"Alexis!"
Was all Martha could shout out before her head hit the table. When Martha could not get a coherent response from her, she picked up the phone that was lying on the table still connected and asked who was on the other end.
"Can I ask who this is?"
"Oh hello this is Chloe Addams and I am from the Lalomanu District Hospital on the island of Samoa. Can I ask with whom I am speaking with?"
"Miss Addams, this is Martha Rodgers."
"Oh good. Mrs. Rodgers, I think I have some good news for you."
"And what news would that be dear?"
"Mrs. Rogers I think we might have found your son. But I need to know if you can tell me if there are any distinguishing marks on his body. Like a birthmark or a scar something that we can use to identify him with just to be certain it's actually him."
Never in a million years did Martha think she would get a phone call like this. Now she knew why Alexis had fainted right into her penne. She knew that everyone thought as well she herself, that her son was lost for good. But now that seems not to be the case.
"Miss Adams if you look between about two inches above his left hip you will find a birthmark about the shape of a dime. But other than that, he's had his tonsils removed and he has a scar right above his right knee when he fell as a child.
"Mrs. Rogers I'm going to put you on a brief hold to check out what you just told me I will be back as quick as I can."
There was no elevator music playing when she was put on hold and she was fighting the urge to hang up. This was impossible. Three years later her son is found? While she was waiting on hold Alexis started to moan in her penne. She looked over and noticed that her head was starting to rise off her dish. Not knowing what to tell her right now since she was fully sitting up again, she told her to go clean off her face in the bathroom and when she returned then they would talk once she has the confirmation that it was really her son that they found. Alexis did what she was told and as soon as she left the table Chloe came back on the line.
"Mrs. Rodgers? Chloe asks after hearing nothing on the other end.
"Yes dear. Tell me, is it him?"
"Yes ma'am it is. The birthmark is right where you said it would be."
When Alexis finishes washing her face she heads back to the dining room where she sees her grandmother not moving still with her cell phone to her ear. She looks like a granite statue.
"Grams?"
As she gets closer she can see the horror written all over her face. She takes the phone from her and sees if the call is still connected. And it is.
"Hello?"
"And who is this if I can ask?"
"This is Alexis Castle. Who is this?"
"My name is Chloe Addams. And I have your father here in a hospital on the island of Samoa."
"Are you sure? He has a birth…"
"Alexis, I checked already. It's him."
"Why is he in the hospital?"
"Other than dehydration he has a very severe case of malaria. One of the worst strains someone could get."
"Oh my god, just when I get him back…"
"Alexis, listen to me. He'll make it through this with the proper treatment. Right now, he is in quarantine. We have administered a drug called parenteral artesunate. He was unresponsive to the Quinine so the doctor decided that this was a better health plan. His fever has come down considerably."
"Thank you, Chloe."
"Not a problem. So, can I ask when you'll be arriving here in Samoa?"
"I'm not sure when I will be able to get a flight out. But I think that if I can find one it will be as soon as possible. Can I call you back when I know?"
"That would be great. Just a word of warning though, your father will be with us for a while. I'm thinking at least two weeks but it could be longer."
"I don't care! I have him back now."
"Okay, Alexis I'll be waiting for your call. Just call me on the number that popped up on your caller ID. It will come directly here to me."
Xx
He kept having these strange dreams. He and Kate were married and there were two small children running around in a green grassy backyard. But everything was different and they were not in New York. He looked over at Kate and noticed that she was older and had wisps of grey mixed in with her dark brown hair. She still had an innocence about her but she looked good for being older. More mature if anything. He is in the backyard and watches as the kids run around and wondered who's exactly they were. They both had brown hair like Kate's but the boy looked more like himself and looked to be about five or six. They turn around and start running towards him calling out the one name he never expected.
"Grandpa."
Xx
Rick wakes with a start and almost falls out of the bed. The light above is so bright he needs to close his eyes again to shield them from the light as he repositions himself back onto the bed.
He notices two IV's inserted into his body and wonders where the hell he is. He knows that he's in a hospital because honestly, they all smell the same in his book. But he is surrounded by a plastic tent. Fro what reason he can't figure out.
A very weak sounding "Hello" comes from his throat, and it's barely recognizable. After no response, he tries again but a little louder and he pays the price for it. His throat feels like sandpaper when he's finished with what he thinks was yelling.
Nurse Williams, Dr. Nelson, and Chloe who is closest to Rick's room are standing out in the hallway talking about their next step for his care. He has the worst strain of malaria that any person could ever get. When the conversation begins to wrap up Chloe swears he hears something from his room. She puts up a single finger up to shush her coworkers and turns to look through the small rectangle safety glass of the door. Through the plastic quarantine tent and she can see that Rick's eyes are blinking rapidly. She turns pushes through the door and heads to the side of his bed.
"Mr. Castle it's okay. I'm going to talk to you and tell you where you are and what is wrong with you do you understand?" Chloe asked.
She watches as Rick's head bobs up and down.
"Alright then. You are in the hospital on the island of Samoa. You were rescued from the island of Kanton we think. That part is still a bit sketchy. You have a very serious case of malaria. You're currently being treated for dehydration, malaria, and malnutrition. The IV in your right hand is feeding you. The IV in your left hand is providing you fluids."
"Kate!" Rick all but yelled at her.
"Kate? Was she on the island with you?" Chloe asks hoping that she wasn't.
Being that Rick can't really speak that well due to his throat feeling like sand, he motions for a pen and paper to write his question. Chloe picks up a pad from the nurse's desk and pulls up a pen from her pocket to give to Rick. She watches as he writes furiously.
Kate Beckett. She was not on the island with me she was going to be my wife back in New York I need to get in touch with her.
"Mister Castle, we contacted your mother and daughter they should be landing here in Samoa within the next hour. Why don't you wait until they get here to ask them about Kate?"
When Chloe looked over at Rick all he could do was give her a nod. He fell asleep shortly after that.
Xx
International travel is the worst. They have been flying for the past twenty-three hours and they have a very, very bad case of jet lag. Almost to the point where they could not function. The flight also gave her time to think. Now that she had proof about her father being alive, maybe not everyone should know about it. She had a fleeting moment about telling Kate but it left her thoughts the second it entered her mind. She had left them with no contact. So Alexis would withhold her news. But Alexis was up and out of her first-class seat when the jetway was attached to the side of the plane not giving it another thought.
Once they cleared customs in Samoa they made a beeline for the exit. Dragging their suitcases behind them they hailed the first form of ground transportation they could find.
"Lalomanu District Hospital and step on it!" Alexis practically yelled at the driver.
Within seconds they were thrust against the backseat of the cab. The driver took their words to heart when they said step on it. They were driving in excess of eighty miles per hour out of the airport exit. From the airport, the ride had been less than ten minutes to the hospital. Retrieving their bags from the trunk they rushed into the hospital headed for the information center.
"Good morning. I'm looking for my father Richard Castle can you tell me where he is?" Alexis demanded.
"One-second ma'am while I look up his room number. The information clerk is very good at her job because in less than five seconds later Alexis has a room number to where he's located. By the time they get to the floor they are intercepted by Chloe who knows exactly who they are.
"Mrs. Rogers Alexis I'm glad that you made it to Samoa. If you follow me I'll bring you directly to your father….
