Disclaimer - I do not own Castle
Private Room - 14:21
Ashley and Alexis are playing scrabble on the couch, the female teen was kicking her boyfriends butt and loving it. "Ash, I am the daughter of a wordsmith, sometimes I think you underestimate me," she teased with a chuckle.
Ashley leaned over the board game and cupped Alexis face, giving his girlfriend a kiss on the lips. "Never ... in a ... million ... years," he said in between kissed before deepening it.
The sound of someone clearing there throat followed by. "You two do realize that I can see you right," Rick spoke up and stopped typing as the two teens pulled apart.
Alexis face matched her hair, embarrassed as hell.
Rick just smirked, and his fingers continued to fly over the keys. He couldn't believe that he was already finishing the third chapter, Rick guessed because they had already lived the memories, so he didn't have to make anything up. He just wrote from the heart, plus laying beside Kate helped, the detective always managed to inspire him.
The music was still flowing throughout the room because the writer could not stand daytime television.
Alexis mumbled. "Sorry dad," Ashley nodded. "Totally my fault, Sir"
Rick just shook his head and chuckled.
Voices coming from down the hall, made the writer stop typing for a moment when he heard a familiar male voice answer. "Do they have any respect for privacy?"
The female voice he would know anywhere answered dramatically. "They're vultures ..."
The door opened and Martha and Jim walked through.
The redheaded teen jumped up and ran towards her grandmother and before the Diva could even work out what was going on, Alexis flew into her grandmothers arms in tears again.
"Grams, I am glad you're here," the teen buried her face into her grandmother's shoulders.
Martha patted her granddaughter gently on the shoulder, comforting her, finally turning her gaze onto the detective. The older actress's glassy blue orbs took in the sleeping young woman. She looked so helpless, never has the Diva seen the strong willed detective look so helpless.
Jim stood beside his daughter.
Martha whispered. "Oh Kate," doing everything she could to hold back her own tears.
Alexis pulled back and looked up at her grandmother. "It's horrible Grams."
Martha was speechless.
Jim looks around the room. Things had been added to the room, like an Atmosphere air purifier, mini fridge and a few more items.
"I see that you've added a few things Rick," Jim noted.
Rick shifted his gaze from his mother and daughter and towards Kate's father, just nodding.
The father of the detective could see how much the writer cared for his baby girl, Kate always went on about how she could never shut the writer up. Jim seemed to be having the opposite reaction.
The mood in the room was now Somber, wanting to lighten the mood. Jim smiled at the writer and asked positive. "How's our girl doing?"
Rick turned his attention back to his best friend, sighing he answered deadpan. "Better, getting her colour back..." he closing his laptop as the door re-opened and in walked his favourite nurse.
. "Ah Rick, we have ..." she spoke up, looking a bit flustered. Before Molly could finish what she was going to say, she discovered that there were new people in the room. One she remembered from last night.
"Well more visits, Kate is sure popular," the nurse delivered.
Rick smiled at Molly, hoping up from his bed. "Hey Molly, this is my mother Martha and you remember Kate's father, Jim." The writer introduced
Alexis had returned to Ashley's arms, was now standing off from Martha. Martha gave a distracted wave, her eyes still on Kate.
Molly made her way over towards Kate's side, standing beside the father. Molly greeted them both before She turning back to Rick, who was standing now standing at the end of Kate's bed with his arms crossed and looking at her, curious to what was she going to say before she got distracted.
The tone in the nurse's voice turned serious. "So how is your wife doing this afternoon, I am guessing you've..." silence fell over the room and the nurse stopped mid sentence.
Martha blinked a few times. Jim interrupted. "Wife, that was quick. You sure don't waste time," he commented, turning his attention onto his new 'son in law'.
A sad smile played on the writers lips. It was the actress that answered serious. "Richard, you do realise that it is against the law to marry someone while they're in a coma."
Rick smirked at his mother.
Molly chuckled, before answering. "They don't know."
Rick shook his head, the nurse continued. "I just figured since it is all over the television," Molly explained.
The Author's eyes widened, turning towards the bed and grabbing the remote, he turned the television on, and pictures filled the screen. It was of the entrance of the Hospital, there were a bunch of reporters and cameras flashing. Rick turned up the volume and all eyes in the room fell onto the screen.
