[Castle] Ch: 38 [Still Breathing] (Patreon)

[Four Days Later]

[Hospital Room]

Kate opened her eyes slowly, and the morning light pouring through the window made her shut them again almost immediately. Even that small movement sent pain through her body in sharp, exhausting waves, leaving her still against the mattress while the steady beeping of medical equipment filled the quiet room beside her.

For several long seconds, she tried to understand what felt wrong.

Her throat was dry, her stomach ached beneath the blankets, and her arms and shoulders felt heavy, as though she had spent days carrying something far beyond her strength. An IV line ran into her arm.

The air smelled like antiseptic.

Kate opened her eyes again, slower this time.

The room came into focus through a soft blur of white walls, half-drawn curtains, medical monitors, and a water cup resting on the bedside table. 

Then the memories of the tunnel came back to her.

It was dark under the city. Adrian's voice echoed in the broken passage. An explosion ripped through the walls. Travis turned to her through the dust as the ceiling began to collapse around them.

Her eyes widened.

Kate tried to push herself upright, panic overruling pain for one reckless second as her hand flew toward the bandages beneath her hospital gown.

"Easy, Kate. You need to stay still before you hurt yourself again."

Jim Beckett rose quickly from the chair near the window and crossed the room before she could force herself any higher. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes, and his shirt looked wrinkled enough to suggest he had spent several nights sleeping in that uncomfortable chair without bothering to go home.

Kate stared at him, her breathing uneven as relief and confusion collided inside her chest.

"Dad!" she said, her voice rough from days of silence.

Jim placed one careful hand against her shoulder, gently guiding her back against the pillows before she could try sitting up again. "Don't move too much. You need to rest."

Kate looked at him more closely then, taking in the cold coffee cup near the window and the exhausted way his shoulders had settled after finally seeing her awake. Her father looked like he had spent four days fighting his own fear without giving himself permission to rest.

"How long have I been here?" Kate asked quietly.

Jim pulled the chair closer and sat beside her bed, his expression softening as he reached for her hand. "You have been unconscious for four days, but the doctors said your surgery went well and your condition has been improving steadily."

The answer settled heavily inside her chest.

Four days had passed while she drifted through darkness, tunnel smoke, hospital lights, and broken memories of Travis telling her to stay awake.

Kate's fingers tightened around her father's hand.

"Travis... Is he... okay?" she asked, and the fear in her voice made the question sound smaller than she wanted.

Jim did not answer immediately.

The pause was brief, but it was enough.

Kate felt her stomach drop as she searched his face for the truth. "Dad, please tell me."

Jim squeezed her hand more firmly, his expression careful without becoming distant. "He is alive, Kate. Travis made it through surgery, but he is still in intensive care. The doctors are watching him closely."

Kate stared at him, barely breathing. "How bad?" She asked. Her memories were hazy, but she remembered him getting hurt and the blood, the rods... still, she hoped that maybe those memories were nothing but bad dreams. She wished them to be bad dreams.

"Please tell me the truth," She looked into his eyes.

Jim continued with an honesty that hurt more than false comfort ever could. "He was in really bad shape when they brought him in. The explosion did serious damage, and the concrete that came down on him made everything worse. The surgeons had to work for hours, and he has needed more than one procedure since then."

Kate slowly leaned back against the pillows, her strength fading beneath the weight of what she had heard.

She remembered him again. Travis was kneeling next to her in the maintenance room. One hand pressed against her wound while his other hand pointed his gun at the doorway. He was protecting her when the explosion happened. She saw Travis pinned under the concrete, blood on his face, still trying to hold himself up to keep the slab from crushing her.

"Why did he do it?" Kate whispered, closing her eyes as tears gathered behind them. "He could've saved himself. He told me not to go into that tunnel alone... told me to wait until he got there."

Jim stayed quiet, giving her room to speak because he knew she needed to say it.

Kate's breathing shook as she pressed one hand against her forehead. "I should've listened to him. I thought I could handle it, and now he is..." She stopped for a moment. "...because I refused to wait for backup. Because of me, he... If something happens to him..." She couldn't finish.

