Castle's partner

Stumble

Ryan pov

I watch as my partner picks up my niece and starts running.

I snap out of my frozen state and peel off my blazer, shoving it into Beckett's arms.

"Wait, wait Ryan!"

She grabs my shoulder, and I am forced to stop.

"There's nothing you can do. Just follow with me."

I grit my teeth.

"No. Traffic is too heavy to get there in time. If she dies I'm going to be there next to her. I don't care if you order me not to, I'm going anyways."

Her eyes search mine.

"Go."

I breathe a sigh of relief and give her a quick hug.

I sprint down the street trailing them.

As I turn the corner the hospital is looming before me, and I race through the doors.

All I can do is watch as she's wheeled away on a bed. They place an oxygen mask over her face and an I. V. in her arm, and then she's gone.

"Is she going to make it?" I ask Espo.

He doesn't answer.

"Is she going to make it?" I snap.

"I DON'T KNOW! I don't know."
He gives me a look of regret.

I stumble backwards, finding my way into a chair.

"Please-please call Jenny." I stutter.

He nods and pulls out his phone.
Their conversation is brief, but I don't hear it.

Jenny arrives ten minutes later, her eyes red and bloodshot.

"Is it true?" She asks barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry baby."

I take her in my arms, wrapping mine around the woman I love.

The tears falling on my skin tell me she is crying.

"Tell me what happened."

I let go of her.

"We had a murder that had a guy that was poisoned and we found DNA under his fingernails and we traced it back to a man in Albany. When we got there he had poison and he pulled up and threw a glass of it at Beckett and Ross saved her life, but in the process I think she got cut by a shard of glass that had the poison on it."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"I'm not sure. I hope so."

We sit down next to each other, and she takes my hand shakily.

Beckett and Castle suddenly appear, and then just like when she was shot we are all here. Alexis, Martha, Lanie, and even Oliver.

We wait for hours, and the next thing I know Castle is handing me a coffee.

"Thank you." I take it from him gratefully.

Jenny has fallen asleep against my shoulder.

I glance at my watch and it reads 8:06.

It's been hours. I'm not hungry. I'm not tired.

I just want to see my niece.

As soon as I think this, a doctor walks up to us. There is a grim look on his face.

I brace myself for the worst.

"Jenny," I whisper.

Her eyes flutter open, and she sits up attentively.

"She's alive."

We all collectively let out a breath.

"However, she's in a coma. We had to get the contaminated blood out of her body, and she lost a lot which led to oxygen deprivation."

"When is she going to wake up?" Asks Alexis.

"We don't know. It could be tomorrow or a month from now, a year from now. She might never wake up."

I swallow hard.

"Can we see her?"

"Of course."

We all stand up like zombies, not prepared for the news that was just delivered.

As we approach her room, I grip Jenny's hand.

We turn the corner, and it kills me.

She lays there in a bed too big. Everything is white and plain.
She's ghostly pale, and there is white tape wrapped around her upper arm where they stopped the poison from spreading. An IV
remains in her arm, and an oxygen tank is hooked up to a tube going to her nose.

She looks dead, but I know sadly her fate is worse than that. She isn't asleep, but she isn't awake.

While the others freeze at the foot of her bed, I brush past them and sit next to her.

I take her cold hand and press it to my lips.

"You're going to be ok. Please, please be ok."

I feel myself start to cry, and I can't handle it anymore.

I stand up and leave, ignoring Jenny's pleas for me to stay.

I make my way to the waiting room that is completely empty.

"Ryan," I hear Beckett's voice behind me.

I turn around, and I snap. My pain turns to anger and I lash out at her.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT! SHE SAVED YOUR LIFE, AND IT COST HER HERS! IF SHE HADN'T HELPED YOU, SHE'D BE FINE."

A tear rolls down her cheek.

And then I realize what I just said to her.

"Kate, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that at all. I'm so glad you're ok. I know it's not your fault. I'm sorry."

She wipes her face off.

"I know you didn't mean that. But I already thought about that. If I had just known, I could have prevented all of it."

"Kate you can't blame yourself for that."

She hugs me.

"I don't want her to die."