Frozen Love (A Castle Fanfiction)

Catastrophic Blowback

My eyes were closed, I hadn't moved an inch, but- somehow Rick knew I was awake. I didn't want to be. I didn't want to face the reality of what I had done, but- it wasn't going away. I just wanted to believe for a moment that I hadn't done anything wrong. I wanted to believe that I got this one pregnancy right. I wanted to believe my baby was fine, but from the deepest recesses of my heart I truly believed there wasn't a chance in hell that was true. Then, I heard Rick speak. "Kate, sweetheart, please wake up. I know what you think happened, but I promise you, you're wrong. Just- please. Open your eyes." I waited, not believing what he was saying until he did something more than bit bizarre. He grabbed my hand, lifting it off the bed and placing it directly on top of my stomach. Then, I felt it. My stomach was lightly swollen to a point I hit in my first pregnancy somewhere around my twentieth week.

Upon opening my eyes and letting my consciousness pool into reality, I found Rick was sitting on the edge of his seat, staring into my eyes, holding my hand exactly where it needed to be. Once my eyes were opened, I looked into the pools of blue he was using to stare into me, and with a sharp breath starting me on the path to panick, I managed to cause him to drop his hand. He lifted himself out of his seat and put his hands directly on my shoulders, holding me in place. Seeing my fear, he lightly promised, "It will be alright, Kate. Just hang on." Almost the moment he was finished saying this, however, he looked over his shoulder and cried for help.

It took me a moment to catch up to what I was waking up to, but I was quickly realizing I was fighting the intebation tube that was breathing for me. My mind some thought rationally, I wasn't breathing on my own? Castle repeated his words, "It will be alright, Kate. I promise."

He didn't look like himself. He didn't look like he had slept in days. His eyes were bright and alert, but my guess was that was the adrenaline he suddenly had coursing through his veins. As I fought to take my own breaths, Castle held my shoulders down, somehow managing to do so with a tender grasp. Nurses flooded in moments after he screamed and shortly after they did, a doctor flew through the doors. He gave some orders for some medication I can only assume was a sedative and the nurse administered it. My body immediately calmed and the doctor looked at me, flashing a light in my eyes as he asked, "Kate, I need you to look at me, alright? Just look at me for a second and blink if you can hear me." I did as I was instructed. "Alright, I know this feels weird to you, but I need you not to fight it for just a moment. We'll remove the tube, but I need you to first have enough breath to exhale. Can you not fight the machine for just a second?" Again, I did as I was told.

The doctor then brought up the back of the bed so I was partially sitting up, and he watched my vitals. As soon as he felt I was ready, he began to undo the pieces holding the tube in place. All I could do was stare at Rick who was standing at my side, smiling brightly. His hand held mine as tears laced his lids. The doctor then instructed, "Alright, Kate, I'm going to remove the breathing tube for you, alright? But I'm going to need you to exhale for me when I saw so. Blink if you understand." I blinked. "Alright. Ready? One, two, three, exhale." As I breathed out, he pulled the tube from my mouth. As he did, I began to understand what the bedpan on my lap was there for. I didn't throw up, but I came close. "Good, Detective Beckett. Very good." I could barely hear his encouragement. I was too busy coughing up my lungs.

Rick laced his hand in mind and stroked my back as I hacked. The doctor said simply, "Alright, detective, take it nice and slow, alright? It's perfectly normal to feel some rawness in your throat. I would suggest trying to surpress the coughing when you can and maybe keep talking to a minimum. I know it's hard, but it will be best for now." Castle nodded. "Alright, if you need something, you know the button to use and I will go get Doctor Green."

Castle nodded and thanked the man. I was finally able to keep from coughing anymore, but the rawness was keeping me from really talkink at all. It hurt to barely say, "Castle."