All watching in awe as the female reporter outside of the hospital announced. "I am standing outside New York Presbyterian Hospital to where yesterday Detective Katherine Beckett was shot down at her bosses funeral, Kate who is also known as Nikki Heat a fictional character in the new Heat Series. Her creator Richard Castle was by her side and hasn't left since, we haven't heard anything from the writer, not even a tweet. I have actually heard whispers that the couple secretly married 3 months ago, and the couple have been together keeping it a secret for over a year now. It is understandable that the writer wants to stick by his wife in her time of ..." hitting the standby button then tossing the control on his bed.
Rick ran his hand through his hair muttering. "Oh crap, Kate is gonna freak," turning his attention to his sleeping partner.
Silence had fallen over the room, Alexis was first to speak demanding upset. "Who would do this?" the red headed teen crossing her arms, Ashley pulling his grip more protective around her.
The nurse whispered. "This is all my fault," Molly's blue eyes filled with self pity.
That's when the door swung open and in stormed hurricane Paula. Rick's Agent stormed over to him, dressed in a black curve hugging dress.
She demanded. "Rick! Something you want to tell me?" the agent placed a hand on her hip, glaring at the writer and waiting for an answer.
Rick looked at his book agent and mumbled. "Not really," turning his gaze back to the sleeping detective.
Nurse Molly turned towards the book agent confessed. "Sorry, I told the staff that Rick and Kate were married so he can stay here, that they're keeping a secret. I don't know how it got out, everyone was informed not to say a word," the nurse looked concerned.
Martha and Jim looked at one another then towards the nurse before bursting into laughter.
"Bet it was nurse ratchet," Rick spat, highly annoyed.
It was Martha to whose laughter was dying down as she informed her son. "What do you seriously expect when you go around calling people names, honestly Richard," shaking her head, pretending to be ashamed.
It was the book agent to who got the writer back on focus. "Rick, You're gonna have to say something about all of this," gesturing around the room. "Sooner or later," giving him a concerned look.
He had his eyes on his partner once again, watching as her chest rose and fall. "I pick later," he answered melancholy
Paula looked at the writer truly concerned, this detective really had a pull over him, never in the last decade working with Richard Castle had she ever seen him act like this over any woman. It wasn't about sex. Rick truly loved her, that actually surprised her, even though over the last year, Paula had been noticed the slight changes in Rick's character. Since breaking up with his publisher/ex wife, he hadn't dated anybody. Now she knew why, because he was in love with the Detective.
Paula, who was standing across from Rick, place a supportive hand on his shoulder, her blue eyes trying to look into his but the writer's eyes wouldn't leave the detective. He seemed to tense at the book agent's touch, sighing Paula answered. "I have to tell them something, you know how..."
"TELL THEM TO MIND THEIR OWN DAMM BUSINESS!" he shouted, not meaning to do, but he was angry and frustrated. It didn't bother Rick too much when they followed him around. It was in his job description but when it came to his daughter or Kate. That pissed him off, they didn't sign up for this. Paula dropped her hand from his shoulder and sighed.
"I'll say something," the book agent muttered, her gaze then fell on the detective for the first time since entering the room. Paula strongly disliked hospitals, both her parents died when she was three and she had to go live with her horrible grandparents, that's why she grew up tough as nail. She needed to survive, hospitals reminded Paula of death.
Pulling her eyes from the comatose detective, Paula turned and left.
The room was silent. No one knew what to say, until the writer spoke up. "Paula dislikes hospitals, both her parents died in a car crash when she was three. She was in a coma for a week before having to go live with her grandparents. She missed their funeral," Rick divulged.
The women in the room gasped.
Rick finished. "She told me one night after she had gotten drunk while on tour for Gathering Storm, it was their anniversary."
After a few minutes of silence, Martha answered. "That poor dear," nods were all around the room in agreement.
Rick walked back over to his bed and picked up the remote he had tossed several minutes earlier, turning the television back on. Once again all eyes glued to the screen, they listened as Paula came into view and began speaking. "The Castle and Beckett family have asked if you could all respect their privacy and Rick will make a statement at a later date, thank you," Paula then walked off.
Turning the television back off, Rick turned to his daughter. "Sweetie, why don't you and Ashley head out for a bit and get some fresh air," he spoke up, giving his daughter a sincere smile.
Alexis shook her head, her father gave her a sterner look and the red headed teen sighed, rolling her eyes, Kate Beckett style.
