A/N1: Hello peoples and welcome to the 32nd Chapter of Absolution I have titled 'Fallout' This chapter is for my home girls Bella my Bad Ass Beta who had to edit ten thousand words for me (I split the chapter) and Christina who has hardly been online this week because she's sound her 'Richard Castle Clone' you girls are the shit!
Kate's exhaustion was so great she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and didn't wake up for sixteen hours, eventually though she got up and sleepily padded her way into the living area where Jim was supervising a steaming slow cooker of something on the kitchen bench.
"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" he asked in concern.
"Much b-b-bett-er," Kate replied, stuttering through a yawn. "No news from the hospital?"
"No, none yet, which is a good thing," Jim told her. "When do you want to head in?"
"Once I've had a hot shower and something to eat. I'm starving," Kate replied. "What are you cooking?"
"A pot of your Mom's lamb shank stew, but it's not ready yet. I've only just put the meat in," Jim replied. "How about I knock up some of my famous bacon and scrambled eggs? You've never said no to a serving of that in your life."
"And I'm not going to start now," Kate replied with a grin. "How about I have a shower while you're cooking, then we can head off straight away?"
"Sounds good."
Kate spent much of the following half an hour in the bathroom simply standing under the steaming hot water and scrubbing off the past forty eight hours of worry, stress and grime. She washed her hair twice and scrubbed her body under the piping hot water til her skin was bright red before stepping out of the recess and twisting her hair into a turban. Before heading down to her bedroom and beginning to get dressed.
"Katie, your food's warming in the oven. I'm just heading downstairs to get the mail, alright?" Jim called from the other side of the door. "I won't be long."
"Alright, thanks Dad!"
Kate towel dried her hair then made her way back out to the kitchen. She retrieved her bacon and eggs from the over and poured herself a glass of orange juice before sitting down at the dividing island and tucking in.
Jim returned a few minutes later with an armful of newspapers and mail and an annoyed look upon his face.
"What's wrong?" Kate asked in alarm.
"The paparazzi are downstairs," Jim replied. "I'd love to know how they found out where I live and how you were here."
"Someone probably saw us coming home from the hospital this morning," Kate informed her father as he reached for the phone. "They follow me and Rick everywhere, they have since our first date."
"Yeah, well I'm not putting up with it," Jim declared. "You've been put though enough Kate and I won't have you breaking down again. You don't need to have those worms in your face twenty four, seven. You need to concentrate on dealing with the fallout of all this crap and be with Rick til he wakes up. I'll be dammed if-"
"Dad, really it's sweet. Thank you but-" Kate began.
"No Katie, I'm not having it!" Jim grumbled, punching some numbers into the phone. "I know you're a grown woman and are long past me needing to protect you, but on this occasion I want to protect you. No matter how old you get, you'll always be my little girl and-"
Kate's eyes pricked with tears as her father put the phone to his ear. "Thanks Dad," she said quietly.
The phone rang several times then Frank picked up. "Grasman."
"Hey Frank, its Jim Beckett. Katie's Dad, how are you?" Jim began.
"Jim! I'm good, good, what can I do for you? How's Kate? Is everything okay?"
"Katie's fine, I finally managed to get her home from the hospital and rest up. She's having a late lunch now," Jim replied. "But there's a minor issue I was wondering if you could help me with."
"Shoot."
"I went downstairs now to clear out my mail box and there's a group of twenty or thirty paparazzi. They immediately wanted to know where Katie was and how Rick is and what my opinion on the whole case was. Could you and a few of your boys get rid of them? I will not have Katie stressed out while she's here. She's already worried enough about Rick and I don't want anything more to add to that worry. She and all of us have had enough crap to deal with recently."
"I'm on it," the senior special agent replied at once. "Just stay inside for the moment alright? I'll be over with some of my people soon."
"Thanks a lot Frank."
"Anytime Jim."
Jim hung up and relaced the phone in its cradle. "All done!" he declared. "Frank's going to come over with some of his team and get rid of those...people soon."
Kate smiled. "Thanks," she answered softly.
"You alright, kiddo?" Jim asked after a long moment of silence.
"What d'you think Mom would have thought of all this mess, Dad?" Kate asked her voice catching in her throat. "Of the Governor being the bad guy, of the deputy commissioner being his two IC, or me getting shot last year. Of Rick getting shot, of me arresting Robinson...my life is so different from what I imagined it would be."
