but Vitoria you say I can't hold her, she was crying." Johanna explains Kate still slightly upset that Johanna has still not gotten the pronunciation of her sister's name. As they reach Sidney's room Kate see's a knocked out Castle on the floor. No blood thankfully but she can tell he's still out. Walking over she checks for a pulse and sighs when she feels one.
"Rick?" She calls trying to wake him. He's not answering.
"Richard!" She shakes him, but he's still not answering. Signing she pulls her phone out and dials 9-1-1.
"9-1-1 what's your emergency?" The woman asks.
"My husbands passed out, my daughter says he got the shakes and fell, I'm not sure, but it sounds like a seizure," Kate explains as a hungry Victoria is crying. She's trying to sooth her, but she can't.
"Is he breathing?" The woman asks.
"Yeah, just not responding," Kate explains. By now all her kids are clinging to her.
"We are sending an ambulance right away. Just keep a watch, make sure he is still breathing." She says talking to Kate.
"I got it, I'm a cop, I know what I'm doing," Kate says as she hangs up. Moments later an ambulance arrives and they load up Castle.
—
Later on Kate is in Castle's hospital room as he finally wakes up. They want to give him a few more hours before they do an EEG to check out his brain.
"Hi, babe." Kate smiles reaching for his hand. The grasp each others hands and Kate lifts it up to kiss it.
"I was scared…" She sighs softly as Castle looks up.
"I'm so sorry baby." Castle sighs looking at his wife.
"We need to teach Hannie to call 9-1-1," Kate explains looking at Castle.
"I thought she learned that in school? You know when the cops came for a visit." Castle asks still slightly out of it.
"Um, well maybe but I can't remember." Kate sighs again looking at Castle.
"Doctor told me you will need an EEG, I think I'll keep the kids with your mother, Alexis, and Pi," Kate explains to Castle.
"Except for Baby Gates, I have to feed her soon before I explode," Kate adds chuckling softly. She pulls her phone out and sends Martha a quick text asking if one of them can just drop by Victoria. Kate is sitting with Castle as they catch up on some of their YouTube on Castle's laptop Martha had dropped off with Baby Gates. The channel they had been watching as Kate feeds Victoria was a channel called "Daily Bumps". A mother, father and their son. It just so happens that their son Oliver had started the route of testing for Epilepsy. Watching these vlogs made Castle want to start his own. Looking at Kate he smiles softly before pausing the video.
"I want to do that," Castle says as Kate is burping Victoria.
"Do what?" Kate asks watching him puzzled.
"I want to start a vlog like that to document my journey." He smiles happily thinking about it.
"What journey?!" Kate spat out trying to hold in a laugh.
"This could be something serious!" He exclaimed as Kate rolls her eyes at him.
"Do you not see I'm in the hospital here Kate?!" He pouts softy at Kate.
"Well uh, yes, I do see it, but I'm sure its nothing." She pauses as Castle interrupts her.
"Nothing?!" He pouts again.
"You think me being here was nothing?" He tells her turning away.
"That's not what I meant Castle! I'm sure your just fine, stop worrying." She says leaning over to kiss Castle. A nurse comes in moments later and breaks them up as she looks Castle over.
"I'm going to be setting up the electrodes on your head, we shouldn't have to shave your head, but I came in here to check you over and see what I might need." She explains to the couple as Castle pouts again softly his eyes big when she talks about his hair.
"You can't shave my head, I am not Richard Castle without my hair!" He says almost defensively as the nurse comes over.
"I'm just going to look ok?" She tells him as Kate looks over at him.
"Do you need me to hold your hand, Castle?" Kate smirks putting her hand out.
"Shut up!" Castle groans rolling his eyes at Kate as the nurse finishes.
"Looks like we won't need your hair." She smiles as Castle sighs loudly and happily. She leaves and comes back about ten minutes later with everything she would need. She sets Castle up and they start gluing the electrodes to his head. They finish a while later and wrap up his head before they go. They give him about two hours before they come back and flash a strobe light in front of him. This might help narrow down his seizure. Or even if it was a seizure. Once they are done they clean him off and Kate takes him into the bathroom for a shower. She knows the stuff will be tough to get off, but she's going to try her best and be careful.
"Ouch!" Castle cries as Kate is cleaning his head.
"I'm so sorry babe, I'm trying to be careful." She sighs and kisses him softly.
"I got most of it, but I'm going to need to do this again tomorrow." She tells Castle knowing he won't like that she's going to have to do it again. Castle groans at the sound of Kate saying she'll have to do it again.
—
Two days later the family is home and Castle is highly drugged on seizure medication. They are testing any medication they can to help him. They don't know what he has yet, but they want to make sure this does not turn into something bigger. One of the side effects of the medication was headaches and it killed Castle t feel like this. Sitting on the couch he popped an aspirin and groaned rubbing his temples as Sidney and Nate come running in the room.
"Daddy! you play with us?" Nate asks jumping on the couch and into his dad's lap.
"Well uh, how about an inside game? Like Legos." Castle tells his two boys as they both vie for space on his lap.
"Legos boring," Sidney says as Nate nods along.
"Since when did you come up with that one?" Castle asks looking to Sidney and then to Nate.
