I've Got Soul but I'm Not a Soldier

Murphy's Law

Panic is a cold, raw feeling.

As Barry staggers from the green mist, struggling for breath, Len steps toward him and raises his gun, firing without thinking.

The green mist is caught in the blast, Nimbus having been focused on the Flash and finally having caught up to him. Because of Len.

Len growls and fires again. And again. A long, steady stream of ice.

The mist turns to ice and hits the ground, shattering.

It's over; Nimbus is gone.

So is Barry.

Out of the corner of his eye, Len saw him dart off. He'll be at STAR Labs.

The trek back to his motorcycle is too slow. He fights the urge to call Barry; he knows the kid doesn't have his phone on him when he's in the suit, and Cisco can't answer right now, not if Barry made it back to STAR Labs.

But he can't focus on that right now.

Driving is all very basic, but there's still traffic, even this late at night.

He breaks all the speed limits, but he's a criminal so that's okay.

He's off the motorcycle before he can think once he finally reaches STAR Labs. Moving through the hallways is all a giant blur, but they're unimportant.

By the time he enters the medical area, Barry's attached to various tubes with an oxygen mask over his face. The scene is very reminiscent of last time, and Len grabs at the doorway to brace himself as he enters the room at nearly a run.

Cisco looks up from where he's standing at Barry's bedside, fixing the last IV. He offers a tired smile. "He'll be fine," he tells Len. "It was close, but I got him."

It was close.

Len doesn't even want to know how close, or what he's missed.

Barry's pale, lips blue beneath the oxygen mask. He makes his way up to the bed, fingers brushing against Barry's cold ones. The kid shouldn't be cold.

"What happened to Nimbus?" Cisco is asking. "I know Barry wouldn't have left you alone if you were in danger – even if his life depended on it."

Len winces, because that's correct. Barry wouldn't leave him. Instead he'd shove Len out of the way and take the gas for himself, like he did with Joe. It all happened so fast...

He went there to help, but did he really? It seems like he did more harm than good.

"Cold? Where's Nimbus?" Cisco asks, waving a hand in front of his face, and Len blinks a few times, focusing.

"Dead," he says roughly.

Cisco blinks at him. "He's dead? How did that happen?"

Len drops the cold gun on the floor, unaware he'd brought it with him, but it's autopilot at this point. Leaving it on the motorcycle isn't an option, so logically he would take it with him wherever he's going, even if that's to see his boyfriend who is currently lying on a hospital bed beneath a white sheet only a shade lighter than his actual skin.

Which is wrong.

Cisco whistles. "You iced him, huh?"

Normally Len would appreciate the pun. Right now it doesn't matter.

"Look – Barry will be fine, okay?" Cisco says.

A part of Len knows that, recognizes that. This isn't the first time this has happened to Barry; it's not even the second time it's happened. And Len's been right here before, looking down at the pale form with the blue lips.