AN: Ok, peeps. The reviews, again, baffle me. I mean, over 300? Who's luckier than me? Anyway, you rock. So I brewed this up really quick for you all.
On with the show.
Don't own Castle, wish I did.
Castle sat on the edge of a bed in an unfamiliar room. He never expected to ever he allowed into Lanie's apartment, let alone to confront his injured detective. He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees and cradled his head in his hair. He scrubbed at his face to clear some of the exhaustion away. He took a deep breath and went silent. He tried to hear anything that was going on in the apartment, but he was met with nothing. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to examine the device. It was from Lanie:
How's it going Writer-Boy?
Not the best. He wrote back. She's barricaded in your guest bathroom.
Damn. She replied. I'm on my way back. Maybe you should get going?
I'll wait until you get here.He typed back.
He put his phone away and stared at the door. The lack of sound and movement was alarming to him. How can someone not make any noise? The doors weren't made of cinder block; sound had to escape the bathroom.
He took a deep breath to calm himself. This was Beckett. She was probably playing opossum; waiting for him to leave, but he wouldn't budge; at least not until Lanie was back.
He stood to pace the room. Maybe he should wait in the living-room, maybe he should open the door and shut it; creating the illusion that he had left. He settled on that idea and moved out of the room.
He opened the front door and shut it again, expecting to hear the opening of the bathroom door. He waited a few minutes and nothing happened. He walked curiously back into the bedroom and stopped in front of the door. His stomach was making a slow ascent into this throat as worry started to creep in.
"Kate?" He asked, gently knocking on the door. Receiving no response, he knocked louder. "Beckett? Come on, just let me know you're okay in there and I'll leave you alone; I swear."
The silence that followed increased his level of panic. He knocked louder and yelled her name.
"Kate, I'm going to come in, if you don't answer me." He waited. "Ok, I'm coming in."
He pushed open the door and the sight in front of him set his heart to his toes. He ran forward, falling to his knees beside her unconscious form. She was pale and had clammy skin as he touched her face and hands.
"Beckett, wake up." He tried. "Come on, Kate."
He grabbed for his cell. He didn't know who to call first, Lanie or 911. He settled on the ME as he dialed.
"What is it, Castle? I'm almost there; did she kick your ass or something?" She answered.
"No, Lanie, I found her in the bathroom, she's unconscious." He recalled frantically.
"Ok, Castle. I'm only a block away. I need you to check her pulse. How does it feel?"
He put his fingers over her pulse point and felt the even steady rhythm there and breathed a sigh of relief. He checked her breathing. It hitched a bit at the top, but there was no rasping or indication that she had reinjured her lung. Her breath looked even on both sides and there didn't seem to be any shuddering in her chest.
"Pulse is strong and even, Lanie. Her breathing sounds normal, except for a hitch at the top of the breath. It looks even, too" He recounted. "What should I do, Lanie? Should I call an ambulance?"
"Castle, I think she just fainted for overexertion." Lanie replied. "I need you to check her wound though; to see if it's bleeding or anything."
"Umm…"
"No time for modesty, Castle. Just do it." She commanded.
"Ok."
He pulled up the left side of her shirt and saw the white bandaged affixed to her skin.
"I don't see any blood on the bandage."
"Take the bandage off, we're looking for signs of infection too."
He cringed as he pulled the tape, she would kill him for this. He just hoped that she didn't….
"What the hell are you doing, Castle?" Beckett's weak voice cut into his consciousness.
"Oh, Thank God." He sighed. He pulled the phone back up to his ear, "did you hear that Lanie? She's awake."
"Awake and wondering why the hell you're touching me." She grumbled weakly. He's sure his would have found it threatening had she been at full strength but now it was almost pathetic and he chuckled slightly at her as she shifted.
"Don't move, Kate." He commanded. "I don't know how long you've been out or if you fell, just hold on a second."
"Check the wound, Castle." Lanie called into his ear.
"Ok." He turned to Beckett. "I need to check your wound for infection."
"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." She growled. "I'm not letting you cop a feel while I'm injured.
"Kate, I'm not trying to..." He was cut off by her death glare. "Umm…. Lanie, what do I do?" he asked into his phone.
