Meredeth got to her feet, her legs shaky as she went into the hallway for a little privacy, where they were joined by a short redhead in neon green surgical scrubs. She folded her arms over her chest, while Austin spoke in that infuriatingly unflappable voice every surgeon Meredeth ever met possessed.

'We got in there, and we fixed up the torn muscles, but we found no traces of bullet fragments in his arm, nor was it near the bone,' Austin explained patiently. 'There are tears both in his biceps brachii and brachialis from the entry and exit of the bullet, but we tested his muscle and nerve function and they were all positive.'

'You know in Empire Strikes Back, when Luke gets his mechanical hand, the little robot jabs the fingertips and points on the palm? Like that,' Lanie said, hoping Meredeth didn't feel she was patronizing her. Thankfully, Meredeth nodded curtly to show her understanding, as Austin continued his report.

'In order to heal properly, his arm will be immobilized for at least fourteen days in order for the healing process to be uninterrupted. After all that is finished, he'll need physiotherapy, but the bottom line is he's going to be just fine.'

'He's going to be just fine,' Meredeth repeated, looking at Lanie, who bobbed her head rapidly.

'We're going to keep him here for a few days to make sure he doesn't develop any infection, and the internist on my post-op service will be taking over the case once he's finished in the OR if you have any questions beyond his surgical care. He'll be out of recovery in about ten minutes,' Austin said, checking his watch, then putting his hand on the redhead's shoulder. 'This is Emily, one of the surgical nurses on my service, she's going to escort you up to your boyfriend's room.'

'I'll let everyone in there know the situation,' Lanie told Meredeth when she saw her hesitate, jutting her chin to the door behind Meredeth. 'Simmons Wing, room 730?' she verified with Emily, who nodded.

No longer shaky with anxiety, but with anticipation, Meredeth followed the petite woman to the elevators; once inside, she slumped against the wall, hands on her knees as she tried to keep the tears from spilling over. Not yet, she thought, not until I see him.

'I'm glad he's okay. I recognized him when he came in, from your Twitter photos,' Emily said, understanding Meredeth probably didn't want to be soothed and petted just yet. 'I also heard what that bitch Valencia tried to do. Only thing that travels faster in a hospital than disease is gossip,' she added sheepishly off Meredeth's glance. 'I'm one hundred percent on your side. She treated him so horribly, commenting how he wasn't so well-endowed in the manly way, and cheating with Doctor Leeds was justifiable since the cop stopped sleeping with her after the first date.'

Meredeth only shook her head; she'd heard the story before on the night she and Esposito had traded stories about their romantic misadventures. 'My man represents the Banana Republic quite well, and he knew all about Leeds, which was why it ended in the first place. Fidelity isn't a grey area with him.'

'Well, anyways, I think she's absolutely vile and you two are a much better pair. Here we are.' Emily ushered her charge into the room. 'Have the nurse's station page me if you need anything.'

Thank you.' Meredeth sat down, nervously pressed her hands together as she studied the empty space where a bed with her man would arrive shortly. Despite being a cop on a city salary, he had excellent health insurance which would cover the private room in which she waited for him. It had more the feel of a low-rent hotel than a hospital appointment which made her feel far more comfortable than the cold starkness of the ER's examination room. She thought about calling Lili, or Rosalita and Alejandro, but just couldn't bring herself to do it until she saw him.

She felt her nerves go wire-taut when she heard the murmur of voices, of wheels approaching; she shot out of her chair as the orderlies moved the bed through the door and she saw her Javi looking far less pale lying there, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in normal rhythm. His entire left arm was strapped to a padded stabilizing board; there was a bright-white dressing wrapped around his left bicep just above the elbow and an IV port at his wrist leading to the bags of fluids and blood on the metal pole attached to the rail of the bed. At his side in an instant, she closed her fingers over his hand and willed her voice to steady. 'Javi?'

His eyes flew open, and Meredeth could see the spaced-out look in them as they tried to focus on her. 'Mere, my love.'

