Esposito turned to Kate, "I found him about 15 minutes after he had been shot. He went to that crime scene alone. He didn't have a partner any more, and he didn't feel he needed back up, Beckett. You didn't pull the trigger, but I can't help but blame you."

At this point Kate had her head hung. She had been stoic while listening to the details of the case, and hadn't even shed a tear when she heard how Castle had been shot. Her selfishness may have cost Castle his life. She just kept hearing, "He didn't have a partner anymore" over and over in her head. He was alone. He was alone, bleeding out, scared to death in the black of night. This information was more than she could possibly process. She stayed silent.

"Beckett, I'm not so sure you should be here… He is pretty angry with you" Ryan said.

"The hell I am! You can hate me, you can curse me, and I will take all the blame and true things you have to say. I deserve that. I will not abandon him again. I gave my word to Martha, and I will not leave his side until he kicks me out of here. So, no. Respectfully, I will not leave. I will fight you."

There was a silent stand- off between the three former partners. Ryan was shocked with the force behind her words. He was unfamiliar with this meek Beckett he'd seen since she arrived. This was the Beckett he knew. Fighting for what she believed in. It made him miss the friend he lost 4 months ago. Too little too late though. The evidence was her mistake was laying in a hospital bed.

Esposito was hurting. He and Beckett had always shared a unique connection due to their pasts. On some level he gets why she left. He gets why she ran. But his heart hurt too much to accept her back. He lost his partner, his friend, and she took away Castle. He was protective to a fault, and it seems that his loyalty had shifted from his former leader to her ex-partner. He had to protect Castle from Beckett, because he couldn't protect himself.

Beckett would not give in. She will fight tooth and nail to be with him. She luckily had the legal right to be in that room, but she was hoping that it wouldn't resort to that. However, she was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Castle doesn't wake up alone. She needed him to know that he won't ever be alone again.

Eventually a nurse walked in and broke the staring contest. "Sorry guys. I need you all to clear the room for a while. You can wait in the hall… it will just take a few minutes."

Out in the hall Espo speaks up, "Fine Beckett. Stay. We have work to do and even you are better than him waking up alone. But listen to me," he leans in with a fierce look, "the second he wakes up, and he wants you gone, you leave. You respect him, or I will arrest you. Got it?"

"Yes" she whispered in response.

With that the boys turned to leave. Kate leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down to a sitting position. She had her head in her hands, taking deep breaths. They are so angry with her. She knew Espo was capable of such anger, but Ryan is almost worse than Espo.

After leaving the hospital, the boys headed over to the morgue to talk with Lanie. They had been texting back and forth all morning, but they really needed to talk it out between them. It was obvious that everyone was upset with not only the shooting, but the return of Beckett. They needed a game plan, and a good ole fashion rant session.

"Hey guys. How's Castle doin?" Lanie spoke as she saw them enter her morgue.

"He looks… quiet. Even in the last few months I've never seen him so still, and not Castle. Beckett says he should be waking up some time tonight or tomorrow morning. They won't know more until he is more responsive," Ryan relayed.

"If he doesn't… I just… Ugh! Why the hell didn't he call one of us man? We would've backed him up!" shouted Esposito. His guilt over the shooting was eating him alive.

"Honey, this not your fault. It happened, we know who it was, and we will make him pay. Castle is strong. He will be ok, you'll see." Laney knew that Espo wasn't dealing well with the shooting. The more anger he showed, the more he was actually hurting. They may not be together at the moment, but the need to comfort him was still there. She walked over to him and hugged him.

"Javi, he is going to be ok. You saved his life," she whispered in his ear. She hugged him just a little tighter to prove her point.

"Um, guys," Ryan said, "What are we going to do about Beckett?"

This was the question on all of their minds. They all felt some level of hurt and betrayal from her departure. Mix in their loyalty and protectiveness for Castle and they were pissed as hell. However, they also knew that, despite her selfish, idiotic decision, Castle would probably want her there. He might need the strength she could offer him.

Lanie finally spoke, "I don't want to say it, but I think she needs to stay, for at least the first 24 hours. When Castle is awake and can decide one way or another, then we will follow his lead. She broke my trust, and she is going to have to bust her ass to get me to forgive her. But kicking her out now won't work. It's not worth the fight."

"I can't look at her without getting mad," replied Espo, "but I think you are right."

"Same here."

"Alright, then that is our plan. How is the investigation going…"

To Be Continued