Castle's partner

On My Order

I hear yelling in the hallway, but my brain does not fully process what is going on. I'm still half asleep so I ignore it.

The door to my room opens quietly, but I assume it's a nurse coming to check on me.

Someone sits on the bed, but I'm too tired to care.

I turn slightly, almost like my body twitches.

A hand rests itself on my cheek, it's thumb moving back and forth slowly across my skin.

It's familiar, I've held it many times.

"Nick?" I mumble, still not fully coherent.

"Yeah, it's just me."

I slowly open my eyes.

He holds his side, and he hides a look of pure agony behind one of love. He sets his jaw, and the light hits him in just a way that the white scar on his cheek is visible. His brown hair is scraggly, shooting off in multiple directions.

I sit up too quickly and feel a sharp pain in my head.

"Ahh!" I let out a sharp gasp.

"Are you okay?" He grabs my shoulder, and his deep brown eyes stare into mine.

"Nick what the hell are you doing?"

"I needed to make sure you were okay! Why'd you make me leave yesterday?"

"You know why. You need to rest, you were just shot."

"That's not all, is it? I hurt you yesterday. I didn't realise that what I did hurt you, and you never said anything to me."

"Nick, you didn't hurt me alright? Not yesterday. You just... brought back some painful memories, that's all."

"That's not any better."

"It's okay, I'm okay now." I take his hand, letting him know I mean it. "What was all the yelling in the hallway?"

He chuckles. "Oh that? Just a little disagreement with a nurse. She didn't want me to come in here, she wanted me to stay in bed so both of us could rest."

I shake my head. Typical Nick.

"Maybe you should-" I begin, but my words are interrupted by Beckett, Castle and Espo walking in the door.

"Nick we need to ask you a few questions about Vishnu and your shooting." Beckett has her interrogation face on, and it's scaring me.

"Beckett what's going on?"

She ignores me. "How did you know him?"

"I didn't really, we met the other day at a Yankees game. He sat next to me and we started talking about whatever, and when he was leaving he asked for my number, and I invited him to come watch the next game of the series at my place."

"Did he seem interested in you?"

"Well I don't know, he asked a few questions."

"Did you happen to tell him about Samantha?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Think Nick! I need you to think!"

"I might've mentioned I had a sister."

"Did you say her name?"

"No, but I said she just turned fifteen."

"Did he seem interested in her?"

He hesitates. "Actually, a little bit. He asked a few more questions than I thought he should have."

"Did he ask about you being in the military?"

"Yes, he asked where I served and what branch. He wanted to know a lot about it."

"Did you tell him a lot?"

"I kept it pretty vague."

"Walk me through what happened when you got shot."

"Okay...um...well we were sitting there. He came over early, and someone kicked the door down. I instinctively dropped to the floor but so did he. A man walks in wearing a black ski mask and a gun, and shoots Vishnu in the chest, two taps, like a professional. Then he looked at me, and we made eye contact, and he shot me in the side. Like he was trying not to kill me."

"He was professional? Like a sniper or a gun for hire?"

"It was weird, he seemed like both."

Now Espo speaks up.

"Did he have a military or ex-con walk?"

"Like a mix between the two. I saw the military look in his eyes, and the way he held himself."

"Beckett why all these questions? What's going on?"

She gives me a look that makes me regret asking. I'm not sure I want to know the answer anymore.

"Vishnu Singh was on the Terrorist Watch List."