The trial was going well. Rick was feeling better and stronger every day since he started receiving the trial drug. It had been six weeks since the trial had started and with the exception of the health survey he needed to give every time he got his dose of the drug he was happy with the way it going. There were some nights where he could not sleep and after going to bed or he would sleep lightly and any little noise would wake him. There were times he would just lie awake in bed looking at the smoking hot detective lying next to him.
It was a feeling that made him fall in love with her all over again. She took only one day to make him so happy. She agreed to move in with him the next day. She did however have one small request though. She wanted to retain the lease on her place. He wanted to question her decision but he decided to let it lie for now. It was the first weekend that he was in the trial and he had arranged to have all of her stuff moved to the loft by the following day. Most of her belongings, her every day things were brought over first. Then came the decision to sort out what big items she wanted to put into storage. After looking at her almost barren apartment she decided to donate her things to a thrift store rather then store them.
The thrift store had sent a box van to retrieve her furniture. With everything done and moved to the loft, Kate and Rick stand in a now empty apartment. Rick has a question for her but is unsure how to ask her. So in his head he collects together what he needs to ask and does so.
"Kate I need to ask you a question."
"Okay go ahead, you know you can ask me anything."
"Right then, Kate do you love me?"
"Rick, where is this coming from?"
"The reason I am asking is I am curious as to why you are keeping your lease on the apartment? Do you think that we won't make it? I know that my love for you reaches so many levels. I mean it's just that we have been through so much together I can't see the reason you have in keeping this place. Does it have a sentimental value for you? If that's the reason I totally understand."
He waits for all of what he said sink in. She has a look on her face that he can't describe and it's worrying him now. She looks at him and tears have freshly fallen down her cheeks.
"Kate I did not mean to upset you in any way. Hey, I'm sorry. You know what...forget I even asked."
She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing leaves her mouth. Thinking about what she needs to say now, she is the one collecting her thoughts. Rick waits patiently for her to say something. She starts...
"Rick first and forever I will love you until the day I die. Maybe it was foolish to keep this lease but you see I never thought that I would be with a man that would love me the way you do and provide me with everything I needed. This was my first place one that I could call my own, my own fortress of solitude."
Rick lets out a little laugh after she used the fortress comment referring to Superman.
"So while yes it does have sentimental value to me I just thought keeping it would keep me grounded."
"Kate, I never knew and I am sorry if I over stepped."
"Rick it's okay, I might have been a little possessive of this place anyway."
"So I will leave it up to you if you still want to keep your place or if you would terminate the lease here. The decision is yours."
She walks over to him reaches her arms around his neck and pulls him in for a gentle kiss. Feeling the need for oxygen they break apart and she looks up at him with a compassionate look in her eyes and tells him...
"Yes"
"Yes, what?" He asks.
"Yes Rick, I will terminate the lease when it comes up for renewal. While this was my first place and it means a lot to me, I'm starting a new chapter in my life with you. So I want to show you that I'm all in with what we are starting together now."
He is overjoyed and pulls her in for the tightest hug he can give her. She hugs him right back. She is just as happy as he is. Releasing each other, they turn and look around her apartment one last time. Standing there for a minute or two she takes hold of his hand gives him a small tug and they leave her place forever.
He is having another sleepless night. He thinks that maybe the drug could be causing these symptoms. He has not told the trial doctors or even Kate for that matter she has enough to worry about. Looking over at Kate he sees that she is fast asleep. Admiring her form lying next to him he is the luckiest man on the earth. He looks over to the red L.E.D. display on the alarm clock. He can't believe it's only 2:34 in the morning. Gingerly he leaves the bed trying hard not to wake up Kate. He heads to his office and sits down at his laptop. Moving the mouse to awake the machine his screen saver materializes. He smiles at what he sees in front of him. It's a picture of him and Kate trying to ice skate at Rockefeller Center. Well, she was the one actually ice skating he was sitting on his ass on the ice. He decides to do something that he has been putting off for a long time, basically ever since he got the news about his condition.
He opens a new word doc and sets up just the outline of what he will eventually send to his attorney for a legal filing. He starts out with what he has on hand. Then he moves onto what he has in savings and stock options. Then finally finishes with his real estate holdings and any future royalties that any of his projects could generate. His first beneficiary is Kate. His second is his daughter. They will with the guidance of his financial advisers each receive half of his wealth. He is lost in his thoughts and when he finally comes out of his haze four hours have passed. His lower extremities are now numb. Slowly he rises from the leather chair happy with the outcome of his will. Who thought that writing a will would take 4 hours? Carefully walking out of his office he looks in on Kate, still in the bed. She is sound asleep.
