Chapter 4
Kate shifted as the phone chirped in bed next to her, its third attempt to rouse her from sleep and to alert her of the text message from Espo that awaited her. She reached for it with a huff of exasperation, her eyes unable to gain clear focus as they fought to adjust to the shock of the light of day. Frustrated, she rolled her body toward the clock on the nightstand, the glowing numbers displayed there large enough to register, despite her dense morning fog.
She jolted upright instantly in a rush of adrenaline, utterly confused, the time staring back at her, 9:03 AM. She'd slept through her alarm, turned it off without realizing it, she discovered, and after a terse, expletive-laced rant into the quiet of the room about her own stupidity, she reached over and grabbed again for her phone.
Everything cool? You on your way in?
She couldn't believe her day was starting this way. She'd finally managed to close her eyes a couple of hours before, for actual sleep, and this was her reward. Espo and Ryan would be all over her about this. And Gates was going to kill her.
Yeah, I'll be there soon.
Something needed to change. If all she was going to have was her work, her days and nights couldn't go on this way.
XXX
The taunting from Espo and Ryan began the minute Kate stepped off the elevator and into the bullpen, and she was in no mood for any of it. With a conspicuous grimace, Gates watched Kate's every step from her office window, held up her wristwatch-adorned arm to the glass in condemnation, as though Kate wasn't aware of exactly what time it was, as though she didn't feel shitty enough about it already. Satisfied her message of shame had been received loud and clear, Gates stepped away, and Kate dragged herself into the break room for a necessary coffee.
"Late night, huh? You alone, or-"
"Shut up, Ryan, okay? I don't need your shit this morning too."
Espo smacked him on the arm. And then, just as quickly as he'd come to her rescue, he threw a jab of his own. "You know, if you want to schedule wake-up calls, I can talk to the front desk for you." They both attempted to swallow the laugh, but they just couldn't help themselves.
"Screw both of you." Kate stormed out, her mug still empty, her day's thread of patience entirely frayed already.
They both scurried after her, apologetic, and with news about the Talia Thorne case to share.
"Beckett, hey, sorry."
"Yeah, Ryan's sorry for being an insensitive ass."
"What?" Ryan's mouth hung open in exaggerated disbelief.
Espo and Kate grinned at each other. She could always count on Espo.
"Anyway, we ran that address for Talia Thorne's sister out in Brooklyn and it looks like it's still good. You want to head over?"
She could feel the adrenaline begin to rush through her again, the sudden build-up of excitement at the prospect of a good lead. But if there was even the slightest chance she was going to have to talk to Taryn Thorne about her dead sister this morning, she definitely needed coffee first. "Absolutely, yeah. Why don't you guys go ahead and I'll catch up with you there. I should probably stick my head in and say something to Gates first."
"Yeah, she didn't seem too happy."
"Does she ever?"
"Just text me the address and wait there for me. Don't try to talk to her until I get there."
"You got it, boss."
Kate went back to her desk and pulled the travel mug out of her drawer. A thin layer of dust had settled over the lid, her use of it over the past four years minimal, thanks to Castle, and standing there with it in her hand prompted her mind to begin playing back all the mornings he'd come in with two cups in hand, as though it'd somehow managed to memorize every one.
The text message from Ryan with Taryn Thorne's address hit her phone and snapped her out of her reverie before she became too lost in the images, and she returned to the break room for what she needed most. On her way out, as much as she wanted to avoid it, she stuck her head into Gates' office to render an apology. "Sir?"
Gates didn't look up. She'd known Kate would come eventually. "You're here now, Detective. Just go out there and get it done."
"Yes, sir."
At least something this morning went smoothly.
XXX
Ryan and Espo sat in their car just down the block from Taryn's address in Brooklyn, now over an hour since they'd left the precinct. They argued like siblings on a road trip, cooped up in the car too long and absent anything to do but pick at each other.
"You should be the one to call Castle if you wanna know so bad. He's probably expecting it, anyway. You're always the one sucking up to him, wanting to be on his team."
"Whatever, Javi, jealous much?"
"Jealous, bro? Of what, exactly? Now, I don't know exactly what's goin' on, but it kinda seems like your boyfriend's bein' a dick."
