92 Days
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: This is Totally AU; Beckett has left the hospital after her shooting, This describes the activity of each, during those 92 days without contact, both in the hospital and out. It blends some Canon dialog, courtesy of Dust Jackets Dot Com, then goes quickly and completely AU. What were each up to during this time, Taking Literary License to fill in the blanks.
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Also, we take liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events to make this a more believable fiction, thanks.
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Chapter 10
Beckett Cabin, Upstate New York
Days 30-58
Kate's POV
FLASHBACK
Jim had not been back since he left three days after the Rule Incident as Kate was referring to it. She was surprised he remembered her treatment of him during the time when she honestly did think he had just been on another drinking binge, and if not for Lanie, would have died. She had gone with her to his apartment, to find him lying on the floor, drunk from Kate's assessment from across the room, not even going near him. Lanie knelt down beside him and immediately called for the EMTs to rush him to the hospital.
Kate still didn't believe anything was seriously wrong, forcing him to sign the rules she had drawn up before the doctors told her he was being rushed to emergency surgery. He was in the ICU ward for almost two weeks, since the appendix had burst and the poison had entered his system.
Finally, when he was moved to the step-down unit and allowed visitors, she didn't mention her actions. Nor when he was moved to a regular room for three days, again nothing was mentioned by her, and then he was discharged from the hospital. She was in the middle of a case, so he took a cab home, not even bothering to call her, he knew what her answer would be.
Rick had heard of his illness, and came to see him several times, when he found out he had been discharged and taken a cab home, he rushed right over.
"Jim, I don't know you as well as I do my other friends, but I do count you as a friend. I asked you to call me, I wanted to make sure you got home and had food and your prescriptions were filled, you gave Kate quite a scare there" Rick said, trying to earn some good favor for the daughter,
Within an hour home healthcare, housekeeping, and shopping service to bring him hot meals twice a day were all arranged, as he fussed at Rick, he didn't want to be a bother to anyone.
"You're not a bother Jim, I mean I would hope someone, well at least one of my friends would look in on me if I had gone through what you had, you almost died, sir," Rick said,
"Well, it might have been better if I had Rick, I put Katie through hell, after, well after we lost Johanna, and I don't blame her for hating me," Jim said,
"Hate you? She adores you, Jim, your daughter is a badass woman in a man's job which makes her think she can't show her emotions. I've seen her when her guard was down, she does love and worry about you." Rick tried to convince the older gentleman,
"Well, I swear Rick, I haven't drunk in 26 months, there are my chips right there, and my sponsor's number, he can verify it, we fish a lot when the weather allows it." Jim smiled,
"I'll have to have you show me how someday, that is if you don't mind me butting in," Rick said,
"You're welcome anytime son, and Thank You, I know Katie's going to give you hell about sticking your nose into her business, but you can tell her, it isn't hers, it's mine and you were invited to do so," Jim said, hurt, and some anger in his voice,
"Well, if I tell her that, she'll be pissed at both of us Jim" Rick laughed,
"You're right, she will, just wait her out, see if she mentions it and if she does, just tell her to talk to me," Jim said, knowing his daughter would just sweep everything under the rug rather than deal with it,
He was right, Kate never mentioned it, and Rick never brought it up,
CURRENT TIME
Even though he had stayed away, he had groceries and supplies delivered each week, and Renee and Sherry were there on alternating days, she was feeling much stronger and no longer needed her walker. Roger Li, started seeing her last week to complete her physical therapy, and they would spend two days at the cabin and one day at his home Gym, located less than ten miles away in physical therapy sessions.
She thought about the pictures of Rick and Ellie Monroe, AGAIN, and the other bimbo, and got pissed each time she did. That served as her motivation and Roger often had to slow her down, she wanted to get well, and get back to normal as soon as possible.
Renee had kept her promise, and brought an attachment for the bathtub to convert it to a showerhead, but the trick she knew, was a simple piece of plastic wrap, used to wrap meats to protect from freezer burn, would stick to the human skin without tape. It allowed her at least a quick shower three to four times a week now, which made her feel even better now that her wounds were healing very nicely.
Renee discussed with her the exit plan for home health care in 10 days, delivering, or having delivered the supplies she used when she changed the dressings Only two still required to be covered, so, within the ten days, she should be able to self-care for herself, including changing the two small bandages.
