A/N: Sorry about any confusion in the last chapter. The last line was actually supposed to be part of this chapter, so it gets cleared up at the beginning of this chapter.

It seems to Kate as though she and Lanie have been back with their friends and family for a ridiculous amount of time before they hear someone say, "Beckett family?"

"Here." Kate had given the doctors her maiden name, so as to not draw unnecessary attention.

The doctor walks up to the group, and Kate, Martha, and Alexis step forward.

"I'm his wife. How's is he?"

"When your husband was brought in there was some slight brain swelling that we will continue to monitor, but it doesn't look as if it will require surgery. His left radius and left femur were broken, the femur in two places, so we took him into surgery to set the breaks and secure them with metal plates and screws. While he was on the table, he suffered a stroke and crashed on the table, but we were able to bring him back. He's in recovery right now, and, then, he will be moved to Intensive Care. He'll be medicated and in an induced coma for a few days. Then, we'll lessen the medication and see how he responds. He is breathing on his own, but the next 24 hours will be critical. Even after that, his recovery process remains to be seen. Time will tell."

Kate can't speak. Alexis wraps her arms around Kate, and Martha envelopes them both.

Jim steps forward. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Someone will be out to get you when he is moved to ICU. Only two people may visit him at a time, but you can move to the ICU waiting area." He nods and leaves.

Kate and Alexis enter Rick's room in the ICU hand in hand. Kate approaches Rick's bed and grasps his right hand with her free one. She kneels down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead and whispers, "You're doing so good, Rick. Don't give up. We need you. I love you." She steps back and allows Alexis to give her dad a kiss on the cheek, as well, and tell him she loves him.

Alexis stays in the room for only about five minutes, as visitation lasts only fifteen minutes each hour. She offers to leave so that Martha will have time to visit.

When Martha enters the room, she, too, presses a kiss to Rick's cheek and tells him she loves him. She also tells him that he needs to rest for a little bit, but then, he needs to wake up and be with Kate and Alexis – that they need him. When she stands up, there are tears running down her cheeks. Kate stands from the chair beside Rick's bed and pulls her mother-in-law into a hug. They stand there for the remainder of visitation, crying.

The next 24 hours are touch and go. Rick crashes for a second time, but, once again, they are able to bring him back. Kate spends her entire 48 hours off either in the ICU waiting room or Rick's room. Her friends bring her food, but she barely touches it.

She also calls Captain Gates from the waiting room on the second day.

"Gates."

"Sir, this is Detective Beckett."

"Detective Beckett, how is Mister Castle doing?"

"It's still touch-and-go, Sir, but he's been pretty stable for the last several hours." She pauses. "I'm going to need to take some time off, if that's alright."

"That's fine. How much time are you thinking?"

"I don't know, Sir. At least a week but maybe longer"

"Okay. Take as much time as you need. I know you have quite a bit built up. Keep me informed, Detective. Bye."

"Yes, Sir. Bye."

On the third day, the doctor orders the nurses to reduce Rick's medication. He wants to give Rick a chance to wake up. He also allows Kate to stay at Rick's bedside while they are waiting, despite the typical visitation rules of the ICU.

About 45 minutes after the medication is reduced, Kate notices Rick's right hand move a little bit. She stands up, places her hand in his, and presses a soft kiss to Rick's lips. "Rick? Open your eyes for me. Please?"

It takes a minute, but slowly Rick opens his eyes to look at Kate. She presses the call button on Rick's bed, not wanting to leave his side to get a nurse. "Is everything alright, Miss Beckett?"

"He's awake!"

"Okay, someone will be right in."

"What…What happened?" Rick's voice is raspy from sleep and disuse.

"We were in a car accident, Rick." She debates whether or not to go on but remembers their promise to be more open with each other. "We were almost home from the restaurant when another car ran a red light and t-boned us on your side of the car. The driver was drunk and stumbled away without a scratch. I just got a little cut on my forehead." She gestures to her bandage with her free hand. "You, on the other hand. There was some brain swelling, a stroke, and your left radius and femur were broken. You've got eight screws and a metal plate in your leg and four screws and a metal plate in your forearm. The doctor has had you medicated for the last two days to give you some time to heal."

