CH13

Kate woke up and tried to open her eyes. But it was a struggle. She was really tired. Finally blinking them open after several tries. Looking around, she doesn't recognize anything. And it's dark, well not dark, dark, there was a little light, but it was faint.

There were no white walls. So it was not a hospital room. It didn't look or sound like the bullpen at the precinct. It seemed way to big to be her bedroom. Even though she couldn't see all of it.

Suddenly there was a face taking up her view. "Hi! You're awake. I'm Alexis. Dad made me the head nurse. We are going to take care of you until you feel better."

Kate looked at her. She looked young, kind of small. Beautiful blue eyes. She's seen those eyes somewhere else. Just can't remember where. Long very straight red hair. A bright red, not a dark red you usually see. And her complexion seemed to be a little pale. And that smile. That smile alone kind of made Kate feel more happy.

Kate tried to open her mouth to reply. But nothing came out. "Oh." Alexis tells her. Leaning over to her side she brings a small glass into view, with a straw. "Here, drink this." And Alexis bends the straw down and puts it in Kate's mouth so she can drink.

"Better?" Kate just nods, not sure of her voice, though her throat now feels a little better.

"OH!" Alexis again reaches over to retrieve something from a side table. "Open wide." Alexis tells her.

"It's just a pill. It will help you feel better." Recognizing what that means, barely, Kate opens wide. And Alexis places the pill in her mouth and then brings the glass back up to her face and places the straw into her mouth again.

After done with that, Alexis again reaches for something from the side table. "Open wide and say AAUUGGHH" As Alexis brings what looks like a small stick to her mouth. Kate opens wide but skips the aauugghh part. And it is all she can do to get it to end up under her tongue, instead of down her throat.

A short time later, Kate can hear a soft beep, and Alexis pulls it from her mouth and looks at it. "102.7" Alexis states. "Is that bad?" Not sure just what the number means. "It looks like a big number. It must be bad." Alexis states, trying to sound like she knows what she is doing.

"You want some more water?" Alexis asks, with a concern in her voice. Kate just shakes her head just a little bit. And even that was a challenge.

"I'm sorry you're sick. You should go back to sleep. Daddy or I will always be here. You're safe here."

Tired, too tired. Who is daddy? Where is she? I can't remember anyone named Lexus. Sleep sounds like a good idea though. And Kate closes her eyes, and everything just drifts away.

Kate wakes up and the space remains the same. She seems to remember there is someone here. But it is all foggy. Blinking open her eyes she sees a room that looks familiar. Just not why.

"HI, you're awake. Want some water?" And Alexis brings the cup with a straw into view. And Kate takes a sip. "OH! Time for another pill. Open wide." And Alexis places the pill in her mouth and gives Kate some more water.

"Open wide and say, AAUUGGHH." And Alexis brings the thermometer up to her mouth. After a soft beep, Alexis removes it. "102.1. That still sounds high, but it is less than last time."

"How do you feel? There were two strange men that came to see you earlier. But you were asleep. They seemed nice. They seemed concerned about you. Daddy brought them up to see you."

"Do you need to use the bathroom? " Not giving Kate a chance to respond. "You should go back to sleep. Sleep, Kate, just sleep. I'll be here when you wake up again. I'm going to take good care of you." Alexis tries to sound reassuring.

Kate liked the sound of sleep, since her mind could not think of anything better.

"HI! You're awake. Your face has a lot more color today. Those two guys were just here a few hours ago. Dad brought them up to see you. They seemed happy to see you. They threatened dad if he did not take care of you."

Kate smiled, that sounded like something Kevin and Javi would do.

"More water." Bringing the glass with a straw that Kate was used to now. Now Alexis reached out and handed Kate a pill and gave her some water to wash it down with.

Next came the thermometer. "101.7 Still sounds high to me. How do you feel?"

Kate opened her mouth and croaked out a "better." But it hurt to do it, and she made a face after.

"You should probably not talk. Sorry." Alexis looks sad that she had caused Kate pain.

"Here, you can have a saltine. You're suppose to just nibble. Dad said you could have some soup soon. You'll like his soup. He's a good cook. Mostly." Looking apologetically. "Dad seems to like chocolate a lot lately. He put chocolate in my sandwich yesterday. It was yucky. You have to watch him. He put chocolate in my scrambled eggs last week. YUCK!" As Alexis makes a face, to go with the yucky.

"He likes to experiment. The gummy bear, banana sandwich was pretty good. But the gummy bear, banana, maple syrup was awful." Alexis scrunched her face and wiggled. Even Kate had to make a face at that one.

"He does the same for the smoothies he makes. He'll choose things I've never even heard of and blend it all together. One concoction looked like vomit, and smelled like it to."

Kate kind of made a face and gulped. "OH, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I should stop talking now." And she goes over and sits in a chair that has been moved closer to the bed.

"Lexus?" Kate croaks out.

"Alexis." She corrects Kate. "AL-X-US" she explains how to pronounce her name.

"OH! My manners." Alexis looks sad. "I'm Alexis Castle."

Kate opens her eyes wide and her jaw drops to her chest. No freaking way! CASTLE! RICHARD CASTLE! And this is Castle's daughter! And she is in Castle's house! HOW, HOW,... how did this happen?

Alexis jumps up as soon as she sees Kate's face. "Are you alright? Are you in pain? Did I say something bad?" Alexis looks sad and her eyes start to water. "I'm SORRY! I didn't mean to!"

Kate thought she looked soooo cute! And so sad at the same time. And she was the cause of it! She had to fix this.

"Alexis, …. I'm,... sorry." Kate can barely get out, her throat hurts so much.

