Author's Note:
Thanks to gloriajv, glo1196, and caskettismagic14 for their reviews! You guys are terrific! :)
Here's another. It's the long-anticipated chapter when Beckett wakes up! I tried to make up for the last one by making this one a lot longer. Last chapter was the shortest chapter I've written thus far for this story. Here goes!
Also, 100 Coolest Points go to the person that gets the reference of the title. :)
Chapter 7: My Eyes
(No one's POV)
Castle and Jim Beckett stayed with Kate all night. Castle sang songs and told her stories to pass the time, and took relish in the fact that this was probably the last time she would ever allow him to sing to her like this. Not that she had the power to "disallow" him in the first place, though. She was still in the coma, but the doctors assured them that it had only been approximately seventeen hours since they eased her into it, and there was no cause for concern until she'd been out of it for more than a day.
Still, despite the fact that the only signs of life from Kate was the artificial rising and falling of her body as the machine breathed for her, Castle was in great spirits. He had high hopes for her, and just knew she would be back on her feet in no time. His great mood made everyone else calm down and feel at ease. Jim Beckett was grateful for his positivity because it kept him going, and prevented him from losing hope and turning back to the bottle.
Lanie, Ryan and Esposito were true to their word. They flocked over together on their lunch break the second day Kate was in the hospital, and returned after they were finished working and stayed another hour before visiting hours closed. Alexis came back too, and her support meant everything to Castle. She helped him stay positive. Martha went with Alexis, and brought take-out Chinese food for everyone there. Many of them had skipped meals throughout the day, so the group of friends was extremely grateful for this.
"Thank you, Mother," Castle told Martha later, with a small smile. "That was really sweet of you to do that."
"Don't be silly, kiddo," Martha said dismissively with a theatrical wave of her hand. "I wish I had been here yesterday when it first happened and I could have been there for you. I'm glad Kate's doing a lot better now."
"Me too."
"And honey, I brought you something else as well," Martha announced, digging around in her purse as she explained. "Since you've – been here – and – haven't had time to – change or – shower...ah, here it is!" With this last word, she pulled out a bag and smiled brightly like she was proud of herself for remembering. She held the bag out to her her son. "I've brought you shampoo, soap, deodorant, a toothbrush, your razor, clean underwear –" her voice got louder and louder with each item.
Castle's attempts at subtly shushing his mother weren't working. "Mother!" he interrupted, with a slightly whiny voice that he'd perfected in his teenage years. He grabbed the bag, and tried to cover it with his hands.
Martha chuckled, her smile brightened further, and leaned closer to tell him, "and a spare change of clothes." She patted the bag and gave Castle a peck on the cheek.
"Anyway, I left the tub running, so I've got to go! But you know where to find me if you need me." she started walking away.
"What, what?" Castle sputtered. But Martha was already halfway down the hall.
"Mother!"
"Yes, kiddo?"
Castle smiled again. This was one of the few times where his mother had gone out of her way to do something so sweet for someone else. And that someone was him. He was so grateful, he was suddenly speechless, which was indeed unusual for Richard Castle.
"Th – thank you. Thank you so much, Mother."
"Anytime, kiddo." Martha said with a smile and a wink. "Give my regards to Detective Beckett when she wakes up."
Castle nodded, still smiling fondly. Clutching the care package in his arms, he walked immediately to the hospital bathrooms. The others were there to watch Kate, and he needed a shower and change of clothes in the worst way. As he took the soap and shampoo out of the bag, he saw that Martha had actually brought him two changes of clothes. He'd offer the extra change of clothes to Mr. Beckett when he got back in the room.
"Are – are you, sure, Rick?"
"Of course! We've been waiting here for almost a whole day, and I'm sure you'd probably like a chance to freshen up by now."
Jim Beckett looked towards his sleeping daughter with a furrowed brow. So that was where Kate got it from.
"We'll be here with her," Lanie said warmly. "It's okay to take care of yourself now."
I reached out and offered him the clothes again. "They might be a bit big on you, but I'm sure they'll be more comfortable."
He smiled grimly, and nodded very slightly. "Okay. Thank you." He accepted the clothes, and walked to the bathrooms, while looking back occasionally, as if he wanted to make sure Kate didn't wake up while he was gone for that moment.
When Mr. Beckett left, my good old pal George came back.
I stretched out my arms like I was going to hug him. "Heeeeey, Georgie!"
George just looked at me.
I put my arms down, and was serious. I stepped outside into the hall and cleared my throat. "I would like to thank you for all that you've done for me yesterday and today. Especially when you didn't really know me at all."
"No, I knew who you were," he said gruffly.
"But it didn't matter, did it? You would have done that for anyone, wouldn't you?"
"You seemed desperate enough. And I had you watched specifically by security. I'm not stupid."
Castle smiled. "Whether you'll admit it or not, you are a great person, George. I wish we had been friends in college."
He looked at the floor and then looked up at me. "So, about that favour."
Castle brightened. "Yes! Anything. What can I do for you?"
"Well..."
"Seriously?"
"Yep. That's the deal."
"And there's no way I could give you money, or a signed copy of my book, or a dedication or something?"
"I'm a medical professional. I don't need money. And I don't read."
"Oh!" Castle grabbed his heart in mock surprise. George was startled, and grabbed his radio. Castle looked up and held his hands up. "I'm fine!"
"Don't do that, man. Heart attacks are not a joke."
"Sorry."
"Anyway, a deal's a deal. But you can wait until after your girlfriend is awake."
"You're a good man, Georgie."
"Don't call me Georgie."
"Sorry!"
When dinner was cleaned up and visiting hours were closed again, Jim Beckett and Castle remained.
Jim Beckett took the moment that they were together to ask him a few questions.
