Hey everyone, Lovely reviews as always. Thanks so much, I appreciate your comments more than you know! Once again I am not a doctor so sorry.
Disclaimer: DON'T OWN CASTLE OR ANYTHING ELSE that's worth suing over.
Chapter 9
Richard's hand was limp and cold in hers, the skin like paper, almost translucent. The sirens were still blazing as the doctors worked diligently on Castle, calling out to each other. Alexis, Martha, and Kate were all still huddled together; balancing on the edge of disaster, knowing that any second their entire lives would come crashing down
When his had heart began to pump again all three women were overjoyed beyond words, but quickly became solemn again. It could easily slip back into quiet surrender at any moment. Castle was not out of the woods yet.
Arriving at the hospital more doctors and nurses crowded Castle's stretcher making it harder for Kate to keep a hold of his hand. But she gripped it ever tighter, never wanting to let go again. People's voices bounced off of her, she didn't hear them that pleaded for her to let go as they raced down the white corridors.
Finally a wrinkled woman's hand tore hers away from Castle's. Kate stumbled forward sobbing, "No!"
The same woman forcefully held her back. "Ma'am! Ma'am! You have to let us do our job! We're trying to help him! It'll be best for him if you stay here!"
Those words finally struck Kate and she stopped trying to get back to Castle. Nodding at the woman she apologized lamely.
The woman's brown eyes softened. "It's okay dear. Come on you three. I'll take you to the waiting room," she consoled as she led the small band quietly down the halls and into a little off-set area with two dull purple couches, an ancient T.V., and a leather lazy boy.
Smiling sadly at them the woman spoke, "The patient will be surgery for awhile as they try to sustain him. You can wait here if you wish and we'll update you as soon as we can." Giving one last look of sympathy she zoomed away.
Kate squeezed Martha's and Alexis's hand before collapsing on the couch and putting her head in her hands.
"Oh deary…" Martha spoke gently placing a hand on Kate's back and rubbing it slowly in circles. "He'll be fine. He'll be alright."
In anguish Kate spoke behind her hands," It's all my fault Martha, if it wasn't for me-"
"If it wasn't for you Kate, he'd still be in that awful place being tortured right now. He would jump in front of a bullet for you any day sweetheart. And I'm proud of him and you," she spoke firmly.
Kate cried harder, it had been a long time since she had been spoken to like a daughter. Alexis slumped over onto Kate's shoulder holding back tears of her own. Eyes closed she relaxed, all the emotion turmoil raging inside her quieting as she listened to Kate's slow breathing. Before five seconds was over Alexis was asleep her head lying on her shoulder.
Yawning Martha slunk back into the couch. "Kate…wake me when…wake me when the doctor…comes back…" her eyelids shut leaving Kate alone to watch as hurried nurses in rainbow scrubs raced across the neatly tiled corridors.
"Beckett!" a chorus of voices called anxiously as she jerked her head to see three worried figures striding over to meet her.
"What happened?"
"What's going-"
"Is Castle gonna be-"
"Shh!" Kate whispered and gestured to the sleeping Martha and Alexis. Quickly her three best friends took the seat opposite her.
"Girl, is Castle alright? We got the call from Will and rushed here as quickly as we could!" Lanie whispered, eyeing Kate painfully.
Looking back into her chocolate eyes, she sighed. "We don't know yet. He's in surgery. As soon as…something happens they said they would come and tell us. We've only been here for a few minutes."
"So what happened?" Ryan questioned, leaning forward anxiety and curiosity in his eyes. "How did you end up finding Castle?" he continued to ask while Esposito nodded repeatedly.
Sighing Kate lovingly glanced at the two red-heads lying in fitful sleep. "Martha came home and told Alexis where she thought she knew where the can was. She called me and I took Will's car, picked them up, and drove there."
"Where was it?" they asked in unison.
"Emily Tristan Foster's home," Kate paused and seeing their confused expressions decided to elaborate. "Rick…Castle never really knew his grandparents that much and when he was in high school he joined the adopt-a-grandparent program and became really close with a lady named Emily. Almost everyday he would come and read to her. She also collected cans. She died his senior year. I guess that when Castle found that can it reminded him of her and he went and put it by her grave. She was buried in her backyard."
Ryan, Lanie, and Esposito all smiled softly until Esposito broke the comfortable silence. "So, what happened when you found it?"
