"You have some news?".Said Ryan who was sitting on the table before the writer, eager to get an answer.
"No, we wait, as usual". Castle said simply, resting on the sofa with his arms on his legs, keeping his eyes on the floor.
"And what else?" Pressed Esposito, recognizing from the gesture of the writer that he was hiding something.
"Sandra says that once out of the coma is not that the worst is over. There will be consequences and we are not sure how Beckett would react, if she fight or not". Rick lay back against the couch rubbing his face with both hands, wanting to remove the sudden fatigue that he felt.
"Come on guys, we know that Beckett will come out as she has always done and in less than no time will be back at her desk, ready to give us order." Esposito was standing near the two and was talking with decisive voice, wanting in any ways to infuse at his friends his own confidence.
"And if she prefer to leave because it became too dangerous?" Commented Ryan, not wanting to think about how the precint would be without Beckett, excluding at the same time as the words came from his mouth this absurd possibility.
"Beckett will not let go and that is the problem. Her attacker is still out there and will always be a constant danger. Next time he could..." . Castle whipped by the whole situation rose from the couch and made a strong coffee, very strong, for himself, trying to think about only the positive things of all that story, altrought there was few positive things and it was hard to find it.
"Then we just have one thing to do". Ryan said getting up from and watching the other two who was watching him, curious and waiting for him to finish his speech.
"Let's concentrate on this case and find the sniper before he can strike again".
"Beckett has been investigating for more than 10 years without finding anythings. Even after Coonan, even after Raglan we had not been found anythings." Corrected Esposito wanting to remind all that happened concerning the murder of Johanna.
"It's true but, for this reason, we now have to investigate. After discovering that the murderess was Coonan we found other clues and now, who wanted the murder of Johanna, is risking exposing himself, more and more. We musn't miss this opportunity. Everything that happened has happened because we are close to the truth."
Ryan had never seemed so sure of himself, so much that stunned the other two present in the cafeteria, leaving them visibly surprised. Of the four he was always the quietest, most reserved and no one never thought he could hide so much determination.
"Who would had thought. Our Ryan, when he want, pull out the grit. Okay let's see to make some light on this case while we waiting that Beckett wakes up and has the chance to stop us." Castle said giving a friendly pat on the shoulder of the irishman, and then came out of the room with a new hope. If he want to protect Beckett he had to solve this case as soon as possibile so that no one could ever hurt her.
That evening he came home not tired but bored and for him was the most annoying things. Spend the day at the precint walking between the desk and the cafeteria was not for him. Ryan and Esposito tried to get him in the middle of the robbery investigation, but Castle had refused several time, not finding what happened to his liking, too trivial for a writer of his level, but in reality everyone know that everything would not been interesting for him if it weren't for Beckett to investigate. Just open the front door he headed to the kitchen where he found Alexis busy cooking and study on a textbook at the same time.
"What do you cook?". Asked the man taking off his jacket to put it on one of these stools around the kitchen counter before heading to the fridge, but not before saying hello to his daughter with a kiss on her cheek.
"Chicken wings and salad". She said as she spiced with wine the meat and repeat the last words read on the book, in a low voice, not caring that much of his father who was concentrate in front of the open fridge to observe its contenents.
"Dad don't try to taste the cake. I prepared it for later."
At those words Castle suddenly stopped, having already approached the index finger to the layer of cream that covered the cake, ready to sink in and taste it.
"Do you think i would do such a thing?" Castle withdrew a bottle of water from the fridge and shut it again, then he go sit on one of the stools ready to receive the usual question by Alexis.
"Do you have some news?" She asked hopefully.
"For now nothing. But doctors are optimistic"
"They always said that but nothing has happened yet". Form the voice of the youg girl he could feel all her stress, her frustration, due to the fact that were two days that the doctors would not allow her to see Kate, saying that a girl so young could be shaken at the sight of all those machines. One reason that Alexis hadn't accepted.
"It takes time, honey". Rick just uttered those few words having already used the best pretests in the past days, trying to cheer his daughter.
"I just want Beckett to wake up". Soon after she began to cry and Castle in less than a second had her in his arms, giving all the support she needed, then put his chin on her head and beginning to rock her as he had when she was little.
"You know that Kate will continue to fight?" In response he feel his daughter nodded against his chest.
"And when she wake up she scold us for being so anxiuos for her" He said chuckling, trying somehow to make the situation less tense.
"Will you take me to the hospital with you tomorrow? Please dad i want only say hello". Alexis said sank even more strongly to him. The writer could not help but agree.
"Okay, tomorrow i will speak to the doctors and see if they'll let you enter in her room. But now we eat, i'm hungry"
Martha also joined them shortly after, just returned from a play that she said was beautiful. They talked of this and that wincing with each ring of the phone, hoping and fearing that it was a call from the hospital or from one of the detectives. They finished eating and then sat on the couch watching a movie, routine in these days, waiting for something to happen and finally, while the two women of the house retired for their bedrooms, Castle was in his studio writing, reviving in his words the memory of past moments spent with Beckett.
Another morning began and everything proceeded as usual. Go to the precint, greetings to Ryan ed Esposito, the news about the new captain that within a few weeks would have arrived, the board white as if it was new. Castle sat in his usual place, careful not to move anything on Beckett's desk and began to read all files related to her mother, to Lockwood, and even the last reports about the sniper in the cemetery, looking for that little link that might shed light on that story. He was so intent in reading that he hardly noticed that the phone was vibrating and lighting up in front of him. Castle waited more than a few second before taking it to his ear and talk.
"Hello?" He said casually, without ever taking his eyes from the report on the bullet that stuck Beckett.
"Richard is Sandra" There was something wrong in her voice, was weak, too quiet and calm, This made him fear the worst, he tried to speak but he could not let out the slightest sound from it. The second passed, an endless agonizing seconds before the nurse spoke again.
"Beckett has awakened". Three simple words that were all, that were life for Castle. Without saying anything he put down the phone, took his jacket and headed for the elevator. The only thing he wanted was too see Kate, be there for her, to see with his eyes that she had returned. He called a taxi almost jumping into the street to be sure to being seen and pulling out 100$ from his pocket gave them to the driver asking him to take him to the hospital as soon as possibile.
He passed al the way to beat his feet against the floor mats of the car, rubbing his hands, arranging his hair, all to keep himself busy. He wanted to jump, roll down the window and shout to the world his joy. Beckett was awake. His muse, his life was back and this time, he promised himself, he would anything not to lose her again. No one would have prevented he to stay close to Kate as they really wanted. But the reality was very different from what Castle had hoped. He was almost there, in front of her room, when he feel a hand on his shoulder to stop his advance. He turned and saw him. The biggest obstacle that separated him from Beckett.
"Hi Richard"
"Hi Josh"