"Well, that's why you should call him, Espo. You can relate. Takes one to know one, right?"
They turned to each other simultaneously, each cracking a smile and releasing a laugh, any hint of tension gone in an instant.
Ryan checked his watch again. Kate should've been there by now. "Where the hell's Beckett? She was supposed to be right behind us."
"Maybe Gates really chewed her out. Or maybe you texted her the wrong address."
"I didn't text her the wrong address." He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, his insistence turned to doubt as quickly as he'd completed the sentence. "Ah, see?" He thrust the phone into Espo's face. "Definitely the right address."
"Congratulations, now get that thing outta my face."
Ryan still took comfort in the small victory. "I'm going to call her. This is stupid." He dialed Kate's phone, but it rang four times and went to voicemail. He gave it five minutes and tried again, with the same result. "Two calls, both to voicemail. Weird. I'll try the precinct, but if she's still there, I'm going to be pissed."
"Go get her, tiger." Espo's sarcasm always got to Ryan. And that's exactly why he used it.
The desk put Ryan through to Gates, who answered in a voice he didn't recognize. He could tell immediately something was wrong.
"Captain Gates, it's Ryan. Is Beckett still there with you? We've been sitting out here in front of Taryn Thorne's apartment building for over an hour and Beckett was supposed to meet us. She hasn't shown up yet and she isn't answering her phone."
"Ryan?" Her tone projected it plainly. Something was definitely wrong.
The dead air that followed seemed endless. "Yes, sir?"
"I just received a phone call. Detective Beckett's been in an accident."
"An accident? What kind of accident?"
Espo hit him on the shoulder and Ryan switched over to speakerphone so they could both listen.
"Some sort of car accident. They said she's going to be fine, but she's banged up a bit. They're going to keep her at the hospital until at least tomorrow for observation."
"But she's going to be okay?"
"Yes- yes, that's what they've said. Look, I need you and Esposito to handle notifying Taryn Thorne about her sister. We need to move on this."
"Of course. What hospital is Beckett in?"
"She's at NYU Medical Center."
"Okay, we'll stop by on our way back, see how she's doing."
"Yes, thank you, Ryan."
He ended the call and looked over at Espo. "Jesus."
"You said it, bro. So much for her shitty morning improving."
XXX
Ryan and Espo buzzed Taryn's apartment from the callbox out front for almost ten minutes without any answer, until they were able to access the building as another tenant exited. Her door was at the end of the gloomy hallway, beneath the twitching fluorescent light and the cobweb that decorated the ceiling in the back corner. They knocked repeatedly, both of them, loudly at times, without drawing a sound from inside. Taryn wasn't around, and, unfortunately, the one neighbor that answered his door was older than dirt and caked in it as well, and the only thing he managed to tell them was to go away.
They spent the next hour pacing the hallway, hoping Taryn would return to the apartment, but to no avail, and with Kate in the hospital, they made the decision to head over there and come back for a second attempt with Taryn later, however frustrating that would be.
"I will, Captain." Espo pulled the phone from his ear after filling Gates in on the plan.
"Will what?"
"She wants a full report on Beckett after. And she asked about Castle, if we should call him or not, which was kinda weird."
"Should we?"
"I have no idea, bro."
Espo held off, didn't make the call to Castle right away, figured he should know more about Beckett's condition and what happened, at least, before he did.
They were given Kate's room number by a woman at the hospital's help desk and they tracked it down without difficulty. It was often easy to get lost in those places. Jim Beckett was stepping out into the hallway when they arrived. "Gentlemen, hi, it's good to see you again." He shook hands with each. "I know it'll make Katie happy too. She hates these places, as you can imagine."
"How's she feeling?"
"Well, she'll tell you she's ready to leave. The doctor, however, has a slightly different opinion about that."
"That's our girl, tough as nails." Espo had to smile. Kate never blinked. "Did she tell you what happened?"
"I'll let Katie fill you in on the details. She tells a far better story than I. She would've made a great lawyer, like Johanna. I think she's more angry about it than anything else, carrying the burden, as she tends to do." He paused a moment and looked around. "Is Rick with you?"
Neither knew exactly what to say, so Espo lied. "No, he isn't, but I left him a voicemail on the way over and I'm sure he'll be here just as soon as he can."
