I was originally going to carry on from the phone call but I couldn't find anything I liked after I'd written a chapter so I decided to carry on from later in that day. Hopefully you enjoy and review, I love hearing from you and if I'm honest I'm not sure about this chapter but hopefully you enjoy reading it. The next chapter should be longer and Kate will probably be getting out of hospital so that will be exciting and something different.
He was nervous. Stupidly nervous and it was annoying him. They'd talked briefly on the phone before she'd asked him to come to the hospital so they could talk properly and here he was, standing in the hospital elevator on his way to see Kate Beckett. He was scared that she would be angry with him or wanting to tell him that she had definitely made up her mind never to see him again. He didn't know what to expect anymore, he just knew that he wanted to see her. He wanted to make sure that his mother hadn't been lying when she'd told him that Kate was okay and was starting to walk. He desperately wanted to see that she was getting better, that she was doing okay. Glancing across at the sign which indicated what floor the lift was currently on, Rick began to tap his foot impatiently before the doors flew open and he walked out and towards the ward he knew so well.
"Mr Castle," a voice suddenly called out as he stepped towards Kate's room, the writer stopping to see the doctor slowly approaching him. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked quickly as Rick stared at him in silence for a moment. "Miss Beckett doesn't need anymore drama. She needs to relax and recover and we don't need another episode like the last time you visited," he blurted out, the writer quickly opening his mouth to respond. He was angry! How dare this man think he can tell him what to do? He hadn't talked to Kate, he probably didn't know that Kate wanted to see him, that she wanted to talk to him. "Mr Castle, I think you should leave before you make the situation worse."
"Well..." Rick began.
"Mr Castle," a voice suddenly blurted out, the writer quickly turning his head to see Kate standing in the doorway of her room. She looked exhausted, her hand resting against the door frame to steady herself as she glanced at the two men. "Come in," she said quietly, watching as Rick smirked at the other man before silently entering the room, stopping when he heard Kate suddenly talk. "You're my doctor, you're in charge of my health and my recovery. You do not get to choose who can visit me," the brunette quickly stated as Rick smiled to himself. "And you're not really that great at looking after my health either," she added quickly before stepping back into her room and slamming the door in frustration.
"Kate," Rick said quietly as she turned slowly and breathed out, clearly exhausted as he remained still. He wasn't going to force her to let him help her, even though he was desperate too. "Do you want some help?" he asked as she nodded, smiling weakly when his hand rested on the small of her back and slowly led her back to the security of her hospital bed. Sitting down on the bed, Kate sighed before relaxing back and glancing across at the nervous writer.
"Sit down," she said quietly as he nodded and sat down in his usual chair that was still close to her bed.
"Mother said you were walking," Rick commented, remembering how amazing it had been to see Kate standing in the doorway without any support. "You're doing really well."
"I couldn't make it back from the door without help though," she responded as he sighed, knowing that Kate would never feel happy until she was herself again. "But it's nice to be able to move around without having to ask someone for help," she admitted as he nodded, the two of them slowly falling into an awkward silence.
"Look Kate..." he began before she shook her head and silenced him with the action.
"I asked you here because I didn't think the conversation I want to have was suitable for the phone," she admitted as he nodded slowly, trying to understand what she was saying. "I wanted to talk to you about everything," she said quietly as he remained silent, not wanting to disturb her in fear of being sent away from her again. "Your mom said you were working the case?" Kate commented as he nodded, not knowing what else to say. "I want to know everything, I can't do with the lies anymore. I want to know the truth about everything."
"Are you sure?" he asked nervously.
"I can't get better if I don't know everything that happened while I was in a coma. Are there any suspects? Are you any closer to finding her killer Rick?" she begged, her voice sounding like a scared child as he nodded slowly. She wanted the truth, he'd give her the truth. "Please don't lie to me anymore, I need to know."
"A woman found you, she called the police," Rick stated as Kate rested back against the pillows and shut her eyes. She couldn't look at him and hear this. She needed to think. "They found you Kate and you were rushed to hospital where it was declared you were in a coma, you're mom was already dead when they reached the scene," Rick admitted as he heard Kate sob loudly. He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to hold her hand and make everything better but he couldn't. He couldn't sugar coat everything and make it seem like they were getting somewhere with the Beckett case because they weren't really and she needed to know that, she wanted to know that. "Raglan, the Detective in charge of the case went to your house and waited for your dad who arrived around half an hour later because he'd been waiting for you in a nearby restaurant."
