Love You Through It
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: SnowKing1701 PROMPT REQUEST - They get together early in the series and a health scare tests their love, but not separate them. We may take liberties with the events and timeline from Canon and use events to make this a more believable fiction, Warning THIS IS AU, with only brief flashes of Canon. MAJOR CHARACTER ILLNESS, NO DEATH PROCEED WITH CAUTION, SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER
Thanks for the Prompt SnowKing1701, I hope I do it justice.
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Previously
He left shortly after, Kate knew that he would, that's how he always dealt with things, alone. He would seek out his sponsor from AA Walt, who knew him, the family and knew how to keep him on course. Now she was exhausted from another full day and wanted to be held, she needed his touch,
Rick had slipped away for a few minutes allowing her to say goodbye to Jim, and when he came back, he just said so sweetly,
"Babe, I drew you a hot bath, and I just want you to relax, and to hold you, we don't need to do any funny stuff*"
She crushed his lips before he finished the statement. "What if I want the funny stuff, Babe? Let's go take our bath, I need to feel you, and be in your arms" she took his hand and led him to the master bathroom. After their bath, it started off as holding, ending up in Kate driving the action, she made love to Rick, made him see what she had meant when she had said, "You have no idea" so long ago, he did now, and he loved every moment of it.
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Chapter 7
Doctors Cancer Center
New York
7:30 AM
Kate and Rick arrived early for their 8:00 AM appointment, which started off at the Imaging Department located on the third floor of the same building as Dr. Gupta's office. As they made their way past the Starbucks to the elevator, Kate inhaled a deep breath savoring the smell of freshly brewed pots of the forbidden liquid, as Rick smiled, and just said simply, "Soon Babe, Soon, you'll be back to everything," and squeezed her hand.
When they arrived at the receptionist desk to register, they were greeted with a surprise, the first appointment was with Ciara, a young pretty lady who would be considered a medical tattoo artist. As the young lady greeted them with a huge smile, she noticed the surprised look on both of their faces.
"I see someone only skimmed the what to expect section for new patients, I get that a lot since I'm on the last page," she laughed and handed larger copies of the book that Kate and Rick both had read but by the time they reached that section were overwhelmed and things didn't register."
"I'm sorry Ciara, I did read this section but I never associated the term Medical Detailing to mean tattoo. When does that come into play, and why do I need to get another tattoo?" Kate asked thoroughly confused,
"Well, first Kate, you're not here for a permanent tattoo, Dr. Richardson, the Doctor of Radiology Oncology who will be administering your radiation therapy always has me mark the path he will follow once he begins treatment. Don't worry, it will wear off within 3-4 months, but to answer your second question, sometimes women lose the nipple and areola sections of the breast, that's where I come in. I'll ask your husband to tell me which is the real thing and which is my work in the next few slides."
"Well he won't be my husband for another 9 days, but close enough, and he should be able to know which are real and which are your work, he had enough experience signing women's chests" Kate tried to get a smile, he flashed her a weak one, but hey he was trying.
They sat down, and Ciara handed Rick a book containing 12 x 14 pictures divided into two images per page. "OK, Rick, each picture is of the same breast, one is the real or natural nipple, the other photograph is of my work, list the answers on this sheet" as she handed him a pre-printed piece of paper numbered 1-15 and asked if A was real or tattoo, then if B was real or a tattoo.
Kate watched as Rick made his selections, she couldn't tell the difference, and when he completed his answers Ciara asked him to compare them with the slide she now projected, he had only gotten two pictures correct.
"Kate sometimes no matter how good a job the surgeon does the nipple and areola area are damaged beyond compare, until a few years ago, women just had to live with it. My mentor, thought, why? Why should they have to settle for half a job?
"We can tattoo pictures of everything else, why not their own natural body parts before the disease and surgery caused women to feel less than 100%. As you can tell, our work is very good, and it helps the mental healing, which in turn helps the physical and a better overall experience for the patient." Ciara said proudly,
"You're an artist Ciara when you can fool this one that many times, they are darn good replicas, and I'm sure made some women very happy," Kate said,
"As I said you will be getting a series of small arrows, and markers the doctor has ordered, to guide him in only radiating the areas of the breast that need it, leaving the good cells untouched, they will be gone in a few months, and if I've done my job, and treatments work, so will your cancer, Shall we begin?" as she brought up some images of Kate's scans onto a viewer in front of her, and the chair she motioned for Kate to sit in.
"Oh, I did forget, Kate, would you prefer if your fiancé witness this or there is a waiting area right down the hall, I know it may sound stupid but I have to ask." She blushed,
"I would like for him to be here if it's possible, I know once I go for the radiation, he can't be with me, but if he could stay that would be great," Kate said in a relived voice
"Of course, well can you slip into this, the changing room is right there, and I'll be back in about 5 minutes" she smiled and left
Kate changed into the gown but this one was a bit different, almost like a nursing bra, it had panels that could be unsnapped giving the doctor or nurse access to the breast without exposing the entire top of the body. She walked back out, Rick was waiting and helped her to the chair, and she was just comfortable when she heard Ciara,
"OK, are we ready for the first step in our battle to KCA?" she smiled as she pulled her mask up over her mouth,
"Sure are, thanks" Kate replied, her free hand never letting go of Rick's hand."
