Part of Me, Part of You
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: Sequel to Girl from Yesterday, No Time Lapse, the story picks up where we left off. This is AU; Beckett has left for D.C. and the Feds. This describes the activity of each during the time away from the other. It blends some Canon dialog; courtesy of Dust Jackets Dot Com and then goes quickly and completely AU. This will describe what our friends have been up to, Rick and Kate WILL NOT END UP TOGETHER! Taking a Literary License to fill in the blanks.
A/N: THIS IS NOT A CASKETT ENDING: THIS IS NOT A CASKETT ENDING.
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Also, we take liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events to make this more believable fiction, thanks.
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Chapter 7
Presbyterian Medical Clinic
Continued
Dr. Emilio Cortez, or Milo as Lanie had referred to him, was chatting with Kate briefly about her hobbies and interests while watching as her blood pressure fell from the 180s to 135/74. "You like to fish? You're not joking with me are you?" the good doctor kidded her.
"No, I'm serious. My Dad loves it, and I guess being the son he never had, I was a tomboy growing up and I loved to go out on his small boat to fish with him. The worms never bothered me, and I still enjoy it but with my work schedule, I seldom if ever get the opportunity to go." She said,
"Well, Kate your BP is back to that of a normal lady in your age group, so we can make sure the lab coats are left at the door outside in the future. Why don't you tell me what Lanie saw and how you feel that brings you to see us today." He said in a kind tone, as he turned on a tiny recording device, and held the mike in his hand waiting for her response.
"I don't think it's that serious Doctor, but Lanie insisted I see you or she was going to rat me out to my boss, I work for the U.S. Attorney General, out of the New York office. We must undergo complete physicals every two years, and routing exam every year" She said, shooting Lanie a look.
"Let me guess, you're non-compliant, and because they're short-staffed, you haven't been busted on the infraction, well yet." He smiled.
She blushed, lowered her head, and said, "Correct" then looked up sheepishly.
"Well, I'm not going to as you said, rat you out, but since you haven't seen your OB-GYN doctor either, or have you? I mean you can't get your birth control pills without a visit to their office, it's the law." He said
"Well, if you're not sexually active doctor, there's no need for the pills, so I don't have to worry about that," she said, blushing even more.
"Not that I want to embarrass you Kate, but we need to know the complete system, or as you call it your body. If your hormones are not in the therapeutic ranges it could account for many things you are trying to wish away such as being overworked, or sad. I'll schedule Dr. Saunders to see you for your pap smear, and at least a cursory exam before you leave." He said calmly and without any malice.
"Dr. Saunders? Is he in the same building as you and Dr. Paul?" Kate asked.
"Well, Dr. Saunders is a SHE, and yes she is. Sandra's office is next door to mine, and I'm sure you will like her unless you would rather see a male doctor?" he said, giving her an out.
"Oh no, it's fine, Dr. Saunders will be fine. If she's working with Dr. Paul, I am confident she is more than capable," Kate said, with a slight smile.
"I assure you, if I were married, I would want my wife to see Sandy, she's one of the best. She's not only a good doctor but also a great human being. Isn't she your doctor Lanie?" He looked over at Lanie who miraculously had held her tongue throughout the exam.
"Yes she is Milo, and Kate I agree, she's the best doctor I have found, well besides my husband but that's not his area of expertise, well at least here in the office" she laughed as Kate and Dr. Cortez blushed.
"LANIE" was all that Kate said, then turned back to see the doctor smiling.
"I'm growing used to being embarrassed by your best friend, Kate. She likes to see me blush" he smiled,
He was examining her all the while and marking notes on her chart. "When was the first time you noticed the red blotches, here on your arms, do you have them anywhere else on your body?" He asked,
"I first noticed them about 5 months ago, but I was packing and lifting boxes moving back to New York from D.C., so I just thought they were bruises," Kate said,
Kate, can you face the wall, and lift your blouse so I can see your back? I need to listen to your lungs, oh my, are you aware your back is also full of red blotches? Not being too forward but do you wear an underwire bra, which could be giving you an allergic reaction?" he asked calmly,
"No, same bra I've always, well when I wear one. Most often it's a sports bra, but I didn't think that would be appropriate for a doctor's visit" she said,
"OK, we'll run some tests, and I'm sure Dr. Paul is screening everything so we should know more when the labs come back. Are you in any pain or discomfort now? He asked
"I'm sore, but again, I work out, and do yoga, and I may have overdone it, trying to fight the extra weight I have gained since I've been back in walking distance of Remy's" She laughed gently.
"Oh, that will put the pounds on you, I know I limit my visits there because getting the weight off, is far more difficult than eating the cheeseburger plater and chocolate shakes." He laughed, Any questions for me, Kate?
"As I said we'll know more when the labs come back, and I also asked the nurse to bring you a specimen cup, she'll give you the instructions on where to leave it. I want to see the results of a urine culture as well, just to rule out a hidden UTI infection that could be masking as something else."