"Fine, but if anything happens, call, got it." Alexis ordered her father nodded. Alexis laced her fingers with her boyfriend and the two then left the room.
Molly was checking up on Kate, filling out her chart when Martha walked over towards her son and suggested. "You go too, Richard. Kate will be fine and we'll call if there is any change," giving her son a compassionate look.
Rick shook his head, arms crossed defensively. "No, Mother. I am not leaving her," Rick answered, crossing the room and looked out of the window, down at the streets below.
Martha sighed, then turned and looked at Jim. She gave the father a 'Help Me' look. Jim nodded, letting go of his daughter's hand and walked over towards the writer.
Rick sensed Jim entering his personal space, who knew that Richard Castle knew what personal space was. Kate's father placed a hand on the writer's shoulder and then looked out the window like Rick was.
A long moment passed before Jim spoke up.
"It's okay to leave, even if it's only for an hour," he began.
Rick said nothing, didn't move an inch.
"You know you're as stubborn as Katie. If I know my daughter, which I like to think I do, then I know that she won't wake up until she knows you're in the room, son." Jim assured the young man.
Rick looked at his 'someday in the future hopefully, father in law'."And that is why I am not leaving her side," he answered pensive, turning back to the window.
Jim moved his hand from the writer's shoulder and walked back towards his daughter. The nurse was gone. He gave Martha a looked that said 'I tried'.
18:33
The music playing throughout the room had changed to more upbeat songs; both Martha and Jim had left the hospital a couple of hours ago. Martha had a play to attend to tonight.
Around twenty minutes ago Jenny, Kevin, Lanie and Javier all arrived together, talking animatedly. When Jenny spotted Kate for the first time, she bursted into tears in Kevin's arms.
It took Kevin a few minutes to calm her down, even though the two had only met a few times, Jenny was an easy person to love and cared deeply.
Rick had charmed one of the staff members to bring in a table and chairs, now they were all seated around it, by the window. The room was spacious, the lights had been dimed, Alexis and Ashley had bought back Italian after a text from Rick.
Now the small group were all seated around the rectangular plastic fold up table, chatting animatedly, they were all avoiding talking about the previous captain, the hunt for the sniper and of course Kate.
The teen was sharing a story with the group about her father and his obsession with having to invent new food groups, Rick chimed in 'talent' and the red headed teen rolled her eyes. A sad smile took place on the writer's lips, every eye roll reminded him of Kate.
"- he choose a morning when I was half asleep to push the plate under my nose, without paying attention I took a bite of what I thought was a pancake, to find out moments later that it wasn't just any pancake. It was a Chinese flavoured pancake," the red headed teen explained,
Mouths dropped and eyes widened, a small chuckle escaped the writer's mouth.
Alexis finished. "Dad decided that last night's left over Chinese would go well in a pancake ... it didn't," the teen confirmed.
Chuckles filled the room. The medical examiner shook her head, speaking up. "Writer boy, some of the idea's in that head of yours should remain in there," she told him.
The laughter continued until the door opened and Nurse Joy entered the room. The writer automatically groaned.
"There are too many people in here," she complained, crossing her arms and putting a scowl on her face.
Rick is instantly annoyed, not bothering to turn around because his back was facing her. "I am going to pretend that I didn't hear you say that, just like I am going to pretend that a few hours ago, the press were not outside of the hospital demanding question about my wife because somebody in this hospital couldn't keep their damn mouth shut!" he spoke up with an angry passion.
The nurse mumbled something under her breath before leaving.
Lanie had filled Kevin and Jenny in on about the whole 'wife' thing earlier when they had seen it on the news.
A few minutes passed with absolute quietness before Jenny broke the tensed silence. "Wow, she seems fun," she spoke up, shyly.
The writer responded by grumbling.
The Irish detective looked at his friend concerned. "You okay man?" his deep blue's eyes filled with compassion.
Rick sighed. He didn't want his friends thinking that he was ungrateful. They have been so great over the last day, ever since the shooting, it was still hard to believe that all of this happened only a little over 24 hours ago.
Rick put his fork down and began apologizing. "I am sorry guys. It's not your fault any of this happened. I have just been a little ..." not needing to finish what he was going to say, the room was filled with nods. Alexis placed her hand on her father's shoulder and gave him a heartfelt look, which the father returned.
