An hour after, Kate woke up, vision blurred. She could feel an oxygen mask pressed against her face and could see a face over hers, staring down at her. Sirens were wailing and she could feel the movement of wherever she was; she was moving very quickly. Her fingers grabbed at the oxygen mask, trying to pull it off her face. A larger hand was immediately on top of it, gently pressing it back onto her. She felt nauseous and her entire torso was roaring with pain. Castle.

X

Castle had Kate's hand in both of his for the entire ambulance ride. His heart was racing, and his chest was aching; he had left alone and someone had shot her. Right in the fucking precinct. The same bastard had killed the Captain. And Castle had left Kate alone. Please wake up, Kate. He touched her cheek as gently as he could and felt tears dripping down his cheek. I'm right here, Kate. I'm not leaving you ever again.

"Kate!" he screamed, watching the detective fall to the ground. "Kate!" he dropped his phone and sprinted down the hallway to her. She lay crumpled on the floor, and was struggling to breath. A black stain was soaking through her blue shirt. Oh my god, she's hurt! He tore her shirt open to reveal her toned stomach, punctured with a large bullet hole that blood was pouring out of. He immediately ripped his jacket off and pressed against the wound, struggling to staunch the blood. "It's okay. We're gonna get you out of here! Somebody call an ambulance!" he shouted, panicking as he saw her eyes slowly close. "Kate! Stay with me! Come on, stay with me!"

It took ten minutes for the EMT's to reach the two of them. Kate had lost a lot of blood and was looking very pale, but Castle kept checking her pulse and she was still hanging on. "Sir!" one of the EMT's shouted. "We've got this!" Castle finally scooted himself back and watched them load her onto a gurney and run to the elevator. He sprinted after them and ran into the elevator as well. "Sir!"

"Please, I can't let her die! She's the… she's my muse!" Castle pleaded, his voice shaking with terror. The EMT finally nodded and they ran together out of the precinct to the waiting ambulance. After they got her in, Castle clambered in after her and grabbed her hand. "Please don't die, Kate!"

X

Two hours after, Kate woke up. She was in a gurney being wheeled very quickly down a very bright hallway. It had to be a hospital. She still had an oxygen mask on, and she was in agonizing pain. When she groaned, she heard someone shout next to her, "She's awake!"

"Don't worry, Detective. We're taking you to surgery. You're going to be fine." Kate tried to tug off the mask, managing to slip it down to her pale neck.

"Castle?" she whispered hoarsely, and someone shouted near her.

"I'm right here, Kate! I'm not leaving! I'm not –" Her vision suddenly began to swim, and everything began to fade.

"Castle, I..."

"We're losing her! Get a crash cart in the OR now!"

"Hang on, Detective!"

"No! Kate!"

X

Castle followed the gurney the length of the hallway, sprinting after the doctors. He had heard something about emergency surgery, something punctured, and panicked. The doctors had tried to stop him from following her, but he nearly broke a few doctors' bones in the process, so they gave up and let the crazed and terrified writer follow them. She still hadn't woken up, and Castle's panic was starting to make him nauseous. She can't die. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, don't let her die. Just as he prayed, he heard her groan. Before he could stop himself, he screamed, "She's awake!"

"Don't worry, Detective. We're taking you to surgery. You're going to be fine," one of the doctors said calmly. Castle saw Kate grabbing at the mask.

"Castle?" she whispered hoarsely, the mask around her neck.

"I'm right here, Kate! I'm not leaving! I'm not going anywhere!"

"Castle, I..." Her voice dropped off and her eyes closed. No!

"We're losing her!" another doctor shouted. "Get a crash cart in the OR now!" Crash cart? Aren't those only for people who are… NO!

"Hang on, Detective!" A nurse placed the mask back on Kate's face.

"No! Kate!" Castle screamed.

"I'm sorry, sir, but if you want us to save your girlfriend's life, you have to wait here so we can do our job," a doctor explained, putting a hand out to stop Castle. "Please wait here. We'll keep you updated as much as we can." With that, he turned and jogged back towards the gurney. Castle remained rooted to the floor. Please, she can't die.