"Do it, Castle. She's weak. The worst she could do is break a finger." He could hear the ME smile.
He murmured an apology as he tore the rest of the tape from her skin and looked at the sutures that were in her skin. He nearly gagged at the sight. It looked like a nasty, painful cut and he was sure it would scar.
"What am I looking for, Lanie?" He asked and Beckett studied his movements with her eyes.
"Is it red and puffy? Any green or yellow drainage?" She asked.
"No, nothing." He replied, relieved. "just looks red and bruised, no bleeding."
"Good." Lanie replied. "Don't call an ambulance, I'm coming up now."
He hung up and looked up into the angry face of Kate Beckett. He smiled at her and moved some hair from her face and she softened a bit.
"Lanie's on her way up." He repeated. "You scared the shit out of me, Kate… again."
"Sorry." She replied. "I just got dizzy and I couldn't breathe right." She recounted. "I tried to call for you but I couldn't speak loud enough."
"It's ok." Castle replied. "Ok, let's get you out of here. Don't kill me."
"What?"
Before she could finish questioning him, he had scooped her up and into his strong arms. She was about to fight and yell and tell him to put her down but she heard the front door of the apartment open and she gave in to her exhaustion once more. He cradled her against him so nicely and she wanted to stay this way for a while. He deposited her onto the guest bed as Lanie entered the room, Esposito in tow.
"Girl, what the hell am I going to do with you?" Lanie asked, perturbed at her friend.
Beckett smiled sheepishly looking warily at her friends watching her with concern.
"You boys mind leaving us for a second?" Lanie asked Castle and Esposito.
Castle looked at her, panicked. He didn't want to leave her alone again. He looked at Lanie and desperately wanted to say no, but Esposito's hand on his shoulder made him realize that Lanie's question wasn't ever a question at all.
"Sure, Come on Castle." Esposito all but shoved him out the door and closed it behind him. "You okay, Bro?"
Castle sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, no. I think I've lost about fifteen years off of my life in the past five days because of that woman."
Esposito laughed. "Beckett's a handful, man. You should have realized that by now. However, I also know that we wouldn't be having this conversation if she wasn't." He sighed. "I'd probably be at the bottom of the East River if it wasn't for her and you."
Castle considered this for a moment. He didn't consider the consequences of what would have happened if they didn't succeed the other night. He just assumed that they would succeed. It's what Beckett did. Before he could answer, Esposito's cell phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.
He paced Lanie's apartment a bit before finally settling to sit on the couch in front of him. As time went on he hoped that nothing was wrong with Beckett. The door to the bedroom opened and Lanie stepped out, looking angry.
"What is it, Lanie?" He questioned, jumping to his feet.
"Oh, she's fine, Castle, relax." Lanie shook her head at him. "I'm pissed because I just got called into work."
"Me too." Esposito answered from behind him.
"So much for a weekend off." Lanie sighed.
"Looks like you're taking Beckett back to Casa De La Castle." Esposito snarked.
"Oh, Boy." Castle sighed. "Did you break the news, Lanie?"
"Yeah, she's less than thrilled, but she's getting ready."
"Why did she pass out?" Castle asked.
"Honestly, from what she told me, it sounds like she had a panic-attack and it made her succumb to the pain in her side that breathing heavily caused." Lanie explained. "She won't admit to it, though, so I can't be sure. Just keep an eye on her and make sure she rests and takes her damn pills."
"Ok." Castle agreed. "You got it, Lanie."
Beckett appeared in the doorway of the guest bedroom, dragging a bag which Castle stepped forward and slung over his shoulder for her.
"Ready?" He asked, offering his arm like English royalty. "Your chariot to Chateau Castle awaits."
"Great." She replied sarcastically, hiding a small smile.
"Be good, you two." Lanie called to them.
"Have fun at work." Castle called over his shoulder. He smiled at Lanie and Esposito as they shook their heads at him.
"Those two have it BAD." Esposito said to Lanie after the front door shut and she nodded and smiled at her man, hugging him around his waist.
Ok, so she's going back to the Loft. I think it's time for Kate to have her say, what do you think? More soon.
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