Castle's partner

The Mask

I wake to the sound of my EKG beeping. I don't open my eyes yet, just bask in the feeling of drifting in and out of consciousness.

I shift, expecting to feel the warmth of Espo's body, but nothing is there.

I open my eyes now, and I sit up.

"Espo?" I call out timidly, but when no one answers I begin to panic.

They took him. The same people that did this to Ryan and I, they did this. They had to have! I don't know if he's dead or alive and it's all my fault!

My EKG lets out a shrill screech as I yell.

"Espo!"

Suddenly he comes racing through the door, a mask of worry stitched to his face.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

He grabs my hand.

"I thought-I thought they took you or something happened...you weren't here you were gone I woke up and I was alone there was no one here!"

He takes me in his arms.

"I'm sorry Chica. I didn't mean to scare you, I just had to talk to the doctor. I didn't think you would wake up. I'm here, I'm here, lo siento."

I feel ashamed that I was afraid, he was just outside. I pull away from his hug.

"Chica, what's wrong?"

I shake my head.

"Samantha, it's okay. You don't have to hide it. Remember when I took you home from the hospital before your trial and you were asleep for twenty four hours? I was scared. You had never slept that long and I kept checking on you. I know I scared you, and I'm sorry, but there's nothing to be ashamed of. Alright?"

"Okay. Thanks Tío."

He kisses me on the cheek, and his phone rings.

"Hey Beckett. Yeah, let me put you on speaker. Okay."

"Anthony Richards didn't exist before three years ago. It's a false identity, it has to be. There is no record of him from before three years ago."

"How and why did he just suddenly appear?" I ask.

"That's the thing. I don't know. I have no idea who he was, and in the three years he's existed he has a clean record. His fingerprints and DNA say his name and I don't know what to think. Why did he want to be a military recruiter after getting a new identity?"

"I think Nick might know. What about the dude Richards killed when he shot Nick? What do you know about him? He might be the key to this whole thing." I suggest.

"I actually...haven't really..looked him up yet."

"You don't even know who he is?"

"Well I know his name is Vishnu Singh...other than that, no."

"If you find out why he was murdered, it could tell you who Richards is."

"That's a good place to start. There's just so much, two murders, three attempted murders and a man killing himself on accident. Macintosh might have nothing to do with this! It's hard without you Espo, or Ryan."

A grin breaks out on Espo's face.

"I'm sorry can you repeat that?"

"Javi, shut up."

I start laughing. Espo smiles at me and winks.

"Alright, do you need me down at the precinct?" He asks.

"Yeah but you need to stay with Samantha."

"I'll just go with you!" I exclaim enthusiastically.

"Hell no. You aren't leaving that hospital yet, you are still hurt. You're still breathing with oxygen for God's sake and you almost just died! No, you are staying until you are fine, no matter how long it takes. I can't have something happen again."
As she speaks, I can hear the strain in her voice, as though someone were pulling on her vocal chords. I can tell I'm stressing her out, and I don't want that.

"Okay," I agree quietly, looking down at my hands.

Espo furrows his eyebrows as he looks at me, somewhere in between surprised and confused.
"I'll come down later," Espo says, not taking his quizzical eyes off of me.

He ends the call, and crosses his arms.

"What?"

"The Samantha I know would never agree to that. What are you planning?"

"Nothing," I shrug.

"I don't believe you. You aren't one to sit here without arguing, so what are you planning?!"

"I'm not planning anything, I can't do that to Beckett again. And Nick's here too, he'd freak if I left. I won't do that to them."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Say it."

I glare at him. "I promise. Now go help Beckett at the precinct. We need you to go catch some bad guys."

"I don't want to leave you alone. Knowing you you'll ditch the oxygen and try and walk out of here."

"I already told you I wouldn't leave. I'll be fine."

He looks torn between staying and leaving.

"I'm gonna be safe when you catch the person that did this, just go."

"Alright. But I'm calling to check on you, and I don't know I'll have someone who's not in the hospital check in on you. I'll be back later. Here," he hands me my phone back in an evidence bag. "Miraculously it survived the crash, it got wedged in between you and the seat because you were sitting on it."

I laugh. "My butt saved my phone that's hilarious!"

He smirks. "Okay, I'm going now. I love you." He kisses me on the cheek, and leaves me all alone.

And for once, I'm unsure of what to do.

And with nothing to do, my stress and adrenaline goes away, and I lay back down and close my eyes, falling asleep very quickly.

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