Jim walked around the kitchen island and engulfed his daughter in a hug.
"She'd be extraordinarily proud of you sweetheart," he proclaimed, allowing Kate to snuggle up to him like she used to as a small child. "She said the day you were born you'd do something big to make her proud one day and I reckon this is it. This is your crowning glory honey. You're definitely your mother's daughter and a fine tribute to her memory."
A singular tear slipped down Kate's cheek and onto Jim's shirt. "I miss her so much, Dad," she confessed. "There have been so many times recently I've wished she was here. I would have loved for her to have met Alexis, Martha and Rick. I reckon she and Martha would have gotten on like a house on fire and I know she would have adopted Alexis as a surrogate granddaughter."
"She would have, sweetheart. And I miss her too," Jim countered. "But all we can do now is honour her memory by living our lives to the fullest, be the best people we can be. You remember what your Mom was like, she wouldn't have wanted us to wallow in grief and what ifs."
"And I'm not going to," Kate vowed, lifting her head up and scrubbing at her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve. "It's all over Dad, all the misery and conspiratorial bullshit. I'm moving forward and not looking back and damn it I'm going to do it with Rick by my side."
Jim laughed and patted his daughter on the back. "That's my girl!" he exclaimed happily
Half an hour later the apartment door rang. Kate got up off the lounge and biting into a slice of toast went over to the front door and opened it. Frank stood there alongside Ryan, Esposito and Paul Hannigan, the Special Agent who had until recently been her protective detail.
"Hey guys, come in, come in!" the brunette exclaimed. "Hey Javi, Kevin."
"How you doin'?" Esposito asked, striding forward and embracing the female detective.
"Much better, thanks," Kate replied, returning his hug then embracing Ryan next. "Did you two manage to get some sleep? You both were as wrecked as I was.""
"Yeah, managed a few hours," Esposito replied. "Gates wouldn't let us back in the bullpen before midday, so I've just been at home with Lanie. How about you? Have you seen our boy today?"
"No, not yet. Dad and I are just about to head out, want to come with us?" Kate offered.
"Sure, that's partly why we're here," Esposito replied. "Kevin and I were at the precinct when your Dad rang and thought while we were here getting rid of the rats downstairs we'd come up and offer you a ride in."
"I've got the suburban downstairs, we can go in that,' Frank offered. "Where's your Dad?"
"Bathroom," Kate replied. "Come through."
"Erm, have you read the paper or seen the news since you got home?" Ryan asked as the group moved further into the apartment.
"No, I got back at half past twelve this morning and went straight to bed," Kate replied, discarding the rest of her toast and putting her plate in the dishwasher. "I only got up two hours ago. Why, what's happening?"
"All the news services have gone mental," Ryan continued. "There are media packs outside the twelfth, Mercy West, Sing Sing and Alexis says there are some reporters outside Martha's school. Every news bulletin is leading with the fact that Richard Castle is a Special Agent and was almost killed by the governor who was the head honcho of a massive drug and prostitution ring. Washington has gone into meltdown and the republican party have shit their pants trying to get another candidate for the nomination race. The front favourite is Mitt Romney and apparently Obama is going to make a statement from the Oval office sometime tonight. On top of that the gossip media is wondering despite it being common knowledge. You slapped the handcuffs on Robinson where you are because apparently no one has seen you for weeks. It's a good idea, your Dad rang Frank because you're not going to get any peace any time soon and if you want easy passage to and from the hospital, while Rick's in there you're going to need some sort of detail. That's why Paul's back. He'll be taking you to and from the hospital when you want and need to go."
"Might log on to the net when I get back and check out all the coverage," Kate replied as Jim emerged from the bathroom. "Have Robinson or Hargraves said anything?"
"Not a word, they've clammed up and lawyered up," Frank answered. "There's a bail hearing tomorrow morning in the federal court, but we're going to oppose it for both of them. The federal DA is confident of bail being a refused as you know from the case notes, it's a watertight."
"Good."
"Has that group of paparazzi gone?" Jim asked, emerging from the hallway.
"Not totally," Frank replied, turning to face the elder Beckett. "They've gone from the main entrance, but just moved them across the road. I can't make them move any further than that though. so despite everything you and Kate might still get your faces in the paper."
