Chapter 15

"Hey. How is he?" Beckett walked into the hospital room. Emily came running up to her.

"I don't know. He's still not awake. Wasn't he supposed to be awake by now?" Alexis asked. Beckett could tell she had been panicking all afternoon.

"That's what the doctor said. Where's Martha?" Beckett asked looking around.

"She had a rehearsal." Alexis said, sitting down and rubbing her head.

"Don't you have school?" Beckett asked sitting next to her on the couch.

"They excused me." Alexis answered, leaning back.

"I think you should go. It'll take your mind off- things." Her eyes floating back to Castle's bedside. His breathing tube had changed to a mouth and nose cover. Frustrated, she noticed that other than that he looked exactly like he had when Beckett left. Although Beckett wasn't one to speak, considering she lost three hours, staring at his car. The nurse came into the room, and smiled in Beckett and Alexis's direction.

"I see your back."

"Yeah. Um, how long do you think until he's awake?"

"He is supposed to be awake-" She didn't finish her sentence. A computer hooked up to Castle began beeping. For a second Beckett thought it was the heart monitor, and tried to take control of her heart rate. "Uh oh. Can I get two more nurses in here, pronto?" She raised her voice, her head turned around toward the door. Beckett jumped off the couch, worried again. The two nurses the first one had called for came running in and, together they turned knobs and flicked switches. Slowly the beeping went away.

"What happened?" She asked, sounding wary, like she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"His stage one coma jumped to a stage three. He might not be awake for another two months."

Beckett took a sharp intake of breath, and sat down, suddenly not feeling well. Emily came up to her, and Beckett pulled her close trying to feel better. She let go and stood up. "Alexis, if you need me call. I'm going to the precinct."

"Whoa, ma'am. What happened here was not our fault. Don't do anything dramatic." The nurse said, getting the wrong idea.

"Oh. No. I'm a detective. I'm not pressing charges, at all." Beckett explained, forcing a smile. She waved goodbye to Emily and left. Beckett hailed a cab, gave the driver the address and sat in silence. A few tears leaked out of her open eyes, using her ring finger she wiped them off and suppressed the remaining tears. By the time the driver pulled up to the precinct, Beckett had stopped them. Upstairs Esposito was going through some files, while Ryan stared blankly at the murder board.

"Beckett. Great. We're completely and one hundred percent stuck. How's Castle?"

"Fine."

"Is he awake yet?" Ryan jumped in. Coming over to Beckett's desk where she was now sitting.

"Did you find anything?" Beckett changed the subject. A blanket of melancholy landed on the room.

"Shouldn't he be up by now?" Esposito asked softly.

"Yeah. But we've got a case to solve. Now, are you going to help me?"

A uniform handed Esposito a file."Okay. James Connolly's bank account has had withdrawals and a new credit card added." Esposito read. "It's been used to buy a few drinks and an asthma inhaler." He looked up as he said the last two words.

"Trace it. There's gotta be a doctor who can tell us where to find him." Beckett told Ryan.

"What time do the doctors think now?" Esposito asked.

"Two months." She said running her hands through her hair. Esposito could tell she was hurting.

"Beckett. Don't worry. He'll be fine. I'm sure the doctors got the date wrong."

"No. She's right. Stage three comas last about two months." Beckett said looking at her folder.

"And you know this how?" He asked.

"When I was twelve I was competing in a state skate boarding competition. During a Casper I fell off my board and hit my head. I was in an a coma for two and a half months. Slept right through my thirteenth birthday. Haven't skate boarded since."

Esposito smiled. "You were a skate board champ?"

"Esposito. Freeze Connolly and Brooke's bank accounts, give his picture to all the street cops, detectives, every precinct. I want this son of a bitch in our custody by tomorrow night. Do whatever it takes." Beckett's eyes narrowed as she looked Esposito in the eye.

"Alright." Esposito said and stood up. "He's going to be fine." He assured before going to the murder board and the copying machine.

"Beckett. I got it. Dr. Malinowski. He upgraded Connolly's inhaler yesterday. You want to call the doc?" Ryan asked, thinking she might need something to do.

"Sure." She held out her hand, and Ryan put a slip of paper in her palm. Staring at the paper she dialed the number.

"Manhattan East Side Clinic. This Taylor, how may I help you?"

"Hi. This is Detective Beckett of the NYPD. Yesterday, did you have a patient by the name James Connolly?"

"I'm sorry. I can't give that type of information away."

"Taylor, I am a detective, and I am investigating a quadruple homicide. I could get a warrant and make a public spectacle of your clinic. Or you could simply hand over Connolly."

"Okay, okay. Yes he was in here the other day."

"When is Dr. Malinowski's next opening?"

