Kate Beckett, Investigator Chapter 15

"No result yet?" Castle inquires as Kate scowls at her phone.

"It's been three weeks and one day. They said three weeks."

"As I recall, the exact wording was that you could get your score in as soon as three weeks. As is fitting for a law-related exam, they left themselves a giant loophole. I imagine that you will become increasingly used to dealing with those. And in any case, Kate, it's too soon for you to start sending in law school applications. Your dad said it wouldn't make sense until close to Fall."

Kate tosses her phone on the counter. "But I need to know. If I don't score high enough, I'll have to plan on taking the test over."

"If you don't score high enough?" Castle snorts. "After all the work you put in, you kicked LSAT ass."

"You don't know that. We won't know anything until I get my score."

"A watched pot never boils, Kate. We could take a walk or something with your phone firmly ensconced in your pocket. Or how about a day at the Angelika? They're running a marathon of underappreciated 1950s sci-fi movies with Zsa Zsa Gabor as Queen of Outer Space. I guess someone thought space aliens have Hungarian accents. And they're also showing When Worlds Collide, the inspiration for countless disaster movies. Come to think of it, that movie is better than a lot of the genre it spawned. And how can you think about test scores when the planet is facing oblivion? I'll buy you and the baby a giant popcorn."

"But I'd have to silence my cell phone during the movies," Kate protests.

Castle palms her cheek. "That's kind of the idea."

Kate sighs. "All right. I haven't got a better one."

While muting the alerts, Kate can't bear to leave her phone off completely. As Zsa Zsa takes the screen, a vibration in Kate's pocket refuses to be ignored. She quickly makes her way to a hallway to check on it. Returning to her seat, she grabs a large handful of popcorn and stuffs it in her grinning mouth. The light from the screen illuminates Castle's inquisitively raised eyebrow. Kate gives him a thumbs up and grabs for more popcorn."

"So, what did you get?" Castle demands between movies.

"One-hundred-seventy-four."

"Wow, Kate! From what I've read, that's amazing! Although I guess not so amazing for the incredible Kate Beckett. Still, it should get you into any law school you want. Any idea what your numero uno choice is?"

"NYU has the best law school in the city and one of the best in the country. And I have an undergraduate history there."

"And if I recall what your dad told me, he went there."

A smile spreads over Kate's face. "Yes, he did."

Nurse Gwen's cheerful chatter fades out as she checks Kate's blood pressure.

"What's wrong," Kate asks.

"It's high, Kate. Dr. Scott will probably want me to take it again after you've had a chance to lie quietly for a few minutes. So stretch out and look at the poster on the ceiling. I'm going to go talk to him."

Kate eyes the image of a Koi pond above her head. She's seen it before, and it didn't do much for her. Maybe this time it will. She takes a deep breath and hopes for the best.

Gwen comes in a few minutes later, throws Kate an encouraging smile, and checks again. "It's down a little. Dr. Scott should be with you in a few minutes."

Scott plops down on the rolling stool near Kate. "Well, the good news is that there's no protein in your urine sample. Gwen didn't see any signs of edema, and neither do I. So, right now, it looks like the only thing we're coping with is your blood pressure. But that will put an extra strain on your heart. So I'm going to give you something to bring it down that will be safe for the baby. And I want you to really lay off the salt and take it as easy as you can. So far, we should be able to manage this without putting you on bed rest. But there are a bunch of symptoms you should watch out for. I'm going to give you a list. Call me if you have any of them. And I want you to take your pressure twice a day, in the morning before you eat or take anything, and again in the evening. Your husband said he bought the kind of monitor that can transmit the results. So I want you to send them to me. You'll get the instructions with your list. Will you do that?"

"Yeah, I'll do it," Kate says. "But you're sure the medicine will be safe for the baby?"

"As sure as I can be. It's been tested for a long time. And the safest thing for the baby is keeping you healthy enough to take her to term. OK, Kate?"

"Yeah, OK."

"So," Castle asks brightly, "what does Mr. Monitor say today?"

Kate grimaces. "Is that going to be our morning conversation from now on?"

"You didn't answer the question."

"One thirty-three over 85."

"Not terrible, but not great."

"I sent it off to Dr. Scott. If he has a problem with it, he'll let me know. And I get to eat now. So what are you cooking?"

"Ah, a scramble but with no salt. I did, however, add a little chili for interest. Uncured turkey bacon, fresh strawberries, and multigrain toast. Oh, and I squeezed fresh juice – no chance of unwanted adulterants."

"Babe, you don't need to go crazy over this."

"Crazy? Bah! Humbug! Alexis had a friend stay over for a week, one of those unfortunate children allergic to almost everything under the sun. Her mother gave me a safe list – a very short one. Now, that was an adventure in creative cookery. For you and the little one, I merely have to make a few adjustments. Besides, my new juicer is super cool. It also makes ice cream."

Kate's stool scrapes loudly across the floor. "At least you got a new toy out of all this."

Castle strides around the counter. "Hey, Kate, I can get new toys any time. I do get new toys all the time. What I really care about is a healthy wife and a new daughter. But at least we'll know that your strawberry ice cream is made from real strawberries."

Kate can't suppress the smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, we will."

Alexis rushes down the stairs. "Don't make me any breakfast, Dad. I'm meeting Ashley at Java Hut before class."

"Second time this week," Castle notes. "Has the hut's coffee improved?"

"No. But apparently, their sales have. Ashley's looking at the company as a study of what drives consumer spending. He's thinking it might be the organic ingredients and gluten-free items. He wants to watch what people are ordering."

Castle forces back a sarcastic response rising in his throat. "Try the new black and white cookies, they're not bad."

Alexis hurries toward the door. "Thanks, Dad, I will."

As the door closes behind Alexis, Castle sticks out his tongue. "I'm liking that boy less and less as the days go by."

"Are you upset about Alexis preferring his company to a family breakfast or wanting to follow him to Stanford?" Kate questions.

Castle dishes eggs out of a skillet. "Yes!"