"Lovely!" Kate exclaimed sarcastically. "Just dandy!"
"Hey, don't worry. We've got your back on this," Ryan assured his friend. "No one's going to get in your way with us around, alright?"
"Thanks, hey Frank, can we drop into the precinct on the way to the hospital? " Kate requested. "I want to see Gates and put in for some long service leave, maybe grab a few things from my locker and desk."
"Sure, we can do that," the senior federal agent replied cheerfully. "Shall we head off?"
"Let me get my vest and gun first, I'm going to have to turn them over to Gates."
The group swiftly made their way down to the modest parking garage of the apartment building and piled into Frank's black suburban, thankfully avoiding the throng of paparazzi that were still gathered on the other side of the road.
They weren't quite as lucky when they arrived at the twelfth precinct. The flashes of the paparazzi and media cameras pierced through the tinted windows of the suburban and Kate's sunglasses and she briefly heard someone yelling 'Beckett's back at the precinct!' before Frank drove further into the depth of the extensive parking garage and out of sight of the reporters eager for the first glimpse of the female detective.
"Am I the only one who thinks all that was like Lindsay Lohan arriving at court?" Kate wondered as soon as Frank cut the engine.
Ryan and Esposito sniggered heartily.
"You're better looking than her and your drug problem isn't as big as hers." Ryan joked.
"I haven't got a drug problem at all, you goof!" Kate exclaimed, punching the Irish detective on the arm. "Oh, you're winding me up Kevin Ryan and you ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
Ryan grinned. "Just trying to cheer you up, boss," he replied. "It's our job as best friends to cheer you up when Castle can't."
"Yeah, he'd be disappointed if we didn't," Esposito added, elbowing Kate playfully. "C'mon KB, no more of this misery crap huh? Only good things from here on in, and when Castle wakes up he can join in. Knowing our boy, he'll be the life of the party."
Kate smiled appreciating the Latino detective's efforts in cheering her up. "Yeah, he probably will be," she replied as the group headed towards the lift which would take them up to the homicide floor. "Thanks for the buck up Espo, it means a lot."
"Any time."
The group got into the lift and made their way up to the fourth floor Homicide Department. As soon as the FBI agents and department detectives realised Kate had arrived a loud cheer erupted.
"You rock Beckett!" Stegner called applauding his colleague. "Awesome stuff!"
"Bad ass Beckett coming through!" Karpowski announced, teasing her fellow detective as everyone cheered. "Bad ass Beckett coming though!"
Kate immediately turned a magnificent shade of scarlet. "Oh come on!" she exclaimed as she started receiving back slaps. "And I'm no more bad ass than anyone else in this department."
"Eh, not what I've heard," Karpowski answered with a laugh. "Esposito reckons you opened up a can of woopass totally of your own brand. Apparently it was awesome to watch."
"Javier Esposito, do you ever keep your mouth shut?" Kate groaned in exasperation, turning on the Latino detective who was pretending to be extraordinarily interested in the state of his nails. "Jane don't you believer a word this...nitwit says."
The older detective laughed. "Well it's good to see you back here again, you sticking around?"
"Nah, I'm just going to see Gates about going on long service leave, might take the rest of the year off to be with Castle as he recovers. He's going to need a nursemaid and no one else would put up with his whinging."
Karpowski laughed. "Any more news?" she asked kindly. "Everyone's worried about him."
"No, nothing since he came out of surgery last night," Kate replied with a sigh as everyone went back to work. "The doctors have placed him in an induced coma, but I have no idea how long that's going to last or whether he'll be in a natural one once they stop the medication. Suffice to say, he's going to be in hospital for a while yet."
"Well when he comes to, everyone here will be the first ones to visit...yeah?" Karpowski declared, squeezing Kate's arm. "He's might be your partner, but everyone's friend and we're not going to abandon him."
"Thanks Jane, that means a lot."
"Well I've got to get back to things, but keep in touch. Won't you?"
"Will do," Kate promised.
Gates had watched Kate's arrival and reception and when the commotion died down she wordlessly invited the female detective into her office with a nod of her head. Kate turned and made her way across the bullpen floor and past her boss into the office.
"How are you doing?" Gates asked kindly, shutting the door and closing the window blinds to afford them some privacy.