"You know I got that new set the other day. You know the sports car." Castle smiles trying to convince his boys. They both sigh as if acting a script and look up at their dad.
"Fine," Nate says as he gets off his dad's lap waiting for Sidney to follow so they can go get the Legos. Sidney eyes his dad and reaches up hoping to be carried.
"No, sorry bud, I can't carry you all your life," Castle tells the boy as Sidney huffs and slides off his dad's lap. Castle gets up motioning to his office as the boys watch him.
"It's on my desk, let's go get it." Castle smiles as the boys follow. Once entering the room, the boys are in amazement as they look around. It's not often they are allowed in their dad's office. He's not super strict about it, but he just does not want any toys in there so if he has a late night writing session he won't step on anything. Picking up the box Castle instructs the boys out of his office and shuts the door behind him as he takes them to the dining table. He's feeling weird again as he goes to sit down but tries to push it off. He's shaking but not as bad as the last time.
"Daddy?" Nate asks watching his father.
"I'm fine buddy, just go get mommy, please?" Castle asks the boy as he runs up to get his mom. She's singing Victoria to sleep as he comes in the room. Kate shushes's him as she puts the baby in the crib and closes the door on her way out.
"Daddy's doing it again," Nate says as Kate quickly runs down the stairs to see Castle laying on the floor. He knew what was happening so he did what he could while he was conscious to prevent any harm to him or anyone else. Getting out her phone she pulls up the seizure app she had downloaded just after they had found out there's a good chance its epilepsy. It was great that she could track the seizure and send information to his doctor without having to call him. It was then she remembered as she hit the track button that she wanted to email the woman who created the app to thank her for her. The woman's name was Ruth and according to her bio she had designed the app herself after learning her husband had severe epilepsy. When it was over she hit the stop button and entered as much info as she could as to what happened before during and after the seizure. From what she could tell Castle was pretty coherent during the whole thing and was plenty of help when putting in information. Sending it off Kate gets a notification a few minutes later saying the doctor had received the info. She knew it wouldn't take long after that to get a text back from her doctor thanking them for the info.
"You feeling alright?" Kate asks as Castle is now sitting at the dining table.
"Surprisingly yes." He smiles as he opens the Lego box.
"Come on boys, let's start this bad boy!" Castle chuckles as Johanna comes bounding down the stairs. She had messy hair and was complaining of being thirsty.
"Woah, what happened to you?" Kate chuckles as the boys start on their Legos.
"You must have had a rough nap." She smiles softly and kisses her daughters head.
"Come on, I'll get you some juice." She sighs softly and takes Hannie into the kitchen. getting her a cup of juice Johanna runs out to the dining table and goes to join her brothers and father as they build the Legos. Kate comes out a little later her iPad in hand as she joins them at the table. She's going to read, but she wants to watch the kids play as well. Castle is pulling pieces out as the three kids look at the instructions trying to help their dad put the car together.
It's about an hour later now and Kate has gotten Victoria up from her nap and in the swing. She's also started on dinner. It's spaghetti night using weird and funky utensils to eat with. Kate saw this on a family Vlog one time and she loved it. Brought something interesting to the table. Setting the table she gets out all the weird things she can find, water pitcher, tongs, spatula, salad bowl, coffee pot, to name a few. Setting them out she decides who will get what depending on age and how much of a mess she knows this will cause. Going out into the dining room she asks the kids to clean up for dinner so she can serve it up. The family is done eating about a half hour later and Kate and Castle are getting the kids bathed and in bed. It's not till everyone but them is asleep that they get a call.
"Is this Richard Castle?" The woman asks.
"Yes, this is he." Castle sighs hearing her voice.
"We got your EEG test results back." The woman tells him as he puts his phone on speaker. She starts by telling him that they think it all started when the family was in that accident a few years back. That he had possibly hit his head which caused some trauma. She then tells him it sounds like he's having Myoclonic seizures. The fact that he's not losing consciousness is the big tell, although the first one he had he did but the doctors say it was because he fell. Myoclonic seizures are when the body jerks sporadically on both sides almost like an electrical shock. They also say people can often toss or throw things if they are holding anything when they have the seizure. They thought he might have had juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, but Castle can't trace anything back to being a kid and having been like this. So for now the doctor tells them it as most likely from the accident and they want to do another seizure study, this time where he's awake for 20 hours a day and they can track everything. Hanging up moments later Castle is in bed with Kate as they begin to talk about the news.
"Well, it sounds like they can be treated with the right meds, so hopefully we can keep this down." Kate sighs softly.
"Its epilepsy none the less but thankfully it's not super serious." Kate sighs again and kisses Castle.
"I know, I'm thankful too, I just have to be more careful now." He says shifting in the bed.
"What if I drop Baby Gates?" He tells Kate his voice more worried now.
"You won't ok? I won't let you." She smiles putting her book down and snuggling next to Castle.
"I have a plan, we can set up a video security, maybe get you one of those apple watches and have it alert you when it knows you're having a seizure so you can prepare." She says watching him carefully.
"We will work this out Castle I'm sure of it." She tells him giving him one last kiss before dozing off.