"Hey, Rick?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry if this is personal, but I need to know. From one man to another - why didn't you ask Kate out?"
Castle swallowed, and prepared his answer very carefully. "Well, I would be lying if I said I'd never thought about it."
Jim nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"We were never in sync when it came to relationships. She was always single when I was dating someone. I was dumped on my ass just as she met Josh. We were never in the right place at the same time."
"That's not the real reason, is it?"
Just like Kate. He knows when he's not being told the whole truth. Castle continued, even though he really didn't want to. "I told Kate I loved her after she was shot yesterday morning."
He wasn't surprised. "Why'd you do that?"
"Because it's true. I meant it."
"You do love her. You've loved her for a while, haven't you?"
Nod. "This is kind of weird to talk about..."
"Then don't let it be weird. We're just talking. That's all." Next question. "Why didn't you do anything before now?"
Now here was the thick of it. "I know her too well. I'm the yang to her yin. I'm the opposite of her, and that absolutely annoys her some days, and keeps her going on others. If I'm her friend, she has me no matter what, and she knows that. But if she dates me, things are riskier. Complicated. There's more to lose. She wants me around, even if she doesn't admit it, but she doesn't want me. She doesn't want to depend on anyone. That's why she dates guys that she doesn't like as much. So she doesn't get attached. So she has nothing precious to lose."
Jim was quiet. "Beckett onion, huh?"
"She told you about that?"
"What?" Jim Beckett was confused. "I coined the phrase. Katie's been complicated since she could talk." He smiled nostalgically. "She still says it?"
"Once in a while."
He winked. "Well, that's Katie for you. Sounds like you've got her number, even if she didn't give it to you."
"Well, I'm quite proficient with 411."
Mr. Beckett laughed.
Castle had fallen asleep by Kate's feet, his bottom half sitting on the floor, top half sprawled at the bottom of her bed. It gave him the shock of a lifetime being jostled awake with a slight kick in the head in the middle of the night.
He sat up with a start, and was face to face with Kate. Awake. Her eyes were open and staring at him.
"Kate!" he whispered, eyes wide. Though he never doubted the fact that she would pull through, it was still a shock to see her, alive, awake, not comatose. She was so covered with tubes, the only thing visible were her beautiful fawn-brown eyes. Though they looked a bit worried right now.
"Can you hear me?" Castle asked.
She looked directly at him and blinked. He interpreted that as a yes.
Her forehead furrowed and she looked around. Since she still had the breathing tube in her mouth, she couldn't talk at all.
"It's three thirty on the morning of May 19th 2011. You're in the hospital," Castle explained gently. "The same hospital that Sorensen and Moran were in. Look familiar?"
Kate's eyes widened and she twitched slightly. Castle didn't know whether that was a yes or no. He looked at her eyes. They seemed calmer. She knew where she was now. But there was still a questioning look in her eyes.
"You were shot...while you were reading the eulogy at Montgomery's funeral," Castle said weakly. It was hard for him to recall. So painful to watch. So painful to relive.
Recognition. Good. And then she looked at him with a curious look that he didn't know how to interpret. She was asking him something that he didn't know how to interpret. When he didn't get it, frustration. And then she went cross-eyed trying to stare at the breathing tube that went through her mouth and in her body. Going cross-eyed gave her a headache, and she closed her eyes.
"That's a breathing tube. It probably feels horrible. I'll see about getting it removed."
Kate opened her eyes again.
"How are you feeling?" Castle asked gently. "Nauseous? In pain?"
Kate somehow managed to slightly shrug, but winced so violently her eyes closed and filled with tears. Castle took his lip between his teeth, and his brow furrowed in concern. He should know better than to ask Kate how she was feeling – she would never complain. She was probably in a lot of pain, like the doctors had warned she would be.
"Sorry, Kate. I'll try to understand."
He inched closer to her, so he was right at her bedside. "I – I was really scared, Kate. I'm glad you'll be okay." He started to hug her, but then stopped himself, worrying that he'd hurt her. So he picked up her hand, and squeezed it gently.
Her eyes darted around again, and then rested again on Castle.
"No, no, of course I'm not alone," he said quickly. "Your dad's been waiting here with you the whole time. He's just resting now. Lanie too. And Ryan, Esposito, Alexis and Josh came last night too, but they had to go to work, and Alexis had school. We're all pushing for you to get better soon." He stroked her hand again.
Her eyes moved again and she stared at the bracelet that jingled on her wrist. Her eyes were wide, and she seemed happy.
"Yes, that's your mother's bracelet," Castle said with a huge smile, touching it gently so that she could see the rainbow light reflecting off of it. "Your father brought it for you the first night. He said that your mother could watch over you this way."
Her eyes smiled. She was happy.
"I'm going to wake him up, okay?"
Kate's eyes narrowed.
"No? Okay, I'll let him sleep. It'll be a nice surprise for him when he wakes up."
She relaxed again.
"I'm going to go find a nurse and ask about removing your tube, okay? Blink twice for yes."
Kate stared at me, as if to say, "Don't go yet." She tried to lift her hand, but it was very difficult for her. Her hand came up, slow and heavy, and she placed it gently on Castle's shoulder. She looked at him, and blinked twice, slowly.
"You're welcome, Kate. Welcome back."
Author's Note:
YAY! Kate woke up! Hope you liked this chapter. I remember reading other fics that had her talking as soon as she was awake, and as much as I wanted to do that, I tried really hard to be realistic. Hope that didn't ruin it for you.
And I would now love to hear from you, whether you liked this, hated it, etc.,
Next chapter, you'll find out what George's mysterious favour was, Kate will talk, there will be a beautiful father-daughter moment, the ring from Josh will be addressed, and/or a head-to-head with Josh and Castle. Haven't 100% decided yet, but the next chapter should be interesting. :)