"I've been better, if I'm being totally honest,' Kate replied, slumping down in one of the chairs opposite her superior's desk with a sigh. "I spent twenty four hours straight at Mercy West up til midnight last night, then went back to Dad's and slept for sixteen hours. I was so totally exhausted and totally drained. I have never slept so deeply or soundly in my life."
"Well you need it, you've gone though a lot in the last forty eight hours," Gates replied. "The last thirteen years really. I'm sure I would do the same if I were in your position."
Kate looked down to her hands which were clasped together in her lap and contemplated her next words. "Thank you." she whispered.
"Pardon?"
"Thank you," Kate repeated, projecting her voice a little more as she looked her boss straight in the eyes. "Thank you for helping Rick, Javi and Kevin break this case open. Thank you for being the one who stopped me from putting a bullet in Robinson's head right then and there and thank you for being the one who gave me the handcuffs even though I could have used the pair on my belt. I've slapped handcuffs of hundreds of people in my time in the service but I never thought I would hear the click of the cuffs that went around the wrists of the person responsible for Mom's death. It's the most satisfying sound I've ever heard in my life. Though I know it doesn't change the fact Mom's still gone...but anyway I just wanted to say thanks. I really appreciate what you've done for me."
Gates reached out and grasped Kate's hand giving it a squeeze.
"I was happy to do it," she told the brunette. "You know me, I hate bent cops. If Ryan and Esposito hadn't gotten to Hargraves first, I would've done the honours of putting him in cuffs. But they shot the prick, so my satisfaction comes from that. You did extraordinarily well separating the personal from the professional and I told the commissioner that. D'you know how many homicide departments want you on their team now that word got out what you did in that warehouse? I've personally had the Captains of seventeen precinct homicide departments calling me and asking if they can borrow you for their cases or even permanently. I've told every one of them no way in the world. And you're a package deal, if they want you they want Castle and by extension Ryan and Esposito too."
Kate sniffed trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Really?" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Gates replied, nodding to emphasise her point. "But I said to each of them you're far too busy to be 'borrowed.' I'm selfish I want to keep you all to myself, well the twelfth anyway. Might lend you and Castle out as consulting investigators if it's quiet, but I want to keep my team close. I'm Slytherin like that."
Kate threw her had back and laughed. "I never thought I'd head you vocalise a Harry Potter euphemism," she said with a chuckle. "I thought you be more of a Lord of the Rings type."
"Oh I like Lord of the Rings, but my children got me into Harry Potter," Gates revealed. "I've lost the amount of times I've made Harry Halloween costumes or taken my kids to midnight release parties. Elisha, my eldest even talked me into signing up for a Pottermore account. And yes I was sorted into Slytherin.
Kate couldn't help it and collapsed into a fit of giggles. "S-sorry, I shouldn't laugh but that's funny!" she exclaimed. "You are the last person I expected to have a Pottermore account, Rick's tried to convince me to sign up for one but I've never managed to get around to it."
Gates smiled. "Well maybe if you take some of your accrued long service leave, you'll have time to create your own account and relax a little," Gates suggested. "You need to do that. Take some time out to recover from the trauma of witnessing your partner getting shot. Sleep in, walk around the house in pyjamas all day. Do whatever works for you."
"Actually that's the reason I'm here," Kate confessed. "I wanna take at least the rest of the year off, make a dent into my accrued leave. I want to be there every step of the way of Rick's recovery and I know I wouldn't be any good on the job while my mind is elsewhere. I've bought my gun and badge to surrender til I'm back."
"Okay then, I'll get the paperwork," Gates answered, getting to her feet and making her way over to a nearby filing cabinet. "Have you been to Mercy West to see Rick yet?"
"No, I'm heading there with the boys and Frank when I leave here,' Kate replied, unholstering her gun and ejecting the cartridge. "I'll stay til the end of visiting hours, and then go back to Dad's. I don't plan on going back to the loft til Rick's discharged from hospital."
"D'you know what will be happening with the launch of Frozen Heat?" Gates inquired as she put her glasses on and dropped down into her seat. "It's scheduled for two weeks time, isn't it?"
"Yeah I think so, I have no idea. Launch parties are not my main priority at the moment," Kate replied. "I expect Martha and Alexis will talk with Paula, Rick's manager and publicist. She's organising everything. Knowing those two girls, they'll postpone it til Rick's well enough to attend."