"That's great. Listen, I need to head back to the office for a little while, but I'll be back later this afternoon. You guys go on in, and thanks again for coming. I really appreciate how much you guys look out for her."
"We wouldn't have it any other way, sir. She always does the same for us."
And with Jim's departure, Espo knew what he had to do.
"You gonna call him, Javi?"
Espo nodded. "I'll be right in."
XXX
Kate was sitting up in her hospital bed looking every bit the miserable patient when Ryan entered the room. The area above her left eye was covered by a thick patch of gauze, her top lip was bruised and swollen, and her right wrist was elevated and wrapped in a compression bandage, but none drew as much attention as the scowl on her face.
"Wow, do I even want to ask about the other guy?" Ryan's grin drew one of her own, in as much as she could through the sting of her lip. "I'm hoping you feel better than you look." He pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat close.
"Explain to me again how it is you managed to score a woman like Jenny with that charm."
"I tease out of love- and because there's little you can do about it at the moment."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Just remember, I have a long memory. And I may have a head injury, but I've been assured there's no permanent damage."
"We're very happy to hear that."
"We?"
Espo pushed the door open enough to slide through. "Yes, we. You're a sight for sore eyes, girl." He stepped up to the bed and kissed her forehead, looked at Ryan and offered a nod. "Now, who do we need to pay a visit to for this mess?"
"You're looking at her."
"What the hell happened?"
Kate shook her head, mired again in her own stupidity. "I just never saw him coming. One minute I was at the light, and the next, the car was spinning." She winced as the unconscious movement of her arm sent pain vibrating through her wrist. "He drove through the light, but-" She hesitated. "I just never saw him."
"Asshole." Espo was fiercely protective.
"I haven't really been sleeping, but I should've seen him." Her voice was faint, unsettled, and her words directed at no one, as though she were trying to understand, to piece together exactly how she'd arrived at this moment.
"Beckett, all that matters is that you're okay," Ryan told her.
"Yeah, thanks." She wasn't sure how much she believed it right now, but she knew he was sincere in his sentiment. "Wait, how did you guys even find out about it?"
"Gates told us. We called in from Taryn Thorne's place when you didn't show and she'd just heard the news, I guess. Espo has to call her back and fill her in, actually. She wanted to know how you were doing."
"Right, yeah. And I, uh- I called Castle too. He didn't pick up but I left a message for him to call me back." Espo wasn't entirely sure how Kate would react to it, but he didn't feel sorry he'd done it.
"He's been busy lately, finishing the book and stuff." Even now, after the events of the last two days, of the last few weeks, she was still trying to excuse away his absence. And, honestly, she knew it was an easier way to get out of having to say anything more about it. "Did you guys find Taryn?"
"Gates sent us in, but there was no one at her apartment. We waited for a while, but nothing. We'll head back later and try again."
Kate hated being away from the job, especially when the case was beginning to move in a forward direction, however slight. "I'm sorry you guys have to handle this alone."
"Don't do that, Kate. We're all partners here." He leaned in and placed another kiss to her forehead. "I'm gonna go call Gates. Ryan, I'll meet you outside."
"Thanks, Javi."
Ryan stood and pushed the chair back against the wall as Espo stepped out. "Don't worry about anything except feeling better, okay? We have you covered for as long as you need. We'll call you later with any updates."
He made his way toward the door. "Thanks. Oh, and, Ryan, for the record, I know exactly why Jenny loves you."
They exchanged smiles and he went, leaving Kate to think about the case she was maddeningly unable to work, and to wonder whether or not anyone would hear back from Castle.
XXX
Kate's night in the hospital was much like her recent nights at home, too little sleep and too much frustration. She had a nurse in her room every couple of hours, thanks to the concussion, and her sprained wrist pulsed with ache. And as if her physical discomfort weren't enough, her brain kept sending her back to the last time she'd been in a hospital- and had very nearly died.
She was cranky come morning, exhausted in a way she couldn't think of words to express, and beyond ready to go home. And that's exactly where she had to go, her doctor's orders in no uncertain terms, for the next several days. He instructed her to schedule a follow-up appointment, and she promised him she'd call to set it up once she got settled at home. She cursed herself over and over for getting herself into this. She had no time for any of it.