Even in his drug-induced haze, Rick can tell just how worried Kate has been. "Come here." He pulls her hand towards him, and she leans down closer to his face. As she presses another kiss gently to his lips, the doctor enters the room. Kate stands up to look at the doctor, not letting go of Rick's hand.

"You've had us all pretty worried, Mr. Castle."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Even laid up in bed, two days out of surgery and just out of a medically induced coma, Rick is trying to crack jokes. Kate can't help but roll her eyes.

"Let's see how you're doing." The doctor has Rick squeeze his fingers with both of his hands and press his feet to the doctor's hands one at a time. "Mr. Castle, has your wife explained to you what you've been through?"

"I think we went through it all briefly." He looks at Kate for confirmation, and she nods her head in agreement.

"Very well. It looks as though the stroke was not quite as bad as we had anticipated. Your speech and vision appear unaffected. There is a slight weakness in your left hand, but nothing unusual considering the break in your radius. However, I think there may be something else going on, so I'm going to send you for an MRI of your spine. There were significant deficiencies with both of your legs. I'll know more once we get that scan back. Do you have any questions?"

"No."

"Okay. Someone will be in soon to take you for that MRI." When the doctor leaves the room, Rick looks dejected; Kate is just confused – and worried. She's never heard of a stroke only affecting the lower body, with little to no effect on the upper body.

"Kate?" She can hear the worry in his voice and looks him in the eye. "They didn't move at all, did they?"

Kate marvels at the fact that she, not his doctor, is the one who has to tell her husband—who is stuck lying flat on his back, recovering from surgery—that no, his legs didn't move. "I think the right one moved a little, but no, neither one moved significantly."

He looks defeated, but doesn't say anything. Kate moves over to hold his hand and look him in the eye. "It could be nothing. It could still be from where they had you asleep."

"Kate, the doctor wouldn't have sounded like that if he thought that was all it is." He can see the worry Kate is trying to hide from him flash across her face. "But…we'll find out soon enough."

"I love you, Rick." She presses a kiss to his forehead.

"Always."

It is the next afternoon before the doctor returns, bringing with him the results of Rick's MRI and a neurosurgeon. "Mr. Castle, this is Doctor Thompson. He is the head Neurosurgeon at the hospital and one of the best in the country."

"Hello." Kate and Rick are both leery of the neurosurgeon's presence in the room.

"Hello, Mr. Castle. If you look here at your L-1 vertebrae, you see this dark spot?" He gestured to a spot low on the scan.

"Yes."

"The force of the crash has caused your vertebrae to compress your spinal cord, resulting in the lack of mobility you have been experiencing in your lower body. Looking at the scans, the cord appears to be bruised, not severed. It is my opinion that the lack of mobility will be temporary and will not require surgery; however, you should be prepared for a long recovery period."

"How long are we talking about here?"

"No less than six to eight months. Possibly as long as two years."

"But I will walk again?"

"I believe so."

"That's good enough for me. How long until I get out of here?"

"Mr. Castle, we don't want to rush things. It will be at least three or four more days, and then, we'll need to give your femur plenty of time to heal before we think about beginning physical therapy—not before the first of the year."

"Okay." Castle sank farther into his pillow.

"Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor nodded and left.

The days drag on. Martha and Alexis spend every spare minute at the hospital with Kate. Rick is moved from the ICU to a regular room the day after the visit from the neurosurgeon, so the three women spend the majority of their time in Rick's room. Jim Beckett comes by everyday at lunch to sit with Rick so Kate will go get some food. Lanie, Espo, and Ryan stop by every evening after work. Captain Gates even puts in an appearance the day Rick is moved to his new room. Finally, ten days after being admitted to the hospital—on Thanksgiving Day, no less—Rick returns home to the loft.