"I probably shouldn't tell you this..." Gates began looking at Kate over her red rimmed glasses. "Seeing how stressed and preoccupied you are with everything..."
"What?" Kate demanded, fixing her superior with the glare she was usually on the end of.
"Gina or Ms Cowan stormed in here today demanding to know 'where the hell Rick is?" Gates quoted, her nose screwing up at having to mention Rick's second ex-wife. "Apparently yesterday he missed two marketing meetings and she thought he had been ignoring all his calls and came in here causing quite the ruckus."
"Why?" Kate asked incredulously.
"Well after a consultive phone call to Martha, it appears during the course of their relationship Rick never told Gina he served with the FBI and that she believed he went straight from college to writing. She thought all the media reports were quote 'a load of crap' unquote and wanted to know why Rick hadn't turned up to the meetings or returned any of her phone calls."
"Why would Gina think all...this is a load of crap?" Kate exclaimed, her incredulity growing with every passing second. "Who would and why would they make it up? The writers of Temptation Lane couldn't create such a drama filled plot!"
"You're not the only one to think that," Gates replied. "That's when Ryan went off. I've never heard anyone scream so loud. He went on a tirade about all the quote 'shit' unquote you, he, Esposito, Martha Alexis and all of Frank's team had to go through over the last seventy two hours and how selfish she was to think only of how a couple of missed meetings would affect her image. He also described to her in graphic detail exactly what happened to Rick the extent of his injuries and now he nearly died five times. By the end of it she was a crying blubbering mess and Ryan said and I quote 'If any of what I have told you appears in the papers, TV, radio or any other gossip media I will personally hunt you down and make your life a living misery.' She ran out of here crying and Esposito couldn't calm him down for a good half hour."
Kate felt her heart swell in affection for her friend and his defence of her. "He really said that?" she exclaimed. "Really?"
"Yes, as my eldest says he 'went postal' it was terrifying to watch, not that I'm denigrating any of my detectives but I would have picked Esposito to react like that before Ryan."
"Y-yeah, s-so would I," Kate replied still shocked by her superior's revelation. "I'll have to thank him for that...wow."
"Fill all this out then go and get him," Gates suggested, pushing a sheaf of papers forward to the brunette. "Have you decided how long you want to take off or are you just going to wait and see?"
"I'll probably wait and see," Kate replied as she began filling out the paper work. "I'm not married to the job anymore, I can't be. My priority is to spend time with Rick and help him through his recovery then come back to work when I've cleared my mind. I've got thirteen years worth of emotional clutter to get rid of. It's like I've been an emotional hoarder since Mom died."
"I think since you and Rick became an item, that's not been quite the case," Gates observed, leaning back in her chair and watching her best detective scribble away. "That man has liberated you Kate, in more ways than you realise. Everyone in the department who have known you two much longer than I have constantly say Rick is good for you, that you're good for each other. Ryan and Esposito say it constantly."
Kate felt her chest swell and her heart burst in affection for her two friends and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"They're good boys," she commented, signing her name with a flourish at the end of the paperwork. "Pains in the butt sometimes, but good all the same."
"You've got a good dynamic going though," Gates answered, checking over the paperwork. "I don't think I've ever seen three detective's work as well together as you three do and Rick. Mr Castle, while we're at the precinct is the cherry on top. It's because of you four that my department has the highest clearance rate of all the homicide departments in the NYPD."
Kate pulled her badge out of her jeans pocket and pushed it across the table with her gun. "Well there's my badge until the new year. I'm a civilian," she announced, sitting back in her chair with a relaxed sigh. "Though if you need some help, I'm only a phone call away."
"I'll only call you as a last resort," Gates vowed, taking the brunette's service weapon and badge and securing them in the safe behind her desk. "You need to rest Kate. It's not all about the job you know."
"Yeah, I know that," Kate replied, getting to her feet. "Thanks for being so understanding, Sir. I needed it."
Gates strode forward and embraced Kate her manner more like a maternal figure than an authoritarian one. "I think after all this you can call me, Victoria," she said. 'I've said this to Ryan and Esposito too, but outside of work hours...okay? I don't want it to sound like favouritism to the other detectives in the department."
"A-alright," Kate agreed surprised by her boss's invitation. "I'm going to find Kevin now. I'll be in touch, okay?"
