Barry paced up and down checking his watch for the hundredth time,"7.05 where is she" he was waiting for Caitlin to arrive at Star Labs, he saw he car pull up and raced down to greet her.
"Barry I said no speed until your fully healed" Caitlin scolded as the red lightning lit up the underground car park.
Barry ignored Caitlin following her close behind wanting to get to the reason he had been waiting for her. "Caitlin its been a week and nothings happened, why hasn't she woken up yet?" Barry asked feeling his eyes prick with his tears as the thought of loosing Iris popped back into his head.
"Barry I told you these things take time,I told you it might not work" Caitlin said sympathetically, now getting in the lift with Barry.
"Caitlin please, you have to do something" Barry pleaded.
"Barry.. theres nothing else I can do" Caitlin said feeling defeated like she let her best friend down.
Barry stood for a few minutes as the lift reached the top floor, Barry walked towards Iris who had been there for a week now with no signs of improvement.
"Caitlin" Barry mumbled clutching Iris by the hand.
Caitlin who was observing Barry and Iris from the window now entered hearing her friend call her name. " Barry are you okay?" Caitlin asked inching closer to him.
"Be honest with me" Barry whimpered tears stinging his eyes. "Is there any signs of her waking up? Is there any signs of her getting better?" Barry asked biting back the tears.
"Well..no, I mean her vitals are good, her blood work is great, and her infection is better but her lungs are just extremely weak" Caitlin said again simplifying her doctor talk enough for Barry to understand.
Cisco had arrived now hearing the conversation between Barry and Caitlin, he decided he would hang back and let them talk. If Iris was going to die then it was something Barry would have to accept slowly.
"Im going to loose her aren't I?" Barry asked coking on his tears now.
Caitlin went to reply but was stopped by Cisco who was alerting them of meta human activity. "guys I hate to interrupt but we have a big problem" Cisco said anxiously.
Barry and Caitlin rushed to the cortex looking to the monitor which showed a meta human causing havoc in the city centre.
"Who is that?" Barry asked completely forgetting about Iris in the moment.
"A meta we haven't seem before he can control fire, thats pretty cool" Cisco said amused watching the man spurt flames from his hands.
"Not cool, he's burning that building, what do we do?" Caitlin said knowing Barry was still too weak to be fighting meta humans.
Barry sped off changing into his suit. "Barry no!" Caitlin protested.
"Caitlin he's burning the city, I can't just stand here and do nothing" Barry said knowing he wasn't strong enough but he needed the distraction and he knew he couldn't let the city burn.
'Yeah Ferno has to be stopped" Cisco said wanting to agree with both Caitlin and Barry.
"Ferno, really? You know he shouldn't be going" Caitlin said shaking her head at Cisco wishing he would side with her.
"Guys theres no time for arguments" Barry said speeding off towards the city. Barry followed the smoke to the burning building, he ran around the perimeter and no sign of Ferno, so Barry ran inside looking for victims.
"Cisco do you see him on any of the traffic cams?" Barry asked through his headset rushing people out of the burning building, then running back in to check for more.
"No he's gone, I can't see him" Cisco said desperately switching between the different cameras trying to find Ferno.
"Barry just becarful watch your back until we locate him" Caitlin spoke worried, she was closely monitoring Barry's vitals on her screen.
Barry finished rescuing people from the building and he was about to leave when he felt the ground shake it made the walls of the building weaker and they started to collapse under the pressure, Barry held on to the burning wall for support, earthquake he thought to himself? "guys whats happening?" Barry yelled trying to keep his balance so he could get out of there.
Cisco looked at the monitor Ferno was now standing outside the front of the building and he was clenching his fists, the fire had stoped flowing from his hands and he now seemed to be controlling the earth he was caving the ground beneath the building making the walls crumble in on itself.
"Barry get out of there now its Ferno he can control other elements too, that buildings coming down" Cisco yelled down the microphone.
Caitlin nervously bit her lip scanning the screen trying to see if Barry had made it out in time, the building came crashing down, with no signs of Barry.
"Barry! Barry talk to us" Caitlin said again desperately wanting to hear some sort of response from the Scarlett speedster.
"Barry?" Cisco tried, static noise coming from Barry's headset.
"I told you he wasn't ready for this!" Caitlin spoke fearing the worst.
"Im sorry Caitlin" Cisco said sitting back in his chair, had he just gotten Barry killed. Before Cisco could speak again the room was lit up with red lightning once more, an exhausted Barry fell to the floor covered in thick black mucus, and smoke.
"Barry!" Caitlin and Cisco said in unison. "We thought something happened to you" Cisco said relieved.
"Are you okay?" Caitlin asked helping him up to his feet. "Yeah I think my headset must have been damaged in the fire, what was he guys?" Barry asked brushing himself down.
"Element" Cisco said smiling to himself.
"Thats what your calling him?" Barry asked wanting to know how he could stop someone who could control earth and fire.
"Yeah who knows he might be able to control more than just fire and earth, the way he made the ground crumble like that, it was like he wasn't even trying" Cisco said baffled by the meta's powers.