Heading over to the kitchen he removes everything he needs to make breakfast. Kate will be up soon and would appreciate a good home cooked breakfast before she heads into the precinct. He makes bacon and eggs, white and rye toast and coffee and freshly squeezed OJ. Alexis is the first to rise.
"Dad, what's this? How long have you been up?"
"Good morning Alexis, I could not sleep very well last night and since I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day I decided to make it for everyone." Hoping she won't question his sleeping habits or lack thereof.
She is happy to see him back to where he was...almost. She thinks that he now has a better outlook about his life because he is in the trial, but there is something missing still. She can't quite put her finger on it but there but there are times when he seems distant to her. She drifts from her thoughts when she hears Kate talking...
"Good morning everyone."
"Hi Kate" Alexis says.
"Good morning babe."
"Rick whats going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when I woke up earlier to go to the bathroom around 4 am I found you in your office just staring at the ceiling. At first I thought you were asleep in the chair, but then as I stood there a little longer you had a little smile on your face and let out a giggle from time to time." "Babe whats wrong?"
"Kate it's nothing really."
"It's not nothing when you have a hot NYPD detective right next to you in your bed and yet you choose to sit in your office and leave me all alone."
"Kate it's not like that, I need to tell you something, but I'd like to tell you later in private okay?"
Alexis raises an eyebrow at that last comment. She wonders if she was right about him being distant. Deciding to let it go for now she asks if he needs any help with breakfast. They sit there all silent eating their breakfast. Alexis is almost finished when she looks over to Kate and sees her playing with her eggs.
"Kate is everything alright?"
Putting his fork down Rick looks over to Kate as well.
"Kate whats wrong?"
Looking at her eggs and bacon she has a feeling like she is coming down with the flu. She feels her stomach doing somersaults. She hopes that she can make it through the rest of the meal but that seems highly unlikely. Looking at the both of them she can't stop what is about to happen. She places her hand over her mouth and gets up with such urgency she almost falls over the chair. Racing to to closest bathroom she can find she barely makes it to the toilet. Kneeling if front of it she empties the contents of her stomach. Rick and Alexis are close behind and try to comfort her. Alexis grabs a hand towel and moistens it, then places it on her forehead.
"Thanks, Alexis that feels good."
"Kate, are you okay?"
"Rick I am not sure whats going on, I was fine when I woke up this morning but now it hit me all of a sudden, without warning."
"Should we take you to the hospital?"
"Really Rick for the flu?"
"Well I just want to make sure that you are okay and if that means taking the woman who I love with all my heart to get her checked out then that's how it's going to be."
"Seriously Rick, I am fine. Just help me get to my feet and then I can see how I feel alright?"
"Deal."
Alexis and Rick pick her up off the floor. She wipes her face with the cold compress Alexis had given her. She feels a little better and tells them that she is fine. Walking out of the bathroom she makes her way to their bedroom and starts her process of getting ready for work. Alexis looks to her dad and asks "Dad do you think she is okay?"
"I think that the stress of everything we have been going through is finally starting to get to her as well as you too. You both have done so much for me and I don't think either of you realize how hard you have worked, this takes a toll on your spirit and body. You get run down and skip a meal here and there and it adds up."
"Are you going to bring her to the clinic?"
"For now no. I am not going to push her. I will give her the space she needs and if she comes to me then we will talk about it."
Kate walks out of the bedroom dressed to kill. Her face has color to it again and she looks great. Looking at the both of them looking at her she says "What?"
"Oh, I don't know I think I'm looking at an angel."
"Come on Rick get serious."
"Kate I am serious, there is a glow about you that I have never noticed before."
"Yeah, Kate are you using a different type of makeup?"
"Alexis you too, what's wrong with the two of you?"
Rick leaves the bathroom and walks up to Kate and takes hold of her arm. Leading her to the full lengthen mirror in their bedroom and he stands her right in front of it.
"Look at yourself and tell me what you see there."
"Rick I see myself there."
"But Babe, I mean really look at yourself don't you see it?"
"Rick, I think those drugs are making you a little nuts, what the hell are you talking about?"
She humors the two of them again and looks hard at the mirror. The only thing that she really notices is that she might have put on a pound or two and that she now has a couple more worry lines on her face, but that's about it.
