Finding home

Chapter 39 - Chest pain

"Kaaaate!"

"Alexis! Molly!" I called back as the girls ran into the hospital room I was in.

They ran up to the bed and after Castle called out to them to take it easy they both carefully climbed up into the bed to crawl into my open arms. I dragged them close and kept them tight into my body, not wanting to let go.

"You're suffocating us," Alexis hoarsely groaned and I let them go just enough for them to be able to take deep breaths without any problem.

I heard Castle laugh at the other side of the room along with an elderly, redheaded woman. The woman shook her head with her big grin on her lips as she walked up to me and held out her hand for me to take.

"Finally darling, nearly thought I wasn't going to ever be able to meet the woman whose been such a sweetheart to my granddaughter and seems to be the love of my son's life," she winked at me as Castle groaned in the background.

"Mother!" he complained but she just shushed him.

"Call me Martha dear" she said before we let go of each other's hands.

"Hi, I'm Kate," I said with a blush setting on my cheeks.

She probably already knew who I was but I couldn't just not introduce me anyway. I felt nervous about this, first time she's meeting me and it's at the hospital when I obviously haven't been able to prepare to make a good first impression. I didn't want her to dislike me. What if she disliked me? Alexis and Molly snuggled into my neck and I couldn't help but giggle at the way their hair tickled me.

"When are you coming home?" Alexis asked sweetly, probably hoping her sweetness would make me come home quicker.

"Doctor says I can go home tomorrow if nothing changes," I told them with a chuckle, kissing each of the girls' heads.

The young girls cheered before they both left wet kisses on my cheeks which had us, me, Castle and Martha, laughing. Without any warning there was a sharp pain in my chest and I gasped at the feel of it. Castle was immediately by the side of my bed and the two girls pulled away from me as if they were afraid they were the ones who'd hurt me. I put my right hand on my chest, right above my heart, where it had stung.

"You ok?" Castle asked his hands up as if he wanted to touch me to make me better.

Martha also came to the bed and told the girls to jump down. They carefully climbed down the bed and flocked around the redhead, holding her legs while looking at me with scared looks.

"I'm fine," I muttered, not wanting to upset any of the people in my room.

Castle's hand took my left hand and his right found my cheek. He pretty much forced me to look into his eyes, the blues holding a concern I had a feeling I had already gotten too familiar with these two days I'd been awake.

"Castle, I'm fine, it was just the laughing," I told him truthfully.

It didn't hurt anymore, it had just been a sharp few-seconds pain. Probably caused by the laughing I hadn't done in a week, and by the fact that I was shot in the chest.

"You sure?" he questioned, stubborn.

I nodded with a sigh.

"Yes, I'm sure."

His eyes searched mine and I did my best to show him the truth, to tell him I was alright and that he didn't need to worry as much as he did. I decided to change the subject, I didn't want to be the one in the spotlight anymore. I didn't want to scare the girls anymore.

"Girls, are you having a great time with Martha?" I asked them with a big smile set on my lips.

I caught Alexis' eyes glance at her father while Molly answered.