Fate's Case (a Castle Fan Fiction)

Confusing Minds

"What do you mean you don't know how long this will last?" Richard had suddenly become fully attack mode on the doctor, all up in his face.

"I mean I don't know if she will ever remember her full reality. Somehow, in her mind, she changed you all to the characters in her book. I've never had this happen before, but I've never been in a situation where it might. I have no idea how long it will last."

"Well how long do you think?" Kate seemed calm, yet worried.

"A few days, maybe a week, but it could last longer."

"So you're saying she could be calling us Rook and Nikki for the rest of her life?" Rick was, again, getting a little PO-ed at the doctor.

"Sir, please. Back off. I have no idea how long she could be like this. Again, I'm not the neurologist. She will be here any minute. I'm just the cardiologist. Hearts are my thing, not brains."

"Alright, Rick, calm down. We'll just talk to the neurologist." Kate said, laying her hand on his shoulder, pulling him back a few steps, gently.

"And the psychologist. Usually in cases it's physically the brain, it's more psychiatric. It could just be severe PTSD."

"So, if you had to guess the odds of it being PTSD or something else psychological, which generally disappears with time and treatment, what would you guess they are?" Laynie said from behind Kate.

"It's highly probable. But like I said, I'm not the brain expert."

"Yes, but you've at least studied to brain a little and this kind of stuff generally doesn't happened because of brain issues, right?" Laynie continued to ask questions, give the parents something hopeful.

She waited a moment, giving this a sincere thought, "Right... I think."

"You think? You think!" Castle was losing it.

"Rick, calm down! Why don't you go join Alexis and you mother and try and sort this out with them, alright?" Kate calmed him, now realizing how much he really did care for Kris, considering he hadn't shown it much.

He fixed his jacket, starring into the doctor's eyes while replying to Kate. "Fine, just do me a favor and question this guy like he was in the interrogation room." Kate wasn't about to badger a doctor and even though she agreed, she did it just to please him and didn't plan out following through.

"If she does have-," Having had it herself, Kate found saying that Kris had it too was very difficult, "-that, what- what can you guys do about it?"

"Well, obviously she'd need therapy and probably some medication with something this advanced where she's altered reality in her mind, but mostly time. Have you ever had someone you know have PTSD before?"

Yes. "No, I haven't, but as a cop I am familiar with it." Liar.

"Well, usually it's just a time thing. That and it depends on how well they actually do in therapy. If they aren't honest with their therapists and/or themselves, there is a higher possibility for permanent emotional scarring and other emotional issues."

"But I-."

"Kris! Where is she? Kris!" Sam stood behind the doctor, his IV in one hand and his cane in the other. He looked scared beyond belief and yet somehow Kate didn't trust him.

Laynie turned to Beckett, "Who the hell is he?"

"Sam? Sam!" Kate called.

"Where is she? Where's Kris?" He quickly walked up to her, and attempted to run past her, but Kate's arms flew out, grabbing his shoulders and stopping him.