Castle - After Crossfire

Chapter 1

She struggled to open her eyes. The bright white lights were almost blinding her as she squinted. She slowly raised an arm to rub circles around her eyes, hoping it would help her adjust to the lights. She began opening her eyes wider and wider by the blink. Eventually she could see where she was: a hospital room. To her left was a drip of some kind leading into her arm. To her right was an empty armchair that had an indentation as if someone had been sitting there recently. At the foot of her bed were bouquets of flowers left by visitors. It took her a few moments to realise what had happened. She had been shot.

Caleb Brown had shot her and Castle in their loft. Castle. Where is he? She began to panic and irrationally looked around the room. A machine she was attached to began beeping fast and a nurse rushed in. Kate's groans were muffled by the oxygen mask that had been placed over her mouth.

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to calm down, okay," the polite nurse instructed. Kate began breathing heavily and continued to fight the pain that shot through her body. "Mrs. Castle, your stitches could easily open up if you continue to strain your body." Just as the nurse said this, Martha rushed to the bedside.

"Katherine, darling, are you okay?" She rested her hand on top of Kate's, which was gripping the side of the bed. Suddenly, she began to relax. The nurse pushed a few buttons on the machine to stop the beeping, then left. "It's okay, I'm here. I know this is scary." Kate slowly caught grip of the oxygen mask with her free hand and lifted it away from her face.

"Where's Castle?" Martha smiled and lightly tapped her hand. Looking over her shoulder, she made a gesture towards someone. As she stepped out of the way, Kate could see her husband wheeling himself into the room in a wheelchair. Martha released Kate's hand, and headed for the door, tapping Rick's shoulder on the way out.

"You know, matching tattoos are cool, but matching bullets hole scars are even cooler," was his opening line. Kate lifted her head and smiled, reaching out to him. He took her hand and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Weak, sore, tired," Kate said still holding the oxygen mask. "You?"

"Pretty much the same, except I've managed to get out of bed. You, on the other hand, haven't been cleared for movement yet." She plonked her head back into the pillow. "They've had you on super strong pain medication for the past two days."

"I've been unconscious for two days?" Castle nodded. "Did they say how serious our injuries were?"

"In my case, the bullet was a through and through. It just missed my subclavian vein. So aside from some tissue damage and blood loss, I'm doing great." Castle went quiet for a moment before clearing his throat. "Your situation was slightly more complicated."

Just as Castle was about to explain it to her, Dr. Flynn Haskins entered the room in his white coat. "I'll take it from here, Mr. Castle. Hello Kate, I'm Doctor Haskins. First of all, I'd like to say that Mr. Castle has a very dramatic way of speaking about this. After all, he is a novelist." Castle frowned at Haskins but said nothing. "But he was right when he said your injury was more complicated."

"Look Doctor, I've been shot before. There is no need for you to hold back on anything, okay?" Kate glanced at Castle before drawing her attention back to Haskins.

"Well alright. The bullet entered just below your ribcage and lodged in your right kidney." Doctor Haskins grabbed the clipboard from the base of the bed. "Now, luckily myself and other surgeons were able to remove the bullet, but there was significant damage to the kidney." Kate sighed and squeezed Castle's hand. "We had to remove the kidney, but you have no reason to worry. People with one kidney live just as long as people with two."

"So we're both okay," she said sharing a smile with Castle. The doctor nodded and began reading figures off a machine, writing them onto the clipboard sheet.

"I'm off to start rounds, so I'll be back to check on you later," Doctor Haskins said as he attached the clipboard back to the bed. Castle waved at him as he left. Kate turned her head on the pillow to face him.

"Ryan and Espo were by yesterday," Castle began. "Gates too. Lanie was here this morning with your dad. I'm pretty sure they just left for coffee. They're going to be annoyed you woke up when they weren't here." Kate let out a small yawn before excusing herself. "You're tired, get some rest. I'll come back later."

"No, Castle I'm fine. I could use the company." She turned to lay on her side, but let out a yelp. Castle stood up out of his wheelchair to check on her. "Stitches pulled, that's all."

"Hang on, lay on your back and I'll adjust the bed." She turned over and Castle found the remote. He slowly brought the bed into the seating position. "Better?"

"Much better," she said as she adjusted her posture. "So, why are you in a wheelchair if you were shot in the shoulder and are able to walk?" Castle let out a slight chuckle.

"Well, actually, this wheelchair is for you. I just wanted to take a ride in it before you decide to steal it," Castle exaggerated. "I am perfectly capable of moving."

"Oh, I know," Kate said cunningly. Castle smirked and leaned down to kiss his gorgeous wife. When they parted Kate asked, "Is Caleb Brown dead?" Castle nodded. This was it. The end.

Jerry Tyson and Kelly Nieman were dead, Johanna Beckett's murder had been solved and Castle's disappearance had been explained. They were officially free from the danger and paranoia that had been hanging over them for years. They were finally safe.

"So...that's it? We're finally free?" Castle took hold of her hands and smiled.

"We're free."