Ciara opened the flap on the right side, temporarily exposing Kate's right breast, then she quickly displayed part of the scan on an overlay directly onto the tissue, to serve as her map of where to place the markers, also masking any view of the natural breast.
"Kate, have you ever had a tattoo before? Sometimes the noise of the gun can be scary, but I promise you it won't hurt too badly, we've applied some local numbing agent, to keep you as comfortable as possible." Ciara asked before she turned the machine on,
"Yes, I have one tattoo, I got it during my rebel years, and my Mom saw it when it got infected and I had to go to the doctor. It's on my hip here, a small dove, for peace. Sounds stupid now, but I was a teenager". She laughed,
"I know what you mean, I got one when I was 16 and I thought my Dad was going to flip out, it was a small rose, in memory of my Mom who had passed the year before from cancer. That's when I knew I wanted to do something to help, and I wasn't smart enough to be a doctor, so I chose this. It has helped hundreds of women, and I feel like I have honored Mom, and made a difference." As she took a tissue and dabbed her eyes,
"OK, Kate, tell me if you have any discomfort at all, OK, so we're starting now". Twenty minutes later the procedure was completed, painlessly, and there were 4 directional arrows and three shapes almost like a pyramid marked on Kate's right breast in light blue ink. You had to look carefully to see the entire markings, but each designated something to Doctor Richardson.
"Well, what do you think Kate? Was it painless as promised?" Ciara smiled,
"It was Ciara, and I did read the better the mapping of cancer cells the more effective the radiation would be, so thank you so very much. How soon do I need to wait to start the radiation now?" Kate asked,
"Well if you plop yourself into that wheelchair, I'm sorry it's Hospital orders, I will wheel you in to see Dr. Richardson who will explain the process to you and Rick, and then he will begin. The ink is dry enough, and since they are directional, he shouldn't be coming close to those with the actual radiation," she smiled again,
Thanks, Ciara, I appreciate your talent, and hopefully, I won't need it, but If I hear of someone who does I will definitely send them your way." Kate smiled,
"You're very welcome, I'll keep track of your progress, and when you ring your bell to mark the end of treatment we will be there to cheer you on, Good Luck Kate, go KCA" she smiled as she began to wheel her out of the door, Rick holding her hand walking beside her."
Xx
Kate and Rick were sitting, Kate in the wheelchair, Rick right beside her in the receiving room for Doctor Richardson, a separate room from the general waiting room. Kate was trying not to complain but with only the thin gown on, she began to shiver. Rick immediately took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked up at him, then kissed him gently, "Thanks Babe"
"I don't know why they have to keep these places so damn cold, it's not like we are hanging beef in here" Rick muttered agitated that Kate was uncomfortable.
"No, but cooler temps help keep the germs from spreading, sorry to interject, but I'm Doctor Carl Richardson, and here Kate is a warm blanket, along with my apologies. I think the other room will be much warmer, and we'll get there soon. I wanted to meet you and your fiancé, Congratulations to you both. How did the Medical Detailing session with Ciara go?" He smiled a reassuring smile. Doctor Richardson was a middle-aged man, perhaps a few pounds too many in the gut, but not obese, black hair that had begun to lose its battle with the silver stands.
Kate laughed, "Hi, I'm Kate, this is my fiancé Rick, who will drive you nuts about me, so be prepared. To answer your question Ciara was a beautiful young lady, but why do you call it medical detailing when in reality it's a tattoo.?" Kate asked,
"Well if we did, what would you picture, a guy riding his Harley into the hospital, coming into the room with his leathers on and skull cap," as he laughed,
"Ciara is one of our best, she's changed a lot of lives since she lost her Mom. It was a shame that she took her life, depression, especially dealing with an issue such as this is so important, and why we watch for the signs. Her mom didn't have that support, so, unfortunately, she left a young lady struggling to make a difference in others and pay it forward. We're very proud of her," he smiled as if she were his own daughter,
"You seem very close to her," Rick commented,
"Well, she lived with us since she was 16 and her Dad took off, two weeks after her birthday, so we took her in, and she's very special to us." Doctor Richardson said quietly,
"OK, back to the case at hand, what questions do you have for me Kate, I can explain the WHY I do the markings if you'd like to start there."
"That would be great, I mean Rick and I have read all the materials, it mentioned side effects short term and long term but didn't get too specific. I would like to know what to expect after the sessions." Kate asked shyly,
"Surely, that's a very good question, and if I could make one suggestion, please stay off Google, that's what we're here for, the advice or answers you get, well they may be spot on, and then again not even close." He looked directly at Rick, as Kate smiled
"What? I didn't, I mean I did, but now that I know I won't" Rick stammered, as he continued to hold Kate's hand.
