Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update. Finals week has been crazy! Full-time students over here! I hope you like this chapter. It's more of a filler chapter, to progress the story. Keep reading and reviewing!
In a flurry of red hair, Alexis and Martha barreled through the hospital doors.
Kate stood up stiffly and walked over to meet them. The pair looked disheveled, frenzied, with fear in their matching blue eyes.
"Alexis. Martha. I am…so sorry," Kate began, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner… I don't even know…I don't know what to say right now…" Kate stammered, unable to meet their gazes.
Before she could react, Kate suddenly felt warm arms encircling her. She jumped in surprise, but didn't push away. She collapsed in to Martha's arms and hugged her back. Kate couldn't remember the last time she had been hugged like this. Martha drew away slightly, and pulled Alexis in as well. The three women stood there, clinging desperately to each other, trying to shield themselves from the horror of the current situation.
Alexis was the first to pull away, cheeks flushed and eyes red. She wiped her nose and excused herself, scurrying off in search of the bathroom. With a kind arm still around Kate's shoulders, Martha steered the detective back towards the seating area. Kate allowed herself be led towards the chairs, finding solace in Martha's mothering embrace. The two women sat down, a comfortable silence stretching between them.
Finally Martha spoke, "Kate, dear. Would you like to tell me what happened? If you're not ready I understand. But maybe just…tell me how Richard's doing."
The detective looked up in to Martha's eyes and saw her own fear and despair reflected back in them. Kate drew in a deep breath and recomposed herself, detective mode flipped back on. Martha took one of Kate's hands in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. The warmth from the small gesture prompted Kate to begin her tale.
"Well there was an incident…at the apartment. Castle…Rick…went through a very violent and traumatic experience. He…" Kate paused, biting her lip, unsure how to continue. She didn't know all the details, but what she pieced together didn't turn out as a pretty picture. Kate didn't think Martha needed to hear all the gory details just then. Stick to the basics, she thought.
"It seems a man broke in to the apartment. He was with Rick…for a while. Luckily I stopped by the apartment after work. There was a standoff between the attacker and I. I wound up killing the man…after Rick saved my life. He threw himself at the attacker and knocked his shot off target. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for your son. When I last saw him, he didn't look…too good. He went through a hell of an experience today. I'm not sure how he'll come out of this one."
The silent "if" hung densely in the air, voicing the fears of the two women. If Castle came out of this one…
Kate sighed heavily and slumped back in her seat. It was so much easier when the victim's were just faces, people she wasn't emotionally tied to. She could immerse herself in the case without issues of conflict of interest. When emotions are too involved, things get messy and mistakes happen. It's hard when it's someone you care about, a case you're personally involved in.
She looked up as she heard footsteps on the tiled floor. Alexis walked over to the seat next to her grandmother, and sat down. Her eyes were red rimmed and she kept sniffling.
Kate's heart fell as she realized she was the cause of this girl's worry. She had allowed Castle to help her on cases. She allowed him to play cop, and put himself in danger. He had always been so lucky, never actually getting hurt. But she guessed luck ran out sometimes. This time he wasn't walking away scot-free.
Martha took Alexis's hand and squeezed it. The younger girl leaned over and rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder. They sat with empty stares in their eyes, the strained atmosphere of the waiting room weighing down on them.
They shouldn't be here, waiting to hear how Castle is. They shouldn't have to worry about Castle getting hurt. He shouldn't be here either. He's here because of me.
Guilt overwhelmed Kate and enveloped her. She was to blame; she was the reason Castle got hurt.
"Martha, Alexis. I want to apologize. If it weren't for me, this never would have happened. My job puts Rick in dangerous situations. He didn't sign up for that. I know you two didn't. So I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
Martha, with sympathy shining in her eyes, opened her mouth to respond.
"Kate-"
"Family of Richard Castle?"
All three women turned their heads to the doctor standing in the waiting room, clipboard in hand. Martha and Alexis stood instantly, but Kate hesitated. Not being immediate family, she really had no place to stand, to join the two Castle women.
"Kate?" Alexis asked, confused as to why the detective still sat in the hospital chair.
"I-uh-I'm not family so…"
"Dear, you have always been part of the family," Martha answered, reaching for Kate's hand to help her stand up.
Together, the three women walked over to the doctor and stopped in front of him, preparing themselves for the worst.
"It seems Mr. Castle has experienced quite a trauma. He lost a critical amount of blood, suffered numerous broken bones including three ribs, his left collarbone, and his nose. He also fractured his right cheekbone and has a minor fracture to the frontal lobe above the right eyebrow. There was a deep laceration to his abdomen, which required stiches and surgery to repair. In the surgery, we found a small internal bleed coming from a punctured liver. Oh, and Mr. Castle also has a mild concussion, most likely from the blow to the head that caused the skull fracture. We sent him in for an MRI, and it doesn't show any bleeding of the brain or serious swelling. We will need to monitor that, and his other injuries, closely for the next 24-48 hours."
The doctor paused, seeming to abruptly realize the effect of his words. The two women with red hair, who appeared to be related, had gone quite pale. The other woman, looked passively back at him, forcing a calm front. She zeroed him with a cool stare, and the young doctor continued.
"I'm sorry. I know what I told you might be overwhelming. But fortunately, Mr. Castle made it through the surgery and is recovering smoothly. He is on serious painkillers and is resting right now. He's in Room 212, just down the hall and to the left. I expect a full recovery, but he still is in critical condition, so only one visitor at a time, and not for too long."
Relief swam through the group. Kate found herself smiling tentatively at the hopeful news. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but he was okay. He was okay.
Alexis and Martha embraced warmly. It seemed as if a cloud had been lifted; no longer was there sorrow and despair enveloping the trio. There was relief, such sweet, wholesome relief.
Alexis stepped back and looked at Kate and Martha questioningly.
"Can I?"
Her hand gestured behind her, towards the ICU rooms.
Martha looked over at Kate and tilted her head, as if to say, Is that all right with you?
Kate nodded briefly in response. She could wait. A daughter needed to see her father right now, and she was after all just his partner. Martha gave the shooing motion and Alexis hurried down the hallway, following the signs towards her father's room.
A buzzing sound stole Kate's attention, and she fumbled for her cell phone. Walking quickly out the doors of the hospital, she answered Esposito's call.
"Beckett."
"Yo it's Espo."
"You have anything? Any leads?"
"About that…"
Kate listened, puzzled by Esposito's hesitation. She heard frantic whispering coming from the other end of the line, presumably between the two detectives.
"Javi just tell her man." That was Ryan.
"Bro, why don't you tell her? She likes you better." That drew a small smile from Kate.
"Grow a pair and just tell her! You figured it out, not me…"
"Hey! Guys. Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
She heard Espo clear his throat nervously.
"So we processed the scene, Lanie took the body, and we've been following up leads over here…" Javi trailed off, apprehension audible in his voice.
Kate was getting frustrated with this cat and mouse game. If they had something, they just needed to tell her.
"Well, what have you got Espo? Do I have to wring it out of you? What's the big deal?"
"Beckett…"
Espo paused.
"Kate. We have his name."