Dr. Caitlin Snow

If he thought one sip would appease her, he didn’t know the doctor as well as he thought. “Drink,” Caitlin encouraged. Though, ‘encouraged’ may have been a bit optimistic of a word given how stern she looked and sounded as she said it. “It’s to replenish fluids and electrolytes and will help with the massive headache you have.”

Blood drained from her face at his next comment, Caitlin freezing. It took her a moment to regain motor control and form words, twisting to face Barry. Hands stretched out to rest on the arm closest to her.

“What did you say, Barry? Try to remember.” She looked well and truly scared. Given how many people the Reverse Flash had harmed, if Barry had let something slip then the game of cat and mouse was on.

“Last night you were ready to blur out of here and take on Dr. Wells single-handed.”

“You don’t think I really would have…?” he trailed off, the mention of the possibility of a major mess up hanging unspoken. “I mean, I was drunk, not… stupid.” Although, he was desperate to confront Wells about all that he had done. Without inhibitions and good sense, it was a possibility that he would have carried out the scenario of justice and revenge that had played out in his mind many a time before.

He looked… well, rough was an understatement. Grabbing a bottle of gatorade, Caitlin placed it in front of him, taking a seat next to him. “Drink,” she ordered. “You need to stay hydrated. And if you don’t, I’m going to have to hook you up to an IV.” She would, too.

But his question made her look a bit sheepish. “You said you wished you could get drunk and I said I’d been experimenting with a new recipe…” One which had knocked him on his back, almost literally.

“I am so sorry.”

Gatorade. Delightful. He’d almost have preferred the IV. Sighing, he accepted the bottle from her and took a sip. “Now, I’m guessing this is to induce vomiting, right?” he joked, setting it down and hoping that the small gesture of doing as he was told would appease her. 

Blood drained from her face at his next comment, Caitlin freezing.  It took her a moment to regain motor control and form words, twisting to face Barry.  Hands stretched out to rest on the arm closest to her.

“What did you say, Barry?  Try to remember.”  She looked well and truly scared.  Given how many people the Reverse Flash had harmed, if Barry had let something silp then the game of cat and mouse was on.

“Barry…” Caitlin’s face was etched with worry. But she could at least sense that he needed some alone time at the moment. And as much as she wanted to be there for him, hovering wasn’t always the best of ideas.

Nodding, she gave him one last squeeze before she straightened. Her hand stretched out, thumb gently brushing the tears from one cheek. “Call me,” she requested. “If you need anything, just call, okay? I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

The next morning, the world seemed to be screaming. Even the slightest sound rang out loud, making the walk - yes, ‘walk’, for moving faster than a crawl was not an option if he didn’t want to become reacquainted with the trash bin - to Star Labs a miserable one. 

But his question made her look a bit sheepish.  “You said you wished you could get drunk and I said I’d been experimenting with a new recipe...”  One which had knocked him on his back, almost literally.

He leaned against her and her arm wound around him, heart breaking. Even as Barry pulled away, Caitlin didn’t lower her arm Instead she shifted, sliding from kneeling to fully sitting on the ground beside him. She had to bite her lip for a minute to keep back her own tears that started to well as he sobbed.

He leaned against her and her arm wound around him, heart breaking.  Even as Barry pulled away, Caitlin didn’t lower her arm.  Instead she shifted, sliding from kneeling to fully sitting on the ground beside him.  She had to bite her lip for a minute to keep back her own tears that started to well as he sobbed.

“I could stop him,” Barry said, rubbing circles against his aching forehead. “I could get my dad out of prison…” I promised him. And, although he’d never had the chance to say so to her face, he’d made a silent promise to his mother than he would get real justice for her. Taking a shaking breath, tears began to find their way down his cheeks. His chest heaved, and sadness clogged his throat and pulled at the pit of his stomach. 

“Next time you want a drink, I will,” she answered.  And she’d remind herself the next time she got the bright idea to start making drinks Barry’s metabolism could handle.

Pushing herself up, Caitlin moved to get some paper towels, dampening them before she pressed them into one of his hands.  Then she was gone again, going to fill one of S.T.A.R. Labs countless mugs with cool water.  That was set beside him as Caitlin knelt by him once more.  Aspirin wouldn’t do him any good, she could only hope this would pass.  Otherwise, she was going to have to get him hooked up to monitor the progression and hope she hadn’t given him severe alcohol poisoning.

“Barry, look at me.”  She needed clear line-of-sight to his face to gauge what was going on.  Her hand took his wrist, calculating the pulse.  Perhaps a bit fast for him.  And his skin felt a bit clammy.

“And that’s why we need to be careful,” she answered, voice soft but full of so much emotion.  Of course Barry wanted justice for his mother.  And seeing him, usually such a light person, really showing how much this had weighed on him for almost his entire life...  It nearly broke her.

Send “Grapple” and I’ll generate a number from 1 - 20 17. Your muse grabs mine suddenly by the shoulders

He spun around on his heel when he felt hands on his shoulders, he rounded on her with a scowl.

“Barry, I know you can stop him.  But Dr. Wells...he isn’t your normal run-of-the-mill villain.  He’s smart.  Smarter than me, I know that.  The only thing we have going for us, besides your speed, is the element of surprise.  If you run at him with half a plan, he’ll make some genius move.  It’s like chess.  You think you have him and then...you don’t.”  And Caitlin couldn’t bear to lose anyone else in her life, especially someone as close as Barry.  Losing Ronnie and now Dr. Wells...she was going to cling to her remaining friends tightly.

Send “Grapple” and I’ll generate a number from 1 - 20 17. Your muse grabs mine suddenly by the shoulders

He spun around on his heel when he felt hands on his shoulders, he rounded on her with a scowl.