"I don't think we've ever faced anyone this strong before" Barry said quickly getting changed into a Star Labs jumper and taking a seat on the examination table.
"Every meta has a weakness we just have to find his" Caitlin stated flashing a light in Barry's eyes to check his pupils, just as Joe entered the room making Barry look back at Iris, he knew he had to talk to Joe about Iris, she couldn't stay like that forever.
"Bare you okay?" Joe asked seeing the state of his son, he looked awful.
"Yeah fine" Barry smiled.
"Yeah right he barely made it out of a burning building this morning" Caitlin said telling Joe the truth. Barry scowled at Caitlin annoyed that she had just dropped him in the shit.
"Barry! Your supposed to be resting not running into burning buildings" Joe said giving Barry a good tongue lashing.
"I know Joe, I'm sorry" Barry apologised trying to think of how to bring up Iris, but he didn't have to Joe did.
"How is she?" Joe asked looking at Caitlin, who then glanced at Barry ushering him to talk to Joe about the taking Iris off the vent.
"Joe can I talk to you about Iris?" Barry questioned leading the way to Iris's bedside. Joe nodded and followed Barry.
"Hey baby girl, how you doing" Joe greeted his daughter kissing her on the forehead.
"J-Joe we need to think about turning the vent off" Barry mumbled just loud enough for Joe to hear.
"Like hell you are, where the hell has this come from"Joe said taken back by the words leaving Barry's mouth.
"Caitlin said-
"I don't give a dam what Caitlin said, theres no way I'm turning it off, I'm not loosing her Barry, and shame on you for even entertaining this ridiculous idea" Joe yelled defensively leaving the room.
"Joe where are you going?" Barry shouted back.
"To get Iris moved back to Central City General, I knew it was a bad idea brining her here" Joe said as the lift doors closed.
Barry thought for a minute pacing, last time at the hospital when they tried bring Iris round they did for a little while... he needed to see her, he needed to hear her voice, he couldn't take it anymore, he needed Iris back even for just a second.
"Caitlin what are the chances If we bring Iris round that she'll be okay?" Barry asked letting the tears fall, how could he even think about turning the vent off, he wanted Iris back more than anyone.
"5% if that" Caitlin replied shaking her head, this was not something that she wanted to consider just yet.
"Do it" Barry said gripping the bed rails so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Barry I don't think this is a good idea, Joe should be here" Caitlin replied grabbing a small bottle and syringe from the cabinet.
"I don't care Caitlin please, just do it" Barry pleaded grabbing his phone from his pocket. He rang Joe who hadn't actually left Star Labs yet.
"Barry?" Joe answered confused.
"Joe come back up, were going to try and bring Iris back round" Barry said smiling down the phone, salty tears trickling down his face.
Joe hung up immediately rushing back to Iris.
"Barry what are you doing?" Joe said still confused just a minute ago he wanted to turn the vent off.
"I need to see her Joe" Barry stuttered.
"What are you talking about?" Joe asked still confused about Barry's intentions.
"When the doctors tried to bring Iris round last time they did, she was awake and talking Joe!" Barry sobbed trying to hold himself together.
"Bare I want her to wake up too, but not if were going to loose her" Joe soothed trying to calm a frantic Barry.
Barry couldn't take it anymore he grabbed the loaded syringe off Caitlin and plunged it into Iris's arm before anyone could say or do anything else. Perks of having super speed.
"Barry!" Joe and Caitlin screamed as the realised what Barry had done.
"What the hell Barry! What have you done" Joe yelled pushing his son aside. Caitlin rushed to Iris's side adjusting some wires trying to get a proper reading of her vitals.
Barry stood back realising what he had done "Sorry, oh my god, so sorry" Barry mumbled sliding down the wall and curling into a ball, he covered his ears hearing the alarms of Iris machines go off. Barry looked up Joe and Caitlin fussing over Iris trying to stabilise her. He heard the familiar gurgling sound of Iris chocking on her tube.
"Iris?" Barry whimpered standing now.
"Caitlin whats happening?" Joe asked but Caitlin was too busy trying to stabilise Iris, she grabbed a bottle from the cabinet checking the table before administering the liquid. Caitlin then gently started to removed the tube from Iris's throat.
"Iris? can you hear me?" Caitlin asked checking her pupil reaction flashing the pen torch in her eyes, Iris winced at the harsh lights being shone in her eyes.
"Too bright" Iris slurred.
"Iris sweetie can you hear me?" Joe cooed brushing her hair from her eyes.
"Dad" Iris slurred again trying to understand what was happening and get her bearings about where she was.
Barry stood there shocked, he almost thought he was dreaming, it was until Iris said his name that he was snapped out of his trance, and was at her side in seconds.
"Barry" Iris whimpered wincing again at the harsh lights.
"Iris? Iris, I'm here" Barry said scrambling to his feet, to greet his one true love.
END
Authors note: I don't normally put notes on my chapters but i just wanted to thank everyone who reads this story and thank you for reading each week, it would really mean the world to me if you could give me a review and let me know what you think of my chapters 3 Also little side not I'm super stuck for idea's and where to go with this story so any suggestions would be gladly appreciated! x