Castle stepped into the room before Jim could speak. He was holding a paper coffee cup in one hand and a look of pure relief spreading across his face the second he saw Kate awake. “Beckett,” he said, letting out a breath as he moved closer to the bed. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Kate looked at him through tired eyes and managed a faint grimace. “Like I got shot, buried under concrete, and then hit by a truck.”

Castle gave a small, shaky laugh as he pulled a chair closer. “That sounds about right. You should probably add it to your list of reasons for avoiding abandoned tunnels after midnight.”

Kate tried to smile, but the fear that had been sitting in her chest since she woke up refused to move.

“By the way, I just spoke to the doctor,” Castle said. “Travis is out of immediate danger. He’s still in intensive care, and they’re keeping a close watch on him, but he made it through the worst part. He’s going to be okay.”

Kate stared at him. Then her eyes filled, and she looked down toward the blanket as a breath left her slowly.

“He’s okay?” she asked, her voice barely holding together. “You’re sure?”

Castle nodded and reached toward the side of the bed, resting his hand gently over hers. “The doctor was very clear. He’s badly hurt, and he has a long recovery ahead of him, but he’s stable and out of danger.”

The tension inside her broke all at once.

Kate turned her face away, but the tears still slipped free. She brought one hand over her eyes, trying to stop them, though her whole body shook with the effort of holding herself together.

“Thank God,” she whispered.

Jim squeezed her hand and leaned closer. “He’s a tough kid,” he said quietly. “The doctors said they’ve never seen someone take that kind of damage and keep fighting the way he did.”

“Can I see him?” She asked.

Castle said, “The doctors want you resting first. You’ve only been awake for a few minutes, and they don’t want you pushing yourself too hard.”

“I need to see him,” Kate said, more firmly this time. “I need to know he’s really okay.”

Castle nodded slowly. “I understand. Let the doctor check you first, and I’ll talk to the nurses. They might let you see him for a few minutes later today.”

Kate looked at him with quiet gratitude. “Thank you.”

Castle gave her a small smile. “You don’t have to thank me. That's what friends are for. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to inform the team that both of you are safe." He walked out of the room.

....

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

Dr. Halpern walked in with a nurse. He looked calm, though Kate had spent enough time around doctors during cases to know calm usually meant they were trying to keep the patient from worrying too much.

“Good morning, Detective Beckett,” Dr. Halpern said as he checked the monitors beside her bed. “I hear you’ve already tried to sit up before anyone gave you permission.”

Kate gave him a tired look. “I was checking whether the bed still worked properly.”

Jim let out a quiet laugh from beside her chair, though the sound carried more relief than humor.

Dr. Halpern smiled faintly while the nurse wrapped the cuff around Kate’s arm. “Your sense of humor is returning, so that’s encouraging. Your body still needs rest, though. You lost a lot of blood, and the surgery was difficult. You’re improving, but you can’t rush the recovery.”

Kate watched him carefully. “How long before I can leave?”

Dr. Halpern looked at her over the edge of the chart. “That depends on how well you heal during the next several days. You’ll stay here for now, then we’ll talk about physical therapy and follow-up care once your strength improves.”

Kate exhaled slowly, already hating every word he said. “I’m guessing you’re going to tell me I can’t work either.”

“I’m going to tell you that work can wait,” Dr. Halpern replied. “You’ll be lucky if Captain Montgomery lets you near a case file before you’re medically cleared.”

Jim nodded immediately. “He already said the same thing yesterday.”

Kate looked toward her father with disbelief. “You and Montgomery are working together now?”

Jim gave her a small smile. “For once, we both want the same thing. We want you alive, healthy, and too stubborn to keep listening to us.”

The nurse finished checking her vitals and checked something on the monitor, then gave Dr. Halpern a quiet nod. He looked back at Kate, his expression softening slightly.

“Your numbers are stable,” he said. “That gives us room to discuss a short visit later this evening, assuming you rest and don’t try to walk across the hallway by yourself."

