Chapter 14
Kate follows Laurie's directions with the utmost care. She would not get lost going to see him. Although the wait in the surgical waiting area is one she was going to dread. It would be about 5 hours, according to the head nurse before he is out of surgery. Carefully, she follows the orange line until she came to an elevator. Pressing the button to gain access the doors which opened almost immediately.
Arriving at a sub basement floor, she exits the elevator and turns right. She keeps following the line. 30 seconds later she is entering the door to the waiting area. It has the usual staple of vending machines, but to her surprise the waiting chairs look to be very comfortable. She takes a seat in the first one. She notices a couple in the set of chairs against the wall. They are holding each other probably hoping that their loved one would make it through a procedure. She gives a faint smile and sat down.
The wait will be the death of her. She has time to recount everything that has happened tonight. She starts with the events after she had asked Rick to listen to the tapes. Now that she thinks about it when he is finished listening to the tape, he seems a bit upset at what he has heard. Though, he has hidden it well she knows something is off with him. She keeps returning to his open laptop and the site he had opened, Finn Rourke's pub. It somehow has to have some sort of a meaning to him. She needs to find out what it is.
Startled from her thoughts, the couple asks her a question.
"Excuse me, but what did you say?" Kate asks a bit embarrassed as she did not hear the first question due to her being so deep in thought.
"That's okay, darling, he was just wondering if you were okay?" The woman replies while shushing her companion.
Kate takes a second to compose herself. She is actually not really 100% until Rick is safely out of surgery and in her arms again.
"Wait, where did that come from?" Kate thinks.
She would not deny how she felt being in his arms, again! He makes her feel safe. His loving embrace had always comforted her too like she could do anything.
"You are so kind for asking, thanks, I'm okay... For now, " she said sadly.
"I'm Kathy and this here brute is Frank. Do you mind if I ask you why you're here?" She carefully asks.
"I'm waiting for my partner's surgery to be complete. He was shot." Kate replies.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, darling, I'm sure that he will be fine. I hear the doctors here are top notch." She says trying to lift Kate's spirits.
Kate leaves the conversation hanging with the couple and she delves deeper into the question. Why was Rick shot? There has to be some connection between the tapes and their involvement looking into it. Her first thought is to see if Robert has any idea. So having a plan of sorts she would contact him when she is sure that Rick is okay and on the way to recovery.
Kate dozes for about 3 hours in the comfortable chair. She awakes with a start when she hears the quiet sobbing from the other side of the room. She turns to see Kathy crying and Frank letting her lean into him and embracing her. Kate feels embarrassed since she never did inquire why this couple is here. It is obvious that someone they love must have not made it through the surgery. Kate did not want to intrude on their time of grief so she looks quickly away.
Before Kate is able to glance away Frank speaks.
"Our father did not survive his emergency surgery. He was not one to listen to the doctors' warnings. He was a diabetic and really did not take care of himself at all. He needed to have a new kidney. Since he did not take care of himself, the fluid built up in his lungs. His heart had such a strain on it that it just stopped. The surgeons did everything they possibly could do. He is now in a better place." Frank explains.
"I am so sorry for your loss. You have my sincere condolences." Kate replies.
"Thank-you, Detective… We are going to be heading out now. I'm sorry to leave you all alone. I hope your partner pulls through." Frank says rising with his sister still clinging to him for support.
"Thanks for the concern, I'll be fine. I'm sorry again for your loss. Did you happen to see a doctor here asking for me while I slept?" Kate asks.
"No Detective, I'm sorry, I did not." Frank sadly says.
The couple leaves Kate then exits the room. She feels sad for them. She has first hand knowledge of what they will go through in the coming days. Kate needs to make a call to Javi. She totally forgot to check in with him on what they might have found out at the crime scene about the sniper. Waiting for the call to connect her thoughts bring her back to the question plaguing her. Why try to kill Rick? There has to be some explanation. Perhaps, someone was tipped off to what they were doing? If that is true, then that means that there is a leak either in the NYPD or the FBI. That is not something she wants to think about now.
"Esposito" He answers being rushed.
"Espo, it's Beckett. Do you have anything for me?" Kate asks.
"Boss, what's up? How is Castle doing? CSU determined the sniper's location and it looks like he's been there for some time." He asked with hope in his voice.
"No word yet, as far as I know he is still in surgery." Kate says distantly.
"Damn Kate, how badly was he hit?" Espo asks.
"Espo, it looks so bad. I went into shock after I called 911. There's just so much blood everywhere." Kate says as her eyes are filling with tears.
She has not cried for him yet as she holds them back pushing through.
"Boss, he will pull through. Please believe that." Espo says.
"Javi, he needs to do that. I need to tell him that I am in love with him. He needs to hear that from my lips. Listen Espo, would you do me a favor?" Kate asks.
Java is still amazed at Beckett's last statement to him. However, he recovers quickly.
"Sure Boss, what do you need?" he inquires.
