Reborn in Castle (TV show)

Kate's forehead rested against his for one quiet second, and relief passed between them before she noticed the change in his posture.

Travis's hand had slipped from her waist to the edge of the window frame, and the color had drained from his face. His smile was still there, but it looked weaker now, held together by stubbornness more than strength.

"Okay, that was a good kiss," Travis said, breathing through a tired smile. "But can you help me get back into my bed?"

Kate did not waste a second asking questions. She moved closer and slid one arm carefully around his waist while guiding his arm over her shoulders.

"Of course, and you're going to put your weight on me without arguing about it."

Travis gave a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "I woke up in a daze, and I don't even remember walking this far from the bed."

Kate tightened her hold around him as she looked toward the mattress only a few steps away. "Really?"

"Yep, my brain made a decision before the rest of me had a vote."

"Your brain has always been a problem," Kate said, keeping her voice calm as she started guiding him toward the bed. "One slow step at a time, and don't try proving anything right now."

Travis nodded, though the first step took more effort than he expected. His body had healed faster than a normal person's body should have, but two months of deep ICU sedation had left his muscles weak and unsteady. His legs shook beneath him, and his breathing turned uneven almost immediately.

Kate felt him lean harder against her side.

"Travis," she said, keeping her voice low. "Tell me before you can't stay upright anymore."

"I'm good," he replied automatically, then took another step and winced. "Actually, I'm only pretending to be good right now."

"That's more honest than usual."

They were almost at the bed when his knees suddenly gave out.

Travis collapsed against her before he could catch himself, and Kate caught him as best as she could. One arm stayed around his waist while the other grabbed his forearm, and she turned with him so he would fall backward toward the mattress instead of hitting the floor.

"Easy," Kate said, breathless as she helped lower him down. "I've got you."

Travis landed on the edge of the bed with a heavy exhale, his head dropping forward while he tried to get his breathing under control. Kate stayed beside him, keeping one hand on his shoulder until she was sure he would not slide off the mattress.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Kate helped him swing his legs onto the bed and eased him back against the raised pillows. Travis closed his eyes as exhaustion hit him all at once, and the effort of crossing the room seemed to catch up with every part of his body.

"Okay, that was embarrassing," Travis admitted as he sank carefully against the raised hospital pillows.

Kate reached for the call button beside the bed and pressed it before Travis could make another joke.

"Embarrassing isn't the word I'd use," she said, keeping one hand on his shoulder while she watched him struggle to catch his breath. "It was reckless."

Travis opened one eye and looked at her with a tired grin. "You always know how to make a man feel better after a romantic moment."

"You almost collapsed onto the floor," Kate replied, adjusting the blanket over his legs. "You're lucky I caught you before you pulled out every line attached to you."

"I was testing my balance."

"You failed the test."

"That feels unnecessarily harsh."

Kate gave him a look, though the fear behind her eyes had not faded yet. Seeing him stumble had brought the tunnel back too quickly. One moment, he had been standing in front of her, smiling as if nothing could touch him. The next, his legs had almost given out beneath him.

A nurse arrived first, followed by Dr. Halpern a minute later. He stepped into the room with a chart in one hand. Kate explained the situation.

"You keep surprising us, Mr. Wilson," Dr. Halpern said as he moved toward the bed. "No one in your condition should be able to get up from the bed, let alone walk and talk."

Travis sank deeper into the pillows. "I only walked a few steps."

"After spending months in recovery and waking up with a body that still needs support," Dr. Halpern replied. "Those few steps were enough to drop your blood pressure and overload muscles that have not carried your full weight in a long time."

Kate stepped aside while the doctor checked Travis's pulse, looked at the monitor readings, and gently examined the bruised area along his ribs.

Travis winced when the doctor pressed near his side. "That one still hurts."

"It should hurt," Dr. Halpern said. "Your ribs, back, shoulder, and abdominal muscles are still healing. Not to mention your internal injuries. Pain is your body telling you to stop trying to prove you are invincible."

Travis looked toward Kate. "See? Everyone keeps assuming I am invincible."

Kate folded her arms. "And why do you think they keep assuming that?" She asked, giving him that look that said too many things at once, like: 'Really now? After everything you've done?'

Dr. Halpern checked Travis's pupils with a small light, then asked him a few basic questions about the date, his name, and where he was. Travis answered slowly, his words slightly slurred from exhaustion and medication, though he stayed awake through all of it.