"Not at this time Doctor, I'm sure when we get the labs back we will discuss my condition more" she smiled an easy smile.
Very good, Dr. Paul and Dr. Saunders will be in to see you shortly. If you think of anything, stop by my office at the end of the hall, and I'll be with you as soon as I can" he smiled and closed the door as he left.
"WELL?" Lanie asked
"Well, what?" Kate played dumb with her, knowing what was coming next.
"Aren't you glad I made the appointment? He's a great doctor, and I saw you checking him out, he's easy on the eyes as well Katherine Beckett" she laughed,
"OK, I have to say, it's the most comfortable I've ever been around a doctor, especially the first time I meet them," she said, and then turned and looked Lanie in the eyes, "I don't want to hear I told you so, or I will kick your butt" she laughed.
Tide Mill Basin,
Kirby Lane,
Rye, New York,
Same Time Frame
Rick and Serena headed home, it was thirty-one miles but being executives of the company, they could make their own arrival and departure times, always avoiding the New York rush hours. They usually worked from home 2 to 3 days a week and only commuted on the odd days, or when they had a taste for Remy's or other fine restaurants.
Serena had kept her Condo just for the winter days when the weather would make it impossible to get home, or more often when they were too hot for each other to wait to get home to Rye NY. The condominium became almost a love shack as Serena called it, although by no means a shack. They spent several nights there, and the joke at the office was about which direction they arrived from and in what car.
She loved working with Rick, he was always looking for ways to grow their business, which included ideas from anyone on his management team. The minority business inclusion for National Defense was offered by Janice, his personal pilot of all people. It proved to be a fantastic idea and a money-maker for RCE.
One rule Rick had was that if any travel was involved, they did it together. He told her that he couldn't be away from her, he had been lonely too long before she came into his life, and he was done with being alone, eating alone, and worse sleeping alone. He loved to surprise his wife; nothing made him happier than to surprise her with something that she loved.
"Sweetheart, will you check our joint calendar for any commitments next Thursday through Sunday?" He asked her sweetly, "I have a contract open, and I don't want to lose my place" he explained
"Sure Rick, one second," She typed in the dates, and brought up the joint calendar, "No Baby, we have nothing we're free from Tuesday on, is there something we need to do?" she asked,
"Well, I was thinking, you know Friday is Papa's birthday, so I thought it would be nice to pay our respects. I ordered the graves taken care of, and the headstones cleaned with the soft pressure washer." He said, before his wife was in his lap, turning his face to her and kissing sweetly as her tears fell.
"Rick, how did you remember? Sweetheart, that's so thoughtful, and of course, I want to be there, I just didn't know how you would feel, I mean you took me there not too long ago." She said,
"Well, Angel, we could go every week if you wanted, we're married and the way I see it, your Papa became mine when we became one, if you loved him, I know I would have," Rick said, as he wiped the tears from her eyes, and kissed her sweetly,
"How did you remember his birthday Rick; I mean I only mentioned it once," she said in astonishment.
"It's my job to know what makes my wife happy, and once I found out how close you and Papa were, then it was a no-brainer, we were going up to say happy birthday. I promised him I would take care of his Angel, and I want to keep my promise" She hugged his neck and whispered.
"You sweet man, he would have adored you, and you do make me happy, in every way. Can we get out of here, I have a craving for something not on any menu," She kissed him, to convey her wants. Rick understood once they broke for air, reached for his jacket, and assisted her with hers.
"I'm a slow learner, but you don't have to tell me twice about that sweetheart" He smiled, and they left for the surprise he had planned for his wife,
Presbyterian Medical Clinic
Exam Room Three
45 Minutes Later.
Kate had gone for the mammogram, and to say it was painful was putting it mildly. It seemed the smaller the boob, the more the plates mashed them down to get the image. You would have thought it would be the big ones that would suffer that, but no, it was the same every time.
She was now in Dr. Saunders's office, feet in the stirrups, with the doctor conducting her second less favorite part of the physical examination, the pap smear and collection of the tissue.
"Kate, how long have you been off your birth control, and have you noticed a change in your menstrual cycles?" Dr. Saunders asked,
"Well, at least 11 months, I mean I took them the last three months I was with Rick, but, well, there was no reason. We were going through a very tough time, I mean, it had, well there was no use. As for my monthly cycle, I've always been exactly 29 days, so no, there was no change." She answered, turning red, as she remembered Lanie was sitting behind her quietly in a chair.
"Well, I think we should start you back on them Kate, one reason is to not allow the mucus to build into potential clots, when or if you ever miss a period." She explained,
"OK, Doctor, whatever you think is best. At least I know there's more than one reason I should take them," She tried to smile, but it was just a reminder that her sex life had gone to hell.