Kate’s eyes lifted immediately. “You mean I can see him?”

“I mean you may be able to see Detective Wilson for a few minutes,” Dr. Halpern said carefully. “He’s still in intensive care, and his nurses will decide what he can handle. You’ll need a wheelchair, and you’ll need to let someone help you.”

Kate nodded before he could finish speaking. “Okay.”

Dr. Halpern studied her for a second, then gave a small approving nod. “Good. For now, sleep if you can. Your body has spent several days fighting very hard, and it needs the chance to recover.”

The next few hours passed slowly. Nurses checked her vitals, changed the fluids in her IV, and reminded her to rest every time she tried looking toward the hallway for too long. Kate drifted in and out of shallow sleep, though every dream pulled her back toward the tunnel.

Sometimes she heard Adrian’s voice echoing through the dark. Sometimes she saw the ceiling collapsing again. Most of the time, she saw Travis leaning over her through the dust, looking exhausted and hurt while he still tried to make her stay awake with a smile.

When she woke again, it was already noon.

Captain Montgomery arrived first. He entered with a coffee in one hand and a file tucked under his arm, though he set both aside the second he saw Kate awake and watching him from the bed.

“You look terrible, Beckett,” Montgomery said as he pulled a chair closer. “That’s the closest thing you’re getting to a compliment today.”

Kate managed a weak smile. “It’s good to see you too, Captain.”

Montgomery sat down and looked at her for a moment, his expression more serious than usual. “You scared everyone, Detective. You made a dangerous call, went into that tunnel before backup arrived, and nearly got yourself killed.”

Kate lowered her eyes. “I know.”

“From what I heard from Officer Liam, you saved him, and they chased you into the tunnel. But still, you’ll get the lecture later for making everyone worried,” Montgomery continued, his voice softer now. “Right now, I’m just glad you woke up.”

Kate looked back toward him. “What happened after the explosion?”

Montgomery leaned back slightly and folded his hands. “ESU cleared the lower tunnels over the last few days. They found some survivors, hidden rooms, old records, and enough evidence to keep half the department busy for months. Some of those people down there had been missing for years.”

Kate’s expression tightened as she remembered the frightened figures wandering through the dark.

“Keller is in custody,” Montgomery continued. “Federal agents are already reviewing his old companies, the trafficking routes, the false records, and every name Father Keane put in that diary. This case turned into something much bigger than we expected.”

“And Adrian?” Kate asked quietly.

Montgomery’s face changed just enough to answer before he spoke. “We haven’t found him yet. We found evidence that he was injured in the blast, but no body."

Kate looked toward the blanket covering her legs. “He planned to kill the entire squad that was supposed to go in."

Montgomery sighed. “We’ll find him and nail him so hard that he won't see the day of light again.”

Kate nodded slowly, though her thoughts had already returned to Travis.

Montgomery noticed. “He’s stable, Beckett. The doctors keep saying he’s stubborn enough to annoy them, which sounds exactly right.”

...

Ryan and Esposito came by later that afternoon, both carrying bags and looking like they had spent the past four days running on coffee, panic, and bad vending machine food.

Ryan stopped beside the bed and let out a breath. “You have no idea how good it is to see you awake.”

Kate looked between them. “You two look worse than I do.”

Esposito pulled a chair closer and sat down with a careful sigh. “That’s impossible. You’ve got the hospital gown and everything. Nobody beats the hospital gown.”

Ryan smiled faintly. “We brought you pudding, but the nurse said you can’t have it yet.”

Kate looked disappointed. “That’s cruel.”

“It’s chocolate pudding,” Esposito said, holding the cup up just enough for her to see. “We’ll protect it until you’re ready.”

Kate looked at him. “You’re going to eat it before I get better.”

Esposito placed one hand against his chest. “That accusation hurts me deeply, Detective.”

They talked for a bit before duty called.

...

Lanie arrived after Ryan and Esposito left.

She stood just inside the doorway for a few seconds, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. She looked tired, and there was none of her usual easy confidence in the way she watched Kate from across the room.

