Frozen Love (A Castle Fanfiction)

The Awakening

Noises began to fill my ears. I couldn't tell where I was, but it sounded as though machines were running. My chest and left side were screaming out in pain, but that was all the feeling I had in my body. Everything was dark. I was too tired and too weak to open my eyes. Something was telling me to go back to sleep so that I didn't have to face some reality, but I couldn't bring myself to suppress the curiosity of what was causing my heart to want to beat out of my chest. The only sound I could manage to absolutely know was the sound of the monitor that seemed to be tracking someone's heartbeat. Actually, it seemed to be in sync with my heart. At that thought, I forced myself to try and open my eyes. It was a process of slowly opening and shutting my lids, gaining a bit of imaging each time. When I was finally able to see, the memories came flooding back.

I'd been shot. I remembered being at my Captain's funeral with Rick, reading a speech to the crowd of mourners. I remembered thinking about how Roy had given me so much and now he was gone. I remembered standing there, looking at Castle, thinking about our baby and doing my best to deliver a speech that would tell everyone what a wonderful, caring, brave, amazing and influential man he was and how lucky we all were to get to know him. I remembered standing there, speaking. And then I remembered being on the ground.

I remembered Rick tackling me to the ground at the sound of a gunshot. I remembered lying there, feeling myself fade away as Castle tried to keep me awake. I remembered hearing everyone around me panic and gasp as they all found the two of us on the ground. The most vivid memory I had was the sensation of the bullet tearing through my chest, impacting my heart and my body's immediate response to go into shock. I remembered the feeling of dying in the ambulance, my only thought focused on the wellbeing of the child I was carrying.

No one was around me. I was too weak to sit up on my own, but I was strong enough to wave my arm fiercely at the nurse on the other side of the room. With the need for knowledge boring into my brain, panic setting in over my mind, I managed to hoarsely call, "Nurse!" She found me, looked directly at me and her face fell sullen. She rushed to my side and asked me to calm down as she pressed a button to lift my bed into a sitting position. I struggled to speak, but I had to do what I could, "The- the baby? Is- is she alright?" I don't really know why I started to assume I was pregnant with a baby girl, but sometime between the shooting and now that had become my assumption.

Quickly the nurse soothed my fears. "Yes, detective. Yes. Your baby is fine. You both are, alright?" These words settled the beating in my chest and I left out a soft sigh of relief. Thank God, I thought to myself, thank you. Thank you so much. After adjusting my pillow and handing me a glass of water, she asked, "Is there anyone you'd like me to call, detective?"

I just looked at her a moment as relief set in in my throat. I was finally able to talk normally, but I'd still needed help holding the water glass. "My- my dad. And Castle."

The nurse then said, "You mean Richard Castle, right? The novelist?" I didn't have to answer because she told me, "He's right outside. Would you like me to bring him in?" A smile came across my face which must have told her that I wanted him to come in. She quickly rushed off toward the door and poked her head outside, saying something and then going back to work with another patient after smiling at me. When he came in, his smile was absolutely radiant and his face alone made me feel secure.

He didn't run to my side, but his fast walk could have been better classified as a slow jog. He seemed stunned to see me, but his stare said a million other things as well. When he reached my bedside, he threw his arms around me and held me as close to him as he could without squeezing or breaking me. I pulled him as close to me as I could and used all of my strength to hold him close, but it was obvious even to me that I'd gotten much weaker. He softly told me, "I'm so glad you're awake."