"Good luck, Kate. Look after him, won't you?"
"Yes Sir."
Kate left Gate's office then went in search of Ryan. She found the Irish detective in a little alcove by the evidence room staring out of the window a vacant expression on his kind face.
"Kevin?" she ventured gently.
"Hmm?" he replied.
"Have you got a minute?"
"All day," the male detective replied, tearing his eyes away from the outside world. "What's up?"
"Can we talk in the break room?" Kate asked. "I kinda want some privacy."
"Sure."
With a sigh Ryan followed Kate to the break room and raised his eyebrows when she locked the door and closed the blinds.
"Kate, what's u-ooof!" he exclaimed as the brunette engulfed him in such a fierce hug the breath was knocked out of him.
"Thank you." Kate murmured.
Ryan chuckled. "My pleasure" he joked patting her back. "Erm...what for?"
"Gates told me how you defended me, Rick, everyone in front of Gina," Kate revealed. "She told me how Gina stormed in here thinking Rick was ignoring her and that you went quote 'postal' unquote at her. I just want to say thanks. You didn't have to do that."
"Kate, you and Castle are two of my best friends. I'm not going to stand for anyone slagging you off," Kevin replied. "Especially Gina and especially after what we and most importantly Castle has been though these past few days. It was total crap how she pranced in here like she was Queen Shit and I couldn't help it I snapped. It took Javi half an hour to calm me down."
"So I hear," Kate replied. "But thanks, your and Javi's support means a lot to me."
"Happy to Kate," Ryan informed his friend humbly. "You're our friend, so's Castle. We'd bust our asses for you two."
"I know and you've proved that," Kate said seriously. "The NYPD should have an awesome friend medal, you two would win it every year. I can't thank you enough."
Ryan laughed heartily, the trauma in his blue eyes momentarily disappearing. "Ah, now you're just blowin' smoke up our ass," he said with a chuckle. "How about we go visit our boy, huh? I don't really feel like sticking around the bullpen."
"Are you alright Kevin?" Kate asked in concern. "You seem a bit...not yourself."
"I'm not, not really," the Irish detective confessed with a heavy sigh. "I've been in the service for fourteen years and that's the first time I've seen anyone actually shot. I mean I've seen people have been shot but I've never actually seen it happen. And out of all the gross cases I've had since I got into homicide and started doing the rounds with you and Javi, I've never seen that much blood. And for it to happen to one of my best friends...it's just a bit hard to deal with."
Kate's heart went out to her friend and she gave him a hug. "Oh Kevin, I'm so sorry you're feeling that way!" she exclaimed. "I've been so caught up with my own feelings I didn't think about how witnessing what happened to Rick would affect you and Javi. Have you talked to anyone? It's probably a good idea you do."
"I haven't yet but I will do," Ryan replied thickly. "Jenny pleaded with me to and Javi and Gates encouraged me to as well."
"Go and see my guy Carver Burke, he's brilliant," Kate informed her friend. "I'll text you his details alright? And if he's not the right counsellor for you, if you don't gel with him like I have, he'll refer you to someone you will."
"Okay, I'll make an appointment to see this guy," Kevin promised the female detective. "Thanks for listening Kate, I know Javi's my partner and Jenny's my wife but I couldn't quite bring myself to spill my guts to either of them."
"Hey anytime, what are friends for?" Kate said. "But don't keep anything from them Kevin, Javi knows what it's like to see what happened in that warehouse and Jenny's your wife out of all the people you know she's the one you should feel most comfortable to talk to even if she won't quite understand."
"You know if you ever decide to quit being a cop, you'd make a great counsellor you're a terrific listener," Ryan told his friend as they made to leave the break room. "Our chat was very cathartic."
Kate let out an amused bark of laughter. "Nah, being a cop is my calling," she replied "besides someone's got to keep you, Javi and Castle in line. You'd go rogue if I left the business."
"Yo, I'm not going rogue!" Esposito declared as he emerged from the locker room.
"Yeah, but you would if I wasn't here," Kate teased playfully, giving her friend a dead arm. "Let me get a few things from my locker and we'll head off to Mercy West, alright?"
"You got it, Chica."
