For the first time since being down in the pit, she actually contemplated giving up. 8 hours. She knew there would be some form of antidote somewhere, but that would mean planning and executing something to get them out of the pit and to help.

'Castle, we will make it, together. I've known you for long enough to know that you don't give up fighting for the ones you love. You don't back down. And I'm asking you now, please, don't leave me.'

'Kate. I don't think I can... Hold on for much longer. The... Pain is getting worse. I just need to know... You will... Be... Be okay. I love you.'

'No Castle. This is not the end. For either of us. You were the one that told me overcoming these obstacles is who we are. When we fight, we don't give up.'

'I would give anything... To live with you... Through old age. To see... Our kids. And our... Grandkids. But maybe after all this... Time, the... The world is telling us our game is over.'

'After everything we've been through? You can't give up now. Rick, I was ready to marry you. I'd written vows to you, for better and for worse. This; this is our worst. And I will be with you through it, but you have to hold on. This pain? It will fade, and you'll be stronger. I just need you, okay?'

'Kate. I... I appreciate everything you've done. You've... Made me more than who I'd ever... Hoped to be. I want to hold on... For you. You know... I would do anything for you ...in a heartbeat. But my body... It's not complying. You... You should probably have words... With it in some way.'

She could hear the teasing in his voice even is his declining state. He always made her laugh even at the worst of times.

'Castle. I love you so, so much.'

She pressed a kiss to his lips. She felt the flutter inside her stomach, the kind that young couples get when something new. She hoped it wouldn't be the last time.

'I love you too, Kate. Alw-'

Once again, his eyes rolled, his head dropped, and his muscles went rigid.

She was again down on her knees, by his side, supporting him. The reality kicked in that this may be how Castle spends the rest of his life, whether it be 8 hours or 80 years.

'Castle. Don't worry, babe. I'll be here. We can wait this out, and then we will get ourselves out of this mess.'

If all went as last time, Castle would be in this unconscious state for around 40 minutes, before being in an almost lucid state for a while.

It gave her 40 minutes of thinking time, and 40 minutes of space. She tried to think of trivial things to take her mind off of the pain.

The first thing that came to mind was working out the day. Their wedding was supposed to be May 12th. She remembered falling asleep on the couch in the loft. Then she woke up the next morning and went to the precinct. Following that she drove to Raleigh and slept there for the night. That would be the 13th. It would mean she would have woken up on the 14th to come to the pit. The same day she had a recollection of waking up from an unconscious state, so that would make right now the 15th of May.

This hell had spanned 4 days already. She wasn't sure how much she could take. She feared any more nights like this may induce another episode. She couldn't bear the toll it carried.

In a way, she wishes she had told Castle about it. He may have had some reassuring words for her, or he may have lent her some advice. Even better, he would tell her that it was her imagination.

But she hadn't, and now she couldn't. What she really needed to focus on is how she would get out.

Her mind couldn't focus. She was trapped within narrow barriers, her mind forcing her to relive the horrors that had been received.

No matter how hard she tried, every word she said made her sidetrack, and her train of that's squandered it's way back to the inevitable.

She was trying to concentrate with all the strength she had left, but this just sent her spiralling into another dimension of pain. It made her head sear with pain, and somehow managed to make her scalp injury sting.

The thoughts were overwhelming. They circled the inside of her head, drowning it in remorse, sorrow, and disappointment.

It made her grow more and more tired by the second. As she pondered a solution to the mess, her brain slowly shut down and allowed her to sleep.

When she woke, she noticed things she hadn't before. For the first time she could sense the time of day. She could feel the daylight radiating. By her calculations from the previous night, it was now May 16th. That made it a Friday. She judged it as around 5am.

Another prominent factor she realised was that she hadn't eaten or drank anything in days. Her stomach was sore and her mouth was dry. She had been deprived of everything and it made her angry.

The time.

Castle had 8 hours. She must have been told no earlier than 11pm last night. That meant Castle had made it through 6 hours. It also meant he only had 2 left.

It was now she panicked. An overwhelming sensation came over her, and she tried to wake Castle.

Whilst stroking his face tenderly, and running her fingers through his hair, she tried to coax him out of his sleeping state.

'Rick. C'mon. Wake up. I need you now, you don't need to do anything, just give me a sign.'

In what was only moments, his hand twitched, then moved. It fumbled around for hers, grabbed it and squeezed. It then dropped.

She could tell he knew his time was limited unless they found a way out. He was conserving his energy.

'Thankyou Castle,' she whispered in reply.

She had two hours to secure her future. Never in her life had she felt as much fear, pressure, and determination as she had now. In all previous encounters she had been fighting for herself, but this time, it was for both her and Castle.

She heard something. A noise.

It seemed to come from above. It was the first sound from the outside world she had heard. It seemed foreign, unfamiliar. It was the low voices of two people. It sounded like a man and a women.

They were out early, but she didn't care. This was her way out. Without realising, they may have just saved the lives of two people.

She did what she had been waiting to do the whole time.

'HELP. SOMEBODY. PLEASE HELP US.'