"What are your symptoms?" She avoided Beckett's question.

"Please answer my question."

"Okay his next opening is in fifteen minutes. Should I put you down for treatment?"

"No. Just leave it open for me, please." She said. Taylor agreed, and she hung up the phone.

"Hey Ryan. Want to come with me to question the doctor?" Beckett called, picking up her jacket and putting it on.

"Alright. Sounds good." He followed her into the elevator. Silently the elevator went down the eight levels. Outside Ryan hailed a cab, and they rode down to the doctors office as she explained what she was planning to do. Once there she badged the secretary lady, who she thought was Taylor.

"Hi, Taylor?"

"That's me." She had long blonde hair, down to her elbows at least. Silver hoops hung from her ears and her neck covered in necklaces. Besides that she was wearing scrubs. Beckett thought she looked weird, and suppressed a giggle. "Are you the detective?"

"And that's me. Is the doctor ready to see us?"

"He should be out in a minute. Could you sign in?" Taylor pushed a clipboard towards them. Beckett's eyes moved from the paper on the clipboard, up to Taylor, analyzing her to see if this was some kind of trick. Suspicion still lingering, she reached for the pen and signed 'JoHanna Beckett'. Figuring if this was a trick, she should at least be protected.

"Thank you. Please take a seat. Dr. Malinowski will call you." Taylor gestured towards the couches and chairs. Ryan sat and began reading a Highlights magazine. And laughing! Beckett, her arm on the rest and fingers coming to her forehead, she shook her head disapprovingly. The door banged shut, and a man in scrubs was there.

"JoHanna Beckett." He said looking at the clipboard. Ryan looked up confused, no doubt remembering she was dead. But, Beckett jumped up and said that was her. Ryan still confused, followed her to the door. The doctor put his hand up, stopping Ryan though. "Sir, I'm sorry but your not allowed back here unless it's your appointment."

"I think you can make an acceptation just this once." Beckett flashed her badge. Malinowski put his hand over his mouth and stroked his chin once. He stepped around Ryan and looked at Taylor questioningly and a little disappointed, then led the two through the door and to a check up room.

Ryan jumped up onto the bed in the room as though he were actually getting a check up, further playing the role of Castle. Beckett leaned against the bed, and began her normal routine. "Did James Connolly come here yesterday?"

"I have privacy measures, Detective, and they are all guaranteed to each of my patients."

"I've already given the 'public humiliation' speech to your secretary out there. And I will do that. But somehow I don't think that little speech will work on you. So here's the deal. I have evidence that suggests Connolly came here yesterday to get a new inhaler. Now if you refuse to give Connolly to me, I can charge you for aiding and abetting a serial killer. I can get you put away for 25 years easy."

After grinding his teeth for a while, he finally answered. "Fine. He got a phone call during our appointment. He said something about staying at the Oceanside Hotel. For a week or so."

"Did he say anything else?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, actually. He mentioned meeting someone in the lobby of the hotel at ten thirty. That's all he said, concerning his where a bouts. Or anything else, after that he hung up."

"Thanks. Ryan. You ready?" He hopped off the little bed.

"Um. Can I have a lollipop?" He asked the doctor.

"Ryan! Let's go." Beckett said again. She wanted to call in everyone, and get them down to the hotel. She wanted to take down the SOB who killed all her victims, and hurt Castle. Outside in the car she called in Esposito and told him to bring five uniforms to the Oceanside Hotel. She pulled into the parking lot and climbed out. She waited in the lobby with Ryan, until Esposito showed up. "Have the search and arrest warrant?" Esposito waved two pieces of paper and they all raced upstairs.

Esposito knocked on the door. "James Connolly! It's the NYPD, we have a search warrant, open up now!" He yelled. There was a sound like a gun coming off safety. Esposito looked around and nodded. Everyone unholstered their guns, took them off safety as well, and pointed it at the door. They all narrowed their eyes ready to pull the trigger at any moment. The door flew open and six bullets went flying. One of them pierced Connolly in the shoulder, and Beckett had to duck as the bullet shot by Connolly, hit the wall where her head had just been. "Whoa, dude." Esposito exclaimed, and pulled Connolly's good arm and handcuffed it to his wounded arm. Then pulled out his phone and called 911.

Hey! I'm sorry to say that there is only one more chapter to this story... I want you to know, before you all panic, that I have been working on the next (making a series) as Broadway Undercover has been finished since the summer. This next one, Kate's mother's murderer will come back along with Agent Shaw. Just thought I'd give a few spoilers to get you all excited for it. He he.

Once again, you wanna know more about the stuff I'm writing and even see a few spoilers, then friend me on facebook. It's Becksbiggestfan Fanfiction. Hope to see you there!