'I'm right here.'

'Love you.'

'I love you too.'

'Ryan?'

'He's okay.'

'Good.' His eyes sank shut again, as she continued to hold his hand. 'Stay.'

'I'm not going anywhere.'

Esposito nodded meekly, the movement more like he was rubbing an itchy spot on the back of his head against his pillow before mumbling, 'Night my Merry-cherry.'

Meredeth laughed a little at the absurd pet name. 'Sleep tight, baby.'

She remained standing as he drifted off, chest rising and falling shallowly under the thin cotton sheets. Pulling out her scratch pad and pen from her purse, Meredeth began to compose a list of things she'd get one of her friends to bring to him from the house when a light knock sounded on the door. Glancing over, she saw it was Lanie sans the toss-away surgical gown she'd been sporting when she and Austin had come to update her on Esposito's condition.

'Hey, we're just across the hall when you have a moment.'

'It's okay, he's out for the count right now.' Meredeth gave Esposito's forehead a light peck, then followed Lanie out of the room and across the hall to find everyone from Ryan's ER room waiting for her, minus Beckett; presumably she'd gone back to the precinct to deal with the paperwork and the other police business that needed to be attended to. Leaning against the wall with a tired sigh, she kept her eyes closed for a few moments to diffuse the churning she felt in her stomach. When she opened them, saw her friends watching her with such understanding and patience, she felt the pen and paper slip from her lifeless fingers as the control she'd held onto with such a greasy grip slid away completely. She pressed a hand to her mouth as the tears began to flow hotly, the sobs shaking her whole body as she felt her legs give out and she slid to the floor.

'Oh, God.'

Castle was across the room in a heartbeat, cradling her in his arms with as much care as he'd held Alexis with when she'd gone through her first break-up. He helped her to her feet, still holding onto her. 'It's okay, Mere, it's okay.'

'I couldn't let it-I wasn't-I-'

'Shh, there's no need to explain.' She was trembling, he noted, as much from relief as from the gush of emotion that had come pouring out of her. 'I get it. Some days it's absolute hell being in love with a cop, and today is one of those days,' he murmured to her.

'I know,' she sniffled wetly, pulling back a little as her sobs subsided. 'Oh fuck it, I ruined your sweater.'

'It's fine.' Castle had worn it countless times when Alexis had needed to have a good cry and be held by her father, and his dry cleaner had always pulled through for him then. 'A sweater's nothing if a hug makes you feel better.'

Lanie had come over too, rubbed her hand in a broad circle on Meredeth's back. Spotting the little note-pad, she crouched to pick it up. 'Pyjamas, throw blanket, black-pillow, shaving kit,' she read. 'I'll go by your house, pick these things up for him, and I'm assuming you'll need some fresh clothes for yourself?'

'Yeah. My car is parked at a meter, too, so-'

'Give me your keys.' Castle held out his hand. 'Lanie and I will drive it back to your place, and take care of Arturo.'

'His overnight bag is underneath his side of the bed, and his travel toiletries are on the second shelf in the ensuite bathroom medicine cabinet. Oh and he'll probably want his afghan from the living room.'

'Anything you want?'

'I...' Meredeth shoved her hand through her hair, hoping it would help clear the mist from her brain. 'Maybe a sleep cot or something for in his room? I don't want to leave him overnight on his own and there wasn't a spot for me to rest.'

'Consider it done.' With that, Castle was gone out the door, leaving Meredeth in Lanie's very capable hands.

'Bet that felt good to let it out, huh?'

'My head hurts but yeah, I do feel a little better.' On a small groan, Meredeth lowered herself into one of the boxy armchairs of the lounge. 'And here I thought the worst part of my day was canceling dinner plans with him because I had to work late.'

'It's okay, sweetie.' Lanie gave her friend a squeeze around the shoulder. 'I'll put something together for you when I leave with Castle, and,' she added, lowering her voice discreetly, 'I'll make sure he doesn't snoop through your goodie drawer.'

