CH56
"Ok everyone put on the belt and hang onto the breather. We go when Lucile tells us the site is clear. Remember to turn on your scanner before we leave. And please remember to talk to each other. It's one of the benefits we have over them. Let's not waist it." Rick finished with his instructions.
"Two minutes Richard." Lucile tells them.
"So far there is no chatter between them or anyone else. It is possible that without General Reed they do not have the intelligence to even see what is coming towards them. His replacement may not be good enough." Lucile tells them.
"Can we delay the potential bombing? Maybe the plane has a problem and has to try more than once?" Ryan asks. "Give their new guy more time to spot it?" Ryan questions.
"Or we wait?" Javi suggests." If we screw with the plan too much we are working on the fly."
"And no plan goes as planned when the enemy is encountered." Ryan comments.
"One minute." Lucile tells them.
"More than one plane maybe? The first one is just a spotter?" Javi suggests.
"A B52 profile as a spotter?" Ryan shoots Javi down.
"Maybe that's just it. They couldn't get a spotter so they have to make it do a fly over first." Ryan suggests.
"Lucile?" Castle asks.
"Working on a revision based on topic discussed. … Transmission sent."
"Time for turnaround for the bomb run?" Ryan asks?
"Give or take five minutes. Depending on how far out they start their turn and how tight they make it." Lucile provides.
"Adding second communication transmissions now." Lucile continues.
"Lucile what are you doing?" Javi asks.
"I'm seeing if the new guy is too smart and sees the B52 is fake." Lucile explains.
"Why would he think it is a fake?" Ryan asks.
"The B52 had to come from a base that is closer. He may have access to any flights from that base. However a B2 has to come from Missouri. He may not have anyone at that base." Lucile explains her thinking.
"He only knows local not long distance." Ryan softly talks to himself. "He only has access to local unlike Reed." Ryan continues to talk to himself.
"I'm putting a B2 at two minutes out in communications." Lucile tells them.
"Make him panic." Ryan again talks to himself.
"I have multiple heat signatures exiting the building at a rapid pace. Twenty yards clear of the building and still moving." Lucile tells them.
"Time to go guys. Make sure your detector is up and running and talk to your partner." Castle tells them. "Here we go." And Castle opens a Transmat wall.
They walk thru one at a time, team by team.
Jim is extremely nervous and is slowing his partner down. However he does drop the first crystal.
Meanwhile Rick has already dropped his first crystal and is right behind his partner. This place is getting to him and he wants out of here. BAD.
Javi has slowed to better match Jim's pace. Jim says he is fine but Javi can hear the fear in his voice. However he is still moving and there is nothing on his scanner except Ryan and Castle.
Castle after dropping the second crystal and is having a little trouble moving to the next drop. Worse he had stopped talking to Ryan. Ryan also has nothing on his scanner except Javi and Jim.
Javi and Jim had reached the end after dropping their third crystal and Javi had contacted Ryan to tell him they were leaving. And Javi opens a Transmat wall and Javi and Jim step thru.
Castle had stopped moving and Ryan could see that he was shaking badly. Worse he would not answer Ryan when he talked to him. Ryan decided that Castle was never going to make it to the other end. So he took the crystal from Castle and threw it as far to the other end as he could. Then opened a Transmat wall closest to Castle and all but carried him thru it.
Standing in the foyer. "Javi, Lanie, get down here." Ryan yelled out.
Soon Javi came charging down the stairs with Lanie not far behind.
"What happened?" Javi asks as he goes to help Ryan hold Castle up.
"I don't know. Everything seemed to be going fine. I was even having trouble keeping up with him in the beginning. Then he just stopped. He's been like this ever since." Ryan has no clue.
"Take the breather off of him and get him into bed." Lanie takes over.
Ryan removes the breather and together Ryan and Javi get Castle down and into bed. Where Ryan and Javi strip him and leave him to the tender care of Lanie. They don't go far though.
After coming back from closing the bedroom door and thanking the guys, Lanie finds Castle curled up in a fetal position. Not making a sound. Though she can see tears running down his cheeks.
"LUCILE!" Lanie calls out.
After seeing Lucile appearing in the bedroom next to the bed. "Do you know what's wrong?"
"I do not Miss Parish. His blood pressure is spiking and his heart rate is almost dangerously elevated. … Considering his current position I would speculate he is having some sort of panic attack." Lucile tells her.
"PTSD?" Lanie questions.
"Processing. … That would be a logical conclusion." Lucile tells her.
"I'm going to talk to the guys. See if they know something. Something must have happened there." And Lanie gets up and leaves the room. Finding both Ryan and Javi just the other side of the door. Together they head upstairs in search of Jim and maybe some answers.
After Lanie had left Lucile moved in real close. Part of her was actually in the bed now. Trying to put her hands on each side of Rick's face. "Richard? … Richard. Talk to me. … Please?" Tears she does not really have start running down her face.
Standing up Lucile has reached a conclusion. While in the travel pod. "KATE!" It was Lucile. However while her voice was still soft and pleasant it had a sound of urgency to it.
"Lucile?" Kate replies. Lucile's tone has instantly got her worried.
"You are needed back at the house Kate." Lucile requests. Still sounding worried.
