The Hardest Things - Chapter 6 (Final Chapter)
Two days later, she steps into Rick's room with a duffle bag on her shoulder. Her husband perks up at her entrance, dropping the pen he's holding to rest on his notebook.
"Hey," he greets, offering her a lopsided, still-loopy smile. "No work?"
She shakes her head. She's told him a couple of times already that she's taken a leave of absence at the firm where she's been interning, but he's been so out of it that she doesn't blame him for not remembering.
"Well good. Missed you."
She grins, leaving his bag on a chair and moving to perch at his hip on the bed.
"Missed you, too," she says, pressing a kiss to his mouth. "I grabbed the stuff you asked for and I threw in a couple more things to keep you occupied while you're here."
He nods, dropping his head back on the pillows. "Thanks."
Kate smiles, swiping her fingers over his forehead, moving his hair off his face.
"Has the doctor come by yet?"
"He made morning rounds while you were at home," Rick says. "He says everything looks good so far, wants to keep me until tomorrow at least, though."
She nods, drawing her fingers down his cheek. She scratches the growing stubble on his chin. "Well, I brought you some reading material to help that along," she says, reaching for the bag and pulling a book from the outside pocket.
Rick takes one look at the cover and chokes on a laugh. "Everyone Poops," he reads. "Thank you, Kate."
Her grin fades at the pain that flashes across his face, the way he lifts a hand to press against his side, curving around his back. She covers his hand with hers, reminding him to breathe. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Do you need me to call the nurse?"
"No, no I'm okay. Just sore. Laughing pulls."
Kate's forehead lands against his. "I'm sorry. No more, I swear. I don't want to hurt you."
She feels his fingers curve at her waist. "Stop, Kate. I'm just happy to be here to laugh with you. Even if it does hurt a little."
She sniffs, palming his cheek and pressing her mouth to his again. "You shouldn't hurt at all, Rick."
"No, but if I had to choose, I'll take this over being in the ground, or standing beside you as you bury your mom because I wasn't there or wasn't fast enough to push her out of the way."
Kate squeezes her eyes shut. She's already had those nightmares, at least twice each night since the attack.
"Don't… don't talk like that, okay? You're alive, she's alive. You're both going to stay that way. You hear me."
Rick nods under her hand, thumbing her side. "I hear you, Kate. I hear you."
"Good. Then you're going to read your book and listen to your doctors so you can get your ass out of here and come home."
He smiles, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Yes ma'am. Is your mom going home today?"
She nods. "Already home. Her blood pressure was back to normal, so they booted her out early this morning. I stopped by Mom and Dad's place on my way back here. She's resting."
"Good." Rick exhales, looking thoughtful. "I still can't believe any of this even happened. We were just making a stop before meeting you. It was just supposed to take a few minutes and then we would've been on the way to Gio's."
Her gut clenches. This is the first time she's heard his point of view. She hadn't thought to ask when he'd first come to, hadn't wanted to do anything more than hold him and be grateful he was still breathing – is still breathing. And then she'd been out of the room taking care of getting some of his things from home when he'd given his statement to Detective Raglan.
"What kind of stop were you making?"
He shakes his head. "Your mom said she wanted to check on something; I was just tagging along so I could pick her brain some more for the book."
She tilts her head. "What was she checking on?"
He shakes his head again. "I don't know. Something for a case? She didn't tell me anything specific, even though I did ask."
His fingers slot through hers, squeezing gently. Kate tries to relax, tries to let go of the confusion and the fact that none of it makes any damn sense. What was her mother doing there? What case could she possibly have that would be insane enough to cause someone to do this?
"Detective Raglan said they'll be looking into everything. He'll check in and touch base soon. Hopefully, he'll have some answers for us, then."
"Yeah, I know, I know. I'm just… I'm trying to make it make sense."
Rick lifts her hand to his mouth, nuzzling. "I know, honey."
"It just feels like a nightmare. I almost–" she stops, clearing her throat. "I almost lost both of you, Rick. I can't stop thinking about that."
"Well," her husband starts, tapping their joined hands to his lips again, "when I get out of here, I will be happy to do everything I can to keep your mind off things."
She manages a soft laugh for him, nodding. "Looking forward to that. Especially since laughing hurts you the way it does right now."
A cocky smile lights up his face, which she finds more promising than even his verbal assurances have been.
"Mrs. Castle, I would think that after this many years-"
"Uh huh, and how many years is that, hot shot?" she teases.
"Never enough," he says, smooth as ever. "But I would think you would know after these wonderful three and just over a half years together that I can manage just fine for you. Always."
"You certainly think you can," she drawls.
His deflection has worked, though, siphoning her panic away and leaving her warm and relaxed.
"Trust me, Kate," he murmurs, turning serious once more. "Just trust me."
"I do," she breathes, scooting back against the pillows and fitting her body into the space beside him, draping her arm over his chest. She presses her face to his shoulder. "I trust you."
"Then believe that everything is going to be all right."
She shuts her eyes, touching her hand to his side, careful not to press too hard against the bandages she can feel beneath his hospital gown. In return, Rick dusts a kiss to her forehead, her temple, before resting his cheek against her hair.
"I believe it."
She doesn't completely, not yet, but it's enough for him that she'll try, so it has to be enough for her, too.
"Good."
They settle into an easy silence, keeping loose holds on one another until Rick's breath evens out and his arm drops from her waist with his descent into slumber. Kate exhales, pressing her lips to his collar, allowing the steady lift and fall of his chest and the warmth of his skin – not too warm, thankfully – to soothe her aching heart.
She doesn't know why this happened to them, can't even fathom who could want to do this to their family, but she'll bask in Rick's hope for what's ahead. She can't do much right now, can't find the person who did this to them, can't even imagine leaving her husband's side for more than a couple of hours at a time, but she can hold onto his optimism for the future and be thankful for the way everything is working out now.
Her mother is already home, being taken care of by her already flustered father. They'll probably be begging for visitors within a few days as Johanna gets stir-crazy without work. Rick will be going home soon, too, to give Kate the opportunity to take care of him. She knows he'll be the world's worst patient and a complete pain in the ass, but she'll accept that trade-off if it means he's on the mend.
And then, once he's well again, she will get answers.
Once again, thank you all for reading and sharing your thoughts. I know all of your questions weren't answered, but are all our questions in life ever really answered? I kid, I kid; when I'm able, I absolutely intend to do more in this verse to move toward resolving the lingering questions. Until then, if you haven't read it, Chapter 13 of In Every Universe takes place after this story, and it gives you a look at what their lives are like a little while later. Also, if you'd like to read some of the earlier stories and ficlets in this verse, you can find them here on ffnet (Waking Up in Vegas, And to Us a Good Night, l'amour est le miel, Truth of the Words) and on my tumblr bunysliper tumblr tagged waking+up+in+vegas+verse.
Thanks again. Until next story.