"Kate, I'm going to miss you, I have to tell you that when Ricky first made me promise to take the case personally, I had my doubts, but I really enjoyed this engagement. It got me back into the field where wounds, are more than words on a piece of paper, and well I think I made I new friend, at least that's how I feel" Renee said shyly
"Of course, you did, and I'll never be able to thank you for all you did, even for the patient from hell. Please tell Molly how sorry I am, I was hurting, angry, and upset and I took it out on the people who were working to make me well, I'm very sorry." Kate said slowly,
"Well, they all got your apology gifts and I was told to tell you Thank You from each of them, the gift cards were a great idea, and it meant a great deal to them coming from you," Renee said, as she hugged Kate for the last time. She was leaving for vacation and one of her nursing supervisors would see Kate for the final three visits,
"Well, have a great vacation, Lord knows you've earned it, and hopefully you'll meet someone that will make you happy, Renee, don't put work ahead of love, it isn't worth it," Kate said,
"Well, I'm in the same boat as you are Kate, loving someone who will never love me back, but hey, I can live vicariously through his books. The only difference is I told him how I felt, he was honest and gentle but doesn't feel the same. You should try it, what do you have to lose?" she asked with a tear in her eye,
Kate hugged her a little tighter, and then said a tearful goodbye to a very special lady who had come into her life when she was at her lowest. She helped get her not only back on her feet, physically, but shared some emotional scars that allowed her to understand, she wasn't the only woman in the world to hold her feelings to herself.
Renee was hanging on to a mental picture of the Ricky Rogers who had rescued her from a life of poverty and trouble, they were teens then, and he was not the same man back then that he had grown into. Why was it so easy for her to see the pitfalls in everyone else's life, but she had so damn much trouble with her own. She'd have to face that soon, having forsaken the idea of calling him during his success in Los Angeles and her rehab, she just hoped there was still time when she did see him.
XxX
Lion Gate Studio
Days 30 – 58,
Rick's POV
Rick had the unpleasant responsibility to speak to Roy Reith, a loyal employee, and well once a force to be reckoned with in the Motion Picture industry. His last several pictures had shown the decline, not only in revenue but also the talent they attracted for key roles. Eva was the one standout and had delivered on each picture they had worked on together.
Rick wanted to do it away from the studio, not knowing how Roy would react, especially since he was going to ask him about adapting Naked Heat from book form to the screenplay format required to start shooting as soon as possible. If he turned the offer down, then Rick would need to find someone, well he and Eva would need to start the search process which could delay the timing they had laid out the other night.
Rick had discovered that Roy remarried almost two years ago, but his current wife wasn't as supportive of his job as he wanted everyone to think. He also had some health issues, perhaps why the wife didn't condone the long hours, alcohol consumption, and heavy meals, often late at night.
He had lost some of the drive required for the decision-making, and it showed, so Rick decided to get him away from land on a fishing charter. They went out on the water the next day, and Rick was surprised at Roy and his acknowledgment of his performance.
"So, Rick, you hate fishing, which means you went to all of this trouble to get me somewhere that we could talk privately without interruption, correct?" Roy asked as he cast his line,
Rick, caught off guard, opened the cooler, pulled out a beer, and cracked it open, buying him some time. "Is that a question, summation of facts in evidence, or a nasty rumor you heard Roy?" Rick asked trying to regain his footing, he wanted this to go in the right direction,
Roy started laughing, "You're good, I'll tell you that. My friends told me you don't like conflict and will stall until you find the right words, so how about these Rick. You and I both know that the real EP on this film has been you, I've mostly held you up or performed PA (Production Assistant) tasks that you could hire someone a lot cheaper to do. So, do me one favor, just level with me, what's the score?" he asked, the smile never leaving his face, nor his concentration on his fishing line.
"OK Roy, this isn't a rumor, this is what I think is a win-win for us all, you, me, the studio, so please hear me out before you make any comments. Eva who loves you to death, and is the bright spot on this film, and I have gotten close, and I value her input. She mentioned to me that you had been trying your hand at writing screenplays to relax you, and well, you're going to hear this soon, but for now, it's strictly confidential.
"The brass at Lion Gate and my attorneys are in negotiations for the rights to Naked Heat, the second in the series of novels to be released later this year in book form. We were able to get Ellie and the main cast all under contract for at least the four films, with an option for the fifth, if they don't hate each other by then." Rick laughed,
"Well, I know that you're not happy Roy, you haven't been happy doing this job in a long time, so I guess what"
"Rick, just spit it out, go ahead and say you're fired. I've had to do it and it isn't the end of the world," Roy said, only to be met with a look from Rick that told him to shut up,
"As I was saying before I was interrupted, rudely, by the way, was that since you're not happy in your role, would you consider writing the screenplay full time for Naked Heat, no one understands the nuances between book and film more than you. What do you think? Eva thinks it will be one of the best decisions we make if you take it." Rick smiled, waiting, trying to get a read on the other man,
"Let me get this straight, and correct me when I'm wrong Rick. I suck at my job as EP, so instead of firing me, which I was fully expecting to tell you the truth, you're offering me the job of converting your next book into screenplay format? Did I get all of that correct Rick?" he asked, his face still frozen with the same emotion since they began the trip.
