Shane fought the yawn as he looked down his scope at the liver sample of his latest customer and made notes in his own personal shorthand. He was ready for the night to be done, as he was tapped on field time for the month, owing to the fact he had pulled no less than eight doubles, and the fact that Perlmutter wanted the newbie Bialystok to clock more field time to improve his confidence. He had potential, no question, but the guy needed to be able to do examinations beyond the tiled walls of the morgue at Stuysvesant Memorial.

God, he needed a nap, he thought. Maybe he could close his eyes at his desk while he was on his lunch break - despite the fact he was on nights and his 'lunch' was at thirty-thirty in the morning, he still called it lunch - and then he wouldn't feel like he was going to hop up on one of the autopsy tables with one of the sterile white sheets.

He looked down at his notes and knew it was time for a break - he'd written subject has no signs of cirrhosis, hepatitis or fluffy pillows on his scratch-pad notes he'd transfer to an official report. Perlmutter would not appreciate that, so Shane shoved back from the bench of scopes and test vials to head back to his post-mortem theatre; he wondered if maybe he shouldn't take his coffee break and his lunch back to back, slip over to Lanie's theatre to steal her teakettle and make himself a cup or three. When he saw that it was currently in use by Perlmutter, Shane sighed and continued on to his own workspace.

'Hey son.'

Shane pulled up short when he saw Castle of all people sitting at his computer station. 'What the fuck are you doing here?' he blurted out; it was the only logical thing that could get through his addled brain.

'Kate's up with Jojo, the little thing's got a bit of a colicky tummy and Kate's about ready to lose her mind so I said I'd head out, get her some ice cream and maybe a little tea from Loose Leaf or something.'

'Yeah, because we run one of those here,' Shane said dryly.

'I was almost home,' Castle continued, 'when Kate texted me and said you sent her a text asking something about goose down duvets.'

'Oh God.' Shane laughed at himself, pinched the bridge of his nose between his index fingers. 'I need sleep. I thought I'd dreamed that, I did realize I'd actually done it.'

'Well, here. Brought you something from the all-night comfort truck. Not Israeli coucous or split pea soup, but it's a good stopover.' Castle put a Styrofoam carton on the desk, added a paper take-away cup.

Shane lifted the lid and nearly wept - his future father-in-law had brought him fried chicken and mashed potatoes smothered in country gravy with a biscuit and spinach salad on the side. 'Oh, God, this smells so good. I just wanna crawl inside this box, make me a little beddie-byes out of the potatoes and sleep eat all that chicken and spinach.'

'Yeah, you're looking a little roughed-up, bro.'

'I need sleep. I've been working since ten this morning.'

'Ouch. Wedding stuff or morgue stuff?'

'Both. Alexis and I were tasting cake this morning with Body and we have ours picked. She headed back to Princeton tonight on the train and I'm stuck here wishing I was home in bed to sleep, and...Skype with her.'

'Can't you just use the phone?'

'Rick, Skype has video, let's leave it at that.'

'Ah, I understand.' Castle wished he didn't but he did; better to handle was the fact that however much Shane teased his bride-to-be, he loved soul food just as much as Alexis. 'So why are you here?'

'I was on call this morning and got tied up on overtime from that, and now I'm working my normal shift.'

'Why don't you call it a night, go home sick?'

Shane tried to swallowed but his throat was all hot and lumpy. 'I need the money, for the wedding that is slowly but surely turning into a disaster.'

'Shane, everyone hits bumps when wedding planning.'

'Yeah, well...' He trailed off on a fit of violent coughing, little lights bursting in front of his eyes. Shane went to stand up, and would have hit the floor had it not been for Castle grabbing his arm to help him slump down so he didn't whack his head on the metal table. 'Fuck. I think I should go home.'

'By way of the hospital. You need to see a doctor.'

'I am a doctor.'

'And I'm not letting you become your own patient,' Castle insisted, helping the man to his feet just as Perlmutter in all his crusty boorishness slouched in. 'Sydney, you are going to need to get someone to fill in for Shane.'

'He's scheduled until six,' Perlmutter groused.