"It's OK Rick, it just proves you love her and will do anything to help her get well, as her Care Giver, you have a huge responsibility, and part of that is to keep Dr. Gupta, and myself aware of anything that changes immediately.
"We have a map in our minds how the treatment plan is going to progress, BUT, it's a plan Rick, even if it's 99% correct, we don't want Kate to suffer because we missed that one percent." He smiled, and Rick immediately liked this man, his empathy showing for his patient, as well as a young lady named Ciara, not too many people left in the world that truly cared.
"Kate, you've had X-rays before, well this is a huge Xray that is targeted towards the tumor. Dr. Gupta and I both agree as Oncologists this gives you the greatest odds of complete remission of Cancer. We've spoken to your surgeon, Dr. Jorge Benavidez, who we've worked with for years and he concurs.
"The markers Ciara place on you will be our guidelines for the direction and how strong the beam is for each section of the breast so we don't radiate good tissue. The therapy, and Rick, please don't research this, Kate smiled, is a procedure we call External Beam Radiation Therapy and is used, in your case to hopefully reduce the tumor from 12mm to less than 10 mm so the surgery can go as smoothly as possible.
"The best-case scenario, there won't be any need for any reconstructive breast surgery, worst case minimal tissue added, perhaps from liposuction form your hips since you are in such great physical shape. It will be up to you if you want to enhance your bust size, some patients take the opportunity but again, totally a personal choice for further down the road in treatment.
"The side effects are typically nausea, and fatigue, not the I'm just tired type Kate, this is severe fatigue so it's important you reserve your energy when you are carrying out your daily tasks. DON" T be too proud to ask for help or let others do what you would normally, remember energy is like cash, once you spend it you may be broke when it comes to doing something you really want.
"As a newlywed, it's fantastic to have a great intimate relationship, BUT remember, several shorter sessions are less taxing than a marathon." Kate blushed and Rick coughed, "Hey it's expected, we want Kate to do everything she normally does, in reason, and a careful management plan will prevent her from overworking herself, that's when the body really has trouble refurnishing the energy, we can't let that happen."
"Any questions before we begin our first session? I see you are scheduled today, Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, then you'll be on a short honeymoon. When you return Dr. Benavidez, will schedule the surgery along with Dr. Gupta for the chemotherapy. I won't see you again until your completion of chemo IF it's necessary. As lovely as you are, and as charming as Mr. Castle is, I'm hoping I only see you at the next book signing". He smiled,
Kate looked at Rick, this time the fear was gone, more of the kick-ass cop was back, "Are you OK Babe? I'm good, ready to KCA" she kissed him,
"Well, I have to say I feel much better now than I did coming in today, so I'm good Babe, let's start the battle. I love you, and we are one day closer to beating the hell out of this, I'll be right here when you get back"
She cupped his face gently with both hands, "I'll be back soon Babe, I love you too, now please don't get into any trouble" which made them both laugh, until Rick walked as far with her, still holding her hand till he had to let go, he kissed her quickly and let go of her hand as they wheeled her through the doors, and he turned away once the doors closed.
Xx
Kate looked at the walls and doors as they wheeled her into one of the Xray lab rooms, and was greeted by a familiar friendly face,
"Hey there, how you doing, did you get your initiation tattoo, if not, sorry we can't let you into our club" it was the friendly face of Amy, and Kate immediately began to relax. It was like a friend was going to be with her.
"I'm great Amy, I know Rick is freaking out so maybe you could calm him a bit once the procedure starts," Kate asked,
"Be glad to, wave to Silkie, you won't recognize her in all her protective gear, but that's the tech assigned to your case and will be conducting the treatment. Dr. Richardson is monitoring from the adjacent office, checking the scans in real-time. "I'll be right here all the time Kate, monitoring your stats, BP, Pulse, and oxygen levels, I promise we got you, we won't let anything go wrong, now relax, I'll be back as soon as I calm Rick down, by then they should be ready to go.
Amy went out to the waiting room, walked over and took Rick's hand, who startled back into real-time.
"Amy, what are you doing, everything is ok with Kate, isn't it, I mean,"
"CALM DOWN, Rick, Kate sent me to calm you down, she's fine, we're almost ready to start, but she was worried about you, and asked me to come and let you know she was fine. I swear, you two, can't be away from each other more than 15 minutes without getting withdrawal pains." She smiled
"Actually Amy, it's more like two minutes, God I love her, I can't even imagine life without her,"
"So, don't you have to be the POSITIVE one even when the days get tough, she's in great hands Rick, she has every reason to make it, so please help her by being her rock like she told me you were. I know you're scared, hell anyone would be, but never let Kate see it. She draws her strength from you, I don't think, you even realize that. I have to get back, so I'll see you both soon", she was still holding his hand, and leaned down and kissed his cheek, "that was from Kate", she laughed and walked away.
TBC
Thank you for the outpouring of love and support for this story, your kind comments are like fuel, it keeps me typing when my fingers are sore. I'm glad so many have liked, favored or commented on this story. Just remember, when things get tough, and like in life they will, Love will pull you through it,
Tim
