76Just Another Day: Chapter 22
EPILOGUE
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DISCLAIMER: Most of these characters are not mine at all, but they are memorable. Thank you, Mr. Marlowe. The others? Yeah, they're mine
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11:48 p.m. on May 14, 2012, at the Castles Complex in Sausalito, California.
The excitement at the complex has been at an all-time high for the past half-hour since Sam Carlos' late night phone call to Richard Castle. And now, that excitement is bubbling over as a crowd has developed in front of the administration building as the chopper from the city hovers above the landing pad some fifty yards away.
When Sam Carlos called with the news of a fully-functional antidote, Richard Castle had dropped the phone. In the subsequent thirty or so minutes, there have been hugs and celebratory high-fives all around for everyone here at the complex except Richard Castle.
For Castle, it has been the longest thirty minutes of his life, as he has imagined a hundred different scenarios as to how this delivery can go wrong. However, now? He finds his legs moving faster than they have in years, running toward the now-landed aircraft.
His smile freezes in place on his face, and there is a similar reaction on the faces of Kate Beckett and Mike Monroe who have barely been able to keep up with the running ex-author. The frozen smile turns into a questioning gaze as the trio watch Elena Markov disembark from the chopper.
"Hello again," Elena Markov greets the trio, along with the accompanying throng of others who are rapidly making their way to the craft.
"Miss Markov," Kate Beckett greets the Eastern European, as her fiancé is – for the moment – stunned into silence.
"I know I am not who you were expecting," Markov begins. "But I paid a very fruitful visit to your friend, Sam Carlos, roughly an hour ago."
"For what reason?" Mike Monroe asks, his mind now racing, wondering if he should be placing an emergency call to Lindy Matthews, who is back in the building behind them in medical area keeping watch over Willie Crockett and Jennifer Blackard. Colin Alexander sits with her.
"It came to my attention that – for the time being – the security for Mr. Carlos has been reduced by one," Elena replies. "My own sources," she continues, answering the unasked question on the minds of both Kate and Mike.
Richard Castle remains motionless, frozen in place.
"While . . . offering my services, Mr. Carlos asked me, in good faith, to bring this out to you, Mr. Castle," she continues, now pulling out a small rectangular box and handing it to Castle, who has snapped out of his frozen state.
"Elena," Castle finally manages.
"Richard," Elena replies, recognizing an olive branch when one is being presented to her by the owner of this complex.
Castle opens the box, seeing the needle and injection device inside. His shaking hands threaten to drop the box, and it is only Kate Beckett's swift response that saves him from dropping the device.
"Let me warn you, Mr. Castle . . . Richard," Elena begins. "I was told that this injection will eliminate your relapses. But it also will bring back your memories. It will bring them all back. Everything that you have experienced since your first night's affliction, everything that you have forgotten is going to come rushing back to you. I have been told that this experience is quite painful."
Seeing the confusion on Kate's face and the fear on Richard Castle's face, she continues.
"It is brief, but it is a painful headache he will experience," Elena tells Kate. "Just so you know what to expect."
"Let's take this inside, shall we?" Mike Monroe decides. "If there is going to be a potential problem, I'd rather Rick be in the medical ward," he states as he begins walking toward the administration building. The group slowly falls in line, following him.
A minute later, Richard Castle walks into the infirmary, where Detective Jennifer Blackard and Willie Crockett lie in separate beds. Between their beds, in separate chairs, sit Lindy Matthews and Colin Alexander. Both rise in surprise as Elena Markov walks in behind Castle, Kate and Mike Monroe.
Lindy walks directly to the fellow warrior, a quizzical expression on her face, before realization kicks in.
"So, you are assassin, warrior, and what . . . now courier as well?" Lindy remarks with a smirk, that is matched by the European woman.
"Well, I do wear a few different hats," Elena chuckles. "Although this one is quite new for me."
The two women eye one another before Lindy extends a hand, which is taken by Elena Markov and shaken a couple of times before both let go.
"I expected to see you again, just not so soon," Lindy mentions.
"I share the same feeling," Elena tells her. "Mr. Carlos was quite adamant in his request for me to be the one to bring this antidote to his friend here."
Richard Castle has already seated himself on the edge of the third of four beds in the room, and is rolling up his sleeve. Kate Beckett holds the syringe, handing it to Nurse Donna Edwards, the night-shift nurse this evening.
"Hold on to your butts," Nurse Edwards chuckles, bringing nervous laughter throughout the room. Willie Crockett has leaned over as much as he can to get a glimpse of this moment, as Nurse Edwards plunges the needle into Castle's exposed arm.
For a moment, there is simply quiet in the room. It is all too brief, as Richard Castle explodes from the edge of the bed unto his knees, on the floor, holding his head.
Screaming.
Emotions explode with each scream, as eyes turn to Elena Markov. The woman shouts at the top of her lungs.
"Stop!" she screams above the throng.
"This is expected," she reminds Kate and Mike, who nod their heads. "I told you, I warned you this is an unfortunate part of the healing process."
Kate is on her knees next to the man she loves, her arms around him, offering soothing words.
"It's okay, babe, it will pass," she repeats over and over again. This continues for another twenty or so seconds, until Richard Castle falls into a prone position with one final scream. He stops, his eyes glassy, as he stares upward at the lights from the floor. He stares beyond Kate, beyond the people there.
Slowly, his eyes come back into focus. The first person his eyes find are those of Alexis, who is on the other side of him.
"Pumpkin," he offers all too quietly, then turns to Kate who kneels beside him.
"Babe," he smiles, tears streaming down his eyes.
"What do you remember, Rick?" Kate asks, as her tears drop onto his face.
His words, almost a sob, echo throughout the room, misting the eyes of everyone there, including the European who has brought the antidote.
"Everything!" he exclaims with a sob.
"I remember everything!"
The sounds of sniffling and quiet crying can be seen and heard throughout the room. Mike Monroe leans over to a tearful Lindy Matthews.
"Just another day, my ass," he tells her, as she pulls him into her arms, as the room listens to a now crying and laughing Richard Castle exclaim over and over again.
"I remember everything!"
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A/N: This ends this particular story in our West Coast AU. New lines have been drawn, reluctant alliances are being forged, and a new enemy will soon surface. And let's just say that the resurgence of memories for Richard Castle – because there are so many that went into the dark, and his relapses were so many – well, these 'new' memories won't be quite so easy to adjust to.
Thank you to all who continue to read my stories. Peace and love to all of you.