"Javi, sweep the loft, my car and even my desk. I need to know if there are any listening devices. Also check Rick's computers for intrusions or any other type of surveillance systems. Also for good measure have them sweep my apartment too. Rick was shot for a reason. I think it is related to the FBI copies of surveillance tapes the day of my mother's murder." Kate orders.
"Alright, I'll have a tech unit sweep what you want. Oh, and one more thing... Montgomery wants you at the 12th as soon as you are able to get here." Espo relays.
"Espo, I am not leaving here until I know that he's out of danger. You can tell the Captain that if he wants, he can write me up for insubordination. Until then I'm not leaving his side. Do you understand?" Kate strongly says. "Also Javi, we will need police protection for Rick. If the sniper is not caught, he might try again. Get only people you can trust on this detail personally."
"Yup Boss, I have it loud and clear." Javi says as he hangs up the call.
He heads to face the wrath he knows will come from the Captain when he tells him the news.
Kate sinks back into the chair wondering what's taking so long. It's been almost 7 hours. She needs an update. Getting up and walking over to the night nurses' station, she sees that 2 nurses are discussing something about a celebrity being here and was recovering from a gunshot wound.
"Excuse me, that is my partner the two of you are discussing. I need to know what his status?" Kate asks in a menacing tone.
There are two nurses still wearing OR scrubs. They look at Kate then see her badge.
"So sorry, Detective…" The first one stammers.
"I want some damn answers! Not some apology so what do you know?" Kate says in her most angry interrogation voice.
The two nurses look at each other in disbelief. They have read so much about Mr. Castle on page six that they thought that he was still on the market. Boy, were they just so wrong. An older man overhearing Kate's request walks up to the nurse's station.
"Sandy, Joan I'll handle this. Please return to Mr. Castle and monitor his BP, respiration, and his chest tubes for fluid output. If it's over 150cc's come and get me immediately." He says with authority.
Kate does not like the sound of this. The doctor takes her by the hand and guides her back to the chairs. Sitting he started to explain what is going on with Rick.
"Detective…?" He asks.
"It's Beckett, I'm Kate Beckett. Did you preform the surgery on my partner?" Kate asks.
"Hello, Detective Beckett. My name is Dr. Justin Murphy. Yes, I participated in Mr. Castle's surgery. There were actually 4 of us working on him. Each with a specific task. I am here to update you regarding Mr. Castle's condition. Are you ready?" he asks.
Kate braces herself for the news then she mutely nods. The righteous fire has gone out of her.
"Okay, then let's get to it, then shall we? Mr. Castle presented with a gunshot wound to the upper chest. At the time he arrived in the OR he has lost about 25% of his total blood volume. The ammunition used is the type of round that enters the body and causes a small entrance wound. Due to the kinetic force it fragments as it strikes the target, the exit wound is somewhere about 3 to 4 times larger." The doctor reports.
Kate nods being familiar with this type of explosive round. Someone did not want Rick live through this experience. She motions the doctor to continue. Though, she knows what sort of wound Rick suffers.
"With that said, the wound Mr. Castle has sustained is much worse than I originally thought. I surgically repaired the entry wound, but due to the bullet fragmenting along the way there was slight damage to two areas of his heart. The first fragment pierced the right ventricle and the other fragment tore through his superior vena cava. This is what consumed most of the surgery time. Once his heart was repaired, the next damage to repair is the very large exit wound to his back." The doctor takes a breath.
Kate remains stoic as the doctor continues his grisly task.
"Upon turning him onto his stomach we learn that the bullet has, for the most part, stayed intact. The shooter shot at an angle that hit him front to rear but when a bullet hits the soft tissue its direction changes drastically. His left clavicle and the scapula are also damaged. The scapula receives most of the damage." The doctor says.
"So Doctor, what is his prognosis?" Kate asked hopefully.
"He will probably have very limited use of his left arm. The range of motion will be greatly reduced due to the damage to the scapula. His clavicle will heal with time. The heart issue will also need to be monitored. I foresee a full recovery to the heart. The entry wound will leave a small scar, but the exit wound will over time will be a problem for him. The tissue that scars over the scapula will pull drastically and cause a very uncomfortable strain on the surrounding skin and muscles. This will be a terrible reminder of this day for him. Of course later that strain could be lessened with skin grafts. However, that has to wait until he fully recovers."
"May, I see him?" Kate asks.
"He will be in recovery for the next 2 to 3 hours. He is unable to respond since he has been placed in a medically induced coma. He also has a breathing tube to regulate his breathing." He says.
"Dr. Murphy, I don't care if he is unconscious, I just need to be near him. I must make sure in my mind that he is still here with me." Kate explains.
"Well, this is what I am going to do. Within the next three hours he is to be transferred to a room that will be his room for the next two weeks. After that he will be sent to a semi ICU room. It is there where we will slowly wean him off the drugs that are keeping him under to help him heal." He says.
"So there will be no chance to speak to him until that time?" Kate disappointedly asks.
