Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. If I did, there would be a new episode every day and no commercials.
Drama in this chapter. I REALLY love reviews. Happy reading!
Kate decided against driving her Cruzer and took a cab instead, preferring to avoid hospital parking. Her money was clutched in her hand throughout the entire drive, ready to rush out of the car. To their luck Alexis, Martha, and Kate arrived at the hospital at the same time. The trio practically sprinted through the doors and to the visitor's center where they were met with a grim looking attendant.
"Family only," said the wrinkled woman, eyeing Kate, after they'd asked for passes. Kate opened her mouth to speak but the woman cut her off. "Family only," the woman said again curtly, emphasizing every syllable.
"She is family," Alexis chimed in, reached for Kate's hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"Very well then," the woman sighed, giving the three of them passes to enter.
Alexis and Martha entered the room first, followed by Kate, and were greeted by a wide eyed, smiling, Richard Castle. Kate couldn't help but smile as his daughter rushed into his arms, minding the injuries. Kate stood in the corner watching the reunion. Martha's eyes were shining with unshed tears as she pressed a kiss to her son's hair.
"Alexis, let's go into the hall for just a minute," Martha whispered." Alexis nodded and followed her, winking at Kate on the way out. Kate took that as her chance. Over the three days Rick was unconscious she'd come up with hundreds of things to say to him when he woke up. In that moment, she desperately wanted to hear him laugh.
"Good news Castle, it looks like I won't have to hide your porn collection after all."
There was a long pause. The smirk that went along with Kate's words slowly faded at Rick's silence. He looked at Kate in the most unusual way. It was a distant stare that made Kate uncomfortable.
"Umm…Castle?" she said with some degree of uncertainty. "Castle, did you hear what I said?"
Uh…yeah…of course I did. May I ask…who are you?" Rick finally asked his brow furrowed with worry. Not the reaction Kate was hoping for. Her eyes widened as the blood obviously drained from her face. Under the dim hospital lights Beckett could have easily been mistaken for a vampire.
"You better be joking Castle," Kate whispered hoarsely, not wanting to accept the nightmare.
"I'm sorry; I really don't know who you are." An awkward silence filled the room. "Umm….maybe…your name would help." Kate inhaled deeply before giving him her name. It seemed like an eternity before Kate's fears were confirmed. Rick shook his head from side to side, eyes turned downward. It was evident to Kate Castle was truly trying to remember but that nothing rang a bell.
Rick opened his mouth to profess another apology but she would not allow it. Mixed emotions cluttered her heart. It was as if she was back in that alley, hearing her mother had been killed: anger, confusion, sadness, loneliness, hope it was all a lie. She could not handle that moment again. She escaped into the hall, restraining the urge to slam the door behind her. She rested her back against the wall and fought the tears in her eyes. Martha and Alexis found her a few moments later.
"Kate, dear," Martha whispered, "what's wrong?"
"Castle doesn't remember me," Kate muttered in disbelief. The ladies eyes widened.
"He doesn't remember you," Alexis repeated. She grabbed Kate and her grandmother's hands and pulled them into the room. She looked to her father. "Dad? Do you know who this is?"
"Well, her name is Kate, but I don't know anything else. Why is she here?" he asked. "And where's Gina?"
"She's Kate. You two have known each other for the past three years and why would Gina need to be here?" Rick looked at his daughter quizzically.
"Gina and I are married. That's why she should be here but instead I get a woman I don't know. This is ludicrous!" His voice was raised and the heart monitor was speeding up.
"Richard," Martha said slowly, "what year is it?"
"2008?" he replied slowly.
"Alexis, get a nurse. Richard, you need to relax." Martha was speaking but Rick's eyes were on Kate. Alexis left the room and Rick took a moment to look over Kate. She was standing in the back of the room, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Rick took note of her stunning features and the surging level of attraction he felt towards her but pushed those feelings down at the remembrance he was married. There was something about her, something that felt familiar, but he just couldn't grasp it.
"What year is it?" he questioned, obviously not relaxing. Martha opened her mouth to speak but Kate but her off.
"I think we should wait for the doctor to come in before we answer any questions like that. You were just shot Rick, you should calm down."
" Whoa, whoa, whoa, I was shot? That's why I'm here? I assumed I was in a car accident."
"Again, let's wait for the doctor," Kate said dropping the subject. The three sat in silence as they waited for Alexis to return with a doctor. Kate refused to make eye contact with Rick but his eyes never left her figure.
After a few awkward minutes Alexis returned with a doctor. The doctor was young, handsome, and kept sneaking glances over at Kate, none of which went unnoticed by Castle or Alexis. He introduced himself as Dr. Fray.
