The Line Between Living and Dying

Captain Down

After her lunch with Iris, Dani got a call from Cisco, asking her to come to S.T.A.R. Labs.

But when she turned into the cortex, she bumped into Barry. 

"Oh, god. Sorry." Dani apologized, looking up at Barry and his beautiful green eyes. It was like high school all over again, those two mesmerizing eyes stopping the world around Dani.

"It's fine." Barry shrugged it off.

The sound of his voice snapped Dani back to reality. "Great." She said, then awkwardly cleared her throat. "So, why the text to come here?" Dani directed her question to Cisco as she walked around the main computer desk, leaning against it and ignoring the suspicious looks Cheyanne was giving her.

Cisco dramatically, and gently, picked up the device he made. "I call it the Wizard's Wand."

"Subtle." Caitlin sassed. "How does it work?"

"Just think of it like an active lightning rod. You just point it at the sky, and it'll suck up whatever energy's floating around it like a sponge." Cisco explained.

Barry took the device from Cisco. "And it'll stop Mardon?"

"It'll certainly slow him down. If there's no atmospheric electrons available to him, there's no way for him to control the weather." Dr. Wells answered Barry's question. "Good work, Cisco. As always." He commended. "If you excuse me, I'm gonna go stretch my legs." He 'joked', wheeling out of the cortex.

"You okay?" Cheyanne suddenly asked, her head tilted slightly at Dani. "You seem a bit off."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Dani said. "Just thinking about some stuff Iris said to me at lunch."

"Did she ask you about Dr. Wells too?" Barry questioned.

"What, no. Why would she ask me that?" Dani furrowed her eyebrows.

"Uh, somebody..." Barry glanced behind him quickly before continuing. "Somebody at Picture News got it into Iris's head that something suspicious is going on with Dr. Wells."

"Like what?" Caitlin asked.

"That he knows what happened to Simon Stagg. Apparently, nobody's heard from him or seen him since the night I stopped Danton Black." Barry answered.

"What'd you tell her?" Cisco inquired.

"That she's wrong," Barry answered like it was obvious. "And she is." He turned and left to get back to work at the precinct and relieve Zander of Joe-watching duty.

* * *

When Dani got a call from Barry, she felt overcome with worry and guilt. Mark Mardon attacked the precinct. Joe was fine but only because Captain Singh had jumped in front of a bolt of lightning meant for him. But that wasn't why Dani was so upset. Another officer as injured in the attack-- her brother.

Dani stormed down the hospital hallway, her gray eyes lined with tears. "Where is he?" She questioned the second she saw Barry. "Where's Zander? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Barry promised. "It's just a broken leg. His room just a couple doors down that hall to the right."

"Broken leg?" Dani asked. Barry nodded in response. "How bad is it?"

"The nurse I talked to said it was just a few hairline fractures. Zander's leg should be good as new in a few weeks."

Dani sniffed. "You asked a nurse about his broken leg?"

Barry shrugged. "I knew that you'd go looking for someone to interrogate if I didn't. And you can be pretty mean when you're being protective."

Dani chuckled softly. "Thank you."

"Of course."

A long beat of silence passed between them as they stared at each other.

"Well, I should probably go check on Zander and make sure he isn't trying to do something stupid." Dani tucked a piece of hair behind her ear glancing at the closed door to Singh's hospital room. "Keep me updated on Singh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Barry nodded. "No problem."

"See you later, then." Dani smiled then walked away.

"Bye," Barry mumbled in reply.

Dani followed Barry's directions, coming to a stop in the doorway of Zander's hospital room. He was laid up in the hospital bed, his foot elevated by a pillow and a plain white cast encasing the majority of his left leg.

"What, no color?" Dani asked sarcastically.

Zander looked over at his little sister, laughing. "No, I thought white would look more professional. I am still a cop."

"Oh, so you're trying to keep up appearances." Dani couldn't help but smile as she walked up beside Zander's bed. "Anyone sign it yet?"

"Nope." Zander shook his head. "Then the white would be pointless."

"Oh really?" Dani raised an eyebrow, digging around in her purse for a sharpie. When she found one, her smile grew ten-fold. "I guess the white is just gonna have to be pointless, then."

"Why do you carry a sharpie in your purse?" Zander questioned.

Dani popped the cap off of the marker. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." She said. Then she leaned over her brother's leg, signing her name in as neat a script as she could manage. "There."

"Wow. That's beautiful." Zander mocked, examining the first signature on his cast.

"Shut up." Dani crossed her arms.

Just then there was a soft knock at the door. Dani turned her head to see Barry standing in the doorway rather awkwardly.

"Hey." Dani smiled slightly, tucking hair behind her ear. "Everything okay?"

"Not really," Barry answered. "The doctors don't know if Singh will ever walk again."

"Oh my god." Zander's eyes widened.

"How's Joe taking it?" Dani asked worriedly.

"Bad." Barry sighed. "He wants us to keep an eye on Iris, protect her from Mardon in case he tries to attack her to get to him."

"Of course." Dani nodded.

"Hey." Zander sat up. "If there's anything I can do to help, you two let me know."

"Zander, your leg is broken." Dani deadpanned.

"So?" Zander scoffed. "We spent just as much time at Joe's as we did at our own home. He and Iris are family. I'm not sitting on the bench for this."

"Then I guess we're just gonna have to get you to S.T.A.R. Labs," Dani said.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short but it was the best place to leave off without making the chapter too long.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote and/or comment if you enjoyed this chapter!