"Is there a problem?" Now Kate's voice sounds worried. And Alexis while not hearing Lucile can hear Kate's tone and now she is worried.
"It's …. Richard. You are needed here."
"What's wrong with Castle?" Now Kate is really worried. And Kate can see the worry creeping into Alexis's face.
"You will recall that I said I could keep the bad men away. But I couldn't keep the monsters away?" Lucile was referring to Alexis at the time.
Now Kate is beginning to crack. "What's wrong?" The worry clear in her voice.
"You are just need to get here Kate. And hurry." Lucile refuses to expand on the problem.
Lucile just stands over Richard with worry and the tears are coming a little faster. Then kneels down. "Kate is coming Richard. Kate is coming." But Rick remains unchanged and does not seem to even know that Lucile is there.
Leaving Richard she appears upstairs where the others are at the dining room table trying to figure out what happened to Castle.
Being spotted by Lanie. "Lucile. How is Castle?"
"Richard is unresponsive. I do not have any history of what could have triggered this type of response. … I've called for Kate to return." Lucile informs them.
"Thank god! If anyone can reach him. It'll be Kate. When will she get here?" Lanie asks.
"Kate and Alexis are presently in a travel pod headed for the closest site to open a Transmat wall and return. Depending on a number of factors they should be here in less than 15 minutes." Lucile informs them.
"We can't let Alexis see her father like that." Jenny states. Alexis sees what Lanie and the guys saw she'll need therapy for years to come.
"We need to keep her here with us." Jim states. "There is no need for her to see her father like he is. She'll be scared and probably fight us to get to him. We will need to be ready to prevent that." Jim concludes his thinking.
"Ryan and I will go down to the bedroom door. In case she gets that far." And they both leave to guard Castle's bedroom door.
"It's going to be up to us three to keep her calm. Alexis is not likely to like this idea. Castle has been all she's got since she was born. This is not likely to go well." Jim warns them.
Not long after Kate comes charging up the stairs and sees the ladies and Jim. "Where's Castle?"
"Thank god Kate, … He's in his room." Lanie tells her.
At this Alexis turns to bolt for the stairs, but Kate is just a bit faster and catches her. "Let go mom. Dad needs me. He's my dad." Crying the whole time.
"Sweetie you need to stay here." Kate tries.
But Alexis is not having any of it and starts trying to get free from Kate's hold of her. "Sweetie, … sweetie. You need to listen to me. Let me help your dad. It's my turn now." Kate tries. Then has an idea.
"You were the 'Head Nurse' for me. Let me be the 'Head Nurse' for your father. Please sweetie. Let me help him and you stay here with the girls and my father." Kate tries again.
Alexis has stopped struggling. "You, … promise?" Alexis says softly.
"Yes sweetie. I promise." And Kate draws and X on her chest. "You stay here sweetie." And motions for someone to collect Alexis. Once Jenny has a hold of Alexis, Kate heads for the bedroom.
Finding Javi and Ryan guarding the door. "What are you two doing?" Kate asks them.
"We decided to guard the door in case Alexis made it this far." Ryan tells Beckett.
Softening at this news. "Thanks guys. Did something happen?" Kate asks.
"Everything was fine Beckett. we were blowing ou the processing plant just as we planned. Then Castle slowed down and came to a stop. I had to practically carry him thru the Trans-thingy to get here." Ryan tells her.
"You didn't encounter anyone?" Kate questions.
Ryan just shakes his head. "The place was empty, just like we planned." Ryan finishes.
Planned? Kate questions to herself. "One of you should probably stay here in case Alexis changes her mind."
"We'll be here Beckett." Javi assures her.
Kate opens the door and finds Castle curled up into a ball on the bed. Crying softly.
Sitting on the bed and looking at Castle. Not sure if she should touch him or not. "Castle?" Kate calls softly. "Castle?" Kate tries again.
Changing tactics. "Rick?" Kate calls softly. "Rick. Talk to me."
Castle slowly opens his tear filled eyes and he sees what his nightmare tells him he sees. Lifting up suddenly and wrapping his arms around Kate and squeezes. It almost takes all the breath out of Kate. And crying through the words. "I'm sorry Elear-Parma-Tar! ….. I'm so sorry!" However Kate can barely make out the words at all from all the tears.
"SHhhh Rick. It's alright. It's alright. I've got you." Kate coos into his ear. But it does nothing to stop Rick's crying. His body is convulsing with each sob.
Kate hears Lucile in her ear. "Elear-Parma-Tar is his wife's name."
Now Kate is really confused. Rick is having a panic attack NOW over the loss of his wife? Why now?
Kate just sits there and holds Rick and coos soothing words into his ear until the power of his sobs decreases. Kate reaches down and removes her shoes and does her best to lay Rick down on the bed and lay next to him. Holding him as close to her as she could.
Stroking his arm and kissing his face after trying to wipe away some of the tears. And just speaks softly to him while trying to calm him down. Other than those words at his first outburst, Rick has not said another word.
Upstairs things are not going any better. Alexis knows her father is hurting and wants to help. He's her father. She can't lose him. Alexis only just got a whole family with a mommy and a daddy. She can't lose one of them now. Not now.