"You ready to go, Katie?" Jim pushed the wheelchair toward her and she huffed audibly.
"Seriously, dad?"
"Sit. Rules are rules. I believe you know a thing or two about those, detective Beckett." He knew it was all driving his daughter nuts. She always wanted to be so strong, dependent upon no one. Reluctantly she sat, and he kissed the top of her head for her surrender. "Home it is."
XXX
"Dad, would you stop snooping around my kitchen, please?" She was outstretched on the couch, her feet propped up on the coffee table, and she could see everything he was doing: opening cabinets, pulling out drawers, hovering in the light of her bookended refrigerator and freezer doors. "You're driving me insane. That's the fourth time you've opened that thing. What do you think's changed?"
He tossed her a fatherly look of disapproval, the whoosh of the appliance's doors blowing lightly on his face. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, you have no food in this house. Explain yourself."
"Well, dad, since I'm neither on a witness stand nor six years old, I suppose I don't really need to explain, but if any reason will do, how about we chalk it up to 'Kate's very busy' and move on."
"Hey, you're still my daughter, no matter how old you are, and I'm allowed to worry. You're everything I have."
She watched his expression turn from one of displeasure to one of palpable concern. "I'm sorry, dad. I know. I have a lot going on right now, and I just don't need anything else piled on. This is really hard for me."
He walked over and sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "Let your old man help you out, Katie. At least let me go pick up a few things for you at the market down the street. If you agree to that, I'll agree to leave you in peace for a little while."
"How could I say no to such a beautiful offer?" She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, dad."
Jim got up and headed for the door, grabbed her keys off the counter and dropped them into his pocket. "Oh, wait a second, speaking of helping you out, did Rick come by the hospital yesterday? I'm surprised I haven't seen him."
Kate dropped back against the couch cushion. She should've expected he'd ask the question. "No, I was really tired, dad. Maybe later, though."
Such a ridiculous lie.
"Good. Okay, I'll be back in a bit. You, rest please." He pointed for added effect.
She got up as soon as the door closed and locked behind him, made her way through her bedroom and to the shower. She couldn't wait for the hot spray to hit her body, to wash away the layer of hospital film that now felt like a second skin. She stepped closer to the mirror, the brief glimpse she'd gotten of herself as she'd passed startling in its reflection- colors of red and blue and black, like the brushstrokes of an abstract painting. Everything looked broken. Everything felt broken.
The sting of the hot water cut at her body's ache, drew tears of both relief and strain, and she let them come, welcomed the release of fight, if only for a few moments. Her eyelids were heavy with the weight of sleepless hours, and while she wanted to remain there, still, until the water ran cold, her run-down body wouldn't capitulate.
Kate dried off as best she could with one functional hand and dressed comfortably in loose clothes, the clatter of Jim in her kitchen echoing down the tiny hallway. "I'll be right out, dad."
"Feel better?"
"I feel a bit more human, if that counts for anything."
"It does." He approached and kissed her on the forehead. "And you still look beautiful, if that counts for anything."
She winked. "It does."
"So, I have a meeting at the office and I have to get back. I put everything away as best I could. It's not much but-"
"Dad, thank you, for everything."
"I'll call you a bit later and check in, but if you need anything, don't wait, call."
Kate walked him to the door, her arm in his. "I won't, I promise. I love you."
"Love you too."
In the kitchen she found fresh fruit and wheat crackers, among other random items he'd purchased, and she had to laugh. It was, probably, more food than her kitchen had seen in months. She put water on the stove for tea and sliced up an apple, not entirely certain she wanted either, but she suspected her father would know if she didn't eat something, at least. He had a way about him.
She went back to the couch to eat in quiet comfort- no books, no television, her phone charging up in the bedroom. But as she picked up her mug for her very first sip, she heard a knock at the door. She ignored it at first, really in no mood or position for company, but it came again, louder and more urgent. He must've forgotten something when he left.
She shuffled across the floor as the noise continued, constant. "Geez, Dad, okay, already!" she said, pulling the door open briskly. But it wasn't her father on the other side.
Castle was the very last person she expected to see.