"I, ….. didn't, …." But is interrupted by Alexis.

"NO, NO. don't talk. I know it hurts to talk. Just sleep M ,...Kate. Just sleep. I'll stop talking." Boy that was close. Alexis thinks she almost blew it, big time. "Just sleep, I'll be here when you wake up, M, …. Kate" Did it again! I've got to be more careful, or I'll ruin everything. And that is just not acceptable!

Kate does as the little girl suggests and closes her eyes and let sleep take over.

"HI!, you're awake. Feeling better?" Alexis asks hopefully.

Not trusting her voice because of last time, Kate just nods. "Water?" And Alexis brings the glass up and puts the straw into her mouth.

Expecting what comes next and Kate puts out her hand for the pill that is to come. And is not disappointed as Alexis places one in her hand. Then brings to water back for her to wash it down with.

Knowing what comes next Kate opens her mouth wide, but leaves out the Aauugghh part again. And Alexis put the thermometer in her mouth. Waiting for the soft beep. Alexis pulls it out and reads it. "100.9. Still sounds high, but it is getting smaller. Do you need to use the bathroom?"

Kate just shakes her head, slowly. Afraid anything faster will bring on another headache. "Would you like some soup? Dad makes great soup when you're sick. You just have to watch him, in case he puts something YUCKY in it." As Alexis scrunches up her face.

Kate just smiles. She is sooo cute when she does that. And she is trying so hard to help.

Now that her brain is starting to work better. Kate is betting that leaving Alexis with her to watch her and care for here was Castle's idea. If he had been doing this she would have fought him tooth and nail for every little thing. Damn he is sneaky. WAIT, didn't Alexis just say that. But she is soo cute. But she's a Castle! AUGH!

Alexis walks over and touch's a panel Kate had not spotted before. "Kate's awake dad. I think she might like some soup." Alexis talks into it.

And a short moment later she can hear Castle's voice. "Thanks pumpkin. I'll warm it up and be right down."

A few minutes later Castle enters with a bowl in one hand and a spoon in another. "Well Detective, you are looking a lot better. I trust my daughter has been taking good care of you?" Taking a peek at Alexis. Who promptly gives him a 'and you don't trust me?' look.

"Javi and Kevin have been by twice to check up on you. You were asleep both times. If they stick to their schedule they should be showing up in a couple of hours. They threatened that if I didn't take good care of you, they knew how to kill me 20 different ways and where to hide the body and make sure the paperwork got lost. And something about an ME was on their side."

Castle sits on the bed next to Kate and puts the spoon in the bowl and takes it back out and starts to feed Kate.

"DAD?" Alexis warns. Crossing her arms across her chest and give him a death glare. Which Kate internally giggles at.

'WAIT! Did I just giggle? I must really be sick.'

"I swear, I didn't put anything in it, pumpkin. HONEST!" And Rick puts the spoon back in the bowl and makes an X across his chest.

Kate looks at Alexis and sees her uncross her arms and return her face to normal. Then nods to Kate.

Rick again takes the spoon in hand and gets ready to feed Kate. Kate however lifts her hand to try and take the spoon.

Rick quickly pulls it away. "Show me your hand." Looking determined. "Show me your hand." He tells Kate again.

Kate just holds out her hand. "Hold it steady." Rick tells her. "I said hold it steady."

Kate looks at her hand and she can see it shaking. Scrunching up her face, she wills her hand to hold still. But it betrays her.

"That's what I thought. We want the soupIN you. Not ON you." Rick tells her.

Conceding defeat, Kate puts her hand away.

Rick puts the spoon up to her mouth, but Kate just clamps her mouth shut. There is no way she is letting anyone, especially Castle spoon feed her. "It's not too hot. I tested it before I came down here." Rick tries to assure her. Thinking that was why she held her mouth closed.

Seeing that Kate is going to put up a fight. It was time to resort to dirty tricks. If it worked on Alexis, maybe it'll work on Kate.

"Pilot to tower. We request an emergency landing on runway 11 left." And Rick swoops the spoon around in a circle and starts for Kate's mouth.

Kate's eyes move from Castle to Alexis and she can see her silently giggling. Kate can't help but smile at her.

Rick spots his opening and puts the spoon between Kate's lips. Not wanting it to get all over her, Kate opens her mouth just enough to let the spoon in.

Rick tilts the spoon and drags it out over her upper lip to make sure Kate gets every drop.

Kate's eyes shoot open, and she twirls her tongue around and swallows it down. 'DAMN! That is good soup.' Kate knows her taste buds are still kind of shot, but still, that was good. As she smacks her lips a little to get all of the taste.

Getting success with the first spoon full, Rick tries again. This time without the play by play. However Kate just clamps her mouth shut tight as a clam. Kate looks around, grateful that the guys are not here to see this. That damn video camera better not be set up still.

Huffing, Rick decides it's time to try another trick. "Sir, we missed the siding. We are going to crash head long into the oncoming freight train." Rick swoops the spoon back and heads straight for Kate's mouth. "We're all going to die!"

Kate can hear Alexis giggle out loud at this one, and looking at Alexis, Kate starts grinning again.

Rick spotting his opening swoops the spoon in just past Kate's lips. And Kate opens her mouth just enough to let the spoon in. 'DAMN him! It is good soup though!'

"It's a good thing I'm a writer. I know tons of stories just like those." Rick tells her, expecting cooperation next time.

"So, are we going to do this the hard way? And still be at it when Javi and Kevin arrive. Or are you going to be a 'good girl' and eat your soup?" With a tone of voice as if he was scolding a 2 year old. Trying to get her to see reason.