Kate looked Rick dead in the eyes. She had seen the look of despair in them before; moments before he said "I love you" for the first time, moments before she herself had almost lost her life. Beckett could only imagine the hell castle had just been thrust into, and unwilling to let her fiancé endure it she sprang to action, shouting orders.
"Alexis move, Castle, hold his head. Let's lay him down." Beckett grabbed McHale's heels and pulled him away from the wall until he was supine, then took Alexis' place by his side. Kate un-tucked Matt's shirt and stuck her hand underneath his body and began groping about.
"Ok, Alexis, go find a uniform and tell them we need a bus if they haven't called one already." The distraught red-head rose, but before she could start running, Kate had a final request.
"Leave your purse." Alexis didn't question her; she dropped her canvas bag and ran down the hall.
"Ok Castle, check for a pulse." Rick's giant fingers pressed on his son's neck.
"It's fast, and weak. He's dying Kate!" Beckett ripped at Alexis' bag, opening the clasp and spilling the contents onto the floor.
"Kate, what are you looking for?" A focused Beckett responded slowly, like she did when just before finding a clue.
"The one thing every girl has in every purse … a tampon." Kate rummaged through the pile of things until she found one; once she did she tore open the flowery packaging.
"Roll him on his side toward you." Castle placed his hands on McHale's shoulder and belt opposite him and pulled. Kate wasted no time shoving the tampon into the exit wound on Matt's back, deploying it to plug the hole. "Now we need to roll him my way, I think he's got a collapsed lung and we can't risk the other one filling with blood." Once McHale had been positioned, Kate plugged the entry wound in his chest with her finger. Alexis came running back; paramedics in toe. They immediately used their solid plastic stretcher, lifting him onto the gurney; where one of the medics took Beckett's place. Holding McHale's life-force in his body, they sprinted to the ambulance. Alexis ran to her father's embrace, while Kate swept her hair out of her face with the back of her hand; her palms and fingers saturated with blood.
"You guys should go to the hospital." Kate murmured.
"You're not coming with?" Alexis shot back, almost delirious
"This is a crime scene; I still have a job to do. Espo and Ryan will probably be here any minute, I'll be right behind you." Kate snuck a quick peck on Castle's cheek; a moment of intimacy and quiet amongst the chaos. Rick turned down the hall with Alexis under his arm, pacing into the distance. Kate took to the restroom. She plunged her hands underneath the faucet's cool running water. She watched the blood from her hands dilute and swirl down the drain; it was the first time she had any insight as to how Castle must have felt when she was shot. The weight of the fact this victim could yet-be her step son soaked in, making the blood even harder to scrub off. Kate dried her hands and cheeks, even a few tears had permeated her strong exterior. Kate collected herself, and then went back into the courtroom. She stood for a few moments in triumphant silence until a familiar voice beckoned her attention.
"Hey Beckett!" It was detective Ryan. "Where's he at?" Beckett responded with a half-smile and pointed to Tyson's lifeless body that lay in the center of the room.
"No not him, McHale." Esposito and two paramedics came crashing into the courtroom. Kate spun around, her head spinning twice as fast.
"The paramedics just took him …" to which one of the emergency responders asked,
"What paramedics ma'am? We were the first unit to get the call."