"Kate don't be shocked if my office calls and asks to repeat the pap smear, I could tell some of the tissue was thick, nothing to worry about, I'll have to try a different approach if we can't get an accurate result. Dr. Paul and Milo, I mean Dr. Cortez are almost finished reviewing your blood work and should be with you shortly," She said as she started out the door, then stopped and handed Kate a prescription for birth control pills.
Kate never turned around, she just said, "Lanie, I"
"Kate, don't worry, Doctor, patient privileged information so your secret is safe with me.
Dr. Paul's assistant stuck her hand in the door and said, Dr. Paul will be right with you while motioning for Lanie to come out to the desk, discretely so Kate didn't see.
"Girl, I got to use the restroom, I didn't have the chance to pee in a cup, and my bladder is about to bust, I'll be right back," Lanie said in her normal joking way,
"Sure, you just want to check out Dr. Cortez, or Milo as you called him while your hubby is busy," Kate kidded her back, unaware of how her world was about to change in a few short minutes.
Dr. Paul was waiting for his wife, his face told her he had news, and it wasn't good. "Lanie, I think you need to sign these HIPPA forms, just to cover you and the practice," He said, almost in a whisper,
"Sweetie, I know something is wrong, bad wrong, but I won't ask until you speak to your patient. Do you think she will need or want me in there for his part?" Lanie asked
"Definitely she is going to need you Lanie, now, and well, let's go talk to Kate." He said as he returned to the professional Dr. Paul persona.
Lanie entered the door first, and Kate could tell something was wrong, she didn't have the same demeanor she had when she had left just a few moments before. Dr. Paul, her husband followed a minute later, and the look on his face told Kate to brace for bad news.
"OK, Paul, I've only known you a brief time, but I've known Lanie a lot longer and the looks on both of your faces tell me you have news, and it's not good. Let's hear what you have, and go from there, OK?" She said softly as the Bad Ass Beckett personality returned for a moment. She was acting brave, but deep inside she was already at the worst possible outcomes racing through her mind.
"You're right Kate, the news isn't good, and I have to ask you do you want Lanie in the room to hear this, or are you more comfortable just you, my nurse, and me? Lanie has completed the HIPPA forms, and Doctor-Patient confidentiality extends to her since she is listed as a consulting physician. Normally I have a waiting list of 4-5 months, but when the boss says, "Paul, it's Kate, make it happen. I have a bad feeling, then I do as I was instructed" he tried to smile but it was a weak one at best.
"No, Paul, Lanie can stay. From the look on your faces, I'm going to need my best friend to lean on, or get drunk with, or both" Kate said, biting her lower lip.
"I'm glad you said that Kate, so here is the diagnosis, and forgive me, now I'm your doctor, not your best friend's husband. There is never an easy way to deliver this news, but Kate, you have Chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML for short.
"It's a type of blood cancer that affects a group of white blood cells known as myeloid cells, and the good news if there is any is that Chronic means it is slow growing." He said, and paused, as Kate's face turned to ash, then flushed then back to a pale color again.
"So how long do I have Paul, please don't sugarcoat this, I need to know the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear." She said, as she gripped a tissue and began to tear it to shreds. Lanie had made her way to the table and hopped up next to her with her arm around her.
"Kate, it's not like the old days when this diagnosis meant a death sentence. Thanks to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the most common treatment in use today, survival rates for people with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. I won't quantify a timetable for you to think about the big countdown to D-day, at least not yet.
"There are three phases to this disease, Chronic, Accelerated, and Blast. I need to run some more tests, but your stage is either very high on the Chronic scale or just entered the Accelerated phase. As I said we are going to start you on the medications as I conduct more extensive testing, and search to see, just in case, if you need a bone marrow transplant.
"We always prepare a backup plan, so I am searching the national database for Stem Cell Donors that match your genetic markers, I understand it's just you and your Dad as blood relatives, and the chances of your Dad being compatible are slim." Paul said, then added, hopefully you won't need that, but I'm taking every precaution," he said, trying to comfort her.
"Any Questions Kate, and please do me one favor," he asked
"No questions at this point Paul, what is the favor?" She got out with a weak voice.
"Stay the hell off of the internet researching your condition, it will only scare the hell out of you, and set us back. Beating Cancer, of any type, and Leukemia is simply blood cancer, requires a positive attitude and a fighting spirit.
"My nurse Shelly has some information pamphlets for you to read plus your first three days of medications. I asked her to set you up with a reoccurring schedule, for now, you can continue to work, but alert your supervisor, that you may need to take some sick time IF we need to progress to the next treatment," he said
"OK, Paul, thank you very much" She squeaked out.
"Kate, Lanie, and I both will be here for you, so stay strong. Start with that drink when you leave here, once we start treatment no alcohol," He smiled,
Lanie leaned over and kissed her husband, "I don't know what time, or if I will be home tonight, I"
"You go and keep our friend calm and keep reminding her that your husband is the top rate Oncologist in New York," he kissed her briefly, then was out the door to his next patient. Kate looked at Lanie, and tears fell.
TBC