"I'm afraid not. Procedures need to be followed to the "T" with cases like this. His health is what matters the most right now. Since you are his fiancée you will be able to come and go as you please. I do, however suggest that you go home get a good night's rest and return in the morning. There is really nothing you can do until then. Right now I will grant you 10 minutes with him nothing more." He says.
"Doctor, there is one other thing we need to plan. Rick is shot by a sniper. We will need to place round the clock police protection for him until he recovers. We will try to keep our presence to be as less disruptive as possible. So that means we need to know everyone who will be attending to Mr. Castle. We need to start on the background on the staff immediately. I will stay here until Rick is moved." Kate says with a very serious face.
"Yes of course detective you are welcomed to stay. Just do not disturb the patient. I will alert the staff and get you the names." The doctor says.
"Thank you, doctor. The NYPD appreciates your cooperation and that of your staff. So could you kindly guide me to Rick?" Kate asks.
The good doctor nods, then leads Kate away from the surgical waiting area and into Rick's temporary recovery room. As he stops at the doorway, she almost runs into him. Stepping aside, he lets her into the room. He leaves to fulfill her earlier request.
Kate slowly enters the room, then takes his right hand and laces their fingers together. His heart monitor shows no change when she does this. His hands are cold, almost too cold. She looks into his face and sees that the once carefree Rick Castle she knows is no longer the one she sees now. Even in a coma, she sees that he is in pain. His face shows it all. She brushes a stray wisp of hair back into position on his head. She then sits beside him.
The next thing she does is exit the room to look for Dr. Murphy. She finds him consulting another doctor. He has the list for her. She sets up in the hallway outside Rick's door. She monitors the coming and goings. She is determined to protect him at all costs.
Kate moves out of the recovery area, but close enough to see Rick's door. She pulls out her phone, then calls the captain who answers immediately.
"Beckett, how is he?" the captain softly asks.
Not good Captain, I've arranged for round the clock police protection for him. Espo is gathering some officers he trusts for this duty. I'm staying here until Rick is moved out of surgical recovery. He may never fully recover. The ammo was an explosive round. It did a massive amount of damage." Kate reports.
Damn Beckett, I understand. I will have Ryan contact you to get the background checks on that list done. You good to stay there. We'll have to manage without you for a while. Once you are relieved to go home and get some sleep. We will handle things here while you are gone." Roy says.
"Thanks, Captain I will be awaiting Ryan's call. Thank you again, Sir." Kate says as she hangs up.
Kate is busy sending the list to Ryan. Her phone rings again.
"Hey Ryan, so you got my list? Good, Castle is injured really bad. I need your help on this." Kate says.
"Yeah, I heard from Espo, I'll get right on this for you. Boss, Castle is a fighter…He'll pull through." Ryan says.
"Thanks, Ryan." Kate replies then hangs up.
The next call, she was going to dread. She first calls Martha's number, but only gets her voice mail.
"Martha, this Kate, please call me as soon as you can? I need to speak with you."
Kate hangs up, then tries Alexis' phone it goes to voice mail too. She leaves the same message, then she takes her position in front of Rick's door once again.
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Rick is moved about an hour after she has spoken with her Captain. Espo enters the hospital with the approved list.
"Ryan sure works fast" Kate thinks.
"Hey, Boss this is Elroy and Biggs they know me from the 54th. The captain thought it might be better to bring other officers from our previous precincts." Espo says.
"Good thinking, Elroy and Biggs, inside this room is someone very important to me. If anyone approaches not approved, you are to shoot to kill! This sniper is cunning and ruthless. If anyone not on this list tries to enter, alert me. If you fail well, I do not want to be in your shoes if you do." Kate growls in a very menacing tone.
Expo looks at his boss and even her voice even chills his harden bones. He could imagine what it is doing to the officers.
"Yes, Detective, we will not fail you." Biggs happens to squeak out.
"Good you better not, " Kate warns as she leaves with Espo.
Biggs looks at his partner.
"That is one scary Detective. I'd hate to be that sniper." Biggs says.
Elroy despite being 6' 7" just nods in agreement.
Espo says nothing as he takes her to her apt. He looks at his watch. It's 2:30 pm. The Captain told him to take his boss home, after that he will get some sleep too.
"Thanks, Espo, I can take it from here. You get some rest I'm sure CSU will be working throughout the night. Hopefully, in the morning, we will get their reports." Kate says.
"Right Beckett, whatever it is worth, I'm sorry it had to be Castle." He says and then he drives away.
"Thanks, Javi." Kate yells at the disappearing car.
Arriving home at her apartment she forgoes her daily, nightly routine for more rest. Stripping down to her panties and changing into a cammi she retreats under the bed sheets and comforter. She falls into a deep sleep. She awakes to her alarm set for 9:00 AM. The Captain wants her in by 10. She has just enough time to get a shower, get dressed, grab a caffeine boost and then swing by the hospital to see him.