"Javi? Javi, talk to me, man, talk to me!"
Beyond the cloudiness that was enveloping his tired brain, Esposito felt a warm hand on his cheek, a set of trembling fingers reaching for the painful gash on his temple.
He tried to open his eyes, hoping to ease the franticness that had overcome his partner and best friend; but his body had grown too tired to yield any more commands, no matter how desperate and angry his orders became.
Behind him, the clattering of high-heeled shoes signaled Beckett's arrival, her approach soothing his worried heart in more ways than he cared to admit.
The fact that she had escaped unscathed, was able to get help and still be well enough to be on the case was worth every last punch and kick he took to help her.
"Castle, go ahead and call in that ambulance.", she ordered with a distinct tone of neutrality in her voice, the one reserved for grave situations only.
"He's…he's unresponsive.", Ryan huffed, his voice quivering, that warm hand shifting to his shoulder.
Beckett didn't answer. Instead, he heard her strip out of her leather glove, before a set of delicate fingers appeared below his jawline.
"He's alive. His heart rate is slow and he feels ice cold. Looks like he went through another round of beatings after I left. Let's just get the EMTs up here and move him to a hospital asap."
"He looks awful…", Castle chimed in from a few feet in the back, keeping a comfortable distance to the mess going on at his feet.
"That blood is from a gash on his forehead. I'm sure he's…he's been through worse, Castle…"
He could hear shuffling as Beckett put a hand on his shoulder and bent down.
"Espo, if you can hear me, it's gonna be alright. Ambulance is on the way. You're gonna be alright. We both made it out of there…", she whispered in his ear, the sweet smell of her perfume filling the air as she ran a gentle hand through his short black hair, keeping it there for a long moment, before getting back to her feet.
"Ryan, I'll have Castle direct the ambulance up here. I want to take a look around, see if I can figure out how these guys managed to get in and out of here without being seen. You stay with Esposito. And get those…get those damn ropes off him please."
He heard Kevin mumble a quiet "You got it" before footsteps once again moved away from his position; Castle's disappearing below the vehicle ramp, Beckett's somewhere on the other end of the building.
Ryan waited until everyone was out of earshot before squeezing his shoulder once more.
"Javi, I swear we're going to find the guys who did this to you…", he promised menacingly, the detective's breaths coming in short gasps as he began to tug on the ropes, fighting the tight knot that bound his hands together mercilessly.
His fumbling was enough to irritate his sore wrists and Esposito groaned, causing the other man to freeze in his spot.
"Hang in there, please…", Ryan pleaded, then resumed his task, moving more carefully this time.
After what seemed like an eternity, Esposito felt the ropes loosen, his hands feebly dropping to the ground, the muscles in his forearms, elbows and shoulders atrophying after the prolonged time spent restrained.
"Almost there…we're almost there…", Ryan continued, seemingly talking to himself in hopes it would help him stay calm and clear-headed in a situation that was beyond overwhelming.
"…m…not dead….", Esposito croaked, receiving a relieved sigh in return.
"Well, you could have fooled me. You do look the part, bro."
"Should've seen…the other guys…"
Esposito's lightheartedness began to wear off on his partner, causing Ryan to slow down somewhat, his frantic movements once again growing controlled as he undid the ropes around his ankles, finally allowing him to move again.
"Javi, you ever stop to consider that you are not a human fighting machine? That…that you can't just take on a room full of guys and think you'll win? This isn't some Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western, dude…"
He fought to open his eyes, grateful to see his partner's fretting features so close by.
"I felt…lucky…punk."
"Funny…very funny. You know, that was a hell of stunt you pulled to help Beckett escape. They could have shot you. Matter of fact I am surprised they didn't. And grateful."
Esposito tried to answer, remind his partner that sacrifice, courage and loyalty were words he lived by, values that drove him to do what he did, that the willingness to lay down his own life to protect those he cared for were the building blocks of his very core.
But he felt his mind beginning to drift off again, fighting every effort to concentrate.
Instead, he carefully reached for his partner's hand and grasped it the best he could, hoping to convey in gestures what he failed to do in words.
It caused Ryan to let out a shuddered breath as he leaned forward, holding onto his hand with both of his, mumbling something about being grateful that Castle had paid for his freedom, words that didn't make any sense at all.
Esposito didn't realize he'd nodded off again until he felt Ryan tug on his black overcoat, dragging him into a sitting position, the stabbing pain in his back so severe that it threatened to propel him straight back to blissful unconsciousness.
"W't…r…you…doin, man?", he tried, unable to disguise a groan when the other detective's hand came uncomfortably close to his injured ribs.
"Trying…to keep you alive long enough for the EMT's to get here. You're shaking…", Ryan countered, his strained voice coming from behind.
Finally, Esposito felt the other man's arms hugging him from the back, cradling him close to his chest to warm him up.
"Don't go to sleep on me, Javi…please, just don't go to sleep…", he begged, leaning back far enough that Esposito was able to rest his head against his partner's shoulder.
"I'll…be fine…", he reassured between short, ragged breaths, failing to convince the man behind him.
"I'll let somebody with a degree be the judge of that."
He could feel Ryan shift slightly, the weight of the other man's chin suddenly appearing on his head, followed by a weary sigh.
And there they stayed for what felt like hours, relishing each other's company in the quietness of an abandoned warehouse.
Eventually, the rhythmic rise and fall of Ryan's chest threatened to lure him back to sleep, his body leaning heavier against the warm barrier provided, his eyes beginning to close until he felt an urgent hand reappear on the side of his face, tapping his cheek.
"What did I just say about not going to sleep?"
Esposito tried to smile, his efforts falling short when his split lip reminded him of all the damage done to his face.
At last, sirens could be heard from a few blocks away, heading into their general reaction, causing both men to relax somewhat.
"Just a couple more minutes, Javi.", Ryan announced and tightened his grasp around his upper body, weaving back and forth, "Just think…warm hospital bed, friendly nurses hovering over you, awesome pain meds…"
"Pain meds sound great…"
Listening to the wailing of sirens approaching their position, Esposito leaned back against Ryan's chest, suffering through another jagged inhale as he closed his eyes, finally succumbing to the exhaustion he'd pushed off for far too many hours.