“Hey,” Lanie said quietly. “How are you doing?”

Kate looked at her for a moment before answering. "Like I got shot, exploded, and then lectured by three different people.”

Lanie gave a small laugh, though it faded quickly. “That sounds about right.”

She stepped closer to the bed, then stopped near the foot of it. For a few seconds, she looked like she had something important to say and no idea how to begin.

“Travis saved you,” Lanie said at last. “I know you already know that. I just needed to say it out loud.”

Kate’s fingers tightened lightly around the blanket. “He almost died because of me."

Lanie shook her head slowly. “It's not your fault. And he made his own choice, Kate. That’s who Travis is. He sees someone in trouble, and he throws himself into it before anyone can stop him.”

Kate looked toward the window. “I hate that he did that again.”

“I know,” Lanie said softly. “But I also understand why he did.”

Kate looked back at her, and for a moment neither woman said anything.

Lanie glanced toward the doorway, then lowered her voice. “He’s going to pretend he’s fine when he wakes up. He’ll make jokes, dodge questions, and act like he can walk out of intensive care tomorrow.”

Kate’s mouth pulled into the faintest smile. “That definitely sounds like him.”

“Don’t let him do it,” Lanie said, her eyes shining now. “Make him rest and accept help. Make him understand that people care about him.”

Kate held her gaze for a long second before nodding slowly. “I will.”

Lanie looked relieved and sad at the same time. She reached down and squeezed Kate’s hand gently.

“You scared me too,” she said. “Both of you did.”

Kate squeezed her fingers back as much as she could. “Thank you for coming.”

Lanie nodded once, then stepped away before the tears in her eyes could become harder to hide. “Get some rest, Detective. I’ll see you later.”

"Lanie," Kate called. "Do you still...?"

Lanie stopped for a moment and rearranged her thoughts. Of course she still loves Travis, but due to her past, she locked those feelings somewhere deep inside her heart. Now, after almost losing him, she realized how stupid she was. But now, he's with Kate, and both of them love each other. He even threw himself into danger to protect her. So, Lanie didn't want to ruin their happiness. But what about her feelings and her messy past? Everything just became too complicated.

She turned back with a smile. "Still what?"

"Don't play with me," Kate said.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that both of you are happy," Lanie said before walking out.

...

By the time evening arrived, the hospital had grown quieter.

Jim went home to take a shower.

The lights outside Kate’s window had shifted from gold to gray-blue, and the hallway traffic had slowed to nurses, doctors, and distant wheels moving over polished floors. Kate had spent the last hour staring at the clock, waiting for the moment somebody would tell her she could finally see him.

When the nurse came in with a wheelchair, Kate sat up straighter despite the pull of pain through her body.

“Easy, Detective,” the nurse said as she helped Kate move carefully from the bed. “You’re only getting ten minutes.”

Kate nodded, gripping the armrests while the nurse adjusted the blanket across her lap. “Ten minutes is enough.”

The ride down the hall felt longer than it should have.

Every turn brought another set of doors, another quiet station full of machines, another reminder that this was real. Kate kept her hands folded tightly in her lap while the nurse pushed the wheelchair toward intensive care.

When they stopped outside Travis’s room, Kate’s breath caught in her throat.

The nurse looked down at her. “He’s still unconscious, but he’s stable. You can talk to him if you want. Sometimes people hear more than we realize.”

Kate nodded slowly. “I’d like that.”

The nurse opened the door.

Travis lay in the bed beneath soft hospital light, surrounded by monitors and quiet machines. Bandages covered part of his upper body, and bruising shadowed the side of his face, though the steady rise and fall of his chest was the only thing Kate cared about.

He looked far too still.

Kate hated how wrong it felt to see him like that.

The nurse rolled her closer, then stepped back toward the doorway. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”

Kate reached for Travis’s hand slowly, careful around the IV line and the bruises across his knuckles. His hand felt warm beneath hers, and that small warmth nearly broke something inside her.

--

Note: Next Chapter will end Vol-1. Vol-2 will start right after a small time skip. Not too big.