External Struggle

Castle watched Beckett enter the building. She had ordered him to stay behind with the car ready to call backup if needed. The factory seemed eerily abandoned and it reminded Castle of places like Pripyat. The overgrowth of weeds and bushes. If he thought about it in hindsight, he wouldn't have let her go alone. But like him, she could be stubborn. But so could he, but he wondered why Kate had picked now to check it out. Also wondered why she chose to go at it alone.

And wondered how long he should give her…

He checked his watch and was surprised to find only a few minutes had passed. He tapped the watch and put it against his ear… Yes, it was ticking normally.

Without thinking of the consequences as he was unarmed, protected only by his wit and charm approached the factory. As he got about halfway between the car and the factory when Kate walked towards him.

"Get back to the car, Castle,' Kate ordered, she pointed to the car and had her gun ready to unholster.

"What's going on, Kate? You okay? Something there?" Castle fired questions at her. But something didn't feel right.

"Call for backup, Castle. Now!"

Castle did as ordered. But something still seemed off. Kate had her back against the car, she now had her weapon drawn and was swinging it around towards the exit.

As he was giving the location of the factory, Kate fired off a couple of rounds. That caused Castle to almost jump out of his skin. Turning to the left and to the right. "What the hell?" Castle asked.

"They've released large dogs! Lots of them and god knows what else they have in there," Kate was on high alert.

Castle saw her eyes. They looked glazed over. "Kate," he said as he quickly waved his hand in her peripheral vision, but she acted as if she didn't see it. There was no recognition of the movement whatsoever. "Kate?" Castle tapped her on the shoulder.

"Castle… Call backup! Call SWAT or something," Kate ordered with intent.

"I have… They're on their way." Castle told her.

"Hurry. I can hear them. Can't you hear them?" Kate asked.

Castle strained to hear but heard nothing except the wind. Something wasn't right.

"Kate," Castle said in a calm yet urgent tone. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. "There's nothing there. Relax and give me the gun," he thought about laying his hand on the gun but thought it was better not to.

"I can't do that, Castle. I must protect us. I can't let anything happen to you," Kate said.

Any other time, he would've responded with some witty remark in teasing fashion.

"Kate…" Castle said in a calmer tone. "There is nothing there. Give me the gun. Kate… You must trust me."

"But"

"Trust me…"

Kate pondered the options. Noises were coming from the factory and near them but why couldn't Castle hear them? Kate slowly released her finger from the trigger and allowed the gun to dangle in her hand. Castle slowly but deliberately took it by the barrel and placed it in the backseat.

"Castle?"

Castle checked her eyes; they were glazed over and that worried him. "Kate… Was there something in the factory… Think," he said emphatically.

"I don't know… There were plants. Dogs. Containers dust and dogs. Large ones," Kate answered.

"I'm calling someone." Castle called Ryan and told them that there was a possible exposure issue, and the appropriate measures were to be taken as the substance was unidentifiable. The next call he made was to an ambulance. "Kate… Helps on the way."

They told him to keep her calm until they arrived. That was something Castle was unsure about doing because it seemed that everything was going back to the large dogs. He put that into the back of his mind. Perhaps that meant something.

Xxxxxxxx

Castle told the others he'd ride with Kate in the ambulance and that her weapon was in the back of the car with the keys. There was no argument as Kate didn't seem to recognize her own colleagues. With a guiding hand he led her into the back of the ambulance.

Kate tensed up.

"It's okay Kate. You're safe in here," he held her hand as the paramedic strapped her in for safety. Castle let go of her hand step out of the way momentarily.

The paramedic took a blood test. They needed to have something on standby at least. "Easy there," the paramedic Jones said.

"They're taking my blood, Castle. God, look at me. I'll fail the blood test. They'll fire me."

"Keep her calm. We can't administer anything until we know what we're dealing with," Jones said as he sat down. He didn't want to restrain her any more than he already has. It might agitate her even further.

Kate looked around and attempted to move but found herself restrained.

"Settle, Kate," Castle reassured her by keeping his tone even.

"You're right," The female paramedic said as she went to close the door.

"Watch out!" Kate said as she saw her dragged away by one of the large dogs before the door closed. Castle was sure that he'd need to be hooked up to a monitor soon since his own heart was beating fast.

Castle held her hand. And gently rubbed it just letting her know that a friend was there with her all the way.

Jones shone a penlight into Kate's eyes to check for response. Kate attempted to brush the hand away. She looked around mesmerized by something neither Castle nor Jones could see.

Castle didn't take his eyes off Kate but did look in his peripheral vision. There was nothing there. "There are fairies, Castle," Kate said to him. Castle scoffed in response. Clearly, she was hallucinating but this was way unexpected but at least she wasn't seeing dangerous dogs.

Jones raised an eyebrow. "Go along with it. Keep her calm. I don't want to inject anything into her system without knowing what we're dealing with," Jones explained while Castle nodded.

"Fairies, Kate?" Castle questioned.