"Well, I would disagree with your description of your performance as sucking as EP, I would rather say burnout, but for the rest yeah, you got it right. I just need to know pretty quickly because the way we're going we're going to be moving from a World Premier of the movie of Heatwave, into the launch of Naked Heat, and then after the 45-to-60-day break for the actors, we need to be back in the studio shooting the beginning scenes of the next film." Rick said,
"Well, as Roy turned toward him, pulled his reel in from the ocean, and said, "Let's get back I've got work to do. I know Gina Cowell is going to make me sign my life away, and you won't tell me squat, but You have a deal Rick Castle" as his smile went from frozen to almost busting his face open.
Rick breathed a sigh of relief as well as the smile matching Rick's, he quickly called Eva,
"Eva, Roy's in and wants to start on the screenplay as soon as possible. I guess we're going to need to talk to Gina, Paula, and Black Pawn legal very soon. What's your calendar look like?" he asked,
He heard her squeal held the phone out for Roy who just smiled, and then he returned, to his conversation, "Rick, why don't I call Paula and Gina, they can set it up on their end since we can arrange most of our day to meet theirs, does that work?" Eva asked,
"Yes, and much better than the ass-backward manner I first described, what would I do without you Eva?" he said,
"Well, I don't intend to let you find out, well not anytime soon anyway." She said back in a sultry voice, "Let me get the calls going and I suppose Roy wants to come right back here and check up on my work and progress," Eva laughed, as Rick held the phone out for him to hear,
"Never Darlin, never, you know I trust you with my life," he said in the background, and the laugh she heard coming from him this time was sincere, and his old laugh again,
XxX
Next Morning
Lion Gate Studio, Legal Office
9:00 AM
The very next morning Roy was in a meeting with the lawyers for both sides, Rick, Gina, Eva, Paula, and some people he didn't know. He did remember signing so many NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) he thought his fingers were going to fall off. Finally, he, Gina, Eva, and Rick met in a private office.
"Well Roy, Congratulations, Rick is insistent that you be the one to turn this into the next screenplay, he actually said he trusted you with adapting the book to the big screen as much as he did me in editing his books. That Roy is a huge compliment, one I never took lightly, and please don't disappoint him." She handed him a binder, it was printed but notes, and edits still were present,
"Thanks, Gina, I'm new at this, but I have the old fire, the old passion to make it the best I can do once again, I mean, please don't judge me by the last several flops we've had from the studio. Don't get me wrong as EP, I take full responsibility for the failures, but on my behalf, I just got tired of fighting the wars, day after day." He looked away sadly,
"No one is going to judge you on the past Roy if Rick didn't want you to do this, or TRUST in your ability, you wouldn't be doing it. You know I love you like a brother, but I won't pull punches, the success of the picture means more now. Rick has invested time, money, and something we both used to talk about when we first started, the secret ingredient to success, his compassion to make it a great story." Eva said softly, taking one of his hands in hers,
"I know Eva, I think you're finally getting the break you've deserved for years, so I won't let you down, I promise," Roy said, as he pulled her in for a gentle hug,
"Rick, we need to meet with Eva and work out a tentative timeline for when you plan on starting to film Naked Heat, I don't expect anything but a best seller for it in book form. We need to balance out the world premiere of Heat Wave, the release of Naked Heat in book form, and allow Roy ample time to come up with his first draft of the screenplay." Gina said as she stepped into his open arms for his greeting hug.
"Well, Eva, had a working copy, maybe we could go to her office, you haven't seen the studio yet have you, Gina?" Rick asked
"No, not yet, I was hoping to get the grand tour, and perhaps meet some of the cast. I've met Ellie, but I would like to see her again if that's OK?" Gina said gently,
"Sure Gina, let's head out that stage door over there," Eva said,
Rick snuck up behind her, and just said, "Watch her Eva, she's unpredictable, I love her but sometimes I still want to just kill her" Rick laughed,
XxX
New York
Same Time Frame,
Kate decided to end her seclusion in her Dad's cabin after next week, she needed to meet with the NYPD Psychologist, and a doctor of their choice to confirm she would be able to return to work in six weeks. The hard part was yet to come, she hadn't spoken more than 5 words at one time to her dad since he left. She knew now, she had to clean that mess up,
She made the arrangements to close the cabin, then called her Dad to see if he wanted to come back up to supervise and ensure the home had been left as he desired, or that was the excuse for her call. She hesitated as long as she could, and finally broke down and called.
The phone rang three times, giving her hope that she could possibly just leave a voice mail, then he picked up,
"Jim Beckett Speaking," he never looked at the caller ID.
"Dad, it's Kate, I wanted to know if you wanted to come up next week to the cabin, I'm closing it up and will be back in my apartment next Sunday. I know you're pretty fussy with how it gets closed for the season, so if you want to come up, I'd love to see you, and well, talk to my Dad" she said.
"Let me check, Katherine, I'll have to have Sherry check my calendar, I'll call you back, I'm in a meeting." Click went the phone, not the reception she had planned on, but he did say he would call her back, now she knew how he must feel every time she dismissed his call, Karma is truly a Bitch.
TBC