'It's actually a white plastic bin that says 'Toy Box' on the lid, and it's underneath my side of the bed.'

'Got it covered.'

Castle came back, his face still serious but his tone far lighter. 'You've got yourself a twin trundle beside your man, Meredeth.'

'Thanks.'

'Come on, Doc, let's go get the brave hero cop his jammies.'

Lanie gave Meredeth one last squeeze before following him out the door, leaving her with Ryan, who looked in better spirits than when she'd first seen him.

'Where's Honey-Milk?'

'Sleeping in my room. She gets tired really easily now that she's getting close to the home stretch.' Even through his injuries, Ryan's face glowed bright as a sun when he mentioned his pregnant wife. 'Sometimes I still can't believe we made a baby. More I can't believe we made it at Castle's party.'

'But isn't that part of the whole experience of becoming a parent? Reminiscing about when you made your bouncing bundle of joy?'

'I don't think a kid's going to want to hear that I wanted to make sexy-time with his or her mother because her Hallowe'en costume was making me all hot and bothered so we bumped uglies in the party host's bathrrom and nine months later, Jenn pushed them into the world.'

'True, but on the other hand, when you're up at two in the morning on diaper patrol, you can think back fondly.'

Ryan let out a laugh which turned into a yawn. 'I'm going to go check on my baby mama. Give me a boost?'

'Sure, where are we going?'

'Just down the hallway.'

Meredeth smiled as she unlocked the brakes of his wheelchair and pushed him towards his room. 'Tally-ho, good sir.'

'Speaking of hoes, what's this I hear about Val Morales causing trouble in the ER?'

'Oh, don't even...She was going to try and have me thrown out of the hospital, Ryan.'

'Bitch. I told him the night he met her at the bar, don't do it, she's got bad news written all over her. Of course, bro just wanted to break a bad dry-spell. Now that he's got you, of course...' Ryan leaned back, turned his gaze upward to give Meredeth a toothy grin. 'I think that phrase will lose all meaning for him.'

'You know there's more to our relationship than sex.' Really, really good mind-blowing hundred-and-one lists type sex, she added silently.

'You're his heart and soul, Mere, any fool can see that; it's just my job to bust on him.' His tone turned somber a moment. 'I don't suppose there's any point telling you to go home and rest so I'll tell you to get some sleep, okay? He'll need you to get through this, no matter how much of a jackass he's going to act like.'

'I know. He was positively insufferable when he caught a cold last winter. You'd have thought he had brain worms or something, and then five bucks says he gets shot and will expect to bounce back like a rubber ball. All part of his stubborn, rock-headed charm, I guess.'

Meredeth turned into room seven-forty-two, saw Honey-Milk lying on one of the beds with her arm protectively draped over her baby bump as she dozed. She stopped Ryan's chair beside the bed. 'You need a hand?' she asked.

'Nah, I got it.' With obviously practiced moves, Ryan nudged Honey-Milk out of the center of the bed, then positioned himself in a half-sitting-up position so her cheek rested against his ribs while he wrapped his free arm around her body to hold her close.

'You ready for bed, Kev?' she murmured when she awoke; his voice was soft and supportive, much like Esposito's was when Meredeth had gone through her night-terror episodes.

'Yeah. Go back to sleep.'

Meredeth watched Ryan kiss her forehead as he slide his hand over the curve of her belly, the soft glow of pure love lighting his angelic face as he mouthed, 'the baby's moving' to Meredeth. Touched by his tenderness, she slipped out to give them their privacy and check on her own hero cop. He was still out cold, she saw when she arrived at his room. Foregoing the cot discreetly set up beside the bed, she toed off her shoes and turning down the sheets, crawled in beside him. He stirred once, shifted at the new body beside him.

'Mere,' he mumbled before conking back out again.

'I'm right here, my love,' she told him, holding him around the waist. 'I'm not going anywhere.'


R&R&Enjoy.