Grimacing she spoke regrettably, "I let my guard down as I was reading the letter he wrote her. Someone put a gun to my head. I had no choice but to stand up and drop my gun." Musing she said mainly to herself, "I don't really think he wanted to kill me. None of them did…maybe Nex blackmailed them. But anyways I convinced them to take me to Castle. But they made me take off my vest. They blindfolded me and took me to this building. Luckily I suppose they didn't know about Alexis and Martha and they followed us. When I got there, Castle somehow managed to get out of his chair but Nex," she winced, "Found out and was attacking him. He made everyone else leave the room. Castle was on the floor…" her voice slowed to a quavering whisper as several knots leapt into her throat. "I had to hand it over. He kept on hitting him and hitting him. I knelt down after I gave it to him to see if Castle was alright, and after he made some perverted joke I knew he was gonna be okay." She chuckled and smiled despite the tears leaking down her cheeks. Lanie gripped her hand comfortingly.
"But…but then, Nex said he was going to kill us. I backed away from Castle. Nex lifted the gun and I thought it was over. But Castle….Rick jumped at Nex and got shot instead just as the F.B.I arrived…" her entire body was shaking now with uncontrollable sobs. "I tried to stop the bleeding but there was so much blood…and he put his hand in my hair and told me…He told me that he loved me…" she could no longer continue and found herself in Lanie's comforting arms until she could control herself. As Lanie pulled away Kate saw that all three of them had tears welled up or streaking down their cheeks.
"Sweetie," Lanie spoke taking Kate's hand. "We should go and get you cleaned up. Come on."
Nodding numbly she started to stand, but Alexis whimpered in her sleep and snuggled closer to Kate.
"Alexis. I'll be right back," Kate whispered, carefully transitioning Alexis's body to lie down on the couch. Alexis stopped whimpering but her lips pulled down into a stressful frown.
Lanie pulled Kate away telling the boys to watch Alexis and Martha. "Honey you're a mess…" she said sighing as they walked into the bathroom. "Come on, let's wash off the blood.
Stunned Kate looked at herself in the mirror, realizing in horror that almost her entire front was soaked in blood. Vigorously she scrubbed her hands, feeling sick as Castle's blood washed away into the sink. Lanie watched sadly and held up a scrub t-shirt. "I grabbed it from one of the nurses."
Gratefully Kate snatched it and quickly peeled off her shirt in the bathroom stall and replaced it. Returning to the sink Kate continued to manically scrub, but not being able to see anything but red, that awful red blood that belonged to Rick, that was on still on her hands, figuratively and literally. It was still all her fault no matter what any one said.
"Do you love him?" Lanie asked suddenly.
Bewildered Kate glanced up at her friend. "What?"
"Do you love him?" she repeated.
Out of force of habit she automatically opened her mouth to deny it immediately but then she closed her jaw and shook her head. "Yes."
"Girl! Finally! I was wondering what would finally bring you to face it!" Lanie said grinning. "I was starting to give up on you! I thought you would never give in. Ha! We win the bet! Aw, Kate I'm so happy for you."
"But Lanie," she said in indignation, "He might never find out! He might die before I get to tell him!"
Lanie smiled at placed her hands on Kate's shoulders. "Kate Beckett. Do you really think that Castle- Castle," she emphasized, "Would give up before he got to see what you said back? He'd travel to the ends of the earth just to hear you say some witty comment thing back. Do you think he'd let you forget that you tried to rescue him? Honey he'll never let you forget it."
Kate finally smiled and sniffed, wiping her tears. "Yeah…yeah you're right."
Lanie laughed. "Aren't I always?" slipping into a more serious tone she added. "So don't worry about it. He'll make it through this and be back to his good old annoying self in no time."
"Thank you Lanie," she whispered before clasping herself into her best friend. Walking out, Kate walked with her head a little higher, her soul lighter, and approached the waiting room. She slid back in between Martha and Alexis, the latter sighing happily and snuggled closer. Smiling Kate begun running her fingers through Alexis's shimmering hair. Soon she had dozed off.
Jolting somewhat, Kate awoke, not knowing how long she had been out. To her surprise Alexis and Martha were wide awake and listening to an old doctor. Heart beating faster, Kate quickly caught onto the conversation.
"-but his chances are still very low. He's in risk of severe infection, his lung might collapse, his heart might go into recession or a panic attack, he might not respond to his treatments, and we're still not sure how hard his brain was affected. However since he is fairly stable you are welcome to see him. He will probably not wake up for several hours or days, but you still can visit him."
Standing up, the small group followed the doctor till he led them to a room. When he opened the door, Alexis flew to her father's side, Martha close behind, the two male detectives and the morgue examiner hung back shocked to see their friend in this condition, while Kate stood outside, almost refusing to go in.
As she did cross into his room she shut her eyes, hating the sight.
Oh Rick…
Yeah so basically just a bunch of talking and stuff…haha and sorry bout the wait, been hectic at home. THANKS tho for reading. Please review cause I need reviews like candy. ( I love candy) Not an exciting chapter, but who is pumped for having Castle wake up and "talk" with Kate? And maybe FINALLY finding out what is in the can that started this whole mess?