A short moment passed before Alexis smiled brightly. "Molly is really nice," she observed, turning towards Jenny, which made Jenny smile.
"Thank you, even though she has the tendencies to do before thinking. But she has a big heart," the sister answer, protectively. Kevin pulled his fiancé into a side hug smiling at her with admiration.
There was an 'aw' moment at the table, and talking started up again.
Lanie started the story this time. She was tired of avoiding the topic of her best friend.
"I remember the first day I met Kate. It was over a crime scene, Kate's first crime scene as a Detective."
Lanie let out a sigh before continuing. "It was a hard case, a fourteen year old girl had been murdered by her step father. Kate and I butted heads throughout the entire case, it took three days to track the stepfather down, and an hour for Kate to break him, it was getting close to eleven that night and I found Kate down in the gym with a boxing bag, beating the crap out of it. I told her 'girl, get your things, we're getting a drink' she gave me one of her favourite death glares. I matched it for ten minutes before she finally caved and answered 'Fine', forty minutes later after 12 tequila shots each, Kate broke down into tears and I was there for her. Ever since then, we've had each other's backs," she divulged, her face had been heavyhearted.
The room was quiet, except for the song that was playing in the background 'Even Heaven Cries by Monrose.
All of a sudden Kate's ventilator started beeping and her heart rate seemed to pick up a little, within seconds the writer was be her side. Everyone else beside Lanie seemed stunned. The medical examiner ran out of the room, returning a minute later with the nurse.
Molly, who was at the nurses' station down the corridor around the corner, the chipper nurse donned her serious face and jumped straight into action. She read the machine that controlled the detective's heartbeat, and then began pressing buttons on the machine. A moment later the beeping subsided but the rhythm of her heart was still rising and falling, a smile appeared on the nurse's face. The group had now gathered around the left side and end of the bed, since Rick's was blocking the right side.
His hand was laced with the detectives. "What's wrong Molly?" panic evident in Rick's voice.
The nurse turned and smiled at the writer and clarified. "Nothing."
He was confused, giving her a puzzled look.
Molly placed her hand on the writer's shoulder and explained. "That beeping means that she can you hear, Kate is responding with her heart since she cannot respond any other way at the moment."
Relief washed over the group and Rick turned his attention to his beautiful partner, not letting go of her hand and running his fingers through her hair. "Kate, can you hear me," all of a sudden the detective's heartbeat raced a little. A smile spread across his lips, turning to everyone he announced like a happy child. "She heard me, Kate heard me."
The three sets of couple lovely hugged.
21:03
The group continued chatting up till after nine, Rick had stayed by Kate's side for two hours just talked to her after her little moment, before rejoining the group. He didn't care if they went over visiting hours. He was just glad that they were all together.
After saying their goodbyes, the two older couples took off.
Ashley and Alexis were last to leave, his daughter was over near Kate, talking softly, while the writer talked to Ashley, sincerely. "I just need to make sure she is okay, Alexis is a sweetheart and since I cannot be there for her. I want you to be, if she needs a shoulder to cry on," the male teen nodded.
On the other side of the room, Alexis was sitting on her father's bed with her legs crossed and her hand intertwined with the detectives. "- I cannot lose you Kate, my mother already walked out on me. You're the closest thing that I have to a mother, you listen to me and I know you care about me. When we talk, we actually talk, not about shopping or boys but actually things. I also know that if my dad loses you, it will kill him," she told the older brunette, quietly. The teen was silent for a moment before continuing. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope you can."
Alexis leaned over the detective and kissed her on the forehead, all of a sudden Kate's machine began beeping, a hug smile spread on the teens face. "I love you too, night Kate," with that Alexis let go of the detective's hand and crawled off the bed.
After hugging her father and saying their good nights, the writer changed into a white singlet and royal blue silk boxer, since sleeping in the nude might surprise a few nurses. Rick dimmed the lights right down, before climbing in to his temporary bed, he turned and faced his soul mate, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers as he closing his eyes.
"Night beautiful," he whispered. And as the writer drifted off to a comfortable sleep, Tiffany Evan's soulful voice sang.
"I'll be there through the rough winds and rain and ice. I'll be there when the night falls and troubles rise. I'll be there if you need me, no matter what how or when, my friend. I'll be there through the rough winds and rain and ice. I'll be there when the night falls and troubles rise. I'll be there when you need me no matter what how or when, My friend ... I'll be there"