Within fifteen minutes Kate was back on the road with Frank, Esposito and Ryan, sitting in the back of the FBI issue suburban her gym bag full of belongings on her lap and her mind consumed with worry for Rick. She knew the Writer turned Special Agent would have been moved from recovery to intensive care but not having had any update on his condition since she had left the hospital the previous night made her think of the worst scenarios and what she would do if he didn't make it.
"Kate...KATE!" Esposito called, shaking the female detective's shoulder. "Hey."
"Hmm?"
"We're at the hospital. C'mon, let's find out where the boy's been transferred to, huh?"
"We're here already?" Kate exclaimed in surprise as she looked around.
"Yeah, you've been day dreaming ever since we left the precinct. You didn't even notice the huge ass group of paparazzi and TV camera crews we went past downstairs."
"Just got a lot on my mind I s'pose," Kate countered as she got out of the car and adjusted her jacket. "God, I really tuned out. Didn't I?"
"Yeah, but I don't blame ya," Esposito replied as they headed. "You've had a lot to deal with recently."
"We're going to have to go past the media downstairs Kate to get to the enquiries desk, are you going to be alright with that?" Frank asked the female detective as they headed toward the elevator that would take them to the ground floor. "We can go upstairs and through the ER but that's a longer journey."
"Well it's not going to be pleasant, but I'll deal with it," Kate answered, screwing up her nose slightly. "Let's go, huh?"
As soon as the female detective emerged from the elevator on the ground floor and the media pack hovering outside the main entrance of the hospital noticed her arrival she was besieged with questions and flashing bulbs from the multitude of cameras.
"Detective, Detective. How is Rick today?"
"What do you say in response to Governor Robinson's attorney alleging police brutality in his arrest?" a young female reporter called.
"Is Mr Castle going to die?" a portly reporter asked.
"Hey, back off with the questions!" Ryan snarled at the last reporter. "Have a shred of decency won't you? Detective Beckett is here to support her partner in his recovery."
"And not to answer questions from the likes of you," Esposito snapped, pushing a short muscular paparazzo out of the way as he got up in Kate's face and snapped a picture that momentarily blinded her. "Get the hell out the way you parasite."
Biting her lip in an effort to stave off the tears that threatened to fall Kate almost ran into the lobby of the hospital, Frank lagging behind to make sure none of the media and paparazzi pack followed.
"God they're a soulless bunch of pricks!" the senior federal agent declared in disgust as they headed toward the patient enquiry desk. "I'm going to organise an agent outside Rick's room when he's out of ICU. I don't want to risk anything getting out."
"Frank, you don't have to do that," Kate told the older man with a sigh. "Once Rick's out of ICU he's going to be with it and won't tolerate a babysitter. You know he won't."
"Actually she's gotta point there," Esposito piped up.
"Well...I suppose so," Frank replied, screwing up his nose as the media group pressed themselves up against the glass atrium that framed the main entrance. "I will have a word to the hospital management though and just have a select list of people allowed to visit. I'm not going to have his recovery compromised by speculation and scurrilous rumours."
"Might be a bit late for that," Kate commented as they approached the enquiry desk.
"Can you tell me what floor Richard Rodgers is on please?" Frank asked flashing his ID to the middle aged woman behind the desk. "FBI business."
"Yes Sir!" the woman replied at once busily tapping away on her computer. "Ahhhhhm Intensive Care Unit, fourth floor."
"Thanks very much."
Silently Kate followed Frank, Ryan and Esposito to the elevator bay at the rear of the lobby then up to the fourth floor where the Intensive Care Unit was situated. The length of her stride increased and as such was the first to reach the nurses station in the middle of the vast department.
"Can I help you sweetie?" a young blonde nurse with bright purple hair asked kindly.
"I'm here to visit my partner, Rick Castle A.K.A Richard Rodgers," Kate answered. "He was operated on last night and I was told he was going to be transferred her today."
"Sure thing, in ward four B," the nurse replied, pointing the way. "He's still in a coma I'm afraid."
Kate flashed the young nurse a small smile. "I know," she replied. "I'm expecting him to be so for a while yet."
And with Ryan and Esposito close behind (Frank remaining behind to speak to the nurse) Kate made her way down to the end of the department floor to the ward apprehension filling her chest.
Kate's tension and worry was lifted somewhat when she arrived and saw Alexis sitting by her father's bedside reading an ancient copy of People Magazine. The young woman looked up and her round face split into two when she saw Kate and she immediately threw the magazine aside getting up to engulf the female detective in a hug.
