Chapter 21

"Take the cuffs off of him."

"Sir I don't have a set of keys. They don't allow me cuffs or a weapon anymore." Hockett wasn't taking her word for it. He patted her down anyway.

Baker was getting agitated. "Shit. Hockett I can't take this table out of here with me."

"Just wait. I'll find a key. What about you?" He stood Gates up and patted her down. Then left the room.

Beckett and Gates could hear him rummaging through the drawers. Suddenly they were glad for all of Gates' rules. Several months ago a suspect had taken an extra set of keys from someone's desk and had almost gotten his cuffs off before someone saw him. Now everyone had to keep them on themselves. Realizing that they weren't just going to walk out of here Beckett was trying to formulate a plan. She knew that the recorder was still going so she started to question Baker again.

"So you said I wasn't going to let you walk out of here. Why is that?"

"Lady I must say you are good. I'd be willing to bet that's why you're still here given your handicap. In the midst of things you are still trying to get your man. I commend you for that I really do." Beckett was steaming inside. It was the first time since the accident that anyone had called her paralysis a handicap.

Before he could go any further Hockett returned "Man there are no keys anywhere. Maybe we can get the cuffs separated from the table." He began trying to pry the metal attachment from the table.

"Mr. Hockett why did you risk you life and your freedom to break Mr. Baker out today?"

"Let's just say I owe him. But you wouldn't understand."

"Oh really. Why don't you give it a try."

Frustrated by his inability to get the metal plate to budge he slammed the screwdriver down on the table. "You all here have no idea what goes on over there? To drive down the street wondering when its going to be your turn. Do you know what its like to be shot at?"

Beckett stopped him there. "Do you know what its like to be shot? To feel a bullet rip through your skin? To feel the life drain out of your body?" Reaching up she grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled it down revealing the scar on her chest from her shootings.

Hockett was standing behind her and couldn't see, but Baker did. "Damn, Detective you've been through it." Wanting to see what Baker was talking about Hockett came around her right side looking over her shoulder to see. Beckett took the opportunity to grab him. Leaning over his balance was already off so throwing herself forward she grabbed him around the waist and forced him to the floor. He braced himself with one arm that Beckett quickly grabbed. She felt him using the other one to try and throw her off. Beckett's weight was nothing for his military training, had Gates not jumped on him too, he would have quickly flipped her.

"Nice work Detective."

"You too Captain." As Beckett nodded to her there was commotion in the hall and Esposito and three others burst into the room.

"Nice of you guys to come back for us."

"Sorry the bastard screwed up the elevator. We got stuck three floors down. Took us a little while to get out." Esposito cuffed him as Gates stood and Beckett rolled off and pulled herself back into her wheelchair. Esposito escorted him to the next interrogation room.

Baker meanwhile sat watching it all. "See Detective, I told you, you would never allow me to walk out of here."

Composing herself she went right back into questioning him. "I guess after your service you've seen a lot of guys like me. Guys stuck in a wheelchair."

"Yes ma'am. A lot of good guys who deserved better…just like you."

"Does it make you mad?"

"Sure does"

"Mad enough to do something about it?"

"Ma'am did you catch the person who shot you?"

"No sir we haven't."

"What would you like to do to that person when you do catch them?"

Wanting to go with his line of thinking but trying to lead him toward the murders. "I'd like to kill them. But how and get away with it?"

Baker liked this detective but he knew what she was trying to do. He also knew that there was enough evidence under the floorboards in their apartment to lock them both up for life. He was going to string this out long enough to see if they found it.

"Detective, are you ever going to walk again?" He noticed that her face had gotten pale.

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure working toward it."

"Was it from the shooting?"

"No." As he asked her about it she'd gotten as white as a sheet. He assumed it was from his line of questioning. Baker smiled thinking he'd gotten to her.

"Excuse me for a moment." Wheeling herself out of the room. Robert Baker saw what was wrong; it had nothing to do with him. His friend and fellow combatant had landed a final blow when the Detective had taken him down. As she wheeled herself out Baker saw a trail of blood running down the outside of her left leg. He laughed to himself as the door closed behind her.

Outside the interrogation room Gates and Esposito saw her. "Beckett. What happened?"

"I don't kno…" with that she slumped over in her chair.

"She's bleeding." Gates saw the trail of blood behind her and moved to find to find the source. Locating the site they both saw Hockett's strange plastic knife was still embedded in her leg.

"Shit she's been stabbed."

"That's Hockett's knife. He did this and she didn't even feel it. Get some EMT's up here now."

Two hours later Beckett woke up slowly in a recovery room at the hospital with Castle by her side. "What happened?"

"Apparently Hockett stabbed you in the leg when you took him down. The doctor said with the paralysis you never felt it. You started to feel dizzy from the blood loss."

