Tiger Stripes and Lightening Strikes

36: Fallout

Sebastian felt like death walking. His head was pounding. Everything ached. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Sitting in the S.T.A.R. Labs lounge with Mason and Santana, his eyes were closed over to block out the intense sunlight shining in through the wide windows. Santana and Sebastian looked rough, with pale faces and bedraggled clothing. He was practically collapsed into the couch, his head lolling back onto the head rest.

When Barry came strolling into the room with a cheesy grin, Sebastian's headache only worsened. "Good morning," Barry chirped, amusement shining in his eyes.

"Don't talk to me," Sebastian groaned.

Barry dropped down onto the couch beside him, the look of glee still pulling his lips thin. "How are the pair best friends doing this morning?" he peered between Sebastian and the disgruntled Santana.

"What?" Sebastian lifted up his head, blinking wearily.

"You and Santana declared yourselves best friends yesterday," Mason explained, peeing up from the bioengineering book on his lap. He too was grinning like an idiot.

"In Sebastian's words: friends that get stabbed together stay together," Barry teased lightly.

Sebastian and Santana stared at each other, their faces screwing up in disgust. "Ew," they spoke in unison.

"Not a chance," Sebastian huffed.

"I'd rather throw rock salt in my own eyes," she mumbled. He lifted his head just to send her a foul glare, which was met with a nonchalant shrug.

"Rock salt?" Barry enquired.

"Inside joke," Sebastian cleared his throat and sat up. "What can we help you with?"

"Caitlin is looking into a way to cure you," Barry folded his hands behind his head. "Until then, we want to see you in action." Sebastian stiffly lifted his brows.

"Only Santana has ever changed shape by will," Sebastian told him.

"How did she do it?" Barry asked.

"Sebastian irritated me so much I popped," she replied with a superficial smile. Barry's eyes flicked to Sebastian and he gave a little nod of conformation.

"Then I guess we'll start with anger as a trigger," Barry scratched at the back of his head. He cast his eyes over the team, little wrinkles of entertainment cracking around his eyes. "We'll start tonight. You should spend some time trying to feel human again." That, Sebastian would definitely agree with. "Also, we'd appreciate it if you could still do your performance for Helix, which is in three days from now."

"I'll have him whipped into shape," Santana winked at Barry. Sebastian let out a long and pained groan.

*

Sebastian glanced around the medbay he'd been sent into. Henry was carefully taking his blood, rounded glasses resting on the tip of his nose. The silence was deafening. Sitting on the edge of the gurney, Sebastian restlessly kicked his feet and watched crimson blood pour into awaiting tubes. With several bottles of water, the intensity of the hangover had lifted. Instead of a crushing headache, it was more of an icecream pain. The haze on his mind was lifting and his vision had begun to focus.