"She's in surgery. It's bad…" Lanie trailed off. Josh was in dark jeans, with a black leather jacket. His long dark hair was tucked behind his ears. He was a big guy. Castle wished he would've never came back from wherever he was.

"How…why?" Josh asked. He looked distraught. He didn't seem to notice Castle, who was already upset, and now starting to feel angry.

"We don't know." Lanie replied, shaking her head. She still had her bloody gloves on when she looked down. She walked away towards the restroom to clean up. Castle stared Josh down for a moment. Josh was talking to the nurse at the desk. Josh worked here, he was a heart surgeon. Although Castle had only met him one time when he came to pick Beckett up, and once he saw him saying goodbye to her when they were having issues. Castle watched as Josh walked past, and then he stopped and turned to Castle. He nodded at Castle, and then continued towards the emergency room. Damn him! The one place Castle wished he could go, he couldn't.

A half hour went by, and Beckett's father had been talking to a nurse- trying to get updates. Lanie sat in her same chair, pretending to read a magazine. Esposito had called her almost every ten minutes since he left. He said they would be back soon, once they finished.

Castle was in the hospital café'. He stood in line behind two interns. He loosened his tie around his neck and removed it, tucking it into his pocket. He wondered how much longer the surgery was going to take? How is she? Why hadn't Josh come back out to give them an update?

"Sir…sir." The cashier repeated, trying to get his attention. Castle looked up and stepped forward.

"Sorry, um one grande latte' and a non-fat grande latte with two…" Castle stopped. He was ordering Beckett's and didn't even realize it. He was so used to this routine now, it was like tying a shoe. "Just make it the one latte'." Castle said.

Castle walked out of the café and slowly made his way to the elevator. He wished Beckett was beside, walking in stride as they made their way to a crime scene. He missed the way her hair would fall perfectly into place, or when a piece would fall across her face. He loved watching her, working with her, and being her partner. Was started out as him being her annoying shadow blossomed into a friendship, which turned into a partnership. He loved her, and wasn't even sure if she would remember him saying it.

Once Castle got off the elevator and made his way over to the waiting area, he sat down and called home. He told his mother there was no news yet and that he probably wouldn't be home that night. As Castle hung up the phone, he let out a deep breath. Then he heard the emergency room doors fly open, and Josh walked out.

"I couldn't go in the operating room, but they're doing everything they can. It's seems like the bullet wasn't in too deep, but it was very close to her heart. She lost a lot blood, so we just have to wait and see." Josh explained, sounding like a doctor. Castle had a sad look on his face, and Beckett's father sat back down. Lanie sat next to Jim, to comfort him.

"So, how much longer?" Castle asked. Josh just shrugged and shook his head.

"It's hard to say right now." Josh answered. Castle felt useless, he wish he could do something to help.

"Maybe you should go home, get some sleep. It's going to be a while until she wakes up." Josh said, as he put his hands into his pockets. Castle didn't like this idea.

"No, thanks, I'm good. It's not like I could sleep with all this going on." Castle replied. He was trying to stare Josh dead in the eyes, but it was almost impossible with the height difference.

"You guys have worked together a long time, she talks about you a lot." Josh spoke, sounding a bit intimidated.

"Yeah, about three years now. We've gotten pretty close." Castle said.

"I read your first book, Heat Wave. Kate assured me it's all fiction." He joked, with a smile. Castle wish this guy only knew what he had with Beckett was more real than the novels.

"Yeah," Castle smiled thinking of how Beckett loved denying the sex scene in the book between Nikki and Rook, "but not all of it." Castle added a clever tone in his last remark. Josh looked a bit surprised, but could tell where this was going.