"We were going out for dinner, I was back from college and we were going to just have some proper family time without work getting in the way," Kate sobbed as Rick shut his eyes for a moment.
"Your dad came to the hospital and visited you and then he identified your mom," Rick narrated, hating himself for making Kate think about everything. "They investigated the case for a while Kate and then they put it down to gang violence," he explained, not surprised when the brunette's eyes quickly opened.
"But it wasn't, Rick it wasn't," she blurted out as he nodded, knowing that she was right. "They knew who we were Rick, they knew mom's name. It wasn't random," she stated angrily as he reached across and grabbed her hand, stopping the brunette who quickly glanced down at their linked hands. "And no one has looked at the case since?" she asked quietly before glancing up at him as he sighed and let go of her hand.
"It's complicated Kate," he admitted.
"Complicated how? My mother was murdered and no one found her killer. The case was too difficult or too much hassle and they gave up on her Rick, they just let her murderer walk free," she sobbed as he nodded slowly, knowing that she was right. Not enough had been done but they were changing that, they were changing that now.
"My Captain, well the Captain of the two detective's I follow at the NYPD has been looking into her case every year Kate, trying to find a new lead," he stated, trying to make it seem like someone else cared about her case. "Esposito has been talking to your dad for years about the case, Ryan and Esposito have been working on it whenever they're free but it's a difficult case. There was no evidence, nothing that would explain why someone would want to murder your mom and then there was you," he stated.
"Me?" she asked quietly.
"They were all waiting to see whether you would wake up. You were there Kate, you could provide evidence for the case," he explained as she nodded slowly, understanding what he was saying. "And you've given so much information Kate that we didn't have, you're helping everyone," he stated as she bit into her lip, trying desperately to stop herself from crying again. "I know you want them found Kate but we have to have the proper evidence and we will find them one day."
"And you? How are you helping?" she asked quietly.
"I've been looking over the case. I'm a fresh pair of eyes on it Kate, I can give different views to the others," he explained, justifying his role as Kate nodded again, not knowing what to say. "I could do something extra to help, if that's what you wanted of course," he said quietly as she locked eyes with him, suddenly desperate to know. "I have a friend, an ME who could look at the case file. Another pair of eyes on the case Kate, something might have been missed the first time round," he suggested as she remained silent. Could she do that? Could she let someone else in on the case? Nodding slowly, Kate looked at the writer who was staring at her nervously.
"Let your friend look at the case," she said quietly before shutting her eyes, trying to process everything he'd just told her. "Thank you," she said quietly.
"For what?"
"For telling me the truth," she responded as he shook his head.
"I should have told you from the start so don't thank me," he declared as she opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. "If I'd told you from the start I probably wouldn't have lost one of the greatest friends I've ever had," he admitted as she bit into her lip nervously before reaching across for his hand, her fingers tightening around it as she smiled weakly at the man who was sitting beside her. "Kate," he said quietly.
"I can't forgive you for lying," she admitted as he nodded slowly. "But you're the only friend I have and I want us to try again," she stated as he nodded before standing up. "Where are you going?" she blurted out as he smiled and disappeared out of the room, confusion covering her face when there was a knock at the door and he re-entered the hospital room. "What are you?" she began before laughing when he held his hand out towards her.
"Miss Beckett, my name is Richard Castle and I'm working with the NYPD on your mother's case," he stated as she smiled weakly and shook his hand before they both laughed for a second.
"It'll take a while Rick," she said quietly as he nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She needed to learn to trust him again and he was going to be there as much or as little as she wanted and needed. "But I don't want to lose you," she admitted as he moved closer, surprised when her arms tightly wrapped around his body and she buried her face into his t-shirt. "I can't lose you too."
"No more lies," he whispered into her hair as she began to sob in his hold. "No more trying to protect you Kate, you're so strong you can do this," he whispered, not wanting to let her go as she continued to cry.