"Well, do you see it?"
"Rick I know that you love me and you think I have a glow about me, but babe I'm just not seeing anything that's different with me."
Leaving the bedroom, she goes to the safe and retrieves her gun and shield. Clipping them to her waist she moves over to the coat rack and grabs her blazer. On the way out to the door, Martha passes her and makes the following comment
"Kathryn my dear you look so amazing what have you done?"
"Martha, what do you mean...my outfit, is there something wrong with it?"
"No dear I mean the glow about you. Tell me that you have noticed it too?"
Alexis and Rick watched the whole interaction between the two of them and they look at each other.
"Dad whats going on here?"
"Alexis, I will talk to Kate later and then I will find out okay?" He answers her in a whisper not wanting Kate to hear him.
"Sure dad but I am running really late for school so I need to double time it."
"Okay, Pumpkin."
It was Wednesday and Rick had a standing appointment at the clinic at 10 am. It was a little after eight so he had some time to get ready. Hitting the shower, he could not believe that Kate could not see what everyone else did about her appearance. She did think that they were nuts, but how could she not see it.
When he got out of the shower Rick was alone. His mother was at a friends house probably talking about Broadway by now, Alexis had classes all day and Kate was at the 12th. He thought about calling her at work but thought better of it because she had just left an hour ago. So he decided to send her a quick text. Pulling up her contact information he typed out a quick message:
Hi Babe, I am already missing you. I am heading over to the clinic for my treatment. Would you want to meet at Remy's for a quick burger?
He places his phone on the island counter and gets his coat out of the closet. He returns to his phone and sees a new text has arrived from Kate.
I am missing you too! :) Hope your treatment goes well. As for lunch, that will be hard because I am in the middle of a double murder and it looks like it will be a long day. I will call later to see how your treatment went.
If he knows one thing about her, he knows she will not eat at all today. She simply forgets until she is so run down that she gets some non nutritional junk food from the vending machines. Slipping his phone into his pocket he puts on his coat and heads out to the clinic. It is a calm day outside so he decides to walk the 12 blocks to the clinic. Arriving there he checks in with the coordinator and she hands him his survey. Sitting down with the survey and a pen he contemplates weather or not he should tell them about his lack of sleep. Remembering what Dr. Cho told him before he entered the trial he starts to write.
Handing his survey to the coordinator she tells him to go to treatment room 2. He walks over to the room sits and waits. About 5 minutes later Dr. Cho walks into the treatment room. He is a little surprised to see her in front of him, he has only dealt with her two other times during the trial. Usually he meets with a nurse she gives him his injection and that's it. Rick looks at the survey in her hand and his shoulders drop, he is not wanting to talk about his lack of sleep with her. She takes a seat opposite him and starts telling him about his progress.
"Hello Rick, how are you feeling after six weeks on the trial?"
"I am doing well, I feel stronger every day."
He is happy that she uses his first name. She goes on to tell him that he will need to have a blood test by week 8 to find out the progress of the drugs effectiveness. He nods in understanding. While she is almost finished he thinks that she is not going to talk to him about his sleep habits.
"So Rick I understand that you are having trouble sleeping?"
Damn, I thought I was home free.
"Well Dr. Cho, there are nights when I go to bed and then I fall asleep lightly and the slightest movement or noise wakes me. Then there are nights when I get into bed and just lie there staring at the ceiling not sleeping at all."
"I need to ask you what you meant by the slightest movement?"
Not sure he should tell her that Kate now shares his bed with him he decides to tell her that his relationship status has changed.
"Dr. Cho, do you remember the detective who was with me the last time we were here?
"Yes, why?"
"Well, there have been recent changes in our relationship. Right before I started the trial I asked her to move in with me, and sometimes when she moves closer to me for comfort during the night she startles me awake. She doesn't know that shes doing it and I have never told her that it's happening. I just don't want her to think that this is her fault."
"Well Rick the only person it seems to be affecting is you, I mean are you able to make it through the day without any sleep?"
"Believe it or not I can, but there are times during the day that I need to take a power nap to recharge and then I am fine."
"Okay keep trying to get some sound sleep, and if you are not able to I can prescribe a mild sedative for you so you can sleep. I'd like to see you when you return on Friday for your next dose so we can continue this conversation.
Pleased with the way today's visit went he thinks now that it was foolish for him to hide the fact that he was not sleeping well. Getting up to leave he now needs to tell Kate what the doctor thinks...