"Hey, you came!" she said softly. "How are you doing?" Did you get any sleep? Have you eaten? Grams and I a-"
"Alexis, take a breath. I'm fine," Kate replied with a chuckle as she returned the teen's hug. "Yes I've slept, yes I've eaten. I know you're worried about me, but you needn't be. Dad, Frank and these two jokers are looking after me."
"Hey I resent that!" Esposito joked.
"So you're admitting now you can't tell a joke?" Ryan piped up with a grin.
Esposito rolled his eyes. "Shut up ass hat."
"So, how's he going?" Kate asked Alexis as she strode forward, closer to Rick's side.
"Actually pretty good according to the nurses," Alexis replied happily as Kate leaned forward and kissed the Writer on the lips. "He's on quarter hourly obs and his blood pressure and heart rate have remained stable since he was transferred here at six this morning. Doctor Ray and Doctor Anderson came by to look at him this afternoon just after lunch and they both said he was doing fine and progressing just as they expected."
"I suppose it's too early to know when they're going to bring him out of the coma?" Kate inquired, pulling a chair close to the Writer's bedside and sitting down her long fingers entwined with his thick ones.
"Yeah, way too early," Alexis replied. "Doctor Ray said at the very least a week before she considers taking him off medication because she wants him to have his jaw, shoulder and knee fixed up first. Apparently the Orthopaedic surgeon is coming by tomorrow to look at his knee and shoulder and assess him for surgery and the maxillo-facial surgeon the day after. The swelling needs to go down a little more apparently."
"How are you doing, kid?" Ryan asked kindly.
"I'm fine, Detective Ryan. Thanks for asking," Alexis replied. "Well better now that the initial shock of what happened is over, you?"
"Yeah, getting there."
"Where's your Grams?" Kate asked after a few moments of companionable silence.
"Back at her school, she's got a plumber due to come in and fix the shower in the guest bathroom," Alexis replied. "She only left ten minutes ago but promised to come back as soon as possible."
"Good, good. So how is your final prep for college going?" Kate asked. "Only a couple of weeks to go."
"I'm not going" Alexis replied at once. "Well I am but I'm deferring. I can't leave New York while Dad's sick. He's too important. I've got the paperwork back at Grams' apartment."
"Alexis Castle, you will not!" Kate exclaimed. "Alexis your father wouldn't want you to defer your education just because he's in hospital. You got a full scholarship, sweetie."
"Kate...I can't," Alexis replied. "Harvard is hundreds of miles away. What if something goes wrong? What if he wakes up? I can' concentrate on studying when my Dad is hanging on the edge."
"Lex, he's not hanging on the edge he's out of surgery and on the way to recovery," Kate explained, grasping the teen's hand and giving it a squeeze. "The surgery on his jaw, shoulder and knee will be comparatively minor compared to what he went through the other night. You can't abandon your education, especially a scholarship from Harvard."
"But-" Alexis began and expression of pure torture forming on her face. "Aw jeez."
"What does your Grams think?" Kate asked.
"She doesn't want me to defer either," Alexis replied with a sigh. "I don't really want to either but its Dad..."
"I know exactly what you mean Alexis, but someone will constantly be by his side. I promise," Kate promised 'me, your Grams Frank and Kevin and Javi."
"Yup, definitely." Esposito agreed nodding vigorously.
"You can come home every weekend if it would help your decision," Kate went on. "You can fly back every Friday night and fly back to Boston Sunday night. You can study here and someone from here will ring you the minute anything changes."
"Really?"
"Of course we wouldn't forget you,' Kate vowed. "The minute anything happens we'll ring you. If he wakes up after you leave we'll ring and get you on the first plane home."
"Go on kid. Go up to Boston,' Esposito urged. "It's a rite of passage the best college in the country. Your old man would understand."
"Well, I suppose I should..." Alexis responded letting her voice trail off.
"No supposing about it," Ryan chipped in.
"Oh alright, but I'm coming home every weekend." Alexis vowed setting her jaw determinedly. "At least til I know he's okay."
"He'll be fine sweetie, we've got his back," Kate informed the worried teen. "Someone's always looking after him."
"O-okay, well I'll think about it."
A/N2: Reviews feed the best doodazoids!