"How bad is it?"

"Well you'll have a scar, but having not eaten or slept much lately the doctor said you passed out pretty quick. You lost some blood but not enough to cause any lasting damage. They are giving you some now" he pointed to the bag of blood hanging with her IV "and said you'd probably be able to go home tomorrow."

"They called Dr. Parker to let him know what had happened and he's going to come by in a little while and talk with you."

"Talk with me about what?"

"Apparently when they brought you in to the ER you were responsive to verbal commands and you were moving your right leg."

"I was what?"

The biggest smile ever broke out across his face. "I know it's really bad to be happy about this but you were in pain and you lifted your knee and were rubbing your foot on the table."

Beckett was still a little groggy from the pain medication so she couldn't fully understand what he was saying. "I don't understand."

"Its OK let's just wait for Dr. Parker and he can explain it all to us. You just get some sleep." She'd closed her eyes in frustration and Castle began to rub his thumb across her forehead. Within moments he felt the muscles in her face relax.

After she was moved to a regular room Gates came up to visit. "You know Baker was right."

"What do you mean?"

"Even without the ability to walk you are worth so much to our squad. Today proved that again. You probably save both of our lives." Beckett was absorbing the Captain's compliment when Esposito and Ryan walked into the room.

"Captain, we've got good news." Esposito looked to Ryan.

"Sorry it took so long but we finally found the weapon and clothing as well as a notebook of dates and times under the floor boards of their apartment. The interesting thing is we found two sets of identical clothing and two weapons. We've sent it all to the lab for testing. It certainly looks like they may have both been involved."

"Based on Beckett's injuries it looks like Hockett carried out at least the last murder. He is the only one that's left handed."

"Good work you guys. Beckett take care we need you back as soon as possible."

"Yes Sir." With that the Captain left the room.

They all waited until they were sure she was gone before speaking. Ryan was the first. "Beckett thank you. Maybe now that you've saved her life she'll cut us a little slack."

"I doubt it. At least not as long as Castle is around." Esposito pretended to punch Castle in the arm.

"Haha very funny. I'm wearing her down." Even Kate snickered at that.

"Beckett in all honesty we're amazed by your strength everyday, and proud to be part of your team." Ryan looked close to tears as he hugged her. Esposito and Ryan said their goodbyes and left to go wrap up the case.

"See I'm not the only one amazed by you." Castle leaned in to kiss her and she shifted to meet him. As she did he noticed she used her right leg to turn herself.

As she kissed him she felt him pull away. "Rick what's wrong?" He walked to the end of the bed and pulled back the sheets.

"Kate move your toes."

"Castle what's up?"

"Kate just try for me." She rolled her eyes at him and reluctantly tried.

As she did she watched as all five of her toes bent. With those gorgeous green eyes wider than he'd ever seen them Kate looked up at him in amazement. "You used you leg just a minute ago to turn into the kiss. But you didn't realize it."

Intrigued by this returning ability Kate wanted more "Rick touch my foot." He willing fulfilled her request.

Smiling he knew that she could feel it. Overwhelmed by emotion he bent down and kissed her left foot and then her right. "Did you feel that too?" She nodded. "Both feet." She nodded again. He ran his hand up the outside of her left leg and stopped. "Did you feel that?" Again a nod. Then to the inside of her leg. Nodding and smiling she sat up and reached out for him. Castle took her into his arms and sat next to her in the bed. Soon he felt wetness on his shoulder. She was crying tears of relief.

As Castle held her there was a knock on the door. Dr. Parker walked in and saw them smiling. "So all you needed was a knife wound to the leg to jumpstart everything?"

Walking over to her he tested her feeling in both legs and her ability to move. He noted that she had feeling and movement in both feet and in her right leg. He didn't push the left one with the stitches so fresh. He looked at her chart and noted some things. "Kate" he smiled "I'm inclined to say that this time next week we're going to be working on you walking." With that Kate smiled along with him. "Now we've got to wait and let your left leg heal. This brings me to the next point. With the initial injury you didn't feel any pain. However, something to do with that trauma jumpstarted the connections and now you have begun to experience sensation and movement. They've given you some potent painkillers right now and with the resumption of movement and feeling your going to start to experience pain when those wear off. The gash to your leg is significant it went through your muscle and took a lot of stitches to close. Make sure you stay on top the pain medication." Dr. Parker wrote something on her chart and placed it back in the holder on the wall.

"Kate I've worked with a lot of people in your situation. I have to say that you've probably been my favorite. You've also been one that I'm the most proud of. I couldn't be happier for you, Detective." Kate smiled and nodded. As he left Castle approached the bed and pulled Kate into a giant hug into each other the two cried tears of relief.

The End