'And he just about blacked out from coughing,' he countered. 'Do you want his phlegm hanging out in here?'

'Fine, go, I'll get someone to come in and cover.' Perlmutter waved them off and with Castle's arm firmly on his arm, Shane let himself be steered towards the elevator so they could retrieve Shane's things from the locker room.

'Thanks, Daddy,' Shane mumbled miserably, making the writer laugh.

'Man, you must be taking lessons from RJ.'

Alexis finished drying her hair, looked around to make sure she had everything ready for her study group and frowned at her cellphone. Shane hadn't called her and he'd promised he would; he always called her even it was a thirty-second 'hey babe I'm home going to be, love you mwah-mwah' kind of call.

Hoping it didn't make her look to needy, as she was feeling that way almost every day being in school while trying to plan the wedding, Alexis hit the speed dial for home and waited while it rang, trying to be patient until he answered.

'Lexy my love, I can't talk.'

'Shane, I know you're tired, but-'

'No, I mean I can't talk,' he rasped, and Alexis realized that his voice was at least an octave lower and sounded like he had gravel in his voicebox. 'I have strep throat, I'm on antibiotics so I'm not supposed to talk.'

'Okay, you stay in bed then, and get better. When does the doctor think you'll be up and around?'

'I'm stuck at home and can't have visitors until Monday.'

'But...I'm coming home this weekend,' Alexis protested, her stomach sinking in disappointment as she realized what this meant. She locked the door of her apartment, . 'We have to go to the florist, we're finalizing the wedding party flowers and selecting our centrepieces.'

'Not this weekend, unless you want to be a human cane for me and risk strep throat which you can't afford while you are coming into the home stretch of your semester.'

'Oh, baby, I wanted to see you this weekend.'

'I know, me too, but-' Shane cut himself off with a violent fit of coughing, so brutal that Alexis had to hold her phone away from her ear.

'Shane, hang up the phone and text me when you feel better, okay? I love you, now go get some rest.'

'Love you too. Bye.'

Alexis ended the call, tapping her phone against her chin in thought. She wanted to see her fiance and she'd made the plan to go home anyways and study, why couldn't she go to the loft instead? Pressing another button for speed dial to the loft's houseline, she wasn't surprised when RJ picked up.

'Castle home, this Ah-Shay.'

'Hi, RJ, it's Alexis.'

'Alessis! Hi-hi, my Alessis, you 'wake soo' today!'

'So are you.'

'I helpin' Mumum wit' Sho-sho, she gettin' big!'

Alexis laughed, even as she pined for her little sister. 'That's good, it means she's eating right. Listen, can I talk to Mom for a minute?'

'Ah-course Alessis! Mumum! Alessis on-a phone!'

There was a shuffling noise, and then Beckett's jovial but slightly tired voice came on the line. 'Alexis? What's up, girl?'

'Not much, just got off the phone with Shane, he's got strep throat.'

'I know, Rick told me when he came home last night. Long story,' she added before Alexis could inquire, 'but hopefully he won't be sick for this weekend.'

'This weekend?'

'Yeah, RJ and Jojo are spending the weekend with my dad and Miss Agnes so Rick and I can have a Valentine's part two at the house in the Hamptons.'

'Oh, that's nice.' The hope of getting to spend the weekend with her family flew out the window as she stepped onto the elevator and tried not to let her disappointment show through. It was a feat, as Beckett was still talking.

'I bet you're looking forward to this weekend, doing more wedding stuff with Shane,' she continued. 'You have everything picked out at the florist's?'

'Yeah, we have to reschedule that. Shane's got strep throat and is on doctor's orders for bedrest until Monday, and I really don't want to do wedding things like this without him.'

'Understandable, but...oh, dammit, RJ! RJ, leave Jojo alone! She's sleeping! Sorry, Lex, I gotta run, I'll talk to you on Sunday when I'm back, just you and me and some girl time, okay?'

'Okay, love you Mom.'

'Love you too.'

Alexis hung up the call once more, feeling even more dejected. The elevator doors binged open; once she stepped inside to head for her lobby, she let herself weep just a little bit.