"Your mind is clear enough," Dr. Halpern said after a moment. "You are simply exhausted, medicated, and still recovering from severe trauma. That does not make you ready to walk around alone."

Travis nodded faintly. "Got it."

"I am serious," Dr. Halpern continued, his tone firm now. "You do not stand, walk, shower, or move around this room without calling a nurse or having someone assist you. You may feel stronger than you are because your injuries are healing well, but your muscles and balance need time to catch up."

Kate looked at Travis with a pointed expression. "Did you hear that part clearly?"

Travis let out a weak sigh. "Yes, Mommy."

"Don't push it," Kate warned, though her voice softened near the end.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have said that out loud," He mumbled.

Dr. Halpern checked the chart again before speaking to the nurse. He changed his medications and told her to prep for more tests to make sure he's okay.

The nurse nodded while scribbling in her notepad.

Dr. Halpern looked at Travis one final time. "You survived something most people would not have survived. That does not mean recovery will happen overnight. You need complete bed rest till we clear you. After that, your physical therapy will start."

Travis gave him a tired salute. "Understood, Doc."

Dr. Halpern glanced toward Kate. "Keep him from doing anything stupid."

Kate did not hesitate. "That may be the hardest job in this hospital."

The doctor gave a faint smile before leaving with the nurse, though she returned a few minutes later with fresh medication and a cup of water. Once Travis had taken it, she adjusted the IV line and reminded him to call for help before moving again.

The room grew quiet after she left.

Kate pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down beside him. Travis looked exhausted now that the burst of adrenaline had faded. His eyelids were heavy, and his breathing stayed slow as he rested against the pillows.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything.

Kate reached for his hand again and held it carefully. "How did you know it was me when you were standing by the window?"

Travis looked toward her, his eyes half-open but warm. "You mean before you said anything?"

Kate nodded. "You had your back turned. I didn't make much noise when I came in."

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Your lavender perfume is hard to ignore."

Kate blinked at him for a second. Then her mouth softened into a small smile.

"You noticed that?"

"Of course I noticed it," Travis said, his voice a little thick from the medication. "You smell great, by the way."

Kate chuckled softly.

She shook her head and looked down at their joined hands. "You woke up after all this, and you still found a way to flirt with me."

"I have priorities."

She looked at him for a long moment, like she was checking every part of him to make sure he was real. "I was scared," she admitted softly. "When I woke up, they said you're in a critical condition."

Travis's grin faded into something gentler. "I know."

"You know?"

"I heard things," he said slowly. "Not clearly, but I remember voices sometimes. I remember you saying something about a movie and popcorn."

Kate's eyes widened slightly. "You heard that?"

"Parts of it," Travis replied. "I also remember you threatening to keep me away from the stove, which felt unfair."

"You can barely stand up."

"Details."

Kate squeezed his hand, and this time he squeezed back. The movement was weak, but it was there. "You scared everyone," she said. "You scared me more than anyone has in a long time."

Travis looked at their hands for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry."

Kate shook her head immediately. "I'm still angry at you for what you did. But thank you for saving my life and..." She smiled a bit. "...for not dying on me."

"Invincible, remember?" He said with a painful chuckle. "Also, I have a second date waiting for me."

Kate leaned closer, resting her forehead carefully against the side of his hand. "You do."

"And a sparring rematch."

"You're losing that one."

Travis smiled weakly. "We will see."

"You cannot even stand without collapsing."

"That is temporary."

Kate lifted her head and looked at him with a soft, stubborn smile. "Then get better. I'll wait."

Travis's eyes stayed on hers for a few seconds before exhaustion finally started pulling him under again. His grip loosened around her hand, and the smile on his face became smaller.

"Stay with me for a minute," he murmured.

Kate moved her chair closer until she could sit beside the bed without letting go of him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm glad you're okay," Travis said, letting out a quiet breath, his eyes closing as the medication and exhaustion finally caught up with him.

Kate stayed beside him, holding his hand.

--

--[AN: I'll take a small break to stock up for stable updates like you got this month. Hope you enjoyed Volume: 1] [Leave a quick review if you haven't. Like most readers, see fewer reviews or no reviews and skip the story, so it'll help me get some more readers.]🫡

[What to expect from Vol: 2?> Click to read spoilers. Not chapter names, but small spoilers.]

Spoiler

PTSD and healing, relationship and character development, and one Mentalist Arc. Also, finally, you'll get proper harem expansion.

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Find me in the link below for advance chapters: https://unknownmaster.carrd.co/

[18 advance chs] + [Modern Family: 28 chs Early access]