"Mr. Castle," Dr. Fray began, "I hear your having some problems remembering. I am going to ask you a couple questions and I need you to answer them to the best of your knowledge. Ladies," he said referring to Kate, Alexis, and Martha, "please do not prompt him in anyway and we'll see how much he knows." Everyone in the room slowly nodded. "Mr. Castle what is your full name?"
"Richard Edgar Castle." The doctor paused and scribbled his answers his patient folders.
"How old are you?"
"35." Rick's answers to the doctor's questions sounded confident to a majority of the room, but Kate caught the slight waver in his tone, as he was then unsure of everything.
"What are your mother and daughter's names?"
"Martha and Alexis."
"Are you married or single?"
"I'm married to Gina Cowell, who really should be here." Rick found his mother's worried eyes and Kate felt a pang of hurt. He loved her, he wasn't married.
"What is your occupation?"
"I am a best-selling mystery novelist," Rick said with a pretentious tone. Kate took note in how he no longer bragged about his success or the fact it rarely came up.
"What do you do in your free time?"
"I write, play laser tag with Alexis, and stuff like that."
"What year is it?"
"2008."
"And do you know who that woman is?" the doctor said, motioning to Kate.
"No."
Everyone watched as Kate's face fell.
"Now Rick," the doctor started again, "this is going to be hard to hear but there are a few gaps in your memory that we need to clear up."
"Okay…" Rick said slowly, his eyelids obviously heavy.
"Wait!" Kate shouted in desperation. All eyes turned to her after her little outburst. "Sorry, that was…loud. I was just thinking that Rick should rest up before we dump all of this on him. He looks exhausted and it will be a lot to take in."
"No, I'm okay. I can…" Rick started but his eyes found Kate's, who's narrowed into their signature glare. Rick's mouth shut mid-sentence, by what seemed to him as a reflex. There was something so familiar behind her eyes; he knew he should stop talking.
"Alexis, don't you agree?"
"Yeah, Kate's right Dad. It'll be a lot to take in. Relax a little and we'll be here when you wake up," Alexis said. She bent down and kissed her father on the cheek. Kate smiled at the girl and then down at Rick.
"Let's give him a minute. Alexis and Martha, can you come for a walk with me? Rick we'll be here when you wake up." Kate followed Martha and Alexis out of the hospital room. In the doorway she snuck a quick glance back to the doctor who was putting medication into Rick's IV to help him sleep. Her eyes couldn't help but meet Ricks. There was a similarity in the meeting but something so foreign. Kate turned around and walked out, leaving a dazed Richard Castle in his hospital bed.
The three walked down the hallway in silence. They strolled until they found a coffee machine and each poured a cup. It was Alexis who finally broke the silence.
"Kate, why did you insist Dad rest before we fill in his memory blanks? Is there something you don't want him to remember?"
Kate looked at the girl for a minute, her eyebrows knit together.
"Well, I was just thinking, what if we didn't try to jog his memory?"
"What do you mean dear?" Martha asked after having been quiet for some time.
"This is probably going to sound bad and I would totally understand if you both disagree but if we don't want Rick to shadow me anymore, why don't we just tell him he never started." Kate let the words just spill out of her mouth. They tasted like vinegar but needed to be expressed. Deep down she truly thought it was the best for the both of them.
"He never started?" Alexis questioned, unsure of what Kate was saying.
"Yeah, we would never tell him he was shadowing me in the first place so then he would never come back. I could just say I'm a good family friend. That way he can't fight us into coming back and he's not in danger."
"You want us to lie?" Martha clarified. Kate nodded.
"How would we explain Ryan and Esposito and Lanie?"
"We tell him they are my friends that became his. We could even say he shadowed me for one case, to make some of the pieces fit better. And we could remind him of moments the three of you shared," there was a long pause as the hardness of what she was about to say soaked in, "just not moments he and I shared. What do you think?"
Martha and Alexis stared at each other, each thinking the same thing.
"And if he regains his memory completely?" Martha wondered.
"We apologize but tell him it was for the best."
"Grams…I think we should do it," she added hesitantly, worried about her father's reaction if he found out they'd lied but knowing it was for the best.
"I do too."
Kate let out a sigh of relief and shared smiles with the other ladies. Putting her coffee cup down on the counter, Kate pulled them into a hug for comfort. Martha, Alexis and Kate especially knew what had to happen. As much as it pained them, the girls knew they had to do it for Castle's safety. After they released each other, Alexis broke the moment with a soft demand.
"Then let's get back before he wakes up."
"I hope you're right about this Kate," Martha said.
"I do too," Kate whispered as Martha and Alexis were walking back to Rick.
I know this is another amnesia fic but I hope I'm going to try and keep it more original. It will be good, promise. Keep reading and review! Thanks!