So I think it might be like a year since I last posted. That being said, I logged on for the first time in a long time and was kind of overwhelmed by all the comments I've gotten on my various stories since then. So thanks guys :) Anyway, I went back through my files, and realized that I had already written this and just never uploaded it. It's a little bit short, but I figured I'd post it since it was done anyway, and I'm working on the next chapter. No promises, but I hope to get it out within a week or so. Anyway, here you go :)

He thought he'd feel better when he woke up, but all he wanted when he finally did wake up was to go back to sleep. Instead he started to sit up, putting a hand to his mouth, and cringing, feeling shaky all over.

Caitlin had been sitting in the chair opposite him, but she moved when she saw he had woken up, and sat down next to him, just when he started to tremble a little bit again. She put a hand over his shoulder. "You alright, Barry?" she asked gently.

He shook his head. No, no he was not alright. No, he was in pain and he was still shaking and he was exhausted and stressed and he wanted to cry but that would probably just hurt his mouth more and he was tired and scared and done.

"Do you want to lie down in bed?"

He nodded, got up, walked into the bedroom. He flopped down there instead. Caitlin followed, and for once didn't comment on the state of his room. She sat down next to him and started rubbing his back.

"That sucked," he said, his words muffled by the pillow. He moved so that he was face down with his head between his arms.

"It's all done now."

"I'm gonna have to do that every time I have a cavity, aren't I?" he asked. The thought made him shudder again, made him want to scream, to run.

"I talked to your dentist. He recommended you come in every three months instead of every six. That way they can find any cavities before they get too big. If they're small enough when you get them filled they don't need Novocain anyway."

That made him feel a little better, at least knowing he wouldn't have to go through that again anytime soon.

"That was awful."

"I know, I'm sorry, Barry."

"I didn't think it was going to be that bad."

"I know, Bar."

"Did you know it was going to be that bad?"

Caitlin bit her lip. "I knew it wasn't going to be good," she said slowly.

"You didn't tell me."

"You were already nervous," Caitlin said, "and it wasn't going to help anything."

Barry groaned, because, OK, she was right, but it didn't make him feel any better, and then Caitlin paused and continued. "You're dentist told me afterwards," she said quietly, "that it was a pretty bad cavity. They had actually considered just pulling it out, but you'd probably have to get implants then, and that would be worse. They didn't want to tell you earlier.

Barry sat, shocked, and feeling a little betrayed, and very, very helpless. "Oh," he said hollowly.

"I'm sorry, Barry, I didn't know it would be like that though – they didn't tell me either before."

He nodded numbly. "Not your fault," he said. "Mine. Stupid teeth."

"Brush more."

That earned her laugh, albeit a short one, but then he cringed again, groaning. "My mouth is so fucking sore."

"Oh," Caitlin said, quickly, and then she was gone. When she came back she pressed a bag of ice into his hand.

"Oh God, thankyou," he said, letting the numbing coldness soak into his skin. He groaned again. "I don't want to ever do that again."

Caitlin sighed, still rubbing his back. "Well, I booked you're next appointment. Three months, and you should be able to avoid a cavity that big."

Barry was quiet for a little bit, and Caitlin saw him slowly go tense. "I'm gonna have to go four times a year?"

"Yeah," Caitlin said, "but that way you won't have any more cavities like that."

He was quiet again, and then he shuddered.

Caitlin paused. "Barry, it's OK," she said, "it won't hurt like that again."

"I know," he said, "I just… I don't… I didn't like the dentist already, OK, it just… it's stupid, I've always been afraid and I… I just don't want to go."

"Well it's going to be fine," she said, "this way you won't have to go through that kind of pain again."

Barry fidgeted, and then rolled over, looking up, then eyes darting back down, and when he spoke his voice shook. "I don't… I don't think I can do that, Caitlin. After today, I don't… I don't – I'm really, really… I-I'm really scared."

He was shaking again, had stopped looking at her, a red flush of embarrassment on his face again, but panic underneath it.

"I'll go with you," she said, rubbing his back, "it's OK. It won't hurt like that again."

"I know, but… I don't – Cait I don't think I can ever sit in one of those chairs again." He shuddered, started breathing hard again, and his voice had escalated, signaling that he was on the verge of a panic attack just thinking about it.

"Hey, easy," Caitlin said, slowing down, looking at him, "it's OK. You don't have to go right now. You have three months before you even have to set foot in that place. You'll feel a lot better by then, Barry, I promise. And I'll go with you, and maybe we can have them set you up in a different room, if the setting still triggers you. It'll be OK, and that's a while away, Barry."

He nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I guess so."

"Yeah," she said, "so don't worry about that now. Just relax. Calm yourself down."

Barry nodded again, taking in deeper, calming breaths. "Ok… yeah, OK," he mumbled to himself.

He lay silently on the bed, digging his forehead into the pillow and concentrating on the soothing feeling of Caitlin's hand going in circles across his back. He felt horribly vulnerable, and scared too, like the pain would start up again any second now. He half wanted to ask Caitlin to reassure himself that it wouldn't. He started trembling softly, not able to help it, embarrassed as soon as it started and he realized he couldn't stop.

"You're OK," Caitlin said gently, "easy."

Barry shuddered and tried to forget the searing pain that racked his body just a few hours before. It was hard to come down from. Usually when he had to endure copious amounts of pain he was either in a fight where the adrenaline masked most of it, or he had just come back from a fight, getting patched up and still reeling from whatever meta or villain they had faced that week. Now he was just tired and there was nothing to distract him from the awful experience that seemed to flash across his eyes, a slideshow running through his mind.

"You'll come with me? When I… when I have to go for the appointment?"

"Yes," she said, her voice even and calm. "I'll go with you, and it'll be fine."

"I – I don't want to be held down again," he said, and it was coming back. Trying desperately to get away, anywhere, and he couldn't, he couldn't move and they wouldn't stop and they didn't understand, they didn't understand and they wouldn't let him stop – it hurt, it hurt.

"You won't have to," she said, "that's why we're going in three months – so you don't have to do that again."

"I can't do it again."

"You don't have to."

"I can't go back in that chair, Cait."

"We'll figure something out, Barry. It's not for a while. You might feel better by then."

"I won't."

"Then we'll have you lie down on a table or something."

"No."

"Barry, we'll make something work."

"I don't want to go back."

"I know, Bar, but it's not going to be like that again."

"They wouldn't stop."

"I know, Barry, I'm sorry."

"I couldn't close my mouth."

"Barry –"

"I couldn't move – they wouldn't let me and I couldn't move." He was shaking.

"Barry," Caitlin said with a sigh, "you're making yourself upset. Stop thinking about it – stop going over it in your head."

"I can't."

"Sure you can. Take some deep breaths. Just relax."

"I felt so helpless, Cait."

"You're not, Barry. It was just an awful thing that had to be done. You're not helpless."

"I don't want to go back."

"It's not going to be like that again, Barry – it'll just be a regular cleaning."

"I don't want them to clean it."

"If you don't go we can't make sure you don't get any bad cavities again."

"I'll pull it out next time."

"Barry –"

"No, I'm serious – if I get one that bad again I'm pulling it out. I can't do that again – I won't – I can't, Cait, I can't go through that aga-"

"You don't have to," Caitlin said, stressing the words, her voice still steady and calming. "That's the whole point of going every three months. You won't have to do that again, Barry."

He was still shaking, looking down and not at her. Caitlin put one hand on his arm, and then took his hand with her other one.

"It's OK," she said, stressing the words. "We'll make sure that something like that never happens again."

"I can't do it, Cait," he said softly, shaking his head, "I can't go back there."

"You can," she said firmly, "we'll figure it out. It'll be OK. I promise."

He just shook his head some more, still trembling.

"It's not for three months," she said softly afterwards, "you don't need to worry about it now, anyway, Barry."

He was silent for a few moments. "I can't calm down," he said, "I keep – I keep thinking, and – and it – it –"

"Shh," she said, rubbing his arm now, "I know. I know. It's OK."

He closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. He finally gave up and just sagged against her. And Caitlin just kept holding